DVC and Interval International/trading

[doctor tongue]

Can anyone tell me if a DVC membership includes membership with Interval International for trading, and if not, what their membership fee is? I am doing a lot of research on this type of club, and I saw that Marriott clubs include the first year of Interval membership..I can't find anything about it on DVC's website.

Thanks everyone!

 

[bpmorley]

I just tried to get a reservation through MS for the World Passport collection. You have to call MS and give them the resorts you want and the dates you want. Then they put out a search. You don't really get a membership to II for yourself. You must go through DVC.

 

[dianeschlicht]

DVC members do not need an individual membership. DVC is the member, and the individual pays a small fee to exchange in, but is not required to be a member of II as well. There are some pros and cons to that.

 

[spiceycat]

go buy a cheap II timeshares - so you can get the great deals on the getaways.

here is the link for the II resorts we can use with DVC
http://disney.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=5

 

[bpmorley]

DVC members do not need an individual membership. DVC is the member, and the individual pays a small fee to exchange in, but is not required to be a member of II as well. There are some pros and cons to that.

I'm finding out now that it's not easy to trade with II. I call MS yesterday and gave a list of places & times and it seemed like everyone of them is highly unlikely.

 

[utahkennedys]

Here is my advice for what it is worth, don't bother with trading. I would rather rent my points (hypothetically) and then use that money to buy the week I wanted at another resort. I have found so many sources of cheap weeks, especially during off season, that it doesn't make sense to me to mess around with exchanging in general. eBay is a great source of timeshare weeks with very competitive prices. We got a 3BR at HGVC SeaWorld for $650, and also Park City Marriott Vacation Club for very good prices, etc.

 

[doctor tongue]

Thanks, everyone, I appreciate the quick info!

 

[Dean]

As noted here, DVC is not a good tool for trading in general. There are a few exceptions though. DVC has a corporate membership and that gives advantages and disadvantages. Here they are as I see them.

Advantages of the DVC setup

• No yearly fee.
• $75 exchange fee.
• Search first up to 2 years out.

disadvantages of the DVC setup as compared to being a regular II member.

• No access to cash getaways.
• Can't trade up in unit size.
• Same price to exchange inside 60 days.
• No bonus weeks (accomodation certificate).
• No direct access to II either by phone or website.
• No wish book
• Generic trade power which would be significantly higher if one picked the right weeks to deposit.
• Limited to searching for only the resorts that are on the DVC list.

It is unreasonable to buy DVC to trade and the non II options are far worse than II trading. There are special circumstances where it makes a lot of sense trading DVC but this applies only to those willing to search far out for top choices and times. And since the chance of success for these options is so low, it's not worth owning for those exchanges either. Now if DVC could somehow decrease the negatives while keeping the positives, DVC could be awesome to trade.

 

[bpmorley]

As noted here, DVC is not a good tool for trading in general. There are a few exceptions though.

That was a big point by our guide when we bought. Besides not having to stay at SSR all the time, he showed us a huge list of places we could go.

 

[Dean]

That was a big point by our guide when we bought. Besides not having to stay at SSR all the time, he showed us a huge list of places we could go.

It sounds like he may have misled you both as to availability and reasonableness. There are a number of places you could go. For the cash equivalent options (DC, CC, DCL) it's generally FAR more expensive than using cash, the best you could hope for is a break even like the current and short term reductions at DL. For II, none of the things that are a good value are particularly likely to be available. But if one really learns the ins and outs of the II system, plans AT LEAST a year ahead, is very flexible and willing to hold out for the high demand times at top resorts; one might make it work. If I were only a DVC member, I'd develop a list of top choices and times and keep a couple of requests going full time starting 2 years out. If it came through it'd be like hitting the lottery, if not, no harm done.

 

[bpmorley]

It sounds like he may have misled you both as to availability and reasonableness. There are a number of places you could go. For the cash equivalent options (DC, CC, DCL) it's generally FAR more expensive than using cash, the best you could hope for is a break even like the current and short term reductions at DL. For II, none of the things that are a good value are particularly likely to be available. But if one really learns the ins and outs of the II system, plans AT LEAST a year ahead, is very flexible and willing to hold out for the high demand times at top resorts; one might make it work. If I were only a DVC member, I'd develop a list of top choices and times and keep a couple of requests going full time starting 2 years out. If it came through it'd be like hitting the lottery, if not, no harm done.

You're right, it would be like hitting the lottery. I'm finding this out the hard way. It's just another way to be dissappointed in DVC. THE GUIDES LIE!

 

[Dean]

You're right, it would be like hitting the lottery. I'm finding this out the hard way. It's just another way to be dissappointed in DVC. THE GUIDES LIE!

I think lie is a little strong in this context. Frankly, I think most just don't understand the ramifications of many of these issues. Plus I suspect everything they said was technically true even if either not a good value or unlikely to actually be available or both. But I can tell you that IF I already owned DVC and didn't own other timeshares, I could get value out of it. But to do so takes a level of understanding, planning and risk taking that few DVC members are willing to commit to.

 

[rinkwide]

...I can tell you that IF I already owned DVC and didn't own other timeshares, I could get value out of it. But to do so takes a level of understanding, planning and risk taking...

And that's why we call Dean the Indiana Jones of timeshares.

 

[bpmorley]

I think lie is a little strong in this context. Frankly, I think most just don't understand the ramifications of many of these issues. Plus I suspect everything they said was technically true even if either not a good value or unlikely to actually be available or both. But I can tell you that IF I already owned DVC and didn't own other timeshares, I could get value out of it. But to do so takes a level of understanding, planning and risk taking that few DVC members are willing to commit to.

And the risk taking would be???

 

[Dean]

And the risk taking would be???

Those risks associated with not knowing whether you'd get a specific request, not being able to plan because you didn't know what week you'd want, air fare might not work out, etc.

 

[bpmorley]

Those risks associated with not knowing whether you'd get a specific request, not being able to plan because you didn't know what week you'd want, air fare might not work out, etc.

Got it, thanks Dean. I thought you meant on a monetary scale, that's why I asked. Luckily withour kids we can give them a couple different weeks, a couple different resorts and cross our fingers.

 

[Dean]

Got it, thanks Dean. I thought you meant on a monetary scale, that's why I asked. Luckily withour kids we can give them a couple different weeks, a couple different resorts and cross our fingers.

LOL, a couple of weeks and couple of resorts, not much chance of success doing it that way. While there's no harm in trying, one needs to be FAR more flexible to make this type of system work.

 

[bpmorley]

LOL, a couple of weeks and couple of resorts, not much chance of success doing it that way. While there's no harm in trying, one needs to be FAR more flexible to make this type of system work.

Why not? It's not like I was locked into 1 specific resort or week. Trying to be flexible here. If I don't get something this time it's no big deal. But if I really plan ahead next time and get nothing, that will be cause to make me think about getting rid of my DVC.

 

[Dean]

Why not? It's not like I was locked into 1 specific resort or week. Trying to be flexible here. If I don't get something this time it's no big deal. But if I really plan ahead next time and get nothing, that will be cause to make me think about getting rid of my DVC.

A couple of highly desirable resorts over high demand weeks is definitely not being flexible. No harm in trying but the chance of success is so low as to question why even bother. Say one wanted to go to Maui in the summer and stay in the Lahaina area. For the DVC list, there are only 3 I'd personally list. In that situation, putting all 3 resorts and summer mid June to mid August (time school is consistently out) is not being flexible enough.

And that is one of the problems of timeshare exchanging and one of the reasons I've moved to a model where I tend to own the core part of what I want to use then use exchanging as a supplement and excitement factor. I rent those I own off years mostly. And one of the reasons I would discourage ANYONE from buying with exchanging in mind.

EDITED TO ADD: BUYING DVC TO EXCHANGE IS A POOR CHOICE AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES. TOO BAD YOU HAD TO LEARN THE HARD WAY.

 

[bpmorley]

A couple of highly desirable resorts over high demand weeks is definitely not being flexible. No harm in trying but the chance of success is so low as to question why even bother.

Actually the weeks I'm looking into don't seem to be in high demand. As far as highly desirable resorts, I don't know.