These money-saving tips for renting Disney Vacation Club points will get you Deluxe Resort rooms during your vacation at Walt Disney World, Disneyland or beyond. DVC rental is safe, easy, and cheaper than standard hotels. It’s also a great way to “test drive” before buying a membership. (Updated July 5, 2025.)
For those who are unfamiliar with it, Disney Vacation Club (DVC) point rental is the one-time use of a set number of a points or already confirmed reservation at a Deluxe Villa room at a Disney Vacation Club Resort. It’s an easy process, and you can do this on a person-to-person basis via social media groups, or via one of the established point rental businesses that we recommend.
If you’re simply looking for the best and safest way to rent DVC points at the lowest prices, our top recommendation is David’s Vacation Club Rentals. That’s the short and sweet advice for renting DVC points, as you get the cheapest per point cost that is also backed by a buyer protection program. If you want to know more or compare options, this post offers info & tips. Disney Vacation Club point rental can be a great way to save big on your Walt Disney World vacation in 2025, but it can be complicated, confusing, risky and require planning. For that, we’re here to help!
Let’s start with a quick update on a topic that’s been making waves among Disney Vacation Club members: Disney’s crackdown on commercial DVC point renters.
This is the latest step in a multi-decade saga aimed at reducing abuse and misuse of DVC ownership interests that are detrimental to the membership at large. The crux of the issue is that Disney Vacation Club has seen a proliferation of members who only own points as a business venture. They never use the points for themselves, their families or friends. They always rent out their points, and often ‘optimize’ by scooping up speculative reservations that cost the lowest number of points but will sell for the highest dollar amount.
If you’re considering DVC point rental, but are worried about how this could impact you, the safest course of action is simply sticking with the established DVC rental businesses. This might seem like an odd recommendation given that Disney is cracking down on commercial renters, but the difference is that those businesses are conduits connecting owners with clients. They are obviously companies, but they are not, themselves, commercial renters. They’re marketplaces.
If you do opt to go with an individual owner, the best way to protect yourself is finding their rental activity and seeing whether it’s occasional or frequent. Are they just renting out points here and there? Are they active in an online community? The biggest red flags to avoid are confirmed reservations of studios that are expensive on a per point basis. All of that suggests someone who makes speculative reservations regularly with the intention of maximizing their ROI.
Disney is not attempting to stop all rental activity–occasionally renting out unused points is well within the rules. Disney is cracking down on a small number of owners who have amassed massive amounts of points and exclusively sell reservations for the highest possible profit. (This rule is likely aimed at a dozen or so commercial renters–everyone else is perfectly fine.)
Chances are, you will not run into any issues no matter how you opt to rent DVC points, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. That’s precisely why we recommend erring on the side of caution and using the DVC rental marketplace businesses. The commercial renters aren’t going through middlemen (it would reduce their profits) and the DVC rental marketplaces offer consumer protection. Regardless, we wanted to bring this to your attention up front!
Now let’s dig into the basics of Disney Vacation Club point rentals…
Here’s how DVC point rental works: the owner of the points agrees to “rent” the points out to a customer, and in exchange for payment to the owner of the points, the owner makes a room reservation for the rentee in that guest’s name. The amount of the payment is determined by the number of points needed for the booking, with a per-point cost being agreed upon by the parties.
For example, if the agreed upon price is $25 per point, and the rentee wants to stay book Animal Kingdom Lodge for December 1-7, that will require 60 points, for a total cost of $1,500. Contrast that with booking directly from DisneyWorld.com, which would cost $2,451.38. That’s almost $1,000 off by renting DVC points for that Christmas-time stay!
As you can see, the big advantage of Disney Vacation Club point rental is saving money over booking directly with Walt Disney World. Even the biggest and best special offers booked directly through Disney won’t beat DVC rentals in terms of bottom-dollar price if you want Deluxe Resort accommodations. As a general rule, you’re going to pay roughly Moderate Resort prices (maybe slightly more) for a Deluxe Resort via DVC point rentals.
Ideally, you want to make reservations over 7 months in advance. Some popular resorts and room categories will sell out well before the 7-month mark for certain dates. If you’re planning a trip for the upcoming holiday season, you’re already going to find limited availability since we’re inside the 7-month mark.
There’s a reason the holiday season is such a popular time to visit Walt Disney World. You can read more about why we love this time of year, dates & details, what’s happening, and more in our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. Without question, this is the best time to visit Walt Disney World–we highly recommend making reservations immediately so you can get a good resort!
While this is the best time to visit Walt Disney World, it’s just one of many times that Disney Vacation Club Members tend to prefer, which book up quickly as a result. Other popular times of year include all school breaks, long weekends, the start of EPCOT festivals, and any ‘cheap’ dates when a lower number of points is required to book rooms.
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian, BoardWalk, Beach Club, and other resorts in close proximity to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios always book up over 7 months in advance for the most popular travel times. That’s doubly true when it’s a combination of the above–such as the start of an EPCOT festival that’s also a low point season.
We have lots of advice about which DVC resorts are best & worst below, but one tidbit we want to offer up front is that the brand-new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows should be easier to book during its initial opening window. We love that new resort smell, and even though we have misgivings about its exterior appearance, Island Tower is our top pick for DVC resorts in 2025.
Similar sentiment applies the the Villas at Disneyland Hotel and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. The latter is actually still in the process of opening, as the cabins are rolling out in phases, meaning that all of the room inventory isn’t online yet. While we loved our stay at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and think it offers incredible bang for buck, it’s definitely an acquired taste–so you should be sure it’s a good fit for you before booking.
Now is a golden window of opportunity for all three of these resorts because they’re still new and are still in the process of being sold. There are not very many members who own at these resorts (yet), which means less competition…which can mean easier availability. (This is a bit reductionist since DVC declares room inventory as points sell, but that’s too in the weeds for a post about point rentals.)
Anyway, this brings us to lesson #1 about DVC point rental: book as close to 11 months in advance as possible. It used to be the case that booking at least 7 months in advance was sufficient, but that’s no longer true.
In searching for DVC availability, there are very few good options for multi-night stays between today and Christmas 2025 for studios or one-bedroom units. Only a scattering of dates at most resorts, with slightly better options for Saratoga Springs and Old Key West.
If you’re looking more last minute, fear not, as there’s another option for availability inside 6 months: confirmed reservations. These are reservations that have already been booked by a Disney Vacation Club Member and are available to be reserved by a guest. Booking a confirmed reservation is quicker and more efficient, but it’s also inflexible.
There are no modifications or customized reservations. What you see is what you get. Rather than being bargains, they’re often speculative reservations that are booked for the most popular travel times in the most popular room types. Consequently, it’s often the case that confirmed reservations are more expensive than their per-point counterparts.
In the past, confirmed reservations were rare. They were often bargains that were available because a DVC Member had to cancel a trip at the last-minute, and was hoping to recoup some money. In the last few years, confirmed reservations have exploded in popularity and frequency.
Confirmed reservations are also slightly ‘riskier’ in that these are much more likely to be made by commercial renters. Owners who operate as businesses attempt to maximize their profits by finding the ‘sweet spot’ when the cost in points is lower, but the price people will pay in cash is higher.
To be sure, there are still bargains at the absolute last minute and during less-popular travel times, but as hotel availability has become more difficult to book during peak seasons, confirmed reservations have become more popular among DVC Members looking to capitalize. While the amount varies, it’s common for confirmed reservations to charge as much as $25 per point. The more expensive the confirmed reservation, the more likely it is to be a commercial renter. Our hope is that confirmed reservations become rare again soon as Disney’s crackdown on commercial renters continues.
Speaking of availability, one of the big themes of the last few years that impacts the difficulty of booking various DVC resorts has been room refurbishments and reimaginings. You can check out the 2025-2026 Disney Vacation Club Resort Refurbishments & Construction Timeline for what’s on the horizon.
Every resort that has recently received a soft goods refurbishment has included installation of the new pull-down sofa bed and couch combo (like the one pictured above). This feature first debuted at Disney’s Riviera Resort, and has since spread to every single Disney Vacation Club room (and beyond!) that has been renovated in the last few years. And for good reason, as member satisfaction surveys give these rooms very high marks and guest satisfaction scores have increased by 20% among guests who have stayed in new rooms.
This pull-down bed is a colossal upgrade over the pull-out couches, and has been one of several functional improvements that have really improved the ‘quality of life’ of DVC rooms–Imagineering has done a fantastic job weaving themed design into the upgraded units. Point being, we’d recommend taking whether the resort you’re considering has new vs. old rooms when determining where to stay. The new rooms have made a big difference for the average guest!
In terms of other updates, there’s big benefit of renting Disney Vacation Club points this year or the duration of 2025. That’s because guests staying in Walt Disney World resorts have access to a couple of perks. First is Early Theme Park Entry, which gives ALL on-site resort guests a 30-minute head start at any Walt Disney World theme park, every day before normal operating hours begin. Learn more strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
Second, there’s Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. This benefit is exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, or other select hotels. This includes Disney Vacation Club resorts and those renting DVC points are eligible. This second perk is incredibly advantageous, as crowds are usually low during these nighttime hours. See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World for taking advantage of this perk, eligibility, and more.
Okay, now on with the normal DVC point rental tips…
In recent years, renting points has gone from relatively uncommon to a bit more mainstream practice. There are individual owners who rent points because they either aren’t going to be able to use their points or need a way to offset some of the considerable cost of membership, and there are companies that exist solely for the purpose of renting Disney Vacation Club points to savvy Walt Disney World and Disneyland guests.
DVC point rental has become big business, and there are now a number of small mom and pop shops that have sprouted up to rent points commercially in addition to individual members. In our view, the only ones worth considering are David’s Vacation Club Rentals (our top pick) and DVC Rental Store.
The reasons we’d go with one of these as opposed to a newcome is that both are trustworthy businesses that have been around for over a decade, have massive inventories, best availability, and dedicated customer service teams. This isn’t true of most newer point rental agencies, so you really have to ask yourself why you should bother going through a company–just cut out the middleman if you’re not going with one of the big two.
David’s Vacation Club Rentals has one huge advantage: lower prices. This makes David’s the better option if you’re simply looking to pay the least money possible.
Another policy change within the last year offers a new “Deferred Dreams” cancellation policy. This no-fuss policy allows guests to cancel their DVC points rental reservation and receive the Deferred Dreams Travel Credit, which offers the ability to reschedule the magic anytime within 3 years of cancellation.
This was previously the biggest difference between David’s and DVC Rental Store, and the benefit of paying a bit more for the latter was their more favorable cancellation policy. Now that the gap has closed, you might as well book based solely on price.
DVC Rental Store’s strength is flexibility. All reservations include their Stress-Free Cancellation Policy, which basically means paying a little bit more for lower risk. Additionally, they don’t require full payment up front–your balance is due 75 days prior to check in. The obvious advantage here is that you’re not paying in full up front, meaning you can cancel your reservation if you’d prefer to just walk away and not deal with credits.
Speaking of timeframes, it’s generally recommended that you rent DVC points at least 7 months in advance or, ideally, 11 months in advance. These are when the booking windows open for Disney Vacation Club resorts, so you’ll have a higher likelihood of success the earlier you contact one of the rental companies.
If you think you’re going to get exactly what you want 5-6 months in advance, think again. Resorts along Magic Kingdom’s monorail loop, EPCOT’s Crescent Lake, and the Skyliner gondola all start booking up more than 7 months in advance.
With that said, booking at the very last minute also can be advantageous. DVC Rental Store has confirmed reservations and David’s has dedicated reservations available for rent. As explained above, these are reservations that have already been booked.
If you’re flexible on your travel dates, resort, and room preference–or just happen to get lucky with the stars aligning and exactly what you want already being booked–these existing reservations can sometimes be a better option at the very last minute. Otherwise, we highly recommend renting DVC points at least 7 to 11 months in advance.
Although we are Disney Vacation Club owners, we have a relatively low number of points, so we’ve actually rented points ourselves a couple of times in the last few years. In attempting to rent points, we’ve contacted both the point rental businesses and individual members on forums about rental, and have opted to go with the point rental businesses (despite paying a bit more) for simplicity and peace of mind.
How you go about renting Disney Vacation Club points, and whether it’s safe, is probably the most common reader question we’ve received in response to our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide, so I figured I’d put together this guide based on our experiences and research, along with my thoughts about the pros and cons of each method of renting points.
Let’s start with the pros and cons of renting DVC points in general to determine whether it’s right for you…
Pros & Cons of DVC Point Rental
The biggest benefit of renting Disney Vacation Club points is saving money. The example of Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas above is a good one. If you wanted to book a stay August 19-23 in a value view studio, that’s exactly how many points you’d need, and how much it would cost if you rented points through one of the point renters.
For a stay December 2-6 it would be even cheaper! Other nights throughout the year would cost more, but you get the idea. You couldn’t even stay in a Moderate Resort for the rates you can get by renting Disney Vacation Club points, let alone a Deluxe.
In addition to saving money on hotel rates, another benefit of renting Disney Vacation Club points, for some people, is getting the Disney Dining Plan without purchasing park tickets. The Disney Dining Plan can now be booked for 2025, although price increases really bring its value into question.
Speaking of food, the studio rooms feature a kitchenette and one bedrooms and larger have full kitchens. This means it’s easier to prepare full meals than if you’re staying in a standard hotel room. Not something everyone wants to do on vacation, but it’s nice to have the option. This is especially true for breakfast when you want to get out the door quickly, or for late night snacks after the restaurants have closed. To that point, here’s what we recommend for grocery delivery at Walt Disney World.
Similarly, guests staying in Disney Vacation Club units have access to free laundry rooms. Moreover, one-bedroom units or larger have in-room washers and dryers. Laundry is another thing we hate doing on vacation, but having the option in your room is huge, and the convenience of that cannot be overstated.
Finally, not purchasing a vacation package from Walt Disney World directly means you can save money by purchasing tickets from an authorized ticket broker. These savings can be small or huge, depending upon the size of your party and the tickets you get, this could amount to another $800 or more in savings!
The biggest downside to renting Disney Vacation Club points is that you don’t have total control over the reservation. Someone else books the reservation for you, and someone else has to make any changes to the reservation for you (such as adding the Disney Dining Plan, once that returns). Disney Vacation Club won’t discuss the reservation with non-members, so even if your name is on it, you’re at the mercy of the person who booked it if you need changes.
Another downside for some guests is that, since the unit rented is a villa and not a hotel room, housekeeping service is not daily. Most stays will only have one visit by Mousekeeping. This isn’t a problem for us, but for some people, not having the full hotel experience might be a fatal blow to renting DVC points.
The final downside is cancellation and refund policies. While it’s possible to purchase travel insurance for DVC point rentals, the cancellation policies are not nearly as forgiving as booking directly via Disney. This is because of the strict policies surrounding DVC point usage. In the event of hurricane or some other ‘Act of God’ scenario, the member who is renting out the points may not be able to reuse them if the guest cancels.
We recommend paying close attention to contract when renting, and making sure you’re not agreeing to terms that would not create an undue burden if you need to cancel, because there are no cash refunds. Part of the reason DVC renting saves so much money is that it comes with compromise–there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Whether DVC rental is right for you comes down to your personal risk vs. reward assessment.
How To Rent?
If you’re convinced that renting Disney Vacation Club points is right for you, the next question is who to use. There are a couple popular choices here, including the DVC Rental Store and David’s Vacation Club Rentals. The advantages to renting through them are that both are accredited by the Better Business Bureau, both have a team that does this as its full-time business, and both have a sterling reputation. The other upside to renting from the DVC Rental Store or David’s is convenience.
They have “home resort” inventory for every Disney Vacation Club resort. This means that if you want a popular resort, you can book with him at the 11 month mark. If you want a hard-to-book resort and plan on booking through a specific member, you need to do so 11 months out and find an owner who has the resort you want as a home resort. That can make the whole process of booking person-to-person more time consuming and tedious.
Compounding that challenge, most of the forums that previously facilitated person-to-person point rental have closed, with the exception of the Disboards one. However, several Facebook and other social media groups have popped up in their place. If you have friends who are DVC members that are willing to rent out their points to you, that’s another route, too.
The downside to renting from strangers is that you have no guarantee that you aren’t going to be ripped off, or that the owner will be available to assist you if something goes wrong with the reservation. You’ll have a bit of uneasiness until the moment at the check-in desk that your reservation pulls up. Basically, it comes down to how risk averse you are and how much more you can save by going through an individual as opposed to an institution.
For what it’s worth, in my time researching rentals, I heard of very few instances of people being ripped off by people on the forums or social media. It does happen, but it seems to be very, very infrequent. When we rent in the future, I’m not sure how we’ll do it. It largely depends upon prices.
If it’s a short weekend trip and the David’s Disney Vacation Club Rentals is charging ~$23/point versus $20/point directly via a DVC member, I can’t see going the person-to-person to say what will amount to $30 or less. The possibility that we could be scrambling at the last minute to find an alternate hotel room for such a short trip wouldn’t be worth it. Given how significantly Disney has increased their prices in the last few years, these rentals are still a good deal.
I’d prefer to just pay the bit extra for the peace of mind. If it were a 10-day trip in a Grand Villa, I’d probably be more likely to go through an individual owner because the savings are greater, but then I’d be concerned that such a big purchase were risky. I really don’t know what I’d do, it’s a tough call.
If we did end up going through a specific member, I would do a few things to protect myself as best I could. First, I wouldn’t rent from any new members with only a handful of posts. I’d want someone with an established reputation on the forums. Second, I’d ask for references. Third, I’d pay with an American Express credit card rather than any other form of payment.
Similarly, this is why we use David’s or DVC Rental Store as opposed to newer, smaller point rental businesses. The former are well-established businesses with deep roots in the Disney community, years of positive reviews, and a history of doing the right thing for customers. You’re paying a premium for all of that, and understandably so. With the new businesses, you’re still paying a premium over an individual…but for what? Are they really any more trustworthy than dealing directly with a DVC member? To each their own on that, I suppose, but the answer for me is “no.”
Which DVC Resort?
Finally, you need to figure out which Disney Vacation Club Resort is right for you. We’ve stayed at every single DVC resort at Walt Disney World, most several times. It’s tough to declare a definitive “best” Disney Vacation Club resort, as each has its pros & cons, and is a good option depending upon your priorities.
We have a listing Ranking the Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World and shares the strengths and weaknesses of each. To be honest, though, we love just about all of them. That list does give you a good basis in terms of theme, location, amenities, and other things to consider that will help you make an informed decision, though!
Ultimately, Disney Vacation Club point rentals is a great way to save tons of money without making the long term commitment to joining. If you’re currently booking Moderate or Deluxe Resorts directly from Disney, it’s definitely something to consider. Most of the time, renting Disney Vacation Club points will be cheaper than booking a Moderate, and it will ALWAYS be cheaper than booking a Deluxe (even with the best discounts!).
Renting one-on-one from specific members is the best way to maximize your savings, and renting from the DVC Rental Store or David’s Vacation Club Rentals is the safest way to rent–plus they’re full service companies with great customer service that can help you through the process and answer all of your questions!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you agree or disagree with our recommendations for renting DVC points? Any firsthand experiences you care to share? Which DVC resorts do you recommend for a first-timer renter? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!