Who's done RCI Exchange?

[Cruella 66]

This is our sixth year as DVC owners and we are thinking about using some of our points through the RCI exchange since we are taking a break from Disney World this year with so many areas under construction and just plain wanting to do something else. How does this work? I know there is a $95 fee. We are looking at TN and staying at 2 or 3 different places for 1-3 days each. Would we be charged the $95 for each places reservation? Members that have done the exchange; what did you think? Were you happy at the end of the trip that you went that route? Thanks!

 

[MAO]

I'm pretty sure every stay is going to be a different reservation, so I'd expect a fee for each one, yes.

I used it a few years ago to stay a week in London. I was very pleased with the transaction - the place we stayed at wasn't "perfect" but it was clean and definitely in a good location. The only reason I *might* say that I wouldn't do it again is because I stayed longer than a week - and transferring to another location was a pain. If, as I am often daydreaming of, I go again to London I'd like to stay a month -- and I definitely don't have the points for that!

 

[Dean]

This is our sixth year as DVC owners and we are thinking about using some of our points through the RCI exchange since we are taking a break from Disney World this year with so many areas under construction and just plain wanting to do something else. How does this work? I know there is a $95 fee. We are looking at TN and staying at 2 or 3 different places for 1-3 days each. Would we be charged the $95 for each places reservation? Members that have done the exchange; what did you think? Were you happy at the end of the trip that you went that route? Thanks!

Each would be a separate fee plus you'll likely get charged a housekeeping fee for each as well. Many resorts also aren't available on periods shorter than a week even if listed as points resorts. Nashville nor other Wyndham resorts aren't available for other than a full week for example currently.

 

[a742246]

You probably will be better off renting your DVC points then using that cash for hotels. We are very fortunate that we can rent our DVC points and make a little "profit" from it.

 

[4formickey]

For the pass few years ,we have exchanged our points and used rci. We have had great experiences with our exchanges. Just make sure you book at a resort that you will feel comfortable at. This year we are going to the smoky mountains and staying at the Wyndham, the one with the wilderness water park.

 

[Dean]

While I think it'd be foolish to buy DVC with a large focus on any exchanging, the right exchange choices can be very worthwhile assuming both a top notch and expensive resort AND a demand high period.

 

[4formickey]

While I think it'd be foolish to buy DVC with a large focus on any exchanging, the right exchange choices can be very worthwhile assuming both a top notch and expensive resort AND a demand high period.

The focus is not on exchanging but it is a very good option to have. It may be less expensive for a family to travel and explore other theme parks. With Disney being $100/pp for MK, Its a lot cheaper for me to take my teenagers to Dollywood and spend $300 for a 4day pass plus have access to a water park at the resort and spend a lot less on food and drinks. After awhile "It's Small World" and 2hour wait times for rides wears out.

 

[Dean]

The focus is not on exchanging but it is a very good option to have. It may be less expensive for a family to travel and explore other theme parks. With Disney being $100/pp for MK, Its a lot cheaper for me to take my teenagers to Dollywood and spend $300 for a 4day pass plus have access to a water park at the resort and spend a lot less on food and drinks. After awhile "It's Small World" and 2hour wait times for rides wears out.

I think you missed my point which was aimed at others reading the thread. That was that there ARE times when exchanging is reasonable and times when it's not and renting the points would be a better choice. Though it doesn't come close to enough for a new buyer to buy in planning to use routinely. I'd say there are maybe 50-100 properties that are reasonable during certain times, Maui comes to mind. And there are sometimes situations such as points that might be lost otherwise. The way to decide, IMO, is to look at what one could rent the other item or a similar option for anyway through private timeshare or condo rentals (not what the resort website says it rents for) and then decide what one could rent the points out for. Look at the numbers and difference and decide what one's time, risk (which is minimal done correctly BTW) and aggravation is worth OR decide not to even use points in any way. In a sense this is like buying/owning stock where it's a much different decision when you're looking to buy a new stock vs that you already own it and are trying to decide whether to sell it. If one has the points, they may want to look at the option but a new buyer should NEVER buy with that specific intent in mind, IMO. And sometimes that means they shouldn't buy at all.

IF one is going to use DVC points for exchanging they should take the time to learn the ins and outs and should plan ahead at least a year, maybe 2 yrs. Basically the things there only a few months out are sort of by definition not reasonable to use routine DVC points for unless you just get lucky and find something that was just canceled or deposited. They may or may not be reasonable to use points for one wouldn't use.

 

[com_op_2000]

We have taken 2 RCI trips:
Ft. Myers - not worth the exchange
Ft. Lauderdale - Would do again, went during their annual fleet week, looked down from the 5th floor pool area at a SR-71 Blackbird (this plane can fly at greater than 60,000 feet) flying under us.

 

[chalee94]

IF one is going to use DVC points for exchanging they should take the time to learn the ins and outs and should plan ahead at least a year, maybe 2 yrs. Basically the things there only a few months out are sort of by definition not reasonable to use routine DVC points for unless you just get lucky and find something that was just canceled or deposited.

agree - if you are just starting now looking for accommodations for this spring or summer, others have been looking since january of last year and have likely grabbed what inventory has been deposited (keep in mind that with RCI, the other owners have to trade into RCI for you to be able to grab their timeshare - they are not holding back some weeks just in case DVC members decide to try to trade for it).

nothing is impossible but the only thing left at this point is likely what other people don't want.

 

[Dean]

nothing is impossible but the only thing left at this point is likely what other people don't want.

Or what has enough availability that it doesn't matter. The places that come to mind for as having enough availability that it overwhelms demand in my view are Orlando, Williamsburg, Smokies, Branson & LV in the US and MX in general. But even within those markets there will be exceptions such as DVC for Orlando and Big Cedar for Branson. And there may be some times when the demand is great enough to eat up the availability.

I've been exchanging with II for almost 20 yrs and with RCI for about 8. I can honestly say that I've never been shut out. But I plan ahead, give myself as many options as possible and I am realistic. Still I've gotten DVC many times trading in through both companies, Marriott & Westin Maui multiple, Marriott Ko Olina multiple, Aruba Marriott multiple, Gatlinburg Leaf time, Marco Island Marriott as the most difficult options that come to mind. Actually I just got confirmation yesterday for an Aruba Marriott Surf Club 2 BR Ocean side villa (second best of 4 views) for over a year from now.

 

[abdgeek]

I will do my fourth exchange with DVC RCI in April(Aruba Divi Phoenix) and have been pleased with them all. I did two in Hawaii and one in Las Vegas. My only complaint about the one I did in Maui was that the furnishings were circa 1980. Keep in mind that nothing was really wrong with the property, I just expected granite countertops and central air--not laminate countertops and window air conditioning units. The pictures of the resort on the Internet were accurate, but the resort was like staying at my parents house. That wasn't the vacation experience I wanted. Once I got over that, everything was fine. However, next time I will stay at the Grand Wailea.

As others have said, you really need to do your homework and read the reviews, etc. for any property you want to go to. Most of them require a weeks stay and are gone the minute they come up on the DVC RCI website. All of the properties I've booked, I've booked at least a year out.

 

[bwvBound]

... but the resort was like staying at my parents house. That wasn't the vacation experience I wanted. Once I got over that, everything was fine.

I had that experience at our second South Africa exchange except that I felt the unit was more like my Grandmother's house.
I researched best I could but there was little info about this place. I s'pose it was more of a locals-place. Indeed, everyone we met around the property were owners who visited every year and expressed some disbelief that we had traded in from the US.
I almost walked out on our first inspection of the room .. especially when I turned on the water at the tub and it came out deep yellow. (Ugh, I wanted to do some laundry in that tub!)

Gladly the "location, location, location" swayed me and saved me from bolting. The unit was a stand-alone chalet-style house in a fenced reserve with lots of different animals. (Think: 1950's A-frame house situated inside the Sunset Savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom?) The property was right across the river from the Paul Kruger Gate of KNP. We had zebras just outside our unit and could watch hippos and elephants playing in the water from the resort's viewing stations. Overall, it was a super exchange and I'd do it again. (Glad we didn't react to the first impression of the unit.)

OP: We've done dozens of trades through RCI and II against our other timeshares over the years. Research best you can before accepting the trade and allow yourself to be flexible. I don't know that we've ever had a truly bad trade -- but occasionally the expectations and reality didn't line up. FWIW, we've stayed in a couple "dive" locations (cheap, ticky-tack rooms) and had a GREAT vacation overall ... and other times had a gorgeous room but only a "so-so" visit. For some vacations, the room and resort are key ... and others the surrounding geography, sights and activities. Either way -- have a grand time planning and dreaming.

 

[Dean]

Let me add that there's more to investigating an exchange than just a judgement on the quality of the resort itself. Maybe the villas only have a mini kitchen or maybe in HI it's on the rocks with no beach. Or possibly the resort tends to give the worst villas to the exchangers, the pool is being refurbished or there is major construction going on. Sometimes there are fees or other gotcha's that one needs to know. A word to the wise is to thoroughly investigate a possible resort. When you do a proper investigation you'll be less likely to have a bad experience AND just as importantly, you may find a great resort that isn't as highly rated under RCI's system as some others. Avoiding surprises or knowing about issues up front can have a dramatic and positive influence on one's experience.

 

[chalee94]

I had that experience at our second South Africa exchange except that I felt the unit was more like my Grandmother's house.

...The unit was a stand-alone chalet-style house in a fenced reserve with lots of different animals. (Think: 1950's A-frame house situated inside the Sunset Savannah at Disney's Animal Kingdom?) The property was right across the river from the Paul Kruger Gate of KNP. We had zebras just outside our unit and could watch hippos and elephants playing in the water from the resort's viewing stations. Overall, it was a super exchange and I'd do it again. (Glad we didn't react to the first impression of the unit.)

what was the resort?

 

[bwvBound]

what was the resort?

Burchell's Bush Lodge

Edited to add other links:

• RCI's Resort Info Page
• A 'playful' review on TripAdvisor, from Sept 2009. Note: Dead snake in the bathroom's roof beams? I could see that.

 

[abdgeek]

Let me add that there's more to investigating an exchange than just a judgement on the quality of the resort itself. Maybe the villas only have a mini kitchen or maybe in HI it's on the rocks with no beach. Or possibly the resort tends to give the worst villas to the exchangers, the pool is being refurbished or there is major construction going on. Sometimes there are fees or other gotcha's that one needs to know. A word to the wise is to thoroughly investigate a possible resort. When you do a proper investigation you'll be less likely to have a bad experience AND just as importantly, you may find a great resort that isn't as highly rated under RCI's system as some others. Avoiding surprises or knowing about issues up front can have a dramatic and positive influence on one's experience.

Ditto. I always do extensive research on my properties using the DVC RCI Website and Tripadvisor. Especially in HI, you have to pay for AC and some other charges specific to them. I also only book Gold Crown Resorts, so it was disappointing going from a GCR on the Big Island that met my standards(trim level, etc) to a GCR on Maui whose trim level and furnishings didn't during my 2.5 week stay there. Like the OP, the location and people were great(which was why I picked it). After my visit, the owner replied to one of my reviews and said they plan to update furnishings in the future and that they were trying to stress to the owners the need to do updates. Hopefully future exchangers will have more up to date furnishings. To the property's credit, they had a better stocked kitchen than any resort I'd been in(dishes and cutlery for 8 and numerous types of beverage glasses,etc). My sister has also stayed in multiple RCI resorts in PA, VA, and FL and has enjoyed them all with minor complaints(she owns RCI, DVC, and owned II years ago). As long as people keep in mind that RCI is not DVC, they should be fine--but make sure you do your homework!

 

[Dean]

Ditto. I always do extensive research on my properties using the DVC RCI Website and Tripadvisor. Especially in HI, you have to pay for AC and some other charges specific to them. I also only book Gold Crown Resorts, so it was disappointing going from a GCR on the Big Island that met my standards(trim level, etc) to a GCR on Maui whose trim level and furnishings didn't during my 2.5 week stay there. Like the OP, the location and people were great(which was why I picked it). After my visit, the owner replied to one of my reviews and said they plan to update furnishings in the future and that they were trying to stress to the owners the need to do updates. Hopefully future exchangers will have more up to date furnishings. To the property's credit, they had a better stocked kitchen than any resort I'd been in(dishes and cutlery for 8 and numerous types of beverage glasses,etc). My sister has also stayed in multiple RCI resorts in PA, VA, and FL and has enjoyed them all with minor complaints(she owns RCI, DVC, and owned II years ago). As long as people keep in mind that RCI is not DVC, they should be fine--but make sure you do your homework!

I'd suggest looking beyond TA and the reviews on RCI. I normally look at TUG as my main source with supplements from TA, Timesharing Today, redweeks and general internet searches as well as location specific websites and to a degree, certain tour books.

Did you go from KCR to Maui Lei or SOK? KBC should be better unless you just got a bad room though it has a limited kitchen unless they've changed it recently.

Is this your first trip to Aruba? Let me know how you like the Divi Phoenix as I've seen mixed reviews about it. It's one of a very few properties I haven't at least been on property in Aruba.

 

[DeeCee735]

We've traded out for Sedona, AZ and found it to be very easy. We were actually very pleasantly surprised at the resort we stayed at. (Can't remember the name just now ). It had great views of the red rock formations and was less than 5 minutes out of town. We'd do it again in a heartbeat.

We just successfully exchanged for Aruba in mid October 2015 in a gold crown resort on Eagle Beach, and very much look forward to our trip with friends.
Reviews are good to very good and to tell you the truth, we would be okay with even a not so great resort for the location and the chance to go somewhere we've never been!

We have also rented out points and used the money to book a hotel in Charleston. Another fantastic trip in a great place!!

All in all you do have options. We still, after 15 years, LOVE our DVC and get fantastic use out of it!! Enjoy planning!

 

[abdgeek]

I'd suggest looking beyond TA and the reviews on RCI. I normally look at TUG as my main source with supplements from TA, Timesharing Today, redweeks and general internet searches as well as location specific websites and to a degree, certain tour books.

Did you go from KCR to Maui Lei or SOK? KBC should be better unless you just got a bad room though it has a limited kitchen unless they've changed it recently.

Is this your first trip to Aruba? Let me know how you like the Divi Phoenix as I've seen mixed reviews about it. It's one of a very few properties I haven't at least been on property in Aruba.

Thanks for the suggestion about TUG. I'll add that to my list of websites I visit when I do my research. I've also found the redweek page for some of the resorts and use that.

I went from KCR2 to Maui Lea. I had also researched KBC, but wasn't thrilled with the fact that it had a limited kitchen and it wasn't available when I booked Maui Lea. Of course, it came available after I booked ML. Having been to Maui, I think I like staying in the Kihei vs. the Lahaina part of the island(I did the Lahaina luau and it was a far drive afterwards back to ML). However, I still haven't ruled KBC out and know that I will be back in Maui in a couple of years.

Yes, this will be my first trip to Aruba and I agree that there are many mixed reviews about Arub Divi Phoenix and I will be interested to see what the resort really looks like. Unfortunately, I discovered after I booked the resort that all of the pictures online and on the RCI website are from the new rooms in the four new beach towers at the resort(not cool--seems like false advertising--they said they've been updating the other rooms, I'll see). I am pretty sure I booked in the original part mainly because I didn't know there was a difference. I saw the two separate ones that I could book through RCI and called DVC, but they didn't know either what the difference was. My first choice was Aruba Beach Club, even though it was an older resort, because of its location--but when I finally saw a room map of the resort, I wouldn't have had an ocean view room. The other two I were considering rarely come up for availability and never did for the week I wanted. I'll let you know how I like the resort. In general, I'm excited about Aruba.