Using DVC points at DL

[utahkennedys]

Has anyone done this? I am thinking in 2007 we may stay 4 nights here instead of WDW since we live in Utah. I know it isn't the most "point efficient" means, but some of our points are borrowed points and I don't want to mess around with renting (I would transfer if I could) so I was thinking I'd just use our points for this trip.

Is it hard to get dates, or does it work if DL Hotel has availability we can book it?

Thanks!

 

[Caskbill]

We've stayed at the Grand Californian on two separate occassions now, using points.

Booking was easy. MS does it. If I recall, when I made the reservations, both times they put me on hold for a short period while they called California and checked availability. I'm pretty sure it only requires the hotel has availability since they're effectively getting a cash rate for the room (The way it works is DVC takes my points that I use for the GC reservation and applies them toward a WDW DVC resort, and rents out that room through CRO to pay for my room at the GC.)

Very quick and easy.

 

[utahkennedys]

Thanks! I actually looked at DL rates on line and they were $210 in value season, which requires 23 DVC points -- not bad considering I'd have to pay tax anyhow and I think a resort fee if I paid cash (although, I wouldn't stay at DL hotel normally...). I think one trip it would be fun to stay at a DL hotel, and maybe we'll spring for the GC...

 

[KelNottAt]

Yes. We did it, too. Grand Californian, June 2005, for 2 nights prior to our DCL west coast sailing.

It was great. If it hadn't been for our points, we would have settled for a discount hotel close to port. Instead, our room was upgraded to DTD view and we got to spend a day a DL. For us, using those points was well worth it, despite what the DVC purists may say.

Isn't that the beauty of DVC? Small trip/short stay flexibility and accomodations better than whay you would have booked otherwise.

 

[acpalmer]

I just booked for the DL Hotel (early last week) for this November and MS found a room for me when the internet and my calls to the DL Hotel had shown that it was sold out. I was figuring we would end up in PP because it still had rooms, but when MS asked me what hotel, I figured I'd give it a try and said DL Hotel and a short hold later, voila, I have my DL Hotel room for the week of Thanksgiving!

 

[gracelrm]

We recently used points for the DL Hotel for a three night stay. We do not regret using our points at all for that trip. We're a family of five and though our room wasn't big by DVC standards, it was a nice sized room. It was our first trip ever to DL and I think we'll go again someday.

 

[HUFF590]

We just got back this week used our points for a stay at DLH had a nice room with a DTD veiw. One neat thing the slidding door at the hotel opens but there is no balcony just a rail and you seem like your outside while sitting in your room.We had room service and slid our table in front of the door like we were outside. It was a very nice trip.

 

[boscoj]

Another vote for using points! We did two trips in the last two years, both at GCH, and didn't regret it one bit. Like the previous posters have said, MS handles everything...it's so easy.

 

[castleri]

Have used them twice at DL First trip was 3 days each at GC and DLH. Second trip last year for the 50th party was for DLH. Would not stay at GC again as rooms were much bigger at DLH and they had a twin size day bed that worked for us since we had opposite sex teens traveling with us and needed the separate beds. They also had rollaway beds which GC didn't when we needed one.(they had sleeping bags and a floor mat instead). We were upgraded to pool view rooms both times at DLH. I will use my points there again if I get the chance to go there again.

 

[utahkennedys]

Thanks everyone! We may even go on a short notice trip at the end of this month so I am calling MS to see what is available.

 

[hoopsrob]

For us, using those points was well worth it, despite what the DVC purists may say.
Isn't that the beauty of DVC? Small trip/short stay flexibility and accomodations better than whay you would have booked otherwise.

Absolutely! You are not alone in that thinking.

 

[DaddyBrady]

I don't want to over-generalize, but at this point, using points at DL seems fairly "efficient" in this way: on average, the number of points for a room at a DL resort equals the rack rate available for that room and season divided by $10.

In other words, speaking very broadly, you could rent your DVC points for $10 (roughly the going price on the boards) and use that money to pay for your room, or you could use those same points for the same room.

Again, this a broad generalization based on comparing the points for a dozen or two resort / room type / season combinations to the rack rates on the DL website. I hadn't considered the effect of room tax, which isn't cheap in Anaheim, so actually the points-to-dollar exchange rate is actually more favorable when that is factored in.

Note I'm not saying it's the "best" use of points, but it seems to me like a pretty good one. I'm trying to convince my better half to use some of our excess points for at the Grand Californian using exactly this line of thought! Hopefully it will work.

 

[acpalmer]

I don't want to over-generalize, but at this point, using points at DL seems fairly "efficient" in this way: on average, the number of points for a room at a DL resort equals the rack rate available for that room and season divided by $10.

In other words, speaking very broadly, you could rent your DVC points for $10 (roughly the going price on the boards) and use that money to pay for your room, or you could use those same points for the same room.

Again, this a broad generalization based on comparing the points for a dozen or two resort / room type / season combinations to the rack rates on the DL website. I hadn't considered the effect of room tax, which isn't cheap in Anaheim, so actually the points-to-dollar exchange rate is actually more favorable when that is factored in.

Note I'm not saying it's the "best" use of points, but it seems to me like a pretty good one. I'm trying to convince my better half to use some of our excess points for at the Grand Californian using exactly this line of thought! Hopefully it will work.

And don't forget the $12 per night Resort Fee that you aren't paying in addition to that room tax--which, I agree, is hefty in Anaheim.

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

We just spent 5 nights at the Grand California in June in a theme park view room and it was worth every point we used! We loved the Grand CA and never would have payed cash to stay there. We were on the 5th floor and our balcony overlooked the Grizzly River Run raft ride area of the California Adventure park. It was neat to wake up in the morning and see them running the rides empty for their test runs.
We were charged the resort fee however DH called down to the front desk the first night to tell them we didn't want the daily USA Today and that we wouldn't be using the exercise room so they reduced the fee in half because we did have a car that we self parked and they charge for that.

If/when we go back to DL we would use our points to stay again.

Cheryl

 

[CarolMN]

I don't think DVC members paying with points are supposed to be charged the resort fee. We were not charged anything additonal when we stayed at the DLH this past March.

Best wishes -

 

[gracelrm]

We were not charged a resort fee either while staying on points at the DLH in June of this year.

 

[mikayla73]

When you book some where (not just DLR) that does charge an extra fee, does MS let you know when you make the ressie? Or is a surprise for you when you get there?

 

[debloco]

I don't want to over-generalize, but at this point, using points at DL seems fairly "efficient" in this way: on average, the number of points for a room at a DL resort equals the rack rate available for that room and season divided by $10.

In other words, speaking very broadly, you could rent your DVC points for $10 (roughly the going price on the boards) and use that money to pay for your room, or you could use those same points for the same room.

Again, this a broad generalization based on comparing the points for a dozen or two resort / room type / season combinations to the rack rates on the DL website. I hadn't considered the effect of room tax, which isn't cheap in Anaheim, so actually the points-to-dollar exchange rate is actually more favorable when that is factored in.

Note I'm not saying it's the "best" use of points, but it seems to me like a pretty good one. I'm trying to convince my better half to use some of our excess points for at the Grand Californian using exactly this line of thought! Hopefully it will work.

I agree. I compared the numbers for points-to dollars, ad naseum, for our upcoming trip at the end of the month and found the point total per night to be less than what I would have needed to pay in cash for the room. And I don't know that I would have ever paid that kind of $$ to stay at the GC.

So, while it's not a DVC room, it is a room at the resort I really wanted to stay at for a pretty decent point deal, and I don't have to lay out a huge amount of cash to do so.