? Trading my 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom and lock off and bonus week.

[robin5252 Member Find all posts View Profile Close robin5252]

Our timeshare location recently worked a deal with II. They will now give us a free bonus week with a 1 bedroom deposit. I own a 2 bedroom so this will allow me to do this and also make a ressie for the lock off and get a week for that as well.

I did a search without depositing the units. Going through the view units on II I can see 1 bedrooms and studios at Disney. I don't know why I can see 1 bedrooms when I check the efficiency I expected to only see other efficiency's.

The other question I have is will I be able to see 2 bedrooms and snag them online if I have a 1 bedroom deposit and a studio deposit. I am doing this to have 3 weeks total.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Our timeshare location recently worked a deal with II. They will now give us a free bonus week with a 1 bedroom deposit. I own a 2 bedroom so this will allow me to do this and also make a ressie for the lock off and get a week for that as well.

I did a search without depositing the units. Going through the view units on II I can see 1 bedrooms and studios at Disney. I don't know why I can see 1 bedrooms when I check the efficiency I expected to only see other efficiency's.

The other question I have is will I be able to see 2 bedrooms and snag them online if I have a 1 bedroom deposit and a studio deposit. I am doing this to have 3 weeks total.

There is no guarantee you will see a two bedroom with your one bedroom unit. Less likely with your studio, depending on when you want to travel. I can see 2 bedrooms off season or at lower demand places with my smaller units. II is size-sensitive, but a single size upgrade is not unusual, depending on the strength of your resort/week, which is likely why you can see 1 bedrooms with your studio.

What you won't be able to do is search with your two units as once, as if they are a single two bedroom deposit. If you tell us what you deposited and what you might be looking for, it'll help us give you an idea of what to expect.

[robin5252 Member Find all posts View Profile Close robin5252]

I have a Tanglewood, Texas deposit and will only be using it for Disney. I was hoping to get 3 weeks this year instead of 2. I have been using this timeshare to trade into Disney for the past couple of years. In the past my resort ony allowed the 2 bedroom deposit but now will allow the lock off and the 1 bedroom with bonus from II.

[robin5252 Member Find all posts View Profile Close robin5252]

I will be going to Disney in May and probably January both seem to be ok times to get a trade.

[robin5252 Member Find all posts View Profile Close robin5252]

What you won't be able to do is search with your two units as once, as if they are a single two bedroom deposit. If you tell us what you deposited and what you might be looking for, it'll help us give you an idea of what to expect.

What does this mean.. Thanks

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I have a Tanglewood, Texas deposit and will only be using it for Disney. I was hoping to get 3 weeks this year instead of 2. I have been using this timeshare to trade into Disney for the past couple of years. In the past my resort ony allowed the 2 bedroom deposit but now will allow the lock off and the 1 bedroom with bonus from II.

I will be going to Disney in May and probably January both seem to be ok times to get a trade.

Well if you're ok with a one bedroom unit, and your studio is seeing one bedroom units, then it's a fair bet you'd get at least two weeks out of your split deposit, and possibly a third provided you are able use the bonus week -- there are restrictions on the bonus weeks, unless the location you want is on the "grid" allowed to be requested in advance (depends on location and month, think "off season," though Orlando has fewer restrictions than other areas) you can only use it within 60 days for other areas.

[robin5252 Member Find all posts View Profile Close robin5252]

Thanks for the help. I am pretty new to timesharing and have only worked with my 2 bedroom before instead of the split.

I just went to II and checked and I can see 2 and 3 bedrooms with my effiency when I search Orlando. The real test for Disney will be when a 2 bedroom show up there will I be able to see it with my 1 bedroom or efficiency?

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Thanks for the help. I am pretty new to timesharing and have only worked with my 2 bedroom before instead of the split.

I just went to II and checked and I can see 2 and 3 bedrooms with my effiency when I search Orlando. The real test for Disney will be when a 2 bedroom show up there will I be able to see it with my 1 bedroom or efficiency?

You're right, you can't gauge Disney based on the plethora of other Orlando resorts in terms of what you might get size-wise. But ya never know. Maybe someone else who searches for Disney with something similar will be along to help you -- me, I'm no Disney expert by any standard...

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

I think you need to be more clear with yourself about your goals.

First: do you need a 2BR, or could you get by with a smaller unit? You cannot enter an ongoing search for a 2BR if you deposit a smaller unit. So, smaller units only see the leftovers. The good news: January and May are good months for the 2BR leftovers. Not as good as late August or September, but okay.

Second: Can you use more weeks of vacation? It looks like you could either get 2 or 3 weeks out of what you have. If you don't have an idea of how you'll use that third week, I wouldn't lock off. If you know you can use it, it might be worth a try.

Remember: the AC has the characteristics of the unit you deposit. If you deposit a 2BR, then both the unit and the AC can search for other 2BRs. If you deposit a 1BR and a studio, then the AC will only be "as good as" the 1BR unit, and you'll have to do daily look-sees.

In Orlando, January and May are pretty much going to be "on the grid" for most ACs, so it should work for your needs. It all comes down to what your trade power is.

If it were me, and I had to have a 2BR, I would only split it if I was willing to accept that I might have to go with a Marriott instead, just in case you can't see 2BRs. If you aren't willing to take that risk, you're probably better off depositing the 2BR.

[robin5252 Member Find all posts View Profile Close robin5252]

Thanks for all the advice posted here.

[bbingham Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bbingham]

Exchange value

I have a questions about exchange value. I have a 2-bdr at a popular ski resort in Park City. It is a floating time (red week, not on points), although not in the holiday months of late Nov., Dec. and January. My question is this: If I direct deposit my 2 bdr and pay the exchange fee, is my share still being valued against what I want to reserve into? Am I automatically unqualified to find a 1bdr or 2 bdr in New York or DVC because someone thinks my resort is less valuable?

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

It depends on the exchange system.

Most work on a "like for like" basis, and these systems generally consider two factors. The first is relative demand and supply---what is commonly referred to as "trade power". If your deposited week has a lot more people requesting it than people deopsiting "similar" weeks, then it has "high" trade power. Otherwise, not. Lots of things go into determining trade power---unit size, specific week/season, how much supply/demand there is for the general area and for that particular resort.

The more trade power you have, the better---you can think of each week having a "trade power grade". In general, you can only trade for weeks with grades equal to or lower than yours. Maybe you can "trade up" a little, but usually not very much.

The second factor is "resort quality"---how your resort is evaluated by guests who stay there, and what amenities it offers. This is separate from supply and demand (though, as you'd imagine, higher-quality resorts are in more demand, all other things being equal).

Resort quality is not always a "more is better" thing, because most like-for-like systems don't let you trade too far up in quality, but they also don't let you trade too far down. One presumes that this is done to head off complaints. Sometimes, you can ask that they remove the "downward filter", but this doesn't always work. For example, in II, folks who own the nicer US resorts (most Marriotts, most Starwoods, DVC, etc.) find that they can't exchange for many European resorts, no matter what the supply-demand curves, because those resorts tend to be a lot less posh. Now, an informed exchanger knows this, knows what to expect, and would be happy with the exchange based on location alone. But, the exchange company can't know if you are informed or not---and they don't want to hear you bitch about it after the fact.

II, RCI, SFX, and many others work on a like-for-like system. There are differences, subtle or not, between them, but they all work basically the same way.

Others don't have any like-for-like restrictions: one week in, one week out. I think DAE works this way, but don't quote me. There, there are no limits. If its there, you can exchange for it.

Each system has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, one-in-one-out systems tend to encourage a lot of junk weeks (owners hoping to trade up). On the other, like-for-like systems inevitably disappoint, because they are built around sometimes saying "no, you can't have that." But, if they reward high-value depositors suitably, it's easier to get high-value deposits.

There are also lots of subtleties. For example, most systems waive trade power limits (but not necessarily resort-quality limits) on distressed (soon-to-expire) inventory.

[bbingham Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bbingham]

Exchange value

Thanks for all the replies. I'm learning more and more.

Continuing on: I have two more questions?
1) If timeshare exchanges are based mostly on a value for value system, why isn't there a value rating system either in our paperwork, or somewhere online?

2) Under a value for value system, why would anyone buy a timeshare in Mesquite, Nev. or Glenwood, Texas (i.e. a place very few people are interested to travel to?

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm learning more and more.

Continuing on: I have two more questions?
1) If timeshare exchanges are based mostly on a value for value system, why isn't there a value rating system either in our paperwork, or somewhere online?

2) Under a value for value system, why would anyone buy a timeshare in Mesquite, Nev. or Glenwood, Texas (i.e. a place very few people are interested to travel to?

The answer to 1) is that the exchange companies treat this as proprietary information. If they told you up front your trading power would suck, you wouldn't join and give them your week and $. That said, there are ways to "turn lemons into lemonade," but it takes time, effort, determination, and some luck. And once you figure out how things work, it's not that hard to figure out trading power for yourself, it's fairly logical.

2) I am not familiar with those areas. But bion, in areas you might not like to go, there may be people who would. And if they aren't overbuilt, a week "in season" could do very well. And there are decent uses for mid-trading weeks, if the costs are low enough. Hey, lots of people like to go to Orlando -- so it got way overbuilt with timeshare and its trading power is therefore lower than it would otherwise. The equation has to do not only with demand, but with supply....

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I have a questions about exchange value. I have a 2-bdr at a popular ski resort in Park City. It is a floating time (red week, not on points), although not in the holiday months of late Nov., Dec. and January. My question is this: If I direct deposit my 2 bdr and pay the exchange fee, is my share still being valued against what I want to reserve into? Am I automatically unqualified to find a 1bdr or 2 bdr in New York or DVC because someone thinks my resort is less valuable?

Well, if it's not Dec or january, I hope it's Feb or March. Otherwise, I hope you would be happy traveling to somewhere and at a time of year that isn't considered a "tough exchange." If it's a Marriott, you have somewhat of a homecourt advantage if you want to go to another Marriott, but you'll be in line behind prime season owners. And btw, Thanksgiving week in Park City is not high demand - snow is very iffy that week.

Your share is valued against all the other weeks deposited that would be in line for the same thing you want. If they have stronger weeks, they get priority. Depending on the exchange system, you mightn't even have the trading power to trade into something that's just sitting in inventory with nobody asking for it - it will be saved for someone with a stronger week to come along. There are other factors like how far out the checkin is, and how far ahead you deposit your week, that also play into the trading power calculation, depending on the exchange company.

Again, we'd be of more help with more details -- which resort/when do you own (which float season), which major exchange company affiliation does the resort have. There are also independent companies that might help, depending on what you have and where you want to go.