Are you dreaming about your next trip to Walt Disney World? Or perhaps you’re planning your first-ever vacation to the resorts or parks where you can share the joy with your family. Either way, it’s no secret that Disney vacations can cost a pretty penny. But there are ways to cut costs and book your dream holiday without breaking the bank!
Dinsey Club Resorts are some of the most incredible destinations for some R&R, so there’s no wonder they’re almost always fully booked! And when there is availability, taking the whole family on a trip can quickly become an expensive endeavor.
Luckily, there’s a way to enjoy the resorts at a reasonable price (and without becoming a Disney Vacation member!) that will help you to plan, book, and pay for your holiday without a care in the world! The key? Renting Disney Vacation Club points!
Can You Rent Disney Vacation Club Points?
A little-known secret for first-time (or returning) Disney parkgoers who want to save on costly Disney Vacation Club Resorts fees is DVC rental. Although renting out someone else’s accumulated points or buying their holiday from them may seem strange, it’s a great way to enjoy Disney on a budget – particularly for families.
When you’re traveling in groups, your vacation expenses can rack up pretty quickly. And there’s no way you can turn down your child’s puppy dog eyes when they ask for a souvenir or extra merchandise in the parks.
But one of the best ways to stick to your budget and still have a few dollars left over for indulging in sweet treats and trinkets is to rent Disney vacation club points.
All about DVC points
To get those coveted DVC points, you must be a Disney Vacation Club member. But if you only ever travel to the Happiest Place on Earth once every few years, putting down a large sum of money to accrue points seems a bit… Well, pointless.
If you don’t know what it means to be a Disney Vacation Club member, here’s a brief explanation:
A DVC member is someone who has bought a flexible ‘timeshare’ in one of the Disney resorts. Unlike a regular timeshare property where you need to organize a schedule with other holders, members get given points that they redeem in exchange for reservations at the resort.
They typically pay a once-off fee that is determined based on how many points they want to accrue every year and their budget. They then get given their chosen number of points every year to use when booking their Resort vacations. Every member is also entitled to a membership of around fifty years. Think of all the Disney fun you could have!
The length of their stay is determined by how many points they have. For example, if one night’s stay costs twenty points, they can book as many nights as their points will cover. Or as little as they like!
Any unused points simply roll over into the following year and get added to that year’s renewed points, making it easy for them to stack their points up for the ultimate vacation! If the resort has room, that is.
It’s important to note that while members get discounts on events, experiences, and dining options around the resort and the parks, they still have to pay for their park pass to gain access. So if you’re thinking of renting points, you’ll also need to factor the pass rates into your budget.
What it means to rent Disney Vacation Club points
Renting points is simple enough to understand. It simply means purchasing points from Disney Vacation Club members who aren’t going to use their points and want a little extra cash in their pocket. Sometimes, these members may have already used their points to book a holiday and sell the pre-booked reservations.
You can buy these reservations or the points directly to customize your vacation. Typically, when you’re renting points, you’ll either purchase them directly from existing DVC members or use a rental service like DVC Rental.
Renting is heavily dependent on availability. So you’ll need to plan to book or buy your holiday a few months in advance. Usually, most rental services have a feature that allows you to browse through available reservations or check the availability at your preferred Walt Disney World resort.
Where to rent Disney Vacation Club points
Renting DVC points from a member
Renting Vacation Club points from an owner is incredibly easy. Disney Vacation Club group members will typically list their pre-book reservations or the number of points they’re willing to part with on a site or platforms like SellMyTimeshareNow or MouseOwners.
Non-members can then contact the members directly to discuss the price they’re asking for each point when they want to use them and the resort they want to stay at. The owner of the points will then book a reservation under the non-member’s name and forward the reservation details to them if need be.
While some platforms like SellMyTimeshareNow are directly affiliated with DVC, some platforms aren’t well-regulated and have little to no security measures in place. So if you want to rent points directly from a member, you’ll need to ensure to take precautions when sharing your personal information.
Scammers on these sites are rare, but that’s not to say it doesn’t happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry and book through an affiliated platform or rental service agent.
Renting points from a rental service
DVC point rental services are a great way to ensure you’re booking your next dream Disney vacation with peace of mind and a little extra money to spend when you’re soaking up the sun! A DVC rental store is also usually more helpful in explaining how the process works every step of the way. So it’s a good idea for first-time renters.
There are tons of rental agencies online, with some of the most popular ones including David’s vacation club rentals and DVC Rental. However, a quick Google search will probably produce even more results, leaving you to choose which agency you want to book with.
Both David’s Vacation Club Rentals and DVC Rental have similar processes that allow you to peruse available reservations and the availability at the resorts, contact an agent, and let them do the rest!
One of the benefits of using a rental service is that many of them don’t require you to pay the entire booking cost upfront. Instead, you’ll pay a deposit and complete the purchase between two and three months before you’re scheduled to arrive at the resort.
As a parent, you’ll know how easy it is for life to get in the way of plans. Kids get sick, and work or school gets busy, leaving you no other choice but to cancel your trip.
Luckily, rental agencies have cancellation plans in place that protect users from paying for non-refundable vacations. When you’re booking directly with members, the transaction is mostly carried out in full when you confirm your stay with no cancellation policy.
What are the advantages of DVC rentals?
Affordable
We may have already mentioned this point, but it’s a biggie! With most trips and vacations being so expensive, planning a family vacation for a week seems almost impossible for some of us. This is particularly true when you’ve got extended family or more little ones to pay for.
When you rent Disney Vacation Club points, it saves you a lot of money. In fact, you may end up paying the same price for luxury accommodation through DVC rental that you would if you were booking a traditional vacation at a standard resort.
A DVC rental store may also have special discounts or rates that can make it even more affordable, which is a big win for you and your family. And because it’s the biggest advantage of DVC rental, we’ve put it at the very top of our list!
No membership required
This advantage really is a no-brainer. DVC owners buy timeshares in a Disney property of their choice and naturally earn the perks that come along with it. One of these perks is the points they are given for annual trips to one of Disney’s resorts. But in order to become a member, you’ve got to put cash down first.
Some of the Disney resorts require you to pay a once-off membership fee of around $32,000. And while this can save you a lot of money in the long run, there aren’t many of us who have that kind of cash lying around. Plus, you may not visit the resorts often enough to justify becoming a DVC member.
By using the points given to members who are willingly selling them off, you can enjoy all the perks being a member has to offer. Without having to spend the fees!
Home resort perks
When renting points, you can visit almost any Disney resort. But if you vacation at the home resort of the member you’re renting from, you can enjoy the additional benefit of booking up to eleven months in advance! This gives you more time to iron out your vacation details and helps you avoid disappointment when the resorts have lower availability.
If you aren’t planning on staying at the member’s home resort, you can book up to seven months in advance. But resort hotels sell out fast, and they’re often fully booked for months on end. So having more time to find your perfect accommodation is definitely a huge advantage.
Unlimited rentals
As a DVC member, you can plan your vacation for free – as long you have the points to redeem. And when those points are depleted, you either have to buy more or wait until the following year for the points to be replenished.
But if you rent points, you can enjoy a discounted vacation whenever you like and as many times as you’d like throughout the year. You can keep renting points or purchasing pre-booked reservations without any limit, making it ideal for families who vacation at Disney resorts more than once a year.
Where can you redeem Disney Vacation Club points?
So if you’re going to rent points and you’re on the hunt for the perfect DVC resort, have no fear! There are tons of resorts to choose from that will all give you and your family a truly magical and memorable.
While most of the resorts are located in Florida and are close to the Magic Kingdom park, there are some beautiful villas, bungalows, and vacation points in premium destinations like Hawaii. No matter where you choose, there are many activities and events to keep you entertained. And that’s not to mention going to the parks!
There are fifteen resorts in total at the moment, but Disney is always expanding. The company has already announced plans for additional resorts in the next few years, and we’re excited to see where it will spread its Disney joy next!
To pick the best DVC resort for you, you first need to know what resorts are out there. That’s where we come in. We’ve listed all of Disney’s resorts below to help you find the ideal holiday spot for your next Disney trip.
- Aulani at Disney Vacation Club Villas in Ko Olina, Hawaii
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Florida
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge in Florida
- Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge in Florida
- Animal Kingdom Villas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in Florida
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas in Florida
- Disney’s Boardwalk Villas in Florida
- Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort in Florida
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas in the Polynesian Village Resort in Florida
- Disney’s Riveria Resort in Florida
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort in Floria
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Florida
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in California
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Florida
FAQs
Does Disney allow DVC rental?
Disney allows non-DVC members to rent DVC points from Club members through rental services or directly from the members. It allows members to make reservations under someone else’s name (in this case, the non-member who is renting the points), making it relatively easy to share their member points with others.
Non-members may pay set prices per point from rental services but can usually strike a deal with Club members depending on the resort when the points expire and how many points they’re renting. The average amount non-members pay per point is between $15 and $20.
Does renting DVC points help you save money?
Renting DVC points can help you save a significant amount of money. In some cases, non-members can save more than 50% on their reservations at select resorts. This is particularly helpful for more expensive luxury resorts, which can cost a small fortune for a week-long family holiday.
Renting points can bring luxury resorts into your price range or help you get even more bang for your buck when upgrading a standard reservation.
Where can I rent DVC points directly from a member?
There are several platforms that allow non-members to buy Club points directly from members. One of the most popular platforms is MouseOwners. It allows you to contact and negotiate with members through direct messages.
Remember that most of these platforms don’t have security measures in place, which may leave you vulnerable to scammers. It may be better to rent from a verified service agency unless you’re renting points from friends or family that are Club members.
How much does it cost to rent Disney Vacation Club Points?
The cost to rent Disney Vacation Club points may vary depending on who you’re renting them from and your destination. For example, David’s Vacation Club rentals charge between $21 and $23 per point. But some members may only charge $17 per point when selling them directly.
The price per point can also change depending on the resort you plan to visit. Luxury resorts offer more to guests and are, therefore, more expensive, while standard resorts have a lower price range per point. For example, the Grand Floridian is Disney’s deluxe flagship resort and will be more expensive when making a reservation.