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Question about booking windows for 2br

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We are currently looking into getting around 300,000 Wyndham points. Leaning deeded due to lower MF. If we are typically booking 6 - 8 months out, what could we expect for availability in a 2br deluxe at places like Smoky Mountains and Seawatch Plantation? We travel in high or peak season due to my wife teaching and the kids being in school. So spring break, June/July, and October fall break. Are 2bd usually quick to fill up overall?

We’ve had good luck renting but would like to book further out than what renting allows us to book. Conversely, we are not likely to book as far as 10 months out but probably could if necessary.
Thanks!


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tschwa2

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I think you would have to be very lucky to get a full week at Seawatch Plantation for late June-early August just sitting there 6-8 months in advance. Spring break it depends on your schools dates as some weeks are more popular than others. I don't think the October fall break would be difficult in Myrtle Beach.

If you are ok with the non waterpark Smoky Mountain you will probably be ok. If you want the Lodge with the water park, you will also have to be fairly lucky for the weeks you are looking for.

You probably would do better to guess at a good week 10 months out and then if you need to adjust and there is availability when you are ready to book you can or you can just cancel and then guess or wait at your next target date. It will cost extra transaction credits but the bird in hand is probably worth the extra $19 transaction fee.
 
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So for what it’s worth we don’t typically stay more than 3-4 days and wouldn’t stray a full week likely either location.


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Richelle

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Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
Bay Club of Sandestin
Williamsburg Plantation
I know the schools in the counties I’ve lived in, approve next year’s calendar at least a year out. Most of the time, the following years calendar is approved before the current year ends. I assume you can make a guess on when school will definitely be out. Like July. Unless she teaches summer courses or does other teacher duties during the summer, July and early August should be a safe bet. I’m not sure why you would not be able to book 13 months out.

To get Seawatch in summertime, you would defiantly need to plan 10 months out at minimum. Otherwise, you’ll have to check everyday to see if new inventory pops up.


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Good point. It’s not that we couldn’t book a year out, we just typically haven’t in the past for any vacation. It would just be a small behavior change but easy enough I’d say. We just didn’t want to buy in and then end up not being able to get into the places we want. If booking early and then having the opportunity to change our minds later on location, that makes me feel better.


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Richelle

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Good point. It’s not that we couldn’t book a year out, we just typically haven’t in the past for any vacation. It would just be a small behavior change but easy enough I’d say. We just didn’t want to buy in and then end up not being able to get into the places we want. If booking early and then having the opportunity to change our minds later on location, that makes me feel better.


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You mainly would only have a hard time finding availability in the following scenarios:

1. You’re trying to book a four bedroom presidential during prime season. It is probably obvious that there are fewer big rooms then smaller rooms. Large Presidential are usually the first to go. Most of the times in the 13 month window. Then the larger regular rooms. One and two bedrooms are usually the easiest to get 10 months out.

2. You’re booking New Year’s Eve in New York, Mardi Gras, or Daytona bike week. You need 13 months for those, as they are some of the highest demand events. In the case of New Year’s Eve in New York, there is only one Club Wyndham resort on New York. RCI has resorts but those get booked well in advance. There are other high demand holidays but I hear more about those being more difficult then most.

3. You’re booking an associate or affiliated resort. Those always have extremely limited availability. If you’re looking to buy, because they have resorts in locations you like, make sure they are not affiliate or associate resorts because those are hard to get in most cases.

4. You’re booking a resort with limited accommodations. Limited accommodations means less then 50 units. Chicago is one of those. There are more. Again, look at the directory for the resorts you want to go to, and see if it says “limited accommodations” on the details of the resort. Look up Chicago Riverfront. It has it there. Some say Margaritaville Pigeon Forge only has a handful of rooms. If you look at the resort page, it does not specify “Limited number of accommodations” so there has to be more the. 50 available. One thing to consider, Wyndham has a total of 25,000 units spread out among 110 locations. Marriott has 20,000 units spread across 54 locations. They have fewer locations but more rooms in each location. So even though Wyndham has twice the amount of locations, they only have 5,000 more units then Marriott.

5. You’re booking prime season less then 8 months out. At this point, you may not find any two bedrooms left at the more popular resorts, so you may have to go for option B. One bedrooms will likely still be available until around 4-6 months from checkin. The exception being the scenarios I described above. After that you have to check everyday to see if new inventory pops up because someone canceled.

All that said, you can always find something available. The question is, is it what you want, in the location you want, during the time you want. If you are booking less then 3 months out, you might have to be very flexible if it’s prime season.


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Thanks Richelle! That’s what I was looking for. I know from renting we can find availability below three months but didn’t know for sure if that was just because resorts had availability or cancellations; Sounds like a little of both.

We definitely visit Pigeon Forge/Sevierville every year so it would be easy for us to just pick our dates early on and get those booked. The last two years we have bounced around on to Florida, Myrtle Beach, and Washington DC.

We are pretty flexible and I think that our only real change will come in getting something booked early on and then changing later based on availability.

Now I suppose it is just up to us to look for those contracts that come available for Wyndham and try to get our hands on one!


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Richelle

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Wyndham Canterbury
Wyndham Atlanta
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Williamsburg Plantation
Thanks Richelle! That’s what I was looking for. I know from renting we can find availability below three months but didn’t know for sure if that was just because resorts had availability or cancellations; Sounds like a little of both.

We definitely visit Pigeon Forge/Sevierville every year so it would be easy for us to just pick our dates early on and get those booked. The last two years we have bounced around on to Florida, Myrtle Beach, and Washington DC.

We are pretty flexible and I think that our only real change will come in getting something booked early on and then changing later based on availability.

Now I suppose it is just up to us to look for those contracts that come available for Wyndham and try to get our hands on one!


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I just helped someone get a free 126,000 point CWA contract on Timeshare Nation. Timeshare Nation specializes in free timeshares. I have done business with them twice without a hitch. I also refer people to there, and have not heard any complaints. Usually the points they offer are higher maintenance fee resorts, but I’ve seen CWA come up twice already. Totally free to the buyer. The seller pays all the fees. Keep an eye on their site and check regularly. Every now and then, a good one pops up with decent fees. Also keep an eye on the Bargain Bin forum under the buying selling renting section of these forums. A lot of free stuff there and on the TUG market place.


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jwalk03

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If you are planning to own for several years it very well may be cheaper in the long run to pay more upfront for a low MF contract than accept a high MF contract for free. Just depends on your long term ownership plans and what is out there. Prices to buy resale tend to be slowest after the Summer travel season and before annual dues are paid in January (for those that pay annual dues instead of monthly.)

Some of the lowest MF resorts to be on the lookout for:
Canterbury
Panama City
National Harbor
Bal Hali
 

capital city

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I would consider a Ocean Blvd contract. If I remember correctly they are on the lower side (not premium low, but low) and will give you arp to any Myrtle Beach resort. So if you wanted Seawatch for the 4th you can get it. You will have zero problems with almost anything at Smoky Mountains and can get a 2br for any week at Great Smokies lodge at 10 months out. Great Smokies can be hard because there are so many people that rent there and they take a lot of the weekdays to keep there cost low but it leaves a mangled mess trying to get 3-4 days there in a row sometimes if not booked well in advance.
 

paxsarah

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I would consider a Ocean Blvd contract. If I remember correctly they are on the lower side (not premium low, but low)

There are four Ocean Boulevard HOAs and the MFs vary widely. It’s a good idea, but you have to confirm the MFs to make sure you’re getting the low one.
 

tschwa2

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I would consider a Ocean Blvd contract. If I remember correctly they are on the lower side (not premium low, but low) and will give you arp to any Myrtle Beach resort. So if you wanted Seawatch for the 4th you can get it. You will have zero problems with almost anything at Smoky Mountains and can get a 2br for any week at Great Smokies lodge at 10 months out. Great Smokies can be hard because there are so many people that rent there and they take a lot of the weekdays to keep there cost low but it leaves a mangled mess trying to get 3-4 days there in a row sometimes if not booked well in advance.
Problem with Ocean Blvd contracts is they have higher MF's. I believe CWA (which still doesn't have particularly cheap MF) are $1 or more per 1000 points cheaper than Ocean Blvd.
 
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My wife likes the idea of CWA and ability to book at 13 months at so many resorts. She’s also concerned that if we buy at Ocean Blvd or Seawatch there might be an assessment down the road due to Hurricane risk? We’ve been looking to see if that’s something that had happened or could happen with Wyndham. Also are there any additional yearly taxes on top of the MF’s and program fee?


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paxsarah

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Problem with Ocean Blvd contracts is they have higher MF's. I believe CWA (which still doesn't have particularly cheap MF) are $1 or more per 1000 points cheaper than Ocean Blvd.

We must have cross posted. I own at two Ocean Boulevard HOAs. One is $5.07/k, the other $6.27/k (neither including program fee). The $5.07 is perfectly reasonable if you want that ARP.
 
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