Does it get old arguing with the "Onsite Only" crowd?

[Juliet0778]

Actually it's not so unusual, keep an eye on last minute deals on skyauction.

Also, last minute just isn't feasible in our lives. It takes 2-3 months advance notice minimum to get vacation time at work and a good 4-6 weeks to set up plans for all my critters.

 

[Westcoastwild]

No, I don't either. I really don't even like airbnb. I'm lame, but I prefer to stick with a national name that's reliable when it comes to somewhere I'm sleeping. I've done B and B's in the UK, but only when I had first hand recommendations.

Right?! I feel like an old fogey in these types of discussions but if it's uncool to want guaranteed, safe, reputable lodging, then I'm ok being uncool.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Wow.
lots of capslock anger at skyauction out there on the www. But mostly, as usual, people who don't really get the nature of 3rd party sites. Not tempted. Glad it's worked out for you, though.

Editing to say that I'm amused by the fact that they're selling routes I'm familiar with as super cheap...when in fact those are the regular fares you'd get if you went through the airline to begin with

Hi Westcoastwild! I wasn't talking about airfares, I was referring to a 7 night condo stay that we had booked for our last trip.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Is that where you got this $199 deal you were mentioning?

Yep!

 

[robinb]

Also, last minute just isn't feasible in our lives. It takes 2-3 months advance notice minimum to get vacation time at work and a good 4-6 weeks to set up plans for all my critters.

Yes, but you can still get last minute pricing. You just have to be able to cancel your other reservation a week or two before it starts.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Also, last minute just isn't feasible in our lives. It takes 2-3 months advance notice minimum to get vacation time at work and a good 4-6 weeks to set up plans for all my critters.[/QU
Totally understandable! We don't normally go last minute either. We do often rent via skyauction in advance though - we've never paid more than $300 for a 7 night condo stay through them.

Right?! I feel like an old fogey in these types of discussions but if it's uncool to want guaranteed, safe, reputable lodging, then I'm ok being uncool.

We also like safe, reputable lodging lol. It's very simple to check out reviews online for the various condo communities that skyauction offers, it's not a blind booking site.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Right?! I feel like an old fogey in these types of discussions but if it's uncool to want guaranteed, safe, reputable lodging, then I'm ok being uncool.

We also want safe & reputable lodging lol. It's simple enough to check out reviews of the condo communities online as skyauction is not a blind booking site.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Hi Westcoastwild! I wasn't talking about airfares, I was referring to a 7 night condo stay that we had booked for our last trip.

Oh, no, right. I got that. I just looked at the airfares to see if they were any different than a lot of third party websites.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Also, last minute just isn't feasible in our lives. It takes 2-3 months advance notice minimum to get vacation time at work and a good 4-6 weeks to set up plans for all my critters.

Totally understandable! We don't normally go last minute either. We do often rent via skyauction in advance though - we've never paid more than $300 for a 7 night condo stay through them.

 

[robinb]

We also want safe & reputable lodging lol. It's simple enough to check out reviews of the condo communities online as skyauction is not a blind booking site.

Exactly. When I bid on SkyAuction I knew exactly which resort I was getting. I read the reviews in advance to make sure I would like it. My 1-bedroom at Wyndham Cypress Pointe last July was $220 all in for a full week. I got it about 2 weeks before we were to arrive and I cancelled my other reservation.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Exactly. When I bid on SkyAuction I knew exactly which resort I was getting. I read the reviews in advance to make sure I would like it. My 1-bedroom at Wyndham Cypress Pointe last July was $220 all in for a full week. I got it about 2 weeks before we were to arrive and I cancelled my other reservation.

Nice score on Wyndham Cypress Pointe!!!

 

[Westcoastwild]

We also want safe & reputable lodging lol. It's simple enough to check out reviews of the condo communities online as skyauction is not a blind booking site.

I was more referring to the airbnb the pp mentioned.

But I am curious. Condos are privately own, right? So if you show up and the unit is trashed or the a/c is broken, or there's a bedbug infestation, you're sol? Because I wouldn't think there's a room you can be moved to?

 

[BigredNole]

This is exactly what I do when I have a room I can cancel. I start my search for a much better place and accommodations. The problem with Skyauction is the Pricing Surcharges. That should be required at the Bid prices section. Many people don't see it and many adds say including Surcharges but it doesn't.

 

[Juliet0778]

I was more referring to the airbnb the pp mentioned.

But I am curious. Condos are privately own, right? So if you show up and the unit is trashed or the a/c is broken, or there's a bedbug infestation, you're sol? Because I wouldn't think there's a room you can be moved to?

Right, exactly. And if it was just me or just me and my husband, *maybe* I'd chance it...but I'm definitely not going to with my young kid with me.

 

[disneysteve]

But I am curious. Condos are privately own, right? So if you show up and the unit is trashed or the a/c is broken, or there's a bedbug infestation, you're sol? Because I wouldn't think there's a room you can be moved to?

Let me clear up some Skyauction confusion. halfpintpeggy has used the term "condo" but Skyauction is not renting condos. It is renting unused timeshare units. You aren't dealing with private owners. You are dealing with established resorts. If you show up and there is a problem with your unit, it's no different than if you check into a hotel and there is a problem with your room. They just move you to another unit. These places are never full. That's why they're willing to rent them out for such low prices. They'd rather have them in use for $50/night than sitting vacant.

Also good to know is that when you rent through Skyauction, you do NOT have to attend a timeshare sales presentation. You can if you'd like but you aren't required to.

All of that said, we have been renting timeshares, condos, townhouses, and single homes in the Disney area for nearly 30 years. We have NEVER had a bad experience. We've had some places that were nicer than others and we've had some minor issues at times, but that has happened in hotels, too. Just last month, we had a hotel room in NJ that had a broken air conditioner, for example. And most homes are managed by a local property management company. If you have any issue while you're there, you aren't stuck dealing with some far off owner. You usually just call the manager.

 

[disneysteve]

I'd also add that we have rented homes in other places, too, not just at Disney World. We rented a wonderful chalet in Stowe, VT one summer. We rented a condo in Richmond, VA a couple of years ago. And a few others, too. I've also helped friends rent places including a gorgeous condo in Waikiki where one of my coworkers spent her honeymoon. And just last weekend, my cousin rented a house in Ocean City, MD because the hotels had all hiked their prices and there were 10 of them going. It worked out way cheaper, and far nicer, for them to share a house than to get 5 hotel rooms.

I think renting homes is one of those things that seems sketchy but once you've tried it, you will likely never want to go back to staying in a plain hotel room.

 

[robinb]

I was more referring to the airbnb the pp mentioned.

But I am curious. Condos are privately own, right? So if you show up and the unit is trashed or the a/c is broken, or there's a bedbug infestation, you're sol? Because I wouldn't think there's a room you can be moved to?

Airbnb also has a rating system, but I have not really found them to be a huge value around WDW. I can do better on Expedia and SkyAuction and eBay and not have worry about a bunch of house rules. I rented Windsor Hills condos twice and the second time we had some minor problems. I called the management company and they came to fix them very quickly. I think that if there is a real disaster then yes, you would not be able to be moved like you would in a hotel room.

 

[Juliet0778]

I'd also add that we have rented homes in other places, too, not just at Disney World. We rented a wonderful chalet in Stowe, VT one summer. We rented a condo in Richmond, VA a couple of years ago. And a few others, too. I've also helped friends rent places including a gorgeous condo in Waikiki where one of my coworkers spent her honeymoon. And just last weekend, my cousin rented a house in Ocean City, MD because the hotels had all hiked their prices and there were 10 of them going. It worked out way cheaper, and far nicer, for them to share a house than to get 5 hotel rooms.

I think renting homes is one of those things that seems sketchy but once you've tried it, you will likely never want to go back to staying in a plain hotel room.

Eh, not necessarily. We did rent a cabin through a service once and while it was fine and good in those circumstances (outdoorsy vacation), I would still prefer a hotel room and the amenities it comes with much of the time. It really just depends on the place/type of vacation.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yep!

Hmm I have never heard of SkyAuction before but it's nice to see other people who chimed in who have used it because like others mentioned it didn't sound like something I would want to use. Maybe it was more the auction aspect to it versus what I had been used to with other companies where you just book it if it's available.

We've used HomeAway 1 time for Austin, TX a few years ago. This past March we were going to use HomeAway in Frisco, CO but the condo was also listed on the property management's website where you could book it directly and save the like $80-$85 booking fee HomeAway was going to charge so we did that. This past September we used FlipKey which is through TripAdvisor for our condo in Makaha,Hawaii-that one was owned and operated by the property owner themselves.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Eh, not necessarily. We did rent a cabin through a service once and while it was fine and good in those circumstances (outdoorsy vacation), I would still prefer a hotel room and the amenities it comes with much of the time. It really just depends on the place/type of vacation.

Well for me one of the big things is taking my time to research. My husband and I spent quite a long time each time we have used a for rent by ownerservice (though like my above comment says I haven't used an auction site before).

But I do agree it does depend on the place and type of vacation. We look at who is in our traveling party, the costs of the hotel room vs the cost of doing a for rent by owner/service place, the parking situation, the location of a hotel vs for rent by owner/service place, and amenities. We look into the ratings (which if a particular place in on multiple sites we'll check them out on each site) and reviews of the places, etc.