My extended family is looking at a trip end of Jan 2022. Originally, this was likely going to be the first DVC rental trip - but I know a lot went wrong with that process at the start of the pandemic? Would people still recommend doing this? Tips or tricks?
We’ll have 6 adults, a 4yo and two 2yo twins.
Are you afraid that everything will shut down again or that your group will decide it is not safe?
Shutting down - I saw a lot of people upset with the way unexpected cancellations were handled by some brokers. I didn’t follow closely at the time - just kind of wondering what the general perspective is now and if renting points off someone is still a good idea or if it is maybe considered too risky.
I know DVC rental changed their cancellation policy so that you maintain at least a partial credit and David’s offers insurance. A private rental could have flexibility, but you would need to discuss when the points expire.
I know none of us can predict the future (a lesson we all learned) but I don’t think we can really plan for another situation where those massive closures (especially in FL) would happen? I would hate to even think about a situation where that would happen?
I have rented thru David’s many many times. I had a trip last April that was canceled by the pandemic. It was very frustrating and confusing in the beginning but over time David’s did the right thing. They gave me a travel credit that could be used for any of their services that was good for 2 years. Here is the wording in a recent contract that i just entered. Oh, and yes I would still highly recommend them.
Thanks so much for this
That’s interesting.
David’s told me in May/June 2020 that while they were offering credits for those who already had rental agreements in place with them when the current pandemic broke out, if you made a new agreement for 2021 (and so on) you’d be out of luck if you had to cancel.
Nice to see that it wouldn’t be lost money.
I think this was just for the travel credit they gave you. If you had a reservation that was cancelled during the initial shutdown of WDW you received a travel voucher. If you use that voucher to re-book you will lose it if you cancel. It is a one shot deal.
It was for a booking I was looking to make for April 2021.
I had asked if a second wave shut WDW down again would I receive a travel credit and they said no, you get nothing.
As a side note, I’m looking at David’s website and they’re still saying they don’t offer any refund (except the $133 if they can’t arrange your rental at all) and linking you elsewhere for trip insurance.
I think you are both partially correct. For new reservations there is still a no cancellation policy. But if there was a resort closure maybe you would get a voucher. Not sure though about the last part.
What they told me was they were only offering the credit to people with a rental in place because nobody thought WDW would actually close.
However, any future renters should now know it’s a risk and they would not offer vouchers or credits for any new rentals. Caveat emptor.
Aside from David’s, DVC Rental Store does sell a Point Protection Plan that will refund your unpaid balance at $19/point (diminishing as you get closer to start date) but like any insurance policy that premium’s an additional cost (minimum of $300) that you can’t get refunded.
And they also have a refund policy for new rentals that sounds promising but of course what you’ll get back diminishes the closer you are to the start of your rental.
So, hopefully unlikely that an entire shutdown would occur again, but basically there is still some level of risk that you wouldn’t have with a traditional booking, yeah?
Yes, there is safety with a direct booking from Disney (especially with a TA).
Yes.
With the mandatory 14-day quarantine in place, I had to cancel my rental.
I only got my money back because I paid for the additional Point Protection Plan with DVC Rental.
Had I gone with David’s I would have just lost everything I paid.
For the same trip, I also had a couple of nights booked directly with Disney.
Cancelled and got full refund.
This ^^
We were thinking of renting points this year for a group trip, but everything is so uncertain, we decided to book rooms with Disney using a TA. It will cost more for the trip, but I won’t lose any money if we cancel or change dates.
This might be where I am too - it will probably all be fine, but it’s a short trip and we have also considered doing cabins at FW might just be easier until all of the us comfortably in the rear view.
Yes, renting is risky. Risk comes with rewards. Contrarily, you have to pay to reduce risk. For me, the savings of using DVC rental have vastly outweighed the risk that I will have to cancel my trip with no recourse. And the accommodations David’s (the broker I used) made for me when my 2020 trip was cancelled helped me recover what I would have lost. The only thing I lost from my 2020 trip was the change fee for my flight.
But some people will feel like the extra cost of booking direct is better for peace of mind. There is no right or wrong answer - it just depends on your appetite for risk.