How to rent a timeshare? Bonnet Creek? Sheraton Vistana?

[KBecks]

Hi Everybody!

I am planning for a family trip and feel a little confused about how to rent a timeshare. I had been looking at Windsor Hills condos and it just doesn't feel like the right place for us, we would like to be in a property that feels like a resort and is also very very very convenient to Walt Disney World. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, but it seems that Wyndham Bonnet Creek and Sheraton Vistana are two great and popular choices??

Our family has 5 but we don't need tons of space/rooms, but we need decent beds and we prefer to have a community pool that is very child friendly and has a bar. (for DH, LOL!) and it would be wonderful to feel kind of comparable to a Disney resort. (we stayed at Boardwalk last time.)

OK, so.... when I first looked at Bonnet Creek I must have looked at the wrong way to rent.... is this a rental by owner kind of thing?

How exactly do I get set up with a timeshare rental? Which Web sites do you recommend? How do you pick a unit? Thanks for any insights, very very much!

Karen

 

[MinnieTeacher]

I bought our trip to Bonnet Creek on e-bay. There are many others on here that rent from Vacation Strategy and Ken Price from Vaction Upgrades. There is also Farrells rentals. You can google all of these to get the websites. I got prices from all of the above and I came out cheaper with an e-bay purchase. The seller was top rated with 100% positive feedback. I got the confirmation # within a couple of days and along with a reservation confirmation from Wyndham in the mail. We are going in June and can't wait Just shop around for the best prices. Any price you get I'm sure will beat any price of a Disney resort. I'm getting a 2 br 2 bath for less than one room in a Value resort Good luck!

 

[mjohnson96]

I used Ken Price with VacationUpgrades, since DD (2.5) loves Mickey and Minnie I had to add a few days to our trip and take the kids to WDW but hated to make my parents and sister pay the onsite prices. After some research on the boards we went with Ken and I loved how helpful they were and the price was great. I even changed our first half of our trip over there as well.

I know you can get some really good deals on ebay, but I just feel better with someone I can call up on the phone and deal with I guess. We got a 2BR Deluxe for the first stay for $110 and then a 3BR Deluxe for the 2nd stay for $150. Also love that it is all paid for up front and that price includes taxes, fees, etc

 

[kathy884]

I frequently rent timeshares I find on the site Redweek.com and TUG2.net classified ads section. I've done about a dozen rentals over the years, maybe six of those in Orlando.

On Redweek.com, I sign on as a guest to see rentals that are available, and if I see one I want for a reasonable price for the week I need, I join Redweek.com ($15 per year and necessary if you want to do a rental) and contact the owner.

On TUG2.net you don't have to join to access the classified ads section and can email the owner. We usually exchange names, phone numbers, emails, etc. and talk on the phone.

Usuually we'll pay 1/2 up front, the owner will get a certificate in our name, I will usually call the resort to see that they have us on file, and 30 days before we pay the balance.

Most people I've rented from are individuals who own more timeshare weeks than they can use vs. a company.

I love it. With my limited vacation budget I can get a beautifual two bedroom condo at a lovely resort for less than the price of a modest hotel room. I've never stayed at Bonnett Creek, but have stayed at the Sheraton Vistana four different times -- They have good pools for kids and a few bars (features I know you were looking for).