Hi looking for a bit of help, looking to buy in to DVC still early stages so trying to research, I know DVC is for deluxe resorts but I have family that will stay in a moderate resort and it would be nice to stay with them in the same hotel occasionally I wouldn’t have enough points to upgrade them to deluxe but I don’t understand why it would cost more points to stay moderate than deluxe, I checked the Disney site and they asking for 20+ points a night yet animal kingdom is 11. I apologise now if it’s a dumb question and I am trying to find my way around.
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Staying at a moderate on dvc
- Thread starter Sarahz29
- Start date
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
Simple. The moderate resorts are not part of DVC.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
It's not a dumb question, but your best use of DVC points will always be to stay at a DVC resort. Moderates "cost" more simply because they're not DVC properties.
At those rates, I'd either stay with your family at a moderate and pay cash, or have them stay at the deluxe with you. If you don't have enough points to make reservations at a villa (or combination of villas) that will accommodate everyone, see if your family is interested in renting DVC points from a reputable agent (e.g., David's Vacation Rentals, DVC Rental Store). My family rents DVC points this way, and we've found that for many of the resorts and rooms, the cost can be comparable to the price of a moderate (e.g., in the past 12 months, we've paid $250/night for a Beach Club studio in a mid-range pricing season; and $285/night for an Animal Kingdom Lodge standard studio during a peak pricing season). The downsides are that you/they really need to have your plans firmly in place at least 7-11 months out, some flexibility may be necessary since you can't guarantee availability of desired resorts/room categories ahead of time, and you'll/they'll need to purchase vacation insurance if there's any chance you'll/they'll have to cancel (as DVC rental costs are non-refundable).
At those rates, I'd either stay with your family at a moderate and pay cash, or have them stay at the deluxe with you. If you don't have enough points to make reservations at a villa (or combination of villas) that will accommodate everyone, see if your family is interested in renting DVC points from a reputable agent (e.g., David's Vacation Rentals, DVC Rental Store). My family rents DVC points this way, and we've found that for many of the resorts and rooms, the cost can be comparable to the price of a moderate (e.g., in the past 12 months, we've paid $250/night for a Beach Club studio in a mid-range pricing season; and $285/night for an Animal Kingdom Lodge standard studio during a peak pricing season). The downsides are that you/they really need to have your plans firmly in place at least 7-11 months out, some flexibility may be necessary since you can't guarantee availability of desired resorts/room categories ahead of time, and you'll/they'll need to purchase vacation insurance if there's any chance you'll/they'll have to cancel (as DVC rental costs are non-refundable).
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Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
I am curious...if you used points to stay at a moderate (something I did not know was possible ) do you get daily maid service?
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
I didn't know it was possible either.
Darstarr
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
It is not advised to use points at moderates. With that said I have done it without regrets. (I have also been known to hit on 16). When the kids were younger we wanted to stay in the Fort Wilderness cabins. Why pay cash when I had perfectly good points sitting in my DVC account???
nickys
Premium Member
Well because you could rent the points out that the cabins would “cost” for cash and use the cash to stay at the cabins; you would end up with some money left over.
The non-DVC resorts are in the Disney Collection group of resorts. These are not a good use of points, they “cost” a lot of points to book. Just like cruises and any non-DVC use of points. Your points are worth more rented out than using them for a room elsewhere.
nickys
Premium Member
Yes.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Yes, I forgot that restriction, the RCI, if done right can be a good deal, I snagged a condo in Vail for next winter that would have cost me several thousands, and instead was merely my maintenance cost for the year(with points left over)
Lensman
Well-Known Member
Hi @Sarahz29, welcome to the WDWMagic forums!
I don't know if you've been lurking here or in other online forums, but just in case you're really new, I thought I'd post some basic information that a lot of people take for granted because you pick this info up if you hang around DVC online communities:
1. Using your points for hotels in the Disney Collection, Concierge Collection, or cruises is a bad deal. I've done it in the past before I knew better, but never since I found out that I could easily rent out my points and use the cash proceeds for a room/cruise instead.
2. I use between $14 and $17 a point as the "value" of a DVC point. So in your example for Animal Kingdom, you can think of a room as "costing" either the 11 points or $165 a night. Even during Magic Season, the 16 points per night is almost the same price as a room at a moderate resort, so you're better off using your points for an Animal Kingdom studio.
In conclusion, I think my recommendation would be to put your family up in AKV when you're staying there if you want to use your points to get them a room.
Please feel free to ask questions if what I said above isn't clear. Also, if you explain more what you're thinking you want to do, people can help with helping you achieve what you want to achieve!
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Thank you so much for your help, I am very new to all this and trying to see what works best for us, we have only stayed at moderate before so deluxe would be awesome, I total get that points are better used at dvc and would most likely use only on DVC, I will look in to the rental side for the family for sure,
If I can ask another very cheeky question we live in Australia so a trip over there needs to be for two weeks due to distance I would most likely stay at the home resort we choose so can book out at 11 months just wondered how hard would it be to get a studio, ?
Thank you so much you advice is very helpful and I know DVC should only be used for DVC to get best value.
Thank you and I understand DVC points are better used DVC
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
How is that a benefit?
nickys
Premium Member
I was being facetious. Since using points outwith DVC resorts is a bad idea, it’s saving resale buyers from wasting their points.
Lensman
Well-Known Member
If you have enough points for the whole family, staying in a DVC villa or studios is going to be the best overall deal. If not, I think going through one of the DVC rental stores is a good value way of having the extended relatives stay at the same DVC resort you are staying at on your points. I use David's. Just to be clear, I rent out my points through David's. I have never gotten a rental through him.
QUOTE="Sarahz29, post: 8674759, member: 130034"]If I can ask another very cheeky question we live in Australia so a trip over there needs to be for two weeks due to distance I would most likely stay at the home resort we choose so can book out at 11 months just wondered how hard would it be to get a studio, ?
[/QUOTE]
There are two big factors in answering your question:
1. Is your home resort AKV? If not, what is your home resort?
2. What time of year are you planning/asking about?
There are two big factors in answering your question:
1. Is your home resort AKV? If not, what is your home resort?
2. What time of year are you planning/asking about?
[/QUOTE]
So looking at Saratoga or old key west and September is our usual annual leave but am flexible, would avoid Christmas and Easter at this stage.
Lensman
Well-Known Member
September 2019 is only four months away so, as an example, the biggest block is 12 days in a studio at Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR). January is outside the 7 month window and so you have decent availability at most resorts if you are flexible. At closer to 11 months substantially all the resorts are still available.
If you do a search at the various DVC forums, you'll find a lot of threads on resort availability for certain months. I'm sure that if you post an inquiry thread here in this forum you'll get a few answers.
I'm not sure what this boards policy is about referring someone to another board for more specialized inquiries, especially if someone hasn't specifically asked for a reference.