DVC to affiliate with RCI! [MERGED]

[Amy]

[4 different threads were going on this topic, so I've merged them to keep all the info. together. - DeniseM Moderator]

I just got the news in my email newsletter. Unfortunately I couldn't click into the member website for more info (assuming there is more info). Why? Most of the nicest timeshares (that most would consider on par with DVCs) seem to be affiliated exclusively with II. I'll be curious to see which RCI resorts will be part of the list. So this means those RCI resort owners will have an opportunity into DVC, too.

[timeos2]

Originally Posted by Amy

I just got the news in my email newsletter. Unfortunately I couldn't click into the member website for more info (assuming there is more info). Why? Most of the nicest timeshares (that most would consider on par with DVCs) seem to be affiliated exclusively with II. I'll be curious to see which RCI resorts will be part of the list. So this means those RCI resort owners will have an opportunity into DVC, too.

DVC was originally affiliated with RCI. The switch to II occurred at least in part due to DVC's desire to charge the "exchange penalty fee" of $95 that clearly violated RCI exchange rules. They wouldn't allow back then. Of course now things are different and RCI lets Manhattan Club get away with it so why not DVC too?

Having both groups to choose from is a plus for any resort/system so overall if it occurs that's not a bad thing.

[Denise L]

Here is the full text:

'With a growing number of Members exploring a world of vacation destinations beyond their Home Resorts, Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that those Member Getaways exchanges present the best and most diverse experiences possible. It's with this commitment in mind that Disney Vacation Club has formed a relationship with RCI, the world's largest vacation-exchange company, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

While Members will continue to choose from more than 500 destinations across six continents and 25 countries, the enhanced Member Getaways program will offer a significantly broader range of resort experiences, length-of-stay options (including more nightly exchanges) and more.
Members will receive more details by mail and here on the Web site beginning in late December, and the new Vacation Planner is scheduled to begin mailing in the late spring.

To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored.'

Does this mean that they are going to be dual affiliated or drop II? Yikes if they drop II !!!!!!

[Amy]

Originally Posted by Denise L

Does this mean that they are going to be dual affiliated or drop II? Yikes if they drop II !!!!!!

Thanks for the full text. There is no way DVC will drop affiliation with II -- not with all the Hyatt, Starwood, Marriott, et al. in the system. It is good we'll have more options!

[Denise L]

Originally Posted by Denise L

"To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored."[/b]

This is the line that startled me. Why make a point that exchanges booked by the deadline of December 31st will be honored ?

Well, I would never exchange out of DVC, but I'd love to exchange into DVC via II .

[Amy]

Good point -- that line is puzzling.

[JudyS]

[First post of the 2nd thread on this topic.-DeniseM]

Here is an announcement that I just received from the Disney Vacation Club, It sounds like Disney is dropping II entirely and going back to RCI, which is whom they used to use for trades. I feel this is bad news both for DVC members (because RCI's customer service is terrible) and for TUG members who have used II to trade into the DVC. Frankly, I'm afraid that RCI will just take all of the DVC weeks and rent them out. Since DVC never deposits more than 11 months out, there is nothing in the new class action settlement to stop RCI from renting out DVC weeks.

I urge all of my fellow DVC owners here to complain, and request that at the very least, II be kept as an option. I'm not sure whom we are supposed to complain to, but I will try to find out.

Here is the announcement:
Disney Vacation Club enhances World Passport Collection

With a growing number of Members exploring a world of vacation destinations beyond their Home Resorts, Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that those Member Getaways exchanges present the best and most diverse experiences possible. It's with this commitment in mind that Disney Vacation Club has formed a relationship with RCI, the world's largest vacation-exchange company, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

While Members will continue to choose from more than 500 destinations across six continents and 25 countries, the enhanced Member Getaways program will offer a significantly broader range of resort experiences, length-of-stay options (including more nightly exchanges) and more.

Members will receive more details by mail and here on the Web site beginning in late December, and the new Vacation Planner is scheduled to begin mailing in the late spring.

To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored. (emphasis mine)

[BMWguynw]

It also sounds like it'll just be on the RCI Points side of things. I'd wager RCI Weeks members (like me) won't get much chance, if any, to get into Disney destinations. Hmm...

Dave

[gorevs9]

Are they dropping II entirely or will just for new owners? My home resort recently switched from II to RCI, but only for new owners. It almost sounds like they will convert to an Points Resort.

[timeos2]

Originally Posted by Amy

Thanks for the full text. There is no way DVC will drop affiliation with II -- not with all the Hyatt, Starwood, Marriott, et al. in the system. It is good we'll have more options!

Actually it does seem to read that this is a switch to RCI - just as they switched to II back in 1998 or 1999 - whenever it was. Remember, unlike a deeded timeshare, you are RTU in DVC and have no say who or how DVC affiliates with and who they don't allow. At a deeded resort you would be grandfathered to the original exchange company (as Wastegate is with RCI although they too went to II to get perks RCI wouldn't offer them - not the OWNERS of course, the Developer got the perks). But with DVC if they say it's exchange company X - you are stuck. They control it all and you can't get around it by depositing your own time. Total control. One of the things I disliked about DVC.

[Amy]

No matter what the change I would not be affected as I would never use my DVC to exchange outside the system -- not cost effective. We use or rent. If DVC switches away from II completely, then I would feel bad for members who do want to use II. I still don't think it is likely. Things may have been different back 10 or 20 years ago for II, but now II has the market for the higher end hotel resort groups, so I just can't see DVC disaffiliating itself from II unless there is a move among the other high end hotel timeshare groups (to RCI as well). I suspect DVC plans to either change the exchanging rules further or change the World Collection further (i.e., drop some existing II resorts and add some RCI resorts) and that may warrant the language Denise pointed out. We'll see.

[Mel]

I wouldn't worry too much - I believe the class action settlement states that contracts with the resorts/developers take precedence, and I doubt DVC would allow RCI to rent the weeks, unless that's what DVC wants.

As for new vs existing owners, since DVC is a club, and you have to trade through DVC, it is a move to RCI for ALL members. That's no different than when DVC moved to II many years back. It does also make sense for it to be part of RCI Points, since it is already a points program. BUT it will likely be controlled by DVC in much the same way the II relationship is controlled, with members not having full access to the complete list of RCI resorts.

I wonder who else will follow?

[AwayWeGo]

[Alan - I merged all 3 threads.-Thanks, DeniseM]

[timeos2]

Originally Posted by Mel

I wouldn't worry too much - I believe the class action settlement states that contracts with the resorts/developers take precedence, and I doubt DVC would allow RCI to rent the weeks, unless that's what DVC wants.

As for new vs existing owners, since DVC is a club, and you have to trade through DVC, it is a move to RCI for ALL members. That's no different than when DVC moved to II many years back. It does also make sense for it to be part of RCI Points, since it is already a points program. BUT it will likely be controlled by DVC in much the same way the II relationship is controlled, with members not having full access to the complete list of RCI resorts.

I wonder who else will follow?

Hey, Marriott was RCI too at the start...

[AwayWeGo]

Is it still the case that for what DVC owners pay for their DVC timeshares, not many get deposited for exchange in the 1st place ?

If so, all the I-I to RCI switch means is that RCI can print pictures of DVC timeshares in the RCI Dream Book.

It wouldn't necessarily mean that anybody could actually snag an RCI exchange into a DVC timeshare, weeks or points mox nix.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

[gmarine]

If owned DVC I would be very unhappy if II was no longer an option. II has many more high quality resorts on par with DVC than RCI does.

And I would be really unhappy not being able to trade into DVC though II. I hope II will still be an option. I just received the 2009 II Resort Directory and the DVC resorts are all listed. I hope that means something.

[buzzy]

[This is the 1st post of the 3rd thread on this topic-DeniseM]

I just received this announcement via email regarding my DVC.

Disney Vacation Club enhances World Passport Collection

With a growing number of Members exploring a world of vacation destinations beyond their Home Resorts, Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that those Member Getaways exchanges present the best and most diverse experiences possible. It's with this commitment in mind that Disney Vacation Club has formed a relationship with RCI, the world's largest vacation-exchange company, effective Jan. 1, 2009.

While Members will continue to choose from more than 500 destinations across six continents and 25 countries, the enhanced Member Getaways program will offer a significantly broader range of resort experiences, length-of-stay options (including more nightly exchanges) and more.

Members will receive more details by mail and here on the Web site beginning in late December, and the new Vacation Planner is scheduled to begin mailing in the late spring.

To ensure a smooth transition to RCI, Members may continue to confirm available exchanges through the current World Passport Collection through Dec. 31, 2008, and all exchanges booked by that deadline will be honored.

I wonder why?

[djyamyam]

WOW! RCI must have tossed out some big enticements to get DVC to switch.

[JudyS]

Originally Posted by Mel

I wouldn't worry too much - I believe the class action settlement states that contracts with the resorts/developers take precedence, and I doubt DVC would allow RCI to rent the weeks, unless that's what DVC wants....

That is a good point, and I thought of that shortly after I posted -- Disney would probably go ballistic if RCI started competing with them and renting out DVC units for cheap. So, that provides some hope for TUG members who want to trade into DVC. It's not very helpful for DVC owners, however, who are unlikely to find much, if anything, comparable in RCI.

In fact, after several successful trades into Disney via II, I was just considering depositing some DVC points into II and trying to get the Four Seasons. I've been ill lately and will have to skip my upcoming Four Seasons Aviara trade (that I got with a non-DVC deposit that really shouldn't have qualified for FSA). So, I was thinking of using some DVC points that expire next spring for a trade to the Four Seasons. But, if I deposit the DVC points and don't get a match before December 31st, I'm not sure if the DVC points would still qualify for II trades or if they'd only qualify for RCI trades. So, I probably don't want to deposit them.

[JudyS]

Originally Posted by AwayWeGo

Is it still the case that for what DVC owners pay for their DVC timeshares, not many get deposited for exchange in the 1st place ?

If so, all the I-I to RCI switch means is that RCI can print pictures of DVC timeshares in the RCI Dream Book.

It wouldn't necessarily mean that anybody could actually snag an RCI exchange into a DVC timeshare, weeks or points mox nix.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

There were actually substantial deposits of DVC weeks into II, mostly since DVC is so big. There were at least 15 or so Orlando DVC units sitting online at II earlier today, although they were mostly studios.

Gorevs9, I agree with Mel, this is almost certainly for ALL owners, as DVC is a "corporate" II member and DVC contracts do not qualify for individual II accounts.

[Denise L]

I'm hoping that they are only adding RCI for some partial weeks or something. I can't imagine DVC dropping all the name-brand timeshare exchanges.

There are two other threads on TUG on this topic. Here is one:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86245

[DeniseM]

There was a thread started a little earlier on the exchanging board, so I am going to merge the threads to keep the info. all together.

[timeos2]

Originally Posted by djyamyam

WOW! RCI must have tossed out some big enticements to get DVC to switch.

Nah, they just reminded DVC of the QUALITY and SERVICE they used to get before the ill-advised change to II. They were probably counting the days until they could get out of the deal!

Seriously, II simply doesn't service resorts/system well. I know of at least one other large group that had every internal recommendation to leave II and go back to RCI. Then the "top dog" overruled his "advisers" and stuck with II. Sure, he doesn't have to deal with them - the underlings do! Of course rumor has it that they got a "sweetened deal" to do so. That seems to be the only way II can get/hold on to resorts. Its the way they originally got DVC. Marriott switched because they invested in II. Now that they no longer hold any ownership might they leave too? Wouldn't surprise me.

As for quality I've never found II to hold any edge. They do have a few top names but they are so rare as to be virtually unavailable. Overall the majority of resorts in the II system aren't very good and the quantity available are tiny compared to RCI. It was a great move using quality as part of their name/slogan but that doesn't make the many poor resorts and times suddenly better. The old 5 Star / whatever pineapple ranking is meaningless as it's handed out like candy to their favored groups.

If DVC is moving back to RCI they are in fact returning to quality, not leaving it IMO.

[AwayWeGo]

Originally Posted by timeos2

If DVC is moving back to RCI they are in fact returning to quality, not leaving it IMO.

After the switch, will DVC exchange guests still have to pony up $95 or so in bogus extra charges that renters & owners don't have to pay ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

[Gordo1111]

it appears at first glance and I hope this is the case...that they added RCI - period! keeping fingers crossed!

DVC Partners with RCI
Written by Tim Krasniewski
Monday, December 01, 2008 05:30PM
Disney Vacation Club revealed that it has formed a partnership with trading company RCI to add its destinations to the World Passport collection beginning January 1, 2009.

A statement emailed to members revealed the new partnership:

With a growing number of Members exploring a world of vacation destinations beyond their Home Resorts, Disney Vacation Club is committed to ensuring that those Member Getaways exchanges present the best and most diverse experiences possible. It's with this commitment in mind that Disney Vacation Club has formed a relationship with RCI, the world's largest vacation-exchange company, effective Jan. 1, 2009.
It remains to be seen how this move may impact DVC's long-standing relationship with Interval International. More to come.