Why Families Should Consider Renting Points for DVC Resort Hotels

Have you considered staying at a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resort hotel but not sure how to go about booking a room or a villa if you’re not a DVC member? Late last year, my family rented points for a DVC resort hotel stay before cruising around the Caribbean.

I spent many days trying to figure out how renting works and spent even more time breaking down what this Disney World pre-cruise visit was going to cost. Surprisingly, renting points (something we’ve never done before) worked out almost the same as staying at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside (my husband’s favorite Moderate resort hotel).

It was only $200 more for the week if we booked a DVC resort hotel (a Deluxe resort hotel) through David’s Vacation Club Rentals. I think this was due to the time we were traveling – it was peak season and the discounts we usually take advantage of were few and far between at a Disney owned property. We LOVED staying at Saratoga Springs (the location was great – we could walk to Disney Springs in less than 10 minutes!) and would definitely consider renting points again for future trips.

Today I have Krystel from Planning The Magic talk about how renting points for DVC Resort Hotels (Disney’s vacation club hotels – similar to a timeshare program) can save you money. I wish I had discovered her site prior to our last WDW trip – it would have saved me hours of research and Microsoft Excel calculations! Take it away Krystel….

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It all started in 2014, when I wanted to take my partner and our 2 siblings to Disney World. We had just graduated college 2 months before and had moved into our own place 3 months before. What I’m trying to say is, funds were limited.

I wanted us to stay at Disney World, but it had to fit within our budget. My quest to make that happen is how I stumbled upon the Disney Vacation Club and renting points. This method saved me 70% off of a stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Let’s go over the basics:

What is the Disney Vacation Club?

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney’s version of a timeshare. DVC opened in December of 1991 at Walt Disney World (Florida). At the time, there was only one DVC resort.

To date there are currently 13 DVC resorts: 9 in Florida, 1 in Hawaii, 1, in Disneyland, 1 in Vero Beach, FL, and 1 in South Carolina.

The 9 Walt Disney World DVC Resorts are:

• Bay Lake Tower
• Saratoga Springs
• Old Key West
• Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Beach Club Villas
• Boardwalk Villas
• Fort Wilderness Lodge
• Grand Floridian
• Polynesian Villas

What does renting points mean?

Renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points can be defined as a one time use of a number of a DVC member’s points to book a deluxe villa room at WDW. Within this agreement the owner, (DVC Member), agrees to “rent” points in exchange of an agreed payment.

How much does it cost?

The cost is going to be per point. This amount is agreed upon between parties. The per point cost is then multiplied by the total amount of points needed.

For Example:

You are looking for a 6 night stay at the Grand Floridian which will be 100 points for a studio, (this is an estimate).

David’s, (more later), is able to quote you / rent out 100 points at $14/point.

Your total cost will be $1400 or $233/night.

But why would anyone rent points?

Remember earlier, when I said I saved 70% off my stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge? Renting DVC points will always have that effect when you are trying to stay at a deluxe Disney resort.

I just did a search for the Grand Floridian (August 21-28, 2017). At $448/night, Disney’s total came out to $3,531 and change for a standard room. David’s Rentals says $2295 for a studio with a kitchenette.

David’s has an awesome cost calculator, I suggest trying this out for yourself.

Where to Rent Points

David’s Vacation Club Rentals – http://www.dvcrequest.com

An online store that is accredited by the BBB with A+ ratings. This is definitely the safer route. This business has a phenomenal reputation, and you get customer service access almost instantly.

There stores have a collection of points and they do all the legwork for you. Figure out what you want, let them know, and you are done. It is truly convenient and also more expensive.

Renting from them can cost anywhere from $14-18/point. You can learn more here.

What You Need Before You Go Looking For Points

Mainly you need you need to figure out what you are looking for.

Use a points chart to figure most of this out:

• Which resort(s) are you open to?
• What size room?
• What dates?
• What’s your budget? (for your reference only)

Best Practices

Every resort is different in terms of theme, location, and how many points/night they are. Animal Kingdom is usually the cheapest per night.

Every DVC resort holds something special. I know some themes are more exorbitant than others but they’re all great.

You can also rent DVC points from individual members through a site like mouseowners.com, there is more risk with this. This is the route I decided to go with.

You’re eligible for the Disney dining plan even if you buy your theme park tickets elsewhere.

Is renting points right for my family?

Renting DVC points is in no way the cheapest way to stay at Disney World. However, if you have goals to stay at Disney World, especially in a deluxe resort, doing your research on point rentals has the potential to save you a ton of money.

Disney’s deluxe resorts are well worth the experience but sometimes not worth the rack price. Depending on the time of the year, you can find yourself saving up to 70% off of your resort stay.

About Krystel
Halfway through college Krystel decided to take her 10 year old little sister to Disney World on a shoestring budget. In order to have the most magical vacation possible she had to find every tip, trick, and best kept secret to go to Disney on a budget. They had a great time! Learn everything she knows by visiting PlanningTheMagic.Net and checking out her eBook.