DVC Rentals: what do the 7 and 11-month booking windows mean to renters?

[Bowen Family]

Greetings DISers,

We're exploring our first possible DVC rental for WDW in late August 2018.

Many of the (very helpful) primers on DVC rentals stress the importance of aligning your rental bookings with the 7 and 11-month booking windows in order to maximize your options. I completely understand this concept for DVC owners when making personal bookings, but can someone help me understand the importance to renters?

I'm sure I'm just missing something, but if a renter has access at all times to a pool of still available points, aren't they just looking at a constantly rolling calendar of booking windows? Isn't it just as simple as there being less choice the later you book, regardless of owner's respective 7 and 11-month windows?

Honestly, I've confused myself writing this (LOL), but hopefully somebody knows what I'm trying to get at and can set me straight.

Thank you!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What they mean:

• You are renting a reservation, not points.
• A DVC owner will be booking a reservation for you.
• A DVC owner can book their "home resort" at 11 months from check-in date. This is the point in time with the best availability for bookings.
• A DVC owner can book any available resort 7 months from check-in date. At this point in time, many resorts may have limited/no availability for some unit types, views, etc.

As a renter, you don't "have access to a pool of available points." The owner always retains control of the points and is making your booking. As a renter, you cannot reserve via DVC. An owner must do it and make you the guest on the booking.

 

[Matty B13]

For late August 2018 you might have a possibility of getting a reservation after the 7 month mark which is booking it in late January. Depends on what you want, studio? 1 bedroom? 2 bedroom? and which resort.

If your just starting your planning, I would make up your mind soon and have a DVC owner lined up to make the reservation right at the 7 month mark (late January).

Also, you might have to pay for the whole reservation up front.

 

[Deb & Bill]

What they mean:

• You are renting a reservation, not points.
• A DVC owner will be booking a reservation for you.
• A DVC owner can book their "home resort" at 11 months from check-in date. This is the point in time with the best availability for bookings.
• A DVC owner can book any available resort 7 months from check-in date. At this point in time, many resorts may have limited/no availability for some unit types, views, etc.

As a renter, you don't "have access to a pool of available points." The owner always retains control of the points and is making your booking. As a renter, you cannot reserve via DVC. An owner must do it and make you the guest on the booking.

One more thing. At no time, before you check in, does the reservation belong to you. It always belongs to the owner of the points. But once you check in, it is yours. But you still cannot change resorts, change size of villas, change booking category even if those things are still available when you check in. And if you cancel on the day you were supposed to check in you lose everything you put into the rental.

 

[Bowen Family]

Thank you all for the helpful clarifications! So let me see if I've got this straight:

If a DVC renter wants to confirm a reservation between 11 and 7 months out from their arrival date, the renter (or their broker) is dealing only with owners renting reservations at their respective home resorts. So let's say a renter hopes to book Poly 9 months out, you'd be dealing exclusively with Poly owners. If there aren't any Poly owners interested in renting reservations 9 months out, you look for a different DVC villa, or you wait and hope for better luck when the 7-month window opens.

From 7 months onwards, the renter (or broker) may now rent any available reservation at any DVC villa from any DVC owner, but the selection quickly dwindles.

Am I getting this yet?

Thanks again.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you all for the helpful clarifications! So let me see if I've got this straight:

If a DVC renter wants to confirm a reservation between 11 and 7 months out from their arrival date, the renter (or their broker) is dealing only with owners renting reservations at their respective home resorts. So let's say a renter hopes to book Poly 9 months out, you'd be dealing exclusively with Poly owners. If there aren't any Poly owners interested in renting reservations 9 months out, you look for a different DVC villa, or you wait and hope for better luck when the 7-month window opens.

From 7 months onwards, the renter (or broker) may now rent any available reservation at any DVC villa from any DVC owner, but the selection quickly dwindles.

Am I getting this yet?

Thanks again.

By George, I think you've got it. Yes, availability disappears quickly at seven months out.

 

[Bowen Family]

For late August 2018 you might have a possibility of getting a reservation after the 7 month mark which is booking it in late January. Depends on what you want, studio? 1 bedroom? 2 bedroom? and which resort.

If your just starting your planning, I would make up your mind soon and have a DVC owner lined up to make the reservation right at the 7 month mark (late January).

Also, you might have to pay for the whole reservation up front.

Thinking of a studio the last week of August at Poly, Wilderness or Boardwalk. Will likely use a broker for our first DVC rental. Agreed, we need to decide soon! Thanks for your response.

 

[Bowen Family]

By George, I think you've got it. Yes, availability disappears quickly at seven months out.

Great, thanks again!

 

[crisi]

Thank you all for the helpful clarifications! So let me see if I've got this straight:

If a DVC renter wants to confirm a reservation between 11 and 7 months out from their arrival date, the renter (or their broker) is dealing only with owners renting reservations at their respective home resorts. So let's say a renter hopes to book Poly 9 months out, you'd be dealing exclusively with Poly owners. If there aren't any Poly owners interested in renting reservations 9 months out, you look for a different DVC villa, or you wait and hope for better luck when the 7-month window opens.

From 7 months onwards, the renter (or broker) may now rent any available reservation at any DVC villa from any DVC owner, but the selection quickly dwindles.

Am I getting this yet?

Thanks again.

You have it. And it quickly dwindles and in some cases may not be available. There are resorts and times of year that book up with reservations made by owners (which are sometimes rental reservations, much to the consternation of owners at other resorts who would like to stay there) long before the seven month window opens. Studios at Epcot resorts over Food and Wine, many of the resorts in early December......

Studios usually go quickest, although the Poly has nothing but studios and the bungalows, and late August isn't a high demand DVC time. If you end up at BWV it will be in a preferred view room - not Boardwalk or Standard. Don't wait too long - SSR, VAKL and OKW tend to fill up last - with the near park resorts moving first.

 

[Bowen Family]

You have it. And it quickly dwindles and in some cases may not be available. There are resorts and times of year that book up with reservations made by owners (which are sometimes rental reservations, much to the consternation of owners at other resorts who would like to stay there) long before the seven month window opens. Studios at Epcot resorts over Food and Wine, many of the resorts in early December......

Studios usually go quickest, although the Poly has nothing but studios and the bungalows, and late August isn't a high demand DVC time. If you end up at BWV it will be in a preferred view room - not Boardwalk or Standard. Don't wait too long - SSR, VAKL and OKW tend to fill up last - with the near park resorts moving first.

Thanks for this! Canadian schools start the fall semester later than in the US, so I was hoping the last week in August may be an easier time to get a DVC rental. The crowd calendars all suggest that should be a lighter crowd week at the parks, but I understand it's getting harder to predict these things with any reliability.

 

[crisi]

I'm in Minnesota and we don't start until early September, so we've done that time of year. It is relatively light crowd wise. Its HOT though.

The thing with the seven month window is that there are a some resorts that are much more desirable than others - those resorts are usually not the huge ones - and a LOT of DVC members. So once the window opens, the opportunity for the resorts in high demand and lower supply closes quickly. And since DVC members know they will go (or use their points in some manner), they tend to plan ahead.

 

[Lynzer4]

Thanks for this! Canadian schools start the fall semester later than in the US, so I was hoping the last week in August may be an easier time to get a DVC rental. The crowd calendars all suggest that should be a lighter crowd week at the parks, but I understand it's getting harder to predict these things with any reliability.

What is low crowds on crowd calendars doesn't always reflect DVC availability. Some of the less busy times are actually when DVC availability is at its lowest. If you look for point charts you can see what the seasons are and how many points a night it cost to stay in a room. There are 5 seasons for DVC points.

 

[Minniesgal]

Thanks for this! Canadian schools start the fall semester later than in the US, so I was hoping the last week in August may be an easier time to get a DVC rental. The crowd calendars all suggest that should be a lighter crowd week at the parks, but I understand it's getting harder to predict these things with any reliability.

Late August is not an easy time to book. Might be because the UK schools are not back yet August is a popular time with the UK.

 

[crisi]

Late August is not an easy time to book. Might be because the UK schools are not back yet August is a popular time with the UK.

Its before Fall Frenzy starts, and while the UK and states in the North don't start school, much of the U.S. is back.

August is a horrible time to go to Europe, though. The whole region goes on holiday.

 

[kboo]

Thanks for this! Canadian schools start the fall semester later than in the US, so I was hoping the last week in August may be an easier time to get a DVC rental. The crowd calendars all suggest that should be a lighter crowd week at the parks, but I understand it's getting harder to predict these things with any reliability.

We rented points directly from owners last august in the 3rd and 4th week of August for short stays. (Had a cruise in between). We booked at around 10 months, so not at the exact 11 month window, but well before the 7 mo window. We got a standard studio at VGF (!) and a studio at BCV.

 

[Mrtommorrow1987]

I have a tag on question to this. Are you able to get the reservation number before getting to the hotel to load to your my disney experience account? Are you able to make dining reservations 180 days out, Fast passes 60 days out, etc. etc.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I have a tag on question to this. Are you able to get the reservation number before getting to the hotel to load to your my disney experience account? Are you able to make dining reservations 180 days out, Fast passes 60 days out, etc. etc.

Yes. You get all the advantages of staying on property. You simply cannot make any changes to the villa booking that is linked in MDE.

 

[Brett Wyman]

OP not sure if you are renting directly from an owner or a broker but a broker can provide added confidence for a first time renter. Of course you may find points cheaper directly through an owner.

 

[Fangorn]

FWIW - Zombie thread...

Steve