It happens all the time: You price out a Disney vacation at your dream resort – and suffer from serious sticker shock. While Deluxe resorts offer larger rooms, more dining options, and a wider array of amenities, they also come with a bigger price tag. If you’re lucky, you might be able to snag a standard room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge for about $300 a night, but in most cases, a Deluxe resort room is going to run about $400-$600 a night before you apply any discounts.
Unfortunately for many families, Deluxe resorts are often out of reach, price-wise. And while a Moderate or Value resort are certainly excellent options, if you have your heart set on the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows or BoardWalk Villas or even Old Key West, you might be disappointed if you can’t afford it. There is a way to indulge your champagne taste on a beer budget, though, one that’s gaining a large following: Renting Disney Vaction Club or DVC points.
Why Rent Points?
DVC, or Disney Vacation Club, is Disney’s version of a timeshare. Instead of purchasing a specific week, though, owners buy a specific number of points that they can use whenever they wish at any DVC property that they want.
Many owners find, though, that they can’t use all of their points for a given year for one reason or another. Rather than lose the money they’ve invested, they decide to can recoup it by selling their points to someone else. In most cases, depending on when the points need to be used, who handles the rental transaction, and other factors, most points rent for between $8-$16 each.
Each resort requires a different number of points per stay. That number depends on the resort, the size of the room, and dates you want to travel. That being said, even the most expensive resorts and room categories are much more affordable when you rent points than when you book directly with Disney. For example, 7 nights in a one-bedroom villa at Disney’s Beach Club Villas in early October will run you about $4,800 if you book with Disney. A regular pool view room is about $4,200 for the week. Using points, a one bedroom villa costs about $3,000 – an $1,800 savings for a larger than average room.
Strings Attached
Based on the savings alone, it might seem like renting points is a no brainer. However, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. Before you rush out to rent points, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. You Can’t Always Get What You Want. In order to rent points, there have to be points to rent. If there aren’t enough points up for sale for the time you want to travel, you’re out of luck, and will have to look at other options.
You also have to work within the DVC booking windows. DVC owners can book at their home resorts (the resort at which they initially bought points) 11 months in advance, and all other properties 7 months in advance. If you are trying to rent points for a specific resort, you need to make your request at least 11 months in advance – but you’ll only get your reservation if an owner at that resort is offering enough points. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to book 7 months out, and again, there need to be 1. Enough points up for grabs and 2. Availability at the resort.
Keep in mind that there simply aren’t as many DVC rooms as there are standard rooms, which means that the most coveted rooms at the most popular resorts in the busiest weeks are usually snapped up quickly. You might have no trouble booking a standard guest room at your first choice resort just a few weeks in advance, but the DVC accommodations could have already been spoken for months ago. For this reason, most rental agencies recommend being open to several resorts or travel dates – but even then, you might not get the deal you’re hoping for. That being said, it’s usually not too hard to find availability at Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, the largest DVC resorts.
2. You’re Giving Up Other Deals
Renting DVC points can be a great value – and that’s why you shouldn’t expect Disney to give you any more deals. DVC members are excluded from promotions like free dining, free park days, or any other discounts and deals that might be offered, and those exclusions extend to anyone who uses their points. So don’t think that you can snag a room at a deluxe resort for about half price and still take advantage of free dining if it’s offered during your stay. You have to decide which option presents more value to you.
3. A DVC Room Isn’t Your Typical Hotel Room
DVC properties – even studios – are called Villas, and contain more amenities than your typical hotel room. Studios are equipped with kitchenettes; larger villas have full kitchens and laundry facilities. These features are part of the appeal, but they also mean that Disney treats them differently than standard rooms, especially in terms of housekeeping. When you stay in a villa you’re room isn’t cleaned and restocked every day. On the third day you’ll get fresh towels and trash removal, and the room will be fully cleaned on day 7. In between, you’ll have to make your own bed (if you want), wash your own dishes, and clean up after yourself.
4. You Cannot Cancel*
There’s an asterisk there because technically, you can cancel a reservation made with rented points, but unless you buy insurance, you’ll forfeit anything you’ve paid toward it. Depending on where you rent from, you might have to pay the entire balance of your reservation up front, or you can make a deposit and pay the balance 45 days before your trip, like a package reservation. However, if you need to cancel for any reason, you’re out of luck, and won’t receive a refund from the points broker. If you buy insurance – which is highly recommended – you can make a claim to get your money back.
Beyond this, renting points for DVC Villas is a lot like reserving a package. You still get Magic Bands, and can link your reservation in My Disney Experience. As long as you purchase park tickets – which must be purchased separately – you can reserve FastPasses at 60 days. You can purchase a Disney Dining Plan and make ADRs at 180 days (180 +10 if you make your reservation at 7 months or sooner). You can also use Magical Express. Expect to make most of your arrangements yourself, although some points rental companies will offer some assistance for tickets and dining reservations.
There are a number of DVC point rental agencies online, and they will walk you through the process. We highly recommend working with a reputable broker, and not purchasing from an individual you find on Craigslist, Facebook, or other sites, as there have been documented cases of fraud involving DVC point rentals. Every agency has its own policies, so read them carefully before booking.
Renting DVC points is a great way to stay at a Deluxe resort that you might not otherwise be able to afford, or to upgrade your room without breaking the bank. If you are willing to be flexible and understand the fine print, it can be a great deal.
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