Disney and missed opportunities.

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

After Steamboat Bill's recent announcement about the Saratoga Springs points deal, Rick and I had a few serious talks over the last few weeks about the opportunity and chose not to take advantage of it. I have a feeling I will be sorry later and am already regretting the decision now.

Bill wrote about missing past opportunities and those goofy, yes I said goofy, comments we all make when we let them pass by. "I should have bought back then, when they were much less than now." We will be saying this in a few months, you can bet on it.

I could have talked Rick into the purchase (and myself at the same time) if II had exchanges with Friday or Sunday check-in dates to combine with the low point days of the week. This would give us a great 12-day vacation on Disney property for a great deal, with our Foxrun trader.

I hate constantly second-guessing myself when it comes to timeshare. We are close to retirement and will use all of our timeshare weeks someday, but for now, we just do our best to save money on our vacation and continue to add to our retirement account. I guess that is where our ready cash will go this year again, into our retirement account.

I still don't know what I think of our most recent timeshare purchase, an annual week at PAHIO @ the Shearwater, our absolute favorite Hawaii timeshare. I just don't see us staying there and constantly imagine me renting that week and exchanging into the resort with our Val Chatelle weeks, which has been our good fortune in the past. So why did I have to own it, when exchanges are pretty easy?

It is time for me to re-evaluate what I really want out of our timeshares. We need to make our decisions accordingly.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I have been TS-ing for 6 years - and I am constantly reassessing what I own - I have bought ad sold many over these years.

I also have an eye toward retirement vacations in approximately 8 years - so I am now focusing on lock-off units in locations or 'systems' that I like. As MFs creep up, I want to be able to get 2 weeks for that fee plus bonus weeks/ACs as well. I also want to be able to rent 'one half' of the unit to cover my MFs....I did that with my 2 Marriotts this year.

As for buying in Hawaii - knowing that you WILL have a unit there without the hassle of trading is good - and then you can add a second week with a trade - or plan on going EOY by depositing one year and trading back in with the deposit to hook up with that years usage.

We bought a fixed week 3 in St Thomas jusy so we know we can go every year - and the years we don't use it I can rent it for the MF.

As for DVC....it is an expensive buy, but if u work the system, last minute bookings, weekday bookings, etc. it can represent a good value.

[cindi Member Find all posts View Profile Close cindi]

After Steamboat Bill's recent announcement about the Saratoga Springs points deal, Rick and I had a few serious talks over the last few weeks about the opportunity and chose not to take advantage of it. I have a feeling I will be sorry later and am already regretting the decision now.

Bill wrote about missing past opportunities and those goofy, yes I said goofy, comments we all make when we let them pass by. "I should have bought back then, when they were much less than now." We will be saying this in a few months, you can bet on it.

I could have talked Rick into the purchase (and myself at the same time) if II had exchanges with Friday or Sunday check-in dates to combine with the low point days of the week. This would give us a great 12-day vacation on Disney property for a great deal, with our Foxrun trader.

I hate constantly second-guessing myself when it comes to timeshare. We are close to retirement and will use all of our timeshare weeks someday, but for now, we just do our best to save money on our vacation and continue to add to our retirement account. I guess that is where our ready cash will go this year again, into our retirement account.

I still don't know what I think of our most recent timeshare purchase, an annual week at PAHIO @ the Shearwater, our absolute favorite Hawaii timeshare. I just don't see us staying there and constantly imagine me renting that week and exchanging into the resort with our Val Chatelle weeks, which has been our good fortune in the past. So why did I have to own it, when exchanges are pretty easy?

It is time for me to re-evaluate what I really want out of our timeshares. We need to make our decisions accordingly.

My DH and I actually did purchase Disney about 20 years ago and then backed out at the very last minute due to cold feet. I still am kicking myself I didn't go through with it.

And we bought a small points package at Disney about a year ago to test the waters, so to speak. Our plan was to do exactly what you mentioned, add on to a weeks reservation at II.

And you can do what you were thinking. There are several beautiful resorts that have Sunday check ins. My favorite is Cypress Harbour, but Grand Vista does it as well. As does Horizons, and probably others. Just do a Sunday to Sunday and then add on the Disney points from Sunday through Thurs. which are the low points days for Disney.

In fact, Cypress Harbour has check in days for every day of the week except Wed. And that is my favorite place anyway. You can definitely do it.

And with a small points package, you still get all the Disney benefits.

You sound like someone who should get their feet wet like I did.

Cindi

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

Definitey a small DVC points package would work for 5 night stays to tag on after an exchange. There's a bunch of Marriotts that allow Sunday check-ins, like Cindi mentioned.

80 DVC points would get you Sunday through Thursday in a 1 bedroom at OKW in January, September, and early December.

And you would then be a DVC member eligible for the Annual Pass discount, too. Get your feet wet, Cindy. I don't think you'll be sorry being a member with the way you love the Disney properties.

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

Cindy,

I also bought at Pahio Shearwater recently as a Christmas gift to me and my family. My thinking is we will be using at least two out of three years, and owners will always have better unit assignment than exchangers. I bought a second floor unit so we should be placed at least on the second floor if not the penthouse. If we are not going, I will try to do either a direct exchange, or rent it myself. exchange through RCI will not make economic sense considering the high M/F paid there. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we will.

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

We frequently combine DVC trades and DVC points. The big problem for me is that I hate to pay Saturday night point rates for DVC. They are too high. But I like it that DVC is depositing more Friday and Sunday weeks into II. Then I can add-on with less points.

I still like owning DVC. It is important for me to be able to book at the resorts that I really want to be (AKV, BCV, BWV, VWL).

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

You are all making me jealous.

Yep, we let this opportunity go and will be sorry for sure. I love DVC. I love everything about Disney and that is what we should probably own.

I just sold one of our Hawaii weeks, the closing is in process, but I am sure thinking of selling all of them right now. Hawaii is an easy trade and renting our weeks has been difficult this year. This is actually the first year we have had this much trouble renting.

I definitely need to reassess what we own and change our portfolio.

Owning Hawaii is not as great as I thought it would be. The fees go up every year, sometimes more than 10%, then the property tax increase on Maui! We paid an additional $87.00 in property tax on our Maui timeshare, which brought the fees up about $680 for a one bedroom. PAHIO is charging $757 for our one bedroom, I believe. They are just killing us with their increases. I have traded into the same resorts we own for $440+exchange fee. Why pay that much to own, except that we get to ignore the one-in-four. That is probably reason enough to own one PAHIO unit.