Renting DVC Points at Disney: HONEST Review

If you’ve never heard about how to rent DVC points, you are in for a real treat! I don’t know how I spent my entire life not knowing about this until recently!

Since learning this, I have rented DVC points multiple times, staying at 1-bedroom suites for a fraction of the cost, and popping over to stay at a Deluxe Resort whenever there’s a last minute deal! You can stay at epic and expensive hotels for just a fraction of the cost, and we are here to teach you how to rent Disney Vacation Club points as well!

Also, if this sounds good to be to true, don’t worry! I was VERY skeptical at first too when I had heard the talk in Disney Groups on Facebook. But it’s true! You CAN rent DVC points at Disney World, and it will change the way you plan your vacations there.

Many people have heard of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC), and if you’ve visited the parks or property, then you’ve seen information about it. For most people, it’s a big financial commitment, and think it’s not for them; but I’m going to explain this game changer and give you all the information you need to plan your trip and rent DVC points.

What Is The Disney Vacation Club? 

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney’s timeshare system; it operates on a “points” system, which allows members to use their points at any of the DVC resorts.  Owners pay a premium to buy points which allows them to stay in Deluxe accommodations for the duration of the life of their contract. 

Every year during their contract, they pay maintenance fees, too; these are ‘per point’ and billed monthly; so in addition to the upfront cost of the DVC contract, the maintenance fees could add a significant, ongoing cost.

Once purchased, DVC members own the timeshare “points” which is, in effect, a pre-paid, annual vacation plan which enables them to stay at their choice of Disney Vacation resorts.   Sometimes, owners are unable to use all of their points, and then they choose to ‘offer’ their allocation and be able to rent DVC points out to others.

The more points an owner has, the longer they can stay – the number of points needed will vary depending on the size of the chosen accommodation type, as well as the resort itself.

Choosing to rent DVC points could save you a lot of money (we’ll show you later how much, but the saving is substantial!) compared to booking your accommodation at the same deluxe Disney resorts, directly. When I say a lot of money, I mean, A LOT OF MONEY!

What Are The DVC Resort Locations?

Whilst Saratoga Springs Resort and Old Key West Resort are DVC resort locations and have some great attributes, we’re going to look exclusively at the DVC resorts that are right next to the Deluxe Disney Resort hotels; where we think you’ll have a better experience and better value if you choose to rent DVC points.  

DVC resorts have all been creatively designed to delight all ages and interests and any of them would be a good location to rent DVC points.   The resorts are all uniquely themed and are located as follows:

• Beach Club Villas (located in the same building as the Beach Club)
• BoardWalk Villas (locate in the same building as the BoardWalk Inn)
• Bay Lake Tower (in a separate building at the Contemporary Resort)
• Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas (some are in the same building as AKL – Jambo House – and the others are in a separate building – Kidani Village)
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge (in the same building as Wilderness Lodge)
• Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge (next to Wilderness Lodge)
• Grand Floridian Villas (next to the Grand Floridian)
• Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (located at the Polynesian Resort)
• Disney’s Riviera Resort (located in the same building)
• Old Key West Resort (located in the same building)
• Saratoga Springs Resort (located in the same building)

You can even rent points at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina Hawaii, at the Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and at both Vero Beach and Hilton Head. You can see all the locations on the DVC rental website!

My favorite to rent from is the Beach Club Villas as they are steps away from EPCOT and the Skyliner, so you can walk to two parks or use the Skyliner and boats!

Why Rent DVC Points?

To be honest? To save money and stay at EPIC Deluxe resorts on the cheap. Okay, nothing at Disney is exactly cheap, but it is for darn sure more affordable than the normal rate you would pay for a Deluxe Resort! You can generally rent DVC points to stay in a Disney Deluxe Resort for around the same price that you would pay for booking a Disney Moderate Resort!

I now love checking the DVC request website, looking to rent DVC points from the owners, and see what is new.

One of the best attractions of renting DVC points for cheap are the different types of accommodations on offer:

• You could choose to rent DVC points and use them to stay in a studio, which are most like the Disney hotel rooms (but with better kitchen amenities and which come with access to laundry rooms with complimentary use of washers and dryers). This is what I most often book as I don’t need much space and don’t want to spend a ton. These can also sleep up to 5 people which is incredible! 
• Then, for a different level of accommodation, there are the villas.  These range from one to three-bedroom (and all have well-equipped kitchens as well as dishwashers, washers and dryers) and will take your Disney vacation to a whole new level!   Being able to rent DVC points to get accommodation in this level strikes us as being particularly attractive to families.

These perks that come with a DVC rental could make your trip much more enjoyable, not to mention just making access to Deluxe Resorts much more affordable!

Pros and Cons for Renting DVC Points

The Pros

For us, the biggest attraction is staying at deluxe resorts that may otherwise be out of our budget!  Yes, renting DVC points really can make that sort of difference! I hadn’t stayed in a Deluxe Resort for over 20 years before I learned about DVC rental. When I discovered David’s DVC Rental through the Disney Facebook groups, I was skeptical as heck but gave it a try and now I am so sold! 

You can have flexibility – unlike with other timeshares, renting Disney Vacation Club points doesn’t make you automatically book a week at a time. You can book a weekend, a week, or even longer! You can even rent DVC points at multiple resorts to build the Disney vacation of your dreams.

If you can be more flexible, depending on your circumstances, you can save even more money by modifying the dates you want to stay – prices can vary significantly.

That means if you are on the DVC Request website and you see the “total price” before you submit your request, that is the TOTAL price. There are no added fees. No extra taxes. That price is all you will pay! [This is one of the questions I had to ask the online chat help!]

If you’re traveling with children, you should note that all DVC rooms can have a child in a Pack n Play (Travel cot to international readers), who won’t count towards your permitted capacity.

Finally, it is absolutely NOT the case that renting DVC points will mean you don’t get all of the usual perks of staying at a WDW resort, you will still be able to use Magic Bands; access on-site transportation and make full use of Early Entry and Extra Evening Hours. 

You can even add a Disney Dining Plan to your DVC rental, if you like! 

The Cons

Staying in a Disney World DVC rental, you’ll get reduced Mousekeeping, what Disney thinks of as “light housekeeping.” You will not receive daily housekeeping. What you will get is:

• trash and towel service on the 4th day of your stay if staying less than a week
• full cleaning on the 4th day of your stay if staying more than 8 days, and then you will receive trash and towel service on your 8th day

You will most likely have a broom and dustpan in your room, and we don’t mind cleaning up after ourselves anyways.

We think these cons are definitely outweighed by the pros if you choose Disney Vacation Club points for rent.

Next, when you rent DVC points, your agreement is with the owner, not Disney. This is why I like using a service like David’s DVC Rentals because they play the intermediary. You are paying the owner and then David’s DVC Rentals takes care of the rest – they’re definitely one of the best DVC rental companies.

If you’re looking for DVC points to rent, do keep in mind that there is limited inventory. If you wanted to go next month, you will have to check the Dedicated Reservations Page (more on this in a moment!) but if you request through the normal portal, your chances may be slim.

For the best luck, book as far out as possible, and be prepared to have alternative dates and resorts ready to discuss with the team!

And finally, one of the biggest things you need to know when it comes to knowing how to rent DVC points – you must pay all at once when you book. This means if you are staying a long time, or booking a very expensive Villa (even after the great discount!), know that you have to be ready to pay once you get confirmation of your request.

Renting Through David’s DVC Rental

One of the potential cons about Disney vacation rentals is that you don’t have as much control with a direct booking – you are paying the owner and they are responsible for making your reservation.

For a more secure, professional, and well-established service, our suggestion is to rent DVC points through David’s DVC Rentals. We’ve booked through David’s multiple times, and are happy to recommend it to fellow Disney Trippers!

Don’t be fooled by their name though, there is no membership required to make full use of David’s DVC Rentals. You will pay a slight premium for using the, but far less than booking directly. We think that small premium is well worth it to get that peace of mind, and that’s why we recommend David’s for where to rent DVC points.

They have great online chat services and phone services, and are there to help you with any questions or concerns you may have for your Disney points rental.

How To Rent DVC Points 

To find your options for Disney vacation points for rent, first you need to work out how many points you’re going to need. You can do that through their simple cost calculator.

Bookings only open up for DVC owners 11 months in advance (for their “home” resort), and 7 months in advance if they want to book somewhere other than this. Which means, this is the earliest you can book. But you should definitely do your research in advance, to have tour choices ready to go once that window opens up.

It’s a great idea to have a second and third choice already in mind. David’s will take this information at the time of booking, and you will have a better chance securing your top preferences!

When you’re ready to book at David’s DVC Rental, complete the straightforward reservation form. Before you submit the form, you’ll need to ay a deposit which can be paid by Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal; this is non-refundable (as long as they can secure one of your choices).

Once you’re notified that your reservation has been fulfilled, you’ll be required to pay the balance in 24 hours.

If you are like me, and like to speak to a real human, you can call David’s or do their online chat. I have rented countless times this way and the staff is super helpful and explain things perfectly! If you are feeling confused, just contact them!

How much do you save by renting DVC points? 

To see how much you can save by using Disney Vacation Club points for rent, instead of direct bookings, here’s our breakdown:

Beach Club resort for $275 a night – that included all taxes and fees. A few weeks later, we got an invitation to receive 30% off bookings with our Annual Passholder discount. Even after that discount was applied, the cost was still $900 – $1100 PER NIGHT. Insane when we just paid $275 a night through David’s DVC rental.

Now, this price was based off what is open at the time and for a studio room. Studios run around $570+ per night excluding taxes and fees, but these prices go up during the weekends and seasonally.

At the time of writing, we thought we’d give you another example in this DVC point rental review. We looked at 6 nights in June, staying in a value/studio room at Animal Kingdom Lodge. From David’s DVC Rental, the cost would be $1155. Booking the same room with Disney, with the same exact dates, would be $2898. More than double the price if we hadn’t chosen to rent DVC points!

How Far In Advance Should You Book When Renting DVC Points?

This is key when renting DVC points – you need to book as far in advance as you can. You can start booking 11 months out, and we highly recommend you doing so, especially to get the resort of your dreams.

We’ve illustrated the financial savings to be made from DVC rentals, and here’s the tricky part – it isn’t like booking a regular hotel room. As soon as you know the dates you want to travel, you should start looking into the DVC rental options open to you and book as soon as you can. We’ve got firsthand experience, even 7 months out, of someone’s chosen DVC resort not being available and them being completely unable to rent DVC points at their preferred location.

The booking system for DVC rental sites are very rudimentary. They do not reflect the open inventory. The only way to know what’s open is to submit a request and wait to hear back from the team. Don’t rely on something being open just because it is listed as open online.

To avoid disappointment, don’t delay. This could be the best advice when it comes to our renting DVC points review – as soon as you see those Disney Vacation Club points for rent at the resort you want, make the request! We don’t want you to miss out once you’ve made your decision on where you want to rent DVC points!

What about Annual Passholders Renting DVC points?

If you are an Annual Passholder, or live close by, you may have more time and flexibility. Of course, you can submit a request 6-10 months out, but what if you want to go sooner than that?

You can make use of the dedicated reservations for rent page – this is an excellent service that anyone with flexible schedules can use. This is something that the DVC owner has already booked – so it’s fixed in terms of dates and room type.

This is great for short notice bookings! It’s always worth keeping an eye on this page to see if something good comes up that you can fit into your plans, and you can go ahead and make that decision to rent DVC points!

I literally check this page all the time! You never know what is going to pop up, and you can still book these 11 months out as well. Again, this is DVC owners who have made a booking and can’t make it so they are giving it up. It may not always fit your needs, but it’s worth a look!

What Are The Best Disney Vacation Club Rentals? 

We think that Disney’s Beach Club Villas is by far the best resort to rent DVC points! You can walk to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, plus you have the Skyliner to use. The Beach Club also has the BEST pool on property! I am obsessed with the Beach Club, and it’s such a good value for the points! Highly recommend this one!

BoardWalk Villa is another great choice! Still within walking distance of EPCOT and the Skyliner, but you’ll be trading the epic pool for great nightlife and restaurants!

Animal Kingdom Lodge, is always a surprisingly affordable location to rent DVC points, but it’s a bit of a journey to the parks. If you have an animal lover in your group, and want to be able to see animals every day on the savanna and enjoy some of the best resort dining, Animal Kingdom Lodge is for you!

While Saratoga Springs and Old Key West are consistently some of the most affordable options when it comes to renting DVC points, they aren’t near/connected to any of the parks. This is why we 100% recommend resorts like Beach Club, BoardWalk over them.

What Are The Worst Use Of DVC Points? 

Whilst it’s a beautiful resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort isn’t a good choice of location to rent DVC points because it’s very expensive and not connected to any of the parks. For us, being able to walk to a park is a HUGE perk.

Again, the Polynesian and Grand Floridian are beautiful resorts and only a monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom, they are still fairly expensive even using DVC points. They might not be the best locations to rent DVC points.

Should You Rent Disney Vacation Club Points?

We hope that our renting the Disney Vacation Club review has given you a well-balanced view of what’s involved if you choose to rent DVC points and hopefully we’ve made you excited enough to go take a look for yourself!

If you can be a little flexible with your dates and resort choices, then we think you’ll get a superior experience that you won’t regret!

I am totally obsessed, and it works for me. I would recommend my out-of-town friends to try it, but it’s okay if this kind of arrangement isn’t for you.

It’s always a good idea to check out the cost against what you can get directly from Disney for a moderate resort. to see for yourself if it meets your price points and needs. Sometimes, Disney offers surprisingly low prices for resort stays, but, in general, choosing to rent DVC points will save you money.

We hope you’re not in any doubt…we think choosing to rent DVC points is an excellent way to take your vacation, save money, and – at the same time – get amazing quality accommodations! Have we inspired you to look further into how to rent DVC points? Have you had experiences renting DVC points? We’d love to know your opinion, so leave us a comment below!