Renting points and saving $$

[Scarlett81]

Rental newbie here. I have yet to rent points but am seriously considering it for our next big trip. We are currently considering a DVC purchase, but prior to making that commitment we want to stay in a few villas to get a good feel. I've seen some of the charts, but I'm wondering about other hidden fees, ect adding that in the rental process.

With rental from a place like David's say, can you do better than just booking a villa through disney? Other than availability reasons, do you save $ by renting points?

(We really want to stay at VGF, but so far haven't seen a discount offer through Disney.)
Thanks!

 

[catherines_mama]

I don't know of any discounts or advantages getting a Vila from Disney. I think it's more $. Well you get daily Mousekeeping is all.

We rented using the boards here and it went very well. If you plan ahead and book at 11 mos using someone who has VGF as their home resort resort you have the best luck. It also depends on the time of year of course.

I've also rented as an owner on David's and know his price per point more for the renter but there is a lot of assurance built in.

 

[jodifla]

Renting from a DVC member is a good deal, but you'll have way less flexibility. Once you hand over your money, there is likely no changing or canceling your reservation.

 

[chalee94]

Rental newbie here. I have yet to rent points but am seriously considering it for our next big trip. We are currently considering a DVC purchase, but prior to making that commitment we want to stay in a few villas to get a good feel.

that's a good plan.

I've seen some of the charts, but I'm wondering about other hidden fees, ect adding that in the rental process.

i'm not aware of any.

With rental from a place like David's say, can you do better than just booking a villa through disney? Other than availability reasons, do you save $ by renting points?

most of the time, yes.

there have been a handful of times that disney has offered discounts at certain villas such that it was cheaper to book directly through disney rather than book a points stay as an owner.

when you rent a points stay, you do lose daily housekeeping (not a big loss IMO) and you severely limit your options if you need to cancel (usually, it's no refunds). also, you are dealing with an individual and not disney. so that's part of the reason why it ought to be cheaper.

but it's a good idea to do the math to make sure you are getting a good price.

 

[jmassey1samchi]

i currently have a stay booked for animal kingdom lodge starting Thursday (excited!) that I used rented points for through the timeshare store. They were $12 per point, and are almost always available at that price. This is my second time this year using them, and it is very simple. The price you pay is the $12 per point x number of points. Nothing more. Nothing. Do the math and you will see this is a great deal. You may just need to plan ahead a while in order to get what you want.
good luck!

 

[jimandami]

i currently have a stay booked for animal kingdom lodge starting Thursday (excited!) that I used rented points for through the timeshare store. They were $12 per point, and are almost always available at that price. This is my second time this year using them, and it is very simple. The price you pay is the $12 per point x number of points. Nothing more. Nothing. Do the math and you will see this is a great deal. You may just need to plan ahead a while in order to get what you want.
good luck!

I see people say they rent from the timeshare store quite frequently, but I can't find any information about renting DVC points on their website, only DVC resales. How does the point rental process work through them? Do you just call or e-mail someone?

 

[DebbieB]

Sometimes DVC resorts have a 35% annual pass or 30% public discount, and it can be lower than renting. You would get full housekeeping plus be able to cancel. Also if you have 4 Disney adults (age 10 and over) in a studio, free dining can be a better deal.

 

[luckyman_apd]

Sometimes DVC resorts have a 35% annual pass or 30% public discount, and it can be lower than renting. You would get full housekeeping plus be able to cancel. Also if you have 4 Disney adults (age 10 and over) in a studio, free dining can be a better deal.

Aren't these deals usually restricted to Saratoga Springs? Our first trip as a family (prior to owning DVC) we took my in laws and used his military discount. The only DVC room they could offer us Saratoga springs. We ended renting points and staying at BLT and it was a difference of only $300 more for BLT. Looking back in hindsight I'm sure the difference was nominal now that I know the point structures as an owner. As a non DVC owner at the time, I felt BLT was a much better location. (of course now as a DVC owner, depending on the type of trip I can see SSR as a better "resort" than BLT)

For the OP....renting carries risk for both you and the renter so that contributes to the price being cheaper. Having been a renter before....it's pretty much a final truncation. You pay someone to make a reservation for you. You get no control over it, and you must rely on the rentee to make any reservation changes for you (if any). The owner will lose points if you back out of the deal....or have serious restrictions placed on them if you back out within 30 days..so you must have concrete plans. DVC will NOT talk to you...only a DVC owner. Can it get you nice accommodations for a cheaper price? Sure.....but compare everything.

 

[ldomino]

As a longtime dvc member who rents out points - I think it's important to really understand the process.

Whether you use a service to rent points from or directly use a member - dvc units won't have daily housekeeping. Only direct thru Disney will give you that.

Whether you use a service to rent points from or directly use a member - The member is ALWAYS in charge of your reservation. Using a service just means you are shielded from seeing or knowing this. The member MUST always make any changes like adding Magical Express, adding disney dining, changing address or names, etc.
Changing dates and canceling a reservation are very tricky and discouraged. Some services charge an extra fee for this protection and get most of the cost of the dvc rental up front. It's all a matter of how the numbers work.

Most direct members use a standard contract just like a service. Some members want full payment immediately, some want about 2/3 and some want something like 50% now and 50% between 90-60 days checkin. Lots of this depends on the members use year and risk with the points. Some members take a check others may not.

It's important to understand all of this and for the renter to feel a level of comfort in the process. Not every member wants to make changes to a reservation. I've always treated my renters like I was their personal travel agent but not everyone does this. A trip to Disney can be overwhelming for many, so many things to do.

Renters wanting reservations at the 11 month window specifically to get a popular resort or a popular room or lower point room will find themselves having trouble securing reservations. There is a huge demand for DVC even 11 months ahead. A number of members are starting to charge extra fees to "Walk a reservation" to secure a precious room or view - it's a lot of work to call member services each day to secure the room for each day. Plus a member must use extra points to do something like this. If you don't do this then it's next to impossible to secure studio's at various places when that 11 month window opens. It's hard to explain this but most knowledgable members understand.

Renting is always the cheapest option for a DVC room. Whether you use a service or direct with a member is your choice. Once you experience the rooms at DVC it's hard to go back to a regular hotel room.

Rental prices can go anywhere from $11-15. A lot depends on the resort and when the member must use the points by. Finding the cheapest solution isn't always the best.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You might find a rental on ebay or Redweek or some other site that tells you that a $95 fee is required at check in. You don't want to rent those. That is an RCI re-rental and is not permitted by RCI or DVC. You could arrive and find your reservation has been canceled by either RCI or DVC. Those are also usually a week's stay, Sat to Sat or Sun to Sun.

 

[snowhyte]

I am a member who does not have enough points for the amount of trips I take. I have rented points over 10 times in the last 3 years. It's usually just to add a day or two when I run out of points. I have also booked for family through renters. E mail the timeshare store about rentals. The process is quite simple. I have also rented through Dis members and had great experiences. The only "extra" cost I have incurred is the paypal charge. Some renters cover this, some don't.

 

[crisi]

I don't know of any discounts or advantages getting a Vila from Disney. I think it's more $. Well you get daily Mousekeeping is all.

If you have to cancel, a Disney reservation is FAR more flexible than a point rental. And that is probably the biggest deal.

DVC rentals should be looked at as final. Some members may try and move things around, or let you sublet, or even let you cancel and then rerent those points. But the system makes such flexibility difficult to offer, even if you get a member renting you points who likes being a "travel agent."

It is possible to get private travel insurance on a timeshare rental, and probably a good idea. The member will certainly feel sorry that your kid got the flu or that you lost your job - but there isn't necessarily anything they can do that doesn't leave them out money. Brokers don't allow any cancellations or changes (that I know of).

 

[maburke]

The price you pay is the $12 per point x number of points. Nothing more. Nothing.

There is an exception to this. Aulani charges a Hawaii accommodations tax that is paid on the property, before checkout. It varies, based on the annual dues on the points used.