susan Nebraska
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2015
I thought I read something once about being able to use points at art of animation? Is this true?
Thanks
Thanks
Yes but rooms start at 30 points/night.
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/list/florida/art-of-animation-resort/
Just out of curiousity, I looked at how that compared to non-discounted cash rates. I found suites for as cheap at $387 during non-peak times (early March in my search), and 405 mid summer (compared to 47 points!).
You are obviously much better off renting out your points for $14-15 per point and then using cash to book these rooms.
Note also this can only be done with direct points.
Oh no- I am so upset I am excluded!Note also this can only be done with direct points.
Oh no- I am so upset I am excluded!
Just out of curiousity, I looked at how that compared to non-discounted cash rates. I found suites for as cheap at $387 during non-peak times (early March in my search), and 405 mid summer (compared to 47 points!).
You are obviously much better off renting out your points for $14-15 per point and then using cash to book these rooms.
They aren't a great deal for the wdw properties but I've used them for dl resort hotel stays and saved about 1/2 cost of cash discounted rate, which makes it nice considering how hard it is to get a dvc room at GCV.
My DD dream is to stay at AOA, so we are going to rent our points out that year and use the cash to stay there with the AP discount hopefully. Should balance out.I thought I read something once about being able to use points at art of animation? Is this true?
Thanks
Actually it was 42 points per night for our weekend stay but the cash rates were more than doubled for the weekend. It was also a fairly last minute trip. We spent less than half what my friends paid for a military discount room. Our room was much larger and nicer than theirs. Of course it wasn't the best use of points but once points are paid for, I think of them as only costing what the mf's are. I'm not willing to rent out any points at this point and unless I had planned way in advance, renting wouldn't even be feasible. Seems like the wdw properties are much higher cost. For DLH, which is my favorite Disney hotel, it's worth it to me and there was no exchange fee.The numbers can add up here. 37 points weeknight mid-July vs. $382 asking price without current discounts. However, if you rent out your points at $13 a point and then bought cash, you would still be ahead.
Not saying you made a poor choice at all. You saved money and renting can be risky. I just wish the benefits were more enticing. I would consider buying more direct points if they were.
Actually it was 42 points per night for our weekend stay but the cash rates were more than doubled for the weekend. It was also a fairly last minute trip. We spent less than half what my friends paid for a military discount room. Our room was much larger and nicer than theirs. Of course it wasn't the best use of points but once points are paid for, I think of them as only costing what the mf's are. I'm not willing to rent out any points at this point and unless I had planned way in advance, renting wouldn't even be feasible. Seems like the wdw properties are much higher cost. For DLH, which is my favorite Disney hotel, it's worth it to me and there was no exchange fee.
I just checked cash rates for July and they are $550 and up. DLH occupancy rates are very high. That rate is for standard room. The standard rooms are never available when I book so cash rates are typically much higher. Not saying it's the smartest use of points but still a viable option for a disney weekend fix. The other justification I use is that we typically spend 7 or 8 nights at wdw due to long flights but for dl it is just two nights and much closer to home so easy to go last minute.
I looked at 2018 chart and the points required are higher. Exchanging direct points, even at DLH, is not a wise move. I was just pointing out that even though not great, DLH is a little better than wdw. Although tempting to use/justify the insane cash price of dl on site property, the off site DL properties are about the same cost as the mf's on the on site so it is much wiser to do offsite. Of course with dvc, the key is to use the points the smartest way possible and that requires planning and sticking to budget. At today's buy in rates it is likely throwing $ away when you use for hotel exchange. Resale restrictions are a good thing for preventing bad choices of points useage.Thanks for providing those numbers. I was curious about the specifics because this is something that I could see myself doing if the opportunity ever presented itself. My wife's first question to our sales guide was if we could use our points at AoA and when he said "yes" she got more interested in direct sales. It wasn't until I told her the ballpark exchange rate that she realized what a poor deal it was.
It sounds like the DLH rates are not nearly as bad comparatively, and I agree that the high rates can be justified by staying just a night or two. It makes sense for people who are already direct owners, but for someone like me, with only 25 direct points, it is still not enough to entice me to buy more direct. If there were any actual deals to be had, like lower hotel rates when using points, or a sliding scale of annual pass discounts based on how many direct points you own, then it would make me much more interested in adding on direct sales points.
Why do you say renting as an owner can be risky? Just curiousThe numbers can add up here. 37 points weeknight mid-July vs. $382 asking price without current discounts. However, if you rent out your points at $13 a point and then bought cash, you would still be ahead.
Not saying you made a poor choice at all. You saved money and renting can be risky. I just wish the benefits were more enticing. I would consider buying more direct points if they were.
Why do you say renting as an owner can be risky? Just curious
No real serious risk, but under a 100% sure thing. Someone could offer to pay a week before staying, and then back out, or anything along those lines. Going with a place like David's could leave you with a small number of points unused. Plus, the whole process can take time for you to get paid. For me personally, it seems worth it once I have the points to spare, but I can understand if someone just wanted to bypass the hassle and just trade points for a room.