New help w/RCI Question Please

[cd&kids]

I'm ready to scream in frustration, so if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it!
A friend is giving us their week's stay thru RCI -- a 1-bedroom unit. Since there are 5 of us, we want to upgrade to a 2-bedroom unit.
When we call a resort (we've tried Sheraton, Vistana, Wyndham, Silver Lake, Orange Lake) -- we get a different story each time. They usually say that any change has to be done thru RCI. I've called RCI three times and each time I get the same answer from them -- they have nothing to do with it. Simply book the 1-bedroom, then at time of check-in the resort, if there's availability, will upgrade to a 2-bedroom and you pay the difference.
Silver Lake was the only resort that said in advance they WOULD upgrade -- and for only 23 bucks a night (which I thought was great). Trouble is, we've stayed at Silver Lake twice before and while it's okay, it's probably our least favorite.
We just don't want to book the 1-bedroom, check-in and be told that either NO 2-bedrooms are available -- or that an upgrade will be very costly. We'd like to know in advance and unfortunately we're not getting straight answers from the resorts out there. They keep repeating (even when they check with a manager) that they are unable to upgrade an RCI reservation and that RCI itself must do it -- which, again, is not the case. Ugh!
Can anyone help please? The kids are excited and we've told them we're headed to Disney but this whole thing is giving me a headache and I'm not able to pull the trigger on this!
Thank you!!!

 

[momoftriplets]

My dad has RCI & we've used his weeks before. A lot of times RCI won't talk to me, but they will talk to him. Try having your friend call RCI directly. Perhaps s/he can get better answers.

HTH.

 

[cd&kids]

Thanks -- I appreciate that, but I don't think the problem is on RCI's end -- it's the resorts.
RCI can't "make" the resort upgrade to a 2-bedroom -- unless RCI is compensating the resort -- and then RCI would have to be compensated with more time exchange from our friend -- which he doesn't have to give. (I hope that makes sense!)
It's the resort that needs to be compsensated for the upgrade -- and we're willing to do that, but we'd like to know by how much.
Thank you for the advice, though -- I appreciate you taking time out from your duties watching triplets!

 

[spiceycat]

okay RCI is the exchange club - it doesn't own the resorts.

that say generally when I exchange a 1-bedroom can get a 2-bedroom - not a problem.

so is this an exchange to RCI - or what?

did your friend already exchange it to RCI then gave it to you?

have you tried to exchange her week and only getting 1-bedrooms - that might be all that is left.

RCI does NOT have any resorts - they are just an exchange club.

does your friend have a timeshare unit - or does she just have RCI points? If she only has the points then RCI is the problem.

if you can get the information from her - (you need her RCI membership number)

the go see for yourself

www.rci.com

 

[Lisa P.]

When the exchange request is made, be sure that the RCI rep knows that the unit will need to sleep 5 people. A 1BR generally only sleeps 4, particularly in Orlando. If the exchange request says that 5 people are traveling, a confirmation will only be made for a unit that sleeps 5 or more - which will very likely be a 2BR in the Orlando area.

This should not prove to be a problem if you are giving a reasonable list of resort names and/or check-in dates that would satisfy you, especially if you're requesting your exchange over a year in advance. HTH.

 

[cd&kids]

Spiceycat, our friend has a 1-bedroom unit. She did not exchange it yet -- she's waiting to hear from us what resort we want. Once we pick one, she'll do the exchange and get a 1-bedroom unit back. My understanding is, we'll get a gift certificate spelling out the arrival dates, etc.
But what I'm looking for is a confirmation from the resort -- in advance -- that after I get that certificate, I can pay for an upgrade to a 2-bedroom. And I'd like to know the cost.
You mentioned that you usually get an upgrade no problem. Are you an RCI member? Are your circumstances similar to what I just explained?
Thanks for your help!

 

[Brian Noble]

cd&kids---that's not how this works. In general, you cannot upgrade the size of your unit once you have confirmed an exchange. And, resorts that are willing to upgrade you will generally not promise that they will; it will be on a space-available basis.

However, all is not lost. RCI is a barter system and it generally only allows you to make an 'equitable' trade. If you trade your 1BR for another 1BR, then that's what you get, another 1BR. However, RCI considers more than just size in deciding what is "equitable"---it is based largely on supply and demand. So you can trade a 1BR for someone else's 2BR, if the 1BR has "enough demand", and the 2BR has "enough supply."

So, when your friend searches RCI, be sure they specify that they will only accept a 2BR in exchange. When you make an exchange request, you are able to specify all kinds of restrictions on what you would accept, and "unit size" is one of them. So, even though you are turning in a 1BR, you can ask for only 2BRs in return. And, as long as there is enough demand for your 1BR week, you stand a chance of getting what you want.

It is possible that their 1BR week will not have enough demand to pull a 2BR somewhere near Disney, but unlikely---there are a lot of resorts in Orlando, and even though it is a popular destination, there is so much supply that it is usually not a difficult exchange. I am sometimes able to get a 2BR in peak time by exchanging a studio in low or medium time; this will not be for the top-shelf resorts, of course, but you can get some pretty nice ones even so.

If you happen to know the resort and date of the week being exchanged, and can tell us the time you want to go to Orlando, we might be able to give you more specific advice.

 

[cd&kids]

Hi Brian. That's a big help. The 1-bedroom RCI exchanges seem to all take place (in Orlando anyway) from Friday-to-Friday, so we're looking at Fri Aug 22 through the 29th.
Our first choice is Hilton Grand Vacation -- either Intl. Dr. or Sea World -- then Sheraton resort -- then Orange Lake.
As I said in the first post, Silver Lake already confirmed over the phone that they WOULD do the upgrade for 23 dollars a night -- and we could confirm it and pay for it in advance as soon as the exchange is made.
That's what puzzles me -- if Silver Lake is doing it, why are the other resorts telling me that such an upgrade can ONLY take place through RCI? RCI has nothing to do with it after the exchange is made.
So as a back-up, we do have Silver Lake, but we're hoping for one of the other resorts.
Thanks again.

 

[Brian Noble]

No, they don't generally go Friday to Friday---they generally are available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but the Friday check-ins are generally the least desireable and hence easiest to exchange into.

If you are only seeing 1BRs, and only with Friday check-ins, and only at Silver Lakes but not the more desirable HGVCs, Sheratons, or OLCC, that tells me you are not using a "strong" week to request your exchange. That's especially true considering the fact that that last week of August is quite slow. A couple of weeks ago, even one of my mid-season studios was seeing 2BR units at one of the HGVCs for that last August week. Unfortunately, I can't check again, as I've already turned that unit in, and don't have anything on deposit at the moment.

Given that this is getting to be "short notice" for an exchange for August 2008, a 1BR at Silver Lakes may be the best you can do.

You have to understand something though: timeshares don't work like hotels. Unless they are in active construction and sales, they are rarely if ever rented to the general public, and they rarely have empty rooms. Commonly, every week in every unit is owned by some owner, and that owner has the exclusive rights to that week. The resort can't just "upgrade" someone from the room they have for the week, because that's someone else's unit.

Silver Lakes is willing to do this because they are in active construction and sales, and are hoping that by upgrading RCI exchangers to their newest units, those exchangers will be tempted to buy. Other resorts get their sales tour traffic in other ways.

But, you don't have to accept a 1BR unit in exchange. If the week you are trading in has sufficient trade power, you can get a 2BR unit directly from RCI. However, it sounds as though you won't get a 2BR at one of those high-demand resorts. You may have to lower your standards: see if Orbit One or Bryan's Spanish Cove are available. Both are acceptable, have 2BR units, are close to Disney, and while not super-flashy like the ones you mentioned, perfectly comfortable.

 

[cd&kids]

Thanks again, Brian.
Let me bounce this off you. We get a 1-bedroom at Hilton or one of the other premiere resorts. We then show up at check-in and ask to upgrade there on the spot.
What do you think the odds are of getting accomodated? Also, the 23-dollar a night upgrade at Silver Lake sounded ridiculously cheap to me. Would you expect that at another resort (assuming they'd even DO an upgrade?)
And regarding Silver Lake, we were there in '02 and '03. It was the first time ever for us at a resort and we were very impressed. But since then, we've stayed elsewhere and have seen a huge difference.
Has Silver Lake improved any, do you know, in recent years?

 

[Brian Noble]

I get the sense that you don't want to hear what I am saying---if you confirm a 1BR sleeps 4 through RCI, you have to assume that that's all you are going to get, and that the resort will not upgrade you at any price. Silver Lakes' policy of confirming an upgrade at exchange time is very much the exception rather than the rule in my experience.

It also sounds like you aren't using an exchange week with very strong trade power, so you're probably going to have to give up on the idea of a stay in one of the top-shelf Orlando RCI resorts.

If you want to use this week to book your August stay in Orlando, you need to take these two facts to heart.

 

[Brian Noble]

One last piece of advice that you've already been given---be sure your friend tells RCI that you have five people. While there are a few 1BRs in Orlando that sleep more than 4, most such units will be 2BR units. If you take an exchange for a 1BR that sleeps 4, it is possible that the resort will turn you away if you show up with five.

 

[cd&kids]

Gotcha' Brian -- thanks.
We'll tell our friend about the 5-people and we have Silver Lake as a back-up.
The bottom line -- we're going to Disney and have a place to sleep!
Thanks for all your help -- have a Happy Easter.

 

[Lisa P.]

Using my weakest trade week (and it's REALLY WEAK), here's what I see available at RCI online at the moment, all 2BRs w/check-in Fri/Sat/Sun August 22-24, 2008. You ought to be able to get any of these with a week trader. You may consider asking directly about a "sleeps 5" 2BR unit at one of these.

Club Sevilla (#5169)
Kissimmee, FL 34746, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/23/2008

Orbit One Vacation Villas (#5109)
Kissimmee, FL 34747, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date Range: 08/23/2008 - 08/24/2008

Wyndham Cypress Palms (#3995)
Kissimmee, FL 34746, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/24/2008

Westgate Vacation Villas (#0899)
Kissimmee, FL 34747, USA
Available Unit Size: 1 - 2 Check-in Date Range: 08/23/2008 - 08/24/2008

Sheraton Vistana Resort (#0450)
Orlando, FL 32821, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date Range: 08/22/2008 - 08/24/2008

Bryan's Spanish Cove (#1613)
Orlando, FL 32821, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/23/2008​

A much stronger trade week also sees:

Polynesian Isles (#5095)
Kissimmee, FL 34746, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/24/2008

Orange Lake's West Village (#0670)
Kissimmee, FL 34747, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/24/2008

Oasis Lakes at the Fountains (#4852)
Orlando, FL 32821, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/23/2008

Orlando International Resort Club (#0552)
Orlando, FL 32819, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/23/2008

Orlando's Sunshine Resort (#1998)
Orlando, FL 32819, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/22/2008

Kingstown Reef (#5945)
Orlando, FL 32821, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/23/2008

Sabal Palms (#1276)
Orlando, FL 32821, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/22/2008

Cypress Pointe Grande Villas Resort (#3996)
Orlando, FL 32836, USA
Available Unit Size: 2 - 2 Check-in Date: 08/23/2008​

FWIW, there seems to be NO 2BR availability at present at either of the HGVC resorts nor the Sheraton Vistana Villages for your check-in weekend. The 2 HGVCs do have availability with check-in on the following weekend, after the 29th but not your weekend. And that's with a deposit that's a strong trader.

My first choice (from the above lists) for a Disney-only vacation with lots of time spent at the parks would be the Cypress Pointe Grande Villas (really nearby and a very nice place). Close seconds for us would be Wyndham Cypress Palms, Polynesian Isles and Sabal Palms (all pretty close by). Oasis Lakes (nice) and Orange Lake (lots to do) and Vistana (lots to do) get a nod too. The others are suitable, for us, for an okay place to sleep, some are further from Disney, some are pretty modest places. Altogether, there were actually 30 resorts that matched the strong trader - I just skipped them if I would normally not choose to stay there or send someone there. And just as an FYI, there was a 1BR that sleeps 6 available at Silver Lake. I didn't even know they had those. Have no idea about the room layout.

It may be best just to call with your preferences (from this current availability list) and ask if a 2BR is available for your trade. Then check about your second choice and so on. You're bound to get a match, especially if you include something from that first list, which ought to be available at present, with any trade week. HTH!

 

[luvdisney14]

How about taking a one bedroom and bring and air mattress?

 

[swilshire]

How about taking a one bedroom and bring and air mattress?

Exceeding the maximum occupancy (probably four for a 1br) is not a good idea. The resort would have every right to ask one of you to find somewhere else to stay or to make the whole group leave.

I've taken a chance and done it once in a resort that was rumoured to ignore an extra body, but wouldn't even think of it in Orlando where there are SO many other options.

Sheila

 

[spiceycat]

so what are your exact dates?

sometimes to see other units - you need to just go with no changes to the unit size.

not sure why you are only seeing 1-bedroom - even my SA sees 2-bedroom

see August 22
Sheraton Vistana Resort


see August 23 - 30 - 2-bedrooms
Wynham Cypress Palms
Orbit One Villa
orange Lake villa - west


august 24-21 - 2 bedrooms
Celebrity Resort Orlando - Resort world II

I would go with Sheraton Vistana Resort