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Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney Company has reportedly begun cracking down on Disney Vacation Club (DVC) point rentals. The practice has long been touted as a money-saving hack for some of the most luxurious Disney Resort hotels.
Disney Vacation Club is a (very magical) timeshare rental program. After an initial buy-in fee, guests are allotted a certain number of points annually to use at select Deluxe Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort hotels.
Members can also use their points on Adventures by Disney vacations and other Disney locations worldwide, like Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina, and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Florida.
DVC members skipping their vacations or looking for some extra cash have long rented out their points to other Disney guests. There’s an entire industry based around this practice, with third-party companies connecting Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort guests with DVC members who have leftover points.
Non-DVC holders get a cheaper stay at a Deluxe Disney Resort hotel, and DVC members make some money back on their unused points.
This week, Disney Vacation Club abruptly updated its terms and conditions in an apparent effort to crack down on point rentals. The new guidelines are effective as of June 1, 2025. The relevant portion reads:
“You agree that any reservations made under your membership are solely for personal use and not for commercial purposes, as required by governing documents for each DVC Resort, including but not limited to the Declaration of Condominium and Membership Agreement. DVCM reserves the right to interpret personal use and determine if reservations are booked for personal or commercial purposes in its sole discretion.
Personal use may include enjoying the benefits of a DVC Membership with family or allowing use of any reserved Vacation Home to friends and family on occasion. Additionally, personal use means that the member does not regularly or frequently rent/sell reservations booked using their membership.”
According to DVC News, members must now click a checkbox to confirm that reservations are for “personal use.” Disney cast members ask members booking over the phone to notify them if the reservation is for themselves, friends or family, or a rental guest.
The policy clarifies that members may make reservations for friends and family “on occasion,” but only if “the member does not regularly or frequently rent/sell reservations booked using their membership.” So while it seems that Disney is trying to crack down on points rentals, they haven’t clarified an exact ratio that members should stick to when allowing their friends and family to use their points.
In recent years, DVC members have complained about declining availability at desirable Disney Resort hotels due to the prevalence of third-party point rental companies.
Last year, Shannon Sakaske, Vice President, Member Experiences & Club Management, said he had no interest in going after members who occasionally rent out points they won’t use. However, he also said Disney Vacation Club is aware of a subset of owners who rarely use points for themselves.
“They own a lot of points and it’s a frequent occurrence,” he said. “We are actively figuring out ways to go after that, and stop that to the best of our ability. Hopefully this is not a conversation we will be having in future years. We’re going to go after that and try to remedy it as best we can.”
Disney Vacation Club hasn’t announced any legal action or other enforcement of the updated point rental policy.
Have you saved money by renting points from a DVC member? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments!