13 vs 10 month registration window - how bad is it?

[Ecelso]

newbie here... I was looking to buy CWA vs deeded points. I am thinking to get 400 points with a home resort vs 400 points CWA. There is a significant maintenance difference, so I am wondering if I go the less expensive maintenance route is the right thing to do? I live in FL and the home resort is in FL... also, I want to hit all other non-home resorts within driving distance.

But, I am afraid that if I buy to a home resort points and then I am stuck with all those points - but not have the ability to book in primetime (spring break, summer, Christmas, et..) seasons in the other resorts because of no inventory.

I will generally be booking 2 room accommodation for my party of 5. Any advise will help a ton! Greatly appreciate your feedback.

Many thanks
Ecelso

 

[HDiaz1]

Personally, I would go for the lowest maintenance fees. I’ve never had any issues booking at the 10 month mark.

 

[Jan M.]

Take a look here on TUG in the Marketplace and under Buying, Selling, Renting in the Bargain Deals. Also on eBay for something at Grand Desert. You can usually find listings for 308k points for very little. If you aren't in a big hurry and can wait and watch for the next couple of months the selection of what is available might be better.

The maintenance fees without the program fee for Grand Desert are $4.73 for buildings 1 and 2 and are $4.82 for building 3. Club Wyndham Access maintenance fees are $5.99 without the program fee. The program fees are either a minimum of $135 annually or $0.58 per thousand points. So if you own less than a total 233k points with all your combined deeds/contracts you would be paying the minimum program fee of $135.

In other threads people have posted that they had no trouble getting the two bedroom units for prime weeks like you mentioned at the 10 month window. Hopefully more of them will respond to your post.

 

[MaryBella7]

We usually book 2 bedrooms. Sometimes more. We have never had trouble getting what we wanted during prime time. We have NOT, however, tried to book at Bonnet Creek during Christmas, Daytona bike week, etc. We do a lot of summer trips and have had no issue then. Our Christmas trips have been to places not in terribly high demand even if they are considered prime weeks.

 

[Ecelso]

Personally, I would go for the lowest maintenance fees. I’ve never had any issues booking at the 10 month mark.

Thanks for the response... makes me feel better w/o knowing.

 

[Ecelso]

We usually book 2 bedrooms. Sometimes more. We have never had trouble getting what we wanted during prime time. We have NOT, however, tried to book at Bonnet Creek during Christmas, Daytona bike week, etc. We do a lot of summer trips and have had no issue then. Our Christmas trips have been to places not in terribly high demand even if they are considered prime weeks.

I appreciate the feedback. many thanks!

 

[Ecelso]

Take a look here on TUG in the Marketplace and under Buying, Selling, Renting in the Bargain Deals. Also on eBay for something at Grand Desert. You can usually find listings for 308k points for very little. If you aren't in a big hurry and can wait and watch for the next couple of months the selection of what is available might be better.

The maintenance fees without the program fee for Grand Desert are $4.73 for buildings 1 and 2 and are $4.82 for building 3. Club Wyndham Access maintenance fees are $5.99 without the program fee. The program fees are either a minimum of $135 annually or $0.58 per thousand points. So if you own less than a total 233k points with all your combined deeds/contracts you would be paying the minimum program fee of $135.

In other threads people have posted that they had no trouble getting the two bedroom units for prime weeks like you mentioned at the 10 month window. Hopefully more of them will respond to your post.

this is good info... thanks for the feedback and response. Many thanks!

 

[HitchHiker71]

newbie here... I was looking to buy CWA vs deeded points. I am thinking to get 400 points with a home resort vs 400 points CWA. There is a significant maintenance difference, so I am wondering if I go the less expensive maintenance route is the right thing to do? I live in FL and the home resort is in FL... also, I want to hit all other non-home resorts within driving distance.

But, I am afraid that if I buy to a home resort points and then I am stuck with all those points - but not have the ability to book in primetime (spring break, summer, Christmas, et..) seasons in the other resorts because of no inventory.

I will generally be booking 2 room accommodation for my party of 5. Any advise will help a ton! Greatly appreciate your feedback.

Many thanks
Ecelso

FL is a big state, where in FL do you live and which FL resorts do you plan to book into the most? For instance, if you want to book into Clearwater on a regular basis, you may want to target CWS Clearwater deeded points since it's a high demand resort with limited inventory and is therefore harder to book into as a result. Unless you are actually going to book primarily within the ARP window across multiple resorts that actually have CWA inventory, it's probably not worth getting CWA points.

 

[Ecelso]

FL is a big state, where in FL do you live and which FL resorts do you plan to book into the most? For instance, if you want to book into Clearwater on a regular basis, you may want to target CWS Clearwater deeded points since it's a high demand resort with limited inventory and is therefore harder to book into as a result. Unless you are actually going to book primarily within the ARP window across multiple resorts that actually have CWA inventory, it's probably not worth getting CWA points.

Oh I am in Orlando, and looking into the 413k points panama city posting - wondering if is a good deal. Hoping I can use it for next year.... and it is the lowest MFs offering in tug and ebay. panama city the resort is nice is drivable. I am also hoping that I can book at clearwater and Daytona during summer or spring break during the 10 month timeframe or catch some availability when possible.

 

[OutSkiing]

Oh I am in Orlando, and looking into the 413k points panama city posting - wondering if is a good deal. Hoping I can use it for next year.... and it is the lowest MFs offering in tug and ebay. panama city the resort is nice is drivable. I am also hoping that I can book at clearwater and Daytona during summer or spring break during the 10 month timeframe or catch some availability when possible.

If there really is a Panama City for sale that would be ideal. Maintenance fees are one of the lowest. Nice number of points too.
We've gotten into Clearwater at the 10 month mark thought it is one of the most in demand .. plan to reserve exactly a midnight 10 months out. Daytona is easier to get into so that should be easy at 10 months.

Bob

 

[Ecelso]

If there really is a Panama City for sale that would be ideal. Maintenance fees are one of the lowest. Nice number of points too.
We've gotten into Clearwater at the 10 month mark thought it is one of the most in demand .. plan to reserve exactly a midnight 10 months out. Daytona is easier to get into so that should be easy at 10 months.

Bob

this is encouraging... many thanks!

 

[cbyrne1174]

The only issues you will have with availability is Bonnet Creek during holidays and Majestic Sun, Emerald Grande during summer (must book 10 months out).

 

[capital city]

Everyone seems to be against CWA on here but I am really happy that I added it to our account. I actually have 520k at panama city and 500 CWA. The Panama city is nice because of the low m/f but if your looking to use it for arp the points to stay there are really high imo and I dont ever plan on staying there personally even though I hear it's a really nice resort. With CWA its opened up everything for us. I just booked a 4br presidential in the smokies for my wife to do a girls trip on her mother's birthday. We also booked several 3 br overlooking the pool on Memorial day next year at Great Smokies lodge. Neither would probably be an option at 10 months.