Renting DVC Points…How to Save Money!
As a DVC member, you can be on either end of a point rental transaction. If you need a few more points to complete a vacation, you can rent points from other members. If you find yourself with a few extra points, renting them to other members will provide an outlet for them for cash.
The renting process is made much easier and quicker by using a third-party rental company to guide you through the process. Rentals can also be made directly with other DVC members. Owners will find dedicated boards and Facebook pages to help accommodate this process as well.
Selling Your Points To A Rental Company
The DVC point rental process is a matching game orchestrated by the rental company to get the DVC owner and the renter together. The pool of available points is purchased from DVC members. The points are tied to the same home resort, the exact use year, and the same usage guidelines. The points maintain their ownership properties as if the original owner would use them.
The reservation will also have the same availability limitations. Thus, the rental company will pay a premium for available points that still have their home resort priority. For example, Beach Club may warrant a higher price if the points are used to secure a reservation greater than seven months since a requested accommodation is more likely to be available. The going rate is $14-$16 per point, depending on the resort and the home resort premium.
The points you want to sell are presented to the rental company, usually through an online form. Once an agreement is signed, the company will act on your behalf to find a renter for your points.
The rental company will take your points and match them to a guest reservation request. The reservation request will include when the guest wants the reservation and the resort and room accommodation. If there is a match, the rental company will contact you to make sure you agree to rent the points. The rental company may have several DVC owners whose points will accommodate the reservation, so a quick response is advised.
As an owner of the points, you will need to make the reservation for the guest and provide to the rental company a reservation confirmation number. At this time, the guest will pay the rental company in full for the booking, and a portion of the proceeds will be paid to you (usually 60-75%). The remaining funds will be paid to you on check-in to ensure that the reservation is available.
Renting Points From A Rental Company
DVC owners may need to become a renter of points to complete a reservation where they don’t have enough points in their account. The process is made easy by utilizing a rental company to help.
Simply request a reservation, including when you want the reservation and the accommodation(s) and resort(s) you are interested in. There can be is a small upfront charge, but this is applied to your reservation when completed.
As the points required for your vacation are secured, the rental company will notify you that they can secure the reservation. Full payment is required at this time and a signed rental agreement to secure the booking. The rate charged per point can vary, but it is typically $18-20 to rent points. The DVC owner will provide a reservation number and book the guest names on the reservation. After payment, the reservation is not refundable. Renters can link the reservation on the My Disney Experience app.
Renting Points From DVC (One-Time Use Points)
If you need just a few extra points to make a reservation, then renting the points from Disney may be a fast and easy way. These points are called one-time-use points. Members have the option to purchase up to 24 additional vacation points each year per membership. These points can be used to book reservations in the seven-month booking window. They can’t be used to book a reservation that requires a home resort priority in the eleven-month window.
The current rate has gone up to $19/point (made up of $16.89/points + tax of 1.89+ resort tax of $1.01/point. The points can’t be refunded once purchased, and you can’t transfer, bank, or borrow them. The points will expire at the end of the year.
In addition to booking a DVC room, the points are also good for Disney Collection and World Collection reservations but not Concierge Collection.
The points can be reserved by contacting Member Services.
Rent Before You Buy
If you aren’t sure that DVC membership is what you may want, many potential members rent vacation points at a DVC resort before making a DVC commitment. Renting points will allow you to have an ownership experience without making a commitment. You could also try out different resorts to determine which home resort is best for you. I would recommend this process if you are on the fence about joining DVC.
Renting A Reservation At Walt Disney World—How Much Can You Save?
Even if you aren't a DVC member, you can rent points to secure a reservation to save money or perhaps upgrade your moderate resort stay into a Deluxe stay. Not only do you save on your room, but you are not charged parking at a resort if you are staying with DVC points. For Villas, this is currently $25/night.
In addition, to savings, renting villas for large family gatherings can be more accommodating than reserving several Studios and saving money by having your own kitchen. For groups up to 12, guests can have a Grand Villa with twice the room size as the three Studios for similar pricing. For example, the average rack rate to book a Savanna View Studio at Jambo House is $793/night. To accommodate a group of 12, you will need to have a minimum of three of these rooms secured or $2,379/night. These rooms are 365 square feet. The average rental price of a Savanna View Grand Villa is $1,913/night, and the square footage is 2,349 and comes complete with a kitchen, dining area, living room, and a washer and dryer.
Savings can also be getting more resort value for similar pricing. For the moderate resorts, Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside, and French Quarters, the savings could be in the form of a larger room with Deluxe accommodations for a similar cost. The average price of a hotel room, including parking, is listed here—for example, a Caribbean Beach standard room averages $355/night. With a point rental, the average price of DVC Deluxe Villa Studios will run from a low of $205/night for a Value Accommodation at Jambo House to a high of $501/night at the Grand Floridian. Along with the Value accommodations at Jambo house, Standard view Studios at Animal Kingdom, Boardwalk, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs cost less per night than a Studio at Caribbean Beach. Guest staying at these resorts get Deluxe accommodations at moderate pricing.
Finally, rentals of the same accommodations at a DVC resort compared to the cash price + parking can save money. While the savings can be up to 62%, I find that the average savings is around 40%. Studios are the more significant savings of all accommodations, with savings of 50% on average.