Free Disney Tickets? List of Timeshares To Visit?

[Cheshire Figment]

There are some (such as Hilton and Marriott) where you get a special rate to stay on their property, and generally may not include tickets.

Otherwise: 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.

 

[iluvflorida]

Many replies indicate not to do it. They must have lots of money. We take them all the time while in Florida. Book a 7.30 tour and you are out by 9.30. Anyone that stays 4-6 hrs is nuts. They are required by law to release you after 90 minutes (some 60) AFTER the breakfast. If they are giving you a hard time tell them you are leaving and calling the real estate board. Guarantee you will get out immediately with the tickets. (you have to stay the 90 mins) I can say no real easy. And no ROBO I am not taking advantage of them or sales people. If they were good sales people and had a product that made sense I would buy one. However when I can rent same resorts for less than the maint and taxes, you are nuts to own one (no offense if you own one) They do work if you wish to travel to other places. Me I just go to Florida for the winter. She does not need a list the booths are every where in Kissimmee. Tell her to negotiate a better deal than first offered. The people that sign you up get paid by tour not sales so if you don't tour no money for them. They will negotiate.

 

[Robo]

I can say no real easy. And no ROBO I am not taking advantage of them or sales people. If they were good sales people and had a product that made sense I would buy one.

That was the point of my post.

Just going for the tickets with no intension whatsoever of buying anything.

Its not "evil"...

but it IS just "skimming" the freebies without the intent of even considering the offer.

 

[WillCAD]

Many replies indicate not to do it. They must have lots of money.

My sweet Aunt Fanny!

I'm poor, dirt poor. I have to scrimp and save and sacrifice all year long to afford a 5-6 day trip to WDW.

But all of that makes my vacation time far more precious, because every dollar I spend to get there and pay for accomodations while I'm there has to stretch pretty far.

Every hour that I spend in Orlando costs me money in travel and accomodation and food expenses, and spending 90 minutes or more at a sales pitch costs me more than what it would save me on tickets.

I also decided that I agree with Robo - consistantly going to those presentations with no intention of ever buying anything wastes the time of the sales people whose living often depends on making sales. Every 90 minutes they spend with me is 90 minutes that they would otherwise be spending with a real potential customer.

It's not illegal and it's not evil, but it's wasteful and a little rude to do it more than once or twice. I equate it to taking your family to Sam's Club or Costco on Saturday and feeding them all lunch by scarfing up the free samples.

 

[robemcdo]

Why bring Costco in this? I wasn't ready for that punch in the stomach!!..Feeling a little sheepish.

Getting a discounted holiday in exchange for a presentation might be worthwhile...as you are staying there anyway. But to run around to 2 or 3 resorts for disney passes...I'd say no....I'm pretty strongwilled and we almost relented....These guys are good...and they have an answer for just about everything.

 

[Ember]

Mixed feelings on this one. If you don't need to do it, then I wouldn't bother. That said, when I was about 12, we did a whole vacation on time share freebies. My mother was a single parent and won air fair to Orlando and a Disney Cruise / hotel package (The Big Red boat at that time). We arrived with the one week planned, and were just going to wing it for the other week where ever was cheapest. When they offered free accommodations and/or tickets as well as a meal to sit though a presentation my mum went for it. We had our second week at two hotels free, as well as passes to Sea World and Universal Studios. We would never have stayed where we did or done the things we did without those freebies. We simply couldn't afford it.

The sales pitches weren't a ton of fun, but my mum was fun and we made it into an adventure. She still apologizes for doing that to us on one of our only holidays when I was a kid. But I think it was kind of enterprising of her, and I love she would do whatever was needed to ensure a great time for me.

It may not be the most on the level thing to do, but looking back I'm okay with it. Those two presentations provided amazing memories we wouldn't have had otherwise.

 

[iluvflorida]

I guess I might clairify. If I was only going for a week I probably would not go either as like others say time is precious. The one exception would be if I am staying at a resort that offered a tour. However, I go south to Orlando area and stay 6 to 8 weeks in timeshares that I rent off internet for less than maint taxes. In fact I just got one for $455 for a week in Summer Bay 2 Br 2 Bath condo. So I don't mind taking couple of hours to save $150 or so. I don't make $75 an hour at home. I don't feel guilty in the least. As a result I have not paid with my money for any attraction or dinner show in the last 8 years.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Several posters have responded with specific timeshare locations/packages.

It doesn't sound like this is what the OP's acquaintance is seeking; rather, it appears that person wants/intends to visit numerous - or at least, multiple - presentations in an attempt to get ALL her tickets free.

 

[wilde_oscar]

...Sam's Club or Costco on Saturday and feeding them all lunch by scarfing up the free samples.

We are coming up on the best day of the year for the Costco Buffet... the Sat before Super Bowl... now that is a great buffet.

 

[dsanner106]

I have done this in the past, but now feel it is not worth my time. These companies know that they only need to succeed 5 to 10 percent of the time to come out on top, even factoring in the freebies for the 90 percent who don't buy. I have yet to see a salesman back down from hooking a senior citizen on fixed income, unwed mother or other candidate who should not be buying this sort of thing, so my feelings of remorse are quickly gone. I think if you have the extra time, a strong constitution, and a need for what they are offering, then take the tour. Just check your watch when they start, hold you hand up at the end of the prescribed time, and stop them.

Drew

 

[Sleeping Becca]

As I read this, none of us has the least intention of BUYING a condo.

um ummmm. I believe I stated just that.

I would never visit one of these places unless I was serious about buying and have done some serious research

 

[carlbarry]

I have done this in the past, but now feel it is not worth my time. These companies know that they only need to succeed 5 to 10 percent of the time to come out on top, even factoring in the freebies for the 90 percent who don't buy. I have yet to see a salesman back down from hooking a senior citizen on fixed income, unwed mother or other candidate who should not be buying this sort of thing, so my feelings of remorse are quickly gone. I think if you have the extra time, a strong constitution, and a need for what they are offering, then take the tour. Just check your watch when they start, hold you hand up at the end of the prescribed time, and stop them.

Drew

You are exactly right: only 10% of the people buy, and they pay a hefty fee for the freebies the other 90% get.
I was suckered into going on a timeshare presentation at Bonnet Creek. Approaching the 2 hour mark, I informed the saleswoman I expected to leave then. She assured me I would be out at 2 hours. When her time sheet said I was there 2 hours, she said, "See, I told you you'd be done." However, she then passed me on to ANOTHER weasel, who in turn passed me on to the FINAL weasel, who got angry at me when I told him I'm not interested in the $1,300 "vacation" and would be leaving. So I did get stuck there for another half hour.

 

[Brian Noble]

I know Disney tickets are expensive, but even they are not worth suffering one of those "presentations."

I own two timeshares, but I have never attended a presentation. No. Thank. You.

 

[iamkaramia]

I do it all the time. We have never spent more than 2 hours. They don't count the time you spend eating breakfast, and once our 90 minutes is up, we become as insistent as the salesperson. We try reason first. You're not going to sell us, so stop wasting your time and move on to the next family. If that doesn't work, we will start getting loud and making a scene if necessary. We've never had to make a scene, but we have come close.

 

[doconeill]

Our very first Disney trip, a friend of ours got us a good rate at a "new build" timeshare by Ramada (via RCI or something like that). Well, apparently Ramada got wind that we weren't owners anywhere, so when we finally arrived (we ended up all the way to the MK/TTC gates when we couldn't find the place...their "street" was actually their driveway...) we had a gift basket, which was free...so long as we attended their "presentation", for which we'd also get a $50 Outback GC. OK, whatever - we went...AFTER we got our room changed. By "new build" they actually meant "we bought the place from previous owners, and are in the process of rebuilding the crappy buildings", and we were in a still-crappy room.

So, we start getting the car salesman treatment - here's why this place rocks (uh, we've seen one of your "lovely" rooms...), he's why owning in Florida rocks, and here is the price...but we can come down on that, and when you spread out the payments its really only this amount per month...still not sure? Well, we'll cut it back to a 1BR...blah, blah, blah...during all this we get the salesdroid's story (former Mrs. Florida, etc., how she got into this awesome job, etc.), and her "boss" keeps throwing different numbers into the mix.

We actually ALMOST purchased...but they committed the cardinal sin of hard sales. For some inexplicable reason they left us alone...for quite a while. When that happens, my reason gets more processing time in my neurons. We were engaged, getting married at the end of the year, DW was still a teaching assistant, etc. It made no financial sense. So I was able to talk ourselves out of it. They finally came back, I said no, thank you, where's our GC? The guy got miffed, but gave us the GC and we left.

Our friend got mad that they even pulled that, as this was NOT supposed to be a sales pitch promo room booking...