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Disney Vacation Club Travel Insurance

Alternate Travel Coverage Point Protection Plan

Discussing DVC Hold Status, Food of the Week, and FREE DVC Travel Insurance – DVC WEEKLY: EPISODE 49

Alternatively, DVC Shops Point Protection Plan offers direct travel coverage for your DVC rental. Coverage is as follows:

Cost of Coverage: $2.50 per point rented

Cancel 60 days or more prior to check-inReimburse $15 per point Cash Refund or $16 per point full credit towards another stay within 18 months of original check-in date

Cancel 45 days or more prior to original check-in$12 per point Cash refund or $13 Credit per point full credit towards another stay within 18 months of original check-in date

Cancel 32 days or more prior to original check-in$8 per point Cash refund or $10 Credit per point full credit towards another stay within 18 months of original check-in date

Cancel 15 days or more prior to original check-in$3 per point Cash refund or $5 Credit per point full credit towards another stay within 18 months of original check-in date

Cancel 3 days or more prior to original check-in$3 Credit per point full credit towards another stay within 18 months of original check-in date

*Maximum reimbursement amount not to exceed total cost of reservation.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Flights To Disney

Comprehensive plans allow travelers to insure all of the prepaid, non-refundable portions of their entire trip, including their flight.

In the event of flight delays, comprehensive travel insurance plans often include a concierge service to help you arrange a hotel room for your family, so you arent using a jacket as a blanket in Terminal 5. Keep in mind that the travel delay coverage on your plan, unless otherwise stated, is per person. Any delay must exceed the time frame set by the plan to be covered. This time frame is often somewhere in the 3-12 hour range. Also, if you are delayed, remember to save all your receipts for food, lodging, and travel to and from the airport related to the delay. You won’t be reimbursed for an otherwise covered expense if you’re not able to show documentation.

While specific flight insurance plans are often available as an add-on when booking an airline ticket, this “light” coverage may leave you with some coverage gaps due to the relatively lower maximum value and narrower range of covered events.

How To Save Money By Renting Disney Vacation Club Points

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During normal times, there are many different ways to tackle selecting lodging for a Disney World vacation, including Disneys value and moderate resort categories. Those looking for the ultimate in convenience might enjoy a deluxe resort on the monorail, such as The Contemporary Resort or Disneys Polynesian Village Resort. And families working on a budget might redeem their hotel points to stay at a non-Disney hotel or off-property hotel instead. There are plenty of suitable options around Disney World.

Yet, even with all those options, one of the most intriguing options remains renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member to book a true Walt Disney World property for less.

And while renting DVC points is always a good option to consider, it is an especially relevant option right now as the only new on-property hotel bookings Disney World is accepting at the moment are those booked with Disney Vacation Club points.

Related: Guide to visiting Walt Disney World

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Useful Tips For Calculating The Cost Of A Dvc Membership

There are further things to know about costs and financing to help you make an informed decision:

  • Disney has a useful online tool that will help you get a quote for your membership based on how many points you want. Use it to compare different scenarios!
  • Things have been slow for the travel industry because of COVID-19, which means Disney and other companies are offering great deals. You can get a discount on a DVC membership at the moment. If youve been considering this purchase for a while, now is the right time to buy a membership.
  • Disney changes its point rate every year. However, once you buy a membership, Disney locks the point rate in for the duration. Even though the value of the points may change when Disney publishes new point charts, you can lock in your point rate before the price potentially jumps up.
  • Inflation is another reason to consider a DVC membership. Economists believe the cost of living will increase. Locking in a point rate for your DVC membership now could be interesting.
  • While DVC members get extras and perks, travel insurance is not one part of them. You can purchase travel insurance through Disney for $99 a year or go through another seller. Either way, travel insurance is another expense to consider.

What Does This Mean For You

9 Reasons Disney Wonder Cruise is Worth the Splurge
  • DVC rental may seem difficult or intimidating, but really its just different. And different isnt bad. In fact, it can be quite great.
  • DVC rental savings vary , but they can be CRAZY good. Especially if you travel in off-season.
  • Cancellation policies for rentals are more strict than booking straight through Disney. If that scares you, or doesnt meet your needs you can still book DVC or Deluxe equivalent through the lovely folks over at the TouringPlans Travel Agency. And, bonus, theyll be able to help you with availability and deciding which resort meets your needs instead of you doing that work yourself.
  • Do you still have concerns about renting DVC points? Or have you rented in the past and now youre telling all of your friends how to do it too? What are your price point success stories? Let us know in the comments!

    Read Also: How Much Is A Sandals Vacation

    Opting Out: How To Sell Your Dvc Membership

    Annoyingly, Disney doesnt offer much flexibility with changing or canceling your membership. If you want to opt-out of your DVC membership, your best bet is to resell it.

    The good news is that there is a market for reselling DVC points and DVC memberships, and you can get help from companies that specialize in offering this service. However, Disney will have to review and approve the transaction.

    Keep in mind that a Disney Vacation Club membership is a long-term commitment.

    Yes, there is a lack of flexibility. But keeping the membership for 30 to 40 years means youll be able to enjoy staying at Disney resorts with your grandchildren or let your adult children use your membership.

    Financing Your Disney Vacation Club Membership

    Financing is available if you dont want to pay for your DVC membership upfront. However, this option comes with strict requirements.

    Disney offers ten-year loans through a financing partner. Youll need a 10% down payment and a of 685 or better. You wont qualify if you defaulted on a mortgage or if you have low credit.

    You should also know that the . The APR you qualify for depends on your credit score and the cost of your membership. The APR corresponds to the range you can expect to pay for a personal loan. However, most personal loans have a much shorter term.

    Overall, its much more interesting to pay upfront for your DVC membership if you can afford it or even shop around for financing from another source. A personal loan with a shorter term will probably help you save if you go for the financing option.

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    How Much Does It Cost To Rent Disney Vacation Club Points

    David’s Vacation Club Rentals charges $19 per point for all stays booked within 7 months of arrival or at non-premium resorts for arrivals beyond 7 months. Pay only $20 per point for all arrivals beyond 7 months at premium resorts.

    For reference, here is the list of resorts that are considered premium:

    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
    • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
    • Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
    • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel
    • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel
    • Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa
    • Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows
    • Disney’s Riviera Resort

    Renting through David’s Vacation Club Rentals is a huge bargain compared to Disney’s prices with most guests saving an average of 50-58% on their hotel stay. This is especially helpful if you’re traveling at peak times of the year when Disney discounts are harder to come by. If you’re able to travel on a whim, you can save even more with last minute room reservation specials for your stay with one time specials going for as low as $11 per point.

    Should You Buy Disney Insurance

    Renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Points: Pros Cons

    You might be wondering: Why not just buy the standard insurance package offered by Disney?

    Moncrief with Squaremouth recommends that you compare the insurance offerings available directly from Disney with third-party options. Disneys Travel Protection Plan provides a wide array of coverage for common travel problems, but you can find more robust coverage limits through travel insurance plans from third parties.

    For example, Disney Worlds Travel Protection Plan provides up to $25,000 in medical coverage. That may be sufficient for you. But you can buy third-party plans with different levels of medical coverage, often up to $500,000 per person.

    If you have particular cancellation concerns, make sure to compare policies, especially if you want upgrades such as cancel for any reason coverage. The Disney Travel Protection Plan does not provide a cancel for any reason option.

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    Flexible Dvc Membership Options

    One downside of getting a timeshare is that it can feel restrictive. Owners have to travel to the same destination and typically get the timeshare during a specific time frame each year.

    The Disney Vacation Club completely reinvents the concept of the timeshare and offers a much more flexible experience. Plus, you can build a customized membership depending on how many points you want to get.

    To give you an idea of what members typically get, you can book a one-week stay for two at a studio in a resort for 150 points. If you have 250 points to spend, you can get five nights in a villa.

    Members can purchase a few additional points once a year for an additional fee, but you cant change your membership to increase or lower your membership points.

    Disneys Travel Protection Plan

    Disneys Travel Protection Plan is the insurance policy that Disney offers to guests purchasing Walt Disney World vacation packages.

    Pros

    Much like auto and life insurance, one of the factors that goes into the pricing of insurance is age.

    And, for people ages 70 and over, theyll often find that Disneys Travel Protection Plan will give them the best value.

    So, if you are considering adding insurance to a trip and you have somebody in your room who is 70+, youll probably want to give Disneys insurance a second look.

    Another nice thing to know about Disneys insurance is that it is easy to purchase since it is an option when you book a vacation. And if you prefer to wait, you can easily add it all the way up until your final payment.

    That means you can hold off on purchasing it until later, which is something we recommend you do if you dont have a pre-existing condition .

    Cons

    If you are familiar at all with Disney technology, youll know that it can be a little, well, glitchy.

    And those glitches always happen at the most frustrating times, like when a new promotion or discount drops and you want to modify your reservation to save some money.

    One of the common reasons for guests not being able to modify a reservation online is having an extra component, like Memory Maker or travel insurance, attached to the package.

    Another significant con to consider is that you cant use Disneys Travel Protection for Room Only reservations. It can only be added to packages.

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    When Is The Best Time To Go To The Disney Parks

    A tricky question to answer definitively because Disney World parks draw large crowds. Consequently, here is my advice based on my experience.

  • Go when children are globally in school. Due to this, we let our kids take a day off school to capitalize on our trip.
  • Visit through the week vs. the weekend. For example, try a long weekend that starts on Thursday.
  • Do not go in the summer unless you have to. First of all, its scorching hot. Secondly, all the kids are off school. As a result, the parks will be at capacity, and no way to come around this.
  • Stay away from mega holidays like Christmas and New Years Eve or New Years Day.
  • We will only go when its cooler, so our choices are January through March. Historically, September is considered the slowest month.

    Medical Problems While At Disney World

    Is Travel Insurance Worth It For Disney World

    Even though your own health insurance plan may cover any medical needs while in Florida, it may make sense to purchase a comprehensive policy that includes medical benefits, especially if your own health plan has a very high deductible. In these cases, look for a travel insurance plan where the medical coverage is primary, meaning the travel plan pays first. Many travel insurance plans have secondary medical coverage.

    However, if the Disney World vacation is a domestic trip and you arent in need of medical benefits, you may be able to find a less expensive option with no or limited medical benefits, and focus primarily on trip cancellation and interruption, suggests Megan Moncrief, a spokesperson with Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider.

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    Do You Get Magic Bands With Dvc Rental

    The quick answer to this is, yes you do! If you’re staying at a room reservation at Walt Disney World you get Magic Bands with your DVC rental stay. Once you submit your request to rent DVC points through David’s Vacation Club rentals you will be given a link to pay the balance of your room reservation and then once the booking is secured you will receive an official Disney confirmation number. This confirmation number allows you to set up your Disney FastPass+ reservations, book your Magical Express Bus, order Disney MagicBands, and more. You can link your room reservation to the Disney My Experience App and manage everything directly through Disney for your DVC rental.

    Disney World plans to retire complimentary Magic Bands in 2021 as they upgrade the My Disney Experience App to include the same features that Magic Band provides with the app’s existing digital key feature. Complimentary MagicBand distribution to Disney Resort hotel guests will end for new reservations with arrivals beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Disney Resort hotel guests will continue to have the option to purchase new MagicBands at a discount and guests who prefer not to purchase a discounted MagicBand will be able to use the My Disney Experience app or a Key to the World card during their visit.

    Why Rent Dvc Points

    Renting DVC points is like eating filet mignon when you paid for a steak sandwich.

    You can generally rent DVC points to stay in a deluxe Disney resort for roughly the same price as booking a Disney World moderate resort. Disney Vacation Club rooms are usually referred to as villas, which means youll have more room and amenities such as a full kitchen and a washer/dryer. Youll also still get all the normal perks of staying in a true Disney resort because you are in a true Disney resort. The perks and space of a Disney Vacation Club rental can make your trip much more enjoyable .

    Related: Review of Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge

    During normal times when these perks are all available, Disney Vacation Club villas give families traveling on a budget a way to access all of the great Disney World perks, such as Extra Magic Hours, Disneys Magical Express Bus to and from the airport and a 60-day FastPass+ booking window. Many of the Disney Vacation Club properties are well located, such as the monorail properties at Bay Lake Towers, Polynesian Village and the Grand Floridian Resort.

    Since Disney World has parking fees at all the resorts, an additional benefit for renting DVC points is free resort parking for owners and their guests who stay using DVC points.

    Also Check: How Much Down Payment For A Vacation Home

    What Should I Bring On A Disney Cruise

    Family memories are often best captured by your handheld camera. You never know who you may bump into while walking around the ship. Along with the beautiful ships, the incredible scenery, there are some real characters walking around you may want to snap a quick photo with. Photopass services are often available during large meet and greet events, and the photos can be purchased during or after the cruise. For a fun interactive way to capture these photos, consider pacing a polaroid camera – you can quickly take a photo, print it, and have it autographed right on the spot.

    For the young, and young-at-heart, who particularly enjoy character interactions, an autograph book with a pen is another recommended item. If you forget to pack one, they can usually be easily purchased on the ship.

    Other items to consider include important travel documents, sunscreen, bug spray, aloe, dollar bills for the marketplaces in port and for help with your luggage at the airport, an empty carry-on for souvenirs, towel clips for your chair at the pool so your towel doesnt fly away with the wind while at sea, formal wear if your cruise has a formal night, an underwater camera and of course a couple of bandanas for pirate night.

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