Yikes! Worlds Passport Collection is switching from II to RCI!

[Mike©]

LINK

 

[KANSAS]

is this an accurate statement? I was told this today by an RCI Phone rep
when a person is successful at trading for a DVC Property thru RCI with their
property. They will then be ineligible for (4) years to have access to a DVC
Proprety thru RCI. Did anyone find this to be true, when DVC was allied with RCI years ago??

 

[littlestar]

If DVC really is dropping II, will this mean more DVC point renting? If members don't have access to Westin, Marriott, Hyatt, or high end Sheratons, maybe we'll see more point renting as a result. RCI has a lot of "converted motel" type places. It'd be nuts to trade DVC (with the dues) for a converted motel when you can rent your points.

 

[JudyS]

LINK

Mike, your link goes to an article describing what a rumor is, but I'd hardly call this a rumor -- DVC news officially announced the switch to RCI.

Also, when you call the DVC 800 number, it announces the switch to RCI. And, I just spoke to member services, and the CS rep verified that II is being dropped completely. She also said Disney is no longer accepting deposits of DVC points into II to be "banked" for future trades, although for the rest of December, you can still trade through II if the week you want is currently available in II's inventory.

is this an accurate statement? I was told this today by an RCI Phone rep
when a person is successful at trading for a DVC Property thru RCI with their
property. They will then be ineligible for (4) years to have access to a DVC
Proprety thru RCI. Did anyone find this to be true, when DVC was allied with RCI years ago??

I don't know what the rules were back when DVC was originally with RCI, but many (most, actually) of the nicer RCI resorts have what are called "1-in-4" rules. These rules say that an RCI member can only trade into that resort, or family of resorts, once every 4 years. (Sometimes the rule is actually 1 in every 3 years, or in every 5 years.)

"1-in-4" rules vary somewhat. Sometimes, you are not allowed to trade into a whole group of resorts that have the same management company (this can be as many as 30 or so resorts, spread out over a large area); sometimes you can't trade back into that particular resort, but can trade into others with the same management. Also, sometimes owners at a 1-in-4 resort are allowed to trade in more often than once every 4 years, using their others resorts. This varies from resort to resort, though. It definitely means less flexibility for RCI members.

The reason why resorts want 1-in-4 rules is that it encourages people to buy at their resort, rather than trading in. It also brings in more sales prospects -- if the same people trade in year and year, it's hard to sell to them. I actually think the 1-in-4 rule may be the real reason Disney is switching to RCI. II doesn't allow resorts to impose 1-in-4 rules.

I am seriously bummed about this change. The person I spoke to at the DVC 800 number suggested writing to members@disneyvacationclub.com. I intend to do that.

 

[jerseygal]

My contract specifically state developer points can be used with II,
even gives 1 more yr if a request was made within the first yr...

Can developer points be used at RCI instead of II?

Guess I'll have to call MS...I'm bummed too..II resorts look alot better than RCI from taking a quick look..If II is dropped, hope I'm wrong..Hope there are some nice RCI choices, but most properties didn't "stand out" on first glance.

 

[shortypots]

If this "enhancement" is truly getting rid of II, I am not happy with it. I think it would offer a lot more to us if we added on RCI. RCI has locations that II doesn't, but II has the higher quality resorts. If it is truly a complete switch, I don't think I will ever use my points to exchange into RCI.

 

[Mike©]

Mike, your link goes to an article describing what a rumor is, but I'd hardly call this a rumor -- DVC news officially announced the switch to RCI.

Sorry, I didn't see where it said that this was a switch OR that II was being dropped. Just that RCI was being added. So far I have not heard that II is being dropped nor understand why that would be assumed.

 

[Brian Noble]

I was told this today by an RCI Phone rep when a person is successful at trading for a DVC Property thru RCI with their property. They will then be ineligible for (4) years to have access to a DVC Proprety thru RCI.

This is certainly possible. 1-in-N rules are done at the request of the resort. Normally, they are only granted to resorts that "bulk bank" developer-owned inventory, but I could imagine RCI being willing to extend that courtesy to DVC in exchange for luring them away from Interval.

It's also possible that the RCI VC was just making stuff up based on what they think will happen. That's not unusual with RCI.

In general, 1-in-N rules are advantageous to the developer (more sales traffic, an incentive to own), an obvious disadvantage to those who wish to exchange in and not own, and a not-so-obvious disadvantage to the owners themselves. The reason is that 1-in-N rules artificially decrease demand for a resort---and this in turn hurts the trade power of that resort, reducing the sorts of trades available to owners there.

One other unintended consequence: it lowers the bar for those wanting to exchange in. So, some weeks that otherwise would not have sufficient trade power will be able to see the resort, but wouldn't have before. This happened with Manhattan Club when it added a 1-in-N rule.

 

[dsanner106]

Wow,
I am a member of both RCI and II and this each has it's advantages. I do most of my trades through RCI simply because there are no II resorts or few in the areas we often visit. The II resorts that are really nice are hard to get during good seasons, I never have landed a marriott etc at peak season. The nicest resorts we have stayed in were had through RCI , Wyndham Bonnet Creek in the heart of disney property for one. The extra vacations RCI rents are typically 300 for a week while the exact same resort is renting through II for 800. II on the other hand does have some very nice chains and the 1-4 rule does not apply. That is a good thing. We will have to see how this all works out, overall, I wish disney would stay with II though.

Drew

 

[Disney Spaz]

According to another DVC website there is a press release stating DVC is dropping II for RCI.

 

[DeeCee735]

I have a co worker that just closed on AKV and she was so excited, not just about being able to go to AKV, but about the prospect of trading out into II resorts. I'm guessing many new members aren't going to be happy at all, especially with the way DVC sales pushed the trade out option this past year.....even their DVC DVD spoke much more about it this time around

We've never traded out, but wanted to in the next couple of years. Hopefully by then we'll know more about what to expect. I can't see DVC "downgrading" on trade outs, while uping the price per point...unless they are looking to keep members in their own resorts....which is contradicatory to the way the promoted the option of trading out recently, but I guess we'll see.

 

[DVC Mike]

there is a press release stating DVC is dropping II for RCI.

Press Release:

Group RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, and Disney Vacation Club, one of the world's most innovative and fastest-growing brands in the vacation-ownership industry, announced today a new multi-year affiliation relationship. This new agreement allows subscribing members access to a broad array of exciting vacation opportunities.

Effective January 1, 2009, RCI will become the exclusive third-party exchange provider for Disney Vacation Club, enrolling Disney Vacation Club's more than 135,000 member families into RCI's global exchange network. RCI has one of the most expansive portfolios of high-end affiliated vacation resorts, as well as more choices in more countries than any other exchange network.

Disney Vacation Club Members will be able to enjoy vacations at a variety of destinations across six continents and 25 countries and will have access to a significantly broader range of resort experiences, including more all-inclusive options, more nightly exchanges than ever before and even a selection of luxurious, high-end fractional properties.

Similarly, RCI's more than 3.6 million members will now also enjoy the opportunity to exchange into Disney Vacation Club resorts and may rent at Disney Vacation Club resorts throughout the year.

"Group RCI has the management depth, technology resources and global marketing infrastructure to align with Disney Vacation Club's strategic growth plan," said DVC President Jim Lewis. "This relationship will provide our member families with the most diverse experiences possible beyond our signature Disney Vacation Club resorts."

Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of Group RCI, notes that the company is looking forward to working with Disney Vacation Club and its member families in the coming years.

"It's an honor for all of us at Group RCI to have been selected by one of the most internationally recognized and revered brands on the planet," commented Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO of Group RCI. "For more than 50 years, Disney has been offering unique family vacation experiences with legendary service, superb accommodations and magical touches at every turn. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Disney Vacation Club members into the world's largest vacation network and we look forward to working closely with Disney Vacation Club to continue to build new and innovative programs that will provide even more member benefits and opportunities."

 

[jerseygal]

I asked about use of Developer Points..They don't know yet how RCI will interplay rather than II..

Not able to book through RCI till 1/1/09..Interval International not able as of yesterday to do any searches beyond 12/31/08...

Alot of uncertainty..For those of us that were interested in making the occasional high end trade through II, concerned about the quality of RCI resorts!

Seems like it is really unorganized from DVC perspective!

 

[Brian Noble]

and may rent at Disney Vacation Club resorts throughout the year.

Wow. Wonder if this is going to be a front for CRO, or if RCI is going to be able to set its own pricing. I can't imagine Disney would have agreed to the latter, but you never know.

Edited to add: There are other outlets that use RCI as a front for their own rental operations, and control pricing directly. A couple of the whole-ownership condo developments in Davenport do this.

 

[Mike©]

Thanks DVC Mike

This is the first full press release I've seen. I stand ( or sit ) corrected.

 

[sherylcin]

This move may be business savvy but it certainly is not consumer (DVC owners) friendly. I'm certainly going to voice my opinion to DVC that this change is not an "enhancement" in my opinion!

 

[ACDSNY]

We recently had an II exchange to Kauai which was great, but I guess that will be my first and last exchange. Not happy with the change to RCI.

 

[disneynutz]

 

[vic'sDisney6]

Your right about this being bad news

Things are going to get very crowded now that 3.6 million RCI members have access to DVC properties. Read this RCI Press Release on biz.Yahoo for details.

Effective January 1, 2009, RCI will become the exclusive third-party exchange provider for Disney Vacation Club, enrolling Disney Vacation Club's more than 135,000 member families into RCI's global exchange network. RCI has one of the most expansive portfolios of high-end affiliated vacation resorts, as well as more choices in more countries than any other exchange network.

Disney Vacation Club Members will be able to enjoy vacations at a variety of destinations across six continents and 25 countries and will have access to a significantly broader range of resort experiences, including more all-inclusive options, more nightly exchanges than ever before and even a selection of luxurious, high-end fractional properties.

Similarly, RCI's more than 3.6 million members will now also enjoy the opportunity to exchange into Disney Vacation Club resorts and may rent at Disney Vacation Club resorts throughout the year.

 

[RobDoc]

Your right about this being bad news

Things are going to get very crowded now that 3.6 million RCI members have access to DVC properties. Read this RCI Press Release on biz.Yahoo for details.

Those 3.6 million RCI members won't have any more access to DVC resorts than II members have had in past years. The availability for RCI members will be based on exchanges initiated by DVC members who have banked DVC points into the World Passport Collection and by developer deposits made by DVC (which they have also been doing for years now).

From the press release it appears that RCI members may also have access to make cash reservations at DVC resorts thru RCI. It's possible those reservations could come from the same exchange inventory already mentioned, but I think it's also likely that they will come from dates made available to CRO by DVC members who have used DVC points for non-DVC options like DCL, Concierge Collection and stays at non-DVC WDW and DL resorts.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Even though RCI has several thousand resorts in their collection, it appears that DVC will again select about 500 for their collection. I know of at least one resort on the current II/DVC list that is also an RCI resort and , I believe, was also on the original exchange list when DVC previously used RCI as the exchange company - up thru 1995 when II took over.