Trading to World Passport Collection

Doug7856

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Sep 29, 2003
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We are considering a DVC membership. We love Disney and try to make it down every year, but we also love Europe and visiting the western US. How easy is it to trade into other time shares? My wife is a teacher, so we are limited to summer travel. What kind of experiences have you had trading during this mostly peak time to places like Hawaii, Italy, Vermont, etc.? Are the resorts of
comparable quality to the Disney resort? Thanks for any help you can provide!

::MickeyMo
 
Don't buy DVC for exchanging. The value is not there. Maybe you should buy less points and either pay cash for the other options or consider a non DVC timeshare. Good luck.
 
i agree expedia and travelocity have great rates these days


also MY FAVORITE IS www.travelaxe.com

has anyone else used this site ?



DVC for Disney only ..other locals you can do better on your own
 
Hey, I disagree with the previous replies!

For a measley 104 points, I am spending a week up at Lake Tahoe in a resort that has gotten rave reviews everywhere I 've checked! With the leftover 66 points, my DH's cousin is getting a studio for 5 nights at BCV.

I'd like more details from the previous posters. Why do they say the value is not there? Analysis, please.:confused:
 

Originally posted by Scat Cat
Hey, I disagree with the previous replies!

For a measley 104 points, I am spending a week up at Lake Tahoe in a resort that has gotten rave reviews everywhere I 've checked! With the leftover 66 points, my DH's cousin is getting a studio for 5 nights at BCV.

I'd like more details from the previous posters. Why do they say the value is not there? Analysis, please.:confused:
Because in most cases you could have rented that unit for $700 or less form an owner there. Since it's 104 points, I assume it's a studio off season. Something i could have likely gotten directly from II for November (as an example) would have been $214 for studio up to $399 for a 2 BR with no exchange fee. Most of the resorts in the area are there including the Marriott, Ridge, Whaley's, etc. I'd certainly rather give up $214 total than $75 plus 104 points.

You can't think of exchanges simply in terms of DVC accomodations. You should also think how else can I get something and what will it cost. That's not to say that trading DVC is always a bad deal, but why complicate your life for something that's difficult to do and usually not a good deal. Trading off season is ALWAYS a bad deal with the current setup and there are only maybe 50 resorts on the II DVC list where trading is reasonable during high season. And those owners don't give up their units much, just like DVC owners don't.
 
Thanks for your help and opinions! We're still trying to decide on our purchase but we are very close to a decision! Your opinions have been helpful in considering all of the options.::MickeyMo
 
Dean -

Thanks for explaining your thinking. It makes sense for people who can afford to take two vacations a year, as the original poster appears to do.

However, I can only take one vacation a year because I run my own business and I'm not wealthy. I would not have bought at BCV if I couldn't trade my points for different resorts. I look at my DVC points as a way of guaranteeing that I take a nice vacation each year. And I don't "need" to go to Florida every year because DL is one hour from my driveway to it's gates.

Also, I am such a dyed-in-the-wool cheapskate (I was raised that way) that I would NEVER spend the money to rent from an owner at the Marriott Timberlodge. I'd be in that $45 per night Value Inn down the street! ;)

I could only afford the DVC because of a small inheritance, and considering the pain I went through in the events leading up to it, I decided to treat myself.

Different lifestyles, different options!
 
/
Originally posted by Scat Cat
Dean -

Thanks for explaining your thinking. It makes sense for people who can afford to take two vacations a year, as the original poster appears to do.

However, I can only take one vacation a year because I run my own business and I'm not wealthy. I would not have bought at BCV if I couldn't trade my points for different resorts. I look at my DVC points as a way of guaranteeing that I take a nice vacation each year. And I don't "need" to go to Florida every year because DL is one hour from my driveway to it's gates.

Also, I am such a dyed-in-the-wool cheapskate (I was raised that way) that I would NEVER spend the money to rent from an owner at the Marriott Timberlodge. I'd be in that $45 per night Value Inn down the street! ;)

I could only afford the DVC because of a small inheritance, and considering the pain I went through in the events leading up to it, I decided to treat myself.

Different lifestyles, different options!
There are many ways to be thrifty or even cheap. I'm very cheap, just ask my wife. I used timeshares and FF miles to go to HI in 2002 for 2 weeks. Total costs including indirect cost, air fare, interisland, rental cars and food about $2500. We had two 1 BR units at the Embassy on Maui and a 2 BR at the Embassy on Kauai.

This summer we had a 3 BR Oceanfront penthouse in Puerto Vallarta MX for 9 days then three 2 BR units oceanfront at the Marriott Grande Occean in HH for 4th of July week, well 5-12 July. Total costs for the whole lot almost exactly the same.

As for the 1 vs 2 weeks, I currently own 6 timeshares. These include 2 weeks at Grande Ocean (HH), three DVC contracts and a MX resort. I have owned as many as 10 but have pared down my holdings to what I simply use. When I don't use them in any given year, I rent them to cover the fees for all of them. I usually do two weeks a year but have done 3 weeks once or twice. I get 5 weeks a year vacation but usually don't take all of it for the same reason you don't take more, it cuts productivity too much.

There are many ways to be cheap, what I look for is VALUE. One can buy other timeshares and DVC and still just do one week a year or 3 weeks every 2 years. there are many situations and scenarios that make that situation work well for many people.
 
I have found these to be a good deal, although it varies by the hotel. When I compared the points vs. cash for our Stein Erikson trip, it was a good deal for us (of course we're going off season for there so that might make a difference). You mentioned liking the western US and it seems like there are a lot a great summer deals at some of the resorts there that are primarily ski resorts and have winter peak seasons. Personally, I'm too much of a klutz to ski, but I like the cool mountains in summer. (I also prefer FL in winter, guess I'm a snowbird in the making) :p
 



















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