Help with timeshare rental choices!

[kidsister]

I have a certificate from Sky Auction good at any of these resorts.
A friend and her son will be joining me for just a few days of the week, and I want to choose the nicest option available. I have only stayed in the 2 bedroom Vacation Village at Parkway, which I thought was very nice.
Here's my options for the week in question:
1. a 3 bedroom at Grand Beach (sunterra, used to be Embassy Suites on Lake Bryan)

2. a 2 bd Vacation Village (I was really happy with this last time...huge, actually 2 separate 1 bedroom units connected by a foyer)

3. 2bdr Grand Lake

4. a 2 bd. Summer Bay

5.a 2 bd Villages at Mango Key

It will be hothothot end of AUgust. We are going over to the shuttle launch currently scheduled for August 28. They only have 4 days, 3nights, so it is very rush rush for them.

Any opinions, comparisons would be much appreciated!

 

[DianeV]

I would eliminate Grand Lake and Mango Key...not real good reviews

 

[utahkennedys]

I see 2BRs at Grand Beach going for $299/week rentals on eBay consistently, which makes me think it isn't a very good timeshare...if you liked Vacation Village, I would stick to it there because you'll know what to expect.

 

[kidsister]

hi neighbor (I'm one state to the east of you!)

It's true that both Grand and V.V. are often on the rental places for cheap.
the getaweeks are RCI's leftover timeshare weeks.

From my reading only, the VV's are always listed just because they have so many...and while the insides of the units are great, the views and outside sitch isn't.

I'm leaning towards Grand only because there is a screened in porch with a fan...so in AUgust heat it might actually be usable and also because there is a sand beach and Lake toys. Tripadvisor either glows or moans,but for $150 for the week, who am i to complain!!!!

Off the grapevine for other users tho, is that Grand will be rennovating starting in Sept. 06-Dec 06 and that tells me that it will be noisier in the day than it has been.

 

[swilshire]

I have stayed at the Embassy Grand Beach and Summer Bay. Both are very nice resorts.

I didn't catch how many of you total there will be, but if you need to sleep more than four, go for the Grand Beach of those two. It's also closer to Disney and the other parks.

If you'll hang around the resort more, I might lean more toward Summer Bay.

Sheila

 

[kidsister]

Hi Sheila,
There are only 4 of us, maybe only 3 and one is a kid. I was leaning towards Grand Beach for the lake and the beach....but I put a hold on VV instead and now the Beach is gone.

I might try Summer Bay as opposed to VV just to try something new. Can I get a view of the lake from most of the 2 bd condos?


Thanks for the help!

 

[swilshire]

I might try Summer Bay as opposed to VV just to try something new. Can I get a view of the lake from most of the 2 bd condos?

I doubt it, but maybe someone who has been there more can answer. We stayed once in a 2br right on the lake and the second time in a 3br pool house. For the pool house, we requested lakeside and got it. I think most of the units are on the other side of the road from the lake.

Sheila

 

[spiceycat]

go look again and see if you options have changed.

remember if you see something you want - grab it - otherwise it might be gone when you look again.

 

[JudyS]

...I'm leaning towards Grand only because there is a screened in porch with a fan...so in AUgust heat it might actually be usable and also because there is a sand beach and Lake toys. Tripadvisor either glows or moans,but for $150 for the week, who am i to complain!!!!

Off the grapevine for other users tho, is that Grand will be rennovating starting in Sept. 06-Dec 06 and that tells me that it will be noisier in the day than it has been.

Kidsister, are you referring to Grand Beach here? So, it's Grand Beach, not Grand Lake, with the porch (and possible renovations)?

 

[kidsister]

Hi Judy ...yes I am. I was going to go back and edit it when I caught your post. Too much granding going on here!
The web site says that the construction will go from Sept-Dec. I think it is cause Sunterra finally purchased the whole schmear...no mo Embassy Resort.

For me, VV is fine...it is so very close to all things Disney and since I own at BWV, I can drive over there and park and use it as my 'base' anyway.
I do like the furnishings at VV and the whirlpool set up so you can relax AND watch a movie if you have a mind. And this trip I will try to spend some time at the pool just to check it out, since last time it was Dec and I never even saw it!!!!

 

[magiroux]

Just got back from Summer Bay and just wanted to note that it is pretty far away from the parks compared to VV. I was there several years ago and it seemed the traffic, even that far down 192 West, has increased quite a bit in that area since the last time I was at SummerBay.

 

[JudyS]

Thanks, Kidsister!

I might try VV at Parkway sometime, too, although I'd probably prefer someplace with more landscaping and grounds. I think I'd only stay there if I could get either a 2 bedroom, or one of the larger one bedrooms, the type with a full kitchen. The one bedrooms with partial kitchens sound very small; more of a studio than a one bedroom.

 

[kidsister]

Judy, if you can travel any time other than summer or prime winter, I'd suggest getting a sky auction getawayweek and waiting until a 2 bedroom shows up on the site. Might as well get a 2 bedrm for the same price as a smaller unit. Re the smaller 1 bedroom....I felt that with walls separating the living room/diningkitchen area from the private 1 bedroom that it was more than a studio. While the bathroom and balcony on that B side is small, the living room and bedroom are normal size.