How to stay at a Disney World resort for less than Disney charges
Rent the stay from a Disney Vacation Club owner instead of booking it with Disney. Right now the median rental is 34% below Disney's own price for the same villa and nights, tax included. You don't buy a timeshare or join anything: you pay once, for one stay.
How it works
Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s timeshare. Its members own points that they spend on villas at Disney’s resorts, and many have more points than they’ll use. So they book a stay with their points and rent it out through a broker: a company that lists the stay, takes your payment and pays the owner. The owner puts your name on the reservation, and you check in as the guest.
The stays on ResortMath are confirmed reservations, already booked, so the resort, villa, dates and price are fixed. We check the brokers every 30 minutes and show each stay’s cost per night beside what Disney charges for the same villa and nights. How renting a DVC reservation works has more detail.
Is it a timeshare?
Not for you. The owner bought into the timeshare; you’re renting one stay from them. There’s no membership, no yearly dues, no sales pitch and nothing to sell later. When the stay is over, so is the deal.
What you save
The median stay listed right now is 34% below Disney's published price for the same villa and nights, tax included, and half are between 27% and 41% below. 20 of the 439 are at least half off, the best 60% below. One costs more than Disney charges. A studio, the villa closest to a hotel room, rents for a median $486 a night, against Disney’s $719 for the same stays. On the whole stay, the median listing costs $1,062 less than Disney’s price.
| Resort | Disney's price | Rented | Below Disney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Lake Tower | $914 | $485 | 45% |
| Grand Floridian Villas | $998 | $595 | 42% |
| Saratoga Springs | $580 | $355 | 41% |
| BoardWalk Villas | $784 | $497 | 37% |
| Riviera Resort | $849 | $535 | 36% |
| Old Key West | $608 | $410 | 35% |
| Polynesian Villas & Bungalows | $943 | $609 | 34% |
| Copper Creek Villas & Cabins | $686 | $468 | 32% |
| Boulder Ridge Villas | $695 | $473 | 32% |
| Beach Club Villas | $802 | $558 | 28% |
| Polynesian Island Tower | $733 | $563 | 27% |
| Animal Kingdom Villas | $587 | $442 | 26% |
A studio per night, medians over the stays listed now, biggest saving first. Disney’s price is its published rack rate for the same villa and nights, tax included (rates from MouseSavers). More in the cheapest DVC resorts.
Where it works
Only at resorts with Disney Vacation Club villas, which include most of Disney’s deluxe hotels. Disney’s value and moderate hotels have none. At Walt Disney World there are 13: Animal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Tower, Beach Club Villas, BoardWalk Villas, Boulder Ridge Villas, Cabins at Fort Wilderness, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins, Grand Floridian Villas, Old Key West, Polynesian Island Tower, Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Riviera Resort and Saratoga Springs.
What you give up
- Flexibility. Disney refunds a room-only booking’s deposit if you cancel at least 8 days before arrival. A rental’s terms are the broker’s. Sales at DVC Shop are final. The broker comparison has each one’s schedule.
- Your choice of dates. A confirmed reservation is for the villa and nights listed. If none fits, you can wait for one to be listed, or ask a broker to find an owner with points for your dates.
- Daily housekeeping. A rented stay is booked with points, so Disney cleans it as it does an owner’s: trash and towel service on day four, and on stays of more than eight nights, full housekeeping on day four and trash and towel on day eight. Guests paying Disney cash for the same villas get daily housekeeping.
- Disney’s sales. Disney sometimes discounts its rooms. Savings here are against its published rack rate, so check Disney’s current offers too. How we calculate has the details.
What stays the same
You’re a registered guest of the resort. You check in like anyone else, use Disney’s transportation, and get Early Theme Park Entry, which Disney gives guests of its resort hotels through 2027. Park tickets aren’t included, just as they aren’t in a room-only booking with Disney.
How to book one
- Find a stay. The board lists every stay up right now, cheapest night first, with Disney’s price for the same stay beside it. Filter by resort, dates and villa size.
- Read its terms. Each listing says when the money is due and what you’d get back if you cancelled.
- Book at the broker. The link goes to the broker’s own page. ResortMath never takes payment or holds a reservation.
- Check it’s yours. Once your name is on the reservation, ask the broker for Disney’s confirmation number. With it you can add the stay to the My Disney Experience app and check it yourself.
Nothing right for your dates? Set a free alert and we’ll email you when a stay like it is listed or drops in price.
Questions
How can I stay at a Disney World resort for less than Disney charges?
Rent a Disney Vacation Club owner's reservation through a broker. Right now the median stay listed on ResortMath is 34% below Disney's published price for the same villa and nights, tax included. It works at the resorts with DVC villas, which include most of Disney's deluxe hotels.
Is renting DVC a timeshare?
No. The owner bought into Disney's timeshare; you rent one stay from them. There's no membership, no yearly dues and nothing to sell later.
Do I need to be a DVC member to rent a DVC villa?
No. Anyone can rent one. The owner books the stay with their points and puts your name on the reservation as the guest.
How much do you save renting DVC instead of booking with Disney?
A median 34% on the stays listed right now, and half save between 27% and 41%. A studio rents for a median $486 a night, against Disney's $719 for the same stays.
What's the catch with renting DVC?
Less flexibility and less housekeeping. Disney refunds a room-only booking's deposit until 8 days before arrival, but a rental's cancellation terms are the broker's. Sales at DVC Shop are final. A rented stay gets trash and towel service on day four, not the daily housekeeping Disney's cash guests get in the same villas. And a confirmed reservation's villa and dates are fixed.
Do you still get Disney resort perks when you rent DVC?
Yes. You're a registered guest of the resort, so you use Disney's transportation and get Early Theme Park Entry like other resort guests. Housekeeping is the exception: a rented stay is booked with points, and Disney cleans it less often.
Is renting a DVC reservation safe?
The reservation is a real Disney booking, made with the owner's points. What you're trusting is the broker you pay. Read its payment and cancellation terms before you book. Once your name is on the reservation, get Disney's confirmation number and add the stay to the My Disney Experience app to check it yourself.