RCI into DVC

[Leleluvsdis]

When looking a availablity of DVC's on RCI's website, how do you know what the view is, or do you not know until you book? Thanks!!

 

[JimMIA]

If you are asking about specific unit views (BW view, MK view, etc) I don't believe you can request those via RCI. If they are available through RCI, they should be clearly marked because the points cost is different -- but I think you're very unlikely to see "views" available.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

You won't know until you call Members Services AFTER your trade. And they won't have your information for a week or two. RCI doesn't have that info.

 

[magiroux]

At the BWV I was told all RCI exchanges are preferred view. I requested a Village Green view and received a lovely partial Boardwalk view.

I have read that AKL is almost always Kidani. Also, each week has a specific view assigned to the unit (savannah. standard, etc). For that resort if a section/view is important I would put the unit on hold then call an RCI guide and they should be able to tell you what bldg/view you are holding. At that point you can book it or just let it go back into the pool. I do that for many resorts outside of DVC that assign a bldg/view before it is deposited into RCI.

For OKW my understanding is you can not request the Hospitality House bldg.

For SSR, WVL and BCV I have always requested my personal preference and it has been honored.

Hope that helps.

 

[Dean]

As noted, no way to know and RCI doesn't know or care. For BWV they do both standard and preferred, for AKV they do both Savannah and Standard. With timeshare exchanges in general it's best to assume you'll get the worst unit/view possible and hope for the best. Anything else sets up up for heartache. One can often hedge their changes by finding out the unit assignment rules of the system in question. DVC is very strict on giving the unit view and type that was deposited but they have "legal" flexibility if they need it. They could even change the resort if they wanted. There was a post recently of someone who was told they had a savannah view by MS and were assigned a standard view at the resort.

You can request anything you want but you are not likely to get views/unit types not generally deposited like HH at OKW, BW view, etc.

 

[Brian Noble]

how do you know what the view is, or do you not know until you book?

As far as I know, the only resort at which more than one view is realistically possible is AKV. There, you will get either Savannah or Standard. If you are exchanging via Weeks, the unit code will tell you (the middle three setters are either SAV or STD). If you are exchanging via Points, you will not know until your reservation is transferred to DVC. As Dean notes, even then it could change.

At the other resorts with view designations (BWV, OKW, BLT): As far as I know, only Preferred Garden/Pool has been deposited at BWV (unlike Dean, I can't recall ever seeing a confirmed report of Standard View, and Boardwalk View is impossible). At OKW, only General Resort is deposited (not Hospitality House). To date, there have been no confirmed deposits of BLT.

 

[Dean]

As far as I know, the only resort at which more than one view is realistically possible is AKV. There, you will get either Savannah or Standard. If you are exchanging via Weeks, the unit code will tell you (the middle three setters are either SAV or STD). If you are exchanging via Points, you will not know until your reservation is transferred to DVC. As Dean notes, even then it could change.

At the other resorts with view designations (BWV, OKW, BLT): As far as I know, only Preferred Garden/Pool has been deposited at BWV (unlike Dean, I can't recall ever seeing a confirmed report of Standard View, and Boardwalk View is impossible). At OKW, only General Resort is deposited (not Hospitality House). To date, there have been no confirmed deposits of BLT.

I've had 2 personally that were standard view (confirmed by MS and assigned as such). The 4 we had in Sept were all preferred but with 4 units and asking they all be together, it's possible that not all were technically such.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

i agree to just assume it will be the lowest view category and that way you won't be disappointed. We had a canal view looking towards the Swan and Dolphin last month at BWV. We had a first floor end unit and we really liked it as it was very convenient to walk to DHS or Epcot. I would not have picked it, but it ending up being great for us.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've had 2 personally that were standard view (confirmed by MS and assigned as such).

Interesting. Thanks! That also means that Weeks exchangers will not know which category BWV inventory will be drawn from, because the BWV unit codes do not include a view designation, just unit size, capacity, and check-in day.

 

[Dean]

I gave my daughter the "don't worry if you're looking at the parking deck" spiel 4 years ago when she went to HI and stayed at the Maui Marriott. She called me the next morning after arrival to gloat about her 5th floor ocean front unit. Me, I've used up my good luck with 3 near death experiences (rattlesnake encounter, near miss with ATL olympic bombing, declined invitation to take a plan trip that crashed and killed all 3) so I assume the worst and hope for the best with timeshares.

Interesting. Thanks! That also means that Weeks exchangers will not know which category BWV inventory will be drawn from, because the BWV unit codes do not include a view designation, just unit size, capacity, and check-in day.

I don't think they could make the numbers balance without using some BWV standard realizing the 160/270 or below points structure and the actual numbers required to secure replacement DVC units to give to RCI. They also shade to SSR and OKW out of proportion to the points traded from there.

One thing that I'm curious about is that BCV seems to show up out of proportion to it's small size and relative demand. That combined with the fact that many of the BWV BW view people that were displaced last year were transferred to BCV, and the higher ROFR makes me wonder if DVC is sitting on a fair chunk of points there. Then one must ask the question why and if it was just to resale, you'd think they'd be turning over enough not to have that large a chunk. Makes me wonder if they're hoarding the points to do a sale/extension push once the economy improves.

 

[shalom]

Then one must ask the question why and if it was just to resale, you'd think they'd be turning over enough not to have that large a chunk. Makes me wonder if they're hoarding the points to do a sale/extension push once the economy improves.

I've wondered that myself, but my theory is that they've kept out a fair number to rent out as regular rooms at the higher rate, and fewer people are coughing up the cash for them than expected. But I'm assuming that the ones sold via DVC and the ones treated as hotel rooms are different categories (RCI also rents out DVC units as "extra vacations" at pretty much the hotel room rate, memory serves), which may or may not be the case.

 

[mkarizona]

As far as I know, the only resort at which more than one view is realistically possible is AKV. There, you will get either Savannah or Standard. If you are exchanging via Weeks, the unit code will tell you (the middle three setters are either SAV or STD).
.

With Weeks you can call RCI before you exchange, just be sure to ask specifically for the Unit Description. When I called about one last month I was told "I am sure it is a savanna view because the resort description talks about the lovely view of the savanna." When I asked for the unit description it turned out to be a standard view

 

[Dean]

As far as I know, the only resort at which more than one view is realistically possible is AKV. There, you will get either Savannah or Standard. If you are exchanging via Weeks, the unit code will tell you (the middle three setters are either SAV or STD). If you are exchanging via Points, you will not know until your reservation is transferred to DVC. As Dean notes, even then it could change.

At the other resorts with view designations (BWV, OKW, BLT): As far as I know, only Preferred Garden/Pool has been deposited at BWV (unlike Dean, I can't recall ever seeing a confirmed report of Standard View, and Boardwalk View is impossible). At OKW, only General Resort is deposited (not Hospitality House). To date, there have been no confirmed deposits of BLT.

We just got an AKV 2 BR for last August and it is savannah view.

 

[Inkmahm]

I had a 1 bedroom RCI trade in to Kidani for last month. I made the reservation much earlier in 2010. When I called MS to get our DVC reservation number, they told me it was for a savanna view. When we checked in at Kidani, it turned out to be a standard view. The manager there told me ALL RCI trade ins to Kidani were standard view. I hadn't kept the name of the person I spoke with at MS so I really had no proof of what I had been told.

 

[Dean]

I had a 1 bedroom RCI trade in to Kidani for last month. I made the reservation much earlier in 2010. When I called MS to get our DVC reservation number, they told me it was for a savanna view. When we checked in at Kidani, it turned out to be a standard view. The manager there told me ALL RCI trade ins to Kidani were standard view. I hadn't kept the name of the person I spoke with at MS so I really had no proof of what I had been told.

I remember your post previously and I think it was either a fluke or you were given the wrong info up front. Either way I am prepared for all variations at Kidani. I have previously had units there and was given the deposited unit in all cases including Savannah view.

 

[Sammie]

I gave my daughter the "don't worry if you're looking at the parking deck" spiel 4 years ago when she went to HI and stayed at the Maui Marriott. She called me the next morning after arrival to gloat about her 5th floor ocean front unit. Me, I've used up my good luck with 3 near death experiences (rattlesnake encounter, near miss with ATL olympic bombing, declined invitation to take a plan trip that crashed and killed all 3) so I assume the worst and hope for the best with timeshares

Well that would defnitely give one a does of reality for the rest of your life. Glad you are here to tell about it.

Not having RCI, I have question. In using RCI to trade into DVC, do you have to pay any fees, to do this? If so when are those fees collected, at the booking or when you check in?

 

[Brian Noble]

Yes. Both. There is a fee to complete the exchange at the time of booking. For most people, this is $180 (online) or $200 (calling in), though some folks (I think HGVC is one) have lower exchange costs. There is also DVC's $95 extortion fee. That is paid at checkin.

 

[Dean]

Yes. Both. There is a fee to complete the exchange at the time of booking. For most people, this is $180 (online) or $200 (calling in), though some folks (I think HGVC is one) have lower exchange costs. There is also DVC's $95 extortion fee. That is paid at checkin.

The points exchange fees are a little lower, $139 for online for a full week or more, lower for less than a week but often with housekeeping fees.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

There is also DVC's $95 extortion fee. That is paid at checkin.

LOL Better yet I get to pay 2 extortion fees even though I'll likely been in the same villa both weeks.

 

[Dean]

LOL Better yet I get to pay 2 extortion fees even though I'll likely been in the same villa both weeks.

I'd paid 9 last Sept for a family trip and only stayed in 1 unit.