Can someone suggest a good timeshare near WDW?

[JudyS]

Lisa, very interesting information on the Fairfield system; thanks!

...Points and floating weeks are usually not a problem in most programs if one is not seeking the very most popular times. In a mega-resort or a system with multiple resorts in an area, it's really not much of an issue. The OP mentioned early March: This is a fairly popular time but it's not Easter week so probably not an issue for points or floating weeks, IMHO....

Most of the complaints I've heard about inability to get reservations are from Marriott owners. The problem seems to be that Marriott will sell many weeks in its highest category of floating time (Platinum), even though only a few of those weeks are really peak season. Then, they get a whole bunch of Platinum owners chasing a small number of truly peak weeks. But you are probably right that the OP won't be facing this problem.

Is your home resort one of the Epcot resorts? They seem to have higher taxes compared to other area properties (DVC & others), IIRC, though I agree that taxes in the greater Orlando area are clearly higher than in many other, non-urban locations. Resort labor there is also rather expensive due to the heavy tourism industry needs. Insurance is very high throughout FL.....

Yes, my DVC home resort is Boardwalk. Still, I think we agree on the basic point, which is that annual fees tend to be higher in Orlando than in many other places.

....Again, it's a trade-off, this time with simplicity of points usage vs. cost of annual fees. With DVC, it simple to use but you pay higher annual maintenance to manage a program and resorts where all (reservation management and housekeeping) costs are rolled together and divided among the members in higher per-point annual fees. With FF, it's more complicated as they've allocated a certain amount of services per owner ....

I agree that the DVC charges higher annual fees in order to avoid charging owners for individual services (housekeeping on short stays, making multiple reservations, cancelations, etc.) I like the simplicity, though. (I've also been able to trade into the DVC with other timeshares, so I don't need to own too many points.)


To the Original Poster -- are you still here? I hope we haven't scared you off with all this complicated discussion of different timesharing systems! You certainly don't have to learn all of them -- you just need to find one resort or system that works well for you.

 

[gjw007]

As for maintenance fees and special assessments, there's no reason to think that resorts in Orlando will be less likely to have a special assessment than a resort anywhere else. I say that one of the main reasons for the high annual fees in Orlando is the taxes. My DVC contract (barely enough points for a one bedroom) costs about $150 a year in real estate taxes. I have a 2 bedroom in another state that costs only $10 a year in real estate taxes!

I don't worry at all about 1-in-4 rules. (For those new to timesharing, a 1-in-4 rule is a rule that some resorts have, that says you are only allowed to exchange into that resort once every four years. Sometimes the time limit is actually once in 3 years or once in 5 years.) I don't run into problems with this rule because only RCI allows resorts to have 1-in-4 rules. And, for that matter, 1-in-4 rules are currently enforced only in RCI's Weeks program, not RCI's Points program. Interval International doesn't have any 1-in-4 rules, and neither do any of the independent exchange companies. I'm a member of 5 exchange programs -- RCI Weeks, RCI Points, Interval International, San Francisco Exchange, and Dial-an-Exchange (these last two are independent exchange companies) and I would say that Interval is generally the best exchange company for exchanging into Orlando. Most Marriott weeks and virtually all DVC weeks exchange through Interval. The RCI Points system is also good for Orlando, if you want a last-minute week at a nice resort like a Hilton or Sheraton (but not DVC and generally not Marriott). RCI Weeks would be my last choice for exchanging into Orlando. So, I never run into the 1-in-4 rule because I don't use RCI Weeks for my Orlando trades.

OK, can you tell that I am obsessed with timeshares!

(edited to add Worldmark info)

You have been able to get past the 1-in-4 rule with RCI Points? I have RCI Points and I have stayed at Vistana Resort (RCI Points resort) in 2004 and RCI will not let me stay there again until 2008 and this is on RCI Points. RCI Points has not let me get past the 1-in-4 rule. In some cases, this only matters if you go to an area several times a year. A person can go to Orlando once-a-year and stay at different resorts without feeling the rule but if you go multiple times, it may appear. RCI Points is great if you can make last minute reservations (within 45 days) at RCI Weeks resorts as the points cost is low (under 9000).

While its true that Orlando is not immune to special assessments, especially if a hurricane or some natural disaster occurs, most timeshares that have had special assessments have low maintenance fees which are usually not enough to provide the proper maintenance necessary. While there may be resorts that don't have enough maintenance fees to cover these expenses, I haven't read about any having problems like some resorts in Minnesota, Pennsylvannia, and the Ft Lauderdale area has after the hurricanes. I own at Alhambra Villas, just outside Kissimmee, and after the hurricanes, it had to completely replace the roof and redo most of the rooms but there was no special assessment. Likewise Vacation Village at Parkway had water damage and had to replace a section of roofing (not sure what they actually did) and redo some rooms due to water damage. Again, no special assessment. In the case of the Minnesota resort (Detroit Lakes), the management company just left the resort to the owners who fixed it up and manage it themselves. In Pennslyvannia, a resort that I read had a management change which quickly did an assessment of what needed to be done and hit the owners with a special assessment charge to get the unit back up to standard. While high maintenance fees doesn't guarantee that the proper maintenance is being done, low maintenance fees should be a flag that something may not be covered. Personally, I don't think the resorts give the owners enough information.

I have enough points at DVC for a 1-bedroom in three of the seasons and DVC is an example of a high maintenace resort. I pay almost as much in maintenace fees for the ability to get a 1-bedroom at DVC than I do for two 2-bedroom units at OLCC (about $620 per unit per year including taxes) with one of them being Xmas week at OLCC. Most of the resorts in Orlando are much higher than this with Vistana Resort around $800 -$900 or so and the same with HGVC depending on the number of points that you own. One of the advantages of larger resorts is the ability to spread the costs amoung the owners resulting in some lower costs while a smaller resort has less people to spread the cost around.

 

[Tigger7570]

A little off track, but we just had friends that bought at Vacation Village at Parkway and they said that they were able to barter about the price. They didn't say what they paid, but said that the saleman keep knocking the price down and that they have no maintenance fees for 2006 and I think 2007. I don't know a thing about this timeshare and wondered if anyone else owned or knows about it. Our friends said that they will have no problems booking or making exchanges. I hope this is true and was thinking this may be a good timeshare to check out. Any thoughts or comments would be great.

 

[gjw007]

A little off track, but we just had friends that bought at Vacation Village at Parkway and they said that they were able to barter about the price. They didn't say what they paid, but said that the saleman keep knocking the price down and that they have no maintenance fees for 2006 and I think 2007. I don't know a thing about this timeshare and wondered if anyone else owned or knows about it. Our friends said that they will have no problems booking or making exchanges. I hope this is true and was thinking this may be a good timeshare to check out. Any thoughts or comments would be great.

I've heard similar comments about Vacation Village at Parkway (VVP) using a ladder scheme where they keep coming down until they reach a price that you think you can afford. Usually they start with bi-annual (they are the only place that I know of that has tri-annual offers) rather than annual usage. I've heard they've even offered weeks rather than points accounts, so you never know. Westgate also has this unsavory reputation. Your friends though might wish to look at resale as they can get the same amount of points at a much lower cost.

Ebay has these ads for VVP.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bankruptcy-Sale-Vacation-Village-in-Kissimmee-FL_W0QQitemZ150013766093QQihZ005QQcategoryZ15897QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

In my opinion, this unit is too high with too many uncertainties but it gives an idea of the value on the resale market.

 

[JudyS]

A little off track, but we just had friends that bought at Vacation Village at Parkway and they said that they were able to barter about the price. They didn't say what they paid, but said that the saleman keep knocking the price down and that they have no maintenance fees for 2006 and I think 2007. I don't know a thing about this timeshare and wondered if anyone else owned or knows about it. Our friends said that they will have no problems booking or making exchanges. I hope this is true and was thinking this may be a good timeshare to check out. Any thoughts or comments would be great.

Many timeshare salespeople will reduce the price if you bargain with them. This is especially true with timeshares that are not affiliated with hotels. However, the price of buying from the developer is still generally much higher than buying the same resort as a resale, even after bargain with the developer and holding out for a better price.

Tigger7570, I've had a hard time figuring out what the deal is with Vacation Village at Parkway. On the one hand, the resort seems fine as far as I can tell. On the other hand, it often seems to be one of the very last timeshares in Orlando to book up -- and considering that Orlando has something like 60 timeshares, that's really saying something. I don't know why Vacation Village at Parkway is one of the less popular resorts. In fact, I've been meaning to start a thread on www.tug2.net asking about this.

You have been able to get past the 1-in-4 rule with RCI Points? I have RCI Points and I have stayed at Vistana Resort (RCI Points resort) in 2004 and RCI will not let me stay there again until 2008 and this is on RCI Points. RCI Points has not let me get past the 1-in-4 rule. In some cases, this only matters if you go to an area several times a year. A person can go to Orlando once-a-year and stay at different resorts without feeling the rule but if you go multiple times, it may appear. RCI Points is great if you can make last minute reservations (within 45 days) at RCI Weeks resorts as the points cost is low (under 9000).

While its true that Orlando is not immune to special assessments, especially if a hurricane or some natural disaster occurs, most timeshares that have had special assessments have low maintenance fees which are usually not enough to provide the proper maintenance necessary. .... While high maintenance fees doesn't guarantee that the proper maintenance is being done, low maintenance fees should be a flag that something may not be covered. Personally, I don't think the resorts give the owners enough information.

Gary, I agree that low maintenance fees should be a red flag. However, one has to bear in mind that maintenance fees will vary based on the area of the country where the resort is located. Things such as taxes, heating/cooling costs (Orlando requires a lot of air conditioning), labor costs and insurance will vary from place to place. Orlando tends to be rather high on these things.

I own five timeshares in rural mountain areas with mild climates, and costs are just lower in these places than in Orlando. One of my timeshares did have a special assessment once -- in fact, it announced the special assessment just days after I bought there -- but the total cost of annual fees plus the special assessment was still under $500 for a 2 bedroom unit. Few timeshares in Orlando have annual fees below $500 for a 2 bedroom. Without special assessments, I am paying fees as low as $360 for a three-bedroom. Other than my DVC contract, I own at resorts that have owner-controlled boards of directors and good management companies, so I'm not too concerned that the resorts will hit owners with unreasonable fees.

About the 1-in-4 rules -- I usually use Interval International for Orlando trades, so no, I've never tried to get around RCI's 1-in-4 rule. When I said the rule didn't apply in RCI Points, I was relying on statements by Madge, RCI's official representative to TUG. However, she has recently clarified how the 1-in-4 rules works regarding RCI Points; she said that resorts which participate in RCI Points don't have the rule, but trading into an RCI Weeks resort using RCI Points can still trigger the rule. (This is different from what she had said previously.) Her comments are here: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24014

On another thread, she says that 1-in-4 is tracked by RCI account. (See the thread here: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16810 )
This makes me wonder if maybe it's possible to stay at a 1-in-4 resort a second time by trading in once with your Points account and once with your Weeks account.

 

[cgcruz]

Wow, there is so much to learn to buy a timeshare. I understand DVC very well, but there is tons of other stuff with other timeshare. I checked out the main webpage of TUG, but it is so cluttered and confusing.

So my main requirement would be close to disney, at least 1 bedroom, lifetime ownership at a cost of less than $4,000 with reasonable Annual dues. Is this an unreasonable expection for Orlando?

As to buying somewhere else and trading to Orlando, I definately want to buy where I want to go and I know that is Orlando to me.

 

[cgcruz]

Just outta curiosoty, how much is it to buy at Vistana Resort directly through the resort management?

 

[TotoToo]

Wow, there is so much to learn to buy a timeshare. I understand DVC very well, but there is tons of other stuff with other timeshare. I checked out the main webpage of TUG, but it is so cluttered and confusing.

So my main requirement would be close to disney, at least 1 bedroom, lifetime ownership at a cost of less than $4,000 with reasonable Annual dues. Is this an unreasonable expection for Orlando?

As to buying somewhere else and trading to Orlando, I definately want to buy where I want to go and I know that is Orlando to me.

Great approach to timeshare ownership. Buy the resort and area you want to use.

I would suggest looking at Cypress Pointe Resort. The location can't be beat. The resort is owner controlled, well maintained, smaller than the mega resorts which allows easy access to services without long drives and has a long term plan to remain a top resort in Orlando. Diamond time, which allows you to choose any time of the year each year, sells for around $4000-$5000 per week with a deeded three bedroom unit. The week can be used as a 3 bedroom or 1 week in a 1 bedroom - 1 in a 2 bedroom if you wish. All time floats at the resort so you have a chance every year to pick the dates that work best for you rather than being locked in to a particular use period. Fees are currently $685/year including taxes. The resort is sold out but there are some owners that occasionally offer a week for sale.

DISCLAIMER: We own at Cypress Pointe. It was our first timeshare and still our favorite of 7 we now own. We also own at Westgate and wouldn't recommend purchase there if it was the only resort in Orlando. The management, control and vision for a timeshare resort are very important to the satisfaction level of it's owners.

 

[JudyS]

....I would suggest looking at Cypress Pointe Resort. The location can't be beat. The resort is owner controlled, well maintained, smaller than the mega resorts ....

Cypress Pointe is a nice resort. I received two spacebanked weeks from the management there (long story), and used one to trade back into Cypress Pointe. The pool was cooler than we liked (this was Christmas week), but it was otherwise great. We had a three bedroom -- nicely decorated, big, and quite clean.

Cypress Pointe is managed by VRI, which is a good company. The only thing I don't like about VRI is how much they charge ($2500) to people who want to "convert" a week to RCI Points. However, if you don't plan to trade your week, then RCI Points is irrelevant.

If you are considering buying Cypress Pointe, you could try staying there first to see how you like it. You could get a room through www.hotelkingdom.com SkyAuction also sometimes has Cypress Pointe units in the offseason.

...As to buying somewhere else and trading to Orlando, I definately want to buy where I want to go and I know that is Orlando to me.

May I ask what you don't like about the idea of trading in? Is it that it's too complicated, or that you like the idea of being guaranteed the same resort each year, or some other factor?

 

[cgcruz]

May I ask what you don't like about the idea of trading in? Is it that it's too complicated, or that you like the idea of being guaranteed the same resort each year, or some other factor?

I dunno, it seems more of a hassle than its worth if I really plan on just going to Orlando anyways. We tend to do more than just WDW when we go down there anyways (although WDW will always be #1!)

 

[swilshire]

You have been able to get past the 1-in-4 rule with RCI Points?

I've never tested it, but the 1-in-4 rule is not supposed to apply to Standard Reservations in RCI Points (ie: reservations into a Points resort). It does apply to reservations pulled from the Weeks system.

It's possible the VC made a mistake. I would suggest emailing feedback@rci.com . They are very good at clearing up questions and problems.

Sheila

 

[Tigger7570]

Thanks for the feedback. Another friend is ready to run right down and buy at Vacation Villas and said to me "There's is better than yours" to which I replied, you have to be kidding. The wife of the friends who bought actually said as an aside to me that Vacation Villas were nice, but not as nice as DVC. They haven't tried to book anything yet so I'll wait and see how it goes for them. It just sounded a little too good to be true. They're under the impression that they will just pick up the phone and pick any place that is listed, tell them when they want to go, and VOILA!, it's all booked and they're going. I didn't say a word because I haven't done an exchange with our DVC and also didn't want to be negative, but again, that just sounded too good to be true.

 

[Zoemakes5]

I like the Fairfield resorts. I like that you buy points, not weeks.

 

[spiceycat]

Thanks for the feedback. Another friend is ready to run right down and buy at Vacation Villas and said to me "There's is better than yours" to which I replied, you have to be kidding. The wife of the friends who bought actually said as an aside to me that Vacation Villas were nice, but not as nice as DVC. They haven't tried to book anything yet so I'll wait and see how it goes for them. It just sounded a little too good to be true. They're under the impression that they will just pick up the phone and pick any place that is listed, tell them when they want to go, and VOILA!, it's all booked and they're going. I didn't say a word because I haven't done an exchange with our DVC and also didn't want to be negative, but again, that just sounded too good to be true.

It is definitely too good to be true. either RCI or II can't them what they don't have. some of the indemand times and areas - well the owners of these timeshares know they can rent them. why trade when you can rent and then you can definitely get the area and time you want.

trading is always a gamble.

one lady a couple of years ago complainted about a II in Ten that she used her DVC points for - boy she was mad. but hey that is what tug is for - great the reviews know what you are getting - don't EVER believe what is in II or RCI book or what the sales people tell you.

OP - if you love Orlando that much - then I really think in the long run you will be better off buying DVC points. Yes I know they are expensive. but lots of other disers though they would be better off buying somewhere else.... guess what alot know own at DVC.

it is your decision - but DVC is very flexibility. I can stay for one day (and I do) - with most timeshares this would be impossible.

now some will break into 3days and 4 days - but then you are charged for this....

Fairfield has a bunch of extra charges, so does Marriott.

DVC is hard to trade in when Disney knows they can rent the unused portion - so you won't see any Holidays - hardily any in the summer or spring break.

you can trade for offseason Jan, part of Feb & april, May, Sept, parts of Oct/Nov/Dec.

also some of the newer timeshares are still overpriced even in the resale market - one of my favorite Celebration World resort is so overpriced that I am not buying until those people really lower their prices...

also remember that during busy times (which I hope to see in the next few years) Disney can and does close to offsite people. (the parking lot is full). Onsite can still enter the parks until the parks are at capcaity.

when will this happen - well a good sign (for me) would be that Disney start back on the part of Pop century that has been unfinished since the early 01's.

then the economy for disney will be finally back up in the late 1990's.

now I do have 2 timeshares offsite that I am kepting - selling Westgate....

one is in PCB, FL and gets me wonderful trades with II.
the other is in south africia - yet I can't believe it either - gets great trades with RCI....

the PCB I will use at times - it is a beautiful place and much closer to me than Disney.

now I have consider trading to other places and occasionally do it. but I really love Disney and I have an annual pass.....

 

[JudyS]

I dunno, it seems more of a hassle than its worth if I really plan on just going to Orlando anyways. We tend to do more than just WDW when we go down there anyways (although WDW will always be #1!)

Ok, thanks for the info!

....The wife of the friends who bought actually said as an aside to me that Vacation Villas were nice, but not as nice as DVC. They haven't tried to book anything yet so I'll wait and see how it goes for them. It just sounded a little too good to be true. They're under the impression that they will just pick up the phone and pick any place that is listed, tell them when they want to go, and VOILA!, it's all booked and they're going. I didn't say a word because I haven't done an exchange with our DVC and also didn't want to be negative, but again, that just sounded too good to be true.

Oh, my! Do you mean that you friend thinks she'll be able to go anywhere in that big book of RCI resorts? If she does, she will be very disapointed. I am not sure what you can get in exchange for Vacation Village at Parkway, but I'm sure it's not much. Basically, if a resort is available on SkyAuction and the check-in date is more than a couple of weeks away, that means RCI has extra weeks of that resort (at least during the dates that resort is available on SkyAuction), and really doesn't want any more weeks from there. Vacation Village at Parkway is almost always available on SkyAuction, so RCI already has many more weeks there than they can use, which means they won't offer much in exchange for it.

Probably, the salespeople at the resort lied to your friend and misrepresented how RCI works. Your friend will still have a few options, however. She can try booking a strong week (like Christmas or Sping Break) and then asking if SFX (an independent trading compnay) will take it -- they are at http://www.sfx-resorts.com. If that doesn't work, she could try a different independent exchange company. Vacation Village at Parkway may try to "convert" her membership to RCI Points, and she could do that, but they will charge her more money -- maybe as much as it would cost to just buy a RCI Points contract on the resale market.

As for trading your DVC week, that is a different story. DVC weeks trade very well. However, they are so valuable that it often makes more sense to rent out unused DVC points than to trade them.

 

[Tigger7570]

Again, thanks for the great feedback. I agree, I think they are going to be surprised when they try to do a trade.
Also, I agree with Spiceycat. We have owned at OKW since 93 and it is truly the best thing we have ever done. We had another set of friends who had a timeshare in Aruba and it was very nice and they liked it very much, had owned it well before we bought at DVC and then they stayed with us at OKW and they were in total awe. If your true love is Orlando, then give strong consideration to DVC.

 

[TotoToo]

OP - if you love Orlando that much - then I really think in the long run you will be better off buying DVC points. Yes I know they are expensive. but lots of other disers though they would be better off buying somewhere else.... guess what alot know own at DVC.

it is your decision - but DVC is very flexibility. I can stay for one day (and I do) - with most timeshares this would be impossible.

now some will break into 3days and 4 days - but then you are charged for this....

One of the items the original post asked for was lifetime of ownership. DVC is not ownership but an RTU - basically an extended lease. The fees for DVC, despite the fact that you do not own those units, are the highest in an already pricey area (Orlando). DVC is certainly a nice resort group but doesn't seem to fit what this poster was asking for.

As for 3/4 day use and different sized units Cypress Pointe offers that along with a fully float time use all without the extra cost of a points program. I happen to like points as well but if you plan to use the resort most years a purchase at a resort you like is the best way to make sure you get what you want without the hassles of outside groups.

Fairfield has a bunch of extra charges, so does Marriott.

As a FF owner I have never paid an extra fee except to rent extra points (a voluntary fee). FF is a great bargain on resale if a buyer wants a resort group but again this post didn't seem to be asking for that type of ownership.

 

[spiceycat]

As a FF owner I have never paid an extra fee except to rent extra points (a voluntary fee). FF is a great bargain on resale if a buyer wants a resort group but again this post didn't seem to be asking for that type of ownership.

I was told to do what I wanted - split the week - it would be an extra charge.

since a sale person told me - I though it was true. they generally try to make the timeshares you are looking at the best in the world - not tell you about extra charges.