1 Month & 25 Days Until We Until We Rent Points for the First Time. Any Tips?

dakotix

DIS Dad #852 from Central Massachusetts
Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Our 7 month window opens up on Aug 5th. We'll be renting from David's Vacation Club Rentals. Does anyone have any tips/ common pitfalls when doing this sort of trip for the first time? We understand that one thing to be prepared for is the sparsity of housekeeping service. Our first pick for a resort is Poly followed by AKL, Beachclub, or Boardwalk.
 
Oh my.

If renting at 7 months, have low expectations of getting BCV or BWV. If you really want to do DVC rental, it really is better to be doing it within the 11 month booking window, even at the big resorts like Poly and AKV, even in the low season. Your chances of getting exactly what you want are much greater if you have lined up someone, who owns at the resort that you are interested in booking, at least 11 months in advance of the day you wish to arrive. The probability of success goes down from there.

If your booking is made, it will not be changeable and you can't cancel for refund. You will not qualify for any additional Disney discounts. You also are unlikely to get any kind of upgrade (and should not ask for one, as the owner who made the reservation for you may be charged for it).

DVC units are not the same as staying in a hotel room. Aside from not getting daily housekeeping, you will not get 2 REAL beds in a studio unless you're staying at OKW.
 
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Our 7 month window opens up on Aug 5th. We'll be renting from David's Vacation Club Rentals. Does anyone have any tips/ common pitfalls when doing this sort of trip for the first time? We understand that one thing to be prepared for is the sparsity of housekeeping service. Our first pick for a resort is Poly followed by AKL, Beachclub, or Boardwalk.
Since you're considering Poly, I assume that you want a studio. And since you are waiting for the 7-month window to open, I'm guessing that you're doing so that you don't pay a premium price for the most in-demand resorts. That could backfire on you.

AKL probably has your highest chances of success unless you are expecting to rent a Value or CL villa in Jambo House. Larger resort = greater chance of availability. If you're planning to stay for more than a week, David's may have to wait until the 7-month window is open for all of your nights (members who do not own at your desired resort can only book the first 7 nights at the 7-month window). At BWV, don't expect anything other than a Pool/Garden view if you're trying for a studio and be happy to get it. BCV is a stretch. I would put your chances of Poly at 50-50 (even lower if you are looking for an extended stay because more nights = less chance of filling all nights at 7 months).

My advice would be to be open to a split stay and maybe expand your list of possible resorts to SSR and OKW.
 
Not sure what you mean by saying you will be renting through David's at 7 months out. You should not wait until that time to contact David's. You should contact David's well in advance so it knows it will need to try to reserve at exactly 7 months out.

For the time you want, starting March 5 and days after, the following studios from ones you list are highly likely (close to 100% chance) to be open at 7 months out: Poly, AKV standard or savanna view, BWV pool/garden view (for the last three years, those have all been open at 7 months out for that time of year). There is also some low chance for boardwalk view; BCV is about a 50/50 chance. The only real issue is David's having an owner with the points to make a reservation and, if you are talking about reserving 7 months out, the chances are high.

DVC reservations do not get daily room service-- you get a change of towels, emptying of trash and replenshment of toiletries of your fourth day (and to get to four count arrival day as one) if you reserve 7 nights or less. If you reserve 8 nights or more you get full cleaning service on that fourth day and the trash and towel service on the eighth day. Note if you actually want full cleaning service on any day while there, you can call housekeeping and ask for it (at least one day in advance) but there is a fee ($30 for a studio).

If you have any particular room requests, such as for a room in a particular area of the resort, it is best to ask the owner (through David's) to make the request through Member Services -- you can make far more kinds of requests that way than waiting for online check-in at 60 days out and using the request page during that check-in (those online request pages were created for cash paying guests not DVC, do not cover many things a member can request through Member Services, and many of them are ridiculous in relation to DVC, e.g., at AKV Jambo, you can request higher or lower floor with that online request page but that is a useless request for DVC because all DVC rooms are on the top fifth floor (sixth if club level); at AKV Kidani, you can request near an elevator with the online request page, but since there are three elevators along each wing, that request can be met by putting you in any room in the resort and essentially accomplishes nothing).

Just like a regular Disney cash reservation, you will get a reservation number that will allow you to set up everything for the trip in MyDisneyExperience.com, including adding park tickets and fast passes. If you want to purchase a Disney Dining Plan, the only way to do so with a DVC reservation is through the owner who contacts Member Services and that reservation for a dining plan needs to be made and paid for at least 48 hours before you arrive.
 
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AKL probably has your highest chances of success unless you are expecting to rent a Value or CL villa in Jambo House.

In which case, it's already too late anyway save a night here and there which may not align with the night OP wants anyway.
 

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