Just got OKW last week of June!

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

I am so happy! We just got a call that our ongoing request came through for a Disney resort the last part of June 2008. I used an AC to get it. It is a one bedroom at Old Key West for a June 21st check-in. My family was hoping for a two bedroom, but I am very happy to get this!

I joined II in Jan 2006 and this is my third exchange into Disney!

Ray

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Congratulations!

It is one of the best feelings in the world when the exchange you want comes thru!

Disney on an AC. You done good!

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

Ray,
What was your original trader, if you will share the info?
Marge

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

Ray,
What was your original trader, if you will share the info?
Marge

My original week I deposited to get the AC was a Marriott Manor Club July 4, 2008 week. I have not yet decided what to do with that one yet.

Ray

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

Ray....Congrats! Enjoy!!!!

I also got Disney's Boardwalk Villas, 1 bdrm with an AC. I put in a request, and got it in a month, or so. That was 2 years ago.

It always pays to put in a request.....Nothing to loose.

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

Thanks for sharing the excitment with me!

[Merilyn Member Find all posts View Profile Close Merilyn]

I am always amazed when I see people so excited about getting a DVC trade. I guess I take my DVC membership for granted. I would love to find trades outside my DVC easy but I don't. I have a search with II for a week at the Marriott at Myrtle Beach but it hasn't come thru. We can't get trades that are for good locations either. I keep hearing that with DVC it should be easy to get great trades but it is not! I know you will have a great trip to OKW. I own there and we go every year. Sorry you only got a 1 BR but maybe something else will come up. All the rooms there are larger compared to the other Disney resorts and extremely large compared to other timeshares we have found. (Except for Marriott) Oh, and what is AC? I am new to this forum and other timeshares. I will be lerking for a while, I am going to buy another timeshare soon but doing all the investigating first. Thanks for any info anyone can give me. I haved checked into BG and Wyndham.

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

An AC is a "bonus week" that is awarded to members that deposit high-demand weeks. They have a redemption fee based on the size of the unit you exchange for. The fees may differ, but commonly it's $200 for a studio, $250 for a 1BR, and $300 for anything larger, plus tax at some rate I've never understood.

I just snagged a 1BR OKW for Memorial Day, also with an AC, and was pretty pleased, because the cost to me was extremely low compared to the price I would have to pay to rent the same unit---even considering I'll only use the unit for four nights, and throw away the other three.

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

I am always amazed when I see people so excited about getting a DVC trade. I guess I take my DVC membership for granted. I would love to find trades outside my DVC easy but I don't. I have a search with II for a week at the Marriott at Myrtle Beach but it hasn't come thru. We can't get trades that are for good locations either. I keep hearing that with DVC it should be easy to get great trades but it is not! I know you will have a great trip to OKW. I own there and we go every year. Sorry you only got a 1 BR but maybe something else will come up. All the rooms there are larger compared to the other Disney resorts and extremely large compared to other timeshares we have found. (Except for Marriott) Oh, and what is AC? I am new to this forum and other timeshares. I will be lurking for a while, I am going to buy another timeshare soon but doing all the investigating first. Thanks for any info anyone can give me. I have checked into BG and Wyndham.

to TS forums
Since you are a DVC owner - you can go any time as long as you have the points .

The fact that this is a late June week is quite exciting as DVC usually deposits 'low season' weeks in II.
In fact, if you are trying to trade into Marriott Myrtle Beach, that could be your problem.
Marriott owners get first priority (with some limitations) the first 21 days a MAR unit is deposited.
Myrtle Beach are all 2 or 3BRs and since size matters with II, you would most likely need a 2BR deposit to get a week there from May thru November.

And it also matters when u made the request and what week DVC deposited for you - it should be a year before check-in and a DVC week from Feb-April, June thru end of August, etc - high demand.

People who say they get DVC with an AC are paying $299+$95 DVC fee to stay the whole week in a 2BR, a 1BR would be $249 and a studio would be $199.

And to the OP, YIPPEE

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

I am always amazed when I see people so excited about getting a DVC trade. I guess I take my DVC membership for granted. I would love to find trades outside my DVC easy but I don't. I have a search with II for a week at the Marriott at Myrtle Beach but it hasn't come thru. We can't get trades that are for good locations either. I keep hearing that with DVC it should be easy to get great trades but it is not! I know you will have a great trip to OKW. I own there and we go every year. Sorry you only got a 1 BR but maybe something else will come up. All the rooms there are larger compared to the other Disney resorts and extremely large compared to other timeshares we have found. (Except for Marriott) Oh, and what is AC? I am new to this forum and other timeshares. I will be lerking for a while, I am going to buy another timeshare soon but doing all the investigating first. Thanks for any info anyone can give me. I haved checked into BG and Wyndham.

I exchanged into a Christmas Marriott Grande Ocean on HHI with WM credits. I got the exchange in late June 2007. When I did, there were several Christmas and New Years weeks for several Marriotts on HHI.

I agree with other posters that you need to look for an exchange 8 to 12 months ahead. With DVC, you should be able to snag whatever you want after the Marriott preference has passed.

Make sure you watch the II exchange opportunities here (you need 15 posts to see that forum). ArtsieAng and others post II sightings every day. You can even ask them to look out for a particular exchange and they will let you know about it.

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

I am always amazed when I see people so excited about getting a DVC trade. I guess I take my DVC membership for granted. .....

Well, if I wanted to get that week with DVC points it would take 218 points. I am not sure what maint fees are for OKW but I am guessing about $4.50. So this week would cost $981. I would also have to make an upfront investment of about $75/point. This would be an upfront cost of $16,350. Since I used a bonus week (AC) rather than my original Manor Club week, I spent a total of $394 for the week, and still have my Manor Club week to trade. This makes me happy!!!

Ray

[Lisa P Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lisa P]

There's a big difference between owning and trading in. DVC members may reserve for whenever they want, short stays or long, whatever size unit. If they don't get what they want, they can still try again later (or request waitlisting). It's minimal stress and frequent success. For this, a premium is paid. It's the same with our FairShare Plus points: We can reserve various stays at Alexandria and other Wyndham resorts as we wish. Points programs are so nice, like that!

Trading in is often cheaper and definitely much tougher. It's limited to full week stays; we make requests and wait a long time to see if we'll get what we want; it often doesn't work out ideally or at all. So when it does, it's exciting!

Nice trade, Ray!!! I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

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

There's a big difference between owning and trading in. DVC members may reserve for whenever they want, short stays or long, whatever size unit. If they don't get what they want, they can still try again later (or request waitlisting). It's minimal stress and frequent success. For this, a premium is paid.

Well said. With our DVC points I've got three VWL units for New Years week and a BCV unit for a big family 50th wedding anniversary celebration. No way could I do that with trading in through II. Especially for VWL and BCV. And not four units for the same holiday week.

OKW and SSR are possible via II, but the others are a little tougher.

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

Well said. With our DVC points I've got three VWL units for New Years week and a BCV unit for a big family 50th wedding anniversary celebration. No way could I do that with trading in through II. Especially for VWL and BCV. And not four units for the same holiday week.

OKW and SSR are possible via II, but the others are a little tougher.

So true.....
Ownership has its' privileges!
But I am always happy to trade in and am happy for others that get a nice unit at a great time.

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

Yes, this is a good point. For example, we decided that our "main" summer vacation this year would be to the Dells. We could have tried to use a lowball unit with an ongoing search and hope---it's a hard exchange, but not an impossible one. Instead, we just used our Wyndham points and booked exactly what we wanted, exactly when we wanted it, painlessly. Yes, it "cost more" than an exchange might have, but an exchange might have meant a week that didn't work as well for us, or perhaps no week at all! And, the deposit I would need to make that exchange, plus the exchange fee, is creeping up toward the points cost anyway.

I just can't quite bring myself to pay the freight on a DVC purchase to have the same privilege with the Mouse. There are too many home repair and remodeling jobs in the pipeline. Instead, I'm content to use my el-cheapo yet in-demand week and roll the DVC dice---the AC was good for a 1BR over Memorial day, and I've got the "real" deposit searching for late February. If it comes through, great. If not, I'll settle for one of the many available Marriotts instead.

Amusingly, the el-cheapo week is another summer Dells unit. But, it was a fixed week, and didn't fit with this summer's plans.