DVC vacations

[kimommy63]

hi! I havent posted in like forever, but it's getting to be that time of year...time to plan our next trip. We originally were going to take a trip down the coast of california in a rented rv and then hit Disneyland. We were very excited and making plans. Until we took a good look at finances and realized that in order to do it the way we wanted, we were gonnas have to rob a bank! Nah, but it will have to wait til next year. So it looks like it's DW again this year. We've done the all stars and pop and have enjoyed them, but this year we were thinking that we might try buying points from someone to stay at one of the Disney Vacation Resorts instead. How do We go about doing that? Can anyone give me a tutorial? I'd much appreciate it!:blush:

[NH Disneyfan]

Unless you are a DVC owner, you cannot buy points. You can rent them though.

You will need to find a renter on one of the various boards. I believe the rate is about $10 per point on average. Points are charged per night based on the day-of-week and resort. You can find point charts on a number of websites, The Timeshare Store is a good place to start.

Your best bet is to book at least 7 months in advance and 11 months if possible. You will need to work out a contract with the DVC owner as they will be making a reservation in your name and taking a lot of risk. See, if DVC owners make a reservation there are restrictions on future use of points should they need to cancel, so there will need to be mutual trust and some payment up front at the very least (IMHOP).

So, start looking at rental boards to see what you can find. Determine where you want to stay - at 11 months out you will need to find an owner of your desired resort to book. At 7 months out any owner can book any resort - assuming availability. As you get closer to your dates, you may find owners with reservations already that instead of canceling, they want to put in other's names. This could be a good deal last minute if you aren't planning this trip.

Good Luck!

[kimommy63]

Thank you for your helpful information:mickey:

[DizneyRox]

Don't underestimate the trust line in the above reply. Your name may be on the reservation, however the member still has total control over the points. While I'm not sure how often it happens, you could show up and find out the reservation has been cancelled, etc.

Make sure you rent from a reputable member (references are nice) and make sure you get a signed contract of sorts with the agreement so you have something to fall back on. It won't help at the check-in desk, but you can persue legal action if necessary.

Not trying to scare you, just making sure you are aware. Renting points from a member is a fantastic way to save a ton on accomodations. Plus you may be helping a member so they don't lose unused points. It's usually a good thing all around, but don't go in with blinders on.