Question about DVC points?

[Booknut]

Hi,

Can someone tell me, how comparable is the 'rate' for the other timeshare choices in the whole Interval International timeshare list? For instance, if 200 points will get you 2 weeks in a studio at Saratoga Springs what might it get you in the Algarve, Devon, Sardinia or the Bahamas (these were the ones I was looking at on the Interval website!).

I'm just curious as we probably wouldn't go to disney every year, maybe only every 2-3 years so we'd like to use the points for other things closer to home. Have any of you done this?

Would love to hear from you!

Eloise

 

[mattnkatsmum]

Now I'm not a DVC'er (yet) but my understanding is that 160 points will get you one week in a one-bedroom apartment anywhere within the Interval programme.

From what I can gather, using Interval is not a good use of points. Firstly, it's much cheaper to buy a non-DVC Interval timeshare. Secondly, I understand that it can be very difficult to get accommodations - I read recently about someone trying to get Hawaii and it was fully booked 12 months out.

I posted a similar question on another board and the response I got was that unless you are going to spend most of your holidays at Disney, (even if you bank points and only go every other year) DVC is not the way to go.

No doubt the experienced DVC owners will put me right if I've misunderstood the position.

Karen

 

[Booknut]

Thanks for that, it is what I suspected. I would love to have a DVC membership because I love Disney but i'm not sure that my money wouldn't be better off in a high interest bank account. I could always rent points if I wanted to stay on a DVC property.

Oh well...it was worth asking I'll just have to keep enjoying Disney as a 'commoner'

 

[mattnkatsmum]

i'm not sure that my money wouldn't be better off in a high interest bank account.

Let me know if you find one......................it's precisely because interest rates are so rubbish that I'm thinking of buying into DVC!!!!!

 

[Pootle]

I think you've both pretty much got the hang of it

DVC works best if:

• you use points mostly at DVC resorts
• you go at least every other year
• are 'light' on weekend use of points

For researching other timeshares and trading, you can't beat tug (Timeshare Users' Group) www.tug2.net. It is mainly for the American market, but not exclusively.

One of the members here, did trade her DVC points for a week in Devon this year and was very happy with it.

Got to add that no high interest account could have given me the pleasure that my DVC membership has given me over the years

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
I have to say I have never understood the fact that people say II exchanges are not a good use of points. We stayed in a one bedroom villa in Palm Desert California last June and it cost 124 points. I had no problem getting the reservation (In fact I booked 2 as we had friends with us) it was confirmed by Member Services there and then, they even offered me a choice of resorts.
The "cheapest" one bedroom unit at BWV (one of our home resorts) is 162 points. Ok I could have tried renting the points and paying cash for the unit but even assuming I found someone who wanted them and they paid $10 per point that's $1240 in total or $177 per night for a 7 night stay and the cheapest rental I can find is $140 a night which hardly seems worth the effort even assuming it all came off ok.
Just my opinion.

Mick.

 

[mattnkatsmum]

We stayed in a one bedroom villa in Palm Desert California last June and it cost 124 points.
QUOTE]

Can you clarify this for me, Mick? When I did the DVC tour, they skimmed over the Interval thing, but said it would be 160 points per week, 1 bedroomed apartment, full stop. So if I wanted only 4 nights, it would still be 160 points. Has the points allocation gone up in the last 12 months? (Did you only need 124 points last year for a week)?

Sorry to hijack this post, but I'm really interested in this. DH isn't a Disneynut like me and whilst I really want to buy into DVC, I have to convince him. If I can show him that the Interval International thing can work, he will be more in favour of DVC.

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
It depends what season you travel in as to how many points it takes. The seasons vary from place to place so you would need to check with Member Services. Most (if not all) II exchanges are for 7 nights with varying check-in days. here's the points chart:

World Passport Collection, Interval International
®
2006 Vacation Points Per Week*
Interval International

ONE BEDROOM TWO BEDROOM

Low Season 124 207


Mid Season 144 252


High Season 160 270


Hope this helps.

Mick.

 

[Dean]

Hi,
I have to say I have never understood the fact that people say II exchanges are not a good use of points. We stayed in a one bedroom villa in Palm Desert California last June and it cost 124 points. I had no problem getting the reservation (In fact I booked 2 as we had friends with us) it was confirmed by Member Services there and then, they even offered me a choice of resorts.
The "cheapest" one bedroom unit at BWV (one of our home resorts) is 162 points. Ok I could have tried renting the points and paying cash for the unit but even assuming I found someone who wanted them and they paid $10 per point that's $1240 in total or $177 per night for a 7 night stay and the cheapest rental I can find is $140 a night which hardly seems worth the effort even assuming it all came off ok.
Just my opinion.

Mick.

What you do with your points is entirely up to you of course. Certainly buying DVC with the idea of exchanging routinely is not a good choice, actually it's an extremely poor choice. And MOST exchange options are not worth even the 124 points for a 1 BR. One can certainly rent a full 2 BR for off season for the value of those points and have money left over. Or even more appropriate to one looking to buy, one could buy a MUCH cheaper non DVC timeshare and actually have more and better exchange options than using DVC. The fact that someone made an exchange and enjoyed it is not necessarily applicable to the value, IMO. For Europe one might want to consider buying there or into a system where you have internal trade preference. I'd direct the OP to TUG at www.tug2.net where a lot more info can be found.

 

[mark&sue]

We have used our points for Disneyland Paris and for an II exchange in Devon for half term. If you take into account our travel costs are so much cheaper than a flight during school holiday times to Orlando it could well be worth it to us Brits if you can't get over to Orlando one year. We had a great week in Devon which we would never had done had we not been a DVC member.

We possibly have too many points as we worked out we could go to WDW and do an exchange in Europe each year. I notice we can even go skiing.

Good luck on whatever you decide.


Susan

 

[Halo]

DVC works best if:

• you use points mostly at DVC resorts
• you go at least every other year
• are 'light' on weekend use of points

I would amend this to "at least every 3 years", on the bank/use/borrow cycle.

Is everyone aware that as a DVC member you are a member of Interval International (or can at least join it for a fee). As a member of Interval International you have access to Member Getaways on their website which enables you to book stays at resorts in the UK, Europe and Globally at very cheap rates. The actual rates vary by resort and it is all subject to availability but you can typically book a 2-bed room for say £450 per week. Contact DVC Member Services to ask how you can join II as a perspnal member.

 

[mark&sue]

Hal O

Thank you for this. I had no idea. This seems really good. I was thinking that I would like to take our friends with us on an II exchange but noticed that the two bed and three bed points seemed quite high but the price you mention seems really reasonable.


Susan

 

[Miffy2003]

I would amend this to "at least every 3 years", on the bank/use/borrow cycle.

Is everyone aware that as a DVC member you are a member of Interval International (or can at least join it for a fee). As a member of Interval International you have access to Member Getaways on their website which enables you to book stays at resorts in the UK, Europe and Globally at very cheap rates. The actual rates vary by resort and it is all subject to availability but you can typically book a 2-bed room for say £450 per week. Contact DVC Member Services to ask how you can join II as a perspnal member.

I didn't know that Hal, so thank you very much for mentioning this. Definitely something to bear in mind for future for me!

 

[MrsJobba1]

I would amend this to "at least every 3 years", on the bank/use/borrow cycle.

Is everyone aware that as a DVC member you are a member of Interval International (or can at least join it for a fee). As a member of Interval International you have access to Member Getaways on their website which enables you to book stays at resorts in the UK, Europe and Globally at very cheap rates. The actual rates vary by resort and it is all subject to availability but you can typically book a 2-bed room for say £450 per week. Contact DVC Member Services to ask how you can join II as a perspnal member.

No we didn;t know this.

Thanks for the info

 

[Dean]

I would amend this to "at least every 3 years", on the bank/use/borrow cycle.

Is everyone aware that as a DVC member you are a member of Interval International (or can at least join it for a fee). As a member of Interval International you have access to Member Getaways on their website which enables you to book stays at resorts in the UK, Europe and Globally at very cheap rates. The actual rates vary by resort and it is all subject to availability but you can typically book a 2-bed room for say £450 per week. Contact DVC Member Services to ask how you can join II as a perspnal member.

For every 3 years it would depend on how you go. You might have trouble for early 2006 and late 2009 as it'd have to be truly within a strict 3 year window.

Actually, you are mistaken. DVC members cannot join II directly and do not have access to II directly, the website, getaways, wish book, bonus weeks or other similar benefits. Even for those of us who belong to II independently, we can't add DVC to our profile. And DVC members cannot search for other DVC weeks using DVC deposits. You might ask why one would want to. Say one had points that were going to expire. One option might be to deposit points then search for a later DVC week, unfortunately not possible.

 

[Halo]

For every 3 years it would depend on how you go. You might have trouble for early 2006 and late 2009 as it'd have to be truly within a strict 3 year window.

Actually, you are mistaken. DVC members cannot join II directly and do not have access to II directly, the website, getaways, wish book, bonus weeks or other similar benefits.....

er no....

This is a quote from another site...

I got my questions answered on DVC finally thanks to the TUG website. I found I had to hunt about but I've got there anyway. Just in case anyone is interested the DVC scheme DOES allow access to Interval International for Timeshare swaps, and to Member Getaways - one of the main reasons my friend was so vehement when recommending Timeshare. I guess it has to be DVC for us now - I loved the look of the Marriott Grand but not as much as I've enjoyed the Disney experience on my last two visits.

Thanks again though to everyone who has posted. Once again the Dibb comes to the rescue.

You can find the full thread here

As for

Even for those of us who belong to II independently, we can't add DVC to our profile. And DVC members cannot search for other DVC weeks using DVC deposits. You might ask why one would want to. Say one had points that were going to expire. One option might be to deposit points then search for a later DVC week, unfortunately not possible."

I was not suggesting this. What I was saying, and I believe it to be the case, if you are a member of an II resort, and DVC is an II resort, you can join II as a personal member. Whilst any DVC exchanges have to be done through Disney Member Services, as an II member you can book II Getaways. II Getaways do not require you to exchange anything.

For further info please checkout page 5 of this which sets out the requirements for II personal membership.

 

[Dean]

Halo, have you ever talked or heard from anyone who has successfully joined II directly or been able to add DVC to their current II membership. I am intimately aware of II and their practices. I have had II reps tell me that I could add my DVC membership to my profile and take all the info to do so only to be told later that it is not possible. I have taken conference calls with DVC management, the Orlando II rep who deals directly with DVC and myself confirming what I stated above. I have had a number of conversations regarding this matter over the years with Craig Urbine, II VP of Customer Service for some 10 years and until a little over a year ago.

The truth is that DVC does not have an agreement with II that would allow an individual membership. DVC has a corporate membership which precludes individual membership, I personally wish it wasn't so. That is why they have such control in limiting the resorts one can exchange into using DVC and why one can only exchange through the MS exchange department. You are not the first to believe direct II membership is possible. One DVC member even got a membership number and packet sent to him simply by joining DVC however, he soon found out it was a false alarm. My guess is part of the confusion comes from the fact that DVC uses the term Getaways somewhat generically while II uses the same term differently, to designate rentals. When DVC uses the term Member Getaways they are not referring to rentals. I cannot be 1000% certain that DVC doesn't do II rentals but have seen no evidence to the contrary including on the thread you link. And I've been a member of TUG for some almost 10 years and visit it almost daily as I do the DIS DVC board.

DVC members only have access to exchanges, but even then only to the some 400 or so that DVC says it OK, not to the full 1900 II resorts. Certainly those that own non DVC II resorts have the potential you state, just not DVC members themselves unless they belong to II independently. Sorry you received incorrect info previously.

 

[mikki.young]

DVC only cherry picks resorts from II, you don't get access to all of them. What this does mean is that they only pick really good ones which are nice to stay at. The points cost is good value because they are trying to pursuade people to use it so II can trade some of their members in. But for some reason members prefer to stay at DVC

I'm a member of II through the Marriott timeshare at DLP but have to admit I've never found a member getaway that has tempted me. I think there are far more II properties in US and surrounding area so it is better for them than Europeans.

 

[Halo]

Halo, have you ever talked or heard from anyone who has successfully joined II directly ....

Yes. I think we'll just have to agree to differ on this. I don't doubt what you say - its just contrary to my experience.

Assuming for one moment however that you are correct - i.e. that DVC does object to its members taking out individual II membership because it does not want them to gain access to Getaways (?) - other II members can book them on their behalf, for an extra £25 cost of a "gift certificate". If any DVC members would like to checkout II Getaways I would be happy to do so on their behalf - just PM me.

 

[Halo]

I'm a member of II through the Marriott timeshare at DLP but have to admit I've never found a member getaway that has tempted me. I think there are far more II properties in US and surrounding area so it is better for them than Europeans.

I think you are being a bit harsh - just looking at Marriott resorts in Europe for example there is a week at Marriott DLP available as a Getaway and a week at Marriott Playa Adaluza (see attached) presently available as Getaways. You are right though - there is far more choice in the US. We have only ever booked one Getaway as we do not have the freetime to take advantage - the one we booked was Marriott Cypress Harbour (Orlando) where we spent the week before Xmas in 2002.