Do you have Grand Floridian taste on an All-Star Sports budget? Do you scroll endlessly on the Disney World website, hoping to find a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a luxurious, Deluxe Resort? If so, you might want to consider renting Disney Vacation Club points!
Whether you want a Savanna View at Animal Kingdom Lodge or to relax on the beach at the Polynesian, DVC points rental opens the door to a world of deluxe Disney experiences.
As of July 2023, I am officially a Disney Vacation Club member! But before that, I rented DVC points with three different companies on four occasions. And I will continue to rent points, when I run out of my own.
After testing different companies and learning about renting DVC points, I felt ready to complete this guide to help you – if you’re interested in Deluxe Resorts at Moderate (or sometimes Value) prices!
This post is all about everything you need to know for renting Disney Vacation Club points!
Renting Disney Vacation Club Points
What is Disney Vacation Club?
First things first, let’s get this straight.
Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is practically Disney’s version of a timeshare. Don’t worry! It’s not your ordinary timeshare. And if you’re renting DVC points, you don’t have to purchase any contract.
To become a Disney Vacation Club member, you purchase a contract (for up to 50 years) at a DVC property for a certain number of points.
Members then have a set number of vacation points each year, which can be used to book stays at various Disney Vacation Club Resorts.
However, as we know, life doesn’t always go to plan, and DVC members can’t always go to Disney World every year.
If they can’t or don’t want to bank their points (which means they save them for the next year), members can sell their points.
This is where DVC rental comes in.
You can go to a DVC rental company (or directly to the member, but this can be risky) and pay to use their points to stay in a DVC property.
And lucky for us, it’s a WHOLE LOT cheaper to rent DVC points than to book the same resort direct with Disney.
It can be 50% + less expensive to rent Disney Vacation Club points!
RELATED POST: Why Can You Save So Much Money if You Rent DVC Points? [Is it too good to be true?]
Which Disney World Deluxe Resorts are Disney Vacation Club Properties?
There are DVC Resorts in Disney World, Disneyland (California), Hawaii (Aulani), Vero Beach, and Hilton Head Island.
Here are all the DVC Resorts you can rent:
List of Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Disney World
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort (since 1991)
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (since 1994)
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas (since 1996)
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas (since 2002)
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs (since 2004)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House (since 2007)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village (since 2009)
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (since 2009)
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (since 2013)
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (since 2015)
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (since 2017)
- Disney’s Riviera Resort (since 2019)
RELATED POST: The Pros of Every Deluxe & DVC Resort at Disney World
List of Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Disneyland (California)
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (Est. 2009)
- The Villas at Disneyland Hotel (Opening September 28th, 2023)
Hawaii Disney Vacation Club Resort
- Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa (Est. 2011)
Vero Beach, Florida Disney Vacation Club Resort
- Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (Est. 1995)
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Disney Vacation Club Resort
Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
Terms You Need To Know Before Renting DVC Points
There are a few simple things you should have an understanding of before renting DVC points. Here they are:
‘Home Resort’ – when a DVC member purchases a contract, they choose a home resort (e.g. Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa).
’11 Month Booking Window’ – if you rent DVC points, the owner of the points can book your vacation from 11 months before your trip. At this point, the member can only book at their home resort. So, if the member owns at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, they won’t be able to book at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. But, they may be able to later …
‘7 Month Booking Window’ – 7 months before your vacation, a member has access to other DVC resorts – even if they don’t “own” there. This means that owner at Beach Club may be able to book at Animal Kingdom Villas – depending on DVC rental availability.
‘Confirmed / Dedicated Reservations‘ – this is where rental companies (such as David’s Vacation Club Rentals) will sell a pre-booked holiday. For example, they might be selling a two-night stay in a two-bedroom standard view at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas in February. If you book this, you can’t change the resort, number of nights, room or view type. The only thing that can change are the names of the guest(s).
‘Requesting a reservation’ – Unfortunately, the booking process isn’t quite as simple as booking directly through Disney. If you’re not booking a confirmed/dedicated reservation, and want to choose the details yourself, you have to request this. It is not guaranteed that you’ll get what you want. It depends on which members are selling their points at the time of booking, and if this aligns with your vacation plans.
Which Disney Vacation Club Rental Company Should I Book Through & How Does Renting Disney Vacation Club Points Work?
My go-to rental company is David’s Vacation Club Rentals.
I have used David’s Vacation Club Rentals to book a five-night stay at Old Key West. In fact, when this post goes live, I will be staying at Old Key West (which also happens to be my home resort. I booked this stay before I decided to become a DVC member).
My family has also booked through David’s to book our four-night stay at the Polynesian in November 2022, and a five-night stay at Boardwalk in 2024.
Both of us have had consistent experiences with David’s, and I’d highly recommend booking through them.
They’re amazing at keeping you updated with top-notch customer service.
For my stay at the Polynesian and Old Key West, they even provide you with free Magic Your Band skins or buttons – just adding a little magic to your stay.
When submitting your request, they require a refundable $105 deposit (if they can’t fulfil your request).
If they can confirm and secure your reservation, 100% of the payment (minus the deposit) has to be paid in full within 24 hours, so this is the only downside of David’s Vacation Club Rentals.
That being said, if you already have the money in your vacation fund, they’re one of the best DVC rental sites.
Please be aware that David’s has a pretty decent policy for cancellations (as long as you are not cancelling last minute):
They have ‘Deferred Dreams Travel Credit’, which can be spent on a future trip within 3 years of your cancellation.
This is the amount of travel credit you would receive if you cancelled:
- Over 120 days prior to check-in date: 100% of total reservation price in Deferred Dreams Travel Credit (not including $105 deposit)
- 61-120 days prior to check-in date: 75% of total reservation price in Deferred Dreams Travel Credit
- 31-60 days prior to check-in date: 50% of total reservation price in Deferred Dreams Travel Credit
- 15-30 days prior to check-in date: 25% of total reservation price in Deferred Dreams Travel Credit
- Less than 15 days before check-in date: 0% of total reservation price in Deferred Dreams Travel
If renting DVC points (or traveling in general), it’s always recommended to have travel insurance.
2025 update: I have also used David’s to sell my DVC points (as a member), and the experience was just as positive.
How Much Does Renting Disney Vacation Club Points Cost?
This differs based on resort and the company you book through.
Each DVC resort has a points chart.
This tells you how many points it takes to stay at each resort in each accommodation type.
So, as expected it will take more points to stay at the Grand Floridian than Old Key West – because of the difference in the points chart.
When renting points, you can often expect to pay $20-$25 per point.
So, if you were staying in a studio at Old Key West for one night (at 10 points), this would cost you between $210 and $230.
David’s Vacation Club Rentals has a great cost calculator tool to help you figure out the number of points and price of your stay.
If you are booking a confirmed reservation (especially if its last minute), these may sell for below $20-$25 per point.
What Types of Accommodation are There at DVC Resorts?
The main categories of accommodation at each DVC Resort are:
- Studios – these sleep 4-5 guests (depending on the resort), and are similar to an average hotel room, but they also have kitchenettes and balconies/patios.
- One-Bedroom Villas – sleeping 4-5 guests (depending on the resort). They have lounge areas, full kitchens and balconies/patios.
- Two-Bedroom Villas – these sleep 8-9 guests (depending on the resort). They also have lounges, full kitchens and balconies/patios.
- Three-Bedroom Grand Villas – sleeps up to 12 guests with lounges, full kitchens and balconies/patios.
- Cabins and bungalows – sleep up to 8 guests – with the same kind of amenities as the villas (but they’re individual buildings).
Frequently Asked Questions about Renting Disney Vacation Club Points
What are the benefits of renting DVC points?
- It’s usually cheaper than booking a hotel through Disney – sometimes even 50% + cheaper!
- The Studios have kitchenettes and the Villas have kitchens.
- Villas have washers and dryers. If you’re staying in Studios, you can wash and dry your clothes for free in the DVC laundry room.
- You still get Early Theme Park Entry, free on-site transportation, and Extended Evening Hours (as DVC resorts are classed as Deluxe).
- You don’t have to be a DVC member to rent points!
- If you’re renting through an established company, like David’s Vacation Club Rentals, you pay a set rate per point or a flat reservation price. No surprise resort fees. Taxes are wrapped into the rental – with a couple of exceptions mentioned in the answer to the next question …
What are the downsides of renting DVC points?
- If you put in a DVC request, they may not be able to fulfil it – if there’s no availability in the resort/room type you requested, or if there’s not a member to book your request. If you’re request is unable to be fulfilled, it’s worth checking the confirmed DVC reservations if you can be flexible with dates.
- You have to pay transient tax each night when you stay in Studios/Villas at Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i or The Villas at Disneyland Hotel. You have to pay it on the hotel side too, but it’s still super annoying to have to pay this on top of the rental cost.
- If you rent DVC points, you will get less frequent housekeeping. If you’re staying up to 7 consecutive nights in the same studio/villa, you will get a “Trash & Towel” service on the 4th day. If you’re staying 8+ consecutive nights in the same studio/villa, you will get a Full Cleaning Service on the 4th day, Trash & Towel Service on the 8th (with the cycle repeating itself on day 12 – if you stay that long).
Can you rent DVC points from Disney?
You can book DVC rooms through Disney (but not by renting points). You would book it like a regular hotel room.
Just keep in mind that it will usually cost more to book DVC rooms directly with Disney.
How much is 1 Disney Vacation Club point?
Wondering ‘how much is each Disney Vacation Club point worth’ when renting points?
As mentioned above, this will vary depending on when you’re booking, and whether you’ve got a fulfilled request or if you’ve booked a confirmed reservation.
However, it will usually be around $20 – $25 per point (sometimes lower for last minute confirmed reservations).
How much can you save by renting Disney Vacation Club points?
This will vary constantly, but it’s possible to find deals as high 50%+ cheaper than what Disney is offering.
Final Thoughts & Ta Ta For Now
Renting Disney Vacation Club points isn’t quite as easy as booking a regular room through Disney, but it also isn’t as complex as it may seem.
If Deluxe Resorts are your dream but a little too expensive, I think renting points is a great way to stick to your budget and still stay in the resort you want!
This post was all about everything you need to know if you’re renting Disney Vacation Club points.
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