need advice

[breammom]

Our family has the chance to use a friends timeshare with II, but their home resort is at New Smyrna Beach so we would need to do an exchange only problem is I know nothing about any of the time shares aroung Orlando. Can someone please help me? Some of the options for the time we want to go (June or July 2005) are Vacation Villas at Fantasyworld, Celebrity Resorts, Calypso Cay, Wyndham Palms, High Point Resort, Star Island Resort and Fairfield Star Island. If anyone can please give me some advice I would be grateful....

 

[Ozymoe]

I know a lot about some of these resorts and a little about a lot of these resorts!

It helps to know who in your family is going, what their ages are and what the main thrust for your vacation will be...parks? Well then this resort is best, like the spa treatment? Well then that resort is better...Want a sandy beach? Want to paddle around a lake in a foot operated paddleboat? Are you going to Universal? Seaworld? Disney? Have you ever been to Orlando area and/or parks before? Is shopping big on your To Do List?

 

[swilshire]

I've heard Wyndham Palms is fabulous. Hope so. I've reserved two weeks there at Christmas time.

We drove by it on our last visit to Orlando. Convenient location. Maybe better for golfers than families right now as they are still building and pools may be in short supply.

Are your friends by any chance members of TUG (Timeshare Users Group)? There is a $15 fee to join, so it wouldn't be worth it to you, but they would probably get a lot of benefit out of membership as timeshare owners. My favorite feature is the extensive member reviews of most resorts. When I am checking availability, I go there first and compare the ratings, then read the specifics of each. It's worth a ton to me.

Even without paying a fee, you can read most of their bulletin board forums. They have a Florida board and there is a lot of discussion of the various resorts. Check them out at www.tug2.net

Sheila

 

[breammom]

There are four of us, me(37), my husband(38), and we have two daughters (11 and 9). We took the whole family to Disney 2 years ago so this time we wanted to do Disney but also Universal and Sea World and about the only shopping we do is at the Disney outlets. We are not looking for anything special like spa treatments but mainly if resort is nice and clean and kid friendly.

Any advice is welcome...

 

[canwegosoon]

I/m sorry I don't know, but was wondering if you would find a few more opinions on the Orlando Area Hotels/attractions board...so you might want to post your question there too. Good luck...I am sure people here know...

 

[stacieps]

My family has done II exchanges to Marriott Cypress Harbor, Horizons by Marriott, and Parkway International. Both Marriotts that I mention are very near Sea World (we could actually see their fireworks), and about a 15 minute drive to Disney. Parkway was back in '00 so I don't really remember location and distance to parks, although we went to US 4 days during that trip and I don't remember it being a hassle. All resorts had nice units. Horizons had a pirate ship themed pool, which you daughters might be too old to really enjoy (my kids loved it in April but they are 4 and 7).

When looking through II, just make sure you pick a Gold Crown resort. There are so many resorts to choose from in Orlando area that there's no reason to go with one that isn't a Gold Crown.

 

[crl]

We stayed at Parkway International over Christmas. We weren't impressed with the unit. Ours had a leaky shower that wouls soak the carpeting every morning. They tried twice to "fix" it, but it didn't work. There wasn't a lot for kids (or adults) to do there. We would recommend trying other resorts.

 

[psupple]

My DH and I have stayed at the Wyndham Palms twice and enjoyed the resort. However, they do escort you to your room (they=timeshare salesperson) and try and schedule you to do a timeshare presentation. We did it the first time and it took 3+ hours, second time we said we'll contact you if we're interested.

This time (less than two weeks...yeah!), we're going back to the Celebrity Suites Lake Buena Vista (used to be Clarion), where we've also stayed a couple of times, booked thru II. The resort is very basic and a little older, but we enjoy that fact that it is smaller and no timeshare pressure.

 

[breammom]

Now I have a chance for Old Key West studio....I know it is wonderful to stay at Disney but there is also a one bedroom available at Westgate Vacation Villas and I know nothing about this place..please if anyone knows anything good or bad about WVV let me know. I also know I'll have to act fast if I want OKW

 

[swilshire]

If you don't care about cooking, I'd go with the Disney studio just for a chance to experience the "magic". If you want to cook some meals, make another choice.

An earlier poster mentioned "Gold Crown" resorts. That's an RCI term. Interval International's term for that is "5 star". It is a good general marker of the better resorts, but there are some real gems that don't have this designation and some that do that probably shouldn't.

Sheila

 

[Lisa P.]

If you don't mind staying in a regular (very nice!) hotel room, then you'd enjoy the OKW studio. It's a large hotel room with a microwave and mini-fridge. But it has frequent bus shuttles to all the Disney parks and the grounds are quite beautiful. There are boat rides to DTD and a festive atmosphere to the main recreation area. Unfortunately, a studio is not nearly as comfy as a nice 1BR or 2BR timeshare unit and Disney charges II exchangers an additional $95 just because you're trading into a Disney resort. Also, Sept 6th, they'll close the main OKW pool for a renovation (adding a pool slide) and it's not scheduled to re-open until sometime in mid-December. If your trip is in between those dates, you could use their other quiet pools or take a free bus over to a nearby resort (Saratoga Springs) to use their pool (permitted during pool renovation), which has a pool slide.

As for the other resorts you've mentioned, do stay with a "5 Star" resort when trading via II to try for the nicer places. (Gold Crown is the RCI award, 5 Star is the II award.)

Fairfield Star Island & Star Island Resort are two sections of the same place. It's very, very nice with lots of amenities. If you get a 1BR with full kitchen (not partial) or larger, you'll enjoy a beautiful, deluxe, spacious room and lovely resort amenities. The main pool area has two pretty pools, one with zero-entry. Nice fitness facility and spa; tennis courts; lounge; weekly entertainment poolside; kids' activities and playground - very nice place located on a side street off Rte 192 east of WDW (10 min. drive to property, 5 more to theme park lots). The pool is tops with preschoolers (zero-entry) and the resort itself is great for adults. Easy drive to all the area parks.

Wyndham Palms is pretty new and well-liked. Attractive, spacious rooms with deluxe features, somewhat fewer resort amenities than Star Island but still very, very nice. It's located on a side street off Rte 192 west of WDW (15 min. drive to property, 5 more to theme park lots). Lovely place for adults and families who want a beautiful place to stay while visiting the WDW parks, longer drive to Univ/Sea World.

Calypso Cay is brand new, 5 min. closer to the parks than the others mentioned and offers a pool slide at one of its pools. The rooms are somewhat smaller and less luxe than the other two but still sound (from reports) like a great place to stay - especially if you have young school age kids who really like a pool slide. Good location for all the parks.

The other places mentioned have more mixed reviews by past guests. Depends on what you are seeking. When it comes to timeshares, size does matter. If you are comparing a 2BR to a studio, consider carefully. A 2BR in one of the 5 Stars you've listed will offer lots of space, better sleeping (quiet) with separate BRs, full kitchen, 2 full baths, inroom w/d, jacuzzi bath, spacious DR/LR with table to seat 6. The studio is more of a place to sleep and shower. The resort's general amenities matter a great deal to some people and not at all to others. Consider what matters to you.

 

[Ozymoe]

Star Island is the resort I know a lot about. I am a Fairfield owner and one of the resorts we own at is Star Island. Lisa P. is right about Star Island (and all the other resorts as well). If I was going to choose Star Island and had my choice between the regular Star Island and Fairfield Star Island I would try to get Fairfield Star Island because it has the newest resort building on property...if you can, ask for building 23, but if you don't get it I'm sure the other buildings are very nice too...just thought I'd pass along a little tip that if you get the opportunity you might be able to use...

It's right off 192 and you'd never know that just a stone's throw away is all the hustle and bustle. Once you cross the Bridge of Lions you're in another world.

Star Island also has 3 hole golf and a putting facility, a sandy beach on the lake and paddle boats. In the past at 8am they have offered the use of a free bucket of balls to the adults and kids who venture out at this time. There is a fee for the paddleboats (I believe it is $6 for 1/2 hour, $10 for 1 hr) There is also a jetski rental facility either there or very close by on the lake.

If you're lucky you'll get to meet the resident Florida cranes who "own" the resort. I stayed there for several weeks this spring and had the pleasure of wathching mama and papa take their 2 chicks for walks. I even had to wait once while mama fed junior a small fish right in front of the guard gate! I was going out for the day in my car and the guard explained afterward since they are a protected species he's not even allowed to shoo them away! lol

There are several lovely tennis courts (I believe the use of racquets and balls is provided free of charge as long as you return them) The exercise room (included) is incredible...you name the machine...it's there! You can hire a personal trainer who will set up a regimen for you if you wish. You can also hire their resident tennis pro...I think there's a golf pro too. Oh, and after all these workouts there's a spa with the works...for a fee. The spa room itself is included however and it has a whirlpool, steam room to die for and a sauna as well as shower facilities complete with soap, shampoo, towels and lockers so you don't have to transport anything around but yourself!

Oh, and another thing...in the main pool is a large rock waterfall...you can stand under this in the water and receive the most vigorous "water massage" on your shoulders you'll ever experience...I call it mother nature's masseuse!

Lol...can you tell I like Fairfield Star Island?

 

[Ozymoe]

I forgot to add this. At Star Island you'd want at least a 1 BR deluxe...the large side of a 2BR lockout...not the 1BR studio which is the smaller side of the lockout. The larger side has a full kitchen and a washer/dryer.

The smaller side has a small refrigerator and a microwave. It also has free laundry facilities but you have to go to a laundry room to use them. There's also a jacuzzi in the larger unit.