Need information on using RCI to go to Disney

[hisgal2]

We own at RCI's property at Massanutten, Va. I know very little about anything with the timeshare.....we've owned for probably 15 years and I don't think we've ever used it or traded the week or anything. Today, I came across someone posting a question on a Disney facebook group about using timeshare points (or whatever the term is??) to stay in Disney and it got me thinking......is this something I could do also? So, I need information! We have plans to be in Disney the first week of January, so I am probably too late on trying to get the time frame that I want, but I don't even know the first place to start. I need an education on this!

 

[Disney_Alli]

I think you'll get better answers over on TUG than here... Hopefully someone comes along who can help you out.

 

[hisgal2]

I think you'll get better answers over on TUG than here... Hopefully someone comes along who can help you out.

Thanks, I was there, but I completely got stressed out because I know absolutely NOTHING.

 

[Geomom]

My Dad did this with his Pollard Brook timeshare back in 2007 (before we owned DVC). He deposited his week/points into RCI and was able to get us a studio at Saratoga Springs. There is usually a fee to move your points/weeks into RCI, not sure what it would be for yours. (For DVC owners, we pay $95 to go through RCI.) It should pretty much all be done online these days--my Dad has used his timeshare points for other resorts through RCI (he has a Hilton Head one booked for this summer.) I'd check out the RCI website, they might be able to give you more info. Disney ones can be hard to get...I think it's usually Saratoga that is listed on RCI for trade.

 

[crisi]

DVC rooms sometimes show up on RCI. You'll get better answers when an RCI owner comes in here but, from what I recall on reading posts.....for the last several years, sightings have been almost exclusively two bedrooms at SSR. They get snapped up quickly and you'll want to watch the RCI listings and snap it up when you see it. Your timeshare may lack the trading power to ever see any of them that get posted. DVC members don't tend to trade out, so very little is deposited in. You'll very likely have better luck with another Orlando timeshare.

 

[chalee94]

...for the last several years, sightings have been almost exclusively two bedrooms at SSR. You'll very likely have better luck with another Orlando timeshare.

I think it has actually been 1BRs at SSR for the last few years.

I'm a member of II with my non-DVC timeshare rather than RCI, but I believe that the process goes like this:

You need to be a member of RCI (annual fee is around $75-100

You need to pay a trading fee of $200-239 to request a trade.

Unless your timeshare is for a premium resort and time of year, you may need to deposit 2 years of your timeshare to have enough trading power to get DVC. (My non-DVC timeshare is in this category so I trade it in II for Marriotts and Sheratons for offsite trips to Orlando.)

If you get a trade for DVC, you will owe an extra $190 fee to Disney upon check in.

You would be much better off trading for something like Sheraton Vistana Resort, which is excellent but lacks FP and other onsite benefits.

 

[crisi]

I think it has actually been 1BRs at SSR for the last few years.

That sounds more correct. Thanks

 

[east_coaster]

I've successfully traded in to a 1 bedroom at SSR and Beach Club Villas with RCI weeks. You need to deposit your home resort week(or points) into RCI, I think you need 45 points (in the weeks program) to trade in. I set up what's called an on going search for the dates I wanted and chose any DVC resort. You have to pay for the ongoing search but it goes towards the exchange fee should you find a match or is credited to your account to use later. There's also a fee you pay Disney at check in that's about $190 to cover the costs of Magical Express ect.Then there's the fee to be an RCI member and a fee to combine your weeks if one of your weeks isn't enough points.

When I exchanged I had set up the ongoing search in March or April for the following January and they found a match in August. I've also used my weeks to stay off site at some really nice places. Let me know if you have any other questions, it can be over whelming

 

[cw62803]

I have timeshare at Massanutten, too. I've stayed at DVC units at both SSR and Old Key West using RCI. First, you need an RCI account. If you are not an RCI member, you can join one with your Massanutten property. You have to pay yearly dues to RCI. Then you have to bank your unit. You'll probably have to bank a couple of years worth of points, as the required exchange points for Disney properties is very high. When you have enough points, you enter a search through RCI. If a Disney property becomes available, RCI notifies you. You then pay an exchange fee (about $240) to RCI. You also pay a resort fee of about $200 to Disney. After all that, you get a nice Disney resort for a week.

 

[bwvBound]

We own at RCI's property at Massanutten, Va. I know very little about anything with the timeshare.....we've owned for probably 15 years and I don't think we've ever used it or traded the week or anything. Today, I came across someone posting a question on a Disney facebook group about using timeshare points (or whatever the term is??) to stay in Disney and it got me thinking......is this something I could do also? So, I need information! We have plans to be in Disney the first week of January, so I am probably too late on trying to get the time frame that I want, but I don't even know the first place to start. I need an education on this!

@chalee94 and @cw62803 provided great "outlines" of the process above. You are not too late for January 2020. Right now, DVC is releasing inventory to RCI through Nov 2019. Agreeing with above, DVC is releasing mostly 1BR units at SSR. There have been a few, isolated, sightings of 2BR units at OKW and AKV but these seem to be reserved only for special trade partners like Welk Resorts.

The 1BR exchanges through RCI Weeks have been starting at 45 Trade Power Units (TPU) and may require you to combine multiple deposits from your Massanutten resort depending on the trade strength of your ownership (influenced by the resort, the unit size, and demand for your specific week).

Fees involved, as mentioned earlier in this thread, include:

• Annual Membership Fee to RCI (~$89/year depending on 'specials' offered to your resort community)
• Exchange fee to RCI ($240'ish)
• Exchange fee to DVC ($190)
• RCI Extra fee to Combine TPU from multiple deposits together ($99?)
• RCI Extra fee for a Guest Cert if the person checking in isn't named on the RCI account ($139?)

To get started, I suggest you phone your resort's Member Services desk to ask about accessing or creating the RCI account. This is something that needs coordination between your resort and RCI and might be most easily handled from your resort.
Good luck!

 

[Wakey]

Wow- Sounds like way too much hassle and cost.

 

[bwvBound]

Wow- Sounds like way too much hassle and cost.

LOL. Depends on your priorities, timeline, budgeting, etc. We have two inbound exchanges to SSR booked for this summer and are looking forward to each! We've also done many, many exchanges over the years into BWV to match January conference dates. Work the system when you can ... no regrets!