Goodbye RCI

It would be nice to have more information to determine if I should be happy or sad. Like how many DVC points for II exchange. Any one have any ideas?
 
It would be nice to have more information to determine if I should be happy or sad. Like how many DVC points for II exchange. Any one have any ideas?
Maybe more details will be posted after the condo association meeting this Thursday. Something has to be posted by January 1!
 


I only used II for a swap back in 2002, got a week in Breckenridge at the Grand Timber Lodge in late January, ski in-out studio with full kitchen, fireplace, private hot tub.. for 55 points. Curious to see what it cost now,
 
I own resorts that trade in both II and RCI.

RCI needed DVC A LOT more than II needs DVC.

What will be interesting to see is what kind of concessions II made to get DVC back into the fold. I suspect it's not a huge priority for DVC to provide external exchanges to it's members, because most DVC members bought DVC to stay at DVC. However, they probably needed to provide an option for their members whose points were about to expire.

DVC will trade very well within II. However, MVC / Vistana (Starwood, Westin) both have preference periods for their members to trade into other members that are part of that group.

This makes peak season availability tricky to get unless you own a resort within that system.

I'm thinking there was a major deal in the works for a while. Marriott owns both Interval and manages the new Swan Reserve hotel that just opened. Looks like the existing partnership that has Marriott managing the Swan and Dolphin has just been strengthened.
 


I'm thinking there was a major deal in the works for a while. Marriott owns both Interval and manages the new Swan Reserve hotel that just opened. Looks like the existing partnership that has Marriott managing the Swan and Dolphin has just been strengthened.
You may be reading too much into the Swolphin situation. These two resorts were never Disney resorts. They were built by Tishman and have always been operated by Marriott (Sheraton and Westin have since been acquired by Marriott), they didn't have any more status than the resorts on Hotel Plaza Blvd.
 
We own both DVC and MVCI and I remember a while ago someone stated that there were rumblings that DVC may be up for purchase. This sounds very similar to when Marriott started the purchasing of Sheraton, etc. Interval International was a stand alone company that as MVCI owners not too long ago had to use for trading into other resorts than Marriott. Then just a few years ago they were bought out by Marriott.
 
Would there be any benefit to Disney to deposit points that they own outright into another timeshare system? The heavy buybacks of OKW, AKL, and SSR have made me wonder if they were buying those points not to try to resell them, but to use to attract an exchange partner.

Like, Disney could offer II owners access to these three DVC properties, without even needing DVC owners to trade out, in order to sweeten the deal for an exchange partnership. This may not make any sense, its just a thought I have been kicking around since the rumor of Disney selling DVC first started, and then the heavy buybacks have never quite made sense to me.
 
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Yes it was. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Indeed. My first several exchanges into DVC were through Interval. The advice I tell students: to maximize your compensation, be prepared to job hop. This is something like that.

I tell people on TUG all the time that buying an RCI trader with the expectation of exchanging into DVC year after year is a bad idea. Inevitably, people would tell me I'm being an Eeyore---but those people almost always got started in timeshare after the II->RCI switch.
 
RCI has treated us well, we will have to see what II offers us and what kind of exchange fee there is.
 
Would there be any benefit to Disney to deposit points that they own outright into another timeshare system? The heavy buybacks of OKW, AKL, and SSR have made me wonder if they were buying those points not to try to resell them, but to use to attract an exchange partner.

Like, we Disney could offer II owners access to these three DVC properties, without even needing DVC owners to trade out, in order to sweeten the deal for an exchange partnership. This may not make any sense, its just a thought I have been kicking around since the rumor of Disney selling DVC first started, and then the heavy buybacks have never quite made sense to me.
I’m not sure that DVC needed to attract II, but the idea that they bought back a lot of SSR, OKW and AKL so they’d have inventory (from their own points) to deposit to II shortly after January 1 is intriguing. I think they did sell a lot of those points they bought back, though. I’ve read that DVC inventory appeared in RCI shortly after DVC switched from II, so that inventory had to come from somewhere.
 
Did you all get this email?

Dear Member,

At Disney Vacation Club, we know how much you enjoy exploring destinations and experiences beyond your Home Resorts. Our team is dedicated to helping you create unforgettable vacation memories around the world. That’s why we’re thrilled to name Interval International as our exclusive new exchange provider for traditional exchanges, effective Jan. 1, 2022.

This new relationship will offer you a broad range of resort experiences, providing flexible and diverse opportunities in amazing locations across Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, as well as destinations closer to home including the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Through Interval International, you will have access to thousands of resorts including a specially curated portfolio of high-quality properties selected especially for Members. This expanded portfolio includes well-known resorts offered by Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt and Westin, to name a few.

In the meantime, you can continue to book nightly and weekly exchanges in the traditional exchanges through our current program until Dec. 31, 2021. Additionally, any confirmed reservations or points that have been deposited to RCI will be honored through 2023. If you have confirmed exchanges with RCI, deposited points with RCI or made a booking with RCI using cash, you can always review your activity on the Member website.

We’re excited to continue to provide you and your family with a whole new world of vacation possibilities!
 
As to DVC history, RCI was actually its initial exchange partner until beginning of 1999, when it switched to Interval International. That change resulted because DVC wanted to charge an exchange fee to those reserving an exchange into DVC and RCI would not accept that at the time. DVC then later switched back to RCI effective 1/1/2009, touting to members that RCI had the better program with far more places to exchange into than II. As I did not engage in or pay significant attention to exchanges, I would not know if that were true or not. Exchanges agreed to with II before 2009, but which were to actually occur after 2008, were honored. The same will likely occur now with RCI after this year.

It would appear that the II company that existed when it previously dealt with DVC is likely now something quite different from what it was back then. II was purchased by Marriot in 2018 and I assume that has resulted in a signicant expansion of what is offered through II.
 
Looked at Interval’s properties, and they do seem a bit less mediocre than RCI’s. The Marriott association seems promising, though I doubt I’ll ever use points in this way.
 
I’m always curious how this works, does the partner (RCI, II) only get points at DVC resorts when a DVC owner wants to trade into their network and vice versa? Or do they each hold a pool of points for each other and add/take as members trade in and out?
 
I’m always curious how this works, does the partner (RCI, II) only get points at DVC resorts when a DVC owner wants to trade into their network and vice versa? Or do they each hold a pool of points for each other and add/take as members trade in and out?
Generally, if a DVC member deposits points to the trade partner, the equivalent time in a DVC unit gets deposited to the partner for their users' benefit.
 
Are we automatically enrolled with Interval as DVC members? Or do we have to still pay the fee to join Interval directly through their website?
As a DVC member, you will not have to purchase an II membership to trade from DVC to II.
 

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