?? re: Old Key West Rental on eBay

pstepka

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 22, 2000
I see a few people selling 5 nights at OKW for WAY on eBay under the regular rental rates. One of the sellers is verified, insured, has a high feedback rating, etc. Does anyone have any experience/knowledge with this type of rental? It is SUCH a wonderful deal that I am VERY tempted to buy it -- he says that the week I am looking for is available.

Pam
 
Most of the ebay sales work the same as contacting someone here on the DIS ... except they are more expensive! The dates are also very limited, usually when a studio is 8 or 10 points per night. You may also not be able to check availability before you win the auction.

The "going rate" here at DIS is $10 per point, so your cost for 5 days would be $400 (8 points per night), $500 (10 points per night), $550 (11 points per night) or $750 (15 points per night) depending on your dates with no taxes. Check your dates using the DVC Point Calculator and calculate what your cost will be and then compare it to what you'd get on ebay. I have never heard of a single person having a problem with renting here on the DIS. I have personally rented points on both sides of the rental transaction without incident.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for the info! It just sounds too good to be true! Wouldn't it cost 3x that to rent directly from Disney? That is why I'm so hesitant -- things that sound great usually aren't so great.

Pam
 
I am a Disney Vacation Club owner and I have rented points to non-owners. It is very simple and it will save you a lot of money. The only risk that you take is that you cannot get your money back if you cancel. You can cancel, but you must re-book with some limitations. You can privately email me with the name of the person you are dealing with, because I may be able to give you a referenc.

D. B. Kelly
 
Thanks. I needed to check all this out before letting my husband know what I want to do (it's easier when I have all the facts, first!) Hopefully, he'll agree (we are definately going to Disney..it's just a matter of where we're staying) to rent points and stay on-site. We need a little more space than a standard hotel room, which is why I'm looking into OKW.
Thanks again,
Pam
 
The studios are OKW are very big! They have 2 queen beds, a small refrigerator, a microwave and a nice porch. The resort is very relaxing :).

Depending on your dates you may be able to get into BWV, BCV or VWL for just a little bit more per night. Those studios have a queen bed and a full sized fold out couch. They are smaller than the studios at OKW, but feel bigger when the couch is folded up.

Here are pictures of our studio at OKW:
http://www.photoaccess.com/share/guest.jsp?ID=A7D70032D39&cb=PA

Here are pictures of our studio at VWL:
http://www.photoaccess.com/share/guest.jsp?ID=A4FF8C25C24&cb=PA
 
HI , Hope this helps WE love the studio we rented from someone on this board at OKW !! Michelle
 
Thanks for the pictures!! I think I'm now leaning toward VWL or the Boardwalk...anyone have pictures of the studio at BW?

Pam
 
As for DVC rentals on eBay, I'd only recommend going that route if the seller has a confirmed reservation for dates that are completely booked. Otherwise, I'd check the DVC Rent/Trade Board. There you can find people who have points to rent and you can most likely rent for $10 per point. If you can determne the number of points you would need for your stay you can easily determine if the eBay rental is costing more or less than $10 per point. If it is less, go for it. If not, try to rent off the board.

We have both rented from owners (before we owned - be careful, DVC is contagious ;)) and rented to non-owners. It is a very simple transaction, but does require some trust. You can save a bundle (compared to a reservation through Disney) but you do lose some flexibility in your ability to cancel.

Good luck deciding.
 
I'll throw out just one moderately-related comment to this thread. Since you're looking at a home away from home studio, at least give SOME consideration to a 1 bedroom unit.

The full kitchen in a 1 bedroom can probably pay for itself if you are able to make a grocery store stop. We had 4 adults (myself, wife, parents) and an 18mo in a 2 bedroom for 6 days. We spent $107 at the Publix in Orlando, and didn't buy a single breakfast, lunch or snack during our stay. That paid for everything from bottled water and soda ($2.50 apiece at WDW) to frozen waffles to cold cuts. By comparison, a single breakfast buffet will run you $80 for four adults.

You also get a lot more room (PRIVACY!) in a full 1 or 2 bedroom unit. If you have small children that will be taking naps, you can close the door to the main bedroom and relax on your balcony without risk of disturbing them.

The 1 and 2 bedroom units also have a full washer and dryer, while a studio does not. It rained 4 of the 6 days during our September trip, so I can't tell you how invaluable the W/D was. We had gone through our collective suitcases in just 2 days!!!

Disneyworld.com has floor plans for all of the DVC resorts. Design-wise, they are very similar. OKW is the oldest DVC resort, and has the largest rooms. It is also the cheapest (fewest points) resort and tends to be the easiest to book. But it is also the most removed from the "Disney" experience. The Boardwalk and BCV are walking distance to Epcot and MGM. Wilderness Lodge is also very popular.

My wife and I basically fell in love with OKW when we visited. She originally had her heart set on Boardwalk, but we couldn't get in. When it came time to schedule a return trip, she didn't want anything but OKW. While there's still pleanty of "Disney" to be found, OKW still feels like a legitimate "get away from it all" vacation. Golf course fairways out your back door, convenient parking, great rooms. Old Key West is now the measuring stick for all of our future vactions.

Good luck.
 
Remember about room occupancy limits at DVC. 4 plus 1 under 3 yrs old in a studio or one bedroom. 8 plus one under 3 yrs old in a 2 bedroom and 12 plus one under 3 yrs old in a Grand Villa.
 

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