Renting Disney Vacation Club Points

a.k.a How to Stay at Disney World like a VIP without paying like one!

In most cases families traveling to Disney World are doing so on a budget. They are looking for the most economic room while still being inside “the World” so that they can still take advantage of Disney’s perks like the bus system, booking early for FastPass+ reservations, and sometimes being on the meal plan. Unfortunately, these rooms usually tend to be on the smaller side and the furthest away from the parks themselves. This leads to cramped and frustrated families. Who wants that right? You’re on vacation for crying out loud!

Good news! Disney does offer higher end rooms at certain resorts for members of their Vacation Club (See description below). These rooms usually are larger, ALOT closer to the parks, and can even include full sized kitchens and separate bedrooms for the little ones! Sound nice? Well keep reading to see how even non-members of their “club” can get a taste of the good life. 🙂

First a brief definition: The Disney Vacation Club is a vacation timeshare owned and operated by Disney. You are basically buying a real estate interest in a DVC resort. I won’t be going into too much detail on the club itself but here is a link if you are interested in more details. But basically you are paying yearly “dues” (think yearly mortgage payment) for a certain amount of points that can be used towards nights in Disney’s Vacation Club Resorts. The more points you have the more nights you can stay or the nicer the room/villa you can reserve. These points have to be used within a certain amount of time or they disappear.

Some of the Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Disney World:

• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
• The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• *new* Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows (bookings open Feb. 11)

The good thing is that you don’t have to be a Vacation Club member to use it’s perks. From time to time club members aren’t able to use all of their points so they will rent the use of these points to non-members at a discount.

Below I have put together an example of the cost at staying at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. I am using the dates of checking in June 21 and checking out June 27 – 6 nights. Of course this is during peak vacation time so your prices might be cheaper depending on your travel dates. I want to show the cost savings on a Studio Room which sleeps 4 plus room for a crib (think of it as a regular hotel type room with a kitchenette) and also a 1 bedroom which sleeps 5 plus a crib but also comes with a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and washer and dryer! Plus you are within walking distance to Magic Kingdom (handy for families that need nap times) and you’re on the monorail which means you have way more dining options.

Example prices using Points rented from a 3rd party (Prices booking the same room through Disney’s Central Reservations in BOLD)

• Bay Lake Tower Studio, Standard View (117 points)  – $1638 total / $273 night ($3307.50 / $551.25 night)  50% SAVINGS
• Bay Lake Tower 1 Bedroom, Standard View (224 points) – $3136 total / $523 night ($4340.28 / 723.38 night) 28% SAVINGS

As you can see there is substantial savings to renting points. My family has rented points the last two times we have visited Disney World and had no troubles utilizing a 3rd party broker. We have used them to stay at both the Animal Kingdom Villas and Bay Lake Towers and loved it! It will be hard to go back to Value Rooms after this. 🙂

So now we get to the part on how do you make these deals happen. Well there are two routes you can go. Either you can rent points directly from a DVC member OR you can use a 3rd party company to ensure your transaction. Renting directly from a member can be tricky if you don’t know the member as a reputable person. BUT, it will cost more renting these points from a 3rd party. They will charge about $14 per point while renting directly from the DVC member generally costs about $11 to $13 per point. I have links below to two highly rated 3rd party companies (I used David’s and had a wonderful experience with their customer service) and also a link to one (of many) discussion boards where renters and rent-ees can find each other.

David’s Vacation Club Rentals – accredited member of the Better Business Bureau

The DVC Rental Store – accredited member of the Better Business Bureau

Do-It-Yourself Link – This is a forum for renters and rent-ees to find each other. If you do decide to work directly with a DVC member then please review the points below!

• Ask for references and check them!
• Get the person’s full name, address, and phone….and check them!
• Make sure that this person is actually a DVC member at the Florida Comptroller’s Office website
• Don’t pay with a check or money order. Use only a credit card through Paypal. This way you have some protection against fraud.
• Make sure the DVC member sends you the confirmation number from Disney and check it at mydisneyreservation.com/dvc.
• Get Travel Insurance. Always a good idea even if you’re not renting points.

So what do you get with your points rental? Below I have some perks and downsides listed to help you decide.

Perks of using Vacation Club points

• Reservation will be in your name
• No room bill to pay when you check out (pre-pay your reservation)
• Still have access to “My Disney Experience”
• Still receive Magic Bands
• Still can utilize Magical Express
• Enjoy on-site perks like “Extra Magic Hours”, onsite transportation, and free parking
• You are able to purchase a dining plan separately without having to buy park tickets. If you are reserving a room through the Disney Reservation line (the normal way) and you want the dining plan you have to buy a package deal with park tickets. If you are renting points, you may choose to add on a dining plan and then buy your park tickets separately through a discounted ticket broker (like Undercover Tourist) saving even more money!

Downsides using Vacation Club points

• Most DVC point rentals once made (and paid for) can’t be changed or cancelled. So be really sure of your vacation plans!
• You won’t have total control of your reservation. Disney Vacation Club won’t speak with non-members so you will need to work with the points owner (or 3rd party broker) to add on your Dining Plan and/or Magical Express reservations. You will still have full control of your “My Disney Experience” to book your own FastPass+ and Dining Reservations.
• Less frequent maid service. Staying on points means you won’t get your room cleaned every day like a normal hotel room. You will receive “Trash and Towel Service” (no cleaning) on your 4th day of your stay and a full cleaning of your room on your 8th day.

So that’s a lot to cover in one post but I hope it helps. Let me know if you have any questions about renting points and I would be happy to help with anymore information!