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Confused

Charles Thring

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I would appreciate any advice I can get to achieve my goal.
My wife and I are Vegas and Disney fanatics, and try to do Vegas twice a year, and Disneyland once a year. I need to find something that will get us closer to that goal.
I am of course looking for the best bang for the buck, lowest purchase price and closing costs, and the lowest maintenance fees.
So here we go.....
What is a triannual resort....what difference in weeks color....are fees paid yearly or quarterly....how do I book at something other than my home resort...and lastly, am I making the right choice.

Thank you for any responses, and thanks to TUG for this wonderful resource!
 

dougp26364

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Marriott Grand Chateau
Marriott Shadow Ridge
Marriott Ocean Pointe
Marriott Destination Club Points
Hilton Grand Vacation Club Las Vegas Blvd
Grand Colorado on Peak 8
Spinnaker French Quarter Resort Branson
A triennial resort means you can use your week once every 3 years. Salesmen use it as a cheap way to motivate you to buy. Based on your description of travel needs it's about as far from what you'd want in a timeshare.

Your best bet is to look into a resale with a system that covers your needs of Vegas and Disney. If Disney is Orlando, there's probably several systems that would fit your needs.

HGVC would cover your vacation destinations pretty well with Vegas and Orlando but wouldn't be the cheapest. Wyndham would probably work well and would be cheaper, but the resort locations aren't on as Prime real estate as Hilton. Blue green might work well also.

Realistically I'm not sure owning a timeshare for theses destinations vs renting what you want would be cost effective
 

dagger1

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Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch, Hyatt Main Street Station, Hyatt Ka’anapali; Marriott Ko’Olina, Marriott Waiohai; Marriott Maui Ocean Club; Wyndham CWA points, Worldmark credits.
W
A triennial resort means you can use your week once every 3 years. Salesmen use it as a cheap way to motivate you to buy. Based on your description of travel needs it's about as far from what you'd want in a timeshare.

Your best bet is to look into a resale with a system that covers your needs of Vegas and Disney. If Disney is Orlando, there's probably several systems that would fit your needs.

HGVC would cover your vacation destinations pretty well with Vegas and Orlando but wouldn't be the cheapest. Wyndham would probably work well and would be cheaper, but the resort locations aren't on as Prime real estate as Hilton. Blue green might work well also.

Realistically I'm not sure owning a timeshare for theses destinations vs renting what you want would be cost effective
Is there a HGVC (Hilton) TS in Orlando as nice as Wyndham Bonnet Creek? I would like to check it out.
 

Karen G

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Once owned these: FirstFairway@Walden X 2; Lawai Beach; ManhattanClub; PuebloBonitoRose; 4 South Africa--now timeshare-free
My wife and I are Vegas and Disney fanatics, and try to do Vegas twice a year, and Disneyland once a year. I need to find something that will get us closer to that goal.
If you are just interested in Disneyland and not Disneyworld, I don't think you want something in Orlando as others have suggested above. Do you live on the west coast and do you want to travel mainly on the west coast?
 

rhonda

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Suggesting Worldmark the Club. Take a look at the map of locations: http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts
There are three properties in Las Vegas and two in Anaheim, both walking distance to Disneyland. (Or take the Anaheim Resort Transportation if walking ain't your thing. Both Anaheim properties have very close access to ART pick-up locations.)

WM is a highly flexible points-system allowing you to book any available resort location, any available unit type (studio, 1BR, 2BR, etc), arriving on any day of the week and staying as little as 1 night (weekdays, booked w/in 10 months of travel). Points have a shelf life of two years from date of issue and may be borrowed from the future anniversary year. Cancellation policy is generous.
 

Charles Thring

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If you are just interested in Disneyland and not Disneyworld, I don't think you want something in Orlando as others have suggested above. Do you live on the west coast and do you want to travel mainly on the west coast?

I live on the west coast, Kelowna B.C. Anaheim would be the destination
 
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rhonda

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I live on the west coast, Kelowna B.C. Anaheim would be the destination
All the more in favor of Worldmark!

Check that resort map ... you could drive down the Pacific Coast using Worldmark properties as you go, if you wish. We did that drive last month as Amtrak cancelled our rail reservation between Seattle > San Diego due to bridge damage. Amtrak brought us from Vancouver BC into Seattle, WA where we stayed a couple nights at the WM Camlin ... then we drove: WM Seattle > WM Seaside (OR coastal) > WM Clear Lake (CA wine country) > WM Solvang (CA central'ish) to home. Got a chance to use Bonus Time, a cash reservation tool for booking "last minute" inventory. That was a great solution to our being stranded by Amtrak! :)
 

rickandcindy23

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Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Everything depends upon what time of year you want to go to Disneyland.

WorldMark is good. You better plan ahead for Disneyland resorts because those get snatched up way ahead of time. I have been very disappointed in my inability to reserve Anaheim resorts even as close in as ten months with WM, however. WorldMark and exchanges through II would be a good option for you.

Shell has Peacock Suites, and while it's nice enough, Dolphin's Cove and WorldMark Anaheim are a tad to a lot nicer. Peacock Suites is still fine. Shell points are definitely free to buy, but now Wyndham is taking them back through the ovation program, so many owners are going that route.

Exchange works great for me, most of the time. But if you want summer in Anaheim, that is a tough get without planning way ahead. Most people aren't planners, which is why people give up on timeshares and get rid of them without figuring it all out.

I would consider a fixed summer week at Dolphin's Cove and rent it those years you cannot use it. I would also consider Marriott's Newport Coast for a purchase, since it's 30 minutes from Disneyland. That will not be cheap, but the resort is so worth it.

There are so many ways to do what you want. I personally love the Marriott resorts and try to stay at those whenever possible. But sometimes you just want to be closer to Disneyland, and the three Wyndham-run resorts are good.
 

Charles Thring

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Very good information....much appreciated. I was looking at the dolphins, but haven't been able to find a decent deal yet. I'm assuming that if I banked my time at the dolphins, it would likely be worth more time in a resort in Vegas....is that correct?
 

rhonda

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Everything depends upon what time of year you want to go to Disneyland.

WorldMark is good. You better plan ahead for Disneyland resorts because those get snatched up way ahead of time. I have been very disappointed in my inability to reserve Anaheim resorts even as close in as ten months with WM, however. WorldMark and exchanges through II would be a good option for you.
Awww, I seem to have completely different luck, Cindy. I'm rather embarrassed by the number of times WM Anaheim and Dolphin's Cove appear in my WM reservation history. When I view my reservation history with 100 entries per page, the two Anaheim properties appear 28 times on the first page! My, oh, my ... yes, I know I have a Disney-addiction. ;-)
 

rhonda

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Very good information....much appreciated. I was looking at the dolphins, but haven't been able to find a decent deal yet. I'm assuming that if I banked my time at the dolphins, it would likely be worth more time in a resort in Vegas....is that correct?
Compare the maintenance fees and overall usage fees of owning a fixed week at Dolphins Cove vs Worldmark.

Dolphins Cove:
* Lowest buy-in
* Annual dues for the week owned
* Annual RCI membership fee
* RCI exchange fee for each trade out
* Possible Resort Fees charged by the destination resorts (the other end of the trade): housekeeping, activity fee, parking, etc.

Worldmark:
* Higher buy-in
* Annual does for the points owned
* TOT (tax) charged for reservations at WM Anaheim and, I think, some LV properties but not at Dolphins Cove.
* Possible housekeeping charge if you use your WM points (credits) for more stays per year than covered by free housekeeping tokens.
* You might still want to maintain a separate RCI or II membership for trading -- but it would NOT be required for any stay w/in the WM "network" of destinations.
 

Charles Thring

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Hmmmmm....so in your estimation, worldmark is the best bang for the buck? If so, how often do deals come up, and would I have to purchase Vegas?....or would virtually any worldmark resort suffice....
 

rhonda

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Hmmmmm....so in your estimation, worldmark is the best bang for the buck? If so, how often do deals come up, and would I have to purchase Vegas?....or would virtually any worldmark resort suffice....
Worldmark is a 'pure points' system w/out having a home resort. I'd say "points are points" but the devil, as usual, is in the details and tends to gum things up when researching and comparing. If you choose to continue this path of research, you should dig into:
  • WM maintenance fee "steps"; look for "best bang for the buck" at the top of certain steps.
  • Separate Worldmark from "Worldmark + Travelshare" (Travelshare is only offered when buying directly from Worldmark; cannot transfer in resale)
  • Housekeeping charges and when might you encounter this type of charge.
  • Reservation windows.
  • Season colors. WM has three: Red/White/Blue where Red are for dates of highest demand and carry the highest point requirements; White is mid-demand; Blue is the least-demand. You'll find the point charts for each resort from the resort gallery: http://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts
  • etc.
I look forward to reading what others might add on your query!

Do you have any preferences for resort amenities, unit "quality", "must have" features, and such?
 

Charles Thring

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Wow!!! Thank you so much. My wife and I have fairly simple tastes, however crappy "never" tastes good....lol. Mid-range and higher is fine....kind of a balance between class and cost

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

Charles Thring

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Kitchen facilities are a definite must have.... transportation to local attractions is important as well.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

NiteMaire

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Marriott G. Château
HVC Sedona Summit
VVR The Colonies
I would appreciate any advice I can get to achieve my goal.
My wife and I are Vegas and Disney fanatics, and try to do Vegas twice a year, and Disneyland once a year. I need to find something that will get us closer to that goal.
I am of course looking for the best bang for the buck, lowest purchase price and closing costs, and the lowest maintenance fees.
So here we go.....
What is a triannual resort....what difference in weeks color....are fees paid yearly or quarterly....how do I book at something other than my home resort...and lastly, am I making the right choice.

Thank you for any responses, and thanks to TUG for this wonderful resource!
Vacation Village has resorts in both locations. Grandview and Berkley are in Vegas and Parkway is near Disney. I don't know the MF for these specific resorts. I own at Colonies (a VV resort), and my MF is $800 for a 4 BR...or $400 per 2BR when I lock off.

If interested, check out the bargain basement.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 

rickandcindy23

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Parkway is near DisneyWORLD, and this is Disneyland he wants.

I have a tough time getting Dolphin's Cove with points. I would love to stay there more often, but it's been a difficult get, unless I want to take a trade from RCI, 18 months ahead of time. I don't mind planning ahead, but I have a tough time that far ahead. I am afraid I will miss the birth of a grandchild or something.
 

rhonda

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I have a tough time getting Dolphin's Cove with points. I would love to stay there more often, but it's been a difficult get, unless I want to take a trade from RCI, 18 months ahead of time. I don't mind planning ahead, but I have a tough time that far ahead. I am afraid I will miss the birth of a grandchild or something.
Yes, I understand that reason ... When planning family gatherings, I've been known to book an extra unit just in case the family is blessed with a new "+1" somewhere in the long gap between booking the reservation and check-in. Makes for interesting 'vacation housing logistic' exercises, indeed. :)

So about the first statement, "I have a tough time getting Dolphin's Cove with points.": which kind of points are we talking about here? WM? Wyndham? RCI Points? What size units?

FWIW, I've been enormously successful on Waitlists for Anaheim. We generally travel as a couple (just the two of us) and, while the 'Dolphin Cove 1BR King bed' is our favorite space, we will take nearly any unit (studio/1BR/2BR/3BR) at either Anaheim property if inventory is tight. We generally book inside WM's 10-month window as we go for short-stays (1-3 nights max), mostly weekends. We've used Dolphins Cove for D23 Expo weekends, DVC Member events, DL AP passholder events, etc. Most of these events offer little lead time for booking reservations. Perhaps our booking patterns are vastly different from yours? Or maybe the difference is how we use the Waitlist?
 

ssreward

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I don't mind planning ahead, but I have a tough time that far ahead. I am afraid I will miss the birth of a grandchild or something.

Lol, I can imagine how well that memo would go over: "Due to timesharing, can all junior family members please advise of any possible attempt or desire to include unscheduled "conception events" that may impinge on the vacation calendar"
 

rickandcindy23

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Worldmark points. We own 46K points, and honestly, they are going to expire soon, some of them, if I don't use them.
 

rhonda

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My wife and I have fairly simple tastes, however crappy "never" tastes good....lol. Mid-range and higher is fine....kind of a balance between class and cost
WM fits this well. Most WM units fit right into the perfect "mid-range" area. For the trips where you wish to 'impress' your invited guests, splurge on a Penthouse or Presidential unit where offered! (Not all properties have Penthouse/Presidential units. I've tried a few and really like them!)

Kitchen facilities are a definite must have.... transportation to local attractions is important as well.
Except for a few exceptions in exotic locations (Caribbean or center-city), WM units 1BR or larger will have a full kitchen. Studio units often have a well appointed "mini-kitchen."

Transportation to nearby sites is not offered at most WM locations, except, curiously at the locations you've targeted. The two WM properties near Disneyland are both close to Anaheim Resort Transportation stops. At least one of the WM Las Vegas properties runs a shuttle to/from the strip.
 

rhonda

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Worldmark points. We own 46K points, and honestly, they are going to expire soon, some of them, if I don't use them.
Ah, sorry to read that, indeed! We only own 20k ... and always live in borrowing mode. Thank goodness for WM's Monday Madness, Inventory Specials, Bonus Time and other cash-reservation options! :) I'm guessing booking for us is also easier based on our location as Anaheim is a drive-to destination. You are coordinating airfare and are, likely, a bit less flexible on the travel dates for that location than us.
 

NiteMaire

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VegasBella

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Personally I think cash is the way to go for these two destinations if saving is your goal.

Side question: will our new hockey team in Vegas (Las Vegas Golden Knights) be a draw for you? Will you go? How about our new Raiders NFL stadium. Will you go to that? Just curious about what tourists who come twice a year from Canada think about our new sports teams.


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Charles Thring

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I'm afraid I'm not much of a sports fan, but am a lover of Las Vegas. My wife and I just like to go and unwind. We gamble a bit, but not excessively so. We see the odd show, but it's more spending time together for us.
 
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