Sorry,Just not impressed with Bonnet Creek

[LadyBeBop]

brian makes a great point there are great deals on disney resale that wont break your bank account...more people should go that route

I've learned my lesson too late...never, ever buy a timeshare at retail.

However, both of our timeshares are paid off, and we only have the maintanance fees. My thought is...Disney, even at resale, is too expensive. Wouldn't it be better to buy a timeshare for $100 (yes, some people are practically giving away their timeshare), and trade into Disney? We don't go to Disney too often; maybe about twice a decade. Or better yet, buy a Wyndham contract for a couple of dollars, and trade into Bonnet Creek. You're just on the hook for maintanance fees. One of our home resorts is Wyndham Smokey Mountains, and we're looking into trading into WBC in a couple of years.

Or has it gotten that the maintanance fees are more than the cost of renting? It could be. Our fees are about $30/mo (every other year contract), or $720 every two years. I think you can rent a two bedroom condo at WBC for less than $100/night.

 

[Brian Noble]

Disney, even at resale, is too expensive. Wouldn't it be better to buy a timeshare for $100 (yes, some people are practically giving away their timeshare), and trade into Disney?

Well, that's certainly what I do.

Is it better? Maybe. Maybe not. As you know, exchange is not for the faint of heart. Navigating the exchange landscape takes a lot of due diligence, and a fair amount of effort. If I added up the time I spent learning the exchange systems, tracking deposit patterns, etc. and then multiplied that by my typical hourly consulting rate, I probably could have paid for a sizable DVC contract with money left over.

 

[blitzkrieg048]

Well, that's certainly what I do.

Is it better? Maybe. Maybe not. As you know, exchange is not for the faint of heart. Navigating the exchange landscape takes a lot of due diligence, and a fair amount of effort. If I added up the time I spent learning the exchange systems, tracking deposit patterns, etc. and then multiplied that by my typical hourly consulting rate, I probably could have paid for a sizable DVC contract with money left over.

it worx out great for us we pay about 1,200 in "dues" a year. But we can get two or three vacations a year out of it at OKW..you could barely get one out of it paying cash.

 

[LadyBeBop]

As you know, exchange is not for the faint of heart.

YMMV on that one. Especially around Orlando. You'll always be able to exchange into someplace close to Disney. Granted, you need to study the system (and have enough TPU's) to trade into DVC. And I'll probably be on the phone at the ten month mark to exchange my Wyndham points for WBC.

But anyone with a fairly decent week can exchange into an Orange Lake or a comparable resort. And we've stayed at Orange Lake twice. Liked it both times. Probably a half hour to get from he resort to the gates of all parks except the MK, but that's a normal commute for most people.

Besides Orlando, do we get what we always want? No. We've realized early long that we'll never get Myrtle Beach on the 4th of July. However, we're thrilled that we're finally getting Myrtle Beach next year....Labor Day week.

(just realized that we're leaving for Myrtle Beach in exactly a year.)

 

[blitzkrieg048]

YMMV on that one. Especially around Orlando. You'll always be able to exchange into someplace close to Disney. Granted, you need to study the system (and have enough TPU's) to trade into DVC. And I'll probably be on the phone at the ten month mark to exchange my Wyndham points for WBC.

But anyone with a fairly decent week can exchange into an Orange Lake or a comparable resort. And we've stayed at Orange Lake twice. Liked it both times. Probably a half hour to get from he resort to the gates of all parks except the MK, but that's a normal commute for most people.

Besides Orlando, do we get what we always want? No. We've realized early long that we'll never get Myrtle Beach on the 4th of July. However, we're thrilled that we're finally getting Myrtle Beach next year....Labor Day week.

(just realized that we're leaving for Myrtle Beach in exactly a year.)

I stayed at Orange lake too, I htought it was nice, better than WBC(ooops there I go again). Actually Animal Kingdom is the closest park to Orange Lake.

 

[Brian Noble]

YMMV on that one. Especially around Orlando.

Sure. Vistana or Orange Lake? A blind squirrel could make that exchange. Orlando is lousy with timeshare resorts and short-term vacation home rentals. It is downright trivial to get a lovely place not far from any of the attractions for a very reasonable price.

But, most people who express frustration with exchange are looking for something (a) very specific and (b) not commonly deposited. Snowbird season in the southern gulf coast...summer in Estes Park...July in coastal Oregon or North Carolina...or DVC in a prime-demand week. These are all doable, but it takes patience and a good dose of understanding.

 

[Mamatoablessing]

I have only read the first 50 or so posts, but I thought I'd share our experience thus far. We checked in tonight around 5pm. Despite buying our "stay" on eBay, our check in was handled in about 5 minutes. Very efficient considering the lobby was packed with families! The valet was incredibly friendly and welcoming as well. The parking pass desk was a breeze, thanks to what I learned on this site. We marked our income as the lowest possible bracket and viola, no one bothered to ask us anything about timeshares. The room, a 2 bedroom deluxe, is quite nice. The furnishings are upscale, the kitchen well stocked and the a/c is working great! We immediately went down to the bar (can't remember the name...the one at building 5 since that's where we are staying) for dinner. They were doing karaoke which was really fun to watch while we waited for our food. After dinner, the kids went in the lazy river and had a blast. We are currently sitting on out balcony enjoying a bottle of wine and a few smokes as the kids sleep. It seems very private as no one else is outside right now. My DH who isn't a fan of "The Rat" as he likes to call Disney, is actually having a fun time. We have 3 more night's but so far, so good!!!! My one gripe at this point is in the kitchen. It is so well stocked, there is no room for all of the dry food we brought with us for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. It's kind of all piled on the counter right now. Feel free to ask me more questions if you have them!

 

[Mamatoablessing]

Sorry, I'm on an iPad and can't figure out how to edit my post...

ETA: we have stayed at various Disney properties (SSR, OKW and AKL) and so far this is much more appealing for us. It's much cheaper since we are not DVC members and the smoking restrictions are much looser. Not that that makes or breaks a hotel for us, but it certainly has been a great bonus. And we're as close to the parks as any Disney resort we've stayed in. Very comfortable!

 

[blitzkrieg048]

I have only read the first 50 or so posts, but I thought I'd share our experience thus far. We checked in tonight around 5pm. Despite buying our "stay" on eBay, our check in was handled in about 5 minutes. Very efficient considering the lobby was packed with families! The valet was incredibly friendly and welcoming as well. The parking pass desk was a breeze, thanks to what I learned on this site. We marked our income as the lowest possible bracket and viola, no one bothered to ask us anything about timeshares. The room, a 2 bedroom deluxe, is quite nice. The furnishings are upscale, the kitchen well stocked and the a/c is working great! We immediately went down to the bar (can't remember the name...the one at building 5 since that's where we are staying) for dinner. They were doing karaoke which was really fun to watch while we waited for our food. After dinner, the kids went in the lazy river and had a blast. We are currently sitting on out balcony enjoying a bottle of wine and a few smokes as the kids sleep. It seems very private as no one else is outside right now. My DH who isn't a fan of "The Rat" as he likes to call Disney, is actually having a fun time. We have 3 more night's but so far, so good!!!! My one gripe at this point is in the kitchen. It is so well stocked, there is no room for all of the dry food we brought with us for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. It's kind of all piled on the counter right now. Feel free to ask me more questions if you have them!

It was nice to be able to enjoy a cigar on the balcony, and Disneys smoking restrictions are tuff...but u learn how to work it after awhile. Wish i had your luck with the A/C. If your husband isnt a fan of Disney or the "Rat" as he so puts it, he will enjoy it hear as there is no Disney atmosphere here whatsoever. Have a great rest of your vacation!

 

[LadyBeBop]

Sure. Vistana or Orange Lake? A blind squirrel could make that exchange.

Yup, I can be a blind squirrel. Remember, I bought retail.

Orlando is lousy with timeshare resorts and short-term vacation home rentals. It is downright trivial to get a lovely place not far from any of the attractions for a very reasonable price.

So true. Even after WDW was built, land was cheap, and it seems everyone wanted a piece of the mouse. Which is why you can get a hotel room for $39/night five minutes from WDW. (Bedbugs and all.)

Does Orlando have the most lodging rooms in the world? Or is it second to Las Vegas?

But, most people who express frustration with exchange are looking for something (a) very specific and (b) not commonly deposited. Snowbird season in the southern gulf coast...summer in Estes Park...July in coastal Oregon or North Carolina...or DVC in a prime-demand week. These are all doable, but it takes patience and a good dose of understanding.

And sometimes luck. I do remember, early on in timesharing, landing a week in Coastal NC.

Flexibility is the key. If you can't get Myrtle Beach on the Fourth of July, try for Labor Day. If you can't get Ft Myers in January, maybe try Ft Lauderdale.

 

[shalom]

My thought is...Disney, even at resale, is too expensive. Wouldn't it be better to buy a timeshare for $100 (yes, some people are practically giving away their timeshare), and trade into Disney?

That's our strategy. We got our timeshare for five bucks and transfer fees, and we can use it to trade into Disney. Even with the RCI trading fee and the extra DVC fee, costs less for us to trade into Disney than it would in terms of yearly DVC fees if we were paying $5/DVC point. Sometimes less than a DVC owner who pays $4/DVC point, depending on the resort. And we didn't pay the upfront costs for DVC.

But, like you, we don't plan on going to Disney every year. We only plan on going to Florida every other year, and if we're doing a lot of stuff in Winter Park or SeaWorld or Universal, we'd just as soon not stay DVC. We also make a habit of avoiding crowds, which makes trading through RCI a lot more satisfying for us than for someone who wants holiday weekends and the like. Owning DVC makes a lot more sense for people who want to use it every year, and especially for people who want to stay there in prime time, or who live near enough they want to stay a few days here, few days there.

My one gripe at this point is in the kitchen. It is so well stocked, there is no room for all of the dry food we brought with us for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. It's kind of all piled on the counter right now.

We always end up with stuff on the counter, too, which is annoying unless there's a lot of counter space. Sometimes you can make cupboard space by moving kitchen stuff you don't need onto a bedroom closet shelf or just cramming it onto the highest or lowest shelf in the kitchen. We don't like coffee so the coffee maker just about always gets stashed in a closet first thing. Often you can tuck spices and canned goods in the drawer with the cooking utensils. Cereal boxes usually fit on top of the fridge.

If it's really bad, we put our big cooler on the other side of the counter with a laundry basket on it and keep kitchen stuff in there. It'd be easier if we hadn't long ago established the tradition of indulging the kids in their favorite decadent cereals while on vacation (they all have to have a different favorite, of course ).

 

[JimMIA]

That's our strategy. We got our timeshare for five bucks and transfer fees, and we can use it to trade into Disney. Even with the RCI trading fee and the extra DVC fee, costs less for us to trade into Disney than it would in terms of yearly DVC fees if we were paying $5/DVC point. Sometimes less than a DVC owner who pays $4/DVC point, depending on the resort. And we didn't pay the upfront costs for DVC.

That's one of the considerations I was thinking about when I made a distinction between the DVC resorts and ownership of a DVC timeshare.

The DVC resorts are all great, each in their own way. If -- as OP apparently is -- you're an "all DVC, all the time" person, DVC ownership is one way to go.

For me personally, I think DVC ownership only makes sense for stays at DVC at WDW. I don't think it makes sense anywhere else. There are many MUCH better options at Atlantic and Gulf Coast beaches, Southern California, and especially Hawaii. I'm talking many, many more choices, better locations, nicer resorts, and far less expensive...better in every way.

If you're not totally committed to spending all of your vacations at WDW, there are other ways to get into DVC less expensively, as you've described.

And if you want to use your DVC to exchange OUT through RCI, you will find DVC very limited -- access to only <600 of the 6,500+ RCI resorts, no online searching or booking, and no access to some very nice RCI perks. (For example, one of our regular posters here - a DVC owner - recently got a TWO bedroom at WBC for SEVEN nights for less than $500 with an RCI Extra Vacation.)

 

[swilshire]

But, most people who express frustration with exchange are looking for something (a) very specific and (b) not commonly deposited. Snowbird season in the southern gulf coast...summer in Estes Park...July in coastal Oregon or North Carolina...or DVC in a prime-demand week. These are all doable, but it takes patience and a good dose of understanding.

Nantucket .... finally traded there a couple of times but bought an interval when I had a chance at a good price. If it had been anywhere else, I wouldn't have bought it. 4 weeks a year (two of which I won't be able to use until all the kids are out of school), crazy high fees, management that wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else. But now I'm guaranteed the opportunity to go there every year without waiting for somebody to deposit a week.

Now the game will be to see if I can ever grab an adjacent week to mine so I can stay two weeks. Wish me luck.

Sheila

 

[swilshire]

My DH who isn't a fan of "The Rat" as he likes to call Disney, is actually having a fun time.

Found a great t-shirt for DS at the Disney outlet store last trip. It's a mouse or rat dressed like Mickey and with one of those ear hats. He had so much fun with the character greetings wearing that shirt. Mickey especially made a funny scene about it. Everywhere he wears it now somebody wants one.

Sheila

 

[blitzkrieg048]

That's one of the considerations I was thinking about when I made a distinction between the DVC resorts and ownership of a DVC timeshare.

The DVC resorts are all great, each in their own way. If -- as OP apparently is -- you're an "all DVC, all the time" person, DVC ownership is one way to go.

For me personally, I think DVC ownership only makes sense for stays at DVC at WDW. I don't think it makes sense anywhere else. There are many MUCH better options at Atlantic and Gulf Coast beaches, Southern California, and especially Hawaii. I'm talking many, many more choices, better locations, nicer resorts, and far less expensive...better in every way.

If you're not totally committed to spending all of your vacations at WDW, there are other ways to get into DVC less expensively, as you've described.

And if you want to use your DVC to exchange OUT through RCI, you will find DVC very limited -- access to only <600 of the 6,500+ RCI resorts, no online searching or booking, and no access to some very nice RCI perks. (For example, one of our regular posters here - a DVC owner - recently got a TWO bedroom at WBC for SEVEN nights for less than $500 with an RCI Extra Vacation.)

I apparantly am and yes I agree DVC is best when going to disney and staying at a DVC resort...thats why we bought...we r really not interested in going many other places excpet for hawaii and theres a DVC resort there now, or take a cruise which we can use pints for on the Disney cruiseline. I tell people dont buy unless you plan on going to Disney all the time.

 

[JimMIA]

I apparantly am and yes I agree DVC is best when going to disney and staying at a DVC resort...thats why we bought...we r really not interested in going many other places excpet for hawaii and theres a DVC resort there now, or take a cruise which we can use pints for on the Disney cruiseline. I tell people dont buy unless you plan on going to Disney all the time.

For Hawaii or a cruise, you'd come out ahead your renting points and paying cash. Even if you're totally set on a Disney cruise (as opposed to another line), you'll save.

In Hawaii, you'll get an equally-nice resort in a much better location -- or a split stay on several islands.

 

[TotoToo]

Except OKW, built like a real timeshare rather than the "reduced calorie" style of most of the other DVC resorts, no DVC resort compares to BC or most other high end timeshares in Orlando. They are smaller, less equipped, and at best mid-range quality of furnishings. They do have themed hallways/lobbies and of course the location but they aren't the quality of the better timeshares that abound in Orlando.

If you must have Disney despite giving up size & features then they are perfect. If you want features and quality over a themed hallway then there are far better including WBC.

Former DVC owner who sold when the free annual passes were dropped. We did love OKW but that was an exception to the DVC rule. We wouldn't want to return there every trip while there are a few non-Disney resorts we love to do just that. And cheaper too. Better for less - how do you argue with that?

 

[blitzkrieg048]

For Hawaii or a cruise, you'd come out ahead your renting points and paying cash. Even if you're totally set on a Disney cruise (as opposed to another line), you'll save.

In Hawaii, you'll get an equally-nice resort in a much better location -- or a split stay on several islands.

Jim with all due respect this thread is up to 98 posts and 7 pages and I hope you would figure out that I like DVC better than other timeshares...I dont care if you think I can get cheaper for better or better cruiselines or better equipped kitchens or square footage for this amount of money...and believe it or not I'm not brainwashed or dilusional. I understand other people think DVC is not worth it, too expensive for the size, too inflexible or whatever. I have believe it or not stayed at many other resorts and timeshares in Orlando and other places, and yes I still like DVC better than all the others no matter what everyone is stating or throwing at me...I'd rather stay at a DVC resort or go on a Disney cruise more than any other cruiseline or timeshre resort that everyone thinx is better than DVC. Everyone is different and if other people prefer other places or cruislines than DVC SO BE IT...I dont care! If that's what makes you happy then great. It is my right, my opinion and my personel preference to spend my money and spend my vacay's where I'm happy. So enjoy your non DVC resorts and stop trying to convince me that other places are better. Because in "my opinoin" they're not. It's that simple Jim. Make fun of Disney call it the "Rat" do what u gotta do. My family and I love it there and so do our friends who have DVC or come with us. End of story!

 

[blitzkrieg048]

Except OKW, built like a real timeshare rather than the "reduced calorie" style of most of the other DVC resorts, no DVC resort compares to BC or most other high end timeshares in Orlando. They are smaller, less equipped, and at best mid-range quality of furnishings. They do have themed hallways/lobbies and of course the location but they aren't the quality of the better timeshares that abound in Orlando.

If you must have Disney despite giving up size & features then they are perfect. If you want features and quality over a themed hallway then there are far better including WBC.

Former DVC owner who sold when the free annual passes were dropped. We did love OKW but that was an exception to the DVC rule. We wouldn't want to return there every trip while there are a few non-Disney resorts we love to do just that. And cheaper too. Better for less - how do you argue with that?

In your opinion...

 

[shalom]

Everyone is different and if other people prefer other places or cruislines than DVC SO BE IT...

I don't think Jim was arguing that you shouldn't take a Disney cruise -- his point was simply that you'd do better renting out your DVC points and using that money on the Disney cruise than you would using the points themselves to pay for a cruise. You'd still essentially be using your DVC points for the cruise, but by renting them out they'd go further, if you see what I mean.

Also glad to hear that you recommend people not buy DVC unless they intend to use it only at the DVC resorts. Most people who buy DVC knowing what they are getting, and with an accurate understanding of their future needs, love their DVC. It's the people who think it can be useful for non-DVC resorts or who realize later they could have traded in (at least sometimes) for less or who end up not vacationing at Disney for many years after buying in who are unhappy.

If someone knows what they're getting, can afford it, understands the other options, choose to get DVC and love owning it, more power to them! They are following their hearts and living their dream. I can only admire them.