I emailed Shelby resorts but no availability for when I need to book.Just putting in a plug for Shelby Resorts. We've used them several times and have had nothing but great experiences.
I am working with Trip Bound for our upcoming trip. They have been wonderful. I have seen other people on here use them.
I can recommend both Vacation Strategies and Trip Bound.
Yes I booked on ebay last year. Just look for sellers with excellent reviewsI got a dummy quote from TB and VS, and TB was cheaper for me as well. I was wondering about Ebay though? I don't know if I would chance it with them. Are those trips legit and such?
did they reimburse her so money because 2 bedrooms are cheaper?Yes. My sister booked a 3 bedroom, but they could not secure it for her. They told her they could only get a 2 bedroom. She booked in July of last year and was told a month or two before arrival that they could not get the 3 bedroom. Luckily it was just 4 people so my mother could share a bedroom with my nephew. Not sure how common this is.
Working on my shopping list for our trip next month....do the units come with any kind of detergent for a load of wash or best to pick up something small?
I can confirm that they’ll bring more supplies (including coffee and popcorn) if you ask. Housekeeping came within 10 minutes.Do you mean laundry or dishes? The units come with Country Save unscented laundry detergent (allergy friendly) and a starter supply of dishwasher detergent, in addition to liquid dish soap for washing by hand. I have heard that you can get additional supplies of any of the above by calling for more, though I just usually throw a couple of laundry pods and dishwasher pods into a ziploc to pack.
Can you please share your 2 go to owners? I would like to go thru a private owner this yearCrazy how different experiences can be! Aside from renting from the known mega-rental companies, I found our 2 “go-to” private owners that I rent from through VRBO when possible. They have been awesome and let me know if they can get me what I need right away. No extra costs, fees. We pretty much only go at holiday/peak season so rates are understandably high. Every time, the price they offered was less than the company quotes by far. The difference is they don’t offer a refund/rebook option but I’m ok with that. They are whatever “level” with Wyndham so there isn’t a cost to transfer the reservations to me. And after finding them on VRBO and using them the first time, we did a private contracts so no VRBO fee.
I would continue to use it as a tool and follow up. You never know what great deal or rental relationship may come of it. Last Nov we had on owner call us to see if we were interested in a last minute deal as someone canceled. They had to rent it as they couldn’t go themselves. We had inquired with them but they had already used up their points, etc. and couldn’t do a reservation for us. We got Thanksgiving week, 2BR deluxe, for $500.
how does reunion compare to bonnet creek?Since then, there was a change to Wyndham's reservation system. I think most of the information is still valid, but automatic upgrades are not there. You have to do a lot of research, a lot of searching, be patient, and most importantly be flexible. What I mean by be flexible is not only consider WBC, consider other resorts, the week you vacation as well.
To give an example, I was about to bite the bullet for our summer trip on June 16-June 23, pay $800 for a 1BR stay at WBC. There were no deals to be had and the people I look to confirmed there were going to be no deals (100% booked). I kept searching and hoping. I found a rental for June 15-June 22nd. It pulls my stay in a day, but still 7-nights. This was for Reunion Resort, not WBC. It was a 3BR/3BA unit for $550. Money was a little tighter this vacation, so we chose to go there. The $250 price difference covered groceries and adult beverages in the room for the week. We also tripled the space. Accommodations were equal with WBC. Activities were much less, but we were at the parks.
Friends just stayed at Mariott Sabal Palms and it is equally as gorgeous. My recommendation is not to think that WBC is the only option. There are tons more. The location is great, but only saves maybe 5 minutes tops from other resorts.
who do you normally book thru?What size unit? If you looking for a 2 bedroom deluxe and are not traveling over Thanksgiving, I would look for a rate of about $1200 for 7 nights. Many folks pay less, many pay more. You will pay a premium for booking a year in advance. If you go with someone with a full cancellation/refund policy you can book a reservation for peace of mind and continue to shop rates. I think most people saying "book close to your dates" means 60 days or less. WBC has a huge inventory of 2 br deluxe units so if you aren't traveling over a holiday (thanksgiving or Christmas) you will likely find a better rate by waiting.
That said, $1800 isn't totally outlandish so if you're comfortable with it and want to book this far out, go for it.
who do you normally book thru?