[MissDisney]

I think that RCI is gi-normous. They have a zillion resorts, and they hav ebeen around for a very long time. GULP.

[NokeyNose]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

I don't get this whole thing at all. I am totally confused. If she was able to book AKV through RCI "no problem at all" then why would you guys 'trade' timeshares or make a reservation for her? I don't know anything about RCI or Interval International at all but every person that I've met, especially at work, who's owned at either has ALWAYS complained about never getting to go where they want, when they want. They are always envious when they find DVC members at work. ACTUALLY one of the social workers was asking me for a referral to a DVC Guide b/c she was dying to get rid of her timeshare & buy DVC instead.

Ok, so we decided to trade timeshares BEFORE RCI became a partner with DVC. The RCI thing was only really released around November/December. We made these decisions early last year and were just proceeding forward. Then the RCI stuff started to be announced for DVC members but until last week, RCI wasn't fully up and running with DVC stuff. This morning we did some research and found all of this stuff out!

I chose to let her use our points so she could stay on Disney Property, and I could go to St. Martin with her Points! (RCI did not have Disney as a prperty before this partnership)

It actually was NO PROBLEM at all! It worked out fine, we have been friends for years, it was favorable to both! That said, it really is not the issue, it is just the backstory to what brought up all of these MAJOR issues!!! Sorry for confusing everyone or for even talking too much!!!

[MissDisney]

Good news: They can't grab your home resort out from under you! Woohoo!

[NokeyNose]

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?

YES!!!! You got it!

[NokeyNose]

Originally Posted by Dopey

That would make me very upset as well. There seems to be very little reason to own DVC now and especially with the deals for us non owners going on right now.

I do agree, but these deals that are out there are for the immediate future, who's to say what years down the line offer, I am trying to look at the long term picture, but yes, you are right.

Sometimes I think it may actually be worth it to bank our points, jump on an offer and then use our points for a huge vaca abroad or something. But I do see your point for our economy today!

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by NokeyNose

YES!!!! You got it!

I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

[MissDisney]

I am curious about how much RCI costs -- I mean, are they getting our DVC rooms for a smaller investment/annual fees than we are???

[NokeyNose]

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.

SO True, they seem to lack in the quality control arena is right. My friend was saying that at one of the resorts they stayed in a year ago, they had a cockroach problem. When she checked comments months later this was still an issue! Seriously?! That is just unacceptable!!! Where are the standards!

She (my friend ) said that she heard there was a huge issue with II and the availability of resort rooms available. I assume this was a mark against them when DVC was reviewing the contract, however, RCI, although it is rather large, has not encompassed a lot of wonderful hotels that I was excited about with II.

Like I said, we have never used II, our children are still in total Disney mode, as are we. But DH and I bought this time share (DVC) with plans for the future in mind. Atlantis being one, but we wanted to give our family the opportunity to travel the world. Yes, we can still do this with RCI, but I researched the places we could go when we joined and I am unhappy that we lost some of our favorites!

[NokeyNose]

Originally Posted by 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!!!!

RCI is both points and weekly based, depending on your contract! My friend bought the opportunity to use both. She is spending 94,000 points for a 2 bedroom at AKL in October. Their points values are not as simple as ours (to us). That same stay would cost her 295 points as a DVC member!

[WishUponAStar]

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.

But I personally think, and this could be twisted, if the BCV owner decided at 11 months out they don't want to go to Disney & didn't trade out for RCI they'd just rent their points out to a NON-DVC friend for cash anyway. Either way, I really think the room wouldn't be vacant at 7 months out in either situation. And I can almost guarantee that members renting their points for cash to NON-members is more frequent an occurance than members trading to RCI. When Mr.JoeShmoe rents his Beach Club Villa points to Mrs.NotDVCMember at 11 months out essentially a NON-MEMBER is taking away my opportunity to get that room at 7 months out also.

But I TOTALLY agree that maybe it would be more fair if the RCI people had to wait until 7 months out to book DVC resorts.

[MissDisney]

Originally Posted by NokeyNose

SO True, they seem to lack in the quality control arena is right. My friend was saying that at one of the resorts they stayed in a year ago, they had a cockroach problem. When she checked comments months later this was still an issue! Seriously?! That is just unacceptable!!! Where are the standards!

She (my friend ) said that she heard there was a huge issue with II and the availability of resort rooms available. I assume this was a mark against them when DVC was reviewing the contract,

This is my concern EXACTLY -- the reason II was booked was because it was desirable. Now, I have a sneaking suspicion that RCI members are delighted that they now have access to resorts of the highest quality by booking DVC places.

And I also suspect that they are getting them at quite a bargain!

[NokeyNose]

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.

This is my DH's main issue. He is very angry that my friend was able to book AKL today for October. That means the limited availability we were already dealing with has now been upgraded to near impossibility. We are angry, and we feel DVC did not take and put it's clients first. Who knows how they broker their deals, maybe RCI pays to be a partner, someone on here may be more schooled in this arena than I but I feel like DVC sold us out! (Quick point: we are happy for our friends, but we feel kind of stupid, we felt like the "BIG CHEESE" by being able to give them something they could not obtain, then after today, they had access to everything we did and were even able to one up us, by booking one of our DVC resorts before us. It kind of STINKS! BIG TIME!)

My DH is so mad he is talking "SELL THE DVC!" I of course have to be the cooler head, and I too am mad!

I am glad that others who own DVC are seeing my point of view, I wish we had some recourse! Any ideas?

That said, I asked for someone to make me feel better, BOSS, I guess you were it!!! You just came in too early!

[NokeyNose]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

I am curious about how much RCI costs -- I mean, are they getting our DVC rooms for a smaller investment/annual fees than we are???

My friend and I discussed this today and she said that her annual dues are $125, her Maintainence fees are $800 and to book a stay anywhere it varies from $95 to about $139 (which was what she paid to book Disney). I don't know what they paid for the actual time share eight years ago, but we paid almost $1000 for our dues this year and have 225 points!

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by NokeyNose

I am glad that others who own DVC are seeing my point of view, I wish we had some recourse! Any ideas?

I think if enough members made a stink something would have to change. Sheesh, contact Jim Lewis himself, or whatever his name is. They are in the business of keeping people happy & selling more memberships. They obviously value "word of mouth" promotion & they KNOW darn well that Disney forums like this & other 'word of mouth' promotion is a HUGE gain for them. Sooo, I can't imagine they would want members out there really angry & wanting to sell their memberships.

I don't know much about 'the biz' either so I hope someone REALLY schooled in all that technical DVC stuff gives their opinion 'cause maybe there is something missing here.

I don't mind calling tomorrow & seeing who I can talk with, maybe I will. I want the scoop!

[NokeyNose]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

But I personally think, and this could be twisted, if the BCV owner decided at 11 months out they don't want to go to Disney & didn't trade out for RCI they'd just rent their points out to a NON-DVC friend for cash anyway. Either way, I really think the room wouldn't be vacant at 7 months out in either situation. And I can almost guarantee that members renting their points for cash to NON-members is more frequent an occurance than members trading to RCI. When Mr.JoeShmoe rents his Beach Club Villa points to Mrs.NotDVCMember at 11 months out essentially a NON-MEMBER is taking away my opportunity to get that room at 7 months out also.

But I TOTALLY agree that maybe it would be more fair if the RCI people had to wait until 7 months out to book DVC resorts.

Although I get what your saying Jess, I would have to play devils advocate here and say that, it doesn't matter if a member rents tehir points or a non-member pays cash. I assume tehy have a set number of DVC rooms anda set number of cash rooms. However, did teh y free up cash rooms for RCI members or are they freeing up DVC rooms? If the room is vacated by a DVC member, another DVC member should have dibs first, RCI should not be able to have free reighn before us. This is our timeshare they are using. Why are we the ones slighted!