How will we know?

Is there any way to do a "mock" exchange to see what a prospective timeshare would trade with? We are considering an Orlando Gold Crown/5 Star resort during RED week and I want to know what our exchange options would be. I can't get seem to get a straight answer on this and there must be a way to find out BEFORE we purchase. Or...perhaps there is not.

One imperfect way is to join TUG and ask on the Sightings forum (access available only to TUG members) for someone to do a trade test for you.

If this is your first foray into timeshare I would suggest you are going into it for the wrong reasons. Initial timeshare purchase should ideally be somewhere you are happy to occupy each year rather than to use as a tool to get accommodation elsewhere. Exchanging is certainly a major benefit of owning timeshare, but really shouldn't be the driving force behind the initial purchase. In my opinion at least.
To find out the trading power you could be very cheeky and contact RCI or II. Tell them you are considering purchasing ..... but want to know if it will be worth joining RCI / II for exchange purposes. Ask them what resorts you might be able to exchange into.

I would post a message on the Florida board and ask an owner of the resort you are interested in to do a search for you and send the results to your email. That should give you an idea of what it can pull at one point in time for a couple of areas.

Keitht said:

If this is your first foray into timeshare I would suggest you are going into it for the wrong reasons. Initial timeshare purchase should ideally be somewhere you are happy to occupy each year rather than to use as a tool to get accommodation elsewhere. Exchanging is certainly a major benefit of owning timeshare, but really shouldn't be the driving force behind the initial purchase. In my opinion at least.
To find out the trading power you could be very cheeky and contact RCI or II. Tell them you are considering purchasing ..... but want to know if it will be worth joining RCI / II for exchange purposes. Ask them what resorts you might be able to exchange into.

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You are absolutely right, I agree 100%. Which is why we are choosing Orlando - see my other posts and you will learn ALL about my family - lol. BUT, we would like to know if in say, 10 years when the kids are teens and we want to make a change, we would like to know that we can. Please read my other posts - people were telling me that trading is VERY important and I disagree, as do you.

Dave M said:

One imperfect way is to join TUG and ask on the Sightings forum (access available only to TUG members) for someone to do a trade test for you.

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I joined about a week ago. Great resource, just taking a while to get to see everything!

hopetotimeshare said:

BUT, we would like to know if in say, 10 years when the kids are teens and we want to make a change, we would like to know that we can.

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It is likely a dangerous thing to assume what will be the case in 10 years based on how things are today. The industry is constantly changing. I'd almost be afraid to guess what will happen one year down the road.

Just do something that works for you now, without breaking the bank. When it stops working, do something else. I chalk up any losses when I sell to part of the annual vacation costs.

JMHO.

Sheila

I agree, if I can get a sweet deal with the amount of money I have to invest, I will be happy. I just want to vacation with my family every year just as I did when I was a kid and buying a TS forces us to take time out of our VERY hectic lives to get away. Thanks for all of the good advice.

sfwilshire said:

It is likely a dangerous thing to assume what will be the case in 10 years based on how things are today. The industry is constantly changing. I'd almost be afraid to guess what will happen one year down the road.

Just do something that works for you now, without breaking the bank. When it stops working, do something else. I chalk up any losses when I sell to part of the annual vacation costs.

JMHO.

Sheila

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DITTO.

Assuming exchange companies will still be around in 10 years, you'll be able to trade. It's anyone's guess as to what the exchange world will look like then.

Get what you want now, and when it's time to think about trading, ask the question again.

My 2cents is buy based on your needs now, not at a future time. We did and once we experienced timesharing, our needs ("wants" would be more accurate!) changed ! Determine your needs and go for it and enjoy...don't overanalyze. JMHO, of course .

Ingrid

IngridN said:

My 2cents is buy based on your needs now, not at a future time. We did and once we experienced timesharing, our needs ("wants" would be more accurate!) changed ! Determine your needs and go for it and enjoy...don't overanalyze. JMHO, of course .

Ingrid

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I have SO overanalyzed. It's bad. But I am getting there. And yes, I realize that we should buy based on our current needs. Who knows what the future holds? Once again, thank you all!

You might want to figure out how to get your status changed from guest to member.

If I look back on what my life was like 9 years ago when I bought my first Orlando timeshare to now with 8 timeshares. WOW. Ive gone alot of places from Alaska to Cancun, from Hilton Head to California, from Calgary to Australia. (Didnt say Hawaii cuz thats this year)
In your previous posts you mention your children. Nothing like taking a kid to Kennedy Space Center or telling them all the spooky tails of the Hilton Head Lighthouse or Charleston for Civil War. How about a good ol' Calgary Stampede, these are the lessons they remember. I think Williamsburg and Washington DC would be perfect for our American History. Chichen Itza is a nice starting place for ancient history.
When I tell my grandaughters good night stories, I have to make them up (no books for them) or tell them true life stories. So I make my stories up from history and put them in the settings of the places I have taken them. So when we go on vacation together, I pay alot of attention. Just some words for thought.

It might also be helpful to know what 5 star or gold crown resort you're talking about, and what red week....they are not all created equal!
Connie

Shades of red

grest said:

It might also be helpful to know what 5 star or gold crown resort you're talking about, and what red week....they are not all created equal!
Connie

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Yup, even though you may buy a "red" week, there are different shades of red! Some weeks still have better trading power than others. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

We own a week 5 gold crown resort in Orlando. It doesn't pull nearly as well as my Worldmark points, but I have gotten Hawaii twice (once on short notice) and used another week to exchange back into the resort we own in (Orange Lake). The week going back into Orange Lake is even for a larger unit then what we own.

Worldmark points have #1 trading POWER with RCI

We own Worldmark points, along with a lot of other timeshares, including the Manhattan Club. RCI has told us numerous times that Worldmark points have the absolute best trading power with RCI that can be obtained. Also, with Worldmark Points, you can request first, and deposit your points when the resort you want comes up. Worldmark is the only system in RCI that will allow you to request first and confirm later. That is why your Worldmark trades so well.

Not to get off of the subject - but.....Fairfield FSP will also let you 'request first' with RCI, or II if your a member.



Worldmark is the only system in RCI that will allow you to request first and confirm later.

for O you need a holiday week or prime summer

but, I can tell you, that with kids, xmas is very crowded and hectic (I will NEVER go again at xmas--way too crowded). Also, Easter/spring break varies---so your week might or might not fall on the time when your kids vacation from school--unless they do a fixed week every year (1st week in march, etc.).
Last 2 weeks March are always a good traders, b/c there will always be a school break then, even if it is not Easter week.
For summer, best week is 4th of July (wk 26), then other July weeks. By mid-Aug, many southern school have started back--so only buy a July week in summer.
Bottom line, xmas (wk 52, wk 51 only good trader when xmas falls within the week, which is only 50% of the time), last 2 weeks of March, or july weeks.

elaine said:

but, I can tell you, that with kids, xmas is very crowded and hectic (I will NEVER go again at xmas--way too crowded). Also, Easter/spring break varies---so your week might or might not fall on the time when your kids vacation from school--unless they do a fixed week every year (1st week in march, etc.).
Last 2 weeks March are always a good traders, b/c there will always be a school break then, even if it is not Easter week.
For summer, best week is 4th of July (wk 26), then other July weeks. By mid-Aug, many southern school have started back--so only buy a July week in summer.
Bottom line, xmas (wk 52, wk 51 only good trader when xmas falls within the week, which is only 50% of the time), last 2 weeks of March, or july weeks.

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Thanks for the info! We always vacation during the last 2 weeks of March. We usually pull the kids from school (this works for now as they are only in first grade). So I guess that means if I buy a floating week, I should make my reservations early as it is a high demand time.