Unlocking Deluxe Disney Resorts on a Budget: Your Complete Guide to Renting Disney Vacation Club Points -

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.

According to DVC Rental Store, it’s up to 65% less expensive to rent Disney Vacation Club points!

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 (Est. 1991)
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Est. 1994)
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas (Est. 1996)
Disney’s Beach Club Villas (Est. 2002)
Disney’s Saratoga Springs (Est. 2004)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House (Est. 2007)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village (Est. 2009)
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Est. 2009)
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Est. 2013)
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (Est. 2015)
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Est. 2017)
Disney’s Riviera Resort (Est. 2019)

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)

Disney Vacation Club Resort in Hawaii

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa (Est. 2011)

Disney Vacation Club Resort in Vero Beach

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (Est. 1995)

Disney Vacation Club Resort at Hilton Head Island

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 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?

In 2023, there are a few big Disney Vacation Club rental companies.

I have booked through three different companies, and had great experiences with every one.

Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post and I am not affiliated with any of these companies. This is just my own personal experience.

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 Mum 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.

DVC Rental Store

Another top-tier company is DVC Rental Store. I have booked a confirmed reservation for one night at Saratoga Springs in December 2023, and had a wonderful experience.

They communicate with guests like no other company and really keep you in the loop through every step of the process.

I booked this reservation on Easter Sunday, and I was getting responses to my emails within the hour!

DVC Rental Store is the only company I have used that makes you sign a rental agreement (don’t worry, they make this really easy).

Perhaps the best thing about DVC Rental Store is that they only require a 25% downpayment. Full payment is required no later than 75 days before you arrive at the DVC resort.

If you submit a reservation request (instead of booking a confirmed reservation, like I did), they require a $100 refundable, security deposit to be added to their waitlist.

If you don’t want to pay for your resort stay upfront, I would recommend checking out DVC Rental Store.

DVC Shop Rentals

DVC Shop Rentals is a company I hadn’t heard a lot about, so I relied on reviews on online forums when I booked my four-night Saratoga Springs stay in late November-early December.

I also booked this confirmed reservation on Easter Sunday, and had a different experience to the DVC Rental Store.

Firstly, when I booked this, I had to pay 100% of the balance + a booking fee of over $40 upfront, which made me slightly nervous.

I also didn’t receive confirmation that this reservation was officially mine until the next day. But I did receive a confirmation that it had been received and was being processed.

I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, as it was Easter Sunday, and all is fine, but it was more nerve-wracking than booking through David’s or DVC Rental Store.

The booking fee was also a disappointing expense that you don’t incur if you book with David’s or DVC Rental Store.

Due to their large volume of confirmed reservations, I would book with them again. However, if you book with them, maybe don’t expect customer service or communication to be quite as good as some other DVC rental companies.

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 expect to pay $21-$23 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 $21-$23 per point. I’ve even seen some last-minute confirmed reservations on DVC Rental Store for under $10 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).

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.

Unlocking Deluxe Disney Resorts on a Budget: Your Complete Guide to Renting Disney Vacation Club Points