David's Vacation Club Rentals: What is It, and is It Worth My Time?
For anyone who is a Disney lover and doesn't live near the parks (jealous for those that do!), you will know that Disney vacations can get very, very expensive. Planning to drop some serious G's is no joke.
What is Disney Vacation Club?
As I mentioned in my on-resort, off-resort article, Disney Vacation Club is essentially a real estate investment - it's a timeshare. You pay $18,200 USD+ (more for newer resorts - Copper Creek Villas are $22,750 USD starting) as well as monthly dues to get points. You do have the option to finance your purchase, so if you don't have cash burning a hole in your pocket, Disney's gotchu.
You will need to buy into a 'Home Resort', which will be the resort your actual real estate investment is in. There will be a Home Resort Priority Period, which is where only members invested in the specific resort of interest can book at the resort - this period is 11 months to 8 months out from your trip. At the 7 month mark, anyone can request to book at the resort for up to 7 consecutive nights.
How many points you get will determine how many days you can stay at the Vacation Club, what Vacation Club you can use, and what type of room (studio, 1-bedroom, etc.) you can get. More Deluxe resorts will mean more points per night. You do get some flexibility, being able to bank points to stay for longer or in more expensive resorts in the following Use Year, or borrow points from the next Use Year to use this year. You may be able to purchase additional points to use, and you can transfer points to other DVC members. You also get access to certain discounts and promotions on food, shopping, events, and more!
This could be a good option for those of you who vacation at Disney every year, as situations for each family will vary. Seeing the pay-off from going this route and investing some serious money will take many years (I believe I counted nine years to see savings from this investment for myself and my husband for the option we looked at), so keep that in mind if you do go the timeshare route.
How does David's Help Me?
Sound confusing and expensive? Well not to fear, I gotchu fam. David's Vacation Club Rentals is a Canadian-based company that coordinates the renting of points, and is the official DVC point rental company for Disney.* David’s can help you get a Deluxe experience at a Value or Moderate cost. For those who don’t have the capital or the desire to become a full-fledged DVC member, this could be a viable option to try a Villa without the commitment.
Disney also allows booking of a limited amount of rooms at the Villas as well without being a DVC member. Let’s look comparatively at Disney Villa bookings for non-members vs. David’s for you to see the price difference:
Disney:
David’s Vacation Club Rentals:
That’s right. You can stay at the Villas across from the Contemporary Resort for thousands off the price of Disney if you go with David's Vacation Club Rentals. And if you get your request in early enough, you might be able to score a Studio for a fraction of a fraction of the cost! Even with a $1 premium per point, this option will save you thousands more!
Sounds Great! What’s the Catch?
Cash flow, my Dear Watson. If you book directly through Disney, you can cancel without penalty up to 30 days prior to your trip and book with just a one-night deposit, with balance due upon check-in. With David’s, it’s not so simple. You will need to pay a deposit of around $112 USD for David’s to book your room.
When is the balance due? Oh yeah, right after they book it. That’s right. You need to pony up if you want to secure a room through David’s Vacation Club Rentals. Once the agreement is signed and the invoice submitted, it’s go time.
That being said, David’s now has a Bill Me Later option through PayPal for US citizens to be billed in monthly installments to help make the payment of the trip a little easier. But for you non-Americans, you need to have the money at the time of booking.
Additionally, all sales are final. You need to be sure of dates, where you want to stay, etc., before you move forward with this option. You may be able to get some protection in the case you need to cancel through a travel insurance provider, but this is not a service offered by David’s. That being said, they do have a link on their website to an affiliate, TravelGuard.
There are also some resorts that will have a points premium of $1 per point if you are booking further than seven months out. In other words, you are going to be paying to get your pick of the pie. For those resorts that sell out fast (such as Bay Lake Tower), the cost might well be worth it. Only you can decide that.
How it Works:
1. Up to 11 months out, you can book your Villa. You would fill out the reservation form and pay the partial payment of $112 USD. You can make selections from a variety of Villas and room categories if you want David's to keep trying if your first pick is not available. In the case they are not successful or you do not want the option they can get for you, your partial payment will be refunded.
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3. Fill out the payment form for the balance (your price - the deposit) and sign the rental agreement. Your payment is due in full once you have signed the rental agreement. Remember, this is non-refundable.
What if I Want a Disney Dining Plan?
This is absolutely an option, but not one I recommend unless you have the appetite of a football team. That being said, here's what you do if you're looking to add it to your vacation:
The DVC owner will need to have Member Services process this option. To faciliate the process, you would need to call David's at 800.610.5791 as email is not considered a secure payment option. Please note that 30 days of advance notice is required to either add or remove a dining plan.
What Resorts Can I Book at?
You can book at a variety of resorts in Disney World, Disneyland, and even Aulani Resort in Hawaii. There are also options to book non-Disney resorts, such as Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and Vero Beach as an off-property option in Florida.
For those of you staying on Disney property, here are your options:
Walt Disney World
- Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House (Animal Kingdom area)**
- Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village (Animal Kingdom area)**
- Bay Lake Tower (Magic Kingdom area)**
- Beach Club Villas (Epcot area)
- Boardwalk Villas (Epcot area)**
- Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (Magic Kingdom area)**
- Old Key West (Disney Springs area)
- Polynesian Villas (Magic Kingdom area)
- Saratoga Springs (Disney Springs area)
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge (Magic Kingdom area)
- Copper Creek Villas at Wildnerness Lodge (Magic Kingdom area)
- Grand Californian
Aulani Resort by Disney
- Aulani Villas**
Where are the Prices?
Check out David's Cost Calculator to see dollar amounts for various resorts when you are looking to book. It's also a nice tool to help you determine if you might be able to get a good price at different times in the year at your resort of choice. Please note that on mobile, you will have to search by resort, whereas on Mac or PC it will show a comparison of all resorts for the dates selected.
Can I Still Use Disney's Magical Express for Walt Disney World Resorts?
Yes! For those of you not familiar, Disney's Magical Express is a complimentary service bussing you between the airport and your resort and return.
To add this option, go to Other Features on the side menu of David's Vacation Club Rentals and select Magical Express. You'll be asked to input your information to get set up with this service.
What about Park Tickets?
You can get discounted tickets from David's Vacation Club Rentals, among other companies. My advice is to look frequently prior to the last few months out from your trip. Undercover Tourist, Park Savers, and sometimes even Disney will have promotions and discounts on tickets. Be wary of some of those other 3rd party sellers; you don't want to have any hiccups with your tickets along the way. The companies listed above are reputable sellers who will provide you with authentic tickets that you should have no issues with.
For those of you heading to Walt Disney World, ensure you have your tickets prior to 60 days out from your trip if you want to take full advantage of your Fastpass+ bookings. You will not be able to book any unless tickets are linked to your account.
Have you ever used David's Vacation Club Rentals*? Would you do it again, or would you rather use a different option? Comment, subscribe and/or follow me on Instagram :)
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