Help, experienced ones!

[laward32]

We have a timeshare that we can exchange for a DVC. We are wanting to take an extended family trip May of 2009. We have 9 people and the only 2 bdrm villa that fits 9 is at AKL. Does anybody with a lot experience think this will happen for us if we get our name on the waiting list in the next couple of weeks. It's a whole year away, so I hoped it would better our chances of getting a villa. What are your thoughts?:mickey:

[JMTStone]

I'm thinking if you don't get the Grand Villa, maybe you can go for a few rooms attached to each other. When we were at SSR, we stayed in a 1 bedroom that had a door to the next villa... maybe the other DVC sites have that as well (I'm going to the Boardwalk in June, I'll check it out then)...

Someone with more DVC smarts should be here soon....

Here's some pixie dust hoping you get the Grand Villa.:pixie:

[Kidsmom]

At AKL you only need the 2-bedroom villas to fit 9 into. I think this is the only, or least one of the few that fits 9 into a 2 bed-room.

Are you sure you can trade your timeshare for a Grand Villa? I only ask this because they cost A LOT of points for the DVC members and a 2 bed-room at interval isn't nearly the same amount.

I wouldn't think a Grand Villa this far out wouldbe hard to book since DVC members can't even book at their 11-month window yet.

I also believe more knowlegable members will come along!

[laward32]

No, we can't book a grand villa. It has to be a 2 bdrm.

[Mary M]

Can I ask why you need to fit all 9 people into one room? Can you split them at all?

You can probably get a 2 bedroom and a studio and you'd have enough room.

2 bedroom sleeps 8: 2 in the big bedroom, 4 in the second bedroom, and 2 on the pull out couch. It's pretty crowded, though, and that's only 2 bathrooms.

Actually, a 3 bedroom anywhere will be enough room. I've been in one in OKW and it's HUGE. That would sleep 12: 2 in the big bedroom, 4 in each of the other 2 bedrooms, and 2 on the pullout sofa. And that's 3 bathrooms, I think.

AKL is really hard to get into, and I think trade-ins are pretty low on the priority list, so I'm not real confident about your chances there. If you can split up, or try a 3 bedroom, you can probably get into OKW or SS.

[mjstaceyuofm]

People buy DVC to vacation at WDW. Very few people opt out of their DVC points in exchange for other vacations, thus creating very little room for those people with timeshares at RCI or Interval International (or whatever other timeshare program has a reciprocity agreement with Disney) to trade in to.

If people bank their points, use them at other DVC resorts or other Disney vacations (cruise line, or Adventures by Disney, etc.) the points are still kept in house at Disney. Those rooms are made available for 7-month window booking or for sale as a hotel by Disney. The only way you can transfer into a DVC villa through one of those programs is if someone uses their DVC points in exchange for your specific timeshare program.

The bottom line is that rarely happens. I know plenty of people with timeshares and no one I know has ever been able to "Trade into" a DVC resort. Unfortunately, I wouldn't count on staying at a 2-bedroom at AKL.

[Tinkermom]

People buy DVC to vacation at WDW. Very few people opt out of their DVC points in exchange for other vacations, thus creating very little room for those people with timeshares at RCI or Interval International (or whatever other timeshare program has a reciprocity agreement with Disney) to trade in to.

If people bank their points, use them at other DVC resorts or other Disney vacations (cruise line, or Adventures by Disney, etc.) the points are still kept in house at Disney. Those rooms are made available for 7-month window booking or for sale as a hotel by Disney. The only way you can transfer into a DVC villa through one of those programs is if someone uses their DVC points in exchange for your specific timeshare program.

The bottom line is that rarely happens. I know plenty of people with timeshares and no one I know has ever been able to "Trade into" a DVC resort. Unfortunately, I wouldn't count on staying at a 2-bedroom at AKL.

This is true. It is very difficult to trade into DVC.

That being said, it is not unheard of. As stated above you might want to see if you can get a 2-bdrm and a studio as this would open you up to stay at another resort other than AKL. You may have better luck getting into Old Key West or Saratoga Springs. Good Luck!:mickey:

[laward32]

I know it's not always easy, but we did trade into a DVC in Oct. We got a 2 bdrm at SSR. We were only on the waiting list for 3 months before we got our confirmation. Last Oct there was only 5 of us. This year we want it to be my mom, dad, me, DH, DD8, DD7 and my sister, BIL and niece. I don't think to trade they will give us two separate rooms, so that only leaves us with AKV for 9 people. I am hoping since its a year away, we might have a chance. It could just be wishful thinking.:mickey:

[mjstaceyuofm]

I know it's not always easy, but we did trade into a DVC in Oct. We got a 2 bdrm at SSR. We were only on the waiting list for 3 months before we got our confirmation. Last Oct there was only 5 of us. This year we want it to be my mom, dad, me, DH, DD8, DD7 and my sister, BIL and niece. I don't think to trade they will give us two separate rooms, so that only leaves us with AKV for 9 people. I am hoping since its a year away, we might have a chance. It could just be wishful thinking.:mickey:SSR is still not completely sold out, thus there are still a lot of points in "developer inventory". DVC is free to do what they want with these points. I also remember that they had a deal to new buyers at SSR allowing them to get some vacation exchanges as a bonus to buying into SSR. It's likely that they had to trade this developer inventory to RCI or II or whomever to have some of these exchanges in place to use as an incentive.

I hate to sound harsh about it, but I don't see it happening if your focus is that narrow.