Why is renting a DVC villa so stressful?

[have2getaway]

OP, are you thinking that you should have a DVC rental reservation in place, and then can change it later? I don't think it works that way. From what I've heard, you cannot chance or cancel once you make the reservation. It's not like making a room-only hotel reservation, where you have to give a one night deposit to make the resie but you will get your deposit back in full if you cancel before a certain date.

This is from the website of a well-known rental company:
Can I cancel a reservation?
No. Due to the complexity of banking and borrowing points, cancellations, upgrades and date modifications are not permitted. You may explore the possibilities of adding Travel Insurance to protect yourself against unexpected situations. I do not provide this insurance, but you can obtain a very reasonable quote here: Travel Insurance Quote

Yes, thank you, we are aware that the reservation cannot be canceled once the reservation has been made. We would definitely get travel insurance to cover the cost in the event we changed our plans.

 

[Lynne M]

There seems to be a wait for almost anything. What am I doing wrong? Is it because I'm not an owner?

Well, to some extent, it is because you're not an owner. Your problem is in trying to find an owner who a) has points at the resorts you want, and b) isn't planning to use those points for their own vacations. That can be a tall order. The great majority of DVC members don't rent out their points, they use them, so you're already starting with a much smaller possible pool of owners. Then, you have to hope that those owners use the rental agencies you're working with.

It really is just a matter of luck, and patience. That uncertainty is part of the tradeoff for the much lower rates you get by renting. For more certainty, you'd need to book through Disney, or get your own DVC membership.

Good luck, hope you get the reservation you want.

 

[CarolMN]

Renting continues to get more popular and more acceptable to the general public. Everyone loves a bargain!

As already said many times, there just are not enough owners from the near park resorts willing and able to rent out their points. At WDW, the near park resorts are generally consdiered to be VGF, Poly, BLT, BWV, BCV & sometimes VWL. This fact has limited, and will continue to limit, the options available to renters prior to the 7 month window.

At 7 months, a point is a point is a point. At 7 months, there are usually plenty of points available, but not enough rooms are left at the near-park resorts to meet the demand

Availability at the near park resorts is much more competitive at 7 months than it has been in the past. To some extent that is also true for the 11 month window. IMO, a lot of that competition is coming from renters. The "good old days" of "no hurry booking" habits that some of us old-timers remember are pretty much gone.

 

[Marionnette]

The first time we tried to rent a DVC property, we were too late (Sept. for a Jan. trip). This time, we are trying to secure something close to 11 months out and it's still a struggle. There seems to be so much uncertainty and waiting for something that might not even happen. I'm used to making a request/reservation and being done with it, but am quickly discovering it is not quite that easy. I've looked into 3 different resorts (PVB, BLT, and VWL) and none of them are guaranteed! There seems to be a wait for almost anything. What am I doing wrong? Is it because I'm not an owner?

I think that a good deal of your frustration stems from not understanding how DVC and the rental process works.

When you contact a broker, you tell them your dates and preferred resort(s). You then enter a wait list queue if the broker doesn't have an owner with the necessary points contracted. If it is more than 7 months until your arrival date, you will be in a queue with others who are also interested in renting at that same resort 7+ months in the future, but not necessarily for your same nights. It doesn't matter if an owner with 1,000 points for rent at that resort offers them to the broker if there are 20 renters ahead of you in the queue. The broker will check availability for the first renter in the queue and then work their way down the list until all 1,000 points have been rented out. If your name comes up but the number of remaining points from that owner is less than what you need, the broker will skip down the queue to a potential renter that needs fewer points.

The unfortunate thing is that while there may be availability for your dates today (and I don't know if there is or is not), there may not be availability by the time that your name bubbles to the top of the queue. And the chances diminish greatly at the 7-month date, when every DVC owner can book at their non-home resort and your name enters a giant queue with other potential renters who are seeking to rent points from that broker for any resort less than 7 months in the future. IOW, if you're seeking 180 points to rent at BLT and another renter needs 96 to rent at AKV, you're both in the same queue at 7 months and are competing for the same pool of DVC owners who are renting thru the broker.

In all honesty, the best way to be able to book your desired resort is to become an owner at that resort. However, it's not an option for a lot of people. The second best option is to deal directly with someone who owns at the resort you want to book. That comes with its own risks and cautions and again, it's not an option for some risk-averse people. The final option is to do exactly what you have done - put in a request with a broker (or even a few brokers) and wait patiently.

 

[keishashadow]

We were initially trying to get 2 connecting studios at the Polynesian, but we were told this is the longest wait, but we thought studios would be easier to secure because they are smaller, and more of them. We were then told a 2 BR at BLT is a longer wait than a 2 BR at VWL, but still are both a wait. We keep changing our request in hopes something will work. We have looked at options directly through owners, but it seems like most of them are for OKW, SSR, or AKV. Is there a particular resort that we will have no wait at all to secure? Just so that we know we at least have something in place?

My experience, studios go quickly, more so during popular times (holidays & local/Disney events) I've been initially shut out of BW standard & AK value ones when not booking @ the opening bell-11 month window.

Interestingly enough, majority of my requests have come thru via waitlisting or watching the website carefully, usually within a week or so. IMO it's likely due to what is termed 'walking a reservation'. Members can book a reservation +X amount of days. They then go back and cancel the earlier part of their reservation that they don't require, freeing the dates for other members to then book.

Many members book the days available within their desired visit and then waitlist or stalk the missing days on the website. Those of us trying to flush out a reservation with a missing date or two often are basically circumventing the waitlist at times. It's the beast we work with, but process is certainly not friendly to renters in that regard.

Pixie dust may come your way but I'd have a back up, cancellable reservation somewhere, especially if you are booking air, etc.

FYI, Wyndham Bonnett Creek is a lovely and reasonably-priced alternative via large rental companies, many referenced here on the offsite hotel boards if you are flexible as to 'where' you want to stay. Good luck.

 

[have2getaway]

Renting continues to get more popular and more acceptable to the general public. Everyone loves a bargain!

As already said many times, there just are not enough owners from the near park resorts willing and able to rent out their points. At WDW, the near park resorts are generally consdiered to be VGF, Poly, BLT, BWV, BCV & sometimes VWL. This fact has limited, and will continue to limit, the options available to renters prior to the 7 month window.

At 7 months, a point is a point is a point. At 7 months, there are usually plenty of points available, but not enough rooms are left at the near-park resorts to meet the demand

Availability at the near park resorts is much more competitive at 7 months than it has been in the past. To some extent that is also true for the 11 month window. IMO, a lot of that competition is coming from renters. The "good old days" of "no hurry booking" habits that some of us old-timers remember are pretty much gone.

Thank you! I did end up getting lucky and was able to secure the first 3 nights of our Jan. trip for a 2 BR at BLT. I am hopeful that I will be able to get the remaining days later, at the 7 month window, which will all be after Marathon weekend.

 

[CarolMN]

Thank you! I did end up getting lucky and was able to secure the first 3 nights of our Jan. trip for a 2 BR at BLT. I am hopeful that I will be able to get the remaining days later, at the 7 month window, which will all be after Marathon weekend.

Good luck to you - availability is better after Marathon Weekend, so I predict success.

 

[Missyrose]

If you want a close-to-park resort, you would be much better off looking for an owner to rent from. The DVC owners at those resorts aren't renting via the brokers as much anymore because they can make more money by renting their points out on their own.

 

[Best Aunt]

Yes, thank you, we are aware that the reservation cannot be canceled once the reservation has been made. We would definitely get travel insurance to cover the cost in the event we changed our plans.

Okay, good.

I don't know how travel insurance works if you are renting. I looked into it once when using my own DVC points. As I vaguely recall, there was something weird about it having to do with Use Years. I had a small contract, so for that vacation I was using current Use Year points, prior Use Year points (banked) and future Use Year points (borrowed).

I just googled it and it showed this: "Disney Vacation Club offers comprehensive travel insurance through Travelex Insurance Services, designed specifically for the needs of our Members. Protect your Disney Vacation Club travels and purchase travel insurance today. For $89*, you can receive a full use-year of protection in case of trip cancellation or interruption, emergency medical expenses, trip or baggage delay and more."

So I believe for my trip, the cost would have been the $89 x 3 because it involved three Use Years. If there had been four people in my party, would it have cost $89 x 3 x 4 for travel insurance? I'm not sure.

This probably would be the topic for a new thread (especially because my interpretation may be wrong), but I thought I should mention it. If you are renting, I don't know if you would even be aware if the owner was just using current Use Year points, or multiple Use Year's points to make your reservation. Maybe it doesn't matter.

 

[Anal Annie]

1/6/18 to 1/13/18 (2 adults, 4 kids). We were considering 3 options:

-2 connecting studios at Polynesian (can be requested not guaranteed). We stayed at the Poly last month and LOVED it.
-2 BR at BLT
-2 BR at VWL

Briefly considered Boardwalk, but really want to be near Magic Kingdom.

Are any of these likely?

That's the marathon weekend. Everything books way early for the Wed-Sun - ESPECIALLY for studios. Change your dates or your resort priority and you'll do better. BLT may have more options...

 

[maburke]

Okay, good.

I don't know how travel insurance works if you are renting. I looked into it once when using my own DVC points. As I vaguely recall, there was something weird about it having to do with Use Years. I had a small contract, so for that vacation I was using current Use Year points, prior Use Year points (banked) and future Use Year points (borrowed).

I just googled it and it showed this: "Disney Vacation Club offers comprehensive travel insurance through Travelex Insurance Services, designed specifically for the needs of our Members. Protect your Disney Vacation Club travels and purchase travel insurance today. For $89*, you can receive a full use-year of protection in case of trip cancellation or interruption, emergency medical expenses, trip or baggage delay and more."

So I believe for my trip, the cost would have been the $89 x 3 because it involved three Use Years. If there had been four people in my party, would it have cost $89 x 3 x 4 for travel insurance? I'm not sure.

This probably would be the topic for a new thread (especially because my interpretation may be wrong), but I thought I should mention it. If you are renting, I don't know if you would even be aware if the owner was just using current Use Year points, or multiple Use Year's points to make your reservation. Maybe it doesn't matter.

A renter can't use the owner's DVC insurance. It only covers people in the same household, and only covers the annual dues on the points. A renter will want to get regular travel insurance to cover all nonrefundable payments.