Fairfield Resorts??!!

[Tom and Jen]

Has anyone heard, or do they have thoughts on Fairfield Resorts?

Do they have booking options with us here at DVC?

I am asking because our family owns a deeded week at a property that is being bought out by Fairfield. They want to convert to a point system and I am not sure how that will work out. In talking with a rep, they mentioned Disney and the vacation club........not too clear on it. I am concerned because this is a "for life" ownership for a specified week and specified unit. I am not too sure how this will work out with a point based system or transfer over to a DVC reservation.

Any input would be great........
Thanks,
T.

 

[spiceycat]

don't do it

Fairfield is building a resort close to WDW property - not on it and you can probably trade to it. If you want too

spend $15 and go join
www.tug2.net
they will give much better reasons. Or go look at their discussions board - you can do that without joining.

most of Fairfield trades through RCI - not II - DVC trades through II and to get DVC you have to be luck or have a great resort. You can trade you week to other locations in Orlando very, very easily - just not DVC or Marriott.

they just want more money out of you - my opinion.

 

[goudaman40]

Tom & Jen . . . . If you don't mind me asking, what is the name of the resort that is being bought out. I am aware that Equivest was bought out by Fairfield at the end of last year and are working on converting oweners over to Fairshare Plus.

Hubby & I own both Equivest (now Fairfield) and also Fairfield Star Island. Both are on a point system & trade through II.

I did luck up this year and exchange a studio (Fairfield points) into a 2 bedroom villa at OKW for 09/20 - 09/27. Like Spicycat said, it is luck of the draw & being in the righ place at the right time.

When we were looking into exchanging there were alot of DVC resorts open from July - September. Just remember that they go fast & besides the $121 exchange fee you pay; you have to pay a "right to use" fee to Disney ($95). We are still able to put in request for room (i.e. non-smoking, high floor, etc.) and were given the Disney Conformation number also.

WE have been happy with our Fairfield Timeshare & have made wonderful trades (traded into DVC, Italy, Austrilia, and Hawaii) to name a few. I have noticed that my Fairfield Timeshare pulls in better trades than the Equivest time share though.

If you have any other questions on Faifield, feel free to ask me.

Tifany

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Check out:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=324609&highlight=+fairfield
and
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=379512&highlight=Fairfield
for Fairfield at Bonnet Creek discussions.

 

[Dean]

Lisa P. should be the best option for additional info on FF in general as well as this specific resort. Good luck.

 

[Lisa P.]

Has anyone heard, or do they have thoughts on Fairfield Resorts? ... Do they have booking options with us here at DVC?

Not direct booking at DVC resorts. IF the person's Fairfield points are eligible for "PlusPartners" (like RCI Points), they may use points to book nightly stays at any Disney property... at a high price. As mentioned above, someone traveling during a quieter time period who is diligent in their trade efforts through II may be able to trade a week into a DVC resort. And Fairfield owners will soon be able to book reservations at the new Bonnet Creek resort referenced above.

...our family owns a deeded week at a property that is being bought out by Fairfield. They want to convert to a point system and I am not sure how that will work out.

If you enjoy the use of your existing week, there's no reason to pay a fee to change to points. If you like using a points system, then learn about Fairfield's before you decide. We love our Fairfield points but no timeshare program will please everyone. TUG is a good place to look for FF info. The best place is the Yahoo Group, called "Fairfield_Timeshare" - a membership group of about 1600 people (about 2/3 own with FF). You'll learn a ton of detailed info there.

I am concerned because this is a "for life" ownership for a specified week and specified unit.

When converting a fixed or floating deeded real estate ownership week to Fairfield points, you do not give up your ownership. You are assigning the use to Fairfield each year in exchange for points. In any year that you wish to use your week as a fixed week, you may call between 10-13 months ahead of check-in and "reserve" your owned, home resort week for that year. At the 10 month mark, when you have not reserved it for your own use, it is added to Fairfield's general reservation inventory.

I am not too sure how this will... transfer over to a DVC reservation.

It doesn't. HTH.

 

[Tom and Jen]

Thnak you all for the input, if there is more please keep it coming in.

I just came back from an INFO QnA meeting for owners. They were suppose dto have an open forum but changed their mind. They set up an repeating PowerPoint show, then had you walk for a refreshment, and then into a room of posterboards of all teh changes they have planned with someone to answer your questions floating around. The GM actually refered to it as, "you know it's like what they do at Disney World, we'll keep you moving so we don't have to take up your whole day!" I thought THAT was funny.

Anyway, It is Equivest, and through speaking with some owners, not FF, they were told we could change our ownership to FF points, but it would be an additional $10,000 !!!!!!!!!!! I said they were crazy. The property is in Newport RI, Prime week of August, and they wanted m eto give them $ for me to give them my deeded week, and unit!

Well, to try and keep this message short, there was an uprising of owners this afternoon and let me tell you the former owner of EasternResorts (i believe) and boardmember of Equivest was close to getting linched in the ballroom.

Many members are now reviewing the bylaws and are looking to address some of the issues that are now coming to light, many of them financial, actually most of them.

At any rate, we love our short jaunts to Newport and are planning to keep our ownership as is, but becoming far more active in the Boardmeetings. We also have our ownership at DVC and will not be giving that up.

T.

 

[Lisa P.]

...through speaking with some owners, not FF, they were told we could change our ownership to FF points, but it would be an additional $10,000 !!!!!!!!!!!

Tom, a straight conversion to FF FSP points would cost $2,395, normally, through FF's corporate sales center. If you converted 2 fixed weeks at the same time, the second week's conversion would cost another $995. We own a fixed, converted week and can verify that you would not be giving up your deeded week, as I said in my earlier post.

The $10,000 offer you quoted above is most likely for an additional FSP points purchase at developer prices. If you buy at least 77,000 FSP points from FF (usually about $0.13 per point = $10,010), your existing week may be converted at the same time without any conversion fee (they waive it). With a larger purchase (105,000?), 2 fixed weeks may be converted and both their conversion fees are waived. And so on...

At the sales tables, they rarely mention the straight conversion fee. Corporate sales (central owner services) can usually refer you to a sales center that does them if you absolutely do not want to make an additional points purchase but you want the FSP conversion. Many owners like to buy the additional points because the combination of their conversion plus the added points may put them over the 300,000 points mark. This entitles the owner to VIP benefits which can add real value to the ownership.

The bottom line is that you will not lose any current benefits if you choose to do nothing. So since you enjoy your current Newport ownership, just leave it as it is. Hope you enjoy your involvement on the Board - a worthwhile effort.

 

[webprinter]

We own both fixed weeks and points with FF. The biggest advantage to points is that you have the option of staying for a few days or a week. You also have the option of booking a stay at another FF resort without an exchange fee. You can deposit any size unit with FF and any season when you have points. We much prefer the points and plan to convert just as soon as we can find another deeded week to convert both at the same time. FF is a good company but very difficult to figure out without help. I second the recommendation for you to join the FF yahoo group. They will help you a lot and are always happy to give advice. Most people recommend just the FF points, not the enhanced. The enhanced give you a lot more options, such as cruises, airline tickets, theme park tickets, non-ff resorts for less than 7 nights, etc. If you figure out what your maint. fee is for these points, they end up pretty expensive.

 

[Lisa P.]

Tom and Jen, your prime week (weeks 25-35, summertime) at FF Newport at Long Wharf in August would be worth the following in FF FSP points (in thousands):

1BR / 2BR / 3BR = Unit size

140 / 189 / 231 = FSP Points per week

The new Fairfield Orlando at Bonnet Creek has this points chart (in thousands:

Prime season (weeks 7-14, 23-33, 51, 52)

1BR / 2BR / 3BR / 4BR Presidential

166 / 224 / 308 / 424

High season (weeks 1-6, 20-22, 34, 35, 40-42)

1BR / 2BR / 3BR / 4BR Presidential

126 / 189 / 231 / 347

Value season (weeks 15-19, 36-39, 43-50)

1BR / 2BR / 3BR / 4BR Presidential

84 / 112 / 175 / 231

I just learned of these figures today, as the chart was posted to the Yahoo Group for FF owners (and those who are curious). It has not been placed online at FF's website as yet. Thought this may interest you in comparing what you would be able to do with your points, if you were to convert your week.

Since this will be a brand new resort, expected to have high demand from owners, its points requirements are pretty high, rather like those needed for FF Alexandria, the 2 FF's in Hawaii or the new FF Myrtle Beach at Ocean Blvd. It surprises me that they left Thanksgiving week in the Value season, with early May and October. High season includes all of January. I guess the typical FF owners include enough snowbirds who like to stay home near family over Thanksgiving, to warrant this. HTH.

 

[Tom and Jen]

Actually the property in Newport is the Newport Onshore, not Longwharf. There were I believe at least 3 properties in Newport that were part of the buy out.