When does RCI make (financial) sense?

[hayesdvc]

Outside of being able to spell RCI, all I know about this service is what I read here and the DVCFan web/FB site.

I am trying to figure out outside of points about to expire, when are there other situations this service should be considered?

If you want to go outside the Disney bubble, it still appears renting your points and purchasing those type accommodations still makes the most sense.

What do you think?

 

[chalee94]

There aren't many good purely financial reasons. If you can trade for a high value option (I'm thinking like the Hilton properties in Hawaii), maybe. But those can be tough to grab and generally, you are trading a Lexus for a Daiwoo.

 

[Sandisw]

While I never used it, and it may not provide the same value for your points that using for DVC does, for me, it gives me an option to use points for a different trip if I ever decided I wanted to.

There could come a time when I have enough points to do my 6 yearly trips to Disney and maybe use points in RCI occasionally for me or my family if they want to adventure elsewhere!

 

[Royal Consort]

I would like to know this also as an international DVC owner. I had previously no intention of using RCI but since our borders are closed I may not have much choice. I am hoping maybe I could find something in New York for a week when our borders are open again? :S

 

[Travel60]

We have used RCI when traveling to distant weddings or college football games that we are extending to a longer trip. Looked at Germany and England to extend tours on our own but those trips got cancelled. I guess we don't do a "financial analysis" including depreciation on original purchase price and dues per night vs cost per night. But, we have been happy with our point use.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Don't buy DVC planning on using points for anything other than DVC. It's too expensive to trade out or convert the points to reservation points.

 

[chalee94]

We have used RCI when traveling to distant weddings or college football games that we are extending to a longer trip. Looked at Germany and England to extend tours on our own but those trips got cancelled. I guess we don't do a "financial analysis" including depreciation on original purchase price and dues per night vs cost per night. But, we have been happy with our point use.

The math isn't that hard.

RCI trades go from (a generally unrealistic) 80 pts to 230pts or so for a 7 night stay. DVC points can typically be rented for over $15 per pt...so $1200 to $3450 or so (pretax).

How much would a cash stay cost for the nights you are considering trading for? If you don't need 7 nights, you don't need to pay for 7 nights with cash, so there are fewer trade-offs in several areas. You can get exactly what you want for less money instead of seeing what RCI has available and trying to make it work.

But if you're rolling in money and really just don't care, you do you...

 

[starry_solo]

Don’t you get access to getaways from RCI?

 

[Ronaldo17]

Can't think of any if you are a DVC owner.