Considering DVC Rental for the first time....

[JKMillerfam]

Family is planning to return for our 3rd trip next May (24 to 31). We have stayed at CBR and POR on our first two trips. Both were nice experiences, though we preferred POR between the two. While the moderates do work for us price wise, we have looked at DVR rentals as a way to improve the resort experience and improve the location of our stay. I am considering purchasing hoppers next trip, if I do, I want a convenient location. We take mid day breaks most days to recharge.

A few questions:

1. We are a family of 4 and are looking at a studio. There will not be a washer/dryer in room. I noticed that there is no towel service until day 4. How many towels do you start with? Is there a way to get fresh towels daily without paying for daily housekeeping (just want the fresh towels....)
2. Thoughts on DVC property:
   • Priorities: Convenient location for most parks...will visit all 4, likely 2 days at MK....might go the hopper route; great pool (dd9, ds7 - highest priority for them); budget still a factor.
   • Short List at this time: Beach Club, Bay Lake, AK Lodge (I know...location is not the best, but hits the budget and pool priorities)
   • What are opinions on these 3, or based on the info shared, am i missing a diamond in the rough? Poly and Grand Fla are out of our price points.
3. Food - We are a grab and go family who mixes in a sit down/character meal here and there....heard there are no food courts in the Deluxe resorts. Are there options to grab a quick bite at these resorts or would we be looking at more sit down meals?
4. DVC (or the like) vs individual owner rental?

Thanks for any insight/opinions you can offer as we look to make our decision.

 

[crvetter]

We are a family of 4 and are looking at a studio. There will not be a washer/dryer in room. I noticed that there is no towel service until day 4. How many towels do you start with? Is there a way to get fresh towels daily without paying for daily housekeeping (just want the fresh towels....)

I assume you are going for a studio. If that is the case you can buy towel packs. Towel Package: $6 - includes 4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths, 1 bath mat

Poly and Grand Fla are out of our price points.

If these two our out of your price point I’m assuming you are looking at standard at BLT? If so the odds of that coming through are a lot lower and will mostly be luck based as they disappear right at 11 months usually for studios.

Are there options to grab a quick bite at these resorts or would we be looking at more sit down meals?

They all have a quick service option. I haven’t experienced the ones at Beach Club or Boardwalk but a frequent comment is they are less full menu than those at other resorts. Also for Animal Kingdom there are two buildings for DVC (Kidani and Jambo). The main quick service (only one open all day) is st Jambo which is the main building. It is a 10 min walk from lobby to lobby and there is a shuttle that runs between the two. Other than that I haven’t experienced any bad quick service at a deluxe nor have I heard of any substantial.

DVC (or the like) vs individual owner rental?

You have 3 options, Disney, Broker and DVC owners directly. Through Disney it’s just the cash rates. Broker acts as an intermediary between you and the owner (providing services and protections. The direct owner generally is cheaper but a bit more of a hassle to find an owner.

I would also suggest you consider Boulder Ridge or Copper Creek for convenience to Mk (via boat) and bus rides to the other parks. Along with easy access to Fort Wilderness and Contemporary (via boat). It does offer two quick service restaurants Roaring Forks and Geyser Point.

 

[chalee94]

As stated, towel packs are $6 per day.

I agree that if you are looking at BLT standard studios or AKV value, that is a long shot. AKV standard is a good option. OKW or SSR would be reasonably priced but relatively comparable to moderates in terms of transportation. .

OKW studios are the only DVC studios with 2 real queen beds. Also, the largest.

BLT Lakeview should be an option but be aware that the studios there are among the smallest. The best(!) location for MK, though. Nothing beats a short walk.

If you book at 11 months out, BCV has a great location for Epcot and DHS. Some quick service food in the marketplace. (Also, there are other options on the Boardwalk or at the Swolphin, if you aren't on the DDP.)

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/d...each-club-marketplace/menus/lunch-and-dinner/
The biggest issue with DVC rentals is that you will most likely be unable to cancel the reservation for a refund or even change it after you book. Your dates must be locked in.

 

[nkereina]

We are a family of 4 and are looking at a studio. There will not be a washer/dryer in room. I noticed that there is no towel service until day 4. How many towels do you start with? Is there a way to get fresh towels daily without paying for daily housekeeping (just want the fresh towels....)

As PP mentions, you can add the towel package which is $6 per package. I believe you can also add the trash & towel housekeeping for $10 per day where housekeeping will come and replenish towels daily, take the old ones, and empty trash. I think they empty trash daily now (since security checks were implemented), so I'm not sure there's a lot of value in that anymore. Also, I believe laundry facilities are free for studio guests staying on points - depending on resort, there may be communal washer/dryers for DVC that are no charge, or you may need to obtain complimentary tokens from the front desk to use them. Not as convenient as having in-room laundry, but still an option.

I'll also caution that a studio is tight for 4 people. The resort you go with may help this, but be mindful of square footage when deciding.

Short List at this time: Beach Club, Bay Lake, AK Lodge (I know...location is not the best, but hits the budget and pool priorities)

Beach Club Villas are small so they can be difficult to book due to availability. Bay Lake Tower is also popular, but their studios are the smallest if I'm not mistaken - tight for four people. Of these three, I would opt for AKV. They are relatively easy to book, as well. Especially if you jump on them at 7-11 months out.

Food - We are a grab and go family who mixes in a sit down/character meal here and there....heard there are no food courts in the Deluxe resorts. Are there options to grab a quick bite at these resorts or would we be looking at more sit down meals?

Another reason to stay at AKV - the Mara is a great quick service option. It has more substantial offerings than the quick service at Beach Club or Boardwalk. I'm not sure if there's anything in BLT, or if you'd have to walk to the Contemporary. Also, Roaring Forks at Wilderness Lodge is a great QS option for Copper Creek/Boulder Ridge guests.

DVC (or the like) vs individual owner rental?

I'm assuming you mean pros and cons of renting from a broker vs renting from an individual owner? Using a broker for the first time you rent points is advisable. It will help you get familiar with the process and avoid costly mistakes. You do pay more per point, but it takes some of the risk and some of the legwork out of it for you because they have many owners willing to rent at their disposal. Renting through an owner yourself may be cheaper, but will require emails, reference checks, and some due diligence on your end.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you are staying in a studio, you'll have four bath towels, two hand towels, four face cloths and a tub mat if it sleeps four. If it sleeps five, add one more bath towel and one more face cloth. Every four days your towels will be replaced as will your other amenities. If you need more of anything, you can always purchase more from Housekeeping. So one, maybe two, packets of prefiltered coffee, 2 oz bottles of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel unless the studio has the wall mounted dispensers. You can't just grab a housekeeper in the hallway to get more supplies. Owners/members must pay for everything in the resort. There are no freebies. So if you rent a DVC reservation via a broker or an owner, you are treated like an owner with regards to supplies in your villa. If you book directly with Disney (and pay more), you'll get daily full cleaning and replacement of your supplies and amenities. But, if you need additional toilet paper, paper towels of dish detergent, you can ask for those without an extra fee.

 

[Jfsag123]

We are also a family of 4 have rented DVC points for studios all of these places, twice each at BLT and BCV. Third BLT rental coming up next month! We have rented points from private owners each time we’ve rented points, 8 times total, and never had any problems.

Yes, the studios at BLT are small, but we have not been bothered by the size and the first time we stayed there the kids were 4 and 6 so we rented a double stroller and kept it in the room! You can’t go wrong with any of the options you picked, as they’re all fabulous resorts. However, if you’re concerned about access to decent QS options and you will have hoppers I would suggest BCV due to the proximity to Epcot. Not a lot of options at the resort, but the international gateway is a 5 minute walk away, so it’s easy to pop into Epcot and grab food from the world showcase, which provides a ton of options!

 

[jimmykitefan]

Where can you get an idea of the cost for renting points? We are starting to plan for end of January 2020.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Where can you get an idea of the cost for renting points? We are starting to plan for end of January 2020.

David's has a calculator on site. DVC owners have been booking January 2020 since February so many options are already gone.

 

[Best Aunt]

Make sure you understand: bed configuration in the studios in the resorts you are considering. Cancellation policy. Payment due date.

The fact that you “heard there are no food courts in the deluxe resorts” makes me worry that you haven’t done much research - and you don’t want to do a dvc rental unless you have gathered a lot of information.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Remember, too, that a DVC studio will have a small kitchenette (microwave oven, coffee pot-not pods, toaster) so you can prepare small meals in your villa. Larger villas have full kitchens including dishes.

 

[JKMillerfam]

Thank you for all of the replies and opinions. Was worried about the availability of some of the options we are considering, the replies confirmed it. Will just need to have the broker look to see what they can find. The towel packs will be a perfect option, I can handle $6 a day. Will also look at a couple of the other views like lake view at BLV.

 

[JKMillerfam]

We are also a family of 4 have rented DVC points for studios all of these places, twice each at BLT and BCV. Third BLT rental coming up next month! We have rented points from private owners each time we’ve rented points, 8 times total, and never had any problems.

Yes, the studios at BLT are small, but we have not been bothered by the size and the first time we stayed there the kids were 4 and 6 so we rented a double stroller and kept it in the room! You can’t go wrong with any of the options you picked, as they’re all fabulous resorts. However, if you’re concerned about access to decent QS options and you will have hoppers I would suggest BCV due to the proximity to Epcot. Not a lot of options at the resort, but the international gateway is a 5 minute walk away, so it’s easy to pop into Epcot and grab food from the world showcase, which provides a ton of options!

Thank you for reply. Great point on Epcot being so close. Wife was just worried about the lack of true "food courts" like the moderates have, wasn't too worried as I knew there was QS at most if not all and I that will work for us, but she wanted me to ask The Epcot reminder was golden and gives me a another reason to get them.

We have stayed the last two times at POR and CBR, so the rooms are no smaller than those and you can at least fold up the bed during the day if you want a little more room....we are not ones to be in the room much at Disney, so the smaller rooms don't bother us much.

 

[Sara_H]

You should also note that some of the studios have the extra bed that pulls down from under the tv so if you have kids that don't want to share a bed that is a good option. BCV has this as does Poly and I think there are a few others too.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You should also note that some of the studios have the extra bed that pulls down from under the tv so if you have kids that don't want to share a bed that is a good option. BCV has this as does Poly and I think there are a few others too.

Also BWV and Boulder Ridge.

 

[JKMillerfam]

I want to thank everyone for the relies again. Our 11 month window opened up this week and within 2 days of making my deposit with David's they had secured a standard view studio at Bay Lake. We decided to have them search Bay Lake instead as they shared with me that BCV is currently their longest queue currently. I am guessing this is the Galaxy Edge effect of the Epcot area resorts.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I want to thank everyone for the relies again. Our 11 month window opened up this week and within 2 days of making my deposit with David's they had secured a standard view studio at Bay Lake. We decided to have them search Bay Lake instead as they shared with me that BCV is currently their longest queue currently. I am guessing this is the Galaxy Edge effect of the Epcot area resorts.

No. This is how BCV has been for years, actually. Small popular resort.

 

[Poohbear03]

Is there a travel insurance company that lets you cancel for any reason? What is a good company to use?

 

[stinkpickle]

One thing to consider with DVC studios is the fold away beds (except for OKW). Our son says they're very uncomfortable. We did a split stay at AKV-Kidani and then POR. He was soooo much happier with the queen bed at POR.