I've been pricing out DVC rentals for October 2016. We had a great experience with our DVC rental at DLR and were thinking we'd do the same. Then I realized the resort also offered some of those rooms directly and priced those out as well. I'm going through a broker so the prices are darn near equal. Are there any pros or cons to renting DVC versus booking the room directly with Disney Resorts? For example, could I shell out the money for DVC only to potentially have the rooms be eligible for a later discount through Disney Resorts? TIA!
If the price to rent a DVC villa from a broker is 'darn near equal' to the cost to reserve the room through Disney I'd go with Disney for a couple of reasons:
1) Security - w/ Disney you'll get your villa, even w/ a broker as a middleman you're still at risk that the owner will not keep their MFs & mtge pmts. up, not use those pts., etc. eg: not stay in good standing w/ DVC and have their right to use their points revoked by DVC - it's very rare, and the broker presumably would do their best to make you whole - but it is a risk.
2) Flexibilty - w/ a broker generally you must pay all upfront or a high % upfront and the rest much sooner than you would w/ Disney. W/ Disney it's $200 (package) or first night (room only) and you can make payments as you go and don't have to pay it off until 45 days before your trip ( package) or arrival (room only.)
3) Future change - with DVC you cannot change your dates and you can't cancel, with Disney you can - through the years there have been many posts from people on DIS w/ reasons they needed to change their DVC rental dates and they are shocked to learn that they simply are going to lose their money - it's a risk most are willing to assume because the cost to rent DVC is generally (but as in your case not always) cheaper.
4) Ease of use - anything you want to add, like dinning, you must pay for upfront and do it through the broker who does it through the owner. W/ Disney you just call and do it yourself. W/ DVC the owner controls your reservation, w/ Disney you control your reservation.
5) Housekeeping - with Disney every day, with DVC maybe once, depending on your length of stay.
6) Future discounts - there is a possibility that between now and October 2016, Disney may offer discounts lowering your price even further.
I will say make sure you are comparing like units to each other as it surprises me that a non discounted Disney price is the same as a DVC rental price, but it really depends on the villa size, time of year, resort, etc..
...... Remember, October is one of the times of year that discounts abound.....I'd watch what happens this year and use it as a guide. As stated above by Deb & Bill......there are restrictions with DVC renting.....although I was able to get a cancellation policy (which I paid for).
....isn't there always 
