Question for timeshare owners with RCI....

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have a dilemma and would like some help making a decision.
We own a 3br lockout at Summer Bay in Kissimmee (Clermont). We can pay a $55 split fee to separate them and get 2 weeks. great.

Also found extremely cheap airfare (when we throw in the $300 SWA credits) only $255 for all 4 of us RT!! We decided to go for it and do a 4 nt. getaway end of Jan. (Fri-Tues) and use our 1br, saving the 2br for when we can go for a whole week. Problem is that we can only check in on a Saturday so we need a hotel room for Fri nite, late arriving flight. Found a Holiday Inn Express near MCO for $100 incl tax. sounds good.

Now I'm wondering if it would be better to just trade in the 1 br and see if we can get a place with a Fri night check in. It wouldn't really cost that much more and we plan to do more Universal than Disney so our Summer Bay location (a few miles west of WDW) would be a longer drive than some other ts's in the Orlando area.

The dilemma is that there's no way of knowing what their inventory is and really no guarantee of getting something better than what we own. So my question is how easy is it to get a Fri. check in with a specific date? I know Jan is low season but there wasn't a whole lot of inventory in the last call listings. (Dh really prefers a gold crown or possibly silver crown if it looks nice.)
We are trying to keep this as low cost as possible as we have 2 big cruises planned for 09 and still would like to use the 2br in Aug.

WWYD? (yes, I know I'm crazy. Dh has told me so many times.)

 

[spiceycat]

you find a much cheaper rate for jan than $100 - that is pretty high

what friday night are you talking about? is it a holiday weekend?

since you will have to have a rental car anyway - then being near MCO is not that great for you.

www.travelzoo.com
www.hotelkingdom.com
www.expedia.com

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

you find a much cheaper rate for jan than $100 - that is pretty high

what friday night are you talking about? is it a holiday weekend?

since you will have to have a rental car anyway - then being near MCO is not that great for you.

www.travelzoo.com
www.hotelkingdom.com
www.expedia.com

1/30/09 Maybe b/c this is superbowl weekend?

I'd really like to use our timeshare. It's a shame to pay the MF and not get to use it, even if it's not a full week.

 

[BillyM]

have you tried the last call vacations they have some 1 bed room for 199 to 249 for the week with friday check in we always use them and save our weeks for later and bank them

 

[4Seasons]

Are you set on staying near the airport since you're flying in late?
I looked around and found several places for well under $100/night including tax in the LBV and Kissimmee areas. (i.e. Fairfield Inn Marriott Village for $79.35 w/tax).

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

We own through Wyndham and trade with RCI. 3 times now we've banked points with RCI as one-bedroom weeks and have gotten into a 2 bedroom unit at Cypress Palms with a Friday check-in. It's a pretty decent place (not Gold Crown anymore, but they're sure trying to get it back) and it usually has availability. You might want to call RCI and ask them specifically for Cypress Palms and see if they have anything.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We own through Wyndham and trade with RCI. 3 times now we've banked points with RCI as one-bedroom weeks and have gotten into a 2 bedroom unit at Cypress Palms with a Friday check-in. It's a pretty decent place (not Gold Crown anymore, but they're sure trying to get it back) and it usually has availability. You might want to call RCI and ask them specifically for Cypress Palms and see if they have anything.

I have tried to call in the past to ask about inventory for trading and they say they can't see anything unless I bank first. Feels like a scam to get more people to deposit. Can't hurt to try though. I did once trade in the 1br and get a 2br at our home resort. That was really sweet. I guess you win some and lose some.
Thanks!

Are you set on staying near the airport since you're flying in late?
I looked around and found several places for well under $100/night including tax in the LBV and Kissimmee areas. (i.e. Fairfield Inn Marriott Village for $79.35 w/tax).

I will check this out. I chose a place near the airport just in case our flight is delayed due to bad weather. Once we flew down and huge tstorms caused a 4 hr. delay. Didn't arrive at MCO til 3 am. Luckily I had Hotwired the Hyatt MCO at a great price. It's completely sold out our night.
I am also considering skipping the timeshare and just staying at a hotel. I would so love to stay at Royal Pacific or Hard Rock at Universal but just can't afford it now. I so like having a kitchen and washer too. Fresh coffee in my pj's and we can all just take carry on luggage. Timesharing makes one a bit spoiled.
Thanks for your help.

have you tried the last call vacations they have some 1 bed room for 199 to 249 for the week with friday check in we always use them and save our weeks for later and bank them

No, I only looked online. Maybe they have more by phone? There were only 2 properties for my date. One is hotel size so it only holds 2 guests & we are a family of 4. The other is a 1br but it's Celebration World Resort and gets mixed reviews which makes me a bit leary. We'd probably just stay at Summer Bay and save the extra $100.
I will call to see if they have any more.
Thank you so much!

 

[Brian Noble]

You have to have something on deposit before they will search for you---that's just the way things go. (A few mini-system owners can do search first: Wyndham, and maybe WorldMark.)

You're in the 45-day window, so things are always changing. But, here's what I see right now for a 1/30 check-in, with Full Kitchens:

Celebrity Resorts Lake Buena Vista (#8616) 1 available unit
Orlando
FL, 32836 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009





Celebrity Resorts Orlando-Spas (#8615) 1 available unit
Kissimmee
FL, 34746 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009





Sheraton Vistana Resort (#0450) 1 available unit
Orlando
FL, 32821 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009





Silver Lake Resort (#2610) 1 available unit
Kissimmee
FL, 34747 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009



Silver Lake isn't really much closer (it's on the West side of WDW). I would not stay at the Celebrities. Vistana would be the only real viable choice of any of those, and a 1BR unit means you'd be in one of the newer sections. Vistana has a 1-in-4 rule, so if you've been there recently, it won't be an option.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

You have to have something on deposit before they will search for you---that's just the way things go. (A few mini-system owners can do search first: Wyndham, and maybe WorldMark.)

You're in the 45-day window, so things are always changing. But, here's what I see right now for a 1/30 check-in, with Full Kitchens:

Celebrity Resorts Lake Buena Vista (#8616) 1 available unit
Orlando
FL, 32836 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009





Celebrity Resorts Orlando-Spas (#8615) 1 available unit
Kissimmee
FL, 34746 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009





Sheraton Vistana Resort (#0450) 1 available unit
Orlando
FL, 32821 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009





Silver Lake Resort (#2610) 1 available unit
Kissimmee
FL, 34747 USA



map resort Available Unit Size
1 BR (4 max)


Check-In Date
01/30/2009



Silver Lake isn't really much closer (it's on the West side of WDW). I would not stay at the Celebrities. Vistana would be the only real viable choice of any of those, and a 1BR unit means you'd be in one of the newer sections. Vistana has a 1-in-4 rule, so if you've been there recently, it won't be an option.

Thanks Brian, Vistana wasn't showing on my searches before which was really surprising cuz that's almost always there.
Now dh says to just skip looking for a ts and stay onsite at USO. He loves the FOTL with room key perk. It's a huge discount with our APs.

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[Brian Noble]

My guess is that it comes and goes very quickly. It's gone this morning, but there are a few new options.