DVC joins the RCI timeshare network

[Rob562]

The DVC forum is probably better for this, but I thought I'd post it in the News forum to start.

As of January 1, the DVC is joining (re-joining, actually), the RCI timeshare network. Currently DVC is part of the smaller Intervals International network. DVC members will be able to trade to other timeshare resorts in the RCI network, and vice versa.

Here's the press release on the RCI site:
http://www.grouprci.com/media_center/pr/show_release.cfm?id=190

Of course, I've heard that it's next to impossible to trade into a DVC resort from a non-DVC timeshare, but hey...it's worth a shot. (My parents own a timeshare week at a resort on Cape Cod)

Back when OKW was the only DVC resort, it was part of the RCI network. But the DVC left RCI around 1995-96 and joined Intervals International.

-Rob

 

[disneydiva72]

My FIL owns a time share and never had any luck trading into a Disney DVC.

 

[disney4life2008]

I own International Interval and I do not get offered Disney getaways and it is very difficult to exchange into the Disney resorts. Plus, when I could, the Disney timeshares were ridicously priced where a timeshare on IDrive is 400 or less for 8 days.

 

[no1swfanindy]

I must be confused on how all this works. When I read the article about this, I started to reconsider buying into DVC. With an additional 3.6 million subscribers getting the ability to book DVC resorts, I'll be lucky to get a room at all! :shrug:

 

[Rob562]

I must be confused on how all this works. When I read the article about this, I started to reconsider buying into DVC. With an additional 3.6 million subscribers getting the ability to book DVC resorts, I'll be lucky to get a room at all! :shrug:

That's not exactly how trading a timeshare works. I'm not 100% sure how Disney handles it because they don't sell "weeks" like most other timeshares, but the concept behind a regular timeshare in the RCI network it is that you own a week at a resort. My parents' is on Cape Cod, and their week is in mid-August.

They can use their week every year if they want. If they decide they want to go somewhere else, they "bank" their week into the RCI pool. They can then pick up a week at a different tiemshare resort that someone ELSE has banked. The preference for assigning who gets first crack at banked weeks is based on a formula that takes into account the "popularity" of the week that you banked. (So if you own a week at a timeshare that noone else ever wants to go to, you're low man on the totem pole). My parents do very well in their trades, because Cape Cod in August is a pretty popular vacation destination.

If you want to trade into another resort, and noone who owns at that resort banks their week, you don't get in. I believe that's why it's hard to trade *into* a DVC resort. It's so popular that DVC owners rarely ever trade to go outside of the DVC. But if you're a DVC owner, that means that you're almost guaranteed to be of top priority when you do want to go somewhere else.

Because of the DVC points system, I think Disney requires DVC owners to cash in points to secure a specific week. That week is then banked into the timeshare network, and priority on who gets to take that week is based on the previously-mentioned priority calculation. So it's not like the DVC is adding millions of more owners, they're just changing the network of people who can try and get those random weeks that DVC owners decide to trade.

-Rob

 

[no1swfanindy]

Because of the DVC points system, I think Disney requires DVC owners to cash in points to secure a specific week. That week is then banked into the timeshare network, and priority on who gets to take that week is based on the previously-mentioned priority calculation. So it's not like the DVC is adding millions of more owners, they're just changing the network of people who can try and get those random weeks that DVC owners decide to trade.

-Rob

Whewwe I was starting to get worried. Thanks for the explanation. I truely don't know anything about timeshares and very little about DVC. I would like to buy into DVC but still feel I don't know enough to make the decision, and which option would be best for us - through Disney or resales.

 

[llrain]

Luck of the draw...family member is Interval holder and has been successful
obtaining DVC rooms 3 times now. One at saratoga next year at Wilderness lodge...Its not impossible

I own International Interval and I do not get offered Disney getaways and it is very difficult to exchange into the Disney resorts. Plus, when I could, the Disney timeshares were ridicously priced where a timeshare on IDrive is 400 or less for 8 days.

 

[Texas84]

That press release sounds like the point is that DVC members can use REI. And we're already in both.

 

[slcrac]

Timeshare owners with RCI Gold Resorts (and others I've read) have the option of converting their week ownership into points (with a $$ upgrade). Not sure how this will work with DVC but it certainly is worth checking into. Timeshares that trade on weeks are weaker in trade value (thus harder to trade into Disney Property) than those who buy points worth more in value (how will these compare with DVC buy in points??? time will tell

 

[Disneyfan1981]

From what it sounds like it'll be easier for DVC owners to go for the RCI then the other way around.....how hard will it be for an RCI owner and DVC owner to schedule a trip around the same time?

 

[disney doodah]

Anyone checked out the links for RCI from the DVC member site? I was browsing the resort directory and at initial glance the choices from II seemed to be much better. Not sure if more resorts will be made avalable to DVC members but it definately appears we have limited access to the full inventory that RCI has to offer.