# Best Trading week in Orlando



## mishpat (Oct 22, 2007)

Of all the weeks of the year, which ones give the most trading power in Orlando for a 2 Bd GC property? I am guessing Wash Birthday week or anytime July to mid August? Am I correct?


----------



## gjw007 (Oct 22, 2007)

mishpat said:


> Of all the weeks of the year, which ones give the most trading power in Orlando for a 2 Bd GC property? I am guessing Wash Birthday week or anytime July to mid August? Am I correct?



The most popular weeks in Orlando are weeks 51 and 52 with some arguing that week 52 is more popular than week 51.  President's week (week 7 - it is also Daytona week) and the 4th of July week are also very high.


----------



## veenstra56 (Oct 22, 2007)

Gary,

How does week 13 rate?


----------



## Big Matt (Oct 22, 2007)

Easter weeks (before and after the Sunday holiday) would be my second choices after weeks 51 and 52.

Orlando isn't that crowded during the last three weeks in August at all, so don't assume that those weeks will trade well.


----------



## JLB (Oct 22, 2007)

Plus the peak summer weeks, 26 through 30, which includes the 4th of July.

Having owned an Orlando Week 23 as our first timeshare, I can tell you that Week 23 was *at least* one week too early to be bright red.

Our 28 and 29 did a little better.



gjw007 said:


> The most popular weeks in Orlando are weeks 51 and 52 with some arguing that week 52 is more popular than week 51.  President's week (week 7 - it is also Daytona week) and the 4th of July week are also very high.


----------



## thinze3 (Oct 22, 2007)

Assuming that you do not have the ability to book weeks 51 and 52, I would guess that week *26 *is next.


----------



## mishpat (Oct 22, 2007)

*Wk 51 vs Wk 52?*



> The most popular weeks in Orlando are weeks 51 and 52 with some arguing that week 52 is more popular than week 51.  President's week (week 7 - it is also Daytona week) and the 4th of July week are also very high.


  Looking to 2008, Week 51 has Christmas and week 52 has New Years. Is one preferable to the other for trading purposes?


----------



## JLB (Oct 22, 2007)

Let's put it this way, the busiest time in Orlando--gosh-darn-I-wish-I-wasn't-here-now-busy--is between Christmas and New Years.  So figure it out for each year.

If I had to pick one day that is the absolute worst day to try to get anywhere near the parks it would be the Saturday after Christmas.

I was amazed last year, when we were there, that I heard that the *third* busiest hotel/motel area in the country for New Years is the I-Drive area.  They meant that as an area distinct from Disney!!!

I don't believe we have ever been so happy to get to the beach in SW FL, for a week of R & R, than we were last year, after Christmas week in Orlando.


----------



## Transit (Oct 22, 2007)

veenstra56 said:


> Gary,
> 
> How does week 13 rate?



Way up there right behind Christmasfor 2008 but this follows the Easter/spring break in different years


----------



## Robert D (Oct 23, 2007)

I think that looking at how the Disney Vacation Club rates the weeks would be a good indication.  The highest rated weeks in DVC system is the "Premier Season".  In 2008, there are only 3 weeks in premier season, week 52 and the two weeks around Easter, which is also spring break.


----------



## tomandrobin (Oct 23, 2007)

The busiest weeks at Disney, in order, are New Years (between Christmas and New Years day) , Easter (week before and after) and the week of July 4th.


----------



## gjw007 (Oct 23, 2007)

Robert D said:


> I think that looking at how the Disney Vacation Club rates the weeks would be a good indication.  The highest rated weeks in DVC system is the "Premier Season".  In 2008, there are only 3 weeks in premier season, week 52 and the two weeks around Easter, which is also spring break.



Looking at the DVC charts is a good proxy but not the only one as it can also be misleading.  There are two major reasons I think it might not be the best indicator.  One, people staying at DVC are going to Disney and probably not very many other activities.  While Disney is the main draw, it is not the only one and the other activities also have an effect (such as Daytona week) that is not reflected in DVC's demand.  Second, some of DVC's low demand weeks, such as the first weeks in December, are in high demand by DVC members because of the low points needed and the ability to still enjoy the holiday festivities.

Still, almost all these proxies will show that week 51 (usually Christmas week), week 52 (New Years), week 7 (President's day/Daytona), Easter/Spring Break, and the 4th of July are probably the highest demand.  If the theory that the highest demand should equate to highest trading power, then these weeks should be among those with the highest trading power.


----------



## KarenG (Oct 24, 2007)

I trade into Orlando at least twice a year and search on it frequently.  I'd say that the week after Christmas and the weeks before and after Easter are the most difficult to trade into.  I might even say that the Easter weeks are more difficult than the New Years week.  Christmas is difficult, but not as bad as the other three weeks.  Surprisingly to me, Thanksgiving is not anywhere as difficult as any of these weeks, as long as I trade early.  I'd say 4th of July is the same as any other summer week in Orlando.  I trade through both II and RCI weeks, although my RCI weeks are not good traders.  (The trick with RCI in Orlando is to catch Orange Lake or HGVC bulk deposits).

Disney sells a pass for Florida residents that is blacked out the week before and after Easter, the 2 weeks at Christmas, and from mid-June to mid-August, but no blackout for Thanksgiving, so apparently those are the weeks that Disney views as busiest.


----------



## JLB (Oct 25, 2007)

Tongue-in-cheek, the best trading Orlando week is the one you trade *ownership* of for almost any SW FL resort on the beach Weeks 1-15.  

Then you would have a reliable trader, although depositing it with an exchange company would likely be the least valuable thing you could do with it.


----------



## mishpat (Oct 27, 2007)

*Am I dreaming?*

Thanks for all the advice. Once available to me, I now will secure either Week 51 or week 52  in 2008 at my home resort, Sheraton Vistana 2 bed/sleeps 8 and then deposit it with II seeking some great hard to get locale  such as Westin St John, Lodges at Cresthaven or Ponds at Foxhollow. Am I dreaming or is this at all possible? A great trader is supposed to match up with like property is done at least one year out.  Or so I keep reading outside of TUG


----------



## tomandrobin (Oct 28, 2007)

mishpat said:


> Thanks for all the advice. Once available to me, I now will secure either Week 51 or week 52  in 2008 at my home resort, Sheraton Vistana 2 bed/sleeps 8 and then deposit it with II seeking some great hard to get locale  such as Westin St John, Lodges at Cresthaven or Ponds at Foxhollow. Am I dreaming or is this at all possible? A great trader is supposed to match up with like property is done at least one year out.  Or so I keep reading outside of TUG



Which Vistana do you own? VV is a mandatory resort and Starwood controls the deposits with II. If you reserve those weeks, you will not be able to deposit it with II.

St. John is pretty much impossible to trade into wether its II or using staroptions via SVN.


----------



## Robert D (Oct 28, 2007)

I own a week in the Cascades section of Vistana Resort. Since I bought it as a resale, I'm not in the Starwood Vacation Network. Even so, I've been told that I can't do what Mishpat is describing, i.e. reserve a specific week at Vistana and deposit that week in II to trade.  Although a member of II, I've never tried to deposit a Vistana week into II but have heard that if I did, Starwood would select the week that gets deposited and that it wouldn't be one of the best weeks of the year such as week 52. That's why I have just reserved a very high demand week and then rented it as opposed to trying to trade it, then rented a week that we wanted to use at another resort.  My guess is that even if you could deposit week 52 at Vistana to II, the trading power of that resort coupled with the trading power of Orlando wouldn't be strong enough to get into a top flight place like Westin St. John unless it was a very offseason week or you find it in the Getaway 60 day window.


----------



## bnoble (Oct 28, 2007)

> or you find it in the Getaway 60 day window


In which case any old week would do.


----------



## mishpat (Oct 29, 2007)

I own Fountains in VR with RCI Points. A VC gave me the advice of actually booking  twelve months out a prime(Christmas)week and upon it goes through , it is mine to do whatever I desire. He actually told me I could even  send it over to II and trade the week with them, even though my unit was originally put in the pot of RCI Points. If it works, I will be thrilled. If not, .............


----------



## tashamen (Oct 29, 2007)

mishpat said:


> Tseeking some great hard to get locale  such as Westin St John, Lodges at Cresthaven or Ponds at Foxhollow. Am I dreaming or is this at all possible?



The Ponds at Foxhollow is an easy trade year-round.  II gets very few Lodges at Cresthaven deposits - I have traded in there within the flexchange period but for prime summer you'll likely be disappointed.  And as others have said St. John is unlikely.


----------



## mishpat (Oct 29, 2007)

thanks for all your help.


----------



## simplyjas (Jan 22, 2008)

Hey how would week 21 hold up, for memorial day weekend?


----------



## bnoble (Jan 22, 2008)

I would think mediocre at best.


----------



## simplyjas (Jan 22, 2008)

bnoble said:


> I would think mediocre at best.


Really?  Don't people like to take vacations for that weekend?   The temperature is nice and it's an early start of the summer.


----------



## bnoble (Jan 22, 2008)

Really.  It's not peak season in terms of point costs for either DVC or Wyndham.    It's a shoulder week in peak season for the Cypress Pointes (Diamond time starts on week 21.)

If I were buying in Orlando, I wouldn't buy to trade.  If I was buying to trade, I would not buy anything that wasn't bright bright bright red.  Week 21 ain't that.

But, don't take my word for it.  JLB above says that Week 23 was at least one week too early.  If that's one week too early, what does that make Week 21?


----------



## gjw007 (Jan 22, 2008)

bnoble said:


> Really.  It's not peak season in terms of point costs for either DVC or Wyndham.    It's a shoulder week in peak season for the Cypress Pointes (Diamond time starts on week 21.)
> 
> If I were buying in Orlando, I wouldn't buy to trade.  If I was buying to trade, I would not buy anything that wasn't bright bright bright red.  Week 21 ain't that.
> 
> But, don't take my word for it.  JLB above says that Week 23 was at least one week too early.  If that's one week too early, what does that make Week 21?



I own week 21 at Vacation Village at Parkway.  It is a RCI Points account but it is a medium demand week.  A 2-bedroom in high demand would cost 92,500 or so RCI points while the same unit during week 21 will cost 74,000 or so RCI Points.  So if the cost of Points is an indicator, it is a lower demand week.  I've never had a problem getting week 21.  It is a nice week to go Orlando though as it has usually been during the Star Wars weekends at MGM and the temperatures are still not too hot but plenty warm to use the pools and water parks.


----------



## bnoble (Jan 22, 2008)

Well, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm going during week 21 this year myself; I snagged a 1BR OKW with an AC.  Unfortunately, it looks as though Star Wars Weekends are now more or less permanently ensconced in June.


----------



## gjw007 (Jan 22, 2008)

bnoble said:


> Really.  It's not peak season in terms of point costs for either DVC or Wyndham.    It's a shoulder week in peak season for the Cypress Pointes (Diamond time starts on week 21.)
> 
> If I were buying in Orlando, I wouldn't buy to trade.  If I was buying to trade, I would not buy anything that wasn't bright bright bright red.  Week 21 ain't that.
> 
> But, don't take my word for it.  JLB above says that Week 23 was at least one week too early.  If that's one week too early, what does that make Week 21?



I agree.  I've never had a problem getting week 21 but if I were buying a week for the purpose of trading or getting maximum points, this would not be a good week.  Having learned this, most of my weeks that I have purchased recently have been weeks 51 or 52 but this changes depending on demand for the resort (i.e. area as other locations in the country have different demands than does Florida) as I will check out the highest points weeks (all my units are now points-based).  Weeks-based units are not as easy to check but the points-based system provide a good indicator of demand.

As an aside; Week 21 is a nice week to go Orlando though as it has usually been during the Star Wars weekends at MGM and the temperatures are still not too hot but plenty warm to use the pools and water parks.  Just because a week is a low demand for others doesn't mean that different individuals haven't placed a higher demand on that week.  Each individual is different.  For example, week 50 is a low demand week just before Christmas but I much prefer going during week 50 than week 51 or 52.  Others enjoy Christmas week better.


----------



## lprstn (Jan 22, 2008)

*A Great Trader...*



mishpat said:


> Thanks for all the advice. Once available to me, I now will secure either Week 51 or week 52  in 2008 at my home resort, Sheraton Vistana 2 bed/sleeps 8 and then deposit it with II seeking some great hard to get locale  such as Westin St John, Lodges at Cresthaven or Ponds at Foxhollow. Am I dreaming or is this at all possible? A great trader is supposed to match up with like property is done at least one year out.  Or so I keep reading outside of TUG



My advice is to do an open search for at least 6 months to up to 2 years for the places you want.  Call frequently to check on your on going search and you will get what you want.  (I trade my Sheraton Vistana 2-bed for these) I always get good trades but my best like Hawaii and Aruba I had an ongoing search on for almost 6 months before I get a hit.  Those are places where I don't care when the reservation is, I will drop everything to go...hee hee


----------



## Daverock (Jan 24, 2008)

*Luck and being there at the right time.*

Talk about trading power.  My wife and I are going to England the summer of 09 to stay with friends.  About 2 months ago I thought I would use my Vistana week 52 to see if I could pull anything along the Normandy coast of France while we were there.  I put in a search and lo & behold a week on the French Riviera pops up.  I grabbed it.  

Interestingly, I used 2 diff weeks 52 at Vistana...one an 09 week and the other an 010 week both deposited a year in advance.  Only the 010 week could pull it.  Even the RCI rep didn't understand why.  

IMHO from experience using week 51 & 52, week 52 is the stronger trader.

Dave


----------



## JLB (Jan 24, 2008)

Uh . . . *3 *weeks too early.    

Sometimes folks here like other folks here to explain themselves, to confirm from whence they come, and why they say what they say.

Our first years of timesharing was in Orlando during the red, white and blue only days, those days when it made it really easy for the salespeople to spin their yarns.

We bought Week 23 when red started Week 24 (yes, it actually was that way once, before it was red all year).  Within one year 23 was red, and I was really proud of how smart I was (before the days of Internet forums, when folks could feel they were smart when they were really dumb).

Of course, even being red, 23 still sucked.  It continue to for the duration that we owned it.  At one point an unimpeachable source within RCI told me it was *one week too early*.  Our 28 and 29 did a little better.

That is how a came to say what I say.



bnoble said:


> But, don't take my word for it.  JLB above says that Week 23 was at least one week too early.  If that's one week too early, what does that make Week 21?


----------

