Disney Day: Steps to safely rent Disney Vacation Club points

When my husband and I start talking about how often we go to Disney World, we often get crazy looks from folks. The next words out of their mouth are usually, “Well, Disney is expensive.” Disney vacations may be more expensive than say, a beach vacation, but there are many ways to save money and still have a great Disney Parks vacation. One way that we save money on our Disney trips is by renting Disney Vacation Club points from either a broker or a private member.

If you’ve decided that you want to rent, here are the steps to go about doing it safely.

When my family started planning our first trip in 2011, we were a little daunted by the fact that since there were now five of us, we would have to get two hotel rooms. In the midst of all the planning, I read an article exploring the options of renting Disney Vacation Club points and staying in a villa. After doing my research, I found this was the way for us to vacation at Disney! Since that trip my family has rented twice and Corey and I have rented five (as of May 27, seven) times, both from individuals and from brokers.

There are some definite advantages to renting points that I want to cover first. The price difference to stay in a deluxe hotel is astounding. Take this example: January 12-18, 2013 at Animal Kingdom Lodge in a suite would be about $6,000. If you were to rent points from a broker, you could get that same 1 bedroom suite for $1900. A $4100 difference! That’s pretty incredible. If you were to look into a suite at a value resort like All-Star Music that offers suites for families of five or more for the same time period, it would run about $1500. That extra $400 for a one bedroom at Animal Kingdom Villas gets you a large bathroom, a separate bedroom, the amazing amenities of a deluxe resort (like the well-themed pools and table service restaurants), a stack-able washer and dryer, and a full kitchen, just to name a few additions.

FIRST:: Start at www.mouseowners.com. It’s a great forum for any Disney lover and the place to start if you want to find an individual to rent from. There are some other forums that DVC owners use to connect with renters, but I can put my seal of approval on Mouseowners having rented successfully from individuals on that board.  On Mouseowners, they have a fantastic “how to” post that I recommend reading.

All of those steps should be followed to the “T.” Definitely post in the “wanted” forum and then go looking for owners advertising points to rent. I have been found by people wanting to rent their points and other times I have had to find the person myself.

SECOND:: Once you have found an owner that you want to rent from, make sure your bases are covered by verifying the individual owns DVC. You can do this by searching the tax deed sales for Orange County Florida here.

• Accept the disclaimer
• Use the document search
• Search the renters name in the “either party” box
• Look for your renters name and Disney Vacation Club Properties on the deed

If you find your renter’s name here, it’s OK to proceed! Make sure you have a signed contract by both parties. If your renter says they don’t have a contract, Mouseowners provides a sample that can be used. (See again why I love that website?) On the contract, a 12-digit reservation number should be clearly started. This you can confirm with Disney via https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

• Create an account or login to an existing one
• Under “My Disney Experience” click on “My Reservations”
• Click on “Link My Resort Reservation” under “Disney Resort Hotel Reservations”
• Verify the reservation number with the last name and the number

It will link to your account if it is a real reservation number. You will want to link it as soon as possible so that you can keep an eye on it and select Fastpass+ reservations down the road. After signing the contract, verifying the reservation number, and the renter, you’re all set! To go the extra mile, you can ask your renter for references or talk to them over the phone.

THIRD:: If you would like more security and peace of mind, go straight to David’s Vacation Club Rentals. Their website is full of valuable information, even if you decide not to rent from them and is a great place to do your research.

One of the benefits to renting from an individual versus a broker is that points often rent for less since there is no middle man. You pay a little more for peace of mind.

Despite the feeling of risk, very few people are scammed by renting DVC. It’s very hard for a person to represent them self as an owner when they’re not. As long as you do your homework and protect yourself with a contract, you’re afforded all the protection of  the law. Your only other issue you may run into is having to cancel due to illness or another reason. David offers vacation insurance from another company. Individual renters may be able to work with you on moving your reservation.

Have any more questions? Need some help? Have a successful rentee story? Let me know!