II exchange question

[abbydancer]

We just got our fed-ex box today, with all our documents etc. I just read the II exchange disclosure guide, and it brought up some questions.

Prior to our trip to Disneyword, we had decided that for our 10th anniversary we wanted to go to Paris. (My husband has never been there, and it was our first choice for our honeymoon, but there was World Cup that year).

So, I'm think that maybe we can do an II exchange in 2008, and a few days at DLP. However, in going through the disclosure, there is a list of Resorts, and I could only see 1 resort in France. Is that correct? Just out of curiousity I checked the II website, and they seemed to have serveral in the Paris area.

So, is the full range of II exchange resorts available to DVC members, or a subset? And if a subset - what criteria is used to determine which resorts are included? (And if this is the case, why is France so under-represented?)

thanks.
abby

 

[dianeschlicht]

Disney only trades directly with the subset of resorts they consider to be of similar quality to DVC. If you see a different resort you want to try that is not on the DVC list, you might try to do a direct exchange, but I kind of like that DVC has "pre-review" them for us.

 

[Dean]

So, I'm think that maybe we can do an II exchange in 2008, and a few days at DLP. However, in going through the disclosure, there is a list of Resorts, and I could only see 1 resort in France. Is that correct? Just out of curiousity I checked the II website, and they seemed to have serveral in the Paris area.

So, is the full range of II exchange resorts available to DVC members, or a subset? And if a subset - what criteria is used to determine which resorts are included? (And if this is the case, why is France so under-represented?)

thanks.
abby

First, there is little in the Paris area period for II. But there are actually 3 timeshares in Paris with II and another 5 in the general area. There is a Marriott very near the DLP site as well as the Disney Hotels one can use points for directly through the DC albeit at a high points costs.

DVC is a corporate member of II and only include maybe 25% of the II offerings on their approved list. The usual criteria to be included as I understand it include the following though there may be other issues of which I'm not aware.

• Direct Competition with DVC resorts, this is called a regional block. They have elected not to offer resorts in the Orlando area. And limit to the top 3 Marriott's on HH. Expect that to change in that Surfwatch will likely be added and Harbour Club taken off the list.
• Quality of the resort. They don't want members to be too unhappy with a given exchange through DVC.
• Area coverage. They may offer a lessor resort in an area that doesn't have much for nicer options.
• Not too new, DVC tends to wait around 2 years to add even well established options like new Marriott Vacation Club resorts.
• Actual availability for exchange. A good example of this is that DVC actually took Harbourside Atlantis off the exchange options for a couple of years due to lack of available exchanges even though there were known reasons that were obviously temporary.

If I wanted to go to Paris, I'd look for other ways. If you have Marriott reward pts, that is likely the best option. Otherwise plan on cash or to stay in the countryside.