DVC to add RCI as trade

[MrsNick]

Didn't know if this was old news...Just read this on an e-mail from DVC:

"Disney Vacation Club enhances World Passport Collection

With a growing number of Members exploring a world of vacation destinations beyond their Home Resorts, Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that those Member Getaways exchanges present the best and most diverse experiences possible. It's with this commitment in mind that Disney Vacation Club has formed a relationship with RCI, the world's largest vacation-exchange company, effective Jan. 1, 2009."

 

[edk35]

I got the same email too. What exactly does this mean???? Is this going to be a good or bad thing??

 

[tedisney]

I just read that too. Does it sound like RCI is replacing the current offerings? I kind of read it that way.

 

[MrsNick]

I just read that too. Does it sound like RCI is replacing the current offerings? I kind of read it that way.

I assumed they were adding it to Interval International, not replacing it, but their statement isn't really very specific. Either way, this is quite a change!

If it's in addition to Interval, then I would say it's a good thing. If it replaces Interval, then I don't read that as so good.

 

[jerseygal]

When I signed in, couldn't find the article...

Anyone know if RCI will be in addition to Interval International?

Said effective 1/1/09...Anyone know anything else? Would certainly be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[TSMIII]

Sounds like this may be in place of II. Also, the news on the member site mentions the planner not coming out until late spring!

Here's the text of the news release from the member website:

Disney Vacation Club enhances World Passport Collection

With a growing number of Members exploring a world of vacation destinations beyond their Home Resorts, Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that those Member Getaways exchanges present the best and most diverse experiences possible. It's with this commitment in mind that Disney Vacation Club has formed a relationship with RCI, the world's largest vacation-exchange company, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

While Members will continue to choose from more than 500 destinations across six continents and 25 countries, the enhanced Member Getaways program will offer a significantly broader range of resort experiences, length-of-stay options (including more nightly exchanges) and more.

Members will receive more details by mail and here on the Web site beginning in late December, and the new Vacation Planner is scheduled to begin mailing in the late spring.

To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored.

 

[MrsNick]

Sounds like this may be in place of II. Also, the news on the member site mentions the planner not coming out until late spring!

Here's the text of the news release from the member website:

To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored.

Uh oh.

 

[TSMIII]

When I signed in, couldn't find the article...

Once you get on the site, click on "View All News" at the bottom of the intro section for Latest News.

 

[RobDoc]

RCI was the original World Passport provider - until 1995 (I think) when it was replaced by II.

This will be interesting to see what happens. RCI is much larger than II and includes some of the same resorts offered by II. Hopefully, the new offerings will be published soon so we can all compare the two systems.

Stay tuned!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It appears that the World Passport Collection will be a portfolio of Interval International (II) resorts through the end of this year, after which it will be a portfolio of RCI resorts instead.

Some of the biggest (and best) names in timesharing are affiliated primarily or entirely with II: Marriott, Hyatt, Four Seasons, and Westin. That means that many excellent resorts will no longer be available through the World Passport Collection. It seems that any DVC member wanting to use DVC points to book II resorts needs to act quickly.

RCI has more resorts than II, but most are below the standards of DVC. A couple of the bigger, better names affiliated with RCI are Hilton and Wyndham.

 

[bwvBound]

Hmm ... I wonder if DVC will employ RCI's "1-in-n" restrictions?? I could easily see them limiting trades into DVC to once every 4 years or so. I do hope that DVC owners are excluded from that rule if used!

 

[lisareniff]

Another improvement due to member request??


I personally do not like it when anyone, let alone a service organization, is evasive when announcing information. They never say that II is being eliminated and replaced with RCI. Why not? Is RCI that bad that they feel they have to 'pull one over on us'?

 

[RobDoc]

Hmm ... I wonder if DVC will employ RCI's "1-in-n" restrictions?? I could easily see them limiting trades into DVC to once every 4 years or so. I do hope that DVC owners are excluded from that rule if used!

Those trade-in restrictions thru RCI are decisions made by the individual resorts. It is not a policy created by RCI. I'm sure that RCI would implement that policy if DVC made the request.

 

[bwvBound]

Those trade-in restrictions thru RCI are decisions made by the individual resorts. It is not a policy created by RCI. I'm sure that RCI would implement that policy if DVC made the request.

Thus my wording, "I wonder if DVC will employ ..." My intent was to question if DVC would be likely to request using the restriction.

 

[jamstew]

I think RCI has all the Wyndham properties. I understand that Bonnet Creek is pretty nice, and I've thought about trying to book back-to-back weeks -- one at Bonnet Creek and one at WDW -- since I already belong to RCI. We've been doing RCI vacations for over 20 years with mixed results as far as the quality of the properties go, but that's probably the case with II as well.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I personally do not like it when anyone, let alone a service organization, is evasive when announcing information. They never say that II is being eliminated and replaced with RCI. Why not? Is RCI that bad that they feel they have to 'pull one over on us'?

The final paragraph effectively says that the "current World Passport Collection" (which means II) is going away at the end of this month:

"To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored."​

I agree that DVC could have been more honest and straightforward by stating that this is a changeover from 500 selected Interval International resorts to 500 selected RCI resorts, or something along those lines.

I'm alway skeptical when companies announce that they're "enhancing" a service. When an airline or hotel chain announces that they're "enhancing" their frequent flyer or frequent hotel guest program, it usually means your hard-earned points are worth less.

In fairness to DVC, we need to see what the details are later this month to read the details of the "significantly broader range of resort experiences, length-of-stay options (including more nightly exchanges) and more."

But, in any case, any DVC member who wants to use DVC points to stay at a Marriott Vacation Club resort (except for a handful of the oldest ones which are also in RCI) needs to act quickly.

 

[Dean]

It does appear to me they are replacing II with RCI. But reading between the lines it appears that DVC will become a member of RCI points, not RCI weeks. I wonder if they will allow crossovers to the RCI weeks . Making the ASSUMPTION it's RCI Points, that means that reservations will start at 10 months out but can be confirmed on the spot. The exchange fee MAY vary with the length of the reservation.

While RCI is larger than II, II has overall better options for many locations that DVC members are interested in. Members will lose access to almost all Marriott's and all but the older ones. They will also lose access to all of Royals except limited inventory from the Royal Mayan. OTOH, they will pick up access to Club Intrawest, Hilton's, more Bluegreen inventory including Big Cedar and better options for places like Cabo. RCI does not have a request first option other than for instant matches and I've long considered that one of the best and most valuable features of the DVC exchange system. Thus I assume all will move to instant matches and deposit first. RCI does not have a regional block but if DVC is able to pick and chose what resorts you can trade to this would only help the RCI members but not the DVC members. Not only does RCI have the option of a 1 in 4 or even 1 in 5 limitation, they can make this system wide where you can only trade in to ANY DVC resort once every few years. Now Orlando members can likely exchange in to DVC as well. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and what quirks are related to the DVC version compared to the regular version.

 

[disneydenisel]

It will be awful if DVC no longer exchanges via II , and that last sentence in the news article is disturbing . You would think that DVC would poll members on changing exchange companies, if indeed they are replacing II with RCI.

Though I probably would most likely not ever deposit my Beach Club Villas into II, I definitely would never deposit it with RCI. And since I own some II affiliated resorts, I was hoping to exchange into DVC during off-season some year. If the affiliation is gone, then that is also very sad. How will DVC members get to the Marriotts, Hyatts, Starwoods and Four Seasons?

Crossing fingers that they will be dual affiliated.....Can we call anyone to confirm?

 

[littlestar]

This is really too bad if no more II (Interval). No more Westin, Hyatt, high end Sheratons, or high end Marriotts for DVC trades. The only really high end major brand that RCI has is Hilton.

 

[mmcguire]

This is really too bad if no more II (Interval). No more Westin, Hyatt, high end Sheratons, or high end Marriotts for DVC trades. The only really high end major brand that RCI has is Hilton.

...IMHO, I don't consider Hilton a high-end brand. Many of their hotels are tired construction from the 70s and 80s, long past their prime. Some of the worst hotel experiences I've had have been at Hiltons. If that is the best I can hope for with RCI, I will never deposit my points with them. This is a big disappointment.