Hi everyone.

[philly_phenom Member Find all posts View Profile Close philly_phenom]

My wife & I just got back from a BG presentation in Myrtle Beach. I was pretty skeptical going in (actually I wasn't looking forward to the trip at all - but my wife really wanted a free vacation).

Regardless, we were pleased with the facility (Harbour Lights) and the presentation was extremely informative - the presenters (both the guy running the group presentation & our individual salesman) were pretty straight up based on what I've been able to gleen from here.

Anyway, the one thing that I was hugely skeptical about was the fact that you only own these nebulous points. It wasn't clear from the presentation that you owned any sort of physical property. Based on various threads here, it appears you get a deed for a specific time at a specific unit (with priority booking for that time & place even). That bit of information makes it sound even better.

Anyway, we purchased the sampler package since we couldn't afford the down payment. If we enjoy our year & can save up enough, we'll definitely buy in.

I know June-July-August are out for the sampler, but any tips on how to get the best use of the points - with a view to getting the best taste of what BG has to offer would be appreciated.

We'd definitely like to hit Shenendoah and/or Gatlinburg during the course of the year. Fall would be nice (if there are slots available) - any recommendations for non-leaf season weeks if autumn is packed out?

[bfdretired Member Find all posts View Profile Close bfdretired]

congratulations

Let me be the first to congratulate you for becoming a B/G owner. I too started with a sampler package and now I am at the silver level. thinking about going gold. Timesharing can be confusing it takes a little work to get the most from your points. We have been lucky to have visited a number of the B/G resorts some more than once. everyone uses there timeshare a little different. some choose the same week every year and are very happy with that. Others like myself like to try and get the most from my points...and other B/G perks bonus time etc.....

Dont get discouraged if you cant book the exact week or days you want planning is a key and the further out you plan the better chance of getting your desired choice...

good luck to you by the way you made a wise choice by using the timeshare forums....there are many folks here with a lot of knowledge....dont be afraid to ask questions john

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

We'd definitely like to hit Shenendoah and/or Gatlinburg during the course of the year. Fall would be nice (if there are slots available) - any recommendations for non-leaf season weeks if autumn is packed out?

I live about 30 miles from Shenandoah, so if you do end up there, and want some suggestions on what to do, just hollar. Gatlinburg , I doubt you will get in leaf season, but might in Sept/early Oct. There is also one in Pigeon Forge also, which is only 5 miles down the road.

Welcome aboard If I was to give you one tip, it would be to learn the system, and work it, don't let the reverse happen. If you understand all the ins and outs, you will be much more satisfied.

[philly_phenom Member Find all posts View Profile Close philly_phenom]

Thanks to both of you

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

Take a look at Thanksgiving at Shenandoah. I can almost always get a ressie there.

Beaches after schools start. It can still be warm and swimmable well into October (depending ...)

Vegas is fun any time.

If you can get Solara Surfside, you really have to check it out. People ding 'motel conversions' and this contradicts that opinion.

Atlantic City goes into low season start of October.

I don't know all the rules to the sampler, but if you can do 2 night min, staying away from Fri/Sat/Sun nights, you will be able to stretch your points nicely.

Points - deeds: what you own is a beneficiary interest. The deeds are held in trust and you have "use rights". I might not have it exactly right, but that's the gist of the thing. Maint fees include RE taxes, you do own something tangible. Were the vacation club to go away, you would hold the deed to that unit week.

Unlike some point systems, BG doesn't change the point assignments for weeks (so far, I believe they reserve the right to do so). What they do instead is assign higher point values to the newer resorts. Even if they did change point values, whatever unit week you own tracks to the number of points you have. No guessing, you will ALWAYS be able to 'afford' your unit week.

It's a good system. keep asking, learning, travelling, playing!

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

I know June-July-August are out for the sampler, but any tips on how to get the best use of the points - with a view to getting the best taste of what BG has to offer would be appreciated.

We've used our Sampler to take the family to Gatlinburg and Pennsylvania, and then a weekend for just hubby and I in Michigan (which was a splurge, because as BoardGirl says, weekends are points pricey). We'll be finishing out the Sampler in September, with Harbor Lights. Our goal was to see as many places as possible with the time and points we had; we've got five kids so if it's just two of you, you could see much more I'd think.

Monday through Friday nights off season are your best bets, although how big a deal weeknights are varies from place to place (the newer resorts weekends are not so high priced - or weekdays are higher, depending on how you look at it ). We also wanted to check out the resorts closest to us in particular, since they're the ones we'll probably be hitting most often long term. (We'd already stayed at CMV.)

We'd definitely like to hit Shenendoah and/or Gatlinburg during the course of the year. Fall would be nice (if there are slots available) - any recommendations for non-leaf season weeks if autumn is packed out?

If you're willing to travel in the winter, and if it's your kind of thing, I highly recommend going to Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge, which in 2010 will be Jan. 9-16. There are events going there all week, ranging from classes in photography and rapelling to bluegrass and choral music to discussions with people who lived in the Great Smoky Mountain Park to the bird show from Dollywood (owls flying overhead! Vultures landing on people at random!). All for free! (Actually I think there's a minor materials fee for some of the crafty kid ones but I can't remember for sure - a couple of bucks, if so.)

Our kids range in age from nine to sixteen, plus we had their "adopted" Grandma with us, and there were more things people wanted to do then we could possibly get to. The three younger kids in particular want to go again, most soonest. We stayed in Gatlinburg but if we go again we'll stay in Pigeon Forge, because Laurel Crest is much closer to the hotel most of the events are held in. Mountain Loft is the nicer resort, IMHO, and it's closer to the main entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains national park, but there's a back entrance that's much closer to Cades Cove (i.e., less likely to get middle daughter car sick) that is easier to get to from Laurel Crest. In January, traffic is not much of an issue, but with eight people wanting to attend a wide variety of events starting at all different times, the longer drive was pertinent!

Some of the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains NP are closed in the winter but most of it is accessible - it does snow there but there wasn't any when we were there and coming from Indiana the weather seemed fairly mild. The temp ranged from the high forties down into the low thirties, which I think is fairly typical for the time, but of course there is always the risk of a storm. My parents lived in the mountains of Tennessee for about a decade and for midwesterners heading out there in the middle of winter is not a real high risk trip (we got caught once in a bad Indiana storm going down but have never dealt with serious weather in Tennessee proper, and my parents had a steep driveway that would be a nightmare out here but was no problem for them out there).

For us it was a terrific deal, though. The only "real money" we spent was on the aquarium - got maps and booklets suchlike at the park but I think they set me back six bucks. I am not, of course, counting all the paraphernalia the kids bought, because that was *their* money.

Best of luck with your Sampler!

Sheryl

[philly_phenom Member Find all posts View Profile Close philly_phenom]

Boardgirl & Hobbitess:

Thanks for the info. We have two kids (4 & 6) with a 3rd coming in May. Pretty much any place with a pool makes them happy - so winter isn't a problem as long as they can swim indoors

The kids centers at some of the locations sound awesome - lets the two of us have a bit of time together.

The Wilderness Week @ Pigeon Forge sounds cool.

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

We have two kids (4 & 6) with a 3rd coming in May. Pretty much any place with a pool makes them happy - so winter isn't a problem as long as they can swim indoors

Mountain Loft in Gatlinburg has an indoor/outdoor heated pool - we have pics of my son cannonballing into the outdoor pool with snowflakes falling in the background! I'd forgotten - it did snow one day while we were there, just spitting and didn't stick, I didn't even notice until hubby showed me the pics he took of the kids that morning. Although even then he had to blow the pic up and point out the flakes. Son got away with cannonballing because no one else was in the outdoor part of the pool that day, oddly enough... I believe Laurel Crest has an indoor pool, as well.

Your kids would probably really like the indoor pool at Christmas Mountain Village (Wisconsin Dells), which seems oriented toward that age range IMHO. There are a couple of slides, a "kiddie area" (to quote my middle daughter), and a waterfall they can stand under/chase each other through. In the summer, CMV also has mini golf (very basic), as well as a pond with paddle boats and other pools to check out and whatnot - you can get that on the Sampler for a few days in September if you're lucky. We were there Labor Day week last year, so we had the fun summer stuff on the resort for Sunday and Monday, then we hit Wisconsin Dells proper Tuesday after the crowds were gone. The outdoor water parks are shut down and the boat rides and I think some of the shows, but 'most everything else is open off season, with more restricted hours.

I haven't been there, but the Fountains in Orlando, FL is supposed to be terrific for kids - a lot of people's kids would rather hang out there than hit Disneyworld! My youngest would definitely be on that list - she hates the Disney-type costumed characters.

If you get serious about buying, be sure and check out the yahoo Bluegreen group first. If the down payment would cramp you, you should probably look into some of the cheaper options you can't get direct from Bluegreen. Vacations are a lot more fun when they don't put you into serious debt!

Sheryl

[cjnix33 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cjnix33]

Best of luck to you! We purchased the sampler first, and then we ended up buying. As people have said, the more you know, the better you will do. Go resale, you will get much more bang for your buck. We bought from BG, but wish we would have gone resale. Still the possibilities of getting the perks, without all the money. We will probably upgrade resale at some point. Join the Yahoo forum, there is a lot of good advice on there. We are still trying to figure it all out ourselves, but do know that prior planning, and flexibility always will serve you well. We have stayed at Big Cedar, and Casa Del Mar. Looking forward to the Fountains in a few weeks, and going to make a reservation for Myrtle Beach as soon as my 11 month window pops up.

[Susan3tripp Member Find all posts View Profile Close Susan3tripp]

I am new to BG, and have tried to learn. We do not have that many points.

So last year, the first time to use it, we went to St. Augustine, FL and stayed at the World Golf Villa. Love it, it was a blast. I do not play golf, the town was great, I love history and it is full of it.

IN August we go to Panama City for a week. We go to New Orleans for 3 days during Mardi Gras in Feb.

My point is that I have had to learn and the biggest thing is to PLAN AHEAD, be patient, be winning to call between 8-12 on Monday and call again and again to gett what you want.

The Panama trip too for ever to book, I was calling last year, but finally I called and there was an opening. I was told by someone I could not get New Orleans, then called one day and 3 days were open.

any way, we are looking forward to it. My sister-in-law said, How did you get down town during Mardi Gras, they aways stay 10 miles from town.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Any chance you can take me with you to Mardi Gras?

We have also done St Augustine. Wonderful old city. Would recommend it and will be doing it again. Also think of the Fountains for a future visit. Great water park there from what I have heard. Very close to the mouse. You can easily get into the mouse house to the magic kingdom, the animal park (one of my favorites) and the movie studio section of the property (also a favorite).

Enjoy Bluegreen, I do. I would guess you will want more points in the future. Don't buy from the sales pitch. You can find better deals, including through people here who are able to get you VIP extras.