I'm a DVC member and I use it at WDW. I have never looked into using the II resorts. I see that DVC has will be starting a new contract with RCI (I think it's the largest time share company in the world with 3.9 million members). I sometimes have a hard time getting what resort I want if I don't book it exactly 7 months out. I was wondering if anyone else is concerned about this. I bought a "timeshare" IN Disney because I wanted to stay in Disney with 139,000 other families. Now add 3,900,000 more families I think it will get really hard to book. Now I know that not everyone will want to "trade into Disney", but even if 10% try 390,000 more requests. I don't know the details of when the RCI people are able to book, but I'm concerned.....anyone else?
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DVC and RCI good or bad
- Thread starter MR. DISNEY
- Start date
MKCP 1985
Well-Known Member
That raises a good question. It is not uncommon to read of people booking their trips in DVC resorts and moving from one resort to another mid-trip because they couldn't book enough nights in the resort of their first choice.
Are room reservations a real headache for DVC members? That's something I'd like to know before plunking down $$$$ for points at Bay Lake Tower, which is bound to be a highly desired property.
Are room reservations a real headache for DVC members? That's something I'd like to know before plunking down $$$$ for points at Bay Lake Tower, which is bound to be a highly desired property.
djpoore94
Well-Known Member
I am not sure about the RCI issue, but DH and I just bought our points a few months ago. We booked a trip for May 20 - 25 (Memorial Day weekend) as soon as we were in the system. We booked at our home resort (OKW) first and then as soon as we hit the 7 month mark we put in a request to switch to AKL and specified a savannah view, we had no trouble getting that reservation either. We are now planning a late fall (after Thanksgiving) trip for next year as well. We will be booking at our home resort first as soon as we figure out our dates so we will know for sure that we have a reservation, but at the 7 month mark we may try to switch to another resort.
I know if I book 11 months out at my home resort, most of the time I have no problem. I have 220 points @ VWL and I LOVE it there. I was "talked" into buying at 140 additional points at SS by my DVC sales person (I wanted VWL but she told me it was no big deal). Now when I try to book at VWL and and don't have all the points there I have to wait till 7 months out to use the poinys from SS. I have found that I cant get the remaining days at VWL and need to move 1/2 way into my vacation. With having a DVC room I have to move food and everything that needs to stay cold.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
It's not as if the DVC is adding millions more owners. The only way that a non-DVC timeshare owner can get into a DVC resort would be to trade into it. They don't have points that they can use to book the DVC like DVC owners do. (When you're at the 7-month mark as a DVC owner, you're trying to book against other DVC owners)
I believe (but don't quote me on it) that if a DVC owner wants to trade out of the DVC and into a timeshare through RCI, they have to cash in points to obtain a week-long reservation. That week-long reservation is what is banked into the RCI network pool. That banked week can then be picked up by another RCI member who has also banked a week at their own timeshare. It's not a straight trade, but rather you put a week into the pool, and take another one out. So the only way that an outside RCI member can get into the DVC is if a DVC owner wants to trade out of it.
Now, if you're an outside timeshare owner through RCI, you can ask to be put on a waiting list to trade into a DVC property. Your place on the list is based on the "desirability" of the week that you banked, calculated by some secret RCI formula I'm sure. A more popular timeshare/location (like my parents' week on Cape Cod) might get a higher place on the list than some random timeshare place in the middle of Arkansas. (No offense meant to those in the middle of Arkansas)
-Rob
I believe (but don't quote me on it) that if a DVC owner wants to trade out of the DVC and into a timeshare through RCI, they have to cash in points to obtain a week-long reservation. That week-long reservation is what is banked into the RCI network pool. That banked week can then be picked up by another RCI member who has also banked a week at their own timeshare. It's not a straight trade, but rather you put a week into the pool, and take another one out. So the only way that an outside RCI member can get into the DVC is if a DVC owner wants to trade out of it.
Now, if you're an outside timeshare owner through RCI, you can ask to be put on a waiting list to trade into a DVC property. Your place on the list is based on the "desirability" of the week that you banked, calculated by some secret RCI formula I'm sure. A more popular timeshare/location (like my parents' week on Cape Cod) might get a higher place on the list than some random timeshare place in the middle of Arkansas. (No offense meant to those in the middle of Arkansas)
-Rob
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Relax.
As someone else mentioned, it would only be an exchange; an RCI member will only be able to book into DVC if/when DVC members are looking to stay in a resort run by RCI. So it's not like all of those RCI members are going to be jumping ahead of you in line or anything like that.
Truth is, it will probably be far easier for a DVC member to get into an RCI resort than vice versa, because WDW is a much more in-demand location, especially staying ON-SITE. All the RCI members that would like to stay in a DVC resort have to wait for DVC members to want to stay somewhere else, whereas DVC members will probably always find someone willing to swap with them (and of course, this is all done through the agents of the respective time-shares, it's not like you're doing all the legwork trying to find people willing to swap - that's why there's a surcharge for trading out).
If you're a DVC member, it's a sweet deal. It's not an UNsweet deal for RCI members, but their pickings will be more slim.
As someone else mentioned, it would only be an exchange; an RCI member will only be able to book into DVC if/when DVC members are looking to stay in a resort run by RCI. So it's not like all of those RCI members are going to be jumping ahead of you in line or anything like that.
Truth is, it will probably be far easier for a DVC member to get into an RCI resort than vice versa, because WDW is a much more in-demand location, especially staying ON-SITE. All the RCI members that would like to stay in a DVC resort have to wait for DVC members to want to stay somewhere else, whereas DVC members will probably always find someone willing to swap with them (and of course, this is all done through the agents of the respective time-shares, it's not like you're doing all the legwork trying to find people willing to swap - that's why there's a surcharge for trading out).
If you're a DVC member, it's a sweet deal. It's not an UNsweet deal for RCI members, but their pickings will be more slim.
djpoore94
Well-Known Member
That is why we bought from a reseller. We picked what we knew would work best for us and didn't have to listen to the pitch about buying more or at a different resort!
You were right to get the resale. I did have dealings with the Timeshare store and they were great, but Disney bought back the deal I made. I was up against time. I got a reduction in point price and additional points to use right away, so it wasn't a bad thing it is just inconvenient.
djpoore94
Well-Known Member
We used the Timeshare Store too. Wonderful experience, we ended up with double points for 2009, the seller hadn't used any 2008 points and we had him bank them (already had a trip scheduled for the week after we closed, too late to cancel and use DVC points) since they had to be banked within a month of when we bought. It's actually going to work out great, DH and I get a nice quiet trip in May for our anniversary and then we are planning on going in the late fall and taking my cousin and his wife.
Folks, the II/RCI change has NOTHING whatsoever to do with your ability as members to book the DVC resorts. Not a single thing.
DVC currently has a relationship with Interval International. This relationship is what allows you the option to trade out for stays in non-DVC timeshares. As a trade, it means that the DVC villa you're not using can be made available to II for one of their members to use. It's not quite that simple in practice, but that's the general concept. Note that the II members can only get villas that members are not using, because they've traded them out. II members are not DVC members, they have no DVC points, they can't call up Member Services and book a villa.
What's changing in January? Cross out all the "II's" in the above paragraph and replace them with "RCI's". That's it. Disney will be using a different exchange company, that has access to different timeshares.
DVC currently has a relationship with Interval International. This relationship is what allows you the option to trade out for stays in non-DVC timeshares. As a trade, it means that the DVC villa you're not using can be made available to II for one of their members to use. It's not quite that simple in practice, but that's the general concept. Note that the II members can only get villas that members are not using, because they've traded them out. II members are not DVC members, they have no DVC points, they can't call up Member Services and book a villa.
What's changing in January? Cross out all the "II's" in the above paragraph and replace them with "RCI's". That's it. Disney will be using a different exchange company, that has access to different timeshares.
Disneykidder
Well-Known Member
Stupid question but if you can buy into a cheaper home resort and use your points to go to another resort, why buy into a higher priced resort? I understand it is easier to book into your home resort because of the longer window but doenn't this make sense or am i missing something here? We have been wanting a DVC for a while now and might be ready to make the dive.
Disneyfalcon
Well-Known Member
That's the main reason right there Disneykidder. Some resorts are really hard to get into at the 7 month window. So if you have your heart set on staying somewhere in particular, buy there. If you're open to a lot of different resorts then definitely go cheaper!!
DisneyPhD
Well-Known Member
Another thing to consider is the member fees (or dues) at the resort. Right now, Vero Beach has the lowest resale purchase price, but has the highest dues. BLT has the highest purchase price but the lowest dues. If you own for the length of the contract, you'll pay a lot more in dues than you pay up front for the initial purchase for any resort.
ok, not to confuse anyone but I still think there's some change coming for those RCI members whose home resort has converted to points instead of weekly exchanges. Granted, II has been replaced with RCI but these timehare owners at Gold Resorts pay for point ownership as well. How Disney and RCI will work this out should be in the mail by Jan 1, 2009 when the joint agreement takes effect.
PS: I've been doing some internet searche on this topic...any other thoughts???:veryconfu
PS: I've been doing some internet searche on this topic...any other thoughts???:veryconfu