How to Save Money Renting Disney Vacation Club Points
These money-saving tips for renting Disney Vacation Club points will get you Deluxe Resort rooms during your 2024 vacation at Walt Disney World, Disneyland or beyond. DVC rental is safe, easy, and cheaper than standard hotels. It’s also a great way to “test drive” accommodations before actually buying a membership. (Updated March 20, 2024.)
For those who are unfamiliar with it, Disney Vacation Club (DVC) point rental is the one-time use of a set number of a points or already confirmed reservation at a Deluxe Villa room at a Disney Vacation Club Resort. It’s an easy process, and you can do this on a person-to-person basis via social media groups, or via one of the established point rental companies that we recommend.
If you’re simply looking for the best way to safely rent DVC points at the lowest prices, our two top recommendations are David’s Vacation Club Rentals (for lowest prices) and DVC Rental Store (for most flexibility). That’s the short and sweet advice for renting DVC points–if you want to know more or compare the options, this post offers info & tips. Disney Vacation Club point rental can be a great way to save big on your Walt Disney World vacation in 2024, but it can be complicated, confusing, and require planning. For that, we’re here to help!
Let’s start with the basics of DVC rental. Here’s how it works: the owner of the points agrees to “rent” the points out to a rentee, and in exchange for payment to the owner of the points, the owner makes a room reservation for the rentee in the rentee’s name. The amount of the payment is determined by the number of points needed for the booking, with a per-point cost being agreed upon by the parties.
For example, if the agreed upon price is $20 per point, and the rentee wants to stay book Animal Kingdom Lodge for December 1-7, that will require 60 points, for a total cost of $1,200. Contrast that with booking directly from DisneyWorld.com, which would cost $2,451.38. That’s over half off by renting DVC points for that Christmas-time stay! As you can see, the big advantage of Disney Vacation Club point rental is saving money over booking directly with Walt Disney World.
Speaking of Christmas, if you want to visit Walt Disney World and rent DVC points for dates in November or December 2024, you really need to book ASAP. Ideally, you want to make reservations over 7 months in advance, which is quickly approaching. Some resorts are already sold out for certain dates.
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian, BoardWalk, Beach Club, and other resorts in close proximity to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios always book up over 7 months in advance for the most popular travel times. In other words, if you’re thinking about renting DVC points for a Christmas trip and want the best options, you’re already too late.
For what it’s worth, there’s a reason the holiday season is such a popular time to visit Walt Disney World. You can read more about why we love this time of year, dates & details, what’s happening, and more in our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. Without question, this is the best time to visit Walt Disney World–we highly recommend making reservations immediately so you can get a good resort!
While this is the best time to visit Walt Disney World, it’s just one of many times that Disney Vacation Club Members tend to prefer, which book up quickly as a result. Other popular times of year include all school breaks, holiday weekends, the start of EPCOT festivals, and any ‘cheap’ dates when a lower number of points is required to book rooms.
This brings us to lesson #1 about DVC point rental: book as close to 11 months in advance as possible. It used to be the case that booking at least 7 months in advance was sufficient, but that’s no longer true. In searching for DVC availability, there are very few good options for multi-night stays between today and October 2024 for studios or one-bedroom units. Only a scattering of dates at most resorts, with slightly better options for Saratoga Springs and Old Key West.
If you’re looking more last minute, fear not, as there’s another option for availability inside 6 months: confirmed reservations. These are reservations that have already been booked by a Disney Vacation Club Member and are available to be reserved by a guest. Booking a confirmed reservation is quicker and more efficient, but it’s also inflexible. There are no modifications or customized reservations. What you see is what you get.
In the past, confirmed reservations were rare. They were often bargains that were available because a DVC Member had to cancel a trip at the last-minute, and was hoping to recoup some money. In the last few years, confirmed reservations have exploded in popularity and frequency.
Rather than being bargains, they’re often speculative reservations that are booked for the most popular travel times in the most popular room types. Consequently, it’s often the case that confirmed reservations are more expensive than their per-point counterparts.
To be sure, there are still bargains at the absolute last minute and during less-popular travel times, but as hotel availability has become more difficult to book during peak seasons, confirmed reservations have become more popular among DVC Members looking to capitalize. While the amount varies, it’s common for confirmed reservations to charge as much as $25 per point.
Looking forward to the rest of 2024, we have a few pieces of advice. First is that the Villas at Disneyland Hotel are now open! If you’ve ever debated doing DVC at Disneyland Resort, we recommend doing it now. Due to far less room inventory, booking Disney Vacation Club accommodations is far more competitive in California.
If you’ve ever tried to book the Grand Californian, you’ve likely encountered this problem–that is far and away the most difficult DVC resort to book. It requires booking right at the 11 month mark or getting lucky with a cancellation or the waitlist. The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will end up being a very similar story–but that’s not yet the case!
Now is a golden window of opportunity because the Villas at Disneyland Hotel are brand-new and are still in the process of being sold, so there are not very many members there (yet). That means less competition, which can mean easier availability. Unfortunately, this is already starting to change–but it’s only going to get worse and more competitive from here, so 2024 is a good time to try! For more, see our post:Â Inside the Brand-New Villas at Disneyland Hotel.
It’ll likely be a similar story with both the upcoming DVC Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and New DVC Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Those are slated to open in 2024 at Walt Disney World, with the cabins rolling out in phases from July 1, 2024 until 2025. The Polynesian tower will open later, but all at once.
At first, the Cabins at Fort Wilderness will be very limited, making reservations highly competitive. Reservations for all Disney Vacation Club members–and by extension, rentals–open on April 23, 2024. If you want to book the cabins this year, we highly recommend submitting a request before that date.
The Polynesian Tower has not yet started booking and probably won’t until sometime this summer. However, that new addition is joining the existing condo association (a little inside baseball–but relevant), so it’ll work a bit differently. It’ll also be incredibly competitive because there are already Poly points in circulation that will have priority, even as only a portion of the rooms in the Poly tower are declared into DVC inventory. (Meaning they’ll mostly be bookable at higher cash rates, rather than via points. That’s important, but also beyond the scope of this post.)
Speaking of new, one of the big themes of the last few years has been Disney Vacation Club room refurbishments and reimaginings. You can check out the 2024-2025 Disney Vacation Club Resort Refurbishments & Construction Timeline for what’s on the horizon.
Every resort that has recently received a soft goods refurbishment has included installation of the new pull-down sofa bed and couch combo (like the one pictured above). This feature first debuted at Disney’s Riviera Resort, and has since spread to every single Disney Vacation Club room (and beyond!) that has been renovated in the last few years. And for good reason, as member satisfaction surveys give these rooms very high marks and guest satisfaction scores have increased by 20% among guests who have stayed in new rooms.
This pull-down bed is a colossal upgrade over the pull-out couches, and has been one of several functional improvements that have really improved the ‘quality of life’ of DVC rooms–Imagineering has done a fantastic job weaving themed design into the upgraded units. Point being, we’d recommend taking whether the resort you’re considering has new vs. old rooms when determining where to stay. The new rooms have made a big difference for the average guest!
In terms of other updates, there’s big benefit of renting Disney Vacation Club points this year or the duration of 2024. That’s because guests staying in Walt Disney World resorts have access to a couple of perks. First is Early Theme Park Entry, which gives ALL on-site resort guests a 30-minute head start at any Walt Disney World theme park, every day before normal operating hours begin. Learn more strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Second, there’s Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. This benefit is exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, or other select hotels. This includes Disney Vacation Club resorts and those renting DVC points are eligible. This second perk is incredibly advantageous, as crowds are usually low during these nighttime hours. See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World for taking advantage of this perk, eligibility, and more.
Okay, now on with the normal DVC point rental tips…
In recent years, renting points has gone from relatively uncommon to a bit more mainstream practice. There are individual owners who rent points because they either aren’t going to be able to use their points or need a way to offset some of the considerable cost of membership, and there are companies that exist solely for the purpose of renting Disney Vacation Club points to savvy Walt Disney World and Disneyland guests.
As indicated above, the two main places to rent Disney Vacation Club points are David’s Vacation Club Rentals and DVC Rental Store. The two are pretty comparable–both are reputable businesses that can be trusted. David’s has one big advantage: lower prices. This makes David’s the better option if you’re simply looking to pay the least money possible.
DVC Rental Store’s biggest strength is flexibility. All reservations include their Stress-Free Cancellation Policy, which basically means paying a little bit more for lower risk. Additionally, they don’t require full payment up front–your balance is due 75 days prior to check in. The obvious advantage here is that you’re not paying in full up front, meaning you can cancel your reservation if you’d prefer to just walk away and not deal with credits.
Speaking of timeframes, it’s generally recommended that you rent DVC points at least 7 months in advance or, ideally, 11 months in advance. These are when the booking windows open for Disney Vacation Club resorts, so you’ll have a higher likelihood of success the earlier you contact one of the rental companies. If you think you’re going to get exactly what you want 5-6 months in advance, think again. Resorts along Magic Kingdom’s monorail loop, EPCOT’s Crescent Lake, and the Skyliner gondola all start booking up more than 7 months in advance.
With that said, booking at the very last minute also can be advantageous. DVC Rental Store has confirmed reservations and David’s has dedicated reservations available for rent. As explained above, these are reservations that have already been booked.
If you’re flexible on your travel dates, resort, and room preference–or just happen to get lucky with the stars aligning and exactly what you want already being booked–these existing reservations can sometimes be a better option at the very last minute. Otherwise, we highly recommend renting DVC points at least 7 to 11 months in advance.
Although we are Disney Vacation Club owners, we have a relatively low number of points, so we’ve actually rented points ourselves a couple of times in the last few years. In attempting to rent points, we’ve contacted both the point rental businesses and individuals on forums about rental, and have opted to go with the point rental businesses (despite paying a bit more) for simplicity and peace of mind.
How you go about renting Disney Vacation Club points, and whether it’s safe, is probably the most common reader question we’ve received in response to our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide, so I figured I’d put together this guide based on our experiences and research, along with my thoughts about the pros and cons of each method of renting points.
Let’s start with the pros and cons of renting DVC points in general to determine whether it’s right for you…
Pros & Cons of DVC Point Rental
The biggest benefit of renting Disney Vacation Club points is saving money. The example of Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas above is a good one. If you wanted to book a stay August 19-23 in a value view studio, that’s exactly how many points you’d need, and how much it would cost if you rented points through one of the point renters.
For a stay December 2-6 it would be even cheaper! Other nights throughout the year would cost more, but you get the idea. You couldn’t even stay in a Moderate Resort for the rates you can get by renting Disney Vacation Club points, let alone a Deluxe.
In addition to saving money on hotel rates, another benefit of renting Disney Vacation Club points, for some people, is getting the Disney Dining Plan without purchasing park tickets. Although temporarily unavailable this year, the 2024 Disney Dining Plan can now be booked!
Speaking of food, the studio rooms feature a kitchenette and one bedrooms and larger have full kitchens. This means it’s easier to prepare full meals than if you’re staying in a standard hotel room. Not something everyone wants to do on vacation, but it’s nice to have the option. This is especially true for breakfast when you want to get out the door quickly, or for late night snacks after the restaurants have closed. To that point, here’s what we recommend for grocery delivery at Walt Disney World.
Similarly, guests staying in Disney Vacation Club units have access to free laundry rooms. Moreover, one-bedroom units or larger have in-room washers and dryers. Laundry is another thing we hate doing on vacation, but having the option in your room is huge, and the convenience of that cannot be overstated.
Finally, not purchasing a vacation package from Walt Disney World directly means you can save money by purchasing tickets from an authorized ticket broker. These savings can be small or huge, depending upon the size of your party and the tickets you get, this could amount to another $800 or more in savings!
The biggest downside to renting Disney Vacation Club points is that you don’t have total control over the reservation. Someone else books the reservation for you, and someone else has to make any changes to the reservation for you (such as adding the Disney Dining Plan, once that returns). Disney Vacation Club won’t discuss the reservation with non-members, so even if your name is on it, you’re at the mercy of the person who booked it if you need changes.
Another downside for some guests is that, since the unit rented is a villa and not a hotel room, housekeeping service is not daily. Most stays will only have one visit by Mousekeeping. This isn’t a problem for us, but for some people, not having the full hotel experience might be a fatal blow to renting DVC points.
The final downside is cancellation and refund policies. While it’s possible to purchase travel insurance for DVC point rentals, the cancellation policies are not nearly as forgiving as booking directly via Disney. This is because of the strict policies surrounding DVC point usage. In the event of hurricane or some other ‘Act of God’ scenario, the member who is renting out the points may not be able to reuse them if the guest cancels.
You’ll find no shortage of negative reviews online about the major rental companies following the closure of Walt Disney World for this very reason. While some guests were accommodated with future bookings or travel credits, a lot of people who wanted cash refunds were denied. We’ve explained the why of this in DVC’s Point Pool Problem; the short version is the supply of unused outstanding points exceeds room availability by several millions of points. Someone is going to be left holding the bag, and it’s not going to be Disney.
The good news on this front is that it has resulted in some policy reforms by the rental companies. DVC Rental Store now offers a stress-free cancellation policy that issues you a credit you can use toward a future DVC rental in the event of cancellation. You can utilize these credits up to two years from your original travel dates.
We recommend paying close attention to contract when renting, and making sure you’re not agreeing to terms that would not create an undue burden if you need to cancel, because there are no cash refunds. Part of the reason DVC renting saves so much money is that it comes with compromise–there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Whether DVC rental is right for you comes down to your personal risk v. reward assessment.
How To Rent?
If you’re convinced that renting Disney Vacation Club points is right for you, the next question is who to use. There are a couple popular choices here, including the DVC Rental Store and David’s Vacation Club Rentals. The advantages to renting through them are that both are accredited by the Better Business Bureau, both have a team that does this as its full-time business, and both have a sterling reputation. The other upside to renting from the DVC Rental Store or David’s is convenience.
They have “home resort” inventory for every Disney Vacation Club resort. This means that if you want a popular resort, you can book with him at the 11 month mark. If you want a hard-to-book resort and plan on booking through an individual, you need to do so 11 months out and find an owner who has the resort you want as a home resort. That can make the whole process of booking person-to-person more time consuming and tedious.
Compounding that challenge, most of the forums that previously facilitated person-to-person point rental have closed, with the exception of the Disboards one. However, several Facebook and other social media groups have popped up in their place. If you have friends who are DVC members that are willing to rent out their points to you, that’s another route, too.
The downside to renting from strangers is that you have no guarantee that you aren’t going to be ripped off, or that the owner will be available to assist you if something goes wrong with the reservation. You’ll have a bit of uneasiness until the moment at the check-in desk that your reservation pulls up. Basically, it comes down to how risk averse you are and how much more you can save by going through an individual.
For what it’s worth, in my time researching rentals, I heard of very few instances of people being ripped off by individuals on the forums or social media. It does happen, but it seems to be very, very infrequent. When we rent in the future, I’m not sure how we’ll do it. It largely depends upon prices.
If it’s a short weekend trip and the David’s Disney Vacation Club Rentals is charging ~$23/point versus $20/point from an individual, I can’t see going the person-to-person to say what will amount to $30 or less. The possibility that we could be scrambling at the last minute to find an alternate hotel room for such a short trip wouldn’t be worth it. Given how significantly Disney has increased their prices in the last few years, these rentals are still a good deal.
I’d prefer to just pay the bit extra for the peace of mind. If it were a 10-day trip in a Grand Villa, I’d probably be more likely to go through an individual because the savings are greater, but then I’d be concerned that such a big purchase were risky. I really don’t know what I’d do, it’s a tough call.
If we did end up going through an individual, I would do a few things to protect myself as best I could. First, I wouldn’t rent from any new members or individuals with only a handful of posts. I’d want someone with an established reputation on the forums. Second, I’d ask for references. Third, I’d pay with an American Express credit card rather than any other form of payment.
Which DVC Resort?
Finally, you need to figure out which Disney Vacation Club Resort is right for you. We’ve stayed at every single DVC resort at Walt Disney World, most several times. It’s tough to declare a definitive “best” Disney Vacation Club resort, as each has its pros & cons, and is a good option depending upon your priorities.
We have a post that Ranks the Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World and shares the strengths and weaknesses of each. To be honest, though, we love just about all of them. That list does give you a good basis in terms of theme, location, amenities, and other things to consider that will help you make an informed decision, though!
Ultimately, Disney Vacation Club point rentals is a great way to save tons of money without making the long term commitment to joining. If you’re currently booking Moderate or Deluxe Resorts directly from Disney, it’s definitely something to consider. Most of the time, renting Disney Vacation Club points will be cheaper than booking a Moderate, and it will ALWAYS be cheaper than booking a Deluxe (even with the best discounts!).
Renting from individuals is the best way to maximize your savings, and renting from the DVC Rental Store or David’s Vacation Club Rentals is the safest way to rent–plus they’re full service companies with great customer service that can help you through the process and answer all of your questions!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you agree or disagree with our recommendations for renting DVC points? Any firsthand experiences you care to share? Which DVC resorts do you recommend for a first-timer renter? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We are using the DVC Rental Store this trip and they are awesome! Very easy process. Booked a villa at the Poly for much less than what you would pay through Disney. Our first trip I was lucky enough to have a co-worker who was a DVC member. I bought points from her and had a savanna view, one bedroom suite at Kidani Village. Buying points is definitely a great way to go if you are looking for a bigger room for less money.
I attempted to rent points for Copper Creek on the day it became available but was told there was no availability. I went through DVC Rental Store. Is there a tip to find availability, or did we perhaps have difficulty because we requested during a high crowd time?
I would say it was because of the time you wanted to book and the fact that it is a new property and not as many people have that resort as their “home resort” yet. All my experiences with the DVC Rental Store have been outstanding.
Tom, it would be cool if you could add to this blog with broker sites besides just David’s.
David’s sounds great but I’m not keen on his making you pay $105 up front just to see if rooms are available.
I’m looking at using dvcreservation.com but information on the web about reviews is limited.
The nice thing about dvcreservation is you can see up front what is and is not available BEFORE you make the request.
DVC Resale Store is also listed prominently in the post. They’re the main site we recommend since they don’t charge a search fee.
I would just like to add that David’s does credit that amount to your account if they find you what you want, and also refund it if they don’t have what you want. My DH looked for AKL 1-bedroom villa for a group of us a few years ago and made the deposit, but they didn’t have any availability, so they refunded the entire amount, very quickly.
Hey nice post. I hope it’s ok that I shared this on my Facebook, if not, no problem just tell me and I’ll delete it.
Regardless keep up the good work.
This is helpful. I would like to try renting points, but have always been nervous about it. So if you go through one of the companies, are you assured that your reservation at that location (for us, it would be Wilderness Lodge) won’t fall through? We want to definitely stay at WL this year and would not want to be switched to another resort. Is it the company that you contact for Magical Express, etc?
I’m a first timer at renting and just completed the rental process yesterday. It was smooth and easy. I first received an email stating that they had located an owner and needed their confirmation that they would accept us as renters. When that occurred, I immediately had a confirmation email. I received a copy my rental agreement after I had paid it in full. Within my email there was all the information needed for the dining plan, and a form to fill out for Magical Express. The only information that I didn’t have in the email was how to do Magic Bands. I just hopped onto their website and did an online chat and that was also answered. I wasn’t, however, able to secure the resort that I wanted, but that was because I’m just 6 months out of our trip dates. They did allow me to give 4 resort requests in order of preference. I got my 3rd choice. I am thrilled with the experience so far, got a great deal and can’t wait for our trip!
How do you end up getting the magic bands?
Thank you. This is very helpful!
I’m looking into doing the DVC rental for my honeymoon next August. Were you able to do the magic bands? I just really love the idea and convenience and I really want to get a Lilo Stitch one I saw. lol
We have rented points several times. Actually is the only way we go now. The very first time we rented, in 2010, we did through the DIS Boards forum and it worked out well. Since then, we have always used David’s. It is a few more dollars per point, but so easy and convenient. We have never had any issues and have always got the resort we were hoping to stay at. We have also used Magical Express and never had a problem with that added to the reservation. Also, once it is booked, you will get a reservation number that you can use to do online check in , fastpass+, etc. prior to arrival. David’s also sometimes has last minute deals. Our next trip in January, we will be driving for 1st time from Canada and will break up the drive by renting points for Hilton Head for a couple of nights on the way down.
Although I have rented through an individual before, I think renting through a broker is so simple, it is worth the added cost.
Good luck!
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for the information my family has been visiting disney for many years and now that my siblings and i are older and have our own families , we are planning a big family trio. .. we want more space at a disney resort but are NOT interested at this time to become DVC members and I’ve been wanting to try this method but was anxious about how ..or if we will be scammed this post explained many of my concerns.
Thank you
Thanks for writing such a great post, actually we just “liked” your FB page too and I think it’s great. We have been visiting WDW for the last 5 consecutive years, mostly during Free Dining. We found the best deal during FD is to book Moderate. We really want to try booking at a Deluxe at the end of summer 2017 and we assume FD will also be available.
We plan to reach out to DVC rental store, but according to my calculations it will actually be several hundred dollars more to rent a studio villa (there are just 3 of us) and add Dining Plan and tickets than to book Moderate with FD and ticket package.
Do you think that is because of the Free Dining promo? I know it’s not out yet, but I’m assuming that it will be and I can sort of estimate the price.
Maybe I’m not calculating the savings correctly, but as far as I can see there are none during free dining.
Any experience with this? Having a dining plan whether it’s “free” or added on, is a must for us.
Thanks in advance,
Hi Kimi – I’m new to Disney vacationing. Our family will be taking our first trip together to Disney at the end of 2017. What do you mean when you say “free dining?” Thanks so much, Chrystie
For the last few years Disney world has had a Free Dining promotion running from late August to December – select dates. You pay rack rates for the room and you have to buy park hopper tickets (package) but everyone in your party gets the Disney Dining Plan for free. Well they say free but it’s really a form of a discount. Tom has a post on free dining somewhere in his blog here and you can find lots of info online. We found that booking moderate resorts or the cheapest deluxe resorts (Wilderness and AK) is the best deal when booking the Free Dining promo.
Otherwise you may be better off booking with a room discount and adding dining or paying out of pocket for food.
We want to try and book one of the more expensive deluxe resorts, so we were thinking that we would rent points – everything I read about renting points is that you can get a deluxe studio for a cost of moderate standard hotel room. But… according to my calculations not during the free dining promo. It looks like we can still get moderate for several hundred less than renting points and adding Disney dining plan. This is in August though, if we went in December it would be cheaper.
Hope this made sense 😉
Free Dining promo should be released in March – I think you can subscribe to Tom’s blog and would get a heads up on it.
Short version: If I’ve already got ADRs attached to a My Disney Experience account that has a room already booked, will I lose my ADRs if I rent DVC points to stay in a different location?
My very large extended family has booked a WDW trip this June. They want us to all stay together, so we are booked (through an authorized Disney vacation planner) at the Contemporary. Some of us are in the tower, some in the garden wing. We already have park tickets and ADRs attached to this reservation. I’ve discovered, if it’s available, I can save around $1,200 if my family of four stays at Bay Lake Tower. This honors my family’s desire to “all stay together,” in my opinion, while making an extremely expensive vacation a little more affordable for me.
My question is: will my ADRs stay connected to My Disney Experience, even if I rebook myself at Bay Lake Tower via DVC rental points? The one thing my extended family is firm on doing together are sit-down dinners, so losing my ADRs would be a deal breaker. I’d hate to switch my accommodations and not be able to have dinner with everyone.
I’m really hoping someone will answer this question with confidence, since I’ve already put in a request for a quote for on DVC Request.
Your ADRs are attached to your name and your credit card, not your hotel reservation or your tickets. So you should be 100% fine. 🙂
I rented from individuals twice before buying. I found them at wdwinfo.com under the DVC rental discussion. I rented my points through David’s once but wouldn’t use them again because I probably would have no trouble renting on the other site, so I think looking at someone who only has a few posts isn’t any indication that they aren’t reliable… Only new to renting.
Isn t David owns this wdwinfo.com
Thank you for the comment about not having a lot of posts on the boards can be because someone is new to renting and not necessarily an indication that they are not reliable. I do understand when renting from individuals everyone is going to want assurance it is not a scam but I am a DVC owner who is new to renting points but not active on the boards before. I wanted to see about renting through some of the boards but figure not having a lot of posts is going to keep me from finding people interested. While I am registered with the brokers as well, all of a sudden there doesn’t seem to be the interest in the properties I have points for.
And just an endorsement for the DVC Rental Store – From an owner perspective, I can’t say enough good things about the DVC Rental Store. They have been fantastic.
One helpful tip for anyone considering a last minute trip with flexible dates – David’s Vacation Rental Facebook page occasionally posts “dedicated” reservations that are available to rent. One of the problems that you sometimes run in to is the lack of availability at some of the more popular DVC resorts if you are booking less than 10 months in advance. The dedicated reservations that are available to rent are trips that are already booked by the point owners, and for various reasons, the point owners aren’t going to be able to use them. It does mean that you probably won’t get the exact days you might have wanted, but if you are flexible with your dates, you can score some really great rentals without having to plan so far in advance!
How does this work with advanced Fastpass + bookings for resort guests? That is, would we still be eligible for booking fast passes 60 days out? And what about EMH? Magic bands?
You’ll attach the reservation number to your itinerary, and then you’ll have access to the fastpass reservations at 60 days. I use DVC points all the time and I am not the owner (family) and this always works flawlessly. I have a trip booked right now that I made reservations at 60 days out.
Same for EMH, and Magic bands. All managed through mydisneyexperience once you have attached a reservation number.
Love this post! Quick question though if Disney offers the free dining plan promo do we ge that or is that only if you book a vacation package with them?
You can’t get free dining with a DVC rental points reservation.
I am DVC member and love love love it. BUT! I come up short of points for my next trip by 30 points. I can get 24 from Disney Club as a one-time purchase
I understand that mouse keeping only comes every 4th day. Can I get new towels or more towels if I ask for them?
We decided to try renting points for the first time, largely on your recommendation. I have loved all the information on your website and have sent many people here for advice. (Thank you for that!) I wanted to share that we are a large group and, unfortunately, require a two bedroom villa. These rental companies are currently struggling to find members with enough points to meet our request. We are waiting in line with two companies in hopes that a member with enough points decides to rent them before the rooms get fully booked. I just wanted to share that these companies do not always have the points you need and will not share this until you go through all the steps, including putting down your deposit (just the $100). It adds another level of unknown and another level of stress. I just wanted you to be forewarned. My fingers are crossed that someone shows up soon so we can relax and move forward with the rest of our trip planning.
just curious as well my family is in the same boat approx how long will they
allow you to wait until you can get your $100 back if nothing is avail?
Quick question with regard to MagicBands and renting DVC points. If we rent DVC points will we get the MagicBands sent to us like we would if booking through Disney or would we need to purchase them separately & link them through the My Disney Experience app? Has anyone had experience with this?
I rented from an individual twice and we received magic bands and made fast pass selections too. The reservation was linked to out my Disney Experience app.
Disney park tickets are purchased separately (under your own account) and magic bands and fast passes are attached to those tickets, not you room. We have rented off property homes and still had magic bands and fast pass access.
Hi Tom, i was wondering if some of the reserve in advance perks are still available if you rent through a site like davids or dvc rentals. Specifically, can you still book 180 days in advance for dining, 90 days for Fastpass+, 60 days for online check in (and have full control)? Is all of that still managed via MDE? Thanks a lot for the help!
Looking to rent DVC points for the first time and wondering about extra magic hours; do we still get access to EMH like other resort guests even if we’re renting points? Also I read that you can get housekeeping for $30 per day. Is this accurate and if so, can I get this service as a renter? TIA for the feedback and huge fan of this site. Have planned many trips based on the info and truly appreciate all of the sounds advice I have received over the years.
Hey! I am DVC member and love love love it. BUT! I come up short of points for my next trip by 30 points. I can get 24 from Disney Club as a one-time purchase…but I’m still short 6 points! I don’t know anybody with the timeshare and I would like to connect with someone who would want to trade the points until I can get access to my points of just transfer/sell me what I need. Thanks for your time. Not sure I can do this but if anyone is interested, please contact me at [email protected]
Melissa F
If I do rent from David’s or a DVC member will I get all the benefits as if I owned the DVC membership? Example, some restaurants offer a 10% discount if you are A DVC member, Will I get that courtesy? Will I need to show a membership card or something? Thanks
No, you will not. You would need to show a membership card for those benefits.