Disney Vacation Club members now have thousands of additional destinations available to book using their timeshare points.
In a February 2014 press release, timeshare trade facilitiator touted the "thousands of RCI affiliated vacation ownership properties" that Disney Vacation Club members could access. However, historically DVC members have been limited to approximately 500 exchange destinations.
Speculation was that Disney Vacation Club was on the verge of lifting its restrictions and would allow owners greater access to the RCI inventory. That speculation appears to have been accurate.
Current RCI availability searches reveal a much wider range of trade options for DVC owners. As of this writing, over 2700 destinations have units deposited and ready for booking through RCI. Many timeshare systems deposit inventory in blocks, so those numbers are prone to fluctuate over time.
Still uncertain is whether or not this expanded RCI availability will apply to all DVC owners. Since restrictions were first imposed on resale purchases made after March 20, 2011, Disney Vacation Club has expanded numerous trade programs. Destinations have been added to the Disney Collection and Concierge Collection, from which resale owners are blocked. Theoretically, the expanded RCI inventory could be offered only to direct buyers while resale owners are held to a smaller list of tradeable destinations.
Publicly, Disney Vacation Club's justification for the 500 trade destinations had been to help guarantee the highest quality experience. Not all RCI-affiliated resorts offer accommodations and service on par with Disney resorts. Owners considering a trade should go to great lengths to research potential destinations before accepting a given resort.
RCI resorts can be booked on-line by visiting DVCMember.com and clicking on "My Vacations" then "RCI (for World Passport Collection.)"
