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tonyg · 05-23-2006, 07:38 PM

Ambivalent

rsackett · 05-23-2006, 08:31 PM

I do not own at this resort, but here are my thoughts.

If you can bring your own tubes I think the it is a nice addition. If there was no charge for the Cabanas the demand would far out-strip the supply.

Ray

timeos2 · 05-23-2006, 09:30 PM

Pay - no way!

If I'm going to pay to use a water area I'm going to a REAL water park like Wet N' Wild. For $100 I'd get almost 3 years of annual passes OR annual passes for the whole family for 1 year.

As usual this kind of over the top on site feature (same goes for on site restaurants, stores, etc) isn't equal to what the professionals do that actually run it for a living. it never lives up to the hype, usually ends up only half functional and costs the owners to run. Not a plus for me as an owner or an exchange guest. Give me better units and I'm much happier. I can get my own entertainment especially in Orlando.

Steve · 05-23-2006, 10:29 PM

Not worth the fuss

I couldn't care less. Orange Lake certainly stirs the passions of a lot of people, and I don't think it's worth all the fuss. If you don't like the policies/charges/maintenance (or lack there of)/huge size/etc. of Orange Lake, then stay somewhere else in Orlando. There are plenty of choices. Nothing this resort does is worth the endless feuds and bitter disputes it has inspired over the years.

Steve

bigfrank · 05-23-2006, 10:32 PM

I would not pay but I would use all the other pools which I enjoy so much.

JLB · 05-24-2006, 11:25 AM

A Correction

The LOLs talked about fees to use RI for 17 hours, with no one saying it is free of charge, before I made my first comment. Cindy (Vodo) commented before me. It was 24 hours since the mention of fees and the discussion by several LOLs began, before one of them cleared that up, that RI can be used for free. You have to pay for only the tubes, cabanas, food, etc.

So I guess you can lie on your back or your tummy, tubeless, and float on your only naturally equipped PFD.

Based upon that I issued an apology for ruffling feathers.

It does still appear that if you want a tube, something that everyone that I have ever seen on a lazy river has, you have to buy or rent one from OL.

Sure the supply of cabanas is shorter than the demand. Everything at OL, when it is busy, is shorter than demand. The set up at the welcome party is shorter than demand. The number of people to check you in and check you out is shorter than demand. From some comments, the number of people cleaning units and the grounds is shorter than demand.

Where I come from we call the system used to determine who gets what first come-first served. A frequent comment at dinner time is, "I'll wait for you . . . like one hog waits for another!"

BocaBum99 · 05-24-2006, 07:29 PM

JLB,

I was following that thread and I was really puzzled that you were so hung up with the Cabana and tube charges. It never dawned on me that you thought there was an admission fee. Nobody ever mentioned an admission fee that I can recall.

It just seemed that you were getting free cabanas everywhere you went and you would never go to a pool area that didn't have one so you were objecting to the $75 cabana fee. And, it seemed that you absolutely needed those tubes and had a real problem with paying $64 for 4-days worth of usage for a family of 4.

I guess for me it just seems nitpicky to save a $1000 or more by exchanging into OLCC vs. renting equivalent accommodations and then worry excessively about $64 which is less than half of what the 11.5% state sales tax is for a rental in Orlando.

I would much rather pay $200 for my week here and pay $64 for the tubes, than get free tubes and pay $1000 for my accommodations.

If you add up all of the nickle and diming at OLCC and compare it to other country clubs, this is the single best value in the world for a similar country club experience. I would know, I live in the country club capital of the world.

Given the problems that many have had with OLCC, I checked my room out pretty thoroughly this time. There was nothing out of the norm for what I would expect from a Gold Crown resort. I've been to many Gold Crown or 5* resorts that don't come close to the quality of this unit.

Are there things I wish were better? Yes. I wish they had soap and shampoo. A little bigger shower in the master bedroom would be nice. That and no jacuzzi is a limitiation of the golf villas. And, I could have complained about the spider I saw on the outside of the sliding glass door in the living room. In fact, I could have done a whole review focused on that spider and left a very negative impression about my unit from the description of that spider and its web. But, that spider, the lack of soap and jacuzzi just weren't negative enough to counter the balance of the overall experience at this resort.

OLCC is a big resort. There are a lot of people who don't like megaresorts and the somewhat impersonal service that inevitably results. Then, again, others don't mind it and really enjoy many of the benefits that only a huge resort like OLCC can deliver. There simply is no other timeshare that has the number of activities that Orange Lake does.

I think anyone who is in anyway intrigued by the discussions on these boards about OLCC should just make an exchange and try it for yourself.

For me, I'll gladly accept the label of LOL. And, if someone chooses to be an HOL. I'm fine with that, too.

JLB · 05-25-2006, 12:15 PM

Like all my years on TUG, I find myself now repeating myself here, I guess because some folks just don't read what I write, totally.

I said I waited 17 hours since the first LOL mentioned that it cost money to rent tubes and cabanas. In all the overhype of RI, that was the first time anyone mentioned anything about anything in RI (other than food and beverage, of course) costing money to use.

During that 17 hours several LOLs discussed the fees to use RI, with none of them even indicating that you didn't have to pay a cent. In that time none of them said you could use RI without a tube and they were staunchly defending the charging of fees.

Then, and only after someone else opened the subject, I commented.

It was then several hours before an LOL corrected the misleading information from the other LOLs.

Any reasonable person can see how I would have made the conclusion I did.

And I apologized, something I have never seen an LOL do to the many people they have insulted and belittled.

I have received emails from several who have been insulted, thanking me for standing up to them and asking if I know why they are allowed to be that way. I don't.

Not that I care.

Linda VH · 05-26-2006, 10:46 AM

I thought it was great that you brought up the subject. My g-child wanted to go to OLCC because of RI. My daughter cannot afford to spend that money every day as he takes a friend or two also. They tend to want to spend alot of time at the resorts rather than Disney as the kids like the play stuff. I traded them in to OLCC previously and they liked their unit but not the sprawl. Please no bashing - each to their own. Linda

rapmarks · 05-26-2006, 02:25 PM

I am trying to picture someone on the Lazy River without a tube. it is not a pretty picture.

JLB · 06-22-2006, 11:07 PM

A Delayed Question

Let's say when we are there Christmas week, when we go to RI all the tubes are taken. It sounds like rental is for the full day. So my family is disappointed.

If I see another family not using their tubes, say taking a rest or eating, do you think it would be appropriate if I asked them if they would share their tubes, trade off, if I paid them their full rental fee?

tonyg · 06-22-2006, 11:45 PM

Perhaps they will put in coin operated riverside water guns for those who are angry for tubes not being available.

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