It’s been just over 2 years since Disney Vacation Club became available for trading through Interval International – it began January 1, 2022 to be exact. Early in the process, there weren’t very many opportunities to trade to a DVC property through Interval. Is it easier for Marriott/Vistana Owners to get that reservation now?
Spoiler alert – YES! There are more availabilities for DVC resorts now than there were a year or two ago. This is because more Disney owners are trading their resorts to go to other resorts within Interval, and that continues to increase as time goes on. The Disney resorts that I’ve seen available in the past few months are Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Animal Kingdom Resort. You won’t be trading to these resorts 12 months in advance, or even 10 months out. Four to five months out is more likely for you to find something available at a DVC property.
The bad news regarding trading to DVC resorts – and shouldn’t be surprising – I’ve never seen the “big” popular Disney resorts available through Interval International. Resorts like Aulani in Oahu, or the Grand Californian aren’t showing up in Interval International to trade to. And frankly, I don’t expect they will. Trading to these resorts is still very popular among the Disney Owners and being available outside the DVC family isn’t likely.
I know there are some Marriott/Vistana owners who check for availabilities or DVC resorts on Interval almost daily, and yes, they do the little happy dance when one becomes available. I hear about it more and more, and personally I am planning on grabbing one for early next year. We are Disney fans, and even though the Marriott resorts in Orlando are amazing, they aren’t on Disney property, and they don’t have the perks that come with staying at a Disney resort.
Remember that within Interval, the “power” of your trade determines what options you will have if you are using a deposited week. If you are trading a low season with a not as popular property, you may not see any Disney resorts available at all. But if you have a Marriott property, have a week reserved during high season, or am willing to use Club Points, you should be able to find Disney resorts to reserve.
If you need help in knowing how to check for Disney resort availability in Interval International, you can read my previous post explaining how to do that at How to Reserve Disney resorts in Interval International.
We’ve now stayed at Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom Villas through Interval International exchanges. We also have a Wilderness Lodge exchange coming up in May. We are tempted to book a two bedroom at Old Key West we always see out there, but we hold out hope for Boardwalk Villas that comes up from time to time. Outside of those five resorts, I haven’t seen much else. Perhaps there was a Bay Lake studio once. But the other DVC resorts just don’t pop up. I too never expect to see Aulani or any of the resorts in California.
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Great post! It’s encouraging to hear that Marriott/Vistana owners are finding more opportunities to trade into Disney Vacation Club resorts. The insights about timing and trade power are super helpful, especially for those of us hoping to experience the Disney magic without being DVC members. Thanks for breaking down the realities and setting realistic expectations – this definitely motivates me to keep checking for those hard-to-get Disney spots!