DVC and RCI - Why so much available in RCI

[Talkingwoody]

I did a search and could not find much info on this but I am sure it is discussed. I am a DVC owner and also own other timeshares. I am a member of TUG and constantly see availability into DVC and not only quiet times or studios. A good number of primetime availability and some 2 BR's. My question is why. Current availability for next summer through RCI where as a DVC member I cannot book until 7 months out. So where does that leave me when someone else can book a great unit without being a DVC member before me? Will I be able to get what I want at 7 months?
As an FYI, we did bring this up when we could not find availability this summer and called our rep with this concern. He said to call him if I needed help booking but unfortunately this is a work a round to a concern for me.
Anyone else have this concern or can someone point out that I am worried for no rerason. Just don't want to see the value of DVC fall as many other timeshares have.

 

[Chuck S]

Those RCI Rooms, technically, are already either booked on points from a member at that resort trading out (and thus would not be available to other DVC Members) or are points deposited from the developer's point promos, or are points owned by Disney/DVC. In either case, those rooms are not available to DVC Members.

What concerns me more than RCI is that a call to your guide magically results in a reservation when other DVC Members who may have been trying to book before you but are denied. Isn't that even more unfair to the general membership, as it seems that would defeat the purpose of a waitlist?

 

[Brian Noble]

You can't book other resorts beyond seven months, but you can book your home resort between seven and eleven. Presumably, Members with contracts at the resort(s) being deposited beyond seven months are trading out, and that results in those deposits. There is also some rental inventory (and I expect 2010 to be loaded any day now that rates have been established) and that's typically developer inventory or inventory backing points used for non-RCI external exchanges (DCL, Adventures by Disney, etc.)

 

[Tink64]

What is RCI?

 

[Chuck S]

What is RCI?

RCI = Resort Condominiums International, DVCs trading partner to non-DVC timeshares, for DVC this is the World Passport Collection of resorts.

 

[Tink64]

RCI = Resort Condominiums International, DVCs trading partner to non-DVC timeshares, for DVC this is the World Passport Collection of resorts.

Thanks....

 

[lark]

I did a search and could not find much info on this but I am sure it is discussed. I am a DVC owner and also own other timeshares. I am a member of TUG and constantly see availability into DVC and not only quiet times or studios. A good number of primetime availability and some 2 BR's. My question is why. Current availability for next summer through RCI where as a DVC member I cannot book until 7 months out. So where does that leave me when someone else can book a great unit without being a DVC member before me? Will I be able to get what I want at 7 months?
As an FYI, we did bring this up when we could not find availability this summer and called our rep with this concern. He said to call him if I needed help booking but unfortunately this is a work a round to a concern for me.
Anyone else have this concern or can someone point out that I am worried for no rerason. Just don't want to see the value of DVC fall as many other timeshares have.

Are you seeing DVC weeks with weeks that you have deposited as traders, or are you seeing them on the RCI website as vacation extras that can be rented to RCI members? From reading on tug, it seems as though it's very tough to pull DVC with deposited weeks in RCI except for the very strongest traders.

 

[Talkingwoody]

I agree, I was not happy to hear that a call to a rep may "find" an available unit. We did not wind up doing this so I can't say if that would have happened or not.

As far as if these were rental units or for trade. On TUG there is a section where people can list all they see with their deposited weeks. These people list the availability. That is where I saw the info. My trader is most likely not strong enough to trade into DVC but there seems to be many people trading in because they typically update the original post with the status of the trades as time passes and most are gone.

I guess It confuses me a bit because I wouldn't imaging many trading DVC for the inventory in RCI. I bought DVC to use DVC and from what I read on the boards, most do the same. I thought cetain resorts were sold out so Disney would not have inventory.
Just a concern. Not looking to make a big deal of it but just want to get a feel for what others thought. Here is what I saw as an example over time. Most off season but during Food and Wine.

Disney's Boardwalk Villas
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, October 25, 2009 Sunday, November 01, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Friday, November 13, 2009 Friday, November 20, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, November 28, 2009 Saturday, December 05, 2009
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, September 13, 2009 Sunday, September 20, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, September 19, 2009 Saturday, September 26, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, September 20, 2009 Sunday, September 27, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Friday, September 25, 2009 Friday, October 02, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, September 26, 2009 Saturday, October 03, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, September 27, 2009 Sunday, October 04, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, October 03, 2009 Saturday, October 10, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, October 18, 2009 Sunday, October 25, 2009
2 BR 8 (6) Full Saturday, October 24, 2009 Saturday, October 31, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, November 08, 2009 Sunday, November 15, 2009
Studio 4 (2) Partial Saturday, January 16, 2010 Saturday, January 23, 2010
1 BR 4 (4) Full Friday, February 05, 2010 Friday, February 12, 2010
Studio 4 (2) Full Sunday, February 07, 2010 Sunday, February 14, 2010

Disney's Beach Club Villas
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, September 05, 2009 Saturday, September 12, 2009
Studio 4 (2) Partial Saturday, September 12, 2009 Saturday, September 19, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Sunday, September 13, 2009 Sunday, September 20, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Friday, September 18, 2009 Friday, September 25, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, October 10, 2009 Saturday, October 17, 2009
1 BR 4 (4) Full Friday, January 01, 2010 Friday, January 08, 2010
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, January 02, 2010 Saturday, January 09, 2010
Studio 4 (2) Partial Sunday, January 17, 2010 Sunday, January 24, 2010
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, February 06, 2010 Saturday, February 13, 2010
1 BR 4 (4) Full Saturday, February 20, 2010 Saturday, February 27, 2010

OLD KEY WEST VILLAS
Studio 4 (2) Partial 05-Feb-2010 12-Feb-2010 Exchange Fee Only
Studio 4 (2) Partial 28-Feb-2010 07-Mar-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 11-Dec-2009 18-Dec-2009 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 13-Dec-2009 20-Dec-2009 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 09-Jan-2010 16-Jan-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 15-Jan-2010 22-Jan-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 22-Jan-2010 29-Jan-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 23-Jan-2010 30-Jan-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 24-Jan-2010 31-Jan-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 05-Feb-2010 12-Feb-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 06-Feb-2010 13-Feb-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 07-Feb-2010 14-Feb-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 08-May-2010 15-May-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 14-May-2010 21-May-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 21-May-2010 28-May-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 28-May-2010 04-Jun-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 30-May-2010 06-Jun-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 05-Jun-2010 12-Jun-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 19-Jun-2010 26-Jun-2010 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 20-Jun-2010 27-Jun-2010 Exchange Fee Only
2 BR 8 (6) Full 07-Feb-2010 14-Feb-2010 Exchange Fee Only

 

[Chuck S]

That really doesn't seem to be a LOT of RCI availability when looked at over the course of the year. Really less than one one bedroom at BWV, VWL and BCV is available per week over the course of a year. I can see where members may be trading out that much, especially using the developers points promo.

 

[lark]

It's unclear to me whether that's a compilation of dvc units that have been pulled on RCI over the year or whether that's a snapshot of current availability at a particular time.

If the latter, I think it can only mean one things: That DVC had done a major bulk bank of its weeks right before that snapshot was taken. There is simply no way that kind of availability will be found on RCI on a regular basis, I would think (gulp) hope.

A few weeks ago, I know that good DVC week sightings were few and far between on RCI. My suspicion is that this was some kind of bulk banking and that these disappeared pretty quickly. Maybe not. Maybe the person who was seeing them just had an awesome trader.

I wouldn't be worried about that much inventory available a few times a year during bulk bankings. If that kind of inventory is available on a consistent basis, that would be very very troubling, given the relatively lower cost of RCI points and weeks.

 

[CarolMN]

I don't see anything on that list that concerns me. The 2010 dates offered really aren't all that popular with DVC members and the 7 month window has long passed for the 2009 dates. Most offerings are for 1 bedrooms and those seem to take longer to book up than do 2 bedrooms and studios.

If the list is representative of what is deposited, I think DVC is doing a WONDERFUL job of picking times to deposit.

 

[siobhan1997]

I don't see anything on that list that concerns me. The 2010 dates offered really aren't all that popular with DVC members and the 7 month window has long passed for the 2009 dates. Most offerings are for 1 bedrooms and those seem to take longer to book up than do 2 bedrooms and studios.

If the list is representative of what is deposited, I think DVC is doing a WONDERFUL job of picking times to deposit.

Actually the good dates are being taken up by RCI members putting in ongoing searches and then matching as soon as it is deposited. I was able to get a 1 bedroom at the new Kidani Village with a Savanah view for Easter week 2010 which I match with an ongoing search at the end of May 09.

 

[Talkingwoody]

The listing was just a snap shot of a point in time so possibly a bulk banking. This was not over a period of a year or even months. I do agree with others who responded saying that those weeks are not the best around. The post before this one would be a concern. Easter week is definately prime time and is booked through RCI in May before I have a chance at 7 months.
I just don't trust the RCI process and hope it does not have an impact on DVC in the long run. I know Disney won't let that happen.

 

[Lisa P.]

My suspicion is that this was some kind of bulk banking...... If that kind of inventory is available on a consistent basis, that would be very very troubling, given the relatively lower cost of RCI points and weeks.

DVC does seem to do some bulk spacebanking and very, very few RCI trade weeks are given sufficient trade power to "see" this kind of availability, only the most prime weeks at the most desirable properties. Most weeks at most resorts cannot trade in, so the availability can linger, especially for studio units in non-holiday weeks. And while resales are much less expensive than developer purchases, "new" sales from developers can cost close to the same as DVC charges, perhaps less but maybe more. TUG and TS4Ms help folks learn to select and buy less costly resales but the general public (and most RCI members who would trade into DVC) often don't realize the resale market even exists, having purchased from the developer at high prices.

 

[lark]

TUG and TS4Ms help folks learn to select and buy less costly resales but the general public (and most RCI members who would trade into DVC) often don't realize the resale market even exists, having purchased from the developer at high prices.

Probably that's right -- but it's also true that these are exactly the people who would figure out what traders to purchase that would get them DVC at a lower cost per point and maintenance fee.

One thing that's good about the disney relationship with DVC is that it's not like a typical points based arrangement, where the owner of a points based timeshare (unless it's RCI points) has to actually book a week and then deposit the week. Disney has an agreement with RCI about the weeks that it must provide. So, if 20,000 points get deposited with DVC to use in trade for RCI weeks, disney chooses (pursuant to its contract) what weeks to make available. While there are surely some premium weeks in there, there also are going to be lots of less desirable ones I'm sure. So, hopefully, disney has owners' backs. The last thing they want is for people to purchase a bunch of distressed resale southern california timeshares with decent MFs for $2500 that can be used to see good DVC weeks. If it's relatively higher priced weeks with high MFs that are being used, I'm ok with that.

The real bad situation would be if good DVC inventory starts showing up in RCI points. That's a boondoggle. You can get a 100k points for virtually nothing and less than $800 a year in MFs.

 

[siobhan1997]

DVC does seem to do some bulk spacebanking and very, very few RCI trade weeks are given sufficient trade power to "see" this kind of availability, only the most prime weeks at the most desirable properties. Most weeks at most resorts cannot trade in, so the availability can linger, especially for studio units in non-holiday weeks. And while resales are much less expensive than developer purchases, "new" sales from developers can cost close to the same as DVC charges, perhaps less but maybe more. TUG and TS4Ms help folks learn to select and buy less costly resales but the general public (and most RCI members who would trade into DVC) often don't realize the resale market even exists, having purchased from the developer at high prices.

I wouldn't be so quick to state prime weeks in most desirable PROPERTIES as I would say prime weeks in most desirable AREAS that usually has more demand for a particular time and area than supply. My little resort that pulled the Easter DVC unit is not associated with any major developer nor is it a gold crown resort with RCI.