If there was a way to book into a Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Hotel or even Aulani, Disney’s highly rated Hawaiian resort for much less than the website price, would you do it? Of course you would! That’s what happens when you rent Disney Vacation Club points. Read on to find out the risks and rewards that await you when planning your Disney vacation this way.
Photo courtesy Pixabay.
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How Do You Rent Disney Vacation Club Points?
I get it. You’re not ready to commit to buying a Disney Vacation Club membership but you want the bada bing bada wow factor of staying in a Disney Vacation Club property. You can totally do that!
If you’re not willing to commit to the time share but still want to have the DVC experience? Want to try before you buy? You can! Here’s some basics on renting someone else’s points.
Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Saratoga Springs are within easy walking distance of Disney Springs: Photo credit: Jill Robbins
How Do You Rent DVC Points?
The person who owns the points agrees to rent the points in exchange for a certain sum of money. The owner will make the room reservation in the name of the renter. It really is that simple.
This same process applies if a DVC Member wants to book a room for someone else. For example, if I wanted to gift my daughter and her family a three night stay, I could make the reservations for her in her name and she’d go and have fun. The rental process follows these same lines.
Don’t know someone who has a Disney Vacation Club membership? No problem! Disboards has a forum to connect people who are looking to buy and sell points. While making an arrangement with an individual comes with some risks, this forum does appear to be very well structured and well managed.
You can also check out David’s Vacation Club Rentals, which is an established company with a very good reputation. There’s a lot of selection and the process is laid out very clearly. If I were renting points, I’d prefer to deal with a company versus an individual. That’s a personal choice.
Photo: Pixabay
What are the Pros of Renting Disney Vacation Club Points?
Renting points gives a taste of membership without the commitment. Even if you’re not interested in membership, this is still a great way to maximize your Disney dollars. You’ll get deluxe level perks at moderate or value level pricing. Who doesn’t like that?
You can rent DVC Villas directly from Disney as well but you’re going to pay top dollar for them. The nightly rate for a one-bedroom Deluxe Villa through Disney averages about $600. You can get the same level of luxury by renting someone’s points for about half that…easy decision. You’ll pay about the same price per night as you would to stay at a moderate resort. I think the level of amenities between a moderate resort and a deluxe resort is substantially different.
It also gets you “on property” and access to all of the resort-guest-only amenities. Disney transportation, Extra Magic Hours, and longer window to reserve your fastpasses are all great bennies. You can probably save by staying in a non-Disney hotel but you lose out on the perks. Renting DVC points gets you on property at a bargain price.
There really aren’t any negatives, except for the slim possibility that the owner will flake out on you or rip you off.
If the idea of renting points makes you nervous, do your research. I’ve never rented points from Disboards. However, I know the board managers have a stringent process to post. They monitor the forums closely. They’re aware that there are people out there who want to scam potential travelers and they have you back. I’m also not able to find any negative reviews of David’s Vacation Club Rentals.
That said, it’s a smart idea to use a credit card that offers some protection in case things go south and buy travel insurance to cover cancellations outside your control.
Love this! We have been DVC members for 13 years and absolutely LOVE our membership. However, many of our friends don’t have the resources or don’t see the value in ownership and I have always steered them towards renting points. Its an excellent value.
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Love this! We have been DVC members for 13 years and absolutely LOVE our membership. However, many of our friends don’t have the resources or don’t see the value in ownership and I have always steered them towards renting points. Its an excellent value.