Renting DVC Points

[pluto77]

We are planning a trip to Disney in (most likely) May of next year for 7 nights. We are going to be going with my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who have never been to Disney World. At first, we were thinking of just staying in a value resort because we really want to show them as much as we can in the parks and downtown disney, and we weren't planning on being in the hotel much. However, since we are going to be there for so long, we have been discussing splitting our trip between a value and a moderate.

Now, I have just started looking at the possibility of renting DVC points. At David's Vacation Club Rentals, the cheapest I saw is a studio at AKL for around $156 a night (assuming its available, which I understand they can be hard to get). That sounds like a great price to me though, and I know my mother in law would love it!

Assuming that a studio is available for the time we want to go, is there any cons to renting DVC points vs. booking a resort directly with Disney? If we booked directly with Disney, we would definitely be doing a moderate or a value, but I thought, if we were able to stay at AKL, this might be a good way to wow them on there first trip. If we wanted to split our stay between a value and a DVC resort, would Disney still be willing to move our luggage to our new resort for us since we wouldn't have a car? Is there any problems with using magic bands when renting DVC points or any other issues we would run into by booking a room this way? We would also want to use magical express and probably add on the Disney dining plan.

Thanks for any help! I just wanted to see what other people's experiences were like when renting points. I'm sorry if these are silly questions, I guess I'm just a little nervous about renting points, and not booking directly with disney, since I have never done it before. Are there any other good sites that you would recommend to rent points from?

 

[sxeensweet]

David's is the most popular and most reputable to rent points from in my opinion.
AKL is a wonderful choice (me and DH are DVC MEMBERS And that is our home resort) but a studio may not be. Why I say that is it only has a queen bed and a sleeper sofa which may not be all that comfortable for whoever sleeps on it. Plus the studios for 4 Adults is doable but kind of tight and there will be no privacy for anyone or seperation. So if any of these factors might be an issue I would suggest doing a value or moderate with 2 beds , or even 2 seperate rooms especially with 4 adults.
Plus side they do have a kitchenette with a small fridge, coffee maker, toaster, microwave etc that regular rooms do not have.

 

[BethG]

I agree with the previous poster. A full-size sofa sleeper may not be comfortable for 2 adults. The only DVC studio that has 2 actual beds is Old Key West (DTD area). At AKV, you have to go up to a 2-bdrm to get 2 actual beds (or 2 studios).

Otherwise, renting points is a great way to save money. You still get all of the same perks as renting through Disney (EMH, Magical Express, Magic Bands, etc.). You can also get the dining plan without having to buy tickets. That is nice if you want the dining plan for the entire stay. The only difference I can think of with DVC is you don't get daily mousekeeping.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

I have never booked through Davids but my family has I believe 3 times and has great things to say about the process. They booked at AKL Villas twice and WL Villas once

 

[BigRedDad]

I am a cheapskate (you can even change skate with the 3-letter word). I hate spending money on something that is overpriced if I can avoid it at all possibility. A studio DVC room is going to be extremely cramped for 3 adults. The sleeper sofa is not that comfortable and fitting 2 adults on it is tough.

I have rented points and vacations several times through others. You can get so much more for your money, expecially if you are flexible. If staying on site is critical, trying to get 2 Studio rooms will be much better. You have 2 bathrooms, 2 queen beds. Things you need to be flexible with: dates, views, resort, onsite/offsite.

Benefits of onsite: You are in the Disney theme everywhere you are. You get to take advantage of EMH. You do not "need" a car.

Benefits of offite: You can get better than Deluxe accommodations for 50-90% off. We received a 2BR Deluxe at WBC for $500 for 7 nights. 2 separate bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, and huge living/dining room. Easily sleeps 8 if necessary. The negative for this is you need a car and no EMH. Those are the only 2 negatives.

The resort you stay at will depend on availability. AKL will fill up quickly at the 11 month marks. This causes a premium on the points like David's. They also charge a $2 premium on reservations 11 months out. If you are flexible on where to stay, you can score some great deals. We got a 1BR BWV for $1,200 in February. We got a 1BR at SSR in July for $1,300. 1BR units are basically 2x a Studio (roughly speaking).

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The DAKL studios only have a queen and a pull-out? That's rotten. A standard room is either two queens or a king and a pull-out.

 

[dreamfinder]

I'd suggest digging through the DVC section of the forum, lots of posts about point rental in there. But if you do point rentals, you are dealing with an owner, and get the same level of service they do. So no daily mousekeeping, depending on length of stay it may just be one trash and towel service, or you may get a linen change as well. Disney doesn't know or care that you rented the points, you still get the same amenities, so luggage transfer, Magic Bands, etc. However the person whose points you are renting is technically the owner of the booking, so they will need to make changes, book the dining plan on your behalf, etc. You won't be eligible for any promotions like free dining or the like.

Booking a studio at AKL isn't hard, the hard part is booking a value studio or club level studio. You should have no problems getting a standard studio, and perhaps even a savannah studio.

The DAKL studios only have a queen and a pull-out? That's rotten. A standard room is either two queens or a king and a pull-out.

All DVC studios are queen and pull out only. Studios are really geared to couples, with families moving into the 1BR villas. Hence their lower point cost. You trade off the extra bed for the kitchenette.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

All DVC studios are queen and pull out only. Studios are really geared to couples, with families moving into the 1BR villas. Hence their lower point cost. You trade off the extra bed for the kitchenette.

Just seems odd that they wouldn't make the cash inventory interchangeable with the studio points inventory for flexibility's sake if nothing else.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Assuming that a studio is available for the time we want to go, is there any cons to renting DVC points vs. booking a resort directly with Disney? If we booked directly with Disney, we would definitely be doing a moderate or a value, but I thought, if we were able to stay at AKL, this might be a good way to wow them on there first trip. If we wanted to split our stay between a value and a DVC resort, would Disney still be willing to move our luggage to our new resort for us since we wouldn't have a car? Is there any problems with using magic bands when renting DVC points or any other issues we would run into by booking a room this way? We would also want to use magical express and probably add on the Disney dining plan.

There should be no problems with Disney moving your luggage, or using MagicBands (MB), Disney's Magical Express (DME), or the Disney Dining Plan (DDP), although you'll need to work these through David's.

Cons of renting DVC points:

• No daily Mousekeeping - Assuming you stay a week or less, your room will be left untouched by Disney, although they will replace towels after 3 nights.
• Planning - You'll likely need to book your room 7 months or more in advance, preferably 11 months.
• Cancellation - David's DVC Rental is an intermediary. In reality, you're renting points from DVC members who have restrictions on how their points can be used. As a result, once you book by renting points, you might not be able to cancel, although you might be able to purchase vacation insurance for this.
• One bed & pullout sofa - Unlike traditional hotel rooms, DVC Studios typically have one queen sized bed and one pullout sofa.

With all these cons, why do people rent? Because it's often much less expensive than booking directly through Disney.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Just to clarify: there is one exception to the bed+sofa arrangement in DVC studios. DVC studios at Old Key West have two queen beds instead of the queen bed/pull-out sofa arrangement. They otherwise have identical amenities to those in other resorts (e.g., full bath, kitchenette, etc.).

EDIT: Sorry, I just realized that @BethG already mentioned this fact. Never mind!

 

[Rob562]

Just seems odd that they wouldn't make the cash inventory interchangeable with the studio points inventory for flexibility's sake if nothing else.

Since DVC points (and therefore the villa units) are the deeded property of the DVC Owners, they have to be kept separate for legal and financial reasons. They need to be able to say "these are the timeshares, these are the hotel rooms".

-Rob

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Since DVC points (and therefore the villa units) are the deeded property of the DVC Owners, they have to be kept separate for legal and financial reasons. They need to be able to say "these are the timeshares, these are the hotel rooms".

-Rob

They could still identify room 1234 as a DVC unit even if it's exactly the same inside as cash unit 5678.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

They could still identify room 1234 as a DVC unit even if it's exactly the same inside as cash unit 5678.

They do. At AKL Jambo House, the upper two floors are DVC, while the rest of it is regular rooms. You cannot tell the difference from the outside doors. The reasoning behind having just one bed and a pull-out couch is simple. DVC is a home away from home, so a living area with a couch, instead of a second bed. Of course, my wife and I prefer a 1 bedroom, even for just 2 of us!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

They do. At AKL Jambo House, the upper two floors are DVC, while the rest of it is regular rooms. You cannot tell the difference from the outside doors. The reasoning behind having just one bed and a pull-out couch is simple. DVC is a home away from home, so a living area with a couch, instead of a second bed. Of course, my wife and I prefer a 1 bedroom, even for just 2 of us!

Of course you do. Fancy pants with your Lexus and your $60 steaks.

 

[mouse_luv]

I'd rent the DVC. Seriously, even if you have to do OKW instead of AKV for the extra bed. I've rented before and will never stay at WDW any other way (that is unless I own DVC myself lol).

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Of course you do. Fancy pants with your Lexus and your $60 steaks.

Yuck, hate Lexus. Lincoln all the way for us.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Yuck, hate Lexus. Lincoln all the way for us.

Your MKZ is my Fusion with a fancy hood ornament.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Your MKZ is my Fusion with a fancy hood ornament.

Well, not to take this to a car thread, but not really. The older MKZ models were based on the Fusion platform, but mine and the newer ones are not. I did price a new Fusion out, and with everything mine has, it is only about $2,000 less, and it does not have the THX certified sound system that mine has. Sony 12 speaker with one subwoofer compared to my 14 speaker system with 2 subwoofers. Not a big difference. And I won't even get into the differences in the quality of the leather and trim. There are a few other minor differences as well, such as Ambient Lighting, Forward Assist, Power Deck Lid with soft close and certain touches around the way hvac, volume controls,and other small items are not available or simply different on the Fusion. Not a bad car though.

 

[pluto77]

Thanks for all the information and opinions! It really does help. I may rethink the AKL studio based off all of your opinions of how small it would be for 4 adults. I don't think we are wanting to spend too much on the resort so having two studios wouldn't really be an option. I may look into the Old Key West Studios that have the two queen size beds or possibly go back to the original idea of splitting the stay between a value/moderate (or even splitting the stay between a DVC resort and a value). Aside from the fact that we would have 2 beds at the moderate or value hotels, are the actual room sizes bigger in the moderate and value hotels than the DVC studios?

The resort you stay at will depend on availability. AKL will fill up quickly at the 11 month marks. This causes a premium on the points like David's. They also charge a $2 premium on reservations 11 months out. If you are flexible on where to stay, you can score some great deals. We got a 1BR BWV for $1,200 in February. We got a 1BR at SSR in July for $1,300. 1BR units are basically 2x a Studio (roughly speaking).

According to the cost calculator page on David's site, the $2 premium only applies to certain resorts, and AKL wasn't on the list, but I will definitely look into it though before I book (if I decide to go that route). I might be missing some fine print.

I'd rent the DVC. Seriously, even if you have to do OKW instead of AKV for the extra bed. I've rented before and will never stay at WDW any other way (that is unless I own DVC myself lol).

Just curious, why do you say you would never stay at WDW any other way? Is it mostly because of the cost savings and being able to stay at nicer resort? Or is there also another benefit to it that causes you to say that?

 

[BethG]

Aside from the fact that we would have 2 beds at the moderate or value hotels, are the actual room sizes bigger in the moderate and value hotels than the DVC studios?

The moderate rooms are smaller in total square footage, but they are configured differently. The bedroom area itself is smaller in the studio because of the space dedicated to the bathroom and kitchenette.
For example, a Port Orleans Riverside room is 314 sq ft and AKV studio is 366 sq ft.