Is a luxury Disney vacation on your family vacation bucket list, but not in the family budget? Then you need to know the secret Disney insiders know: You can rent DVC points! They’re the key to having a luxury Disney vacation on a budget. Are you ready to save money while staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Hotel or even Aulani, Disney’s luxury Hawaiian resort? Read on to learn how to do just that by renting 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 ready to commit to buying into the Disney time share program but still want to have the DVC experience, you can! Here’s some basics on renting someone else’s DVC points.
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How Do You Rent DVC Points?
It’s simple: The person who owns the DVC points agrees to rent the points in exchange for a certain sum of money. The owner makes the room reservation in the name of the renter. That’s it. Really.
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.
Of course, that assumes you know someone who is a DVC member and has points she is willing to rent. So what if you don’t know a Disney Vacation Club member? 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.
The Safest Way to Rent DVC Points
TravelingMom recommends David’s Vacation Club Rentals. for saving money on our favorite deluxe resorts, including Animal Kingdom Lodge and Saratoga Springs. It’s 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.
What Are the Pros of Renting DVC Points?
Renting DVC points is 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?
The nightly rate for a one-bedroom Deluxe Villa booked directly through Disney averages about $600. You can get the same level of luxury for about half the cost by renting someone’s points. Easy choice.
Paying instead to rent DVC to rent that Deluxe Villa will cost about the same amount per night as staying at a moderate Disney resort. I think the level of amenities between a moderate resort and a deluxe resort is substantially different. (Here’s our overview of the benefits of Disney Value vs. Moderate vs. Deluxe vs. Deluxe Villa resorts.)
But the cost savings is just one reason to rent DVC points for your accommodations. Staying “on property” at Disney also entitles you to all of the resort-guest-only amenities. Disney transportation, early entry into the parks and (until Dec. 31, 2021), the free Disney Magical Express bus from the airport to your resort.
You might save more 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.
Read More: You’re Tempted, but is Disney Vacation Club Worth It?
How Much Can You Save by Using Rented DVC Points?
If your travel dates are flexible, you can maximize your savings with some amazing deals under the Dedicated Reservations section at David’s Vacation Rentals. That’s where you can find deals on rentals reservations such as this example below:
This same 2 night stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge over Christmas would cost you $1,020. That’s a $340 savings during one of the most popular times of year! Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of our favorite Disney resorts, and we like it even more when we can get that same great room at a discount.
Check these deals BEFORE picking your travel dates so you can save the most money on your Disney vacation.
What Can Go Wrong?
There really aren’t any negatives, except for the slim possibility that the owner will flake out on you or rip you off, which is why we recommend using a reputable company like David’s Vacation Club Rentals.
If you prefer to rent directly from an owner, 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.
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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.