Bonnet Creek has me questioning my DVC contract

[La2kw]

DVC points chart knows NO inflation. The points chart will always remain pretty much the same. The prices at these resorts over 50 years will for sure go up..........how much, not sure??????
I like that with Disney the points chart over 50 years will always mean the same to me. I can take the same vacation year after year.

Not true if you used to maximize your points by staying Sun-Thurs. Point reallocations have shortened my trips by two days. I get less nights for my points now than I did for the first 14 years I owned them.

 

[lisaviolet]

To add, many systems include RCI (or II) in their membership but nothing is truly fee. I get both RCI weeks AND a RCI points option included with my bluegreen membership. With Marriott's changes, I now get II free, free internal II exchanges, free lockoff fees and free cancelation fees, something I previously had to pay for.

But there's a required $165 or $195 annual club fee isn't there? So, not really free.

Nothing's really free. They all charge for it one way or another. .

Let me just state - free - not free - sweet little hiding free. - me - all I need is for my RCI "last call" to come to life and stop taunting me with endless possibilities.

I wish DVC would just give us RCI membership perks for "free" - openly, not so or hidden.

 

[UConnJack]

Stayed at the Hilton for a few days last year for a conference and a few days of golf. The whole area is quite nice, and I was quite comfortable there. However, although physically it was essentially "on-property", it still didn't feel like we were at Disney. To me, Orlando is just Disney, there is nothing else about the area that would ever want to make me vacation there. Sure I'll go to Universal or Sea World on occasion, but if Disney weren't there, I would never spend more than a night or two in Orlando.

For that reason, I wouldn't buy an Orlando timeshare other than DVC or stay anywhere but on property unless crashing for a night before a flight or if I were being paid to go to a convention. Not trying to be a Disney-snob or anything, but if I were to buy another timeshare (which hopefully I will someday), it would be near the beach, in the mountains, or at a golf resort, but not outside the gates in Orlando, because really, what's the point?

 

[bxmetfan]

If I can get a two bedroom at the 60 day mark at Bonnet Creek it is $120 per night. Seven nights for $840, my maintenance fees alone are $802 per year. The photos of the 2 bedrooms looks every bit as nice if not nicer than the DVC villas I've stayed at.

How can you get a 2 BR for $120 per night?

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

How can you get a 2 BR for $120 per night?

I don't know.

When I multiply the lowest point total for Old Key West - 2bdrm (29 points) by the lowest maintenance fees which is $3.78 for Bay Lake Tower,

it comes out to $109.62.

That doesn't take any buy in cost into account at all.

More realistically,

A 2 bedroom standard at BWV in Adventure Season is 28 points.

MFs at BWV is about $5.36. I like to add $2 per point to my MFs to represent my buy in of points.

So... $7.36 X 28 = $206.08

That is a little high for a regular hotel room, but not really that bad for a 2 bedroom villa.

We like to stay in a studio...so we can't USUALLY beat $7.36 X 10 = $73.60. I can't stay at the Days Inn for that.

For $7.36 X 13 = $95.68 we can have a boardwalk view, which is breathtaking to me.

 

[JimMIA]

If you folks read the very first post in this thread, you'll find where the $120 per night for a 2 BR comes from. It's a typical rental price for Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Nobody is talking about a DVC 2 BR for $120 per night.

If you go back a page or two and read, you'll see Brian's explanation that the Wyndham owner's cost for that BC 2 BR is only about $90 per night.

 

[tay72699]

We have friends that are BC owners and of course they give our names quite often as potential owners. We get emails and phone calls with great 3 & 4 night BC "deals", but the fine print states that you have to attend a 2 hour seminar (sales pitch) to get that great deal. I have heard on occasion that if you do not sign up for the seminar upon check-in that you do receive numerous calls to schedule. That is one reason that I have not used any of these great deals.
We were at BWV in May while our friends were at BC. While they love Wyndham and the BC resort, I did hear comments about the DVC perks and convenience of being on property...I think it's been 5 or 6 years since they have stayed on property. They would also like to cruise DCL and while cruising on points is not the best use of points, they don't have that option...another topic discussed at the BWV model room.

 

[Alexander]

How can you get a 2 BR for $120 per night?

I couldn't! I got it for under $86/night. I booked a 2 bedroom for the end of August from a VIP owner for 7 nights for $600.

I also booked December 24th to 31st for $1,000 for a 2 bedroom.

Both of these owners I found on Redweek.

I LOVE my DVC but it is so much more cost efficient to stay at Bonnet Creek when you have all of your points tied up in future vacations than to rent DVC points.

 

[Starr W.]

We also own Wyndham points(2 contracts, one EOY in Las Vegas 210K and EY Alexandria, VA 308K).

We stayed at BC Jan 2010 for our MLK weekend trip in a regular 3br, just to check it out. Would we use our points at BC again, yes but we bought for the other locations in the Wyndham system.

The new resort in the Smokey Mtns is super, waterpark and the decor is very upscale.

Also have been to Waikiki Beachwalk(3 nts last month) and Wyndham Kona Hawaiian(via RCI trade with non-DVC ts)

Very happy with the 4 stays we've had so far. The online booking is a huge plus. Yes they do have more fees, but Brian has taught most of us newbie owners how to minimize them.

I wouldn't be happy selling my DVC points and staying at BC for every trip. I like being on site.

 

[photobob]

How can you get a 2 BR for $120 per night?

vacationupgrades.com lists 1 bdr for $100 per night and 2 bdr for $120 per night if the reservations are made 60 days or less from check in.

 

[Dean]

Let me just state - free - not free - sweet little hiding free. - me - all I need is for my RCI "last call" to come to life and stop taunting me with endless possibilities.

I wish DVC would just give us RCI membership perks for "free" - openly, not so or hidden.

As I've said before, if DVC provides (or even allows) DVC members to be direct RCI members with the ability to trade up and access to last call vacations, DVC instantly becomes a major player in the timeshare exchange world.

 

[JimMIA]

As I've said before, if DVC provides (or even allows) DVC members to be direct RCI members with the ability to trade up and access to last call vacations, DVC instantly becomes a major player in the timeshare exchange world.

I don't know the overall timeshare world like you do, Dean, but I wonder why DVC doesn't either provide FULL RCI membership or make it an option for those who want to pay for the privileges? Seems to me, it would be a great sales tool -- first dibs at DVC resorts, PLUS you can exchange into 6,000 or so other resorts!

What would the downside of that be to DVC? I don't get it.

ETA: Make that 6,505 other resorts.

 

[Dean]

I don't know the overall timeshare world like you do, Dean, but I wonder why DVC doesn't either provide FULL RCI membership or make it an option for those who want to pay for the privileges? Seems to me, it would be a great sales tool -- first dibs at DVC resorts, PLUS you can exchange into 6,000 or so other resorts!

What would the downside of that be to DVC? I don't get it.

ETA: Make that 6,505 other resorts.

I think it boils down to one word - CONTROL. The current system has plusses and minuses. Some of the plusses include that it's provided free, does provide some protection to the members and provides search first better than most systems do. This is likely better for the member that wants the option but isn't likely to use it or someone who wants to exchange every 5-10 years but not routinely. However, for those that want other options, the lack of access online, cheaper short term exchanges, no ability to trade up and lack of cash rental options is a big deterrent. I think the limit of which resorts to trade into is an issue but not nearly as much as one might think because the exchange companies do this to a degree anyway (though not as much as DVC does), but not nearly as transparently as DVC does. DVC's system is likely actually free at this point as it's mostly paid for by the inbound exchangers for the most part. If they changed to the other method each exchange potentially drops to 160-200 points for a 2 BR rather than the current 270 and some drop a lot more. Still expensive but much better than currently and far more flexible.

 

[tidefan]

I'll throw in my .02.

Count me in the boat that says if I am not at Disney, what's the point of being in Orlando. Maybe that's because I grew up in FLA, but I have no desire to either sit on I-Drive or at Bonnet Creek or at Orange Lake or anywhere else in ORL. If I am in Orlando, then I am there for Disney, and if I am at Disney, I want to stay onsite.

We do have one other timeshare that we got resale, but we use that one (St Maarten - Royal Palm Beach Club) every year and don't trade it. I have thought about other timeshares, but I am currently happy with what I have and have pretty much decided to VRBO anything else (Hilton Head, Orange Beach/Gulf Shores/Destin, Phoenix, etc.) that I may want. I'd rather not be stuck with the maintenence fees. I had tossed around looking at a cheap Marriott that I could lock-off and use to my advantage in Flexchange (my in-laws do this), but with the new Marriott changes, I am retreating from that strategy...

To me, this thread is really no different than the timeshare version of the onsite/offsite debates that they have on the resorts boards. If staying onsite is important to you, then DVC is the best way to do that. If not, there are cheaper routes to go for some good properties.

 

[photobob]

We have friends that are BC owners and of course they give our names quite often as potential owners. We get emails and phone calls with great 3 & 4 night BC "deals", but the fine print states that you have to attend a 2 hour seminar (sales pitch) to get that great deal.

Copied and pasted from vacationupgrades.com

Do I have to attend a timeshare presentation/tour?
Absolutely not! At check-in, Wyndham may invite you to attend one and offer you an incentive to do so, but you are absolutely under no obligation to attend a presentation or take a tour.

 

[gkrykewy]

Ah, non-DVC timeshare tours. I still savor the victory of being given $400 cash for touring a Mexican timeshare in Cabo in 2008. Paid for our rental car and then some!

 

[mopee3]

I have followed this thread since it's inception, the major posters are all here especially the ones with other timeshare properties, even Tim who puts out the DVC news.

What I really don't quite understand is why a Mod hasn't locked this thread up tight and sent everybody off to another site..Tug maybe?
The name should have killed it right off the bat" Bonnet Creek has me questioning my DVC contract".

This is not a uplifting talk about DVC, rather a kind of downer.

Granted not ever thread here needs to be uplifting but this thing has gone way beyond anything positive for DIS/DVC.

Moe

 

[Sammie]

I'll throw in my .02.

Count me in the boat that says if I am not at Disney, what's the point of being in Orlando. Maybe that's because I grew up in FLA, but I have no desire to either sit on I-Drive or at Bonnet Creek or at Orange Lake or anywhere else in ORL. If I am in Orlando, then I am there for Disney, and if I am at Disney, I want to stay onsite.

We do have one other timeshare that we got resale, but we use that one (St Maarten - Royal Palm Beach Club) every year and don't trade it. I have thought about other timeshares, but I am currently happy with what I have and have pretty much decided to VRBO anything else (Hilton Head, Orange Beach/Gulf Shores/Destin, Phoenix, etc.) that I may want. I'd rather not be stuck with the maintenence fees. I had tossed around looking at a cheap Marriott that I could lock-off and use to my advantage in Flexchange (my in-laws do this), but with the new Marriott changes, I am retreating from that strategy...

To me, this thread is really no different than the timeshare version of the onsite/offsite debates that they have on the resorts boards. If staying onsite is important to you, then DVC is the best way to do that. If not, there are cheaper routes to go for some good properties.

I would not be interested in I-Drive or Orange Lake due to location, but with Bonnet Creek being located right next to Carribbean Beach, then it is definitely a prime location.

 

[culli]

Oh, don't think you can't pay a fortune for Wyndham if the Sales Weasels get ahold of you.

While I was researching, I came across two competing eBay auctions, both about 500,000-600,000 points (forgot how many exactly) at the same resort, virtually same MFs, etc. I was not interested in either contract, but the differences struck me, so I put them on my Watch list.

One had a minimum eBay bid of $1. The other had a minimum bid of $85,000, and a "Buy It Now" price of $95,000!

Both auctions closed without an opening bid.

JimMIA - I just got into the thread and very impressed how you got a firm grasp of Wyndham in a short time. Wyn can be annoying when you first look at it and try to navigate through all the info and nuances etc but it really isn't that bad. Not long ago you had the head spinning situation with info overload.....we have all been there. My point is if you take the time and do the research like you did, people will overcome the overwhelmed feeling and see the benefits and great RESALE buy Wyn can be for the right person. I Congrats on joining Wyn!

 

[JimMIA]

What I really don't quite understand is why a Mod hasn't locked this thread up tight and sent everybody off to another site..Tug maybe?

You've never visited the TUG Wyndham board have you...?

The name should have killed it right off the bat" Bonnet Creek has me questioning my DVC contract".

This is not a uplifting talk about DVC, rather a kind of downer.

Granted not ever thread here needs to be uplifting but this thing has gone way beyond anything positive for DIS/DVC.

Moe

Actually, I think most of the posters have said good things about DVC. In fact, most have said that DVC was the best option for a WDW vacation -- and everyone who has posted about Wyndham here is also a DVC owner.

Just because there is another system out there that also has good features doesn't make discussing them a "downer" about DVC.

Also, keep in mind that these are the DISboards, not a cheerleading society for DVC. One of the most important benefits of these boards is that people can come here and get a wide range of viewpoints, and enjoy full discussions of topics of interest. Certainly comparing another system to DVC is both relevant and valuable to DVC members who choose to read the thread.