RCI question DVC

[Tricia's mom]

I'll make this quick
In laws own an RCI.... 17 weeks a year gold crown.
I have been trying to get a DVC ... How does one grab this golden ticket ??

 

[Lynne M]

I'm going to move this over to the DVC - Planning board for you, since this is a question specific to DVC.

 

[chalee94]

I'll make this quick
In laws own an RCI.... 17 weeks a year gold crown.
I have been trying to get a DVC ... How does one grab this golden ticket ??

gold crown is kind of a non-issue. the points value of the weeks you are trading is critical.

you need to use the RCI calculator to figure out how many pts your weeks are worth...you currently need 32 to 36 pts in RCI weeks to score a DVC 2BR (most of the 2BRs offered will be at OKW or SSR as they are larger resorts). if you are in RCI points, you probably need at least 71,000 depending on the time of year.

studios start at 22 pts in RCI weeks and around 28,000 pts in RCI pts.

it also helps to have a trade request in around 8-10 months out.

and if their resort is anywhere near orlando, RCI will block them from trading into DVC.

 

[Dean]

I'll make this quick
In laws own an RCI.... 17 weeks a year gold crown.
I have been trying to get a DVC ... How does one grab this golden ticket ??

As chalee noted, it takes planning and preparation. The best options if they own weeks is to get deposits in RCI and if necessary, combine them to get a trading power of at least 40 or above. Then put in an ongoing search at least 10-11 months, better at 13 more or more out. Be realistic and decide whether to list larger units or more in demand resorts based on your preferences and time of the year. For a first try, I'd suggest listing all on site options assuming you want to go to WDW. SSR & OKW will be the most likely available but all resorts (assuming a 2 BR or less) are possible. If you tell us the resort(s) and times of year you own we can be a little more specific.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Okay.. I will try an be more specific...
They own a studio at smugglers notch in Vermont....they have 17 weeks a year...They NEVER use smuggs.. they only purchased it for the trade value. Here lies the problem...DH is a teacher and we would love to use it around Easter...
We only need a studio or one bedroom its just 3 of us !
Would it help if we didn't need a full week ?
I wouldn't even care which DVC resort we have. Thanks for the input !

 

[Dean]

Okay.. I will try an be more specific...
They own a studio at smugglers notch in Vermont....they have 17 weeks a year...They NEVER use smuggs.. they only purchased it for the trade value. Here lies the problem...DH is a teacher and we would love to use it around Easter...
We only need a studio or one bedroom its just 3 of us !
Would it help if we didn't need a full week ?
I wouldn't even care which DVC resort we have. Thanks for the input !

I'm sorry they bought retail with the purpose of trading for this situation. I hope their fees are fairly low but I seem to recall smuggs has fairly high fees, I'm just not sure about the studios. The best I can tell they will have a TPU (trading power) that falls between 8 & 18 per week except Xmas and NY, which is 36. Most were in the 8-10 range it looked like. TPU is reduced if under 276 days at the time of the deposit but it's still 90% at 180 & 80% over 90 days out or 8*90%=7 TPU. That's all for RCI weeks, Smuggs is also an RCI points member but I'm doubting they have that though I'm also hoping they do. My comments the rest of this thread will assume they are RCI weeks members only for the most part. Also, since this is the in-laws, I don't know how much power or control you have over this issue or how well they take advice from a DIL.

I think Smuggs mostly has fixed weeks but does have some floating weeks. If they have fixed weeks and not RCI points, some of this won't apply. If they have floating weeks, you need to sit down with the RCI TPU schedule and their reservations rules and decide how to maximize the deposits, if they have fixed weeks and not RCI points, it's simply making sure you follow the deposit rules then depositing as early as possible. I'm guessing they have to pay the fees first to deposit, if so, pay the fees early and deposit early to maximize both use time and TPU. You want to deposit as early as possible to get the max TPU for that deposit.

The bad news is they have poor trading power on the weeks side in spite of what the salesperson likely told them when they bought. They may not want to hear this so this is where the relationship comes into play. The good news is that you can combine deposits now with RCI to boost your trade power but get less trades. Even better, when you combine, you can incorporate any straggling leftover TPU AND extend it's life for 2 years from that date at the same time. Say you deposit 4 studios and combine them and end up with a TPU of 40, then trade for DVC at a TPU of 36. That leaves 4 which you could combine with the next time you do the combining of units and end up with say 44.

Assuming you don't have access to Xmas and NY, you're likely looking at somewhere around 4 Smuggs deposits to get 1 DVC 1 or 2 BR unit. Since they have 17 weeks and the stated purpose is just for exchanging, I'd get them all deposited as early as possible going forward. Do as many separate combining of points as you have units you intend to use. Since you can only search against one deposit at a time, you likely don't want to combine them all into on but you might want to end up with may 3 large ones (assuming all 17 weeks) and then start ongoing searches. Then as you make future deposits, you can pick up any straggling weeks or leftover TPU credit and extend it in the same motion. The fee PER COMBINATION, is $99 so you'll need to play with this issue to get the most bang for your buck.

To be confident in searching for DVC, you need a TPU around 40 or above for a 1 or 2 BR which have recently been between 32 & 36. That'll give you enough cushion to not get caught just short. Having enough TPU and the ongoing search is the Key. With your in-laws situation, I think you can do fairly well if you become knowledgeable enough and are willing to pay and plan early. My fear is their fees are $400-500 a studio so you'll be paying $2000 or more for each DVC exchange, still cost effective but less than it could have been and far less than my costs are when I exchange in.

I have a somewhat similar situation personally for RCI weeks. I own at a resort when I can have up to 4 units reserved at a time but only one can be red time. Once a given reservation has passed, I can replace it with another week subject to availability. Thus I'll likely get 10-12 deposits from the one ownership per year. My fees for that are around $900 a year plus I pay $55 housekeeping fee for each reservation. I get anywhere from 14-33 TPU currently per deposit (2BR/1BA). Then I pay a fee to combine deposits maybe 1-2 times a year. I also have an RCI points account and can get extra RCI points by depositing into that account as well but there is a small fee, currently $26 per deposit, to do so. I decide which account to place a given deposit based on the TPU I'd get or the # of points I'd get. Because the rules and specifics are different for each system, often I get great benefit on one side and poor on the other. Combined I keep both RCI systems full of trade bait.

I'm hoping they have some flexibility in which weeks they can deposit and you can select the higher trading weeks. Another alternative would be if they were in RCI points or they could enroll through the resort. I don't think they could buy a separate RCI points account and deposit because RCI normally doesn't let resorts that are in RCI points (even if the member isn't), be deposited into points. It looks like they'd likely get 27K points per unit for most weeks of the year. If so, you'd still be looking at 3-4 studios per one DVC 1 or 2 BR on average but you'd have some other advantages and some disadvantages as well. They may want to check out this option though to see where they stand.

I know this is long and somewhat cumbersome, sorry, but it's a complicated situation. Lets start here and see where you are in terms of understanding and we can clear up any components that we need to. There is a member here who owns at Smuggs, I think the DIS nam is missy2217, IIRC. Maybe they could give you more specifics on some of these issues where the rest of us might not have the details.

 

[Tricia's mom]

OMG !!! My head is spinning....

Okay so .. let me get this right. If I was able to trade for a DVC.. it may cost upwards to 2,000.oo infees for the week ??
If that is the case it is not a value AT ALL for me... I just really want a refridge and queen beds....( hmmm washer and dryer would be nice too. ) They often use Vacation Village ....and have offered us that. But by the time a do a package deal from southest airlines , using the time share would cost me money. So not sure if this is even my answer.

 

[Brian Noble]

Stop. Breathe.

The bottom line is pretty simple. If your parents own a studio at Smuggs, they almost certainly do not have sufficient trade power to exchange a single Smuggs week for anything at DVC at any time. RCI works on a "like-for-like" system, and to get something that has high demand, you have to give up something that has high demand. Unfortunately, Smuggs just isn't a place that generates the same demand as DVC, and so it would not be considered a "like-for-like" trade. You might get very lucky and catch a last-minute cancellation but they are rare.

Your only options are: (a) combine two (or, more likely, several) Smuggs deposits into a single deposit credit and use that, or (b) exchange for one of the better offsite resorts instead. Which is the better option depends on how many deposits you have, what other uses you might have for them, and what the underlying costs are. But, no matter how you slice it, it will take you a good chunk of time to learn how this all works.

 

[Dean]

OMG !!! My head is spinning....

Okay so .. let me get this right. If I was able to trade for a DVC.. it may cost upwards to 2,000.oo infees for the week ??
If that is the case it is not a value AT ALL for me... I just really want a refridge and queen beds....( hmmm washer and dryer would be nice too. ) They often use Vacation Village ....and have offered us that. But by the time a do a package deal from southest airlines , using the time share would cost me money. So not sure if this is even my answer.

To understand how to work this to trade for DVC, or anything high cost, high demand, you'll need to be able to understand the info I posted above. So should your inlaws if they want to use RCI and trade. If they are looking at VV at Parkway, they may indeed have RCI points. The high costs are because they will have to use 3-4 units and pay the main fees on those units plus exchange fee plus the $95 fee DVC charges.

Here's a simple approach. Commit your dates that are workable for you and give them the info.

If they have RCI points, Ask them to keep checking on DVC since they can't do an ongoing search. Likely cost around 55K points for a 1 BR.
If they have RCI weeks, ask them to put in an ongoing search using a deposit with a TPU at least 32 for a 1 BR for all the DVC resorts acceptable.

ETA: even the cheapest DVC 1 BR for summer is around $3700 with tax rack rate so $2000 really is still pretty good.

 

[Tricia's mom]

ETA: even the cheapest DVC 1 BR for summer is around $3700 with tax rack rate so $2000 really is still pretty good.
... I don't think its worth it for that price..Jmho..

DIL are NOT disney people.. so they would not understand WHY in the world I would use 2 weeks for one and why would I pay so much more $$$$.
I am content with POFQ it fits my family of 3 ... I just thought it would be nice one time to use DVC and get a queen bed!! I really hate the "full"size in the resorts.

They do have weeks.. and refuse to switch to points. They really cant understand why?? I wouldn't just stay at VV parkway for free ??/
They just don't understand there's Pixie Dust at WDW resort !!
Maybe one day I will convince them ...
Whats wrong with people when the don't understand the magic in Disney??? I feel bad for those people ....
Thanks for the info !!

 

[Deb & Bill]

.... I am content with POFQ it fits my family of 3 ... I just thought it would be nice one time to use DVC and get a queen bed!! I really hate the "full"size in the resorts....

I thought POFQ had queen sized beds now.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I thought POFQ had queen sized beds now.

Me too

 

[Brian Noble]

POFQ does have queens. So does CSR.

They really cant understand why?? I wouldn't just stay at VV parkway for free ??/
They just don't understand there's Pixie Dust at WDW resort !!

Having done both onsite and off, I'm of the opinion that Pixie Dust is a little over-rated, at least for me. There are some *very nice* offsite resorts---some of which have villas that, frankly, are better equipped, better furnished, and more comfortable than the typical DVC unit. I wouldn't necessarily put VV@P in that same class, but it's still an okay place, with a pretty good location relative to WDW---one traffic light from World Drive. I bet the commute time to most places from VV@P is better than from SSR.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Have you looked in to the Disney All Star Music resort. They have family suites that sleep 6 and have a kitchette but no washer or dryer. But there are laundry rooms by the pool.

http://allears.net/acc/faq_asm.htm

OMG !!! My head is spinning....

Okay so .. let me get this right. If I was able to trade for a DVC.. it may cost upwards to 2,000.oo infees for the week ??
If that is the case it is not a value AT ALL for me... I just really want a refridge and queen beds....( hmmm washer and dryer would be nice too. ) They often use Vacation Village ....and have offered us that. But by the time a do a package deal from southest airlines , using the time share would cost me money. So not sure if this is even my answer.

 

[Dean]

ETA: even the cheapest DVC 1 BR for summer is around $3700 with tax rack rate so $2000 really is still pretty good.
... I don't think its worth it for that price..Jmho..

DIL are NOT disney people.. so they would not understand WHY in the world I would use 2 weeks for one and why would I pay so much more $$$$.
I am content with POFQ it fits my family of 3 ... I just thought it would be nice one time to use DVC and get a queen bed!! I really hate the "full"size in the resorts.

They do have weeks.. and refuse to switch to points. They really cant understand why?? I wouldn't just stay at VV parkway for free ??/
They just don't understand there's Pixie Dust at WDW resort !!
Maybe one day I will convince them ...
Whats wrong with people when the don't understand the magic in Disney??? I feel bad for those people ....
Thanks for the info !!

I can swing both ways, on and off property. I enjoy both but really enjoy being on property more. However, there are off property resorts that are equal to or better than any of the DVC resorts ignoring the specific location. If one is driving, as we always do, it really doesn't matter much either way other than the emotions involved. We have a stay coming up with 7 nights at AKV for an exchange and then 2 nights off in a Presidential suite at the Fountains for $79 a night on cash.

You may have picked it up before in my note above but a large part of the costs involved are that they have poor trading units that I suspect are relatively high cost in maint fees. If they restrict themselves to just places they can trade to 1 for 1, they really are going to have very few choices. This has always been so but the TPU situation makes it more transparent. I'm guessing they don't want to hear that and may take it as an insult if you try to educate them too much. Given their approach as you've stated it, they'll always be locked in to the Vacation Villages of the World. Namely large low demand resorts that are borderline in quality and amenities and have a ton of availability. My RCI points account is at a sister resort to VV in LV.

An educated buyer can certainly position themselves much differently so that it's almost as cheap to exchange into a DVC resort as it is anything else in Orlando. I do it at least a couple of times a year.

 

[littlestar]

I wouldn't rule out a trade into Wyndham's Bonnet Creek resort - they have free shuttles to the parks and Bonnet Creek is located within the Disney arches (right next door to Disney's Caribbean Beach resort). I would think Bonnet Creek's TPU's in RCi should be less than DVC's are running right now. Might be the next best thing to a DVC trade.

 

[Dean]

I wouldn't rule out a trade into Wyndham's Bonnet Creek resort - they have free shuttles to the parks and Bonnet Creek is located within the Disney arches (right next door to Disney's Caribbean Beach resort). I would think Bonnet Creek's TPU's in RCi should be less than DVC's are running right now. Might be the next best thing to a DVC trade.

Never say never but based on the info I've been able to gather for this situation, I think it's very unlikely. It seems the OP is looking at times when school is out, esp Easter. I don't think there's any chance of getting even a 1 BR for the trade power of most single week studios at the home resort. For Easter, even VV, Silver Lakes and Summer Bay are questionable for a 1 BR other than maybe the standard 1 BR (glorified studio) at VV and even that's looking to need a TPU of 15 for Easter next year. I'm guessing a 1 BR at Bonnet Creek would be high 20's for Easter. I think for Easter they'd have to drop down to a Silver Crown or lower to have much chance of success and to be honest, looking through the list. A current search reveals very few locations under 20 for that time and only 1 under 15, a standard resort that's routinely available for cash for barely over the exchange fee as well as a number of other cheap, last minute exchange systems, it's 10 TPU.

 

[Tricia's mom]

You are right.. they would not want me to educate them.... Like I said they love VV and stay in weston for 10 weeks in the winter every year.. and love it they also have used VV parkway a few times...for me its TO BIG and far to walk thru the ugly parking lot to get to the un themed boring pool area...
We have stayed at VV before.. just not crazy about it

I didn't know bonnet creek was an option.. great location.. maybe I'll look into that. I also didn't know that POFQ was all queen beds .. that would solve my problem.
Oh and I also like to stay in a WDW resort because I hate to pay the parking fee $14 it adds up after a week ... and I don't want a shuttle.. I always rent a car.
Thanks all !
Let me just tell you if I am handed down this time share... changes will be made

 

[chriskre]

Tricia,
Take the Bonnet Creek, you won't be disappointed and it won't break the inlaws TPU bank.

 

[Dean]

Tricia,
Take the Bonnet Creek, you won't be disappointed and it won't break the inlaws TPU bank.

I would agree if she could get it for that amount but for the weeks in question it will not be available within the TPU range their looking at unless they have one of a very few higher demand weeks there. In all likelihood it will be fairly close to the DVC units for that time frame, maybe 26-28 vs 32 for example. Even VV will be above one deposit for many of the weeks in question, esp easter.