DVC Exchange into RCI: RCI is one of the largest brokers of timeshare trades. RCI operates two main exchange programs – RCI Weeks and RCI Points.
Disney Vacation Club has a multi-year affiliation agreement with RCI that offers it’s members access to thousands of RCI affiliated timeshare properties across the globe while RCI’s approximately 3.7+ million subscribing members gain access to the 13 Disney Vacation Club resorts. DVC heavily markets this option in their sales pitch to prospective members.
Unlike other timeshares, DVC members aren’t members of RCI. Instead, DVCMC has a corporate membership that DVC members can leverage.
As such, the standard RCI rules do not apply. When trying to determine what the specific policy or rule is on something, don’t go by what RCI says on it’s web site, but what DVC states.
Due to its nature as a trade facilitator, RCI has to assign a trading power to individual resorts. Basically it’s done to attempt to limit those who own undesirable locations from trading into high-demand destinations.
DVC seems to trade quite well within RCI. However, you really need to do your homework and read the reviews for the RCI properties you are interested in. RCI has tons of resorts. However, many timeshare properties don’t come close to the quality of DVC. So, you don’t want to trade down in quality – in effect trading a Cadillac for a Civic – you want something comparable to your DVC home resort. When you do a proper investigation you’ll be less likely to have a bad experience.
If one is going to use DVC points for exchanging via RCI, they should take the time to learn the ins and outs of exchanging and should plan ahead at least a year (minimum).
Some think only a small subset of RCI resorts are a reasonable exchange using your DVC points. In fact, they say that DVC is a very expensive timeshare to use for exchanges. They think it’s better to just rent out your DVC points and then use the cash to book a hotel or a timeshare rental using that cash (using RedWeek).
Of course, RCI exchanges go both ways, as other timeshare owners can use RCI to trade into DVC. Owners of other RCI resorts only gain access to DVC rooms when DVC owners first opt to trade out to an RCI destination. They do not have unlimited access to all available DVC rooms.
The RCI booking window is:
There are various RCI options available:
RCI Network: Members have access to thousands of vacation options around the globe through the RCI Network.
RCI Select Resorts: This selection of destinations features 70 Member-favorite vacation options available through RCI. Chosen with Members in mind, these properties offer increased availability—and Vacation Point exchange value—in popular destinations.
RCI Gold Crown Resorts: featuring nearly 1,000 vacation options around the world. These Resorts have earned RCI’s high rating of Gold Crown.
The Registry Collection: The Registry Collection is an elite network of the finest vacation properties at some of the world’s premier destinations.
TWO TYPES OF EXCHANGE METHODS
There are two types of exchange methods:
Exchange First
DVC Members may place a request for an RCI Exchange into RCI Weeks Resorts with travel dates of up to 24 months in advance of the check-in date. DVC Members may place a request for an RCI Exchange into RCI Points and The Registry Collection Resorts with travel dates of up to 10 months in advance of the check-in date. DVC Members do not give up their DVC points until an exchange has been confirmed.
Deposit First
Using this method, you deposit points into the RCI exchange program for use at a later date. This is irreversible; in other words, those points cannot be converted back into DVC points. Using this method, DVC Members may place a request for an RCI Exchange into a RCI Member Resort that is affiliated with RCI Weeks with travel dates of up to 24 months in advance of the check-in date. DVC Members may place a request for an RCI Exchange into RCI Points and The Registry Collection Resorts for travel dates of up to 10 months in advance of the check-in date.
IMPORTANT POINTS
- Exchanging with RCI is final.
- You should call as far in advance as possible, up to 2 years before your check-in date.
- A non-refundable US $95 transaction fee applies for any confirmed exchange (Note: DVC is presently waiving transaction fees for new RCI reservations).
CANCELLATION POLICY
A modification to a reservation is considered a cancellation and rebooking. Any modification to a World Collection reservation requires an additional non-refundable $95 transaction fee. Transaction fees are non-refundable.