Using RCI points to rent a DVC property

[IMPoppins]

Hi All - My DH and I considering purchasing points through RCI. We were told that, as of 1/1/09, we could use those points to book at a DVC property. Has anyone done this? If so, was it difficult to get the dates you were looking for? What was your overall experience? Also, I should mention that, while we would love to, we are not in a postion to buy into the DVC at this time.
Thanks :wave:

 

[Smartiewdw]

no offense...

As a 6 year veteran of dvc I have to say that I hope this is a lie. DVC costs more than RCI for a reason and depending on what way you use DVC to transfer to RCI you pay a transfer fee. When you buy dvc you own part of disney, why on earth if it's already difficult to get rooms sometimes as a dvc member would they open it up to people who aren't even members or paying for it? to me this lowers the value and prestige of being a dvc member and I really believe and hope that I'm not the only member to feel this way. I understand not everyone can afford dvc...but that doesn't mean you should get to go through a cheaper company and get the privlieges of dvc. Go on ebay and offer to buy someone's use points for a year or something but please someone tell me this isn't true!

 

[TURKEY]

As a 6 year veteran of dvc I have to say that I hope this is a lie. DVC costs more than RCI for a reason and depending on what way you use DVC to transfer to RCI you pay a transfer fee. When you buy dvc you own part of disney, why on earth if it's already difficult to get rooms sometimes as a dvc member would they open it up to people who aren't even members or paying for it? to me this lowers the value and prestige of being a dvc member and I really believe and hope that I'm not the only member to feel this way. I understand not everyone can afford dvc...but that doesn't mean you should get to go through a cheaper company and get the privlieges of dvc. Go on ebay and offer to buy someone's use points for a year or something but please someone tell me this isn't true!

Um, they just traded Interval International out and not have RCI.


You can trade your RCI points, but I don't know much about it.

 

[Rob562]

Here's the brief discussion from back in December about the DVC changing from the Intervals International (II) network to RCI:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=379661

-Rob

 

[pilka214]

I would like to add my two cents as being a DVC member, and owner of 3 weeks with Marriot timeshare (which works through interval)

it's about 99% impossible to trade into disney, because who trades out of disney.... it's hard enough as a DVC member to book outside your home resort. and in order for someone using RCI to trade in someone in disney HAS to trade out and leave a spot open... it's a tough system to work into, my family tried prior to joing DVC.

 

[Lynne M]

As a 6 year veteran of dvc I have to say that I hope this is a lie. DVC costs more than RCI for a reason and depending on what way you use DVC to transfer to RCI you pay a transfer fee. When you buy dvc you own part of disney, why on earth if it's already difficult to get rooms sometimes as a dvc member would they open it up to people who aren't even members or paying for it? to me this lowers the value and prestige of being a dvc member and I really believe and hope that I'm not the only member to feel this way. I understand not everyone can afford dvc...but that doesn't mean you should get to go through a cheaper company and get the privlieges of dvc. Go on ebay and offer to buy someone's use points for a year or something but please someone tell me this isn't true!

Of course it's true. DVC members can trade out to use RCI resorts. RCI has to be compensated for that, they don't just give away their rooms. RCI gets a DVC villa that's comparable to what the member's points would have paid for, and makes that villa available for their members to use.

So, the rooms available to RCI members are not rooms that you would have had access to anyway. In a sense, they're being used by a DVC member. And if this system didn't exist, DVC would not be able to offer the ability to trade out to RCI resorts.

In short, this is not affecting your ability to book vacations, or somehow de-valuing your membership. It's the process that allows you access to RCI resorts with your DVC points.

 

[KCMO]

As a 6 year veteran of dvc I have to say that I hope this is a lie. DVC costs more than RCI for a reason and depending on what way you use DVC to transfer to RCI you pay a transfer fee. When you buy dvc you own part of disney, why on earth if it's already difficult to get rooms sometimes as a dvc member would they open it up to people who aren't even members or paying for it? to me this lowers the value and prestige of being a dvc member and I really believe and hope that I'm not the only member to feel this way. I understand not everyone can afford dvc...but that doesn't mean you should get to go through a cheaper company and get the privlieges of dvc. Go on ebay and offer to buy someone's use points for a year or something but please someone tell me this isn't true!

Not all RCI properties are cheaper and in less demand. Its the folks that have posher, more desirable RCI time that are most likely to be able to trade in to Disney.

 

[awilliams4]

As a 6 year veteran of dvc I have to say that I hope this is a lie. DVC costs more than RCI for a reason and depending on what way you use DVC to transfer to RCI you pay a transfer fee. When you buy dvc you own part of disney, why on earth if it's already difficult to get rooms sometimes as a dvc member would they open it up to people who aren't even members or paying for it? to me this lowers the value and prestige of being a dvc member and I really believe and hope that I'm not the only member to feel this way. I understand not everyone can afford dvc...but that doesn't mean you should get to go through a cheaper company and get the privlieges of dvc. Go on ebay and offer to buy someone's use points for a year or something but please someone tell me this isn't true!

Not quite sure you completely understand how DVC works. Checkout your Membership Guide. The last 10 pages or so are dedicated to non-DVC resorts you can 'trade' into. Wouldn't seem fair if you could trade out while others couldn't trade in. When someone does trade out, where do you think the availability of the DVC points go to?

 

[DizneyPryncess]

omg how did I ever miss this?? My in-laws are signature RCI members! They always get so mad at me because when I go to Disney I book a Disney hotel instead of using their timeshare. It's a beautiful place, but I like to mix it up sometimes.

Thanks for the info. I have to let them know that they can trade with DVC! As difficult as it may be, it's worth looking into.

 

[Smartiewdw]

not crazy

though I appreciate the sentiment that I don't know how to use my membership, I do know that most of the dvc membership points get sold as home away from home rooms for non dvc members when they're not used with points so they're making money without exchanging....but after some research I did find that dvc is for the most part getting the better end of the deal in the long run. so that's somewhat calming. But really am I the only dvc member that enjoyed the fact that it was more elite?

 

[slappy magoo]

though I appreciate the sentiment that I don't know how to use my membership, I do know that most of the dvc membership points get sold as home away from home rooms for non dvc members when they're not used with points so they're making money without exchanging....but after some research I did find that dvc is for the most part getting the better end of the deal in the long run. so that's somewhat calming. But really am I the only dvc member that enjoyed the fact that it was more elite?

To be fair, the person you seem to be referring to said "Not quite sure you completely understand how DVC works." It's not exactly an insult. And I'm sure you're not the first person to buy in to DVC without possibly knowing (indeed, without caring) that you have some options to trade your points for a vacation outside of the Disney parks. After all, you're buying DVC to stay at WDW, any other options would be icing on the cake.

I'm also sure there are plenty of DVC members who, if they plan to vacation elsewhere, bank their points instead of using them for a trade, finances permitting, and then use the banked points for a even bigger WDW the following year.

I really don't think it was meant as an insult, so please don't take it as such.

But to repeat what others have said, DVC and RCI have trading going on, but generally speaking, there are WAY more RCI members trying to get into DVC than DVC members trying to get into RCI. RCI members often get waitlisted. Not saying it's impossible, just not always going to happen to everyone trying to get in.