Old Key West

[Amy]

I'd check out http://www.dvcrequest.com/. The man who runs it, David, is very reputable and is a frequent contributor on Mouseowners, one of the DVC chat boards. I know people who've rented from him and they've never had any problems. Please let him know that I sent you if you rent from him.

Or I live with people who have DVC, never use the points, and would likely be willing to spare...

Thanks to both of you. We aren't probably going to be able to go now for awhile, but I will definitely drop your name if I go to that site momeja. And I'll keep your friends in mind as well Soarin' Always good to know there are lots of options out there. We really do like the All Star resorts. They aren't fancy, but the transportation is efficient and the layout of the resort is easy for F1gment to navigate with her ECV. We don't spend much time in the hotel areas of the resort anyhow. We get up and GO!!

[Alacrity]

Hmmm, guess we might have to look into that one day momeja....never realized that renting the DVC points was so affordable...

It's a great alternative. Booking DVC rooms directly through Disney can be very expensive, but renting points can be pretty reasonable.

Any tips on where to find reliable sources for renting. I always worry about getting into some shady deal where someone "rents" you points but they don't actually have the authority to do so. Kind of like friends of mine who bought Disney tickets on-line through ebay for their kids. They didn't have any problems but I would have thought it was worth the risk to save about $20/ticket...

Another site (disboards) has a DVC section including a place for DVC members to post point availability and for folks looking for points to ask. http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29 You might have luck there.

There is also a site with the point charts: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation- ... ints.shtml . You can calculate just how many points you'd need for the resort, season and number of nights.

[Amy]

Another site (disboards) has a DVC section including a place for DVC members to post point availability and for folks looking for points to ask. http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29 You might have luck there.
There is also a site with the point charts: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation- ... ints.shtml . You can calculate just how many points you'd need for the resort, season and number of nights.

Thanks for the info Alacrity. The point chart seems like it would be particularly handy...

[jeremyleo]

We loved OKW - quiet, very nice pool area, easy access to DTD and SSR, and pretty decent WDW bus service as well.

We rented DVC points from someone who posted on the Disboards forum mentioned above. We have done this many times and will do it again (unless I can convince DW to buy DVC). The arrangement requires trust between parties. Beyond that, the cost per point is very reasonable for what you get in terms of room size and resort quality.

[momeja]

The arrangement requires trust between parties. Beyond that, the cost per point is very reasonable for what you get in terms of room size and resort quality.

That's why I recommended DVCRequest - because they're reputable. They probably cost a bit more per point, but it's the price of security. I know there are many wonderful people out there renting out their points, but I've also had friends who've been burned by people who took their money and then disappeared.

[Wizzard419]

You still have to be somewhat careful, it does not appear that Disney expressly permits the practice so aside from not helping if the deal goes south they could also refuse to honor them.

[jeremyleo]

You still have to be somewhat careful, it does not appear that Disney expressly permits the practice so aside from not helping if the deal goes south they could also refuse to honor them.

I suppose Disney could refuse to honor, however the bookings are essentially done by the DVC member for their 'guests' in these cases. I think Disney would be hard-pressed to prove that any financial transactions are taking place behind the scenes. Worth noting though. I would thnk Disney counts on a portion of DVC memebers to not use their points every year as part of the DVC financial model. If every DVC member was to rent our their unused points, perhaps a new policy could surface.

[Wizzard419]

They really don't need to honor them if there is no language in the agreement about the points being transferable (lack of language noting they are non-transferable also does not equate to them being transferable).

[Belle1082]

I'm excited to hear all of the positive reviews of Old Key West. I've looked at some pictures and videos online, and everything looks great to me. I like that it seems to be a more chill, relaxed atmosphere and I'm loving how big our 2 bedroom is going to be.

As long as the buses are plentiful and the atmosphere is Disney'esc - I see no problems with OKW! Only 5 1/2 months!

[Goofyfan]

I'm excited to hear all of the positive reviews of Old Key West. I've looked at some pictures and videos online, and everything looks great to me. I like that it seems to be a more chill, relaxed atmosphere and I'm loving how big our 2 bedroom is going to be.

As long as the buses are plentiful and the atmosphere is Disney'esc - I see no problems with OKW! Only 5 1/2 months!

Hope you enjoy....5.5 months i bet seems like forever.....but.... it will get there... Half the fun is planning

[theBIGyowski]

I have stayed at several DVC resorts by renting points from DVC members. It's the best way to see the different WDW resorts without actually having to become a DVC member. Each person I have dealt with has been very professional and they have used contracts and payment plans, so it ends up protecting everyone involved.

That said...DW and I stayed at OKW on our most recent trip and we loved it. It is definitely a place we would stay again, especially with kids or even a group of adults. It is one of the few resorts that 100% takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and allows you to feel like you are on vacation in the Keys. We have a friend who was born and raised in the Keys and she was blown away at how authentic the resort was.

Most mornings, DW and I walked from our room all the way to the bus stop at the main building. We had a bus stop right outside of our building, but we loved the landscaping and theme of the resort so much that we wanted to take it in as much as we could. Taking the water taxi to DTD was nice as well.

If DW and I ever come into a lot of money...and decide to become DVC owners...we will probably buy into OKW.

[Belle1082]

I have stayed at several DVC resorts by renting points from DVC members. It's the best way to see the different WDW resorts without actually having to become a DVC member. Each person I have dealt with has been very professional and they have used contracts and payment plans, so it ends up protecting everyone involved.

That said...DW and I stayed at OKW on our most recent trip and we loved it. It is definitely a place we would stay again, especially with kids or even a group of adults. It is one of the few resorts that 100% takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and allows you to feel like you are on vacation in the Keys. We have a friend who was born and raised in the Keys and she was blown away at how authentic the resort was.

Most mornings, DW and I walked from our room all the way to the bus stop at the main building. We had a bus stop right outside of our building, but we loved the landscaping and theme of the resort so much that we wanted to take it in as much as we could. Taking the water taxi to DTD was nice as well.

If DW and I ever come into a lot of money...and decide to become DVC owners...we will probably buy into OKW.

THANK YOU! This is all great to hear and getting me that much more excited! Woohoo

[leblanan]

All time favorite! It's quiet and tropical looking, but there's fun activities as well. Biggest DVC rooms, and they were just redone a couple of years ago. Good food as well.

[UncleScrooge477]

Stayed with my parents a number of years ago - if you get a one bedroom, and have someone out in the living room, try to get one that has the "extra door" into the bathroom, through the laundry room. Otherwise the living room guests have to cut through the master bedroom to get to the bathroom. Just a thought...but loved it overall!

[CapnBarbosa]

We loved OKW. Stayed in a 2-bedroom with 2 adults and 2 kids and had plenty of room. The porch in our unit was very large and shaded too. Water taxi to DTD was very convenient. Pool was nice and had daily entertainment for the kids. Nice Key West/Florida theme. We drove to the parks and it was great, only took a few minutes to each park. It's a big place, so potentially lots of walking, but that's Disney - lots of walking. Would definitely stay again.

Preferred it to Saratoga Springs, which had much smaller units.

Going to Villas at Wilderness Lodge this year and will compare.

Enjoy!