Urgent! I need some help understanding the Passport collection!!

[december14disney]

Hi all!

Fiancé and I have been researching DVC for a couple years. We finally took the tour this trip and with the incentives decided to buy in! Our new home is AKV! What really sold me is the information our guide, Rob Shipiro, gave to me about that Member Passport collection timeshare exchange. He informed me that they were switching over to RCI, the resorts were like 5 star hotels and all it is to exchange for 8 days, 7 nights is 160 points. How great for those years when you just don’t want to go to the Dis for a week!!!

Now that we are back to reality in our 10 day cancellation period it seems too good to be true. I call member services, say I want to go to Maui around this couple week period in one of these couple resorts and 60% of the time Ill get a match? Or something close?

Alright DVC-ers what is the catch? 8 days 7 nights in Aruba or Hawaii or Mexico at a 5 star resort for 160 points? Is this to good to be true? What has been your experience? Is it really that easy? Or can you like never find an exchange or the resorts are crappy?

My fiancé says that he doesn’t believe Disney would let us book in crappy resorts knowing their reputation would be affected but I am just having trouble believing this it sounds to great! Can those who have had experiences please comment on this? I really want some insight!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The more popular locations are more difficult to get. You may have to get on the waiting list for something to show up more than a year in advance.

You can use DVC points for non-DVC stays, but it isn't the best use of your points. You are better off getting fewer DVC points (enough for your every other or every third year trip) and purchasing another timeshare for trading out.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Deb is right, but also, since RCI is going to be new for DVC, there is no way to tell exactly how flexible or what kind of trading value we will have yet. Back a few years, we exchanged DVC for a week in Hawaii with II. We did not specify a resort or even a specific time period (because it's a difficult exchange), and we got an acceptable exchange in about a week. Our exchange was for 2 years out.

BTW, Rob is our guide too!

 

[bwvBound]

As noted, the DVC/RCI relationship is new effective 1/1/09 -- we don't have much to go on for now. It will be interesting to each of us on the quality (5* Hotel rating?) of choices offered. We've been speculating since the first day the change to RCI was announced and are sitting on pins and needles waiting for the details!

Edited to add: I second comment from Deb & Bill above, "You can use DVC points for non-DVC stays, but it isn't the best use of your points. You are better off getting fewer DVC points (enough for your every other or every third year trip) ..." Don't buy DVC to trade out.