Just booked Saratoga Springs through RCI

[disneyscrapper74]

This is my first time booking a DVC resort through RCI. Just wondering what sort of DVC services we can expect to receive. Will we receive magic bands through the resort? Can we purchase the dining plan? If anyone can shed some light on what we can expect as non-DVC members, I'd greatly appreciate it!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You will receive Magic Bands.

Via an RCI agent, you can book the Dining Plan. Has to be done via RCI, though.

You will get access to the pools and laundry room. You will not receive daily housekeeping. You won't get benefits of DVC membership, like lounge access at different parks.

 

[Silock]

Do you get access to DVC bars, like Top of the World?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Do you get access to DVC bars, like Top of the World?

No. That is a member benefit and not conveyable via trade or rental.

 

[LtRazor]

I rented bay lake through RCI years ago before magic bands and my KTTW cards had DVC on the and I did get access to top of world bar. Not sure if this has changed now but I know I did have access before.

 

[LtRazor]

Oh yea, I just booked week at Saratoga springs for end of May through RCI too. I'm excited! I've been very lucky in my trades. I've gotten beach club, bay lake, and now Saratoga all through RCI.

 

[dansdad]

I rented bay lake through RCI years ago before magic bands and my KTTW cards had DVC on the and I did get access to top of world bar. Not sure if this has changed now but I know I did have access before.

Yes, it has changed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They require visitors to TOTW to show a DVC member card. They were just reissued.

 

[Yarbogash]

Booked SSR thru RCI as well for end of April. Very happy to have this opportunity.

For future plans anyone ever see WL show up on RCI? Want to put in a couple searches. What other DVC resorts do I have a reasonable shot at? No slight on SSR, just want to try different places.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Booked SSR thru RCI as well for end of April. Very happy to have this opportunity.

For future plans anyone ever see WL show up on RCI? Want to put in a couple searches. What other DVC resorts do I have a reasonable shot at? No slight on SSR, just want to try different places.

SSR is pretty much the only resort regularly released to RCI. There may be rare sightings of Old Key West or Animal Kingdom 1BRs.

 

[AWalks]

Booked SSR thru RCI as well for end of April. Very happy to have this opportunity.

For future plans anyone ever see WL show up on RCI? Want to put in a couple searches. What other DVC resorts do I have a reasonable shot at? No slight on SSR, just want to try different places.

We got a week at BWV in January 2014 through an RCI trade, and I stalked the exchange listings for months beforehand to gauge TPUs and availability, and remember seeing AKL a couple of times, I think WL once and the rest was SSR. We got BWV through an ongoing search and not just through general exchange listings, and what you see just in the open exchange listings is the leftovers of whatever isn't taken by ongoing searches. I have seen a number of past reports on timeshare discussion boards of people exchanging into BLT, BCV, etc, but they were almost always snagged by an ongoing search and with a very broad date range. It's almost always 1 br too, with studios or 2 br/grand villas basically being unicorns. So something other than SSR is technically possible, but can be tough and really requires having a flexible ongoing search set up with plenty of TPUs. I think it took at least a couple of years after opening for BLT to be available for trades and I haven't heard of GF appearing yet, so I definitely wouldn't plan on being able to trade into GF or Poly anytime soon!

 

[AWalks]

This is my first time booking a DVC resort through RCI. Just wondering what sort of DVC services we can expect to receive. Will we receive magic bands through the resort? Can we purchase the dining plan? If anyone can shed some light on what we can expect as non-DVC members, I'd greatly appreciate it!

There is an RCI extension on the DVC phone line that you can call to get the Disney reservation number to link everything in MDE and then customize your Magic Bands, book FP+, making dining reservations, etc. If the phone number isn't in your confirmation materials from RCI, I believe it is somewhere in the DVC forum on here as well. This is also the number you would call to add the dining plan, and they can note room requests on your reservation, too. I think it can take a week or two for the trade info to get from RCI to DVC, so you may have to give it a bit of time before calling. There is also a $95 resort fee that is charged at check-in. So you miss out on a couple of perks that are only available to actual DVC membership card holders, but overall you're treated just like any other resort guest, and it's a great way to experience a villa for fairly cheap. Congrats!

 

[LtRazor]

Agree with what everyone is saying. first year they went to RCI you would see BLT, BCV, etc. Now, pretty much SSR. I do see AKL and OKW appear sometimes but mostly SSR now and I've had ongoing search for 6+months going and nothing else has appeared(searching for summer). I've never been to SSR before so I'm excited. I've had weeks from my resort in Gulf shores banked in preparation for this year (it almost trades as well as disney and dues are only $380 per year) and in the end, I ended up booking 2 1BR villas at SSR for May 28 and 1 1BR for June 4 through RCI. In the end, not a bad deal. When I contacted RCI, they said they had like 10 1BRs for june 4 week. That surprised me that they would have that many available. It may be in my head but it looks like they add inventory on Thursdays but I've seen it appear other days too. June 4th just appeared today.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Is it completely impossible that you might see a resort other than SSR, with the occasional AKL and OKW, for RCI? No.

However, it is rare these days, and tends to happen mostly in off-peak times. They will still mostly be 1BRs, since that's the booking category that fills up last with DVC. DVC seem to release low-demand rooms and dates to RCI.

It's fair to assume you will never ever ever see a Grand Floridian Studio on RCI.

 

[pinkvol7]

We will be at SSR (1 bedroom) June 4-11 through RCI as well. A few years ago, we got AKL Kindani, then the next year, WL, and then last year and this year SSR. You can add dining plan up to 48 hours before arriving. About 2 weeks after making the original reservation, you will need to call 1-800-800-9800 (follow the prompts for RCI) and add your party to the reservation. After that, it will show up in MDE. This is the same number you call to add dining. I usually purchase tickets separately and then link through MDE. This year, however, I Booked a room at Pop for the 3rd and added 7 day PH tickets to that reservation and saved at little $ with the spring discount. We typically come a night before our weeklong trip every year. This way we can rest up and it gives us a chance to check out other resorts. My son says that SSR is his fave resort. He loves the pools and community hall (or whatever it's called!). Last year, they did include the DVC sliders for our MBs. I figured it was a mistake, although my kids thought it was cool and wore them sometimes.

 

[Yarbogash]

Ty for the replies! Some good info. Looks like we will do an active search for OKW and BWV.

 

[Junebugwv]

In Sept. 2011 we snagged a 2-bedroom at VWL. I was thrilled and it was the best location we have ever had. We had a 1 br at BCV the prior year. Since then it has been SSR.