Here are a couple of things that non-owners may not understand about DVC:
- You're not "renting points". That's a disboards term. You are renting a reservation. The points belong to the DVC member and always will be theirs. The reservation is under their control until the moment that you check in.
- Those units with low points like BWV std. view and AKV Jambo value studios may not be impossible to get but you are highly unlikely to be able to book the value studio and will be very lucky if you get std. view at BWV. Set your budget to cover the units that cost more points.
- Demand for DVC rental far exceeds the number of available units and owners willing to use their points for a rental. DVC is designed to be at or near 100% occupancy all year long. That means that owners will be competing with one another for the more popular DVC units at the most popular times of the year.
- DVC periods of peak demand are not the same as Disney's periods of peak demand. Marathon weekend and Sept. thru December book up quickly.
- DVC units are not the same as staying in a hotel room. Aside from not getting daily housekeeping, you will not get 2 beds in a studio unless you're staying at OKW. What you get in a studio is a queen bed and a full sleeper sofa. Some studios will also have a Murphy bed that is smaller than a twin bed that will accommodate a 5th person.
- An owner that is willing to use their points for your reservation has restrictions on their points. Because of the restrictions that we deal with, the likelihood of getting a refund if you change your mind or need to cancel are less than when dealing directly with Disney. If they borrowed points, used banked points that are expiring soon, are past their banking deadline or if you cancel so late that their points go into holding, they aren't likely to give you your money back.
- Any changes, special room requests or adding the dining plan have to be done through the owner. Dining plans must be paid in full at the time that they are added to the reservation because that's the way that DVC works.
- You cannot request an upgrade when you get to the resort. With DVC, you get what you paid for. Any upgrades would be charged to the owner (i.e. additional points would be taken from their account).
- The owner retains control of the reservation, even if you went through a broker like David's. If the owner is behind on paying their mortgage or membership fees, Disney can (and will) cancel reservations that they have made. Even a broker cannot control that.
- Owners are not magicians. We cannot get you a reservation for a unit when there are none available. We are not likely to "walk" a reservation in order to get you what you want, nor are we likely to add our names to a waitlist to get it for you. Your chances of getting exactly what you want are much greater if you have lined up someone, who owns at the resort that you are interested in booking, at least 11 months in advance of the day you wish to arrive. The probability of success goes down from there.
- It takes a degree of trust when renting a DVC reservation, but it goes both ways. The renter is trusting the owner to make good on their promise to keep the reservation in good standing for the renter. The renter is trusting that the DVC owner will not cancel the reservation and run off with their money. OTOH, the owner is trusting that the renter will pay in full according to the terms that they set forth in the contract. They are also trusting that the renter will not damage the property or otherwise run up a bill that the owner gets stuck paying.
- When you rent a DVC reservation, Disney is not involved in the transaction at all. They will not make good if something goes wrong and you show up at the resort without a room in your name. Sometimes, it's not even the owner's doing. There is a recent thread on the DVC Member Services forum concerning an owner's reservation that was canceled by DVC for no apparent reason. This happened to be a reservation for themselves but it could just as easily have been a reservation for a friend, family member or a renter. The reservation cannot be re-booked because the unit went to the next person on the waitlist. It can happen. You'd get your money back in a case like that but you would be without a reservation and Disney won't do anything to help you other than to book a room for you at the prevailing rate for whatever is available.
- A DVC studio unit can be less expensive than booking a standard Value Resort hotel room thru Disney, but there are times when going thru Disney for a room will be cheaper with a discount. With the rising cost of Membership Fees, renting a DVC reservation is going to become more expensive as well. Members are not looking to give someone else a cheap vacation. If they are not using their points for their own reservation, they want to at least recover the dues that they paid on those points.
LoL, I am sure DVC wouldn't want you as their spokesperson.
To the OP, there are both good and bad things about renting DVC. PP has pretty much got the bad covered so I will focus on the good.
Many of us have rented points many times before and because we either go through good listed brokers (like David's) or are diligent in our background checks have vacations that have been helped out tremendously by renting points.
Tons more room
washer and dryer and full kitchens in the 1B,2B and grand villa's
staying deluxe and getting deluxe amenities for the price of a mod
a more relaxed home away from home
Possibly even a third bathroom
Third TV
Balcony or patio in most instances and sometimes more than one.
The main reason that I suggested DVC resorts is it allows you to set up your own sleeping arrangements. The pull out couch (and chair at some resorts) can sometimes lend a positive choice for your group.
For instance, we are going in May and have my daughter, her husband and my little infant granddaughter in the second bedroom, me and my wife in the master, and my 23 year old twin boys in the living room. Works out great. Deluxe for all of us for around $560 a night total.
But, as in all things Disney, do your homework and ask questions like you are doing. I am sure you can find a bunch of good options.
