[Dana]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

OK, I'm sorry.. I had to re-read that a few times to understand what the problem was. So, you are angry because:

-When DVC was partnered with II Atlantis was an option. Now that RCI is the new trade out we lost the Atlantis resort as an option

- You think it's unfair that RCI members have NO penalty for cancelling their trade-out reservation in Disney but if DVC members cancel an RCI reservation we don't get points back to use at Disney.

- RCI members can attempt to make a Disney 'trade' reservation at 11 months out at ANY DVC resort but we only get an 11 month booking window at our home resort.

- And you're upset because their membership doesn't expire & can be willed to their children while DVC has an "expiration date."

Did I get that all right?

that's what I got out of it.

[WishUponAStar]

I just looked at all the RCI stuff on our DVC member website and I WILL say that you're right, we DID lose a lot of trade locations leaving Interval International for RCI. I actually had Oslo or Stolkholm in the back of my mind & now with RCI neither of those are available. There is nothing remotely near Paris, or ANYTHING at all in Germany. I didn't really pay attention to the RCI thing but it does annoy me that we lost some locations.

[MissDisney]

We did lose a lot, and I also understand that there is a wide range of quality about the RCI locations. You could book a resort that is fabulous, or it could be a real armpit of a dive. Just reporting what I have heard.

The whole II option was part of our decision to buy into the DVC program, as well as the impression we got about points staying the same at your home resort for the life of the membership. We were counting on that Sunday-Thursday option, which is now defunct.

And it totally sucks that RCIers can snap up the DVC rooms at 11 months out, but we can't. Let's face it, the 7-month booking window was dependent on non-home-resort rooms being left over from the 11-month window for their owners. Now, if those rooms can be booked by RCI before we have the chance to get them, well. SUCKS!

But I will say that I am 100% happy that the DVC membership expires. Who is to say that your kids and/or grandkids want to deal with paying the fees or selling it off.

[LittleMissMagic]

I am so confused.

[MissDisney]

Originally Posted by rlcarmichael

And don't sweat DVC being over run with RCI members. Remember, unless a DVC member trades out, there are no (almost anyway) weeks for DVC to trade to RCI members.

But for instance if a BCV member trades out at 11 months, that DVC room becomes available to an RCI member. Which means a DVC owner at SSR who was waiting patiently for the 7-month window to open up, will not get the room. It is very unfair.

And -- worst yet -- if you book as a trade, you can't put points back into your account if you cancel. They have to be used on another trade within the use year.

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

We did lose a lot, and I also understand that there is a wide range of quality about the RCI locations. You could book a resort that is fabulous, or it could be a real armpit of a dive. Just reporting what I have heard.

The whole II option was part of our decision to buy into the DVC program, as well as the impression we got about points staying the same at your home resort for the life of the membership. We were counting on that Sunday-Thursday option, which is now defunct.

And it totally sucks that RCIers can snap up the DVC rooms at 11 months out, but we can't. Let's face it, the 7-month booking window was dependent on non-home-resort rooms being left over from the 11-month window for their owners. Now, if those rooms can be booked by RCI before we have the chance to get them, well. SUCKS!

But I will say that I am 100% happy that the DVC membership expires. Who is to say that your kids and/or grandkids want to deal with paying the fees or selling it off.

What do you mean the Sun-Thurs option is now defunct? And don't forget, Rlcarmichael did make a good point that RCI members aren't going to take over all the DVC resorts at 11 months out, they can ONLY get availability if an actual DVC member trades out. From what I understand it's often NOT the case that we do that.

[MissDisney]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

What do you mean the Sun-Thurs option is now defunct? And don't forget, Rlcarmichael did make a good point that RCI members aren't going to take over all the DVC resorts at 11 months out, they can ONLY get availability if an actual DVC member trades out. From what I understand it's often NOT the case that we do that.

OK, The point values for a Sunday-Thursday stay has really gone up. By an enormous insane amount. It has really rocked our plans.

And the other -- If someone trades out at 11 months, their room is fair game for RCI members, but other DVC members still have to wait for 7 months. By that time, the very few rooms that had become available will be gone, to RCI members. I expect that the 7-month window becomes a joke if people want to book the popular rooms, like a 1-bedroom standard at BWV or ANY room at BCV, because RCI will have snapped them up if they became available before 7 months.

[LittleMissMagic]

Okay.... question(s). (So sorry, but now that I've read all this, I really want to understand.)

In order for an RCI member to stay at a DVC resort, they have to trade with a DVC member? Or can they book directly through RCI?

And RCI is points-based, like DVC?

Gah, Timeshares confuse me so much!!!!

[DisneyTeacher]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

But for instance if a BCV member trades out at 11 months, that DVC room becomes available to an RCI member. Which means a DVC owner at SSR who was waiting patiently for the 7-month window to open up, will not get the room. It is very unfair.

Am I wrong to think this way?

The BCV member who traded out would have booked that room at 11 months out so the SSR member wouldn't have gotten BCV at 7 months because it would have been booked by the member.

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

OK, The point values for a Sunday-Thursday stay has really gone up. By an enormous insane amount. It has really rocked our plans.

And the other -- If someone trades out at 11 months, their room is fair game for RCI members, but other DVC members still have to wait for 7 months. By that time, the very few rooms that had become available will be gone, to RCI members. I expect that the 7-month window becomes a joke if people want to book the popular rooms, like a 1-bedroom standard at BWV or ANY room at BCV, because RCI will have snapped them up if they became available before 7 months.

Got'cha!! Yeah, that trade out example is really unfair. I didn't think of it that way. That's not right. DVC should have imposed a 7 month window for RCI members looking to trade out for DVC.

and, are you really sure Sun-Thurs. stays have gone up THAT much for 2010!??!?! I just checked, and for example....
If I stay at SSR during "choice season", in a 1 bedroom, for 4 nights (Sun-Thurs) in 2009 it would 88 points.

Same stay in 2010 will be 96 points, a difference of 8 points. I didn't think that was very much, am I missing something?

[MissDisney]

Originally Posted by DisneyTeacher

Am I wrong to think this way?

The BCV member who traded out would have booked that room at 11 months out so the SSR member wouldn't have gotten BCV at 7 months because it would have been booked by the member.

The way I am thinking is that if a BCV member booked a vacation someplace else, then their room would in the pool of rooms vailable to other DVC members at 7 months out.

I mean, let's face it. I have BWV membership. But I was hoping to stay at BCV next trip. That had been contingent on the room not being used by a BCV member, so there was a chance that I might actually get the room. But now, not only does a BCV member have to be booking elsewhere, but now the RCI people have 4 months to snap it up before I can even have a chance.

It greatly reduces the opportunity for DVC members to be able to stay at another DVC property.

Not only that, but the RCI people can book at 11 months and then hold onto the room and cancel much later and keep their points. Which means that by that time, I will have booked a room at BWV. The waitlist will be a nightmare because of it.

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by DisneyTeacher

Am I wrong to think this way?

The BCV member who traded out would have booked that room at 11 months out so the SSR member wouldn't have gotten BCV at 7 months because it would have been booked by the member.

Well, that's true. I didn't think of it that way either. IN ESSENCE it's kinda the same thing as a DVC member, who owns at BCV, that decides they want to rent their points out to a NON-member for cash. Now that room isn't available to ME at 7 months out 'cause they rented it cash to a non-member.

Kinda the same thing.

[DisneyTeacher]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

The way I am thinking is that if a BCV member booked a vacation someplace else, then their room would in the pool of rooms vailable to other DVC members at 7 months out.

I mean, let's face it. I have BWV membership. But I was hoping to stay at BCV next trip. That had been contingent on the room not being used by a BCV member, so there was a chance that I might actually get the room. But now, not only does a BCV member have to be booking elsewhere, but now the RCI people have 4 months to snap it up before I can even have a chance.

It greatly reduces the opportunity for DVC members to be able to stay at another DVC property.

Not only that, but the RCI people can book at 11 months and then hold onto the room and cancel much later and keep their points. Which means that by that time, I will have booked a room at BWV. The waitlist will be a nightmare because of it.

But the BCV owner would have booked that room had they not traded out so there would be no room to book at 7 months out. That room would be booked one way or another before 7 months, by the DVC/BCV member or RCI member. The only way the RCI member gets to book is if a DVC member trades out.

[MissDisney]

Originally Posted by DisneyTeacher

But the BCV owner would have booked that room had they not traded out so there would be no room to book at 7 months out. That room would be booked one way or another before 7 months, by the DVC/BCV member or RCI member. The only way the RCI member gets to book is if a DVC member trades out.

I see it this way: There was a finite number of members who could book the room at 11 months. If they wanted to vacation somewhere else (a Marriott or a beach house or a Hyatt maybe), the room would just be vacant and available to the rest of DVC to book them at seven months.

Now, it is like this: When owners choose to trade out at RCI, then their DVC room is taken by an RCI person. It is not left vacant. It is no longer available to the 7 months DVCers.

The whole 7 month window idea only works if the room remains vacant. The chances now are slim to none.

The only fair method would be for RCI people to have to book at 7 months like the rest of us. If DVCers have to book RCI at 7 months too, so be it. That still gives everyone home resort advantage, but doesn't unfairly limit other DVC members. That's how I think it ought to be done.

[DisneyTeacher]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

I see it this way: There was a finite number of members who could book the room at 11 months. If they wanted to vacation somewhere else (a Marriott or a beach house or a Hyatt maybe), the room would just be vacant and available to the rest of DVC to book them at seven months.

Now, it is like this: When owners choose to trade out at RCI, then their DVC room is taken by an RCI person. It is not left vacant. It is no longer available to the 7 months DVCers.

The whole 7 month window idea only works if the room remains vacant. The chances now are slim to none.

The only fair method would be for RCI people to have to book at 7 months like the rest of us. If DVCers have to book RCI at 7 months too, so be it. That still gives everyone home resort advantage, but doesn't unfairly limit other DVC members. That's how I think it ought to be done.

I see your point. I hope this doesn't become a huge problem for members. I honestly don't know how many people trade out through RCI to know of it's going to cause a booking issue.