Newbie--Planning for Nov 2018. Should we rent DVC Points???

[MaskedRose86]

First time planning a trip to DW. Our twin girls will be 6 (almost 7). We have taken them to DL a couple times since DH's family live in the area so I anticipate MK being a favorite. To the point we might end up there at least a little every day.

Our vacation planner is highly recommending the Poly. I stayed at the Poly at 15 and while it was very nice (we were club level), I am not thrilled with the price for even a regular (non club) room though since it seems more expensive than the other 2 resorts I am considering---Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary.

As a seasoned "Disneyland-er" I am so used to convenience and it seems so hard to achieve that with most of the resorts at DW. I also think since this will be a longer trip (7 days and maybe 6 Park days), than our DL trips we will want to have some down time in afternoons so a resort that offers a nice respite would be nice. But we would probably return to the park most evenings for the entertainment.

I am totally not familiar with how renting DVC points works but is that a good option? Is it safe? My vacation planner doesn't seem like she recommends the idea but I have yet to ask her directly.

So....WL or Contemporary? Or does Poly rooms ever go on discount in late Nov? Or should we rent points to stay at a MK property?

 

[mslhb]

We rented points for our last stay at the Poly. Process was very easy. We chose a place that offers a cancellation policy. Even adding that it was still way cheaper then the deal we could have gotten direct through Disney. We also LOVE the WL. Haven't tried the Contemporary. The theming just doesn't appeal to us though the walk to the MK would be great. I think with your kids age any of the MK resorts would be a good option.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I am also very interested in the replies here. We are considering renting DVC points for Thanksgiving 2018. I have heard this will be a very difficult time to rent points. A reservation will likely need to be booked at exactly 11 months (the DVC member would need to be online ready to go the second reservations are open for our dates). Moreover, there is a good chance for very popular dates, there might not be an owner with those points available at a home resort. I think it would be a good idea to have a back-up plan. We'd like to stay at BLT (also thinking about the Poly). But if renting DVC points ends up not working for us, we will plan to stay at Wilderness Lodge. We'd love to be at the Contemporary, but I'm guessing the prices there at Thanksgiving are too high for us (prices for Thanksgiving 2018 aren't available yet but CR was too high for us this Thanksgiving). That's why we want to give DVC a try. We are considering using a broker (David's Vacation Club). Renting directly from a DVC owner seems a little risky our first time. I'd feel more comfortable with a broker.

 

[Marionnette]

First time planning a trip to DW. Our twin girls will be 6 (almost 7). We have taken them to DL a couple times since DH's family live in the area so I anticipate MK being a favorite. To the point we might end up there at least a little every day.

Our vacation planner is highly recommending the Poly. I stayed at the Poly at 15 and while it was very nice (we were club level), I am not thrilled with the price for even a regular (non club) room though since it seems more expensive than the other 2 resorts I am considering---Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary.

As a seasoned "Disneyland-er" I am so used to convenience and it seems so hard to achieve that with most of the resorts at DW. I also think since this will be a longer trip (7 days and maybe 6 Park days), than our DL trips we will want to have some down time in afternoons so a resort that offers a nice respite would be nice. But we would probably return to the park most evenings for the entertainment.

I am totally not familiar with how renting DVC points works but is that a good option? Is it safe? My vacation planner doesn't seem like she recommends the idea but I have yet to ask her directly.

So....WL or Contemporary? Or does Poly rooms ever go on discount in late Nov? Or should we rent points to stay at a MK property?

There are some risks involved in renting a DVC villa from an owner. Even if you were to go thru one of the brokers, the owner retains all control of the reservation. However, the brokers work to keep your risk at a minimum and most owners who are renting reservations are doing so because they have no use for their points before their expiration date. There have been a few reports of problems but they are the exception and not the rule.

However, you should familiarize yourself with the differences between DVC renting and staying in a Disney hotel room. Almost all DVC rentals are non-refundable and require payment at the time of booking. If you have any concerns that you would need to cancel, renting DVC is not for you.

The PVB villas are either studios or 2-BR over-the-water bungalows (very pricey). WL has two DVC resorts: BRV and CCV. CCV is the newest. CR has a separate DVC tower - BLT. The BLT studios are notoriously small but you do have the ability to walk to the MK, which is unique to CR and BLT.

In all likelihood, your planner is not going to be enthusiastic about helping you with a DVC rental because there's no commission to be made from it. You will be dealing with an agency that links owners with renters or you will negotiate directly with an owner yourself.

 

[buzznina]

Renting DVC is great if you know what you are getting and not getting. The best part is being able to stay at a deluxe resort at a great price. Staying in a studio is where you save $$$, once you go up to a 1 or 2 Bd Rm the points needed to rent get expensive and are normally more expensive then a regular room. With the exception of OKW and SSR, the studios have only 1 real bed and then a pull out sofa, also once the sofa is opened up the room is very cramped at most resorts. Booking 11 month in advance, paying 100% up front, possibly losing $$ if you need to cancel, very limited mousekeeping etc... So go to the DVC board and read up on all the information before you make your decision.

 

[shairpdrh]

We have rented twice now and I am very happy with how it has worked out. We rented directly from owners on the board here. So far it has worked out, but I understand your desire to use a broker. We didn't because we needed a large number of points for a busy DVC season and needed an owner to help us get what we wanted. We couldn't work with the broker until 11 months out and that wouldn't have worked for us (but we had a very hard reservation to get and that doesn't sound like the case for you). Being open to two options (e.g., BLT or Poly) might be beneficial just in case.

As far as resorts, my vote would be for Wilderness Lodge over the Contemporary unless the convenience of walking to MK is the most important thing for your family. The theming is nice in the main tower, but we found the rest of the resort a bit less exciting than other resorts on property. Wilderness Lodge is my favorite and I think you would enjoy the resort if you like the theme. Poly has great theming and the transportation options are awesome. Tough choices, but being open to a couple of resorts might be best so you can try to get the best deal available. You might want to search around for deals from different agencies depending on when you are traveling.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...In all likelihood, your planner is not going to be enthusiastic about helping you with a DVC rental because there's no commission to be made from it. You will be dealing with an agency that links owners with renters or you will negotiate directly with an owner yourself.

If you go through a broker, you'll pay their price. If you go through an individual owner, you'll still pay their price. They can get any renter they want. And your planner won't make a penny on any of that. Remember, too, that you won't get daily cleaning or as many towels as you want. You'll get one bath towel per sleeping space every four days. If you are there seven nights or less, on day four (day one is check in day), the housekeepers will remove your soiled towels and take out your trash. They'll replace all the consumables like shampoo, soap, toilet paper that has been used. You get one tiny bottle of shampoo every four days for every bathing location. If you stay eight nights or more, you'll get a full cleaning on day four and trash and towel service on day eight. They only make beds, vacuum, etc with a full clean. You can pay extra for more towels or extra cleanings.

 

[IndianaRRT]

Whether or not you choose to rent points, the difference between the WL area and a monorail resort (and all are lovely) really is the boat ride. The extra bit of separation from the monorail area for many folks is a welcome part of staying at WL--you are very near to MK so transportation times are reasonable, but you are not a front row witness to the hustle and bustle. If the thought of almost literally walking out the door of your room into MK causes you to have to wipe the pixie dust from your eyes, that's the choice for you. If you smile at picturing yourself with the wind in your hair as you sail toward the castle, then WL should be the place. You can't go wrong either way.

 

[Jules76126]

If you go through a broker, you'll pay their price. If you go through an individual owner, you'll still pay their price. They can get any renter they want. And your planner won't make a penny on any of that. Remember, too, that you won't get daily cleaning or as many towels as you want. You'll get one bath towel per sleeping space every four days. If you are there seven nights or less, on day four (day one is check in day), the housekeepers will remove your soiled towels and take out your trash. They'll replace all the consumables like shampoo, soap, toilet paper that has been used. You get one tiny bottle of shampoo every four days for every bathing location. If you stay eight nights or more, you'll get a full cleaning on day four and trash and towel service on day eight. They only make beds, vacuum, etc with a full clean. You can pay extra for more towels or extra cleanings.

I have never had to pay for extra towels when requested and we have had DVC for many years. My most recent stay was November 16. Is this a recent change?