Ever do a timeshare pres. for free tickets?

[JMLBrats]

So we have a trip planned for this summer but money is tight and although we have the tickets budgeted for Disney my kids are begging to spend a day at Universal or Seaworld. Well, I just can't justify spending 300+ dollars for one day at one park when we will have passes for Disney for almost the whole time there. (we are a family of 5)
I know, I know, I could and might very well just tell my lovely spoiled children that they have to deal and that we're not going to Universal or SW this year, but I just thought maybe there might be a timeshare presentation worth doing....
Anyone know of any legit ones?
Thanks!!

 

[mrsklamc]

Are you doing the Give a Day promo? You can upgrade those tickets and then use the money you budgeted for another park's tix.

 

[JMLBrats]

Are you doing the Give a Day promo? You can upgrade those tickets and then use the money you budgeted for another park's tix.

Good question. Yes, we already volunteered and got the email vouchers but that is part of our budget for the Disney tics. I hate to turn around and spend that savings on more tickets!

 

[3boymthr]

I've never done it however DS' best friend's mother does it every time they are there - one a day for the length of their vacation. She and her husband both make only a little more than minimum wage and get a free place to stay from one of their family members who has a time share in Orlando. It is the only way they can afford to go on vacation and do anything besides hang around the pool. She indicated that she has to spend a lot of time saying no and that they generally get out of the presentation and to the parks around 1 PM sometimes a little later. Having listened to her tales of some of the things they've had to endure I'd recommend against it.

 

[mrsklamc]

I had a friend (he has now passed) that LOVED Disney and said he had done this many times. He said the fastest way out is to say you don't like the resort.

He told us this when we were relaying the story of our own awful experience. They kept us longer than legally allowed (Make SURE you know that number before you go in so you can call them on it.)

They tried every sales pitch in the book- I finally repeated many times, quite firmly, WE DO NOT BUY THINGS THAT ARE NOT BUDGETED. (When we arrived, they had said quite kindly that they KNEW we had no intention of purchasing and they just wanted to show us the resort.)

My biggest suggestion though is JUST DON'T, find another place to cut the budget.

 

[JMLBrats]

Thanks guys. We've done one timeshare presentation before up here in New England and it wasn't too bad as far as the sales pressure, but it was annoying & I'm not even sure i could convince DH to do it anyway. I guess it would have to be a really good deal and have a good rep, which is why I thought I'd ask on here first.

 

[jgates]

The only advantage of doing it in Florida vs. any other place is that state law does set a time limit on the presentation & time they can keep you. So you can get up at the end of that time & request your promo offer and leave.

However, I would still recommend skipping this time. Your vacation time is valuable also & you are losing that.

Try some other options & tuck that money aside towards the $300.

Coupons & rebates?
Skip a lunch or dinner out & set that money aside
Make lunch for work instead of buying it
Change jar

 

[dizzi]

We have done this we received 2 Universal tickets for a time share presentation.

I found that i liked the presentation becasue i sw a place that i wouldnt mid staying at some time when visiting Orlando.

Very nice place.

We also have the DVC and nice to compare the differences.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Most timeshares will state a 90 minute requirement to get whatever they are offering

However... When you get there you will be invited to go into a lounge for snacks, coffee, etc.

When you are finally taken to the salesperson is when the clock starts. You will be invited, after a movie or something, to tour the property. Ths will be in a golf cart. You will be far from the sales office when the 90 minutes is up.

Once you get back you will still have more to go through, possibly a "manager" coming in to offer a better deal than the original salesperson.

Actual total time from arrival to departure will be closer to 2.5 hours rather than 90 minutes. Add in travel time both ways and how much time will you be spending?

Calculate your vacation time and hourly cost.

Take the total number of hours from the time you leave home until the time you return. Then subtract out the time sleeping or otherwise spent in your room. This gives you actual vacation time in hours.

Then take the total cost of your trip, transportation, tickets, lodging, meals, etc. Divide this by the number of hours. This gives you a cost per hour for your actual vacation time.

Now look at what you are getting, and consider how much it is really costing you.

BTW, almost any Disney ticket you get from a timeshare promotion (especially if you get a voucher) is NOT upgradeable; I know this as I am involved in selling tickets at WDW.

 

[dd50]

My DH use to do that before we were married. I went with him once after we were married and never again. We were there for hours. They took us in a van to the place so we couldn't leave. 2 1/2 hours later I told them to take me back or I was calling the police. Not worth it to me.

 

[Disneysun]

I think if you stick with the big guys (Marriott, Hilton or Starwood) you won't have a problem. We have done these many times and haven't had any bad experiences.

 

[Purseval]

We are going to Orlando in a couple of weeks with a family of 4 from England who have never been to America. All of our WDW tickets are from Timeshare presentations and we are treating the couple to a night at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal, paid for completely with Universal dollars we received from TS presentations. I have written up reviews for several we toured that give you the actual time spent from leaving the hotel until we get back. This link is for one set of reviews and there is another link inside the thread to more.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2312540

 

[happymommy]

To the OP, also remember they may only give you TWO tickets. For that much aggravation, it may be better to just either skip the other parks or look elsewhere to cut costs.

One reason we primarily stick to Disney is that to add extra days isn't that much, and we've had annual passes a few times. To buy a whole new ticket to Seaworld or Universal is much more, plus we went to Universal once and I didn't care much for it.

 

[JMLBrats]

Purseval,
Thanks for posting the link. Very interesting. Sounds like Orange Lake wasn't too bad. Maybe I'll look into it.
Still on the fence about it and still have to figure out if it's worth the time which I guess is more like 3 hours instead of 1.5 hrs like they promise...

Disneysun,
Good point about sticking to those-I'll check those out too.

 

[ckoncurat]

I did this years ago to get universal tickets, and it was fine, and worth it.
I have done Marriott many times for various perks (cash, a dolphin cruise, free stays) and always found them very pleasant. I also did one in Hilton Head last summer (don't remember the companys name) and it was also no big deal. If you have extra time and the perk is worth it to you, why not?

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

At the AKL last week, we got a special invitation to attend a one hour timeshare presentation. We would receive a $100 gift card for attending. We decided NOT to do it since we really didn't want to spend our vacation time that way.

 

[andrews_dad]

Did one at Atlantis in teh Bahamas. $150 in cash (at the casino), 2 free breakfast buffets (a $40 value), a beach towel, and a beach bag. 2 hours total. For us, it was WELL worth it. We knew nada about timeshares at the time. When they told us it would be tens of thosands of dollars up front plus the yearly main fees, I literally laughed out loud. The guy tried to tell me how it saves $$ over the years, but he knew there was NO way he was getting us to sign a thing. The good thing is that I liked the Haborside Resort they showed us, and we've now stayed there 3 times over the past 8 years renting dirt-cheap rooms from owners who can't use their weeks.

 

[Purseval]

Purseval,
Thanks for posting the link. Very interesting. Sounds like Orange Lake wasn't too bad. Maybe I'll look into it.
Still on the fence about it and still have to figure out if it's worth the time which I guess is more like 3 hours instead of 1.5 hrs like they promise...

We plan tours at times when we won't be doing anything except sleeping or other non-park events. If I had a limited amount of time or had to skip a day at the parks to do it that would not be worth it, IMO. If you have time to kill then it's better to make money killing it than doing it for free. Plus the free meal helps if you are on a budget. If you take the kids along they do have a play area with movies and video games for them, plus that free meal.

 

[Janet Hill]

We do these all the time. It really helps with the trip budget. We usually go for the cash as we get Disney AP and have Plat passes for the Busch Parks. I really don't mind the high pressure sales, I'm very good at ignoring people.

These sales people are immune to every excuse you can send their way and if they are veteran salesfolks, they are prepared with an answer.

The one excuse they have no answer for.... within 10 minutes of the 90 minute limit, my husband's blood sugar spikes and he forgot his insulin. Oh darn we must return to our resort for the insulin.

 

[Mickey527]

I do them almost every time I go to the Orlando area usually for cash but only if the offer is over $150, my time is worth that.
Last July my son went with me to apply for jobs but had some spare time after. I did the Hilton for 4 1-day park passes to WDW. They offered me 2
1-day but I told them I wouldn't unless I got 4 days so they just wrote it in and I had no problems getting them. I have an AP so I only needed tickets for my son and if I couldn't get them he would have stayed at the resort doing other stuff.
If you plan on doing one look on any of the sites that sell vacation rentals and you will see some really cheap prices. Print these out and if the pressure gets to be too much tell the tour guide you are buying from one of these but wanted to tour the rooms first. they might just try and undersell but tell them you already have signed the contract but wanted to take a tour. I have never had to do this but I have read of others that have
I go in after eating so the foods don't entice me. Usually undercooked eggs, overcooked sausage and bacon and day old coffee. Standard all you can eat stuff.
I tell them I am not going to eat and just start the show because I am leaving after my 90 minutes. The salesperson tries to talk me into eating because that way they can get something too, but I always say no.
As they start talking I look at my watch so they know they have to finish in the 90 min. I have always taken the tour but get back in plenty of time.
When it is close to 75 min I tell them to get the manager since I am leaving at 90 min. They do and the manager gives me a few min of his talk, "how can you pass up this great deal" "You really should think this over you won't get this great offer again" etc... I tell them right away and over again at the end that I am not buying, I am only there for the tickets. (or money)
At the 90 min mark I stand up an tell them to get my voucher. If they don't I say it louder, and only once have I had to say loud enough to get a few people to look my way "I did the 90 minutes I am on vacation I want to get out of here"
I know some may find it mean to just do these tours for what they give but if they continue to give stuff for taking a tour then I will go when I have some spare time. Yes, they add the cost of these gifts onto those who buy, but if you do your homework before going on a tour you won't pay the prices they charge at the tours.