Curious..

[fitmom0f2]

Considering buying into DVC.. however not sure we will want all vacays to be Disney (gasp!) Does DVC trade with other timeshare companies? Sorry this is prob a dumb question but trying to make sense of it all.. for example if we want to go to Washigton,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.. are there places we can stay as well? Thanks for any help..

 

[JimMIA]

IMHO, DVC is great for stays at WDW if you want more space, very nice accommodations, and would really not be satisfied staying offsite.

I personally would not buy DVC (even resale) unless I intended to use my points almost exclusively for stays at a DVC resort at WDW.

Non-DVC points uses are almost always not good value, and in those four locations where DVC has resorts away from WDW (CA, HI, VB, and HHI) there are other options that are probably better. That's a personal opinion and there are those who disagree.

Yes, you can exchange out through RCI, but only for a small fraction of the total RCI resorts (<600 out of >4,000), and the process is very uncertain. For most systems (not just DVC), exchanging is not a great option unless you spend a lot of time learning how exchanges work and are willing to really work at it.

If your other choices of vacation destinations are Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, I would take a long, hard look at Wyndham. Wyndham contracts can be bought on eBay for very little (sometimes $1 with free closing, but usually for only a few hundred dollars).

Wyndham has a total of about 84 resorts currently, including two in the immediate DC area, several in the Poconos, several in the Wisconsin Dells area, 11 in Hawaii, and five in the WDW area.

Go to www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com and click on the "Explore Our Resorts" button, That will give you a map, and then you can click on a state and bring up all of the resorts in that state. Ignore the "affiliate" and "associate" resorts, because with the exception of the Mexican affiliates, you won't have much luck trying to get a reservation.

Hilton and Marriott are also fine systems, with a LOT of very nice resorts, so those merit a look as well. And there are others.

TUG (the Timeshare Users Group) is the best place to research any non-DVC timeshare.

 

[Saratoga Springs Tom]

The quick answer is yes if you buy direct from DVC. As you can tell by reading on the boards there are some opinions on this. If you buy resale, you can only use your points at DVC properties. Resale cost less than buying direct and one thing DVC did last spring was take away the ability to exchange with RCI or use points on the DCL if you do not buy direct. No matter what you decide do your homework first. Read and research all about DVC so that you can make an informed decision. I have bought direct twice because that is what worked best for me at the time I was buying in. I have no regrets on owning a DVC membership. I have been able to visit WDW every year and stay at other DVC properties as well. (Hilton Head & Vero)

 

[sesame_123]

This is copied from the dvc member site

"Under the new policy, Members who purchase from anyone other than Disney Vacation Development, Inc., on or after March 21, 2011, will not be eligible to use those Vacation Points to make reservations within the Concierge Collection, the Disney Collection or the Adventurer Collection. Those Vacation Points will instead be valid only for reservations at Disney Vacation Club resorts, as well as for RCI® exchanges, Club Cordial and Club Intrawest."

Correct if I'm wrong but even with resale you would be able to exchange with RCI, club cordial and Club Intrawest. Right? The resale restriction only limits the Concierge, Disney, and Adventurer collections?

 

[LauraLea]

This is copied from the dvc member site

"Under the new policy, Members who purchase from anyone other than Disney Vacation Development, Inc., on or after March 21, 2011, will not be eligible to use those Vacation Points to make reservations within the Concierge Collection, the Disney Collection or the Adventurer Collection. Those Vacation Points will instead be valid only for reservations at Disney Vacation Club resorts, as well as for RCI® exchanges, Club Cordial and Club Intrawest."

Correct if I'm wrong but even with resale you would be able to exchange with RCI, club cordial and Club Intrawest. Right? The resale restriction only limits the Concierge, Disney, and Adventurer collections?

You are correct. Resales can use points for RCI exchanges.

Laura

 

[disneynutz]

Considering buying into DVC.. however not sure we will want all vacays to be Disney (gasp!) Does DVC trade with other timeshare companies? Sorry this is prob a dumb question but trying to make sense of it all.. for example if we want to go to Washigton,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.. are there places we can stay as well? Thanks for any help..

It can be done and some do it but that wasn't the intent of the DVC. Getting reservations outside of Disney can be a challenge and can take up to 2 years if you can get one. Even if you don't get a match, they keep your $95 fee.

Bill

 

[Saratoga Springs Tom]

Hey thank you for the information, I purchased prior to the change and when it came about did not pay to much attention to the details. My bad..

 

[Dean]

Considering buying into DVC.. however not sure we will want all vacays to be Disney (gasp!) Does DVC trade with other timeshare companies? Sorry this is prob a dumb question but trying to make sense of it all.. for example if we want to go to Washigton,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.. are there places we can stay as well? Thanks for any help..

DVC is a poor and expensive choice for non DVC stays. If you want other things but DVC still makes sense otherwise, just buy less DVC points and look to other means (cash, non DVC timeshare) for non DVC options. Depending on your specifics you might even consider a non DVC timeshare and try to trade to DVC for occasional trips.

 

[JimMIA]

Hey thank you for the information, I purchased prior to the change and when it came about did not pay to much attention to the details. My bad..

As always, the devil is in the details. Understanding the "details" is often key to making a rational decision.