Seeking recommendations on other timeshare companies vs. buy more DVC

[jlnten17]

We currently own 200 points at Poly. As you may have guessed, it is not nearly enough. Before I add on more DVC points I am looking into other options as well as we would like to have more flexibility with the kids getting a bit older. We will typically be traveling to Florida for the parks or beaches. Does anyone have experience with Hyatt, Marriott, Four Seasons, or another highly recommended timeshare company? What are the pros and cons? Would you buy direct or resale. The one I have looked into the most thus far is Hyatt which appears to have restrictions on resale only so far as they are not able to be exchanged for the Gold passport program for other Hyatt Hotels. With Hyatt we know we would want a Diamond week but when I do resale searches Diamond week 5 and 6 were listed at $2000 total sale for the annual week but other diamond weeks (10, 12, 51) were listed around $30,000 for an annual week. Aside from the guaranteed fixed week what is the difference? The listing shows they would exchange for the same 2,200 points. I have an excellent grasp on DVC but am so confused buy these others!

 

[Brian Noble]

Aside from the guaranteed fixed week what is the difference?

The difference could be the seller's understanding of what the market is rather than what they want it to be.

I'd recommend asking this question over on TUG. You'll get many more answers.
https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/what-to-buy-questions-for-new-timeshare-owners.208742/

Here's a quick run-down of some of the alternatives:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...ty-sorry-for-the-length.3893433/post-64240054

I don't really understand Hyatt, but they are the smallest of the point-based programs--they focus on luxury and try to be a little more off the beaten path in terms of location. That works for some folks, but not for others. If they work for you, it could be a good option.

 

[jlnten17]

The difference could be the seller's understanding of what the market is rather than what they want it to be.

I'd recommend asking this question over on TUG. You'll get many more answers.
https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/what-to-buy-questions-for-new-timeshare-owners.208742/

Here's a quick run-down of some of the alternatives:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...ty-sorry-for-the-length.3893433/post-64240054

I don't really understand Hyatt, but they are the smallest of the point-based programs--they focus on luxury and try to be a little more off the beaten path in terms of location. That works for some folks, but not for others. If they work for you, it could be a good option.

Thank you for the reply and the referenced links. I will check out them out!

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you for the reply and the referenced links. I will check out them out!

I'll second the recommendation to check out TUG. I inherited a TS in Hawaii, and without TUG I don't know whether I'd have known how to use it so well! There's also a DVC board there - https://tugbbs.com/forums/forums/disney-vacation-club-dvc.54/ - that's not as busy as the ones here on DISboards but can be equally helpful. BTW TUG has several TS system specific boards - the one re Hyatt is https://tugbbs.com/forums/forums/hyatt-residence-club.48/.

 

[DebLovesPooh]

I would recommend buying resale for any other timeshare you want to buy. They just don’t hold their value like DVC does and since if you ever sell, you will sell for pennies, I recommend you buy for pennies. I started my search by looking at locations offered by each system. Marriott didn’t have enough where I wanted and Hilton had even fewer locations at places I would go to. BlueGreen had ideal locations for me with low maintenance fees. Wyndham had great locations, was less expensive, with higher maintenance fees than BlueGreen. I settled on a cheap Wyndham resale for the locations, and the ease of understanding the system. I learned so much on the TUG boards, I cannot recommend them enough.

 

[AC168]

I own DVC - more than you at VGC - and on to add more at a WDW location. I’ve also owned Marriott for almost 20 years. Marriott is great in that there are lots of great locations you can use with their points program.

I’ve only stayed at Hyatt Kaanapali Beach but it was so nice we almost bought it for retail. The problem with Hyatt KB is that if you don’t own at KB you literally have no chance of getting in. HKB is nicer than any DVC or Marriott I’ve stayed in. Another problem with Hyatt is that they don’t have a large number of locations.

We looked into Four Seasons years ago and concluded it’s nice to stay at but not good to own.

I don’t know much about Hilton but I’ve heard it is pretty resale friendly.

 

[sethschroeder]

People will say I am uninformed, its not a fit for me, or a bunch of other things.

I never saw the point of any other timeshare anywhere in the world. DVC is the exception as they have a very specific offering (WDW), they have a large bubble around the area (they own all that land you are not walking from Disney Springs Hotels to Magic Kingdom), only a few select places can walk to the main attractions (they essentially are all owned by Disney almost), and Disney strictly controls pricing on hotels up and up which is the same company that manages your timeshare.

Other times shares you will find tons of different options across Hotels, Timeshares, Airbnb, and typically a very spread out entertainment/attraction area with no transportation provided by and controlled by a specific location.

Now I would change my mind if as an example one timeshare group owned all rights to all places to stay in lets say Daytona Beach or Hilton Head or Maui. Then those timeshare groups would be more similar to DVC in that they have a monopoly on the location.

As an example give me any attraction or location in the US and I suspect I can find 5+ hotels, 3+ timeshares, 5+ airbnb all owned by different groups/people and all inside the "zone" of where you want to be at that location.

 

[LaurenT]

We currently own 200 points at Poly. As you may have guessed, it is not nearly enough. Before I add on more DVC points I am looking into other options as well as we would like to have more flexibility with the kids getting a bit older. We will typically be traveling to Florida for the parks or beaches. Does anyone have experience with Hyatt, Marriott, Four Seasons, or another highly recommended timeshare company? What are the pros and cons? Would you buy direct or resale. The one I have looked into the most thus far is Hyatt which appears to have restrictions on resale only so far as they are not able to be exchanged for the Gold passport program for other Hyatt Hotels. With Hyatt we know we would want a Diamond week but when I do resale searches Diamond week 5 and 6 were listed at $2000 total sale for the annual week but other diamond weeks (10, 12, 51) were listed around $30,000 for an annual week. Aside from the guaranteed fixed week what is the difference? The listing shows they would exchange for the same 2,200 points. I have an excellent grasp on DVC but am so confused buy these others!

You can have my Westgate 3 bedroom lockout for free. I never use it, there’s no market to sell it, and I’m tired of going through the hassle of renting it out.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Is this the location on Turkey Lake Road
4 miles to USO and 5 miles toWDW?
Might want to consider with huge USO expansion announced !

Do they have other locations to travel ?
Is this a fixed week ?
Yearly maintenance?
Length of Contract terms ?

 

[DL1WDW2]

I am also interested in the new Condo Hotel Concept just about to Open
from Hilton / Embassy Suites.
located in same area as the MargaritaVille Resort Complex and the Target on Irlo Bronson Highway … close to Animal Kingdom kinda.
I love the Embassy Suites and the pricing has double since it just a Billboard Announcement and the first 2 Towers might have Sold Out with 3 rd Tower under construction … Includes similar amenities as the Embassy Suite Hotels .
Would love to know if Ownership includes visiting all ES locations.
I think it does include Hilton Honors Membership.

 

[LaurenT]

Is this the location on Turkey Lake Road
4 miles to USO and 5 miles toWDW?
Might want to consider with huge USO expansion announced !

Do they have other locations to travel ?
Is this a fixed week ?
Yearly maintenance?
Length of Contract terms ?

Yes, Turkey Lake Rd … it’s the Westgate Lakes and Spa. There are a bunch of Westgates - some in Florida and some in other places. You can switch into a different one for a small fee - I’ve paid $150 before to switch to Town Center, which is closer to Animal Kingdom.
I own a specific week, but I can book any week. No change fee unless it’s one of the special weeks … those include Christmas week, Daytona 500, and a few others.
It’s deeded, so there’s no contract. It doesn’t expire. Maintenance and tax is about $1,500. That’s for a 3 bedroom - it’s a huge space. It can be used for one week or you can stay in a 2 bedroom for a week and then the studio portion for a week.

 

[Brian Noble]

Before anyone dips their toes into the (non-Disney) timeshare market, I'd strongly recommend spending some time at TUG learning about the various companies' strengths and weaknesses.

 

[RoseGold]

TUG has done a good job talking me out of other systems, LOL. They just don't work for me, but I can see how they could work for others.

More than once I have been tempted by a last minute rental on TUG, though.

 

[Twohsieh]

We contemplated buying into another timeshare for many years due to the changing needs of our growing family. We love DVC resorts but the limited number of DVC locations had us looking elsewhere. We have 570 points with DVC.

We were looking into Marriott Vacation Club for their vast number of locations worldwide however their system is very complicated with weeks, destination points, tiers for membership based on number of points/weeks held and priority restrictions for bookings. The MVC system is very complicated versus the DVC system.

We stayed at a few MVC properties at Newport Coast, Ko'Olina and Waikoloa in the past which we really enjoyed.
We loved the ability to stay in a 1-2 Bedroom villa for our family of 5 at these locations however their system is best for people who plan to buy more than one resale weeks or a ton of destination points.

We plan to buy more DVC points in the coming year. Our plan is to rent out our points when we are not using them at DVC properties so we can use the funds to rent a villa at another timeshare property.

 

[Brian Noble]

We plan to buy more DVC points in the coming year. Our plan is to rent out our points when we are not using them at DVC properties so we can use the funds to rent a villa at another timeshare property.

This is one option.

But, another would be to use the money you would spend on DVC points and invest it in broad-based, low-fee index fund. Then, use the proceeds from that fund to take vacations. Every time I look, the after-tax return on investment for renting DVC points is comparable to the long-term expected rate-of-return of, say, the SP500 index.

 

[Twohsieh]

This is one option.

But, another would be to use the money you would spend on DVC points and invest it in broad-based, low-fee index fund. Then, use the proceeds from that fund to take vacations. Every time I look, the after-tax return on investment for renting DVC points is comparable to the long-term expected rate-of-return of, say, the SP500 index.

I appreciate the advise. I agree with your statement.

My husband and I do have a healthy IRA and stock accounts. We are believers in having a retirement account but we do not touch the proceeds. Also, our kids were set up with a Roth IRA account when they were able to make some money starting at the age of 12. They have been saving their money every year to try to reach their maximum contribution. Its been a great bonding experience for our family to talk about how the companies in their index fund (VTSAX) is performing or news about them. Our two boys started a Fidelity youth account when they were 13 and 14 so they have learned many lessons, good and bad, about investing in the stock market.

We don't think of the timeshare as a way to make money. We like timeshares since it forces us to take vacations from our busy work life.

 

[MICKIMINI]

We bought Wyndham to add to our DVC points (500ish) as we didn't want to lay out another $120 PP or more for 2057 OKW and AKV. We'd need to buy another 500-600 points resale for two more weeks in a one BR.

We own 2057 OKW direct and resale, plus 2042 OKW, SSR, AKV, HHI and VBR. Our Wyndham gives us a location almost across the street from OKW and next to RIV. The villas are large and recently renovated, similar to BLT in design (we stayed in 2 BR's this fall for about two weeks). We have 13 nights for F & W/Halloween in a 1 BR Presidential WBC. Our son and DIL are booked for OKW (we gift). We are a five minute drive from each other.

Our contract cost us $1400, $1200 of which was MF's for 2022. We had enough points left over to bank into 2023 (they usually don't do that - it's a long story). Net out of pocket for the contract: $200. MF's went up $60 or so annually in 2023. Out of pocket is about $100 a night (MF's) depending on 1 or 2 BR and standard or presidential.

We decided on WBC for location, size and quality of villas and when we travel (low season). It fits our needs completely so we can take either one really long trip or two, two or so week trips a year. We stayed at Marriott's Grande Vista (through DVC II Getaways) in November and hated the location on International Drive as the traffic is a mess. It was about $500 a week for a 2 BR, but we won't stay there again. Hilton was a consideration, but again, we wanted to be *on property* (look at a map for WBC). Traffic is so bad on International Drive, driving 3 or 4 miles can take almost an hour door to park, not to mention the stress (we're from NH rural with not much traffic).

Do your due diligence and TUG has lots of info. I studied Wyndham for several months and made lots of offers. Persistence paid off. I can't say I understand everything, however Wyndham has a dedicated phone line for newbies and they are very helpful. We are pleased with our purchase.

It works for us. Good luck!

 

[DVC Doctor]

I think Hilton Grand Vacations is the closest to DVC in terms of how they operate. I suggest a resale from Las Vegas as the best buy location and use points anywhere.