# RCI to DVC availability for HGVC



## IslaTurbine (Jul 16, 2013)

Hello everyone. Noob to the forums but have been doing quite a bit of research on timeshares, particularly HGVC. I've searched all over for an answer to this, but couldn't seem to find what I was looking for. I'm hoping some of you savvy TUGgers can help me out. 

My wife and I are looking into purchasing a property, either a HGVC or DVC. The main reason I'm leaning towards Hilton is because you own the property forever (as opposed to a long lease at DVC), have access to more in-property resorts, and the resale prices are much cheaper. While saying that, I imagine it wouldn't be uncommon for us to use the RCI system to get a place at Disney (maybe 1 week every 2 or 3 years).

My question is how hard is it to secure DVC reservations through RCI? I get the impression from some forum posts that it can be hard to get anything. Does anyone have any personal experiences with this?

TIA for any info.


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## presley (Jul 16, 2013)

If you put in a request for DVC far enough in advance and you aren't picky about which resort, I think you'll be able to trade your HGVC for DVC fairly easily.


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## vacationhopeful (Jul 16, 2013)

DVC was much easier to get via RCI last year and the year before. Yes, you can still come up with studios and 1 bedroom unit in some of the resorts in non holiday times.

So the real questions are: do you need a 2bdr unit (larger like 3bdrs are about impossible)?
So you need ONLY or mostly Holiday weeks - like Christmas, Easter or the month of March? Do you want the newest resorts ( Grand Californian, Bay Lake Towers)?

Any "YES" answers above reflect the RIGHT NOW you won't get that thru RCI - but if you can live with the other options and pay the $95 Disney fee and the exchange fee and your deposit ... with planning and the "I am not picky" attitude, DVC is doable with luck.

Exchanging is risky - rules can change. 

PS I have 2 exchange weeks booked DVC for late next month. I was there in mid May for a week, also. This is my lucky DVC year - I did buy an AP with my DVC owner's discount. And I rented 4 years worth of DVC points out to others - all evil things I have learn on these boards.


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## Asl18940 (Jul 16, 2013)

Usually the trades you get through RCI or SFX are for Dixie Landings, but not for the Beach Club, Boardwalk or other premier level DVC resorts at Disneyworld.  IT takes forever by bus from Dixie Landings, so we actually found it easier to stay at HGVC International Drive.  Honestly, I do not think you'll get the better DVC resorts through a trade.


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## holdaer (Jul 16, 2013)

For what it's worth, in the HGVC RCI reservation portal, there is a 1BR available at Disney's Vero Beach Resort #DV07 during the 2nd week of December.  I've seen availability at the resort during the year as well.


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## IslaTurbine (Jul 16, 2013)

holdaer said:


> For what it's worth, in the HGVC RCI reservation portal, there is a 1BR available at Disney's Vero Beach Resort #DV07 during the 2nd week of December.  I've seen availability at the resort during the year as well.



Everyone's replies have been very helpful. Thank you. 

Fwiw, I should have mentioned that we are only intersted in doing RCI reservations with DVC resorts on property at Disney World.


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## Myxdvz (Jul 17, 2013)

If your main usage is to trade/exchange with RCI - there are other cheaper timeshares than HGVC, IMO.

If you're only going to trade occasionally, then it might make sense - just know that most resorts in RCI are not in the same quality as DVCs or HGVCs.

The DVC deposits I've seen so far are either SSR or OKW. They are immediately picked up though - so unless you have OGS, you might miss them.


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## itradehilton (Jul 19, 2013)

If you are a planner and look at the RCI website often when it is near DVC deposit time-frames you can book DVC resorts. This summer my family took a 3 week trip and 2 of the weeks were at the BWK and the 3rd week was at SSR.


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## NoeGirl160 (Jul 19, 2013)

itradehilton said:


> If you are a planner and look at the RCI website often when it is near DVC deposit time-frames ...



What/when are the DVC deposit time-frames? Thanks!


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## gnorth16 (Jul 20, 2013)

I traded 3400 hgvc points for a 1BR Animal Kindom Lodge this past April.  In Kidani Village, we looked out over the Savanna and saw animals every day.  The kids say it was the best vacation ever, even beating out Colorado in the Summer.  As for the $95 fee, considering the parking at all DW parks are free as are the shuttles to all of them, it is well worth the addition cost (even if it is "unfair" to exchangers).

Within the RCI portal, an ongoing search can be made.  I am not sure if it takes your points now or when the week is actually booked and paid for. This will help get a 2BR if your search is fairly broad and you don't expect special weeks.


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## IslaTurbine (Jul 20, 2013)

gnorth16 said:


> As for the $95 fee, considering the parking at all DW parks are free as are the shuttles to all of them, it is well worth the addition cost (even if it is "unfair" to exchangers).



Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there also some $199 fee for RCI exchanges? Or am I mistaken?


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## presley (Jul 20, 2013)

IslaTurbine said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there also some $199 fee for RCI exchanges? Or am I mistaken?



That is the exchange fee for RCI.
If you use DVC points to exchange in RCI, the cost is lowered to $95.00.
The $95.00 resort fee gets paid directly to the resort.


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## gnorth16 (Jul 20, 2013)

IslaTurbine said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there also some $199 fee for RCI exchanges? Or am I mistaken?



Yes.  $199 for an exchange and $95 directly to DVC when you check in. Include the cost of 3400 points in MF's, it was around $800 for the week. Obviously less if you own platinum HGVC.


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## Matman (Jul 21, 2013)

*RCI availability through HGVC*

When exchanging to RCI through HGVC, do we have a limited number of resorts available to us?

I logged onto my HGVC site and reviewed the RCI portal.
My friend logged directly into their RCI account (Throught RCI) and had many more resorts listed.

If we are limited through HGVC, what is the critiria for which are listed and which are not?

Thanks
Matt


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## alwysonvac (Jul 21, 2013)

Matman said:


> When exchanging to RCI through HGVC, do we have a limited number of resorts available to us?
> 
> I logged onto my HGVC site and reviewed the RCI portal.
> My friend logged directly into their RCI account (Throught RCI) and had many more resorts listed.
> ...



HGVC has a quality filter so all RCI resorts are not displayed.
*However *there are also some unexplained issues preventing HGVC members from seeing everything available in RCI

See this old comparison post - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150094


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## littlestar (Jul 21, 2013)

I'd consider owning both.  We own a small amount of DVC points that we bank or can borrow every two or three years for trips and resale Wyndham points that could be used to trade back into RCI for a DVC.  But I didn't buy those Wyndham points just for the possibility of doing that.  I bought the Wyndham points because I like the Wyndham resorts/locations on the east coast (places I want to go) and also really like Wyndham's flagship Orlando resort, Wyndham Bonnet Creek, that sits next to Disney's Caribbean Beach resort basically on the boundaries of Disney property. 

HGVC has beautiful properties in Orlando - Parc Soleil (which I love), HGVC on International Drive next to the outlet, and HGVC Seaworld.  And of course, the great Hawaii properties.  I'd only buy HGVC if you love their resort/locations and would use HGVC within their own mini system. 

As someone previously mentioned, things can change.  DVC started out with RCI, then changed to trading with Interval International, then went back to RCI.  So don't buy HGVC thinking you can always trade into DVC.  And if you are tied to school schedules, then I'd definitely own some DVC points if that's where you want to be or if you have certain smaller DVC resorts you want to stay at.


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## alwysonvac (Jul 21, 2013)

There are lots of DVC deposits in both RCI Weeks and RCI Points. It's currently not hard to exchange into the DVC Resorts via RCI but as mentioned above rules can changed. 

There have been DVC deposits in RCI for all of the WDW resorts (including Bay Lake), Vero Beach, Hilton Head and Disneyland's Grand Californian. _NOTE: Aulani deposits haven't been sighted yet._
TUG Members can search the TUG Sightings Forum for DVC sightings - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3

However if you have your heart set on a specific DVC resort/room category and/or if you're extremely limited in your travel dates, it's best to buy a small number of DVC points to have the flexibility to book exactly what you want.
NOTE: DVC provides a lot of flexibility. With DVC you can stay any number of nights and check-in any day of the week. You can also bank and borrow DVC points to go every two or three years.

Keep in mind that there is more RCI availability at DisneyWorld at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR) and Disney's Old Key West (OKW) simply because these are the two largest DVC resorts. In addition, the Grand Californian at Disneyland is the smallest DVC Resort with least amount of available rooms (23 Dedicated 2BR villas, 23 Lockoffs and 2 Grand Villas for a total of 48 villas). So I won't expect to see a lot of RCI availability at the Grand Californian 

Number of villas at each DVC Resort - http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43063852&postcount=3

Because of the high demand, you will not see DVC resorts available online in RCI for long. These are booked within minutes especially the two bedrooms & rare three bedrooms. So it's best to place an Ongoing Search Request with RCI to snag these units as soon as they become available. What's available online are the leftovers after all ongoing search request have been satisfied. 
NOTE: Ongoing Searches only apply to RCI Weeks inventory. A manual search is required for DVC deposits in RCI Points inventory. 

Good Luck


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## Deb & Bill (Jul 26, 2013)

Asl18940 said:


> Usually the trades you get through RCI or SFX are for Dixie Landings, but not for the Beach Club, Boardwalk or other premier level DVC resorts at Disneyworld.  IT takes forever by bus from Dixie Landings, so we actually found it easier to stay at HGVC International Drive.  Honestly, I do not think you'll get the better DVC resorts through a trade.



You are never going to get "Dixie Landings" through RCI at WDW because "Dixie Landings" is now Port Orleans Riverside and it isn't a DVC resort.  It's a moderate WDW hotel. 

You might mean Old Key West or Saratoga Springs, which are both DVC resorts with no hotel connected.  So they are 100% DVC.  Both are condominium style resorts with multiple buildings.  And taking a bus from either of these two resort to the Magic Kingdom is probably quicker than catching a bus from Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club Villas.


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## itradehilton (Jul 27, 2013)

DVC shows up about 7 months out. Just check once a week until the date you want gets closer then check daily. Also I had an ongoing search. By checking daily near the time slot you might pick up a points week.


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## IslaTurbine (Jul 27, 2013)

I think we've decided that we will be using DVC a fair amount so at this point it makes more sense to purchase a resale there than via HGVC. 

Thanks for everyone's input.


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## Asl18940 (Jul 28, 2013)

Deb & Bill said:


> You are never going to get "Dixie Landings" through RCI at WDW because "Dixie Landings" is now Port Orleans Riverside and it isn't a DVC resort.  It's a moderate WDW hotel.
> 
> You might mean Old Key West or Saratoga Springs, which are both DVC resorts with no hotel connected.  So they are 100% DVC.  Both are condominium style resorts with multiple buildings.  And taking a bus from either of these two resort to the Magic Kingdom is probably quicker than catching a bus from Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club Villas.



That is what I meant.  However, what I really meant is that they aren't the same caliber as the beach club, boardwalk, etc.


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## PearlCity (Jul 28, 2013)

Why not get a small Dvc contract. Enough points to bank.and.borrow for a trip.every three years and a small hgvc contract? Then you can.have east access to both without a huge upfront cost? Then you won't.have to worry about exchange fees..trading, etc


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## IslaTurbine (Jul 29, 2013)

PearlCity said:


> Why not get a small Dvc contract. Enough points to bank.and.borrow for a trip.every three years and a small hgvc contract? Then you can.have east access to both without a huge upfront cost? Then you won't.have to worry about exchange fees..trading, etc



Yes that's a great idea and one we may do. I think we'll initially buy resale of 100 points or less DVC and then eventually do 4800 to 7000 at Hilton.


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## rfc0001 (Jul 31, 2013)

*HGVC and DVC owner*

I've been a HGVC owner for 5+ years & have exchanged into DVC 5 times so can provide some real world experience booking DVC through RCI. Also, I recently purchased a DVC resale, so can explain why you would want/need to own DVC to book, as well provide some comparison between the two.

DVC deposits inventory in bulk into RCI typically 6-7 months out. These fill ongoing searches first, but typically there is enough inventory left over that that you’ll see 10+ units available in WDW for the given timeframe across multiple resorts (including AKL, BLT, VWL, etc.). So, my advice is create an ongoing search for as many resort IDs/dates/room sizes as you would be comfortable accepting. With kids in school this is hard, so I would create single ongoing search with all the DVC WDW resort IDs (DV01, DV02, DV03, DV05, DV06, DV08, DV09) for all the dates you would consider going (e.g. Friday-Sunday check-in spring break week plus any check-in 5/29-7/31). You can also search for 3 & 4-night weekends using DV35 (3-night OKW) & DV45 (4-night OKW), for long weekends (e.g. Memorial Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, fall break).

Pick the minimum room size you would accept since ongoing searches are for minimum room size, so larger rooms wills still match. You can always release a match, worse case, so better to have the option. For the 5 reservations I’ve gotten 3 of the 5 were in Sept-Oct, so if you can go off season I think you have better chances. However 2 of the 5 were in June, during prime summer season, so it’s not impossible to get more restrictive dates. Note, if you don’t have an ongoing search, & happen to see a large deposit of WDW inventory, it is still worth creating a search after the fact if the exact resort/date you want isn’t available as inventory will still trickle through as ongoing searches are released or expire. One tip, make sure to check in on Disney.com 60 day prior to your arrival so you can request room types – e.g. savannah view for AKL).

A couple gotchas – RCI only allows searches for weeks, so all reservations are 7 days. This can be limiting since you want to maximize your visit, e.g. if you are flying in for spring break where a Fri-Sun stay would be more ideal (9 nights). If you ask the resort to extend your stay, they’ll charge book rates, which are $400+/night, so you’ll quickly lose the value of your exchange. One option is to book a second reservation through Disney directly (online minimum one day in advance or over the phone), which typically is about 60% book rate, which as long as you book the same room type you can stay in the same room. Also, 1 week stays don’t work for shorter stays. There is a special 3-day & 4-day OKW resort code, but I’ve never seen those available, & OKW is not an ideal location.

This brings us to one case where owning with DVC is required—if you want to book fewer or more nights, you really need to own at DVC. Also, owning at DVC allows you to book specific weeks & resorts rather than having to be flexible with dates & resorts through RCI. You can book your home resort 11 months out & all resorts 7 months out. Desirable units (e.g. VGF studio, BLT studio, VWL studio) typically go on the first day of the 7 month window, but you can still typically book any resort/date/room type if you book exactly at 7 months. I typically book my home resort at 11 months, then cancel & rebook at 7 months for the resort I really want. Also, if you’re desired resort/date/room type isn’t available you can book an available resort then create a Waitlist for your desired resort/date/room which can automatically replace your original reservation if filled (note, unlike RCI ongoing searches, DVC Waitlists fill overnight *after* inventory is generally available to someone searching online).

Conversely, booking HGVC through DVC RCI Exchange is equally difficult & requires flexibility in dates & resorts. So, the best advice in timeshares is buy where you want to stay most (either networks in general, or the specific resort within a network). Owning HGVC will allow you to book any HGVC any time at the 9 month window. Likewise, owning DVC allows you to book any DVC at 7 months. Owning a specific resort allows you to book at 12 months with HGVC (same room type/season as you own) or 11 months with DVC (any room type/season as long as you have enough DVC points *for that specific resort*).

Some other differences – DVC has a $99 RCI exchange fee & no Guest Certificate fee (versus $199 and $59 for HGVC), *however* DVC only has access to a few hundred RCI resorts (all gold & silver crown), to restrict who can exchange into DVC. Also, DVC members don’t have access to RCI Ongoing Searches (this is a huge disadvantage). Instead they have RCI “Waitlists” which work like DVC Waitlists – if a match is found it is automatically booked, forfeiting your Exchange Fee & even worse, automatically depositing your DVC points into RCI even if you cancel (whereas with Ongoing Searches you normally have the ability to confirm/release a match prior to any points/fee being consumed). There are also little differences like reservations systems for in-network reservations -- with DVC you have to search for every date/DVC resort/room type individually vs. HGVC allows you to search HGVC resorts by region & just move the date slider to see available inventory across room types for the next 9-12 months. However, DVC has waitlists for DVC resorts, whereas HGVC doesn't have the equivalent for HGVC resorts.  Also, DVC has no fees for reservations or banking whereas HGVC has a fee for everything. However DVC is more restrictive for points usage -- you have to bank prior to 4 months before points expire, and *can't* borrow banked points.  Also, HGVC has more flexibility to use points for Hilton hotels or convert points to HHonors points.  Conversely, DVC *resales* cannot use points for Disney hotels.  Obviously comparing DVC & HGVC is comparing apples & oranges, but just FYI since you are considering both.

Ultimately, you want to own where you are going to stay.  Exchanging into HGVC in Hawaii is equally difficult as exchanging into DVC.  So, if you want to book in Hawaii frequently, you'll want to own in HGVC (or Marriott, Starwood, etc.)  However, If you want to book in DVC, especially for specific dates or resorts, you'll want to own there.  With resales in both being affordable, I'd suggest just buying the cheapest price per point and maintenance fees in both (E.g. Las Vegas for HGVC and Saratoga for DVC) and buy enough points to say every other year at each.  Note DVC isn't purely price/point since various resorts have various contract lengths -- so you really want to compare price per total points (points/yr * yrs), or if you want to be real fancy, total price per total point (purchase price + maint fees * yrs)/(points/yr * yrs) to find the best value.  Saratoga always will come out on top, so just focus on that and look for $60-$70/pt paying attention to # of points available (adjust total points in above formula to compare value of two properties).  Disneydvcresale.com is good meta search engine for DVC resales.  ResalesDVC.com and fidelityresales.com have some of the best listings and buyer fees.

Good luck!


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## efalkowski (Jul 31, 2013)

I just became a first-time timeshare owner with HGVC. One thing that really sold me was the ability to exchange into DVC resorts. I have 4 young kids, so this is ideal. About 3 months ago I set up an ongoing search for all dvc codes in a minimum 1 bedroom for the 1st week this November (NJ week, as they call it!). I must have hit it right at the bulk deposit timeframe because I got 2 matches within the 1st few weeks, plus is seemed that resorts were showing up daily for all kinds of timeframes ....I was checking everyday and it was exciting!   However, they were for 1 bedroom units, and technically we would be over occupancy, so I decided to throw them back and change my search to a 2 bedroom minimum.  Since then, I have seen nothing!!!  No matches and nothing is sitting out on the RCI site at all.  Has the well dried up?

For all of you experienced dvc traders out there..... will the requirement of a 2 bedroom be a huge problem for me? I would be more than happy in a 1 bedroom (almost 900 sq ft at OKW!), but I know Disney has rules, and I don't want to cause issues with tickets, extra magic hours, etc.... by "sneaking" in my 4th child. From my limited experience, it appears that DVC deposits mostly 1 bedrooms.  Any advice?


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## IslaTurbine (Jul 31, 2013)

rfc0001 said:


> Good luck!



Thanks for the thorough post! Very helpful.


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## JenMuse (Jul 31, 2013)

Well, I just called and had HGVC set up my first ongoing RCI search for any/all DVC resorts in Oct 2014. I'll be sure to let y'all know what they find for me.


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## rfc0001 (Jul 31, 2013)

efalkowski said:


> I just became a first-time timeshare owner with HGVC. One thing that really sold me was the ability to exchange into DVC resorts. I have 4 young kids, so this is ideal.


I agree!-- the savings of our 5 exchanges into DVC vs. renting the same units from Disney pretty much "paid" for our HGVC ownership.  However, the fun ends once your kids are in school and your window for exchanges narrows to 2 months in the summer (peak season) plus spring break, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, fall break, etc.  This is why we bought a DVC resale in addition to HGVC -- it gives us more flexibility to book several short trips rather than 1 or 2 week long trips, plus resort selection is 1000% better -- booking MK resorts (VGF, VWL, BLT) makes a huge difference in your vacation -- it's so much more relaxing to take a boat/monorail everywhere than to get in a car or bus and drive.  It really changes the feel/enjoyment of the vacation.  So, DVC allows us to get those resorts no problem.  Also, my wife/girls loves the savannah view at AKL which there is no way to guarantee with RCI.  Also, owning at DVC allows us to get discounted APs and TIW (20% discount at all restaurants which is a better deal than DDP), then we can just book several short trips through the year and only pay for plane/gas since lodging and tickets are already paid for.  Before, we had to book 1 or 2 weeks through RCI and do it all in one big bang, and have limited choice in weeks/resorts.  So, for us, its a lot more relaxing to do Disney in a bunch of short trips (spring break, fall break, labor day, etc), then save the summer for somewhere else. I'm no knocking doing it the way your doing it because you absolutely should take advantage of the RCI exchanges while your kids are young and you have the flexibility -- just explaining why owning direct still makes sense especially once you get addicted after all the RCI exchanges! 



> For all of you experienced dvc traders out there..... will the requirement of a 2 bedroom be a huge problem for me? I would be more than happy in a 1 bedroom (almost 900 sq ft at OKW!), but I know Disney has rules, and I don't want to cause issues with tickets, extra magic hours, etc.... by "sneaking" in my 4th child. From my limited experience, it appears that DVC deposits mostly 1 bedrooms.  Any advice?


If one child is under 3, then you can have 6 people in a 1 bdrm.  Otherwise, officially you cannot.


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## rfc0001 (Jul 31, 2013)

IslaTurbine said:


> Thanks for the thorough post! Very helpful.


Thanks!  I'm glad I could share my experience and help someone else out in a similar situation.  BTW, buying resales is a slow process, and can be frustrating as well priced DVC resales go *fast*.  You get real good about figuring out what days new listings are posted at various brokers, and they get to know you real well   It's worth it though, so good luck!


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## alwysonvac (Aug 1, 2013)

OP just remember whatever you decide, you're not stuck with your decision forever. You can always sell and buy something else as your needs change over the years or as you learn more about timeshares from TUG.

For example, I first bought DVC in 2004. I later learned tips about exchanging from TUG. Bought WorldMark in 2007 and started trading into DVC via Interval International when the exchange fee only cost $139 and there was no Disney Resort Fee. 

Since I have the flexibility of traveling anytime during the year and it was so easy to trade in and cheaper, I sold most of my DVC points except for 50 DVC points. Having a few DVC points allowed me to extend my DVC exchanges by a day or two and it also allowed me to have DVC points transferred into my account from other DVC members (which is a great option with DVC). I've purchased additional points from other DVC members and had their point transfers into my account to book a few days in a Grand Villa for my extended family. Although DVC point transfers are now limited to one transfer in or out per Use Year.

DVC is expensive compared to HGVC. You're going to pay more to have the flexibility to stay where you want and when you want with DVC. So only buy enough DVC for your planned DVC stays. 

Here's my old 2009 post that compares the cost of Disney to HGVC (see post 23 & 25) - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106963 
Of course prices have changed since 2009 but you can get the general idea  from the post.

With Exchanges, the key is to plan early and be flexible. The more restrictive your dates are the more flexible you need to be regarding resorts and dates. For example, if you're looking to visit when the kids are out of school then you'll be competing with lots of other families looking for two bedrooms. (NOTE: One bedrooms and studios are easier to get). So during peak travel times, you need to select the widest date range possible and allow as many resorts as possible in your search criteria. Also, you need to get in the RCI queue early by submitting your ongoing search request as early as possible (RCI request can be up to two years in advance).

You're most likely to get a two bedroom exchange in summer than during Spring break or XMAS/NYE break. However it never hurts to try to get an exchange since the point requirements for DVC members during these peak travel times is extremely high. The odds are better for a studio or one bedroom during Spring Break or XMAS/NYE break.

NOTE: There are folks who have booked back to back weeks in the summer at Disney via an exchange however it's most likely to occur at the larger resort like Saratoga Springs and Old Key West. 
See these threads - 
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182031
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177105

Fast Forward to 2013 and Disney is now with RCI (instead of II) and now the fee to exchange into Disney is close to $300 ($199 for RCI's Exchange Fee plus $95 for Disney's Resort Fee) and fees will continue to rise. 

In 2013, I broke down and bought additional DVC points to gain access to Aulani for a 2014 trip. I don't plan to hold onto to these additional DVC points for long (no more than 5 years). However now that DVC has an online reservation system it's very tempting to hang onto to these points after seeing all of the online availability at various resorts . 

If you decide to buy Disney, here are two dedicated Disney forums you'll want to hang out to learn more. They both have rental forums as well:
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7
http://www.mouseowners.com/forums/

Good Luck


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## alwysonvac (Aug 1, 2013)

efalkowski said:


> I just became a first-time timeshare owner with HGVC. One thing that really sold me was the ability to exchange into DVC resorts. I have 4 young kids, so this is ideal. About 3 months ago I set up an ongoing search for all dvc codes in a minimum 1 bedroom for the 1st week this November (NJ week, as they call it!). I must have hit it right at the bulk deposit timeframe because I got 2 matches within the 1st few weeks, plus is seemed that resorts were showing up daily for all kinds of timeframes ....I was checking everyday and it was exciting!   However, they were for 1 bedroom units, and technically we would be over occupancy, so I decided to throw them back and change my search to a 2 bedroom minimum.  Since then, I have seen nothing!!!  No matches and nothing is sitting out on the RCI site at all.  Has the well dried up?
> 
> For all of you experienced dvc traders out there..... will the requirement of a 2 bedroom be a huge problem for me? I would be more than happy in a 1 bedroom (almost 900 sq ft at OKW!), but I know Disney has rules, and I don't want to cause issues with tickets, extra magic hours, etc.... by "sneaking" in my 4th child. From my limited experience, it appears that DVC deposits mostly 1 bedrooms.  Any advice?



Too bad you didn't setup your initial search for a two bedroom, you may have gotten the two bedroom then instead of the one bedrooms you threw back. Keep in mind that you're not the only one looking for a two bedroom during Jersey Week. You may have lost your opportunity but keep the search going. 

Make sure your ongoing search request includes all available DVC resorts since your search request is restricted to one specific week. I would make backup reservations with HGVC (if you haven't already). If you get a match just make sure you cancel the HGVC reservation before confirming the DVC exchange reservation.

Continue to check daily for RCI points availability but remember two bedrooms are in high demand and they are first to be grabbed when they become available online.

TIP:If you're planning to go during Jersey week, Spring Break and/or Summer next year put in your RCI request now so you're in the queue for 2014.

Good Luck


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## efalkowski (Aug 1, 2013)

Thanks for all the details.  I had wondered about the "pecking order" for ongoing searches.  If I have a "minimum" request for a 1 bedroom, I thought I would be matched to that size or anything larger.  However, from your last response, I now wonder if a 2 bedroom could have gone to someone else first (before me) if they had "2" as their "minimum".  So, can anyone confirm how it really works? Do you think it goes by date of request, or closest match?  This is one detail that has been a mystery to me!  Thank you!


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## alwysonvac (Aug 1, 2013)

efalkowski said:


> Thanks for all the details.  I had wondered about the "pecking order" for ongoing searches.  If I have a "minimum" request for a 1 bedroom, I thought I would be matched to that size or anything larger.  However, from your last response, I now wonder if a 2 bedroom could have gone to someone else first (before me) if they had "2" as their "minimum".  So, can anyone confirm how it really works? Do you think it goes by date of request, or closest match?  This is one detail that has been a mystery to me!  Thank you!



I don't know if anyone knows the answer for sure  
But I would think that you would get the minimum size available (not the largest).


For example, assuming all things equal....

If three 1bdrm villas and one 2bdrm villa became available for Jersey week, and a RCI member requested a 1 bdrm minimum for Jersey week, I'm assuming the member would get the one bedroom (because it satifies the min rqmt).

If three 2bdrm villas and one 3bdrm became villa available for Jersey week and and only one member requested a 1 bdrm minimum for Jersey week, I'm assuming the member would get the two bedroom (because that's the smallest villa currently available and it's satifies the min rqmt).

Now if one 1bdrm villa and two 2bdrm villas became available for November, and only two members requested a 1 bdrm minimum for November, I would hope the earlier requestor would get the 2bdrm villa and the later requestor the 1bdrm villa.

But again who knows for sure 
Just make sure you request the minimum size you need going forward


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## Deb & Bill (Aug 3, 2013)

rfc0001 said:


> ...If one child is under 3, then you can have 6 people in a 1 bdrm.  Otherwise, officially you cannot.



No, you cannot.  Only OKW, BLT and AKV (non-value villa) officially sleep five plus one under the age of three.  BCV, BWV, SSR, VWL all officially sleep four plus one, but DVC will allow you to have a fifth person.  BUT, not a sixth person in those villas.  They only have one king sized bed and one queen sized sleeper sofa.  You have to provide the sleeping space (like an aerobed) for your fifth person.  DVC will not provide anything for the fifth person.  No extra bath towels (you'll only get four in those one bedroom villas).


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## rfc0001 (Aug 3, 2013)

Deb & Bill said:


> No, you cannot.  Only OKW, BLT and AKV (non-value villa) officially sleep five plus one under the age of three.  BCV, BWV, SSR, VWL all officially sleep four plus one, but DVC will allow you to have a fifth person.  BUT, not a sixth person in those villas.  They only have one king sized bed and one queen sized sleeper sofa.  You have to provide the sleeping space (like an aerobed) for your fifth person.  DVC will not provide anything for the fifth person.  No extra bath towels (you'll only get four in those one bedroom villas).


According to latest information on https://dvc.disney.go.com/members/destinations/vacation-club-resorts/vacation-club-resorts-overview:

BLT: "Sleeps up to 5 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, 1 sleeper chair"
AKL - Jambo: "Sleeps up to 5 (Value rooms sleep 4) -  1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, 1 sleeper chair (except Value rooms)"
AKL - Kidani: "Sleeps up to 5 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa and 1 sleeper chair"
BCV: "Sleeps up to 4 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa"
BWV: "Sleeps up to 4 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa"
OKW: "Sleeps up to 5 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, 1 sleeper chair "
SSR: "Sleeps up to 4 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa "
VGF: "Sleeps up to 5 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa, 1 pull-down "
VWL: "Sleeps up to 4 - 1 king-size bed, 1 queen-size sleeper sofa "
So, all but BCV, BWV, SSR, and VWL *sleep* 5, however all can be booked for up to 5 adults.  According to the DVC ressie system BCV, BWV, SSR, and VWL "Sleeps 4 – 5th guest can be accomodated, but must provide their own bedding and linens".  Also, the DVC ressie system *does* allow a 6th child *under 3* for *all* of the above resorts, including those that only sleep 4.

Keep in mind, according to RCI's resort directory, all DVC 1 bdrm units only accommodate 4, so when putting in an ongoing search, make sure *not* to enter more than 4 for a 1 bdrm search -- otherwise it won't match.  Once confirmed, you have to call DVC anyways to provide guest names, so can add the additional guest and/or infant at that time.


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