Exchanging for Disney Orlando area

[Daddyaus]

Has anyone used their Wyndham points to exchange for Disney resorts ie. Saratoga Springs, Old Key West etc?

If so, how many points were required?

 

[bendadin]

Usually 105K or 77K in Value. It will most likely be SSR. The exchange fee is $230 (if that isn't increasing) and Disney charges $190 at check in.

 

[Daddyaus]

Great - thanks. Is there year round availability at SSR?

 

[bendadin]

Great - thanks. Is there year round availability at SSR?

If you put it in an OGS, it will match and match and match even when you throw it back. It does show up in a plain old search often. I burned a pretty old OGS when I made a match, and then it continued to show up in available inventory. I don't travel during prime seasons, so I wouldn't burn a match for SSR again. You just have to pop over and look. Or throw a match back and wait for it to show up in the Wyndham portal. That being said, RCI points and weeks accounts see better availability and at more resorts.

 

[tschwa2]

Don't expect anything larger than a 1 br. Even if there are 400-500 deposits all together throughout the year, you are competing against all RCI members who are also requesting DVC. In addition to the exchange fee there is a fee upon check in which I think is around $200.

 

[uscav8r]

You can always opt for Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It is almost as convenient to WDW as the DVC resorts and you don't have to worry about extra RCI or DVC fees.


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[bendadin]

You can always opt for Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It is almost as convenient to WDW as the DVC resorts and you don't have to worry about extra RCI or DVC fees.


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I think that it is more convenient. It takes 15 minutes for the SSR bus to make it over to Chelonia Parkway. So no resort fee covers the rental car. And we have Gold AP so parking is free. This new Express transportation is fabulous. So my new Disney plan will be to stay at Bonnet Creek, drive the mile to HS, and use Express Transportation. My worse case has me taking a Boardwalk bus from late night hours and walking over to HS.

 

[dagger1]

I think that it is more convenient. It takes 15 minutes for the SSR bus to make it over to Chelonia Parkway. So no resort fee covers the rental car. And we have Gold AP so parking is free. This new Express transportation is fabulous. So my new Disney plan will be to stay at Bonnet Creek, drive the mile to HS, and use Express Transportation. My worse case has me taking a Boardwalk bus from late night hours and walking over to HS.

Does your plan work if you have someone in a wheelchair in your party?

 

[bendadin]

Does your plan work if you have someone in a wheelchair in your party?

Yes as I do have a wheelchair in my party. She can transfer, though.

 

[dagger1]

Yes as I do have a wheelchair in my party. She can transfer, though.

Great, thanks! We will at Bonnet Creek Christmas...

 

[Daddyaus]

Don't expect anything larger than a 1 br. Even if there are 400-500 deposits all together throughout the year, you are competing against all RCI members who are also requesting DVC. In addition to the exchange fee there is a fee upon check in which I think is around $200.

1 br is fine for us. Are they readily available?

 

[paxsarah]

They are. There is an ongoing thread on the Sightings/Distressed forum for DVC matches, as well as regular sightings of SSR when it shows up in open inventory. The best way to ensure the weeks/timeframe you want is to set up an ongoing search.

As far as the number of points necessary, you can check the points needed for a specific week by checking other 1BRs at Orlando resorts for the dates you want, even if no DVC is currently available. All of the Orlando resorts will require the same points on the same week, including DVC. You don't have to deposit the points until you make an OGS match, though if you're looking to snatch something out of open inventory I guess it would help to have the points already deposited. I've only ever used OGS to confirm a DVC exchange, so I don't know.

 

[bendadin]

Great, thanks! We will at Bonnet Creek Christmas...

If you drive, have at least one person get an annual pass (that gets you the free parking if you are doing a lot of Disney.) I think that Bonnet Creek charges $8 per person round trip for their shuttle (daily.) I can't imagine that Uber can be all that much but then there is getting in from MCO.

For the Express Transportation, they were standard buses that will load wheelchairs/ECV. If you haven't looked into it, the DAS program at Disney is excellent. We will be trying out Universal's disability service in a few months.

 

[dagger1]

If you drive, have at least one person get an annual pass (that gets you the free parking if you are doing a lot of Disney.) I think that Bonnet Creek charges $8 per person round trip for their shuttle (daily.) I can't imagine that Uber can be all that much but then there is getting in from MCO.

For the Express Transportation, they were standard buses that will load wheelchairs/ECV. If you haven't looked into it, the DAS program at Disney is excellent. We will be trying out Universal's disability service in a few months.

Thanks (again)!!! We will be driving, there will be 18 of us (seven of us driving.) My wife is in a wheelchair, she can transfer ( with assistance) into cars, but not buses or trolleys. We will give it a try!!

 

[Jan M.]

Thanks (again)!!! We will be driving, there will be 18 of us (seven of us driving.) My wife is in a wheelchair, she can transfer ( with assistance) into cars, but not buses or trolleys. We will give it a try!!

The Disney buses have ramps they lower for scooters and wheelchairs. If you are staying at Bonnet Creek it is very easy to park at one of the stops at the Caribbean Beach Resort and take the Disney buses to the Parks. Just make sure you remember which stop you parked at! When you enter the resort just tell them you are visiting friends staying there, park your car and wait for the bus to the Park of your choice.

 

[staceyeileen]

Has anyone used their Wyndham points to exchange for Disney resorts ie. Saratoga Springs, Old Key West etc?

If so, how many points were required?

Wyndham deposits into RCI operate on a fixed points grid based solely on unit size and season, regardless of location. You can view this grid right on the same page where you deposit your points to RCI. Here's a screen grab:

 

[pnkrockprincess]

1 br is fine for us. Are they readily available?

I definitely wouldn't call them "readily available" There has been a little more availability in the last year since they increased the resort fee at check in to $195. But, DVC is one of if not THE most highly sought after trade in RCI. You need to put your ongoing search in as soon as possible. And be flexible with dates and don't need to travel during school holidays. Or if you need to plan more than about 4 months out (DVC has been depositing about 4 months out).

A "bulk" deposit (5-10 units) sometimes sits for a couple of hours, but that's it. If you're hoping to just log in whenever and have a choice of check in dates, that isn't going to happen.

Exchanging into DVC can be done, but it isn't easy.

 

[paxsarah]

I'd say it's fairly easy with a bit of flexibility and an ongoing search. With two searches going, I've hit with multiple resorts in May 2016 and March 2017. But correct, not easy if you expect to snatch exchanges sitting in open inventory.