Luck trading out with II

[schwenksvillemouse]

I'm planning to try and trade out with II for the first time and I was curious what experiences others have had. Did you get you first choice? Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[jdkdorn]

We wanted to stay in Scottsdale in October of 2006, we requested it in November of 2005 and received a call about 3 weeks later. I wanted to Westin or the Marriott and ended up getting the Marriott. We wanted the 2 bedroom for the space, but received a 1 bdr because we only had 4 people. I would do it again.

Judy

 

[Dean]

I'm planning to try and trade out with II for the first time and I was curious what experiences others have had. Did you get you first choice? Any feedback would be appreciated.

If you will search this BBS using my name and words like Interval, exchange, World Passport, Marriott and Hawaii; I think you'll get quite a bit of helpful info.

 

[WDWNewbie]

What exchanges are you trying for?

 

[dznyacct]

We have been DVC members since 1999 and have had many stays at WDW and one at VB. We did the DCL 7 night western last summer and DH LOVED Key West . As a surprise for our 20th anniversary this fall, I initiated a trade to Key West for June/July 2006. I researched resorts in Key West and using Dean and a few other DIS members suggestions, I requested The Hyatt Sunset Harbor or The Galleon for one of 4 different weeks in June/July. I am a HUGE planner and I really hoped for an instant match so I could cross lodging off my list. No instant match and here I am 5 months later with no lodging . I've researched alternative accomodations, but I would have to rent some points in order to cover the cost. I've never rented points before and REALLY don't want to (worried about the amount of trust required ). We really have our heart set on Key West, so I'm crossing my fingers (and toes) that I will get a call very soon. I know that Hawaii requires up to 2 years to get a trade, but summer is low season for Key West so I really didn't think I would have this much trouble. Oh, and I called DVC last week to ask some questions about The Galleon. I confirmed my trade request and they had two of the weeks wrong ! I was NOT happy about that, of course imaging that I probably missed a trade . For this being my first time trading, it sure hasn't been as easy as calling MS and booking a week at WDW. Please throw some pixie dust my way .

 

[castleri]

My daughter was able to trade to Vail for a week in March a couple of years ago and the trade was available when she called about 3 months in advance. She either got really lucky or it really depends on where and when you want to go. Good luck

 

[Dean]

My daughter was able to trade to Vail for a week in March a couple of years ago and the trade was available when she called about 3 months in advance. She either got really lucky or it really depends on where and when you want to go. Good luck

It's a lot of both. Likely this was something that was either deposited very late or a cancellation.

 

[schwenksvillemouse]

I am thinking of purchasing additional time share interests and before this past weekend I was deciding between purchasing more DVC or going the Marriott route. I love Disney, but don't want to vacation there every year. I wanted to be able to trade out to II. Well I spent a lot of time reading this board and got hooked into TUG (which I haven't had a chance to really dive into yet) so I realized I have a lot of thinking yet to do. I do believe I made a decision to not purchase more DVC in hope of routinely trading out. Doesn't seem like a good move. I'm looking at Marriott, but I don't know where. I love Marriott properties as I have vacationed with Marriott all over the world, but I'm not sure I want to pay the hefty upfront developer cost. I guess I'll need to keep watching the resale market.

 

[schwenksvillemouse]

Dean,

I wanted to thank you for your suggestion. I did several searches on this website and found too much good information actually. I'm going to take others advice and get hooked into the TUG boards for a couple months and get a feel for what's out there. I'm driving my wife crazy as I love to dig into every detail and she is not a detailed person.

 

[dvc-NE]

I'm planning to try and trade out with II for the first time and I was curious what experiences others have had. Did you get you first choice? Any feedback would be appreciated.

We stayed at Marriott's Manor Club at Ford's Colony last April and liked it alot. There are 3 golf courses on property.
We are going to try Williamsburg, Va again but this time we will be staying at King's Creek Plantation. The Marriott we booked in Feb for an April stay in a 1 br with no difficulty. Now Hawaii, that's a whole different animal.

 

[Dean]

I am thinking of purchasing additional time share interests and before this past weekend I was deciding between purchasing more DVC or going the Marriott route. I love Disney, but don't want to vacation there every year. I wanted to be able to trade out to II. Well I spent a lot of time reading this board and got hooked into TUG (which I haven't had a chance to really dive into yet) so I realized I have a lot of thinking yet to do. I do believe I made a decision to not purchase more DVC in hope of routinely trading out. Doesn't seem like a good move. I'm looking at Marriott, but I don't know where. I love Marriott properties as I have vacationed with Marriott all over the world, but I'm not sure I want to pay the hefty upfront developer cost. I guess I'll need to keep watching the resale market.

You are welcome, I'm glad the info was helpful. I'd recommend you take 6 months or so and get educated. Then decide what you want to do. Just like DVC, I'd generally recommend you buy something you would use part of the time but it really depends on how you want to use it. You don't want to end up with a top resort (at a top price) where most every trade would be a down trade. In general, I think the lower resorts for high season, the higher resorts for gold season, and lockoff's tend to be the best options to trade. Specifically Gold at Ocean Pointe, Summit Watch or Aruba (maybe), Platinum at Doral, Legends Edge & Manor Club and mid summer at Harbour pointe. But it comes down to a balance of price, fees, lockoff options and ultimately trade power.

And in large part it depends on where and when you want to go. If you want HH mid summer on the beach, Aruba Spring Break, Maui, ski weeks, etc; my recommendations would be different than if you could travel in Jan, May, Sept, etc. As would whether you could do with a 1 BR or needed a 2 BR.

 

[dyingtodisney]

Can any one tell me what is considered Low, mid and high season for cancun?

 

[Dean]

Can any one tell me what is considered Low, mid and high season for cancun?

I can tell you what it was when DVC told me in Jan of 04. Per their email:

Royal Sands, Cancun **High = 1-16, 25-34, 51-52. Mid = 17-24, 35-48. Low =
49-50**

I doubt it's changed much. Cancun tends to track the Caribbean more than the rest of MX but is actually higher demand in the summer than the rest of the Caribbean including the Marriott's in Aruba. I'd assume the rest of the Royals would be the same weeks and I personally wouldn't stay anywhere else for a DVC exchange. Even then, I wouldn't stoop to a "studio" because they are far more barren than the DVC studios are. There are other places worth staying at a reduced fee.

 

[mj2vacation]

We own several Marriott weeks. By far, my favorite (to stay and exchange) is the Aruba Surf Club. We own the Gold (theoretically off season) and traded it with ease into The 4 Seasons in Scottsdale, Marriott's Grande Ocean, and Marriott's Kauai Beach Club. All three were either instant or within 30 days (booking anywhere from 12 months to 3 months out). All were in peak season.

We use our DVC for WDW or VB stays only. Marriott is more of a travel package for us, while DVC is best at DVC. We are not even using our points for the member cruise.

For fun, you can check out Marriott's new Maui resort... some weeks run over $100,000.

 

[schwenksvillemouse]

We own several Marriott weeks. By far, my favorite (to stay and exchange) is the Aruba Surf Club. We own the Gold (theoretically off season) and traded it with ease into The 4 Seasons in Scottsdale, Marriott's Grande Ocean, and Marriott's Kauai Beach Club. All three were either instant or within 30 days (booking anywhere from 12 months to 3 months out). All were in peak season.

I thought with Marriott you couldn't trade out of your season. For example if I own Gold I thought I couldn't trade up to Platium. Or is it that you just can't trade up at your own resort.

 

[gppnj]

We have been DVC members since 1999 and have had many stays at WDW and one at VB. We did the DCL 7 night western last summer and DH LOVED Key West . As a surprise for our 20th anniversary this fall, I initiated a trade to Key West for June/July 2006. I researched resorts in Key West and using Dean and a few other DIS members suggestions, I requested The Hyatt Sunset Harbor or The Galleon for one of 4 different weeks in June/July. I am a HUGE planner and I really hoped for an instant match so I could cross lodging off my list. No instant match and here I am 5 months later with no lodging . I've researched alternative accomodations, but I would have to rent some points in order to cover the cost. I've never rented points before and REALLY don't want to (worried about the amount of trust required ). We really have our heart set on Key West, so I'm crossing my fingers (and toes) that I will get a call very soon. I know that Hawaii requires up to 2 years to get a trade, but summer is low season for Key West so I really didn't think I would have this much trouble.

Stories like these surprise me. I thought we had such a desirable timeshare. If we do (and I do believe we do), why does trading seem to be so difficult?

I guess the big consolation is that the DVC rental market seems to be thriving, so renting out points and using the cash to purchas eaccommodations elsewhere remains an option.

 

[Dean]

I thought with Marriott you couldn't trade out of your season. For example if I own Gold I thought I couldn't trade up to Platium. Or is it that you just can't trade up at your own resort.

This is incorrect. II works on the premise of exchanging like for like. They do not even know what the seasons are for different Marriott resorts in terms of Gold, Platinum, etc. And they DO NOT match Marriott seasons for trading purposes. They figure like for like on the basis of resort quality and the demand for that specific week. There are some resorts where Platinum does not trade as well as Gold at other resorts.

 

[Dean]

Stories like these surprise me. I thought we had such a desirable timeshare. If we do (and I do believe we do), why does trading seem to be so difficult?

I guess the big consolation is that the DVC rental market seems to be thriving, so renting out points and using the cash to purchas eaccommodations elsewhere remains an option.

This is not directed as a negative to you, I know you are only going by the information you've been given.

This is a major example of misinformation on the part of DVC and many DVC members. And it relates, in part, to DVC arrogance. The idea that DVC is uniquely in demand and all a DVC member has to do is ask to get what they want in trade is simply wrong. DVC has very good trade power but it does not have the top trade power with II. The reason is not resort quality but weeks and resorts available. If DVC allowed high demand weeks to be deposited and II gave proper trade power to those weeks it would be better than what it is from a trade power standpoint. Obviously at a cost in terms of points costs and to a degree, availability during peak weeks. As I understand it, II gives DVC a generic trade power. Remember that II does not get the top weeks from DVC.

The other side of the equation is simply that DVC members want the top resorts during peaks times as a rule. Those members generally don't deposit those weeks, rather they use or rent them or trade privately. I've heard it said that 80% of the members want 20% of the resorts/weeks.