Where is the best place to look up info for trades outside of DVC?

[Demosthenes]

DW and I want to take my mom and son on a week long trip to St. John (or some other Caribbean destination), but I've had trouble locating info on available resorts and accommodation types. Do I just call member services, or can I look online at some place? We are currently booked at Vero Beach for August, but I really want to go back to the Virgin Islands instead. I know I want a two bedroom unit (for comfort). Any information would be helpful.

 

[browniemtb]

If you log into the DVC member web site you can get to the link for trades. It will bring you to a list of resorts located wherever you want and you can get to the resorts website from there.

 

[Demosthenes]

Thanks.

 

[tomandrobin]

Just a FYI - Westin St. John is one the hardest trades to make. In fact, I would say its vitually impossible. Even trading internally thru Westing its tought to get into the resort.

 

[Dean]

redweeks, tripadvisors, TUG (Timeshare Users Group) and Timesharing today are great places to get info. Various BBS can also offer a lot more info about specific places and resorts. For resorts that are members of II and RCI, RCI actually has ratings and reviews that non members can get to as well.

2 BR units are very difficult to get in all of the Caribbean. There aren't that many and most are lockoff's and deposited as the smaller components. St. John and Atlantis (Starwood properties) are almost impossible and essentially are impossible for normal school holidays unless you do a private exchange. Aruba and the Cayman's are also difficult but somewhat less so, esp for Summer. Cancun is the easiest and also the most likely that will provide you a 2 BR options that might come available. St. Marteen is also much easier with varying results of getting a 2 BR but also resorts that are not quite up to par compared to DVC.

 

[Shellandscott]

You can go directly to II. http://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=1500
Not all resorts are listed with Disney. They pick and choose the "best" resorts; I think from the II top 250 or something like that.

However you can pick anyone on the list, Disney will not be responsible if you pick one not on the list and you do not like the resort. I went on my own and picked one when we went to Hawaii in 2005. It was a nice resort, but not the best out there. To us the important thing was to be on that island. As the poster above stated you can look up reviews of the resorts on other sites including Tripadvisor or Expedia to see if other travelers have posted reviews for the place you are looking at if it is not listed on the Disney list.