DVC Member Offer --- $199 for a 4 Park Ticket

vacationhopeful · Oct 3, 2014

got4boys said:
Points systems - HGVC (Hilton Grand Vacations Club), Wyndham and Bluegreen do not need to be outside Orlando.

You can buy one of the properties mentioned above and trade into DVC.

Yes, you can buy an RCI Points affiliated resort outside the Orlando area, but you would need a separate RCI Points account.

Resale Wyndham contracts ONLY come with a RCI WEEKS membership ... all the RCI Points available units would NOT be seen.

BillW · Oct 31, 2014

MegMML said:
... Also, I know that you can't trade timeshares local to WDW to trade into DVC (which is why I'm looking for something outside of Florida). Is that true with HGVC too?

Meg,

With Hilton it is a corporate account that you use to make the RCI reservation so the proximity rule (50 mile rule?) doesn't apply. We own our HGVC at the Tuscany property in Orlando and have our second DVC reservation this year for December via RCI. We did Wilderness Lodge in July and are at Saratoga Springs next. For a cost comparison let me break it out this way:

We have a 3 BR platinum Hilton which gives us 8400 Hilton points.

To exchange into DVC in a 1 BR costs us 3400 Hilton Points, a 2 BR (when available, 1 BR more prevalent) is 5000 Hilton Points. This means we can book a 1 BR in Disney approx 2.5 times each year or 5 times over two years (Hair less actually so call it 4 times in two years).

Our maintenance fees are approx 18 cents/Hilton Point plus we pay a $199 RCI exchange fee with each reservation. So our cost for each 7 night stay is (3400 x 0.18 + 199) = $811 in a 1 BR and (5000 x 0.18 +199) = $1099 in a 2 BR. We get to use the Magical Express, Magic hours, meal plans if we want as well.

One other thing we discovered about the two, and we considered DVC for a while, is that DVC is a right to use ownership and HGVC is a deeded property. Basically DVC ownership 'expires' at a certain point in time while we continue to own HGVC as long as we pay maintenance fees and can pass it on to our heirs.

This is not meant to be a pitch for one over the other, we think we would have been happy with either one, but this is how our journey has gone. We are very happy with trading in but we do give up the early reservations and choice of resorts. We have to take what's available and when it is available but we're okay with being flexible. What makes that possible is our firm belief that within DVC there is not a 'bad' resort and we can be happy at any of them.

Best of luck,
Bill

rfc0001 · Oct 31, 2014

BillW said:
With Hilton it is a corporate account that you use to make the RCI reservation so the proximity rule (50 mile rule?) doesn't apply.

Per RCI Disclaimer for DVC booked through HGVC:

Addition of dining plans requires full payment upfront, reservation must occur no less than 48 hours in advance to add dining plan. Disney's Magical Express requires RSVP to 800-800-9800 48 hours prior to arrival and includes shuttle/bag service from/to airport. Call DVC member services at 800-800-9800 no later than 48 hours prior to arrival to provide all guest names in advance, no exceptions.
$95 mandatory resort fee charged at check-in. Fee includes but is not limited to services such as assistance with dining reservations, Disney's Magical Express reservations and purchasing theme park tickets through DVC member services toll free number 800-800-9800.
There is an area ownership restriction at this resort. If you made this reservation using points from an Orlando ownership or a resort within 30 miles of Disneyworld resorts in Orlando, it will be cancelled and you will be notified about rebooking a non-Disney property.

The reality is RCI is lazy and doesn't bother to check if you are an Orlando owner (and have no way to tell AFAIK), but technically it is not allowed, so I wouldn't recommend making the decision to buy a HGVC in Orlando relying on the way it works now. Of course, purchasing relying on RCI at all is dicey as HGVC or DVC could drop RCI

BillW said:
Our maintenance fees are approx 18 cents/Hilton Point plus we pay a $199 RCI exchange fee with each reservation. So our cost for each 7 night stay is (3400 x 0.18 + 199) = $811 in a 1 BR and (5000 x 0.18 +199) = $1099 in a 2 BR. Plus we get to use the Magical Express, Magic hours, meal plans if we want as well.

Also $95 mandatory resort fee -- see disclaimer above for details on this, registering guests, booking DME and DDP

BillW said:
One other thing we discovered about the two, and we considered DVC for a while, is that DVC is a right to use ownership and HGVC is a deeded property. Basically DVC ownership 'expires' at a certain point in time while we continue to own HGVC as long as we pay maintenance fees and can pass it on to our heirs.

This is a bit of a misnomer. While DVC timeshare value is fixed (e.g. you know exactly how many points it will give you over the fixed life of the contract, and will depreciates to 0 at that time), all timeshare depreciate to 0 value when the value of the benefit (the week) becomes worth less than the cost of the maintenance fee, and worse they continue to depreciate to a negative value since you still have the maintenance fee liability long after the benefit has disappeared until you die. This is why it is common practice for people to pay people to take their timeshare and why people refuse to accept timeshares bestowed as part of an estate. Disney is just being realistic about this and having the value and the liability expire at same point, so the value never becomes negative, and then they can tear down the building and start over (which is what would eventually happen in the actual HGVC timeshare you own as well).

DVC Member Offer --- $199 for a 4 Park Ticket

vacationhopeful

TUG Review Crew: Rookie

BillW

rfc0001