Years ago I learned about a great way to save on deluxe accommodations at Walt Disney World (and other Disney destinations): renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points. DVC members own timeshare "points" that they can use for stays at Disney Vacation Club resorts. Sometimes owners are unable to use the points before they expire, so they will "rent" them to others.

The DVC resorts where you can stay on rented points include:

• Seven resorts at Walt Disney World in Florida: Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Beach Club Villas, Disney's BoardWalk Villas, Disney's Old Key West Resort, Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

• One DVC resort at Disneyland in California: Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Resort & Spa

• Two DVC Atlantic Coast beach resorts: Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney's Vero Beach Resort

• One DVC resort on Oahu, Hawaii: Aulani Resort & Spa

Disney allows the general public to book DVC units at very high rates through its regular resort reservations system, when available, calling them "Disney Deluxe Villas." However, renting points from an owner will typically cost you about half what you'll pay if you reserve direct through Disney. Not only is renting a great deal, there are some fabulous larger units available that are perfect for big families, groups of family and friends, and people who just plain want a little more room: 1-Bedroom Villas, 2-Bedroom Villas and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. (Click here to learn more about the different units.) 1-Bedroom and larger Villas are insanely expensive if you book them through Disney, but renting points from an owner brings such units within reach.

Prior to 2005, I rented points directly from DVC owners on four occasions and in each case had no problems at all. In fact, for years I had never heard of anyone being ripped off in a DVC rental situation, but starting in 2006 I began hearing of some instances in which renters were the victims of fraud, and I stopped renting directly from owners. If you want to arrange a private transaction with a DVC owner, I recommend being very cautious and doing a lot of research and fact-checking to avoid being ripped off.

However, there is a very easy, completely safe way to rent DVC points: through David's Vacation Club Rentals.

• The main advantage is no worry. David's Vacation Club Rentals, which has been in business since 2005 and is Better Business Bureau accredited, guarantees your transaction 100%. You don't have to worry about losing your money when you rent DVC points through David's service.

• Another area where you'll have no worries: contacting someone if you have a question, or in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. When you deal with an individual DVC owner, you may or may not be able to reach that person easily. When you rent through David's Vacation Club Rentals, you are dealing with a professional management team that is readily available through a toll-free number.

• If you need to add a dining plan to your reservation, and/or set up Disney's Magical Express transfers to and from the airport, David's Vacation Club Rentals will do all of that for you. You won't be chasing the owner and negotiating every little detail -- instead, everything is handled for you, efficiently and professionally.

• Last but far from least, renting your points through David's Vacation Club Rentals saves you time. With David's service, the rental process is quick and straightforward, without the hassle of negotiating prices, trying to work out a reasonable contract with the owner, etc. Plus, David and his staff do all the "due diligence" for you, so you don't have to spend time doing a background check on the owner. It's much, much less work and strain for you.

I'll be honest with you: it generally costs a little more to use David's Vacation Club Rentals than it does to make a deal directly with an owner. David charges $13 per point, while direct arrangements tend to run more like $10 to $12 per point. But when you consider how much easier and more secure it is to set up a rental through David's service, it is totally worth it. And you are still saving a bundle compared with booking directly through Disney.

Here's an example, based on a 5-night stay (Sunday through Thursday) in a Villas at Wilderness Lodge Studio unit in May 2012:

• The rental requires 80 DVC points. At $13 a point, you can rent those 80 points for $1,040.

• The same stay would cost over $2,278 (including tax) if booked directly through Disney at 2012 rack rates.

• For comparison, a standard room at Wilderness Lodge -- which would not include the mini-fridge and microwave you get with a Studio -- would cost $1,730 with tax at rack rates.

As you can see, renting points through David's Vacation Club Rentals is an absolute bargain!

		Ready to plan your stay? Visit David's Vacation Club Rentals to learn more and submit a reservation form.

Disney Vacation Club Members With Extra Points

If you are a DVC member and you've considered renting out your points but don't have the extra time it takes to complete a rental, or if you just don't want to handle the responsibility of the rental process, consider David's Vacation Club Rentals. David can provide the guidance and the guests to make the rental process very easy and painless for you.

Full details of David's rental program are available inside his "Members" section. You can learn more through this link.

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