How to rent Disney Vacation Club points and save hundreds of dollars on your vacation

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

You have dozens of choices when it comes to finding the best Disney World hotel for your family.

If you’re looking to save money on your magical vacation, you’ll likely turn to Disney’s Value or Moderate resort categories — but there is a way to stay in one of Disney’a top-tier Deluxe resorts. Believe it or not, you could stay at the likes of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for practically the same price you would pay at one of Disney’s budget-friendly resorts.

The secret to booking a luxury Disney vacation at bargain prices is Disney Vacation Club.

You may be familiar with Disney Vacation Club membership, which is Disney’s version of timeshares — but you can also rent points from DVC owners to stay at a Disney Vacation Club property for a fraction of the cost.

Here’s how to do it, the types of accommodations you can book and how much you can save.

What is Disney Vacation Club?

The Disney Vacation Club has existed since the early 1990s and is Mickey’s version of a timeshare.

You can purchase a DVC membership that is valid for as long as 50 years for a set number of “points.” DVC members can use points to book DVC properties for themselves — or others — annually for the contract’s life.

While there is some flexibility to roll over points or borrow points from a future year, Disney Vacation Club members generally have to use or lose their points each year.

However, members who don’t plan on using all their allotted points can rent them out to other vacationers — like you.

How to save money by renting Disney Vacation Club points

You can rent DVC points to stay in a Disney Deluxe Villa at Disneyland or Disney World for roughly the same price as booking a Value or Moderate Disney resort.

When you book a Disney Deluxe Villa, you’ll get more space than in a standard room and amenities like a kitchen or kitchenette, an in-room washer and dryer, a balcony, and more. Deluxe Villas range in size from studios to three-bedroom Grand Villas.

Disney Deluxe Villa resorts come with more dining options, nicer pool areas with splash playgrounds for kids, and fitness centers, too.

You’ll also get the normal perks of staying at a Disney resort, such as 30-minute early entry to the parks, extended evening hours on select nights, the ability to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Passes up to seven days before your visit and complimentary theme park transportation.

Plus, many Disney Vacation Club properties are ideally situated for visiting the parks. If you plan to spend most of your time at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, consider the DVC rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Or, if you prefer the Fantasyland classics at the Magic Kingdom, you can go with a monorail resort like Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Village or the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

On the West Coast, you can rent DVC points to stay in a Deluxe Villa at the Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Cash rates for standard rooms at these resorts often hover between $500 and $800 per night (or more during the busy holiday season). However, renting DVC points can greatly reduce out-of-pocket costs, as bookings are available for as little as 7 points per night, with points costing as little as $20 apiece. So, if you rent DVC points for $20 per point, you could use points to reserve a room at one of the above Deluxe Disney resorts for as little as $200 per night.

You can rent Disney Vacation Club points to stay at Disney’s beach resorts

In addition to renting Disney Vacation Club points for stays at Disney’s theme parks, you can also use DVC points to reserve a room at one of Disney’s beach resorts — Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.

These resorts have the same type of accommodations and level of service you’d expect from a Deluxe Disney resort in a relaxing beach setting. You can enjoy favorite Disney treats like Dole Whip and Mickey waffles, and those only-at-Disney experiences like daily crafts and games, character meet-and-greets, and awesome pools.

As at DVC resorts at Disney World and Disneyland, there are various room types to choose from. Studio villas are smaller and have similar amenities to a standard hotel room. Larger villas with one, two or three bedrooms are usually more comfortable for larger families and longer stays; each has a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, a dining area, and a living room.

How much can you save by renting Disney Vacation Club points?

We’ve established the basics around renting Disney Vacation Club points. Now, it’s time to consider some real-world examples to see how much money you can save. We’ll use a three-night stay in a studio villa at a Disney World hotel as an example.

David’s Vacation Club Rentals charges between $20 and $25 per point for DVC rentals, depending on which resort you choose and how far out you book. Availability is at its highest between seven and 11 months out.

Once you look at dates within seven months of your visit, availability begins to shrink, since DVC owners can start using their points at other resorts beyond the one where they own points. Because of this, David’s Vacation Club Rentals rates are slightly lower within seven months, averaging around $23 per point.

You may also choose to rent through an individual DVC owner, which is usually slightly less expensive at about $20 per point.

As you can see in our examples, exact savings vary. However, saving about 40% to 60% off paid Disney rates when renting DVC points is very realistic, even when paying the premium rates charged by a third-party service.

Be on the lookout for existing reservation listings too, as these can get you additional savings.

For example, we’ve seen reservations for as little as $17 per point in the “Confirmed Reservations for Rent” section under “DVC Guests” on David’s Vacation Club Rentals site. If your dates are flexible, you can save even more by booking one of these existing reservations.

How to rent Disney Vacation Club points

Now that you’ve seen how significant the savings can be, even on a three-night stay, let’s walk through the process of renting DVC points.

The exact process will vary depending on whether you use a professional service like David’s Vacation Club Rentals or rent directly from a DVC owner, but it’s pretty straightforward.

Renting Disney Vacation Club points from a service

As mentioned, you can rent DVC points from David’s Vacation Club Rentals or another professional service. Before getting started, make note of what size room you will need, your travel dates and which resort(s) you prefer. Then, hit the “Reserve Now” button to complete your travel details.

If you book within that seven- to 11-month window, you shouldn’t have trouble finding availability at your preferred resort, but it does help to have a few backup options should your first choice be sold out. When booking through David’s, you can add alternate resort selections as a backup if your first choice isn’t available. This step is optional if you are set on staying at a particular property.

Because DVC availability comes from a separate “bucket” than booking directly with Disney, you can use a site such as DVC Vacations before completing this step to ensure space at your preferred resort(s) before getting too far along in the rental booking process.

Once you’ve submitted the basics, you’ll need to pay a $105 deposit, which will go toward the price of your rental if it is secured. This will initiate the search.

Important note: David’s Vacation Club Rentals is based in Canada, so be sure to use a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

If the resort and room type you are looking for are available, you will be asked to pay for the rental minus your $105 deposit. If there is no availability, you’ll receive an email with alternate options or a deposit refund.

Assuming all goes well and you’ve secured and fully paid for a rental, you will get a confirmation number to link to your My Disney Experience account. This final step allows you to access all the benefits of staying on Disney property.

Remember that you will not have the same 30-day cancellation policy as you would if you booked directly with Disney; David’s has its own cancellation policy called Deferred Dreams. If you cancel up to 120 days before check-in, you’ll receive 100% of the reservation price (minus the $105 deposit) in the form of a travel credit. That percentage lessens the closer you get to check-in.

Consider buying a travel insurance policy covering a potential cancellation outside your control, such as for a medical issue. Some DVC rental sites also offer a paid insurance plan via a partner. No matter how you rent, be aware that these are less flexible reservations than ones made directly with Disney.

David’s has been around for decades, and we’ve had good experiences with this service. You’ll pay a premium by renting through a service instead of booking directly with an individual, but you’ll spend less than if you try to rent a DVC villa directly from Walt Disney World. As a bonus, you’ll be protected by renting via an established brand.

Renting Disney Vacation Club points from an owner

You can also rent points directly from a Disney Vacation Club owner. The price an individual DVC owner will charge is generally less than what you’ll get from a larger service, and prices often go down as the expiration date for the points approaches.

If you want to rent via an individual owner, keep the following tips in mind:

• Search for individual DVC owners through a platform like DISboards. This popular Disney message board has a forum for people looking to rent their points. Because DISboards only allows active members or those who pay a fee to list points a limited number of times per year, it’s harder for scammers to post points available to rent.
• Join a DVC Facebook group like DVC Disney Vacation Club Points Rental to find reputable rental options.
• Do your research before renting points. If you’ve identified a potential person you want to rent points from, Google their name or ask around in a related Facebook group for experiences. See if you can track them down on social media, and don’t hesitate to ask them for references from past renters. You can also see if they are truly an owner at one of the Disney World resorts by searching online through Orange County Comptroller records.
• Pay for your DVC rental with a credit card that offers some level of purchase protection or purchase a travel insurance policy.

Related: Is travel insurance worth it?

Should you rent Disney Vacation Club points?

Every family’s decision on where to stay and how to best pay for that lodging will be as unique as their Walt Disney World vacation. As with many things in life, it depends on budget, preference and circumstances.

Related: These Disney World discounts can help you save money on your next vacation

We like to start by checking prices and availability directly with Disney. If you find a good deal, that may be the best option for you — especially if you value flexibility. Big-name rental sites like David’s Vacation Club Rentals do not permit booking changes or issue cash refunds (only travel credits) should your plans change.

Also, spot-check prices and availability at traditional points properties like the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve resorts or Disney Springs hotels. These hotels are on Disney property and offer several of the same perks as Disney’s official hotels. However, they aren’t true Disney hotels, so sometimes they have better pricing.

Generally, DVC rooms are worth considering if the savings are substantial or if they allow you to significantly upgrade your experience.

Related: How to use points to buy Disney tickets

For example, we recently rented points via David’s Vacation Club Rentals and reserved a two-bedroom, three-bathroom suite at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for $840 (or 40 points at $21 per point). This massive suite, which has a full kitchen and a separate living room, would’ve cost more than $1,300 had we booked directly with Disney.

Bottom line

While you’ll need to do your own research to ensure you’re comfortable with the process, whether you choose a DVC rental broker or an individual owner, we can assure you that you’ll find some of the best lodging at Disney World available through the Disney Vacation Club.

From spreading out above the ground in a Treehouse Villa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa to catching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from a private hot tub at the Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, some of our families’ most coveted Disney memories have come from these Disney Vacation Club resorts.

Related reading:

• The best credit cards for your Disney vacation
• How to save money at Disney so you don’t go ‘bibbidi-bobbidi-broke’
• Is Disney Lightning Lane worth it?
• Are Disney World’s after-hours parties worth it?