Passport Collection

[Lorraine]

We recently purchased further points following a presentation on DCL which convinced us that with 270 we would have a week a year to stay in a 2 bedroom accomodation whenever we wanted. However, now that I am home, I am trying to book a week in California in August and am having no luck. Is it because I have left it too late - or not late enough. What is other peoples experience with trading for Non Disney locations? We have been to Disney for the last 4 years, and after Ca this year dont intend to go back for 3 or 4 years. We have just under a week in which time to cancel the points we have just purchased and I am currently leaning towards that. ( I am even considering selling the points I have).

We have stayed at Tanque Verde and it is possible we could do something like that every couple of years. We would also like to ski, but after the problems I have had booking in Ca I am not sure if this would be an option - we like to book well in advance as soon as we have decided what we are doing.

Thanks for any info.

Lorraine

 

[spiceycat]

I don't know about the hotel you are asking about.

However - call the hotel directly and ask them what they have availability in August. If they nothing - then what DVC is telling you is correct.

If they have lots of availability - ask DVC what their problem is - use more polite terms....

if the hotel is sold out - ask the hotel when you need to book a trip for August, 2006.

However using points outside DVC is not a good plan - but I know you know that.

 

[RobDoc]

If you are talking about the World Passport Collection- those are all exchanges into other timeshares. This is done only by MS in collaboration with Interval International (II). These requests may be made up to 2 years in advance and many of the more popular resorts need such advance planning. Calling the resort directly won't get you any information about exchange availability.

There are times and locations that may be readily available a few months before travel, but World Passport exchanges will usually be most successful with sufficient advance planning. Availability depends on an owner at that resort banking his owned time with II so they can facilitate the exchange.

The more flexible you can be with your request, the more chance to get something. If you want a specific resort, give them a range of dates that will work. If you want a specific week, btry to give them several resorts that would work for you. Most of these timeshares are not as flexible as DVC. Each owner owns a specific unit for a specific week each year. If you want to go week 25 and none of those owners have deposited their time with II- there is nothing available. However, several of those owners may have deposited week 26 already. Sometimes owners don't deposit their week until within 12 months- if you have already placed your request- you may get the late deposit- if others are ahead of you on the II "waitlist", they'll get first opportunity at the deposited week.

I'd call MS back and try to find other resorts to add to your list for that week if possible. They might even have something available immediately.

Good luck!

 

[Lorraine]

Thanks for that, I did try three different sites that are around where we would like and they were all unavailable. Are the chances good that we would get something if we went on the wait list? Does anyone have any suggestions for what would be the best resort to stay out to allow us to get to Universal and DL - we dont mind the drive. I am now also thinking about conciage at PP as that would give us breakfast which is what we really want.

Thanks for any advice

Lorraine

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
I booked 2 one bedroom units at the Marriot in Desert Springs CA a couple of months ago for travel this June. I had a choice of 3 different establishments and chose this one on DVC's feedback. Each unit cost 124 points for the week and seems great value to me. Not sure what part of CA you are looking for but the lady on the phone said they had plenty of availabilty as it was low season and VERY hot ( not a problem for me I love hot weather )

Mick.

 

[Dean]

Hi,
I booked 2 one bedroom units at the Marriot in Desert Springs CA a couple of months ago for travel this June. I had a choice of 3 different establishments and chose this one on DVC's feedback. Each unit cost 124 points for the week and seems great value to me. Not sure what part of CA you are looking for but the lady on the phone said they had plenty of availabilty as it was low season and VERY hot ( not a problem for me I love hot weather )

Mick.

This is off season for the Desert, comparable to Sept at WDW.

Only about 70% of the members that place a search make an exchange, and far less of those are for a first choice. Exchanging is not for the faint of heart and should generally be planned well in advance, at least a year for prime time options.

 

[spiceycat]

I thought they were talking about the Concierge Collections???

the Tanque Verde ranch is on the Concierge.

did I get the wrong place?

 

[Dean]

I thought they were talking about the Concierge Collections???

the Tanque Verde ranch is on the Concierge.

did I get the wrong place?

Pat, I think the OP was trying to arrange trades through II and finding nothing available for the CA coast in August. They simply stated they'd used Tanque Verde previously was the way I read it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Exchanging is not for the faint of heart and should generally be planned well in advance, at least a year for prime time options.

Dean is right regarding "prime time options."

Exchanging can be instant or it can take a lot of patience. Let's look at the Southern California coast, specifically Marriott's Newport Coast Villas (NCV) resort. As an I.I. member, I've seen weeks available for instant exchange. Such weeks were in months like April and May, when demand is fairly low. But I've never seen any July or August weeks available for instant confirmation.

There are I.I. members who succesfully trade into July and August weeks at NCV. These members make their requests well in advance, possibly two years ahead of time. NCV owners can deposit weeks for exchange with I.I. 12 months ahead of time, so that's when the first matches occur. Some NCV owners may wait until much closer to the check-in date, so matches continue to occur. Other Marriott owners have a priority, so that works against non-Marriott owners.

Not everyone who wants to trade into NCV is successful. Some I.I. members don't have enough trading power (which should not be a problem with DVC); some wait too long to place an exchange request; and some give up (and make trades into other resorts instead) as they get to the point when it's time to book flights.

It's easy to get instant confirmations for resorts and weeks where supply exceeds demand. It takes planning and patience to get exchanges into resorts and weeks where demand exceeds supply.

 

[Dean]

Let me be more specific in some areas. For 2003, the last year the data is currently available, 2.8% of the members received an exchange, up from the previous high of 2% the year before. But only 79% of those seeking an exchange received an exchange. But that includes any second or third choices, etc. That is the lowest percentage I've seen as well, down from the mid 90's most years. This tells me that more people wanted to exchange and less were really successful. My take is that more people tried to exchange due to the advertising DVC did in this area and in part, that the system is simpler even if sometimes more expensive. I also suspect MS is giving II more smaller units, thus this has hurt trading power somewhat giving those searching for an exchange a lower priority on the wait list.

To expand on Horace's thoughts, the options one can make an instant exchange for are rarely worthy of a DVC exchange. It's only the things tough to get that are worthy. Of course one could get lucky and get the top options on a whim, but that is by far the exception. About the only advantage of the DVC exchange option is the fact it's a request first up to two years out. Take advantage of that if you truly want to exchange. And if you make the commitment, plan on waiting until 1-2 months prior to your desired travel before giving up, if you can.

 

[Lorraine]

Thanks for comments, it has made things clearer to me. We usually travel off peak, but due to the repo cruise being in Aug we dont have a lot of choice! Still not convinced the extra points are a good idea, have about 4 days to decide and cancel.

My BIL is getting married in June and has been talking about doing an Alaskan cruise, so I was thinking i could use points for that instead of giving them some money as we intended, and then use the money we dont give them to book a suite near DL. We really like having a kitchen as the time difference means we are about really early at the beginning of the holiday.

The other option is to do something big every two years, like the Alaskan cruise which I too like the look of, and Tanque Verde which was fantastic. I guess once it is paid for it is like 'free' holidays even though the exchange rates maybe over the top.

Thanks again for all your help, it has given me lots to think about.

Lorraine

 

[Dean]

I guess once it is paid for it is like 'free' holidays even though the exchange rates maybe over the top.

Some look at it that way, others don't. When I use the points it's just like I'm using cash and will be till the last year I own DVC.

 

[WithDisneySpirit]

Not to get off thread, but I really agree with you Dean!! I know what I paid for the points and what they are worth to me everytime I use them! They are definitely like cash to me!

Lisa