Grand Villa Booking

[GooseGal]

We're looking to travel as a family/group of 9 (6 adults, 2 toddlers, 1 infant) in May '23. After a lot of research we are really set on securing a Grand Villa so we can all stay together yet each set of adults would have their own bedroom. We have our hearts set on the MK area (GF specifically) but as we are not DVC members we know it may be tough to get a 3 bedroom villa.

I've been in touch with a Disney TA who could book us at the Riviera for what I thought was an incredibly high price, and possibly have us moved if anything else opened up, but the Riviera is definitely not near the top of our list (fears of heights = no skyliner for us). Am I right in saying that our best bet is to use an agency to rent DVC points? We aren't concerned about cancelling due to COVID but we did have to cancel a very big vacation years ago as there was a tragic accident in our family (luckily the trip was fully insured), and from what I'm reading people don't seem to have much luck with DVC rental insurance....

Any tips? Is DVC rental really the way to go for us? Just try to do our best to find a good cancellation/insurance policy?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We're looking to travel as a family/group of 9 (6 adults, 2 toddlers, 1 infant) in May '23. After a lot of research we are really set on securing a Grand Villa so we can all stay together yet each set of adults would have their own bedroom. We have our hearts set on the MK area (GF specifically) but as we are not DVC members we know it may be tough to get a 3 bedroom villa.

I've been in touch with a Disney TA who could book us at the Riviera for what I thought was an incredibly high price, and possibly have us moved if anything else opened up, but the Riviera is definitely not near the top of our list (fears of heights = no skyliner for us). Am I right in saying that our best bet is to use an agency to rent DVC points? We aren't concerned about cancelling due to COVID but we did have to cancel a very big vacation years ago as there was a tragic accident in our family (luckily the trip was fully insured), and from what I'm reading people don't seem to have much luck with DVC rental insurance....

Any tips? Is DVC rental really the way to go for us? Just try to do our best to find a good cancellation/insurance policy?

Have you ever traveled with this exact group of people before? I would personally encourage you to skip the Grand Villa strategy and to stay in three or four standard rooms, or two 2-bedroom villas, or something along those lines. Sticking everyone in a single room causes all sorts of potential pitfalls that you don't think of until you get there. What if mom and dad need to scold one of the children for misbehaving at bedtime but they're not comfortable doing it in front of mom's sister? What if Grandma and Grandpa want to pay for a meal but all of the room charges on the folio are set up to go to Aunt Carole's AmEx? What if Mom likes to take her bra off and have a glass of wine after a day in the parks but she doesn't want to do that in front of her brother-in-law? What if Uncle David had one too many beers at Epcot last night and wants to sleep in and skip rope drop the next morning?

This would also help you avoid the need for an extremely-difficult-to-get Grand Villa using a DVC rental with an extremely-unforgiving cancellation policy. A couple of other "what-if's" there... What if flights come out the cheapest you can get is $750, but if you moved your dates one day earlier, you can get them for $300? Can't reschedule with the rental. What if Cousin Johnny's appendix bursts and your party of 6/2/1 becomes 4/1/0? You're stuck paying for a Grand Villa. What if, 8 months prior to your trip, Disney announces that the monorail will be closed for track maintenance on your dates? Too bad, you're locked in.

(But yes, to answer your question. If you're set on a 3BRGV at VGF, you're probably going to have to rent points and the member you rent from will have to be booking right at 11 months, and you're going to be stuck with a very inflexible cancellation policy.)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

For a week in May, a GV rental will probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of $18,000.

Three Studios would cost you half that.

 

[Best Aunt]

It could be difficult to find someone with enough points to rent out to cover that stay. If you want to book early, you have to find someone who wants to rent out that many points at that home resort. If you book later, more people might have points which could be used, but the grand villas at the resort you want might be sold out.

Also, I agree with PP about all of the reasons you're better off getting multiple rooms rather than 1 big unit.

 

[Marionnette]

We're looking to travel as a family/group of 9 (6 adults, 2 toddlers, 1 infant) in May '23. After a lot of research we are really set on securing a Grand Villa so we can all stay together yet each set of adults would have their own bedroom. We have our hearts set on the MK area (GF specifically) but as we are not DVC members we know it may be tough to get a 3 bedroom villa.

I've been in touch with a Disney TA who could book us at the Riviera for what I thought was an incredibly high price, and possibly have us moved if anything else opened up, but the Riviera is definitely not near the top of our list (fears of heights = no skyliner for us). Am I right in saying that our best bet is to use an agency to rent DVC points? We aren't concerned about cancelling due to COVID but we did have to cancel a very big vacation years ago as there was a tragic accident in our family (luckily the trip was fully insured), and from what I'm reading people don't seem to have much luck with DVC rental insurance....

Any tips? Is DVC rental really the way to go for us? Just try to do our best to find a good cancellation/insurance policy?

GVs are awesome, especially the ones at VGF. But they require a lot of points and not many owners have the number needed and even fewer who have that many points are willing to rent all of them out! Most of us bought for personal use and rent what we cannot use before they expire. There are exceptions but they tend to rent privately instead of paying a commission to a broker.

Having said that, there are only 6 GVs at VGF so if you want one, you'll need to put in your request at 11 months. A lot of people want to rent them for a night or two for wedding parties or bridal weekends or just a special event but that tends to leave weekends booked up early on.

 

[GooseGal]

For a week in May, a GV rental will probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of $18,000.

Three Studios would cost you half that.

It will be myself, my spouse, my 2 kids - my sister, her fiancé and their child, and my father and his spouse. We've been travelling as a group for decades and the benefits of staying together far far outweigh any issues we may have, which are typically none. As I said I'm really only concerned with a family emergency arising, we are seasoned travelers so flight pricing/cancellations or something like a monorail shutdown are unlikely to deter us. Things happen, Disney would still be magical - and much easier on us with 3 kids under 5 if we could all share a room AND have a laundry/kitchen to use.

We know the Grand Villa will be expensive, we are very fortunate we can afford it, it but our TA quoted us about $8,000 more than what I'm seeing on DVC rental sites (bear in mind we are in Canada so I have converted what I see in the price calculators at the current rate).

We know we want a GV, I'm just trying to determine the best way to get one. I'd love to book straight through the TA and have Disney's cancellation policy backing us, but to pay that much extra for a resort we don't want to stay at seems like the wrong decision. If we knew more GV's would open up at other resorts for our TA to book in a few months then we'd be a little more confident in moving forward with that route. I guess that's why I'm on this board. A GV isn't the question, I'm trying to figure out our best option to secure one.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

A GV isn't the question, I'm trying to figure out our best option to secure one.

As others have pointed out subsequent to my post, the only way you can be confident that you're going to get a GV at VGF with a reasonable cancellation policy is to buy a 1,000 point DVC contract yourself. The point structure and booking windows make what you're asking pretty much impossible.

 

[Marionnette]

It will be myself, my spouse, my 2 kids - my sister, her fiancé and their child, and my father and his spouse. We've been travelling as a group for decades and the benefits of staying together far far outweigh any issues we may have, which are typically none. As I said I'm really only concerned with a family emergency arising, we are seasoned travelers so flight pricing/cancellations or something like a monorail shutdown are unlikely to deter us. Things happen, Disney would still be magical - and much easier on us with 3 kids under 5 if we could all share a room AND have a laundry/kitchen to use.

We know the Grand Villa will be expensive, we are very fortunate we can afford it, it but our TA quoted us about $8,000 more than what I'm seeing on DVC rental sites (bear in mind we are in Canada so I have converted what I see in the price calculators at the current rate).

We know we want a GV, I'm just trying to determine the best way to get one. I'd love to book straight through the TA and have Disney's cancellation policy backing us, but to pay that much extra for a resort we don't want to stay at seems like the wrong decision. If we knew more GV's would open up at other resorts for our TA to book in a few months then we'd be a little more confident in moving forward with that route. I guess that's why I'm on this board. A GV isn't the question, I'm trying to figure out our best option to secure one.

First off, my advice would be to ignore any private messages contacting you about a rental. Not only is it against the board rules, it also opens you up to being scammed. Report any messaging that you did not initiate.

So, your next step would be to look for an owner with enough points to rent. That's going to be your biggest hurdle. Ideally, you will want a VGF owner with enough points for renting your entire stay instead of piecing together nights via multiple owners. You can calculate the number of points needed easily by putting in your dates here (footnote - I don't recommend this broker but their calculator is easy to use):
https://dvcrequest.com/dvc-guests/cost-calculator
Then, check out the Rent/Trade Board here on the disboards. You're going to want an owner with VGF points that are valid during your expected dates of travel. VET THEM THOROUGHLY BEFORE GIVING THEM ANY MONEY!

Since your dates fall beyond the 11-month booking window, no one can book for you just yet. But it's not a bad idea to read through that board and familiarize yourself with how it works. Begin contacting owners about 12 months before your planned dates.

Good luck! I hope you're able to find someone who can get you the GV you're looking for!

 

[Doingitagain]

We are DVC members and regularly stay in grand villas with 7 to 9 people. We love them! It is so nice to have both private bedroom/bathroom and common gathering and dining areas. Spending that much money, make sure to plan some resort time.

If you are spending that much on a cash reservation, you are getting to where you might consider buying DVC. Bank one year and borrow from future year (current max is 50%).

If renting, it would be tough to get that many points from one person so you should see what an official rental agency offers.

 

[Marionnette]

If you are spending that much on a cash reservation, you are getting to where you might consider buying DVC. Bank one year and borrow from future year (current max is 50%).

OMG! I just checked to see what the current direct sales offer for DVC members is on 400 VGF points. The purchase price is just shy of $73K plus dues (about $2,800 annually)!

Edited to correct dues to annual amount on 400 points

 

[Jgc014]

I traveled with a very similar party last year - 6 adults (my parents, my husband, my sister and her husband) and two toddlers. We thought about a GV and still would for future vacations, but this time we ended up with a two bedroom and a studio, which worked well for us. We requested the studio close to the two bedroom, and all and allit was easy to get between the two rooms.

If administratively, it is hard to secure a GV, I do think this would still be a nice option. It will save you some money, you still have access to a full kitchen and washer and dryer in the two bedroom and the studio affords a little additional privacy if anyone wants it. Plus you can still all hang out in the two bedroom. Probably also easier to find an owner who has the points to book this reservation (each resevation may need to be with a seperate owner, but at least you won’t need to breakup nights in the same room type into different reservations, which could mean you would have to move - although I would think very unlikely).

Or if GV is more important to you than location, maybe look into OKW. Their GVs require significantly less points, so may be easier to find an owner with the required points.

Best of luck!

 

[The Jackal]

OMG! I just checked to see what the current direct sales offer for DVC members is on 400 VGF points. The purchase price is just shy of $73K plus dues (about $7K annually)!

The dues for VGF right now are $7.0077 per point. 400x$7.0077= $2,803.08. Granted dues do go up every year. 1,000 points would be $7,000.

 

[Marionnette]

The dues for VGF right now are $7.0077 per point. 400x$7.0077= $2,803.08. Granted dues do go up every year. 1,000 points would be $7,000.

Oops! You're right. I was calculating just the cost of dues on 1000 points, which is around what a week in May would cost. That, plus a buy in of $73K on 400 pts, makes the thought of buying just for a one-time family trip make me light-headed. Oh my dear sainted aunt!

 

[Doingitagain]

OMG! I just checked to see what the current direct sales offer for DVC members is on 400 VGF points. The purchase price is just shy of $73K plus dues (about $7K annually)!

It is expensive initially, but if you plan to do this multiple times it gets better.

Using banking and borrowing, you would need 175 point contract to stay a week in May at Old Key West in a nice, large GV…bank 2022, use 2023, and borrow 50% 2024.

You would need 350 points to do this same thing at Riviera, twice as expensive!

Resort selection matters in the cost calculation.

 

[Marionnette]

It is expensive initially, but if you plan to do this multiple times it gets better.

Using banking and borrowing, you would need 175 point contract to stay a week in May at Old Key West in a nice, large GV…bank 2022, use 2023, and borrow 50% 2024.

You would need 350 points to do this same thing at Riviera, twice as expensive!

Resort selection matters in the cost calculation.

Yeah. But you've got to own at OKW to get a GV there.

 

[quandrea]

I wouldn’t rent. That’s just too much money to commit to with no cancellation policy. I’d probably buy dvc (OKW or SSR) direct from Disney so it’s quick and convenient. You can always sell afterwards. The villas at both OKW and SSR are spectacular and have the added benefit of a favourable point chart. We are actually booked into a GV at SSR in October for my fiftieth.

To buy, you just need to phone up dvc and put it in a credit card. You’ll have the points basically instantly. You also get your points for the current use year so you’ll have a fully loaded contract. Dvc has been buying back lots of OKW lately so you’ll probably have luck with inventory.

 

[Best Aunt]

Let's assume that one of the six 3-bedroom grand villas at the Grand Floridian is right for OP, and nobody in the family would need to cancel or change plans.

A week would require between 866 and 926 points.

That's a lot of points.

If someone were planning their own trip, they might be able to come up with that many points if they banked and borrowed.

But if someone bought into DVC for their own use, and is just renting out points because they can't personally use their points right now: they probably won't borrow next year's points to rent out. They would save next year's points for themselves.

So OP has to find someone who wants to rent out their points. AND has Grand Floridian as their home resort. AND has contracts with at least 433 points total for which all of the prior year's points were banked, OR has contracts with at least 866 points total.

I would think it would be hard to find a person who meets those qualifications.

I also don't know if a grand villa would even be available at the 11 month mark - I don't know if people walk those reservations (book days early, and each day modify by adding a day at the end and dropping a day at the beginning).

Anything is possible, but I think OP should have a Plan B in mind.

 

[kristenabelle]

I also don't know if a grand villa would even be available at the 11 month mark - I don't know if people walk those reservations (book days early, and each day modify by adding a day at the end and dropping a day at the beginning).

This is a great point. We didn't walk at BWV (I wasn't able to start the walk once I thought of it), and we ended up piecing together a 4-night GV stay by stalking as owners. But there were walkers for our dates, and dates past ours. I can imagine folks doing the same at VGF

 

[_auroraborealis_]

VGF Grand Villas are usually okay during home resort. They aren't as limited as BWV GVs, or as cutthroat as OKW can be some seasons.

 

[RoseGold]

You could do the same thing for less points with a 2BR and a studio in a lot of resorts that aren't RIV. DVC books really far out, and we have no idea when you are traveling. This is not a last minute thing.

If you are concerned about insurance and cancelling, I would book cash in a regular hotel. DVC, especially renting DVC, is not the product for flexibility.