What are your 'Holy Grail' DVC/Timeshare vacations?

[bwvBound]

A recent post on another board triggered me to ponder, "What remains of my Timeshare-Holy-Grail list?" Mine are below, yours?

• AKV Concierge at the 7-month window with the Wanyama Safari (evening, Jiko's). Done! Booked 3 nights, 1BR AKV Concierge w/ the Wanyama a few years back. FWIW, we thoroughly enjoyed the Safari and Jiko's dinner, served family style back then, but were so terribly disappointed by the room that we've never wanted to rebook Club Level. It is a "once and done" experience for us.
• DVC Grand Villa via RCI. Done! That was cool -- a full week in a Grand Villa, Oct 2009'ish, booked against my 1BR SoCal Summer week. Yes!
• The Manhattan Club over Thanksgiving! Done! This was my ultimate Timesharing Holy Grail item for many, many years. We booked it through DVC's Concierge Collection and enjoyed 6 nights, over Thanksgiving 2013, in TMC's larger 1BR unit for just 200 DVC points + $95 exchange fee. I'd love to repeat this experience if the opportunity were available in the future. Awesome!
• Four Seasons Aviara, San Diego, via II. Done! We booked a full 2BR lockout unit through II against a WM Blue Studio (last minute exchange) several years back. FWIW, it was a total disappointment. Another "once and done" memory.
• Kruger Park Lodge, South Africa. While once a long, held Holy Grail goal ... when faced with "now is the time to book and visit South Africa" we chose a mostly unknown resort instead of KPL. The 2013 trip was a huge success and we found that we far preferred the resort we had booked over KPL. Yeah!!
• Worldmark or Wyndham 4BR Presidential over major Holiday. Done! We've enjoyed the WM/Wyndham Indio 4BR Presidential unit twice over New Years; each a 4 night stay. This is a fantastic unit for a family gathering!

So what is left on my list? How about ...

• Stay at all properties in the Worldmark Resort System. Worldmark is our first timeshare. While there were only ~30 properties when we first joined, there are more than 70 now. We've stayed at 40+ ... but there remains a long list of inventory ahead of us!
• Stay at all properties in the DVC Resort System. This is a reasonable goal. We are only a few short: HHI, BLT and VGF.
• DVC Vero Beach Cottage for a full week during the summer months.
• Narrow Boat, England. We've talked about these for years ... and I see them often in RCI. Just waiting for a perfect summer week to align with my calendar!
• (related to above ... I also want to try a Horse Drawn Caravan through Ireland ... but haven't seen these available via timeshare. Any leads?)

Outside timeshare, our other travel love, cruising, has its own list ...

• World Cruise. We are nearing completion on this having pieced together various segments over the years. Our cruising history connects Alaska, down the Pacific Coastline, through the Panama Canal, up the Eastern seaboard, across both Northern and Southern Atlantic, through the Baltic, through the Mediterranean ... with ending points left dangling at St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Port Said, etc. By the end of 2016, we hope to have one segment remaining: Sydney or Darwin through the Suez Canal to Port Said.
• All seven continents. Done! The Antarctic piece fell into laps via online auction about 15 years ago ... and was simply awesome.
• Ocean crossing on an Ocean Liner. Done! 2001 Trans-Atlantic on the SS Norway, formerly SS France.
• Major Canals! Work in progress. Have transitioned the Panama Canal twice; thoroughly enjoyed the Kiel Canal; and have watched, from land, ships passing through the Suez ... but need to focus ...

Happy Dreaming, folks. Can't wait to read your adventures.

 

[Brian Noble]

One of my better ones so far is a 3BR Penthouse ocean view unit at Hilton's HHV Lagoon tower for this upcoming summer.

 

[JimMIA]

In addition to numerous DVC stays, we've done several very nice trips through Wyndham or RCI:

• Family trip (3 families, 11 people) in three side-by-side 2 bedrooms at our Wyndham home resort -- Great Smoky Mountains. We were all there a full week and really enjoyed the resort, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the surrounding area.
• a RCI exchange for two rooms (us and DW's cousin & her husband) for a week on Cape Cod. The resort was probably only 2 stars, but nice, clean, friendly gracious staff, and located only 3 miles from DW's uncle's house. It was one of those things where the resort was fine, but the location was everything. One of our most enjoyable short vacations ever.
• Last summer's trip to AZ. Two weeks, with stays at Wyndham Sedona and Wyndham Flagstaff, plus stays at Monument Valley and Grand Canyon NP. Saw a good deal of northern AZ, including straddling 4 states at Four Corners. It was DD's first real western park trip since she's been old enough to appreciate it, so now she's eager to do more.
• For next summer, currently planning 10-14 days in northern CA -- probably based mostly at Wyndham Canterbury in San Francisco. Hopefully we'll also be able to get into Yosemite NP lodging somewhere. We'll also hit Monterey, Wine Country, and possibly Tahoe.
• Also next year, we will be going to suburban Washington for U.S. Figure Skating Regional Championships in October. We might extend that a bit for a 3-4 night stay at Wyndham Old Town Alexandria, with sightseeing in DC. Need to be booking that soon.

There are tons of options available; the trick is planning and coordinating things around DD's school and competitive schedules.

 

[bwvBound]

For next summer, currently planning 10-14 days in northern CA -- probably based mostly at Wyndham Canterbury in San Francisco. Hopefully we'll also be able to get into Yosemite NP lodging somewhere. We'll also hit Monterey, Wine Country, and possibly Tahoe.

10-14 nights at the Canterbury is a very long stay and most units, as I understand, do not include laundry/kitchen. We did a 3-night weekend in the 2BR PH/PU two years ago and found that it was OK as timeshares go but only "met" the basic needs of a 2BR unit. We were told that the non-PH/PU units were basically Hotel units??

You might want to split the stay across the Canterbury, WM Bass Lake (near Yosemite), WM Windsor, WM Marina Dunes (for Monterey area), if possible, and, of course, Tahoe. Not sure which of those also have inventory directly available through Wyndham (native) vs Club Pass/internal exchange vehicles or direct owner exchange. Good luck and have a fabulous trip!

Edited to add: This trip might be a good candidate for direct exchange w/ a WM owner. Many years back (2002), we did a 16-night driving journey San Diego to Vancouver and back using all WM timeshares. Our hops included:

• Northbound: WM Marina Dunes (Monterrey), WM Clear Lake, WM Running Y (OR), WM Glenedan (OR), WM Mariner Village (WA), WM Vancouver (BC)
• Southbound: WM Surfside Inn (WA), WM Schooner Landing (OR), WM Running Y (OR, the only repeated resort but wildly different unit type!), WM Angels Camp (CA, timed to coincide with the Calaveras Cty Fair -- think "Frog Jump!") and WM Pismo Beach

It was certainly a grand tour and a great vacation. Perhaps one or more WM owners could help you piece together a similar jaunt across Northern Cal and surrounds?

 

[JimMIA]

You might want to split the stay across the Canterbury, WM Bass Lake (near Yosemite), WM Windsor, WM Marina Dunes (for Monterey area), if possible, and, of course, Tahoe. Not sure which of those also have inventory directly available through Wyndham (native) vs Club Pass/internal exchange vehicles or direct owner exchange. Good luck and have a fabulous trip!

Right, I doubt if we'd spend a full week at Canterbury.

We will try for Angels Camp if we can't get inside Yosemite. I'm not sure, but I don't think we can get Bass Lake or Windsor. We used to be able to get Windsor, but I think it's now all Club Pass.

 

[Brian Noble]

Jim: we've been to Wyndham Smoky Mountain twice now, and loved both stays. Dollywood is one of our favorite theme parks anywhere. Awesome food, and even though I'm not a huge country/bluegrass fan, I really love the live-E there.

We did last summer at Sedona---not at the Wyndham, but Arroyo Roble, just down the hill from the main drag. During that trip we also spent a night on the Canyon rim which gave us both a sunset and sunrise.

A few years ago we spent a Easter Week (and the front end of Cherry Blossom) at Old Town Alexandria. We had a great time, but it was even more tiring than a typical Disney vacation---you are going to do a LOT of walking in DC!

 

[bwvBound]

We used to be able to get Windsor, but I think it's now all Club Pass.

Awwww. I know what you mean. We had enjoyed booking Wyndham Pagosa for a few years directly as an "affiliate" before it moved out to Club Pass. I was pretty bummed ... but ended up adding WinPointVIP to compensate. Gladly, Pagosa came back a year later with a few units directly offered as WM inventory.

A few years ago we spent a Easter Week (and the front end of Cherry Blossom) at Old Town Alexandria. We had a great time, but it was even more tiring than a typical Disney vacation---you are going to do a LOT of walking in DC!

Oooooohhhhhh, aaaaaaaahhhhhh! Sounds marvelous. There is so much I'd like to revisit in Alexandria, Arlington and the DC area!

 

[npcougar]

All I've ever wanted is a week at Christmas at BLT with a theme park view. I had it last year and my daughter got sick and we had to cancel.

 

[bwvBound]

All I've ever wanted is a week at Christmas at BLT with a theme park view. I had it last year and my daughter got sick and we had to cancel.

Awww, so sorry! Hope you are able to snag it again for a future holiday!
This year we canceled a pair of 3BR Penthouse units for New Years as the family chose "other plans" a couple months back. I've rebooked one for next year (NY 2016/17) ... and will keep fingers and toes crossed for us both! Good luck getting that rebooked!

 

[rwcmath]

We only own DVC, so my most meaningful vacation moment came apart from it. It was on a Princess Cruise in Poland. We visited Lech Walessa's Solidarity office and read his story. I was so happy to be there.

 

[AirGoofy]

A recent post on another board triggered me to ponder, "What remains of my Timeshare-Holy-Grail list?" Mine are below, yours?

• AKV Concierge at the 7-month window with the Wanyama Safari (evening, Jiko's). Done! Booked 3 nights, 1BR AKV Concierge w/ the Wanyama a few years back. FWIW, we thoroughly enjoyed the Safari and Jiko's dinner, served family style back then, but were so terribly disappointed by the room that we've never wanted to rebook Club Level. It is a "once and done" experience for us.
• DVC Grand Villa via RCI. Done! That was cool -- a full week in a Grand Villa, Oct 2009'ish, booked against my 1BR SoCal Summer week. Yes!
• The Manhattan Club over Thanksgiving! Done! This was my ultimate Timesharing Holy Grail item for many, many years. We booked it through DVC's Concierge Collection and enjoyed 6 nights, over Thanksgiving 2013, in TMC's larger 1BR unit for just 200 DVC points + $95 exchange fee. I'd love to repeat this experience if the opportunity were available in the future. Awesome!
• Four Seasons Aviara, San Diego, via II. Done! We booked a full 2BR lockout unit through II against a WM Blue Studio (last minute exchange) several years back. FWIW, it was a total disappointment. Another "once and done" memory.
• Kruger Park Lodge, South Africa. While once a long, held Holy Grail goal ... when faced with "now is the time to book and visit South Africa" we chose a mostly unknown resort instead of KPL. The 2013 trip was a huge success and we found that we far preferred the resort we had booked over KPL. Yeah!!
• Worldmark or Wyndham 4BR Presidential over major Holiday. Done! We've enjoyed the WM/Wyndham Indio 4BR Presidential unit twice over New Years; each a 4 night stay. This is a fantastic unit for a family gathering!

Happy Dreaming, folks. Can't wait to read your adventures.

That is an impressive list. I don't have that many points, but my dream plan will be to bank & borrow and stay as absolutely as long as I possibly can one trip, perhaps for one consecutive month.

 

[JimMIA]

GOT Wyndham Old Town Alexandria for next October this evening!

 

[com_op_2000]

Around the world tour of Disney:
DVC VB-EB Trans Atlantic DCL-Disney Paris-Disney Asia China/HK/Japan-DVC Alunai-DVC GCV-DL-DVC HH-DVC Orlando
All paid with DVC points.

 

[bwvBound]

Around the world tour of Disney:
DVC VB-EB Trans Atlantic DCL-Disney Paris-Disney Asia China/HK/Japan-DVC Alunai-DVC GCV-DL-DVC HH-DVC Orlando
All paid with DVC points.

Sounds like a great trip! We hope to hit the Disney parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo soon ... very soon.

 

[a742246]

A couple of years ago I got New Orleans during French Quarter Fest (April), this was the best music festival I have ever been to, and it was free!

 

[ludari]

I've only been a member for 5 years and my only goal is to stay at all the DVC resorts. I would have been done a couple of years ago but as you know sometimes it's difficult getting those reservations, nevertheless I only have 4 left to do.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

A recent post on another board triggered me to ponder, "What remains of my Timeshare-Holy-Grail list?" Mine are below, yours?

• AKV Concierge at the 7-month window with the Wanyama Safari (evening, Jiko's). Done! Booked 3 nights, 1BR AKV Concierge w/ the Wanyama a few years back. FWIW, we thoroughly enjoyed the Safari and Jiko's dinner, served family style back then, but were so terribly disappointed by the room that we've never wanted to rebook Club Level. It is a "once and done" experience for us.
• DVC Grand Villa via RCI. Done! That was cool -- a full week in a Grand Villa, Oct 2009'ish, booked against my 1BR SoCal Summer week. Yes!
• The Manhattan Club over Thanksgiving! Done! This was my ultimate Timesharing Holy Grail item for many, many years. We booked it through DVC's Concierge Collection and enjoyed 6 nights, over Thanksgiving 2013, in TMC's larger 1BR unit for just 200 DVC points + $95 exchange fee. I'd love to repeat this experience if the opportunity were available in the future. Awesome!
• Four Seasons Aviara, San Diego, via II. Done! We booked a full 2BR lockout unit through II against a WM Blue Studio (last minute exchange) several years back. FWIW, it was a total disappointment. Another "once and done" memory.
• Kruger Park Lodge, South Africa. While once a long, held Holy Grail goal ... when faced with "now is the time to book and visit South Africa" we chose a mostly unknown resort instead of KPL. The 2013 trip was a huge success and we found that we far preferred the resort we had booked over KPL. Yeah!!
• Worldmark or Wyndham 4BR Presidential over major Holiday. Done! We've enjoyed the WM/Wyndham Indio 4BR Presidential unit twice over New Years; each a 4 night stay. This is a fantastic unit for a family gathering!

So what is left on my list? How about ...

• Stay at all properties in the Worldmark Resort System. Worldmark is our first timeshare. While there were only ~30 properties when we first joined, there are more than 70 now. We've stayed at 40+ ... but there remains a long list of inventory ahead of us!
• Stay at all properties in the DVC Resort System. This is a reasonable goal. We are only a few short: HHI, BLT and VGF.
• DVC Vero Beach Cottage for a full week during the summer months.
• Narrow Boat, England. We've talked about these for years ... and I see them often in RCI. Just waiting for a perfect summer week to align with my calendar!
• (related to above ... I also want to try a Horse Drawn Caravan through Ireland ... but haven't seen these available via timeshare. Any leads?)

Outside timeshare, our other travel love, cruising, has its own list ...

• World Cruise. We are nearing completion on this having pieced together various segments over the years. Our cruising history connects Alaska, down the Pacific Coastline, through the Panama Canal, up the Eastern seaboard, across both Northern and Southern Atlantic, through the Baltic, through the Mediterranean ... with ending points left dangling at St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Port Said, etc. By the end of 2016, we hope to have one segment remaining: Sydney or Darwin through the Suez Canal to Port Said.
• All seven continents. Done! The Antarctic piece fell into laps via online auction about 15 years ago ... and was simply awesome.
• Ocean crossing on an Ocean Liner. Done! 2001 Trans-Atlantic on the SS Norway, formerly SS France.
• Major Canals! Work in progress. Have transitioned the Panama Canal twice; thoroughly enjoyed the Kiel Canal; and have watched, from land, ships passing through the Suez ... but need to focus ...

Happy Dreaming, folks. Can't wait to read your adventures.

I know I am resurrecting a zombie thread, but I wanted to ask @bwvBound about the South African timeshare property they chose over Kruger Park Lodge. I am in the middle of making the same request for Summer 2019 through RCI. The following properties are on my short list: Kruger Park Lodge, Sonbonani, Burchells Bush Lodge (less availability here though). I'd love to hear your thoughts about the property you chose for your trip.

 

[DVC Doctor]

A recent post on another board triggered me to ponder, "What remains of my Timeshare-Holy-Grail list?" Mine are below, yours?

Stay at all properties in the Worldmark Resort System. Worldmark is our first timeshare. While there were only ~30 properties when we first joined, there are more than 70 now. We've stayed at 40+ ... but there remains a long list of inventory ahead of us!

How do you like Worldmark vs DVC?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I moved to my vacation dream spot. So we have vacation time 24/7/365. We wear shorts and tees every day. Plus swim suits.

 

[bwvBound]

I know I am resurrecting a zombie thread, but I wanted to ask @bwvBound about the South African timeshare property they chose over Kruger Park Lodge. I am in the middle of making the same request for Summer 2019 through RCI. The following properties are on my short list: Kruger Park Lodge, Sonbonani, Burchells Bush Lodge (less availability here though). I'd love to hear your thoughts about the property you chose for your trip.

For our KNP week, we stayed at Burchells Bush Lodge and it was awesome! It is located directly across the river from the Kruger Gate ... not even a 5 minutes drive. Each unit is a stand-alone, A-Frame chalet house with full/queen bed in one bedroom, twin beds in the second and twin beds in the loft. The kitchen is functional (small but workable) and each unit has a private BBQ. The entire resort is located inside a private reserve ... so look for hoof stock all around. Basically it is like staying in a chalet in the middle of an AKV savannah. Perfect! (On the other hand, the unit is a bit rustic ... you must get over that aspect. The water running from the faucet is slightly colored with rust and we found a dead snake in the rafters ... but, hey, we also had zebra right outside our windows.)

What we learned while visiting is that the Kruger Park Lodge is about 30+ minutes drive (back to Hazyview?) and that RCI exchange guests are generally put in the farthest, oldest units. The drive is tricky ... animals and people crossing the road at random. Sometimes people would 'crowd' at intersections which seems uncomfortable. I was quite relieved that we didn't have to drive that road except for our arrival and departure, a week later. (To that end, do stock up on groceries before arriving at Burchells. Get most of your food stuffs in Hazyview and then restock fresh items from the rest camp markets inside KNP. I think we used the one Skukuza almost everyday?)

Happy planning ... we had a blast with two weeks back to back. First week was in the Drakensberg and the second at KNP. This is one our favorite vacations ... sigh. I'm ready to go again!!