Advice for off property resort for honeymoon? RCI

[tab1006]

We are getting married October of 2016 and honeymooning at Disney World for a week! My parents have a timeshare with RCI and have graciously offered to let us use that for our accommodations as our wedding present!
Unfortunately, their timeshare is based in Orlando, therefore we cannot trade into DVC or stay at any onsite properties.

Any advice for the best resort for honeymooners?

I am a HUGE Disney fan (him not so much - but I'm working on that ) so I would LOVE to stay onsite - but like I said that isn't an option. He wants to avoid any resorts that are geared towards (and will be flooded with) children. We will be travelling during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and/or the Food and Wine Festival.

 

[haPevraftr]

We are getting married October of 2016 and honeymooning at Disney World for a week! My parents have a timeshare with RCI and have graciously offered to let us use that for our accommodations as our wedding present!
Unfortunately, their timeshare is based in Orlando, therefore we cannot trade into DVC or stay at any onsite properties.

Any advice for the best resort for honeymooners?

I am a HUGE Disney fan (him not so much - but I'm working on that ) so I would LOVE to stay onsite - but like I said that isn't an option. He wants to avoid any resorts that are geared towards (and will be flooded with) children. We will be travelling during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and/or the Food and Wine Festival.

How about Parc Soleil by Hilton?

 

[tab1006]

I haven't looked there yet.. There are just so many to choose from!
I will take a look at it .

Any advice on (if a shuttle is offered) if we should drive our own vehicle or not?

 

[JimMIA]

What timeshare do they own in Orlando?

Depending on what they own, that might be a better bet than paying $200 or so to exchange into something next door.

 

[JimMIA]

Any advice on (if a shuttle is offered) if we should drive our own vehicle or not?

If you are driving to Orlando, DEFINITELY pay the parking fee ($14-$15 per day) and drive your own car. You'll save 2 hours a day and have much less stress.

We drive to the parks, whether we are staying onsite or offsite because it is just so much easier.

 

[tab1006]

We will definitely be driving - we live in lower Alabama. It is only a ~7 hour drive and neither of us are big fans of flying.

I will have to check to see what timeshare they own, I believe it is Silver Lake. But I am not sure.

 

[tab1006]

Their 'home resort' is Silver Lake Resort-Silver Points (#6815) on RCI. I'm assuming that means that is the timeshare they own? The whole 'exchange' thing confuses me .

Is this a decent resort? I'm assuming we wouldn't have to pay an 'exchange fee' to stay there? What if it isn't during 'their week'? Would they have a specific week that is their 'home week'?

We've never stayed there. We have only been to disney once (when I was much younger) and we went because of a timeshare incentive. It was once of those 'sit through a 3-4 hour timeshare pitch, get discounted tickets' deals. They ended up purchasing this timeshare through that.

 

[Upatnoon]

Their 'home resort' is Silver Lake Resort-Silver Points (#6815) on RCI. I'm assuming that means that is the timeshare they own? The whole 'exchange' thing confuses me .

Is this a decent resort? I'm assuming we wouldn't have to pay an 'exchange fee' to stay there? What if it isn't during 'their week'? Would they have a specific week that is their 'home week'?

We've never stayed there. We have only been to disney once (when I was much younger) and we went because of a timeshare incentive. It was once of those 'sit through a 3-4 hour timeshare pitch, get discounted tickets' deals. They ended up purchasing this timeshare through that.

I've not stayed there, but I have driven past Silver Lake many times. It also seems to get pretty good reviews.

The resort is very close to Animal Kingdom. Other than Wyndham Bonnet Creek, it is the closest timeshare to Disney property.

There are also lots of restaurants and stores nearby.

 

[Brian Noble]

Yes, absolutely drive to the parks. Do not take the shuttles. Even the best are a pale imitation of the convenience of driving yourself. If you want a night or two when you don't want to worry about driving back (say, planning a second glass of wine with dinner) then you can take an UberX or a cab to and fro.

Silver Lake is quite nice, and has a great location for a Disney-centric vacation. If you can get Bonnet Creek instead, that might be worth the upgrade. If you are also thinking about other Orlando-area activities, any of the Hiltons or Shertaon Vistana are also good choices.

 

[tab1006]

I've not stayed there, but I have driven past Silver Lake many times. It also seems to get pretty good reviews.

The resort is very close to Animal Kingdom. Other than Wyndham Bonnet Creek, it is the closest timeshare to Disney property.

There are also lots of restaurants and stores nearby.

By very close to Animal Kingdom, do you mean within walking distance? Or a short drive?

Thank you all so much by the way!

We've narrowed it down to Silver Lake, Parc Soleil, ,Bonnet Creek, and Hilton Grand Vacations Suites on International Drive (Tuscany)

 

[JimMIA]

Nothing is within walking distance of AK -- not even AKL! Your short drive from Silver Lake would undoubtedly be shorter than the bus ride from Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge to AK!

In making your selection, you should talk to your parents about the costs and uncertainty of trying to exchange into another RCI resort. I don't know what Silver Lakes' arrangement is with RCI, but most RCI exchange fees are in the neighborhood of $200. And you may have to pay an additional "resort fee" on top of that at check-in.

And, exchanging can be an uncertain adventure.

For openers, if you are excluded from DVC exchanges, you may also be excluded from ANY exchanges into ANY Orlando area resort. In that case, you may have no alternative but to stay at Silver Lake -- so that's the first thing you need to find out. (On the bright side, if my friend Brian says SL is fine, it's fine.)

Exchanging is also not as simple as just booking a room online at a hotel website. If you can go online and see availability in RCI for your desired resort...great. But if nothing is available, how you proceed from there depends on whether your resort trades in RCI Weeks or RCI Points. For that, you are going to have to go to school and learn how RCI exchanges work, and hope for the best.

Orlando is a pretty over-built area, and your chances of finding an exchange are quite good. Whether an exchange would be better in some way than Silver Lake -- only you can decide.

 

[tab1006]

Thank you for such a detailed reply! I looked into it and yes, we would have to pay an exchange fee, which they are fine with.

Also, we can exchange into other Orlando area resorts, just not any 'on property' resorts (for Disney, Universal, or Seaworld).

They have an RCI points account and staying at SL for the time we are looking at would be ~50,000 points. It actually LESS points for us to trade into Bonnet Creek or Parc Soleil but then there is the exchange fee.

Personally, I am really liking Parc Soleil so I think we are going to shoot for that with Bonnet Creek as our second option, and SL as our third.

Once again, thank you all so much!