Mystic dunes vs Grande vista

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I'm currently bidding on a Mystic dunes biannual on ebay at $202 which is a week 41 2 bedroom unit.I'm also in talks for a floating 2 bedroom marriott at $8500 .I have 2 kids 8 and 6 and stay in Scotland.Which of these do you recommend.I also have an offer for a Macdonald Dalfaber timeshare at £3200 which is a fixed week 42 2 bed apt.Thoughts and opinions please
Thanx Reload

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

We toured Mystic Dunes back when it was called The Palms. The units we toured were very nice. Friends of ours stayed there and said the units were still very nice and they enjoyed the grounds. For the price it's not bad if you intend to use it. I'm not certain how well a week 42 in Orlando will exchange.

Marriott has excellent quality and Grand Vista is suppose to be one of their nicer resorts in Orlando. Having the floating week might help you reserve better week for exchange purposes. Marriott also has a fare internal exchange program that might make it easier to get into other Marriott resorts at different locations. While it's not a true internal exchange program it is weighted so the Marriott exchangers have a little preference over outside exchangerd.

We spent a week at the McDonald resort in Aviemore. We had one of the non-five star chalet units. Personally we were not impressed. The unit was small, the furniture older, the bed not so comfortable and the heat was wall mounted units that were gravity only, no forced air. To add insult to injury we had to pay the electric bill for any electricity we used. I suppose this might not be so bad if the unit had an efficient method of heating but those little wall mounted heaters weren't much more than space heaters.

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

Trading into Orlando is just too easy. You can use a very inexpensive week to get there. I would never buy in Orlando for that reason alone, although it is my absolute favorite vacation, even over Hawaii.

Buy a week elsewhere, in a high demand area with low maintenance fees, and trade into the Marriotts. The week will still be valuable for trading. I am not saying Marriott isn't valuable for trading, but the cost + maintenance fees are pretty high considering my Twin Rivers summer week, which our resort is selling right now for $1,000 with closing costs included, has maintenance fees of $519 and trades very easily into Grande Vista. $519+$139 exchange fee is a lot cheaper than Marriott's fees and high purchase price.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Trading into Orlando is just too easy. You can use a very inexpensive week to get there. I would never buy in Orlando for that reason alone, although it is my absolute favorite vacation, even over Hawaii.

Buy a week elsewhere, in a high demand area with low maintenance fees, and trade into the Marriotts. The week will still be valuable for trading. I am not saying Marriott isn't valuable for trading, but the cost + maintenance fees are pretty high considering my Twin Rivers summer week, which our resort is selling right now for $1,000 with closing costs included, has maintenance fees of $519 and trades very easily into Grande Vista. $519+$139 exchange fee is a lot cheaper than Marriott's fees and high purchase price.

But if you want a specific resort and owner preference for unit location, even owning in Orlando can be a good thing. While I agree that I wouldn't personally own in Orlando, we do own in Branson and Las Vegas, both over developed area's, because we like owner preference in unit assignments. Plus, they all trade reasonably well for what we want despite the well/over developed locations. Keep in mind not everyone buys to exchange but to use.

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

Mystic Dunes is a very nice resort, but I wouldn't buy week 41 there. If you want to travel week 41, weeks in Orlando are dirt cheap then. If you want to trade, you need a better week.

I have a Mystic Dunes week 52 lockoff which trades quite well and it makes it simple for us to go that week when we can.

Sheila

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Well we've went and purchased our first time share.Its the Macdonald resort of Dalfaber at Aviemore Scotland.It cost £3000 from the developer resale with 2007 week banked and a free holiday to Spain thrown in(airfare not in).Well here goes.MF are £303.
Whats the verdict



Thanx for all your help