Renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points is the perfect way to save money when staying at a Walt Disney World Resort deluxe hotel. It’s also the perfect way to experience one of the DVC resorts if you are considering purchasing a DVC membership. There are several companies that specialize in renting DVC points (I have only used David’s DVC Rental). The process is basically the same across most of them with slight differences in cost and payment process. David’s for example requires payment in full as soon as a reservation is secured. There are others that require half at time of booking with final payment due closer to your trip. Whichever company you decided to use, one things is certain – you will save lots of money on the cost of your stay.
The two most popular sites that I always look at are DVC Rental Store and David’s Vacation Club Rentals. DVC Rental Store does one or two things that I like: there is no charge to search for availability and they offer point protection – a basic insurance. Both are reliable, trusted businesses. Prices vary from $15 to $18 per point. A nice alternative to renting points from DVC Rental Store or David’s is renting from individuals. The three main places to do this are DVC Rentals at BuyaTimeshare.com, Disboards DVC-Rent/Trade Board and MouseOwners’ Rent/Trade/Transfer Board. The advantages to renting from individuals is you can save even more money. The average per point price on these boards is $12-14, with points sometimes going for as little as $10/point if the owner is desperate or the points are about to expire.
The Pros
The biggest benefit of renting DVC is the money you will save. You are also entitled, when renting DVC points, to purchase the Disney Dining Plan even if you haven’t purchased park passes yet. This will allow you to either purchase your passes from Disney directly or to use one of the reliable sites where you can buy passes at a small discount such as Undercover Tourist. Depending on your party size purchasing tickets through a site like Undercover Tourist can save you quite a bit as well. Undercover Tourist also occasionally offers specials – Buy 4 days and get 5th day free.
Here’s an example:
2 adults staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas in a Standard view Studio unit from March 4 to March 10, 2018
Reservation cost directly through Disney
Reservation cost through David’s DVC Rental
Savings: Just over $1,500. You could even upgrade to a Preferred View and still be saving $1,200.
That amount of savings will cover the cost of your park passes – 2 adults/5 day park hopper = $947 with tax through Disney or $899.90 through Undercover Tourist (FYI: If you belong to Ebates you will also receive 1.0% cash back from Ebates when you purchase tickets through Undercover Tourist).
When renting DVC points you will be able to link your reservation to your My Disney Experience account and you will receive Magic Bands.
DVC villas have kitchens so you will also save some money by having breakfast, snacks or even a dinner or two in your unit. You will also have a washer/dryer to do laundry if you wish.
The Cons
The biggest downside to renting points depends on which company you use. Some require payment in full with 24 hours of reservation confirmation so may end up paying for your vacation as much as 11 months before going. A different company may require half at time of booking with the remainder due 2 months before going.
The second biggest downside to renting Disney Vacation Club points is that you have no total control over the reservation. When renting points most companies ask you to list your top 3 desired resorts in priority order. There is no guarantee you will be able to get a reservation. When you do get a confirmed reservation, you still have no control over the booking. Only the DVC member who owns the points you rented can make changes to the reservation for you (such as adding Disney’s Magical Express or the Disney Dining Plan). Disney Vacation Club will not discuss a reservation with non-members, so even though your name is on the reservation, you must go through the rental company to make any changes.
Another downside for some is no daily housekeeping services. DVC villas do not get daily service from Mousekeeping. Since the unit rented is a villa and not a hotel room, housekeeping service is not daily.
The Process
Decide when and where you want to stay
To determine the cost of your vacation stay, each rental site offers a cost calculator, as well as information on each resort available to rent. The sites will also show room layouts and lists of amenities at each resort.
Complete the on-line reservation form
Information you will need before starting the reservation process:
- Dates of travel
- Room/Resort Choices
- Details for all of your traveling party
- Partial Payment or deposit is required by some of the rental sites. The deposit will be credited towards your total cost. If a reservation can not be secured your deposit will be refunded.
Email Confirmation
If your request is fulfilled:
- A confirmation number will be sent to you.
- You will be able to go online and view your full reservation details.
- Complete the online payment form and process the balance of payment
If your request can not be fulfilled:
- You will be given other choices that may be available and the opportunity to book those rooms/resorts.
- If they are not satisfactory to you, any deposit made is refunded.
Pay Final Invoice
A completed invoice, including rental agreement will be e-mailed to you. Your payment in full is your acceptance of the rental agreement.
Online Check-in
You will have access to Disney’s online check-in service. You may begin accessing Disney’s Online Check-In Service immediately to view your reservation details and 60 days prior to your scheduled arrival date, you will be able to pre-check-in, add room requests and enter information about special occasions you are celebrating during your visit.
Upon arrival, Key to the World cards and other registration materials will be waiting for you at a special welcome location where Cast Members will be available to provide additional information and answer questions. Please note that this service does not guarantee Guest rooms will be ready upon arrival at the resort. Rooms will continue to be available at standard check-in time of 4 p.m.
What do you think about renting Disney Vacation Club Points?
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