Renter/Member Beware (be aware)

[Sammie]

Buyer beware is a warning in my mind and it was directed at renters.

There were a LOT of iterations to Disney's offers including starting out that people would have to find other locations off site because Disney wouldn't allow a new reservation which is what they said an extension was. They did eventually allow point stays to extend on points, yes? Maybe the "warning" is to establish a rental relationship directly with an owner who might be able to help in this type of circumstance. Otherwise the only real warning is that if one has to extend a stay for any reason there is no particular rate that can be counted on. One cannot count on Disney offering cash extensions at the rate that was booked either.

I guess then Renter and Member Be Aware would be a better title. Symantics really. I do think dealing with an owner directly would definitely make the process less compliciated. I am not sure what the rental brokers were offering. As to rates, we have been at WDW during 4 hurricanes situations and Disney always let us stay at the rate we had when we checked in. Yes they could change that at any time but it is not their precendent.

 

[Sandisw]

I guess then Renter and Member Be Aware would be a better title. Symantics really. I do think dealing with an owner directly would definitely make the process less compliciated. I am not sure what the rental brokers were offering. As to rates, we have been at WDW during 4 hurricanes situations and Disney always let us stay at the rate we had when we checked in. Yes they could change that at any time but it is not their precendent.

It is certainly is not something I had even thought about so I do think it’s something that renters and owners need to be aware of for future rentals.

Brokers would not have the option to offer the extension since they don’t own the points..but it is certainly something to add to the list when helping potential renters know the pros/cons.

 

[sethschroeder]

Are you sure trip insurance covers hurricanes? Some trip insurance coverage won't cover "acts of god".

Yes just get a insurance that covers hurricanes. On reputable broker sites they even let you filter to it. I do it for any cruise I take and use to when I rented points for DVC as well.

 

[sethschroeder]

I've also seen cash guests complaining that Disney wasn't "magical enough" during the hurricane, which, like, lolwut. You're dry and not on fire, that's doing well.

You are paying $500/$1000/$1500 per night. The hotel will never live up to that at Disney. They need to cut the cost of rooms that were booked prior to the storm being named.

They wont and people are completely in the right to complain.

BTW its Disney so being dry and not on fire as a basic aspect of stepping inside their hotel and nothing more. Its like the all people giving Disney the pandemic excuse for a get out of jail free card for any dumb decisions or not staffing correctly to handle crowds.

 

[keishashadow]

They were able to keep us in our value 1 bedroom at AKL. We were given the option to use points or pay cash.

When I initially inquired on Wednesday, same method. Told not to stress if flight didn’t leave late yesterday. They’d find a room for me somewhere on site.

I have definitely seen some renters having tantrums about being asked to pay to stay, and also when they were looking at extensions they were last in line for room offers, because their deal wasn't with Disney at all.

Yep, ergo security stationed in the lobby

Atmosphere the best it could be at AKVJ. Lobby.

Reminded me of cruise ship day at sea…no hairy chest or belly flop contests tho

Will say the 2 hours early entry at mgm on Friday were very nice!

 

[Sammie]

It is certainly is not something I had even thought about so I do think it’s something that renters and owners need to be aware of for future rentals.

Brokers would not have the option to offer the extension since they don’t own the points..but it is certainly something to add to the list when helping potential renters know the pros/cons.

I agree. I think going forward both those that rent and members who rent out points, need to be aware of these situations and how they want to handle it. Based on comments on these forums and on social media lots of renters were caught unaware of the situation and were made aware of how expensive DVC rooms are if paying rack rate or even 20% or 30% off. Sadly I don't think strong hurricanes are going away.

 

[pirate33]

I will second the concept of travel insurance. It makes a lot of sense with a major non refundable travel purchase.

I never thought of this as a benefit of renting directly from an experienced owner who has a substantial pool of points but that would be a benefit. I would certainly be willing and able to help out a renter in this situation for a night or two, unless possibly for a booking with a huge number of points like a Grand Villa. Even if I couldn’t supply the points, I would be happy to contact Member Service and try to work something out for the renter in such an unexpected and annoying situation.

 

[crisi]

I'm not quite certain what there is to complain about nor that it falls in a "rental warning". This potentially applies to any visitor caught there. FL travel being interrupted or extended during hurrican season is something to consider of course. Most likely they had a nice rental rate that didn't come close to what Disney would have charged them for the trip. The discounted cash rate obviously proved that if there were complaints. That they got caught and had to extend a day or two, if someone actually thinks about it a bit, should make one appreciate renting points more.

What was interesting is that we've seen that Disney isn't going to be so accommodating in these ituations as they have been in the past. Now that's a sad "warning".

The reality of the situation is that with climate change, a lot of companies are going to have to change how they do business. A Disney-park-closing sort of hurricane used to be (when I was a kid 30 years ago) a REALLY rare event. Even rarer when Walt picked Orlando to build on. When it was a once every ten year thing, Disney could pull out the stops to create magic with just a small dent in profit. For the past ten years, you are as likely to end up with one park closing weather event as not during the year, plus the pandemic - Disney has to continue to be sustainable as a business entity - and to continue to provide the magic they had in the past for these sorts of events, they'd need to increase prices - and only so much of that is sustainable.

And it isn't just Disney that is having to change - insurance companies are looking at the cost of insuring within hurricane zones. Large companies are wondering if they should have locations where weather events will mean incurring significant losses. Our world is changing, faster than we thought it would.

 

[sethschroeder]

The reality of the situation is that with climate change, a lot of companies are going to have to change how they do business. A Disney-park-closing sort of hurricane used to be (when I was a kid 30 years ago) a REALLY rare event. Even rarer when Walt picked Orlando to build on. When it was a once every ten year thing, Disney could pull out the stops to create magic with just a small dent in profit. For the past ten years, you are as likely to end up with one park closing weather event as not during the year, plus the pandemic - Disney has to continue to be sustainable as a business entity - and to continue to provide the magic they had in the past for these sorts of events, they'd need to increase prices - and only so much of that is sustainable.

And it isn't just Disney that is having to change - insurance companies are looking at the cost of insuring within hurricane zones. Large companies are wondering if they should have locations where weather events will mean incurring significant losses. Our world is changing, faster than we thought it would.

Eh I agree to an extent but numbers are not really that crazy recently compared to past.

http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/Realtime/index.php?arch&loc=northatlantic


Look back in the 1800s
http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/Realtime/index.php?arch&loc=northatlantic

 

[crisi]

Eh I agree to an extent but numbers are not really that crazy recently compared to past.

http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/Realtime/index.php?arch&loc=northatlantic


Look back in the 1800s
http://tropical.atmos.colostate.edu/Realtime/index.php?arch&loc=northatlantic

What are the strength of those storms? How many of them made it far enough inland that they would have threatened the safety of park attendees? My understanding is that it isn't the number, its the intensity that has seen significant change.

 

[Sandisw]

Let’s not get off track with a discussion on hurricanes and climate change please.

 

[sethschroeder]

What are the strength of those storms? How many of them made it far enough inland that they would have threatened the safety of park attendees? My understanding is that it isn't the number, its the intensity that has seen significant change.

The link has the category broken up between tropical storm, hurricane, and major hurricanes.

Dorian didn't make landfall in Flordia yet shutdown WDW.

Now what might have happened is the path of the storms.

I don't know though and don't live in Flordia so have not done a ton of research in to it.

 

[lpereira]

I think I understand the disconnect now. A point renter is not Disney's customer at all. They cant extend the ability to stay at the same rate thr renter paid because the renter never paid anything at all....to Disney.
If you are point renter between August and October hurricanes should be factored in to what you are willing to pay. Four of the last six years have had named storms in Central Florida.

 

[Sandisw]

I think I understand the disconnect now. A point renter is not Disney's customer at all. They cant extend the ability to stay at the same rate thr renter paid because the renter never paid anything at all....to Disney.
If you are point renter between August and October hurricanes should be factored in to what you are willing to pay. Four of the last six years have had named storms in Central Florida.

That is it! Only the owner can extend a trip because the reservation was booked on their membership.

So, someone renting would want to know if there would be any ability to do that if it was needed.

 

[karen4546]

Here now at the BWV using our DVC points. We check out Friday, but was looking to extend if needed. Front desk said 25% Weather Discount for Cash rate, but the room cost was still close to $650 for our 1 BR villa. Looked at OTU points and borrowing, but just decided to drive home Friday as originally planned. We'll get so Epcot love in on Friday after we check out.

the garden/pool view studio villa was $551 cash rate - i used 18 pts for my daughter to extend her stay. the $551 was the HURRICANE rate for 10/1 it said so right on the receipt-no cancellation penalty and so she canceled the cash rate and I used 18 pts. it took about 15 minutes.

 

[KPeterso]

That is it! Only the owner can extend a trip because the reservation was booked on their membership.

So, someone renting would want to know if there would be any ability to do that if it was needed.

I booked one extra night at BWV for Thursday 9/29. I was not offered a cash rate (not that I wanted to pay cash) and was asked whose points I was using for the reservation --- my own. So they got it all booked for me.