DVC Rental vs Booking Direct Thru WDW

[hahall3]

Currently have a reservation booked(xxxx)thru WDW for a room at the (xxxx) Have been looking into possibly renting a DVC timeshare rental and it seems it quite a bit cheaper. Anyone have any pros/cons for doing a DVC rental?

 

[eticketplease]

Currently have a reservation booked xxxxx thru WDW for a room at the xxxxx. Have been looking into possibly renting a DVC timeshare rental and it seems it quite a bit cheaper. Anyone have any pros/cons for doing a DVC rental?

Pro is you are usually saving a lot of $$ even if Disney were to discount it or offer free dining.

The con is the cancellation policy clearly favors you when booking from Disney. Some third party rental companies offer insurance for your rental though.

 

[CarolynFH]

Yes, the biggest downside is that DVC rentals are generally on a no-changes, no refunds basis, due to the facts that points expire and availability can be very limited as time goes on.

 

[pks_domer]

Agree, the cancellation policy is the biggest con. You may be able to put in a room request yourself, but some rental companies may stipulate that needs to be done by the member. You may need some patience in doing a rental as well-- unless you're doing a pre-booked rental, it can sometimes take a while to get an owner match for the rental you need, particularly if it's more than 7 months out.
Of course, it's typically substantial cost savings, so that's a big pro.
Not really a pro or a con, but some folks rent directly from members rather than through a third party company (there's a whole forum on this board for that).

 

[Best Aunt]

Also:

You can look at point charts to determine how many points you would need for a particular stay.

You can look at an agency's website to determine how much they would charge for a stay.

But as a non-member, you don't know if there is availability for that stay; availability changes constantly as members book and cancel.

Also, you don't know if the agency has a member who has the points to make that reservation.

This assumes that you are not looking at a "confirmed" reservation. A confirmed reservation was booked by a member, and now the member is trying to find someone to take that reservation off their hands.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I want to mention, in addition to the cancellation differences mentioned above, if you booked on the hotel side your room will be different than if you book a studio villa by renting points. I’m not sure if that matters to you.

 

[kanerf]

As an owner, I sometimes put my excess points out there for rent usually here on the site. I usually provide a very discounted price because I need to rent the points out because they will expire. I make the reservation for the renter and can make some changes, such as add or delete guests (up to the max number for the unit) and add the DDP (requires an upfront payment and cannot be refunded). I have done this perhaps 10 times and have had no issues.

 

[loves to dive]

In most cases, you have to pay up front as well, if you book through Disney you don't have to. I've found that it's easier to rent if you need anything other than a studio. Those are few and far between. Since I travel solo, it's usually less for me to either get a room or rent DVC through Disney and use whatever discount is happening then rent points, if I can even find them. I've only been able to actually find them once for less than just getting a room and even then I had to do a split stay (which I don't mind and do often). Usually, it's also easier if you can book 7 months out, I rarely know 7 months out that I'm even going.

 

[Sandisw]

OP... your Dates and resort were removed as it could be seen as a rental wanted, which we do not allow. There are definitely pros and cons to renting points and many have shared them with you.

It all really comes down to how adverse you are to the risk. We never rented prior to owning DVC because we didn't like not having the flexilibyt to change our minds, or be in control of the reservation. But, rentals can save you nice amount if Disney isn't offering any deals.

 

[Mle8308]

If you decide to go the rental route, get in touch with an owner or rental agency a little more than 11 months prior to the start of your vacation. Owners can book at their home resorts at that time and the best availability is then. At 7 months (when owners can book at any property), the more popular resorts can be booked or only have partial availability. Disney rarely discounts the Poly more than 10-20% off rack rates, even when other deluxes are at 35%.

 

[Pooh12863]

Currently have a reservation booked(xxxx)thru WDW for a room at the (xxxx) Have been looking into possibly renting a DVC timeshare rental and it seems it quite a bit cheaper. Anyone have any pros/cons for doing a DVC rental?

There's a bit of a pucker factor when renting DVC. I've rented a CCV cabin as a bucket list item but to fit my schedule it's during hurricane season. If the weather gods frown on me I'm beat.

 

[hahall3]

Do you get the same "Magical benefits" when you check in via renting a DVC? i.e. in 2025 you get a water park ticket on day of arrival? Also, do you get housekeeping everyday?

 

[Judique]

Do you get the same "Magical benefits" when you check in via renting a DVC? i.e. in 2025 you get a water park ticket on day of arrival? Also, do you get housekeeping everyday?

Yes to the water park ticket.
No to daily housekeeping.
Trash and towel on day 4 and full cleaning on day 8.

They will deliver towels if you call or extra coffee.
You can pay extra for more days of housekeeping.
There's usually a vacuum in the closet.

 

[lanejudy]

Do you get the same "Magical benefits" when you check in via renting a DVC?

Benefits or perks of an on-site stay are included regardless of how booked -- that's things like early entry, deluxe extended hours, free parking at theme parks, charging to your resort room, ability to add-on the DDP, etc. In 2025 that will also include a free day at the waterpark on arrival day.

If you are asking about the "magical extras" that come with a package reservation -- the answer is no. Those are things like luggage tags, free mini-golf, discounts for bowling and surrey bikes rentals, discounts at some dining and shopping. That is only for package reservations.