Thoughts on exchanges outside of DVC?

exchanger

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 22, 2020
I own several weeks with Hyatt Residence Club and love it. I have often thought of picking up DVC resale, but I just don't want to be so tied to the parks with the ever increasing cost of admission. I have stayed at a couple of DVC properties, and really liked them, but outside of the parks I'd really just be looking at Vero Beach, Hilton Head, and Aulani.

I am curious about trading with DVC Owners, but when I looked at the trade thread, it looks like it has been a LOOONG time since someone from a different system has posted. So I figured I would ask a few questions:

Why would or wouldn't you be interested in trading to a different system (i.e. Hyatt, Vistana, Marriott)?

Is it just easier to rent your points and pay cash rates? Some of the higher end systems present pretty good value in the timeshare world.

Do you guys look at any of the other timeshare systems, or are you mostly just interested in DVC because of Disney?

Is it worth posting a few different trade options to see if I could get any takers?
 
Just some follow-up thoughts:

I know you guys have RCI, but outside of getting exchanges with some HGVC resorts and a couple of smaller independents, I can't see it making sense to deposit points with RCI (absent extenuating circumstances).

So I'll throw that question out there as well:

Have you ever done an exchange with RCI (or Interval when it was available to you)?

If so, how was the exchange?
 
We've done a few. After kids got into high school sports and then went to college there were some years we had to work at using our points. So, whenever we plan a non-Disney trip, we see what RCI properties are available in the area. While we were building a summer home in NC we stayed at a place near Blowing Rick, while in Arizona for a football game we stayed in Sedona. Seems like a couple of others....maybe Michigan, Hawaii before Aulani.... They were all nice....generally not "Disney wonderful" but clean, well appointed, maintained.
 
We've done a few. After kids got into high school sports and then went to college there were some years we had to work at using our points. So, whenever we plan a non-Disney trip, we see what RCI properties are available in the area. While we were building a summer home in NC we stayed at a place near Blowing Rick, while in Arizona for a football game we stayed in Sedona. Seems like a couple of others....maybe Michigan, Hawaii before Aulani.... They were all nice....generally not "Disney wonderful" but clean, well appointed, maintained.
Did you feel you got a good value with your exchanges?

Today, would you try for an exchange, or would you just plan on renting your points?
 


It is easy to rent out the points. With RCI you have to wait till an RCI owner put their week up for rent so you are stuck vacationing when a room becomes available not when you want to go. Plus a lot of the RCI resort make you do a full week stay so if you want to do a 4 night stay you still have to pay for a full week.
 
I would think there would be some interest. We've stayed at the Hyatt Residence in Maui and loved it. While I love Aulani, the Hyatt was much less busy. I would consider a trade for another property outside DVC if the math worked.

I think a sub thread to the rent thread that focuses on trades might get some interest.
 
We own DVC points for staying within the Disney system. We own other timeshare for using either w/in the other timeshare system or exchanging via RCI, II, GPX, etc. We've done plenty of exchanges over the past 20 years through various options.

Personally, we don't favor direct exchanges (owner to owner exchanges, such as it appears you are suggesting) for a couple reasons:
  • It has been difficult to strike an exchange where both sides feels equally compensated. It just never seems quite "fair" and can be tedious negotiating the various factors of resort location, quality, season, unit size, length of stay, etc. Add to this that different timeshare systems have different rules that must be somewhat understood by both sides; length of stay is often one of those hurdles!
  • Trust issues. Direct Exchanging with family and personal friends is easy; developing two-way trust with a stranger on the internet? Different beast!

Edited to add: Welcome to Disboards, @exchanger !

Edit #2: To test out the difficulties of finding equitable agreement in direct exchanges ... what would you want in DVC in exchange for a 3n or 4n, weekend stay at the Highland Inn (Carmel, CA) in either May/Oct 2021? FWIW, I own DVC at Saratoga Springs and can book that location 11 months; I can only book 7-months out for the other DVC properties and will face availability issues. If you want the Grand Cal, then you might be limited to finding a direct exchange partner who owns sufficient points at the Grand Cal to meet your exchange.
 
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We traded into a Marriott years ago and it was good. On our last non Disney trip, I looked into resorts available through RCI, but didn't like their location. We ended up using VRBO and will go that route in the future. It was more like home having games, coolers, free Canadian National Park passes and even bear spray available. The Marriott was a typical timeshare, like DVC, no personal type items.

We own DVC for Disney and will use cash for other trips.
 
Did you feel you got a good value with your exchanges?

Today, would you try for an exchange, or would you just plan on renting your points?
Except for Hawaii, they were fine, not Disney, but it was where we wanted to stay and the points weren't going to be used at Disney. Hawaii was great. We are not interested in renting....seems like a hassle that we don't need to add to our lives.
 
We own DVC points for staying within the Disney system. We own other timeshare for using either w/in the other timeshare system or exchanging via RCI, II, GPX, etc. We've done plenty of exchanges over the past 20 years through various options.

Personally, we don't favor direct exchanges (owner to owner exchanges, such as it appears you are suggesting) for a couple reasons:
  • It has been difficult to strike an exchange where both sides feels equally compensated. It just never seems quite "fair" and can be tedious negotiating the various factors of resort location, quality, season, unit size, length of stay, etc. Add to this that different timeshare systems have different rules that must be somewhat understood by both sides; length of stay is often one of those hurdles!
  • Trust issues. Direct Exchanging with family and personal friends is easy; developing two-way trust with a stranger on the internet? Different beast!

Edited to add: Welcome to Disboards, @exchanger !

Edit #2: To test out the difficulties of finding equitable agreement in direct exchanges ... what would you want in DVC in exchange for a 3n or 4n, weekend stay at the Highland Inn (Carmel, CA) in either May/Oct 2021? FWIW, I own DVC at Saratoga Springs and can book that location 11 months; I can only book 7-months out for the other DVC properties and will face availability issues. If you want the Grand Cal, then you might be limited to finding a direct exchange partner who owns sufficient points at the Grand Cal to meet your exchange.
Really, really good points. I'm probably too trusting, but I've made a few transaction on the internet with zero assurances (redweek, other message boards, etc) and they've all turned out OK, but there is definitely more of a "worry" factor.

To answer your question about exchanges, just as a hypothetical I'd be open to say exchange 4 nights in those dates to Carmel for say 4 nights in a 2 bedroom at Vero Beach (Sunday - Thursday during our Fall Break which is Value Season), I'd also be up for HHI as well. Is that in line with what you would expect? We're a family of 5 can do a 1 bedroom so we aren't super picky, but do like the comfort of a 2 bedroom, but 1 bedrooms work too.

A few other examples of what I would see as "fair" trades:
Week 7 (Presidents Day) in a 2 bedroom at a Hyatt Resort in Key West for say around a week (I mean I'd like the week, but I'd do 5 or 6 nights in a Savannah View 2 bedroom at AKV).

4 nights at one of the Hyatt Mountain properties in a 2 bedroom (ski in / ski out property) for say 3 nights in a 1 bedroom at Aulani.

A week at a 2 bedroom at Hyatt Pinon Pointe (Sedona) in early May for say 5 nights at Vero beach or HHI in a 2 bedroom in early summer.

A week at the Hyatt in Ka'anapali for say 8 nights at a 2 bedroom at one of the WDW resorts.

It sounds like I'd need to come up with a good idea of what it is exactly that I want, and give a few options for what I'd be willing to offer in return and see where that gets me. Any thoughts?

Are those hypothetical trades in line with what you would expect?

Is it hard to get 1 and 2 bedrooms at AKV, HHI, VB, and Aulani at 7 months outside of holidays or Peak Summer (end of June to Early August)?

Anyways -- when it comes down to it, I really do like Disney, but more than anything I like travelling and am a big fan of the (limited) Hyatt locations, so it works well for me. However, there are a few scenarios where I'd love for my kids to experience the magic of Disney outside of the parks (and every few years at the parks).

I really wish that the DVC resorts outside of the parks sold better and I think I'd be very tempted, but I realize I am very much in the minority.
 
Did you know if you buy resale, you are able to stay at the 14 resorts. Your home resort you can book 12 months out, others 7 months. So you can buy at any resort & stay at any of the others just a smaller booking window. A new rule is resale can only now stay at these resorts, excludes new resorts, bummer. There are expiration dates on the DVC resorts vs. other timeshares. You should watch the dis unplugged DVC with Pete. You will learn a lot & see if it's for you. This is why we bought, after watching quite a few episodes. We had our 1st trip in Feb. & It was nice!! We actually are waiting for ROFR to pass on an add on we did at Aulani. Hope this is helpful.
 
^We can book home
Did you know if you buy resale, you are able to stay at the 14 resorts. Your home resort you can book 12 months out, others 7 months. So you can buy at any resort & stay at any of the others just a smaller booking window. A new rule is resale can only now stay at these resorts, excludes new resorts, bummer. There are expiration dates on the DVC resorts vs. other timeshares. You should watch the dis unplugged DVC with Pete. You will learn a lot & see if it's for you. This is why we bought, after watching quite a few episodes. We had our 1st trip in Feb. & It was nice!! We actually are waiting for ROFR to pass on an add on we did at Aulani. Hope this is helpful.
We can book home resorts at 11 months, not 12.
 

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