DVC to affiliate with RCI! [MERGED]

[bnoble]

Why would he, when he can buy a cheap RCI trader or RCI points at a much lower cost and get the same (limited) trade opportunities.

He could have done that in Interval, too---I know, because I own several. On that score, nothing has changed.

 

[ondeadlin]

RCI/II debate aside, we're neighbors!

Don't totally disagree with your point - it's what I do - but II's quality filter makes the strategy somewhat harder in that system and, again, there's simply more high-quality inventory in II (imo).

 

[rickandcindy23]

Sounds like RCI really cut DVC a great deal behind the scenes, and Disney is under serious financial pressure right now (just heard a story on NPR this morning about how, for the first time every, the parks are really being crushed by the recession).

All that said, this is short-term thinking that will come back to bite them.

As soon as DVC members start exchanging into RCI resorts and encounter the huge quality gap, complaints will go through the roof.

I expect they'll be back with II eventually, but not very quickly, because there's no doubt been a contract signed. Five years would be my prediction.

The contracts are ten years.

I don't think the change is so terrible, but we own RCI points, and I believe that is where all the DVC inventory will be. There is a cheap way to get RCI points, through Club Trinidad (isn't that the name of Bill's resort?), and he is going to have the product, for those who are interested.

No sense crying over spilled milk. My timeshare portfolio is in a constant state of change.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Luxury Timeshare Accommodations At Motel 6 & Super 8 Rates.

RCI all the way.

Using various non-branded timeshares as RCI trade bait, we've exchanged into HGVC Sea World (September 2004 or maybe 2005 -- it gets hard to remember), BlueGreen's Resort At Golf World Village (January 2008), Sheraton's Vistana Orlando (January 2003), & Club IntraWest Sandestin (January 2009).

Via RCI, we've traded into other timeshares as well, including 1 (The Colonnade, Branson MO) that is a converted hotel & is still very nice.

I'm not ready to make a hard & fast pronouncement, but I am starting to suspect that the quality difference between the prestige high-end timeshares on the 1 hand & just the regular timeshares on the other hand might not always be everything it's cracked up to be.

We have about $5,500 tied up in 4 (resale) timeshares. It's hard to imagine that somebody who has 7 or 8 times that much money tied up in 1 top-rated timeshare gets accommodations that are 7 or 8 times nicer.

I'm not saying it's not possible, just that on the basis of my limited experience it sure seems unlikely.

Meanwhile, all that matters to me is whether I like my timeshares. Mox nix what anybody else thinks -- just as it's mox nix what I think about other people's timeshares.

Putting it another way, my enjoyment of my timeshares -- & others I am fortunate enough to trade into -- is completely independent of other people's timeshare experience. And vice versa.

Here's hoping everybody is as satisfied with his or her timeshares as The Chief Of Staff & I are with ours.

Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[CaliDave]

I think this is great news, I always have much better luck getting what I want in RCI. Inventory is so much better than II.. and 90% of my vacations are vacation I can pretty much only get with RCI.

I have been a member of both for years and RCI is far and away a better exchange company.

II has Marriott and that's the only reason I use II.

I have never been to a DVC, because I don't travel to Florida.. but with the new DVC in California, hopefully I can pick it up last minute vacations at this resort often.

I'm sure they will have a 1-4 rule, but we can always hope they don't. In fact, thats probably a big reason that DVC switched. They do not want a bunch of people exchanging over and over.. they want new blood to sell to.

I'll wait to see what happens before I get out of RCI points, like I had planned on doing.

 

[ocdb8r]

Of the top 10, 2 are Disney Resorts which will now be RCI, and 5 are Royals in Mexico (one of which exchanges with RCI). Unless you want to go to Mexico every year you will only lose 4 Royals in the top 10 (that is 4 of the same thing in the same county, not a big loss since one is available through RCI), and you will lose 2 -4 seasons resorts out of the top 10. So in RCI you will be able to stay in top 10 resorts in Orlando (on Disney property),Mexico (at one of the royals II has 5 of), and Beaver Creek Colorado (where you can walk to the ski lifts). With II you will be able to stay in Carlsbad Ca (not even on the ocean), Scottsdale AZ (great if you like golf), and Mexico. I like RCI's top ten choices better than II's.

Out of the next 20, 7 will be RCI. Of the other 13 left in II, 8 are Marriotts (which you could only exchange into after Marriott owners had chosen the best weeks for themselves due to their II trade advantage). So as I said the main thing you are losing is picked over Marriott inventory. If Marriott starts their own exchange and pulls out of II, you will be even happier that DVC moved to RCI.

You are focusing on the top 30 where most resorts have always had very limited exchanges available at prime times. If you don't own a top 30 resort, how many years do you actually stay in one of those? Overall RCI has almost double the number of II resorts (4700 RCI vs 2400 in II), and RCI has many more locations than II. To see how many more resorts you get in RCI over II, pull up the Smokey Mountains (24 in RCI, 12 in II), the Florida Panhandle(20 in rci,11 in II), the Florida Keys (11 in RCI,5 in II),and please try comparisons at other locations to compare both the number of resorts available, and the actual resorts themselves. RCI will have almost every resort that II offers (except for Marriott's, Hyatts) to trade for in most areas of the country, but RCI will offer many additional resorts you can't trade for in II. Do a side by side comparison and see. Many II people don't look at anything but Marriott, DVC, and Hyatts when comparing the exchange companies, but in many area of the USA, parts of the Caribbean, several areas in Hawaii, and numerous places in the rest of the world, II doesn't offer a single option that you can't get through RCI, and RCI will give you many options you never had through II.The sky is not falling, you have been forced into a better trading company than II by DVC.

Well, I wouldn't call it propaganda like a previous poster, but I do agree that the analysis is a bit off. My take:

#1 Mexico - The Royal Mayan is the 2nd oldest of the Royals and will soon be going away when the trust expires in 2013. Then there will be NO Royals in RCI. Also, trust me, the Sands and the Hacienda's are the nicest of the 4 (the staff is GREAT at all of them which is why they're in the top 4 but the are not ALL the "same").

#2 Hawaii - You don't mention the Top 30 in Hawaii at all!?!? RCI does offer the Hiltons which I am confident are very nice, but I don't think RCI offers the quality of the Marriott and Westin on Maui. Same goes for Kauai...so overall I'd give II the edge in Maui. (but Maybe it's closer to a wash with Hilton). Also, the ONLY place II doesn't offer a top resort is on the Big Island....

#3 Skiing - You mention the Beaver Creek but I think II would have the advantage in UT and Tahoe (none in Top 30 so maybe doesn't matter), and certainly Avon/Vail.

#4 Caribbean - You also fail to talk about the Caribbean/Bahamas Top 30 at ALL. The Marriott and Starwood presence (Harborside Atlantis) here clearly trumps RCI as RCI has no Top 30 resorts in this area.

#5 Limits - Contrary to your post, it is not impossible to get into most, if not all of these resorts. Even ski weeks at the Marriotts are often available. There have been PLENTY of 4 Seasons units this past year and Hawaii Marriott/Starwood has been almost "easy" to get into. You are just wrong making the assertion that it take a top 30 resort to get into a top 30 resort most of the time. It doesn't...maybe that's your experience with RCI. I personally will be staying at Harborside Atlatis, 2 consecutive weeks Westin Kaanapali, Hyatt Carmel, Mariott Grande Vista in Oralndo, and the Royal Sands and Hacienda's in Mexico...NONE of those trades made with a top 30 resort. Again, maybe top options are not that easy to get with RCI.

#6 Number of locations - I'll give you that. RCI does offer double the resorts and many more locations than II. I just don't know how confident I am about the quality of those options.

Bigger Picture - like I previously posted, I think there are MANY quality resorts in RCI I just don't think it's as easy to know what they are. RCI's rating system is no more objective than II's (I just disagree with you about this one). I DO however believe the Top 30 list could just be skewed to II and the brand names. For the most part it's because there is a level of consistency that helps those reviews....I think there are probably some top notch RCI resorts that just don't get the necessary exposure because they aren't part of a "brand."

 

[gmarine]

If I was a DVC owner I would be furious. All the talk of RCI having more resorts is true, but that wouldnt matter to me. As a DVC owner I would want quality, not quantity. DVC owners spent a lot of $$ to get a top quality resort and they should have the opportunity to trade for the best.

Sure, RCI has some high quality resorts, including Hilton, but they dont have the best, which is what I would want as a DVC owner. Any mediocre resorts in areas that II doesnt have properties could be had more cost effectively by renting.

Arguably the highest quality timeshares are Four Seasons, Marriott, Hyatt and Westin. And especially Harborside at Atlantis. If I was a DVC owner I want access to these resorts. I dont care who has more resorts in a certain area, I deposited the best and I want the best in return.

 

[Twinkstarr]

If I was a DVC owner I would be furious. All the talk of RCI having more resorts is true, but that wouldnt matter to me. As a DVC owner I would want quality, not quantity. DVC owners spent a lot of $$ to get a top quality resort and they should have the opportunity to trade for the best.

Sure, RCI has some high quality resorts, including Hilton, but they dont have the best, which is what I would want as a DVC owner. Any mediocre resorts in areas that II doesnt have properties could be had more cost effectively by renting.

Arguably the highest quality timeshares are Four Seasons, Marriott, Hyatt and Westin. And especially Harborside at Atlantis. If I was a DVC owner I want access to these resorts. I dont care who has more resorts in a certain area, I deposited the best and I want the best in return.

Personally I use my DVC points for my Orlando trips. If DVC was all I owned, I would either rent out my points for a year and get the cash to do the trip I wanted or I would bank my points and either do an extra trip, a longer trip or book a bigger unit.

 

[CaliDave]

Well, I wouldn't call it propaganda like a previous poster, but I do agree that the analysis is a bit off. My take:

#1 Mexico - The Royal Mayan is the 2nd oldest of the Royals and will soon be going away when the trust expires in 2013. Then there will be NO Royals in RCI. Also, trust me, the Sands and the Hacienda's are the nicest of the 4 (the staff is GREAT at all of them which is why they're in the top 4 but the are not ALL the "same").

#2 Hawaii - You don't mention the Top 30 in Hawaii at all!?!? RCI does offer the Hiltons which I am confident are very nice, but I don't think RCI offers the quality of the Marriott and Westin on Maui. Same goes for Kauai...so overall I'd give II the edge in Maui. (but Maybe it's closer to a wash with Hilton). Also, the ONLY place II doesn't offer a top resort is on the Big Island....

#3 Skiing - You mention the Beaver Creek but I think II would have the advantage in UT and Tahoe (none in Top 30 so maybe doesn't matter), and certainly Avon/Vail.

#4 Caribbean - You also fail to talk about the Caribbean/Bahamas Top 30 at ALL. The Marriott and Starwood presence (Harborside Atlantis) here clearly trumps RCI as RCI has no Top 30 resorts in this area.

#5 Limits - Contrary to your post, it is not impossible to get into most, if not all of these resorts. Even ski weeks at the Marriotts are often available. There have been PLENTY of 4 Seasons units this past year and Hawaii Marriott/Starwood has been almost "easy" to get into. You are just wrong making the assertion that it take a top 30 resort to get into a top 30 resort most of the time. It doesn't...maybe that's your experience with RCI. I personally will be staying at Harborside Atlatis, 2 consecutive weeks Westin Kaanapali, Hyatt Carmel, Mariott Grande Vista in Oralndo, and the Royal Sands and Hacienda's in Mexico...NONE of those trades made with a top 30 resort. Again, maybe top options are not that easy to get with RCI.

#6 Number of locations - I'll give you that. RCI does offer double the resorts and many more locations than II. I just don't know how confident I am about the quality of those options.

Bigger Picture - like I previously posted, I think there are MANY quality resorts in RCI I just don't think it's as easy to know what they are. RCI's rating system is no more objective than II's (I just disagree with you about this one). I DO however believe the Top 30 list could just be skewed to II and the brand names. For the most part it's because there is a level of consistency that helps those reviews....I think there are probably some top notch RCI resorts that just don't get the necessary exposure because they aren't part of a "brand."

Mexico -- I'd give the edge to II in Cancun.. but RCI in the rest of Mexico
They have the Grand Mayans all over Mexico.. top notch resorts.

Hawaii - II is far and away the best in Maui and Kauai, but RCI's Hiltons are best on the Big Island and Oahu... and now DVC on Oahu

Skiing - I think its close to a wash.. RCI also has Hilton Valdoro in Breckenridge

Caribbean - II has a slight edge, RCI has many more "good" choices.. Westin is hardly ever seen.. and Atlantis is out of the average vacationers budget for food.

Limits - RCI is much better at having inventory at very nice places. - for tuggers its not as big of a deal, because we know how to work the system to get the vacation at the resorts we want. Most timeshare exchangers plan last minute or don;t plan ahead enough and just book something out of inventory, which RCI wins hands down

Almost all my vacations are spent at the beach in So Cal - where RCI wins hands down. Try getting multiple weeks during the summer on the beach in So Cal with II , not going to happen.

bigger picture - each person has to decide which system works best for them. I have had both for several years and I will probably be cancelling II pretty soon. RCi works much better for me. I'n not too thrilled with points, but the weeks is great. I primarily had II for Marriotts in Hawaii. With the economy going down the toilet, If I have the $$ to travel out of the state, I'll probably be able to find good rentals.

 

[icydog]

The amount I paid for DVC, plus the high maintenance fees I pay yearly, makes me unhappy with this arrangement. Now, instead of being one of many fine resorts, as we were in II, we will be the best resorts in RCI. I would rather be a big fish in a small pool rather than a big fish in an gigantic pool. In any case DVC is a big fish. Will I get the trades with DVC I want, I doubt it since there is Nothing in RCI I really want. I own several RCI weekly contracts and there little there to compare to DVC. I traded to the Houses at Summer Bay, and that may be comparable, but other than that, including the Manhattan Club, nothing compares to DVC. No matter how you slice it, dice it, or call it a silk purse, RCi is still a sow's ear to me.

 

[Bill4728]

RCI has some access to the top of the line Club Intrawest (CI) resorts but this move by DVC does nothing to help DVC get CI. Because DVC already had a direct relationship with CI allowing a DVC owner to trade into CI directly.

 

[CaliDave]

Just rent out your DVC and rent a comparable resort.. then you can bypass all the exchage companies

The amount I paid for DVC, plus the high maintenance fees I pay yearly, makes me unhappy with this arrangement. Now, instead of being one of many fine resorts, as we were in II, we will be the best resorts in RCI. I would rather be a big fish in a small pool rather than a big fish in an gigantic pool. In any case DVC is a big fish. Will I get the trades with DVC I want, I doubt it since there is Nothing in RCI I really want. I own several RCI weekly contracts and there little there to compare to DVC. I traded to the Houses at Summer Bay, and that may be comparable, but other than that, including the Manhattan Club, nothing compares to DVC. No matter how you slice it, dice it, or call it a silk purse, RCi is still a sow's ear to me.

 

[icydog]

Just rent out your DVC and rent a comparable resort.. then you can bypass all the exchage companies

Problem being the exchange out of DVC into other resorts and visa versa. RCI and Wnydham are owned by the same company. Wnydham notoriously does not value their owners.

You can buy a Wnydham Resort on EBay for $.01. How can a company, whose timeshare arm treats its owners this way, be expected to care one whit about DVC. Also this arrangement will give Wyndham owners a big advantage over the rest of RCI owners. Who better to get the spoils than their own timeshare owners, and I include Worldmark too?

DVC protects its owners with ROFR rules. Wnydham, and by extension RCI, has no such regard for their owners/members. Is this the kind of company we want to belong to.. I don't. At least not with my DVC resorts. I own several RCI traders that cost a fraction of my DVC points. I still don't like the inequity of the RCI system and weeks vs point members. Again, the feeling of buyer beware is pervasive in RCI.

I want the ability to trade into Resorts that are within parity with DVC. I do not know of any on the RCi rosters that meet that criteria. Why would I trade down. What advantage will that be to me????

 

[tombo]

Well, I wouldn't call it propaganda like a previous poster, but I do agree that the analysis is a bit off. My take:

#1 Mexico - The Royal Mayan is the 2nd oldest of the Royals and will soon be going away when the trust expires in 2013. Then there will be NO Royals in RCI. Also, trust me, the Sands and the Hacienda's are the nicest of the 4 (the staff is GREAT at all of them which is why they're in the top 4 but the are not ALL the "same").

#2 Hawaii - You don't mention the Top 30 in Hawaii at all!?!? RCI does offer the Hiltons which I am confident are very nice, but I don't think RCI offers the quality of the Marriott and Westin on Maui. Same goes for Kauai...so overall I'd give II the edge in Maui. (but Maybe it's closer to a wash with Hilton). Also, the ONLY place II doesn't offer a top resort is on the Big Island....

#3 Skiing - You mention the Beaver Creek but I think II would have the advantage in UT and Tahoe (none in Top 30 so maybe doesn't matter), and certainly Avon/Vail.

#4 Caribbean - You also fail to talk about the Caribbean/Bahamas Top 30 at ALL. The Marriott and Starwood presence (Harborside Atlantis) here clearly trumps RCI as RCI has no Top 30 resorts in this area.

#5 Limits - Contrary to your post, it is not impossible to get into most, if not all of these resorts. Even ski weeks at the Marriotts are often available. There have been PLENTY of 4 Seasons units this past year and Hawaii Marriott/Starwood has been almost "easy" to get into. You are just wrong making the assertion that it take a top 30 resort to get into a top 30 resort most of the time. It doesn't...maybe that's your experience with RCI. I personally will be staying at Harborside Atlatis, 2 consecutive weeks Westin Kaanapali, Hyatt Carmel, Mariott Grande Vista in Oralndo, and the Royal Sands and Hacienda's in Mexico...NONE of those trades made with a top 30 resort. Again, maybe top options are not that easy to get with RCI.

#6 Number of locations - I'll give you that. RCI does offer double the resorts and many more locations than II. I just don't know how confident I am about the quality of those options.

Bigger Picture - like I previously posted, I think there are MANY quality resorts in RCI I just don't think it's as easy to know what they are. RCI's rating system is no more objective than II's (I just disagree with you about this one). I DO however believe the Top 30 list could just be skewed to II and the brand names. For the most part it's because there is a level of consistency that helps those reviews....I think there are probably some top notch RCI resorts that just don't get the necessary exposure because they aren't part of a "brand."

I agree that II has an edge on the top 30, but that edge is mainly Marriott. There are only 2 four seasons, so all the II members can't stay there every year. There are 5 Mexican Royals, and I doubt that many II owners stay at one of those 5 every year unless they own there. Plus I never exchange for the same location every year anyway. If I love an area enough to go every year I buy there.

#1 Mexico:RCI has 356 resorts including The Palaces (Adventura, Moon, Cancun, Cozumel Palace, etc), Club Intrawest, and so many luxurious resorts (including many all inclusives II doesn't have) that you will never stay at them all. Do you really think the 5 Royals are the only places worth staying in Mexico? I am not saying nthey aren't the best, but the Palace resorts have to be a close second.

#2 Hawaii: RCI has 109 resorts, II has 58. From my quick count, with RCI you can stay in 38 of the 58 II Hawaii resorts. Obviously with II there are a maximum of 58 resorts to choose from, leaving 51 more options as an RCI owner. Not having Marriott access is a big loss, but having 51 more resorts to choose from should be worth something.

#3 Skiing: RCI has 199 Rocky Mountain Resort choices versus the 82 available from II. Yes Marriott is missing again, but there are other very nice places to stay than Marriott's and aren't most days spent skiing anyway? My point is that I would rather have a chance of getting a ski week at 199 different resorts than a chance of getting a week at one of only 82 resorts.


#4 Carribbean:St Martin RCI can trade for every resort II has (11). RCI has an additional 14 resorts (25 total) to trade for on top of II's 11. RCI has 12 resorts on Nassau versus 3 at II. Yes II has the Harborside at Atlantis, but you can stay at the Atlantis right now 3 nights 4 days for $399. Staying at the resort is better than next door.

#5 I never said it was impossible to get those locations. I never said you had to trade a top 30 resort to get a top 30 resort. Someone else said cheap traders would get anything in RCI, which also works in II. If it was impossible to exchange for top places, there would be no reason to be in any exchange company.

I said that you got Marriott inventory after Marriott owners took what they wanted. There will be weeks left that are good, but a lot less are available to DVC owners than are available to Marriott owners. Also if you are honest you will never get a 4th of July week at a top 30 beach resort or a New Years week at a Top 30 ski resort by exchanging unless you are incredibly lucky. The best inventory is hard to get in both organizations.

I have II resorts and RCI resorts, and II has never been my favorite choice. I love Marriotts, and I assume I would love 4 seasons and the Royals, but I have always had much better luck getting a week I want, at the time I want, in the location I want, through RCI than I ever had through II. If I want a July week in Florida I can get it at a nice resort (not top 30 but nice). If I want a ski week in Utah in January, I can get it at a nice resort (probably not top 30) through RCI. I feel sure that everyone can't get a prime top 30 week through II anytime they want to either. I want an exchange company for abundant availability at many locations and RCI consistently provides that.

To be honest, if I owned a Marriott or DVC and paid those high MF's, I would never trade one of those weeks for anything to II anyway. I would use it myself, trade internally for Marriott or DVC, or rent it out. I would never give it to II (or RCI) hoping to receive a comparable trade back.

II does have some advantages without question, I just feel that the availability and choices available through RCI makes it the better choice of the two IMO.

 

[ondeadlin]

I do think part of this argument is academic, because very few DVC owners trade their week, and the few that don't are more likely to rent their points than trade.

That said, it's a devaluation, and - as IcyDog points out - an unlikely association with a bunch of bad actors. Again, IMO.

 

[ricoba]

It's hard for me to agree that DVC will now be the BEST company in RCI.

Hilton, has now introduced world class resorts, The Grand Waikikian(Honolulu), Kingsland(Big Island), Parc Soleil(Orlando) and West 57th(NYC).

Not only are they superior resorts, they are in locations that DVC is not in.....

(I can't believe I am actually giving HGVC credit for having more locations than another club!!! )

 

[ondeadlin]

You're in my wheelhouse now with the ski comparison and, I have to say, there is NO comparison between RCI and II. None.

Why? Because with ski resorts, you can't just go by numbers. That's silly. Fifty ski properties in Michigan or New Jersey or even New England don't compare with one great property in Vail or Park City. The experiences just aren't comparable.

A real North American ski traveler wants to go to Colorado, Utah, California, Whistler, Jackson Hole, maybe Taos.

Within those areas, there's just no comparison. Marriott (Vail, Park City (2), Breckenridge, Lake Tahoe (2)) and Hyatt (Aspen, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Tahoe) along would be enough to end the argument, but there are tremendous top-notch properties in Breckenridge (Grand Timber Lodge), Beaver Creek (the new Starwood Westin, St. James Place, Poste Montagne), Steamboat Springs (new Starwood property) and Telluride (Franz Klammer, the River Club).

RCI has much better properties in Whistler, very nice properties at The Canyons and Steamboat (Grand Summits), and a nice advantage with the Cliffs Club at Snowbird.

Jackson and Taos, it's a push.

Overall? For a skier, II is a complete and total clear choice.

 

[lprstn]

I think this is great news for owners. I have both II and RCI and the customer service I have recieved with II was no better than RCI. Both are company's and their main goal is to make money. As for trades I have stayed at some nice trades with RCI. I think some of the trades that II boast are highly overrated. Any system that trades timeshare is a hit or miss, but I can honestly say I have better luck at getting my trades through RCI and I have friends that also agree on that as they have dual affiliation also.

 

[PigsDad]

Wow -- some people really think highly of what they own, and belittle what others own. Guess what? The amount you paid for your TS has very little to do with the quality. It just means you drank the kool-aid and fell for the sales pitch. And ROFR just keeps prices artificially high (for a while) to the developer's advantage, not the owner's advantage.

I've seen the DVC units -- they are nice but tend to be a bit small, IMO. Nothing all that special (especially for the outrageous MFs!). I can understand why DVC owners would be upset, but I think RCI will give them a decent selection of very high quality resorts, along with the ability to get to far more other places if they sacrifice quality a bit.

Kurt

 

[janej]

I am a DVC member but never traded my DVC points. I think DVC would trade better with RCI because of higher demand. DVC only deposit off season smaller units for exchange any ways. II has tons of Marriott 2 bedrooms to compete for the same period and $95 less. Even a Disney fan like me have to think twice about which one to choose from. RCI has Orange Lake but not that many other properties that are always available for off season. Plus Orange Lake has the 4-in-1 rule. I think it will be a lot hard to trade into DVC with RCI.

 

[LLW]

I am a DVC member but never traded my DVC points. I think DVC would trade better with RCI because of higher demand. DVC only deposit off season smaller units for exchange any ways. II has tons of Marriott 2 bedrooms to compete for the same period and $95 less. Even a Disney fan like me have to think twice about which one to choose from. RCI has Orange Lake but not that many other properties that are always available for off season. Plus Orange Lake has the 4-in-1 rule. I think it will be a lot hard to trade into DVC with RCI.

It's been said often, and is logical, that DVC members don't trade their points often, because they are so much more expensive than most of the resorts that they can trade into. They would rather rent their points or bookings. But it has also been true that in the last year or so there have been lots of DVC availability in II. What gives? Is it hard to book what they want at DVC?

 

[JimC]

As a general rule trading out of DVC is not a particularly good deal. There are exceptions but I suspect most would say if you want to vacation elsewhere, reduce what you buy in DVC and invest in another timeshare that is less expensive to buy and own for your non-Disney vacations.

DVC's primary value and much of their premium cost is their on-property location coupled with their brand reputation. Yet many DVC owners trade out and DVC pushes this "benefit" as part of the sales pitch. So far the DVC members seem fairly negative to the idea.

What this will do for RCI members is hard to guess. RCI can only access what DVC deposits and they only control a small percentage of each resort's points. The rest would need to come from owners trading their points for non-DVC options. It will be interesting to see what volume of inventory RCI gets. But at least RCI can market the possibility, even if the reality is something else.

 

[bdh]

Simple logic tells you that no Marriott, Four Seasons, Hyatt, DVC, Starwood or HGCV owner purchased these high end properties to be able to trade down to a low end property. They bought them to stay at their home resort, to trade to other resorts within their brand or to exchange to equivilent high end properties. So it doesn't really matter if they have 2400 or 4800 properties to choose from as they are only going to be looking at the top 75 or so. While I'm sure someone will point out that with 4800 options you would potentially have twice as many high end properties when compared to the 2400 options, the reality is there aren't twice as many high end properties in RCI as there are in II.

The move of DVC to RCI is:

1. A non-event for DVC owners who stay within the DVC brand.
2. A non-event for DVC owners who trade to other high end properties as they have a different pool to swim in (pun intended).
3. A negative for DVC owners who trade to other high end brands as they wont have access to as many of those brands anymore.
4. A negative for the high end II brand owners who trade outside their brand and lose access to DVC.
5. A positive for current RCI owners who will be lucky enough to get a DVC trade.

All depends if you fall into Group 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 how you're going to feel about DVC's new affiliation. When I look at the 5 possible options, it seems to me that its irrelevant to Group 1 and 2, Group 3 and 4 are losers and the only winner is group 5. Note that I placed the groups in the order of what I think the actual percentages of people will fall into. That said, I can't believe that the majority of DVC owners would vote for the move, if they had a vote.

I could have added a group 6 - II owners that never trade outside their brand - but since those owners have no vested DVC interest, the move has no affect on this group and has no merit on the list. Note that I'm a Group 6'er. I'm sure there are other possible scenerios (ie: DVC owners who do trade down, DVC owners who cant wait for more International options, etc) but those seem like they would be such a small percentages of the population, I couldn't justify a group.

 

[Carl D]

Wow -- some people really think highly of what they own, and belittle what others own. Guess what? The amount you paid for your TS has very little to do with the quality. It just means you drank the kool-aid and fell for the sales pitch. And ROFR just keeps prices artificially high (for a while) to the developer's advantage, not the owner's advantage.

I've seen the DVC units -- they are nice but tend to be a bit small, IMO. Nothing all that special (especially for the outrageous MFs!). I can understand why DVC owners would be upset, but I think RCI will give them a decent selection of very high quality resorts, along with the ability to get to far more other places if they sacrifice quality a bit.

Kurt

It's not about size or furnishings. It's the immersive experience the resorts offer... Especially the themimg. No other resort offers that experience.

 

[bnoble]

But it has also been true that in the last year or so there have been lots of DVC availability in II. What gives?

DVC has been growing in a big way. More members means more deposits. DVC has also been using a set of matching points as a sales incentive. This sounds like a good idea in the presentation, but many folks find they can't actually use them before things expire, so those that don't just expire or get rented out are deposited in hopes of a future vacation.