# Newport coast or escondido?



## GreenThumb (May 13, 2012)

We are thinking of going to newport coast or escondido between jan 13 and aug 13. Since xchanging, I think we will realistically be travelling in january thru april. 

If others have visited the marriott or the welk resorts in newport or escondido, can you offer opinions about which is likely to be more of a fun trip and good for the crew we are travelling with?

Note we are 40'somethings with 2 kids, hoping for a 2-3 bedroom place to share with in-laws, who we mostly get on well with. Kids are 10 & 12.

Ideas?


----------



## DeniseM (May 13, 2012)

Newport Coast Villas is a difficult exchange and it takes a strong trader - it's very close to the coast.

The Welk resort is an easy exchange, it's near San Diego, and 30 miles inland.


----------



## nightnurse613 (May 13, 2012)

While I like both resorts, I think that Welk is actually a better choice; especially with kids.  There are lots of nearby attractions. Feeding the lorikeets at the Wild Animal Park can be the highlight of your trip!! Of course, San Diego is not that far away. The NCV is a very nice facility but not much happening at the resort.  Of course the beach is very close and San Diego is not that far away either- also closer to Disneyland, Universal Studios and the Aquarium.  Depends on the purpose of your trip but, as Denise pointed out NCV can be a tough trade.  Be happy with whatever you get!!


----------



## sue1947 (May 14, 2012)

I've been to both in January.  NCV is not that hard of a trade in Jan when many think it's too cold for the beach.  I'm from the north so think it's perfect weather.

If you want to do San Diego activities, go for LW.  If you want the beach, go with NCV.  

LW has the better kid options on site.  While NCV has activities for kids, the Lawrence Welk facilities include volleyball nets, water sprinklers, games etc for kids of all ages.  I really liked the units; we were in the older section and they had been recently updated and were very large.  

Sue


----------



## mjm1 (May 14, 2012)

sue1947 said:


> I've been to both in January.  NCV is not that hard of a trade in Jan when many think it's too cold for the beach.  I'm from the north so think it's perfect weather.
> 
> If you want to do San Diego activities, go for LW.  If you want the beach, go with NCV.
> 
> ...



I agree with these comments.  

We have owned at Welk for over 10 years and really enjoy it.  One of Welk Resort's selling points is it's relatively central location to everything SoCal.  You can get to the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld within 30-45 minutes depending on traffic, Carlsbad on the coast within 30 minutes (although the water is too cold for us at the time you referred to), the wine country in Temecula for an adult trip (20-25 minutes), Wild Animal Safari Park in Escondido.  There are also a number of reasonably priced golf courses in the surrounding areas, not to mention the very nice executive course (The Fountains) on property.

From a unit perspective, I would shoot for either the Mountain Villas (the newest section of the resort) or the Lawrence Welk Resort Villas (the oldest, but recently remodeled section) rather than the Villas on the Green.  We like the lay out of the rooms better.  You have access to all of the pools in the entire resort, but the pool located nearest the frontage road is an adult only pool.  Right next to the tennis courts.

I will admit that we have never stayed at the Marriott Newport Coast, but have stopped by a couple of times.  Very nice resort, but given what you shared, maybe not the best spot. We actually traded in there for this coming October, but we won't have kids with us.

Enjoy your trip.  Cheers.


----------



## LAX Mom (May 14, 2012)

Newport Coast is very nice, but only has 2 bedroom units. (You mentioned needing a 2 or 3 bedroom unit.) The second bedroom is small with a queen bed and sofa bed (full size?). If the sofa bed is made into a bed there is not much room for walking, etc.

If you are taking inlaws you might need a 3 bedroom unit? I guess you could put the kids on the sofa sleeper in the living room. 

I haven't stayed at the Welk resort.


----------



## ljlong15 (May 14, 2012)

We were at Newport Coast the April break week.  I traded presidents week at Cypress Harbour. Did not take long to get the trade. It is a beautiful resort but the 2 bedroom villa is a little small.  Our kids are ages 12, 8 and 1We liked the location. Not far from LA.  Plenty to do there....WDW, Universal, Knotts Berry Farm and of course Hollywood.  We went to San Diego Safari park.  Not very impressed. We are from Long Island and have the Bronx Zoo near by.  Would definatley go there again.


----------



## GreenThumb (May 16, 2012)

*Thank You!*

This is great information! Thank you. My main concern after reading your emails is that the Newport Coast rooms might be on the small side for sharing. We like the in-laws, but I'm the sort that needs a little breathing room if the visits are over four or five days. We are a bit faster and more adventurous, they go very slowly (20 minutes to get up and out versus 2-3 hours to get ready in the morning!). Sounds like Welk will just have more variety for us so we can flex with the different paces. 

I myself am very curious about the location and property for Marriott NCV--and I'm a Disney fan. However, for the entire crew and situation, it is probably better for us to focus on the Welk resort. Plus, the in-laws say they lean towards San Diego (they are from the mid-west and have never traveled much out of that region). We could also still think about doing an early morning rise-and-shine to Disney -- I know that drive is a nightmare though.

I do see both for this year as exchanges for that time frame. I don't see any 3 bedrms though. Will be trying to do the exchange over the phone.

So, next question: anyone have a favorite representative who is knowledgeable and savy at the Starwood desk for II?


----------



## GreenThumb (May 16, 2012)

ljlong15 said:


> We were at Newport Coast the April break week.  I traded presidents week at Cypress Harbour. Did not take long to get the trade. It is a beautiful resort but the 2 bedroom villa is a little small.  Our kids are ages 12, 8 and 1We liked the location. Not far from LA.  Plenty to do there....WDW, Universal, Knotts Berry Farm and of course Hollywood.  We went to San Diego Safari park.  Not very impressed. We are from Long Island and have the Bronx Zoo near by.  Would definatley go there again.



In case you do go again, I was thinking about you comment about the safari park. When we went to San Diego, we didn't go there. We went to the SD Zoo. We really liked the SD Zoo, and we also liked the entire park that it is in. I think we'll go to the Safari next time, but I'm feeling better now about missing it before! 

Sea World was a little weird for us. We are from the PacNW, and it is odd to see Orcas in warm water doing tricks. I can see why that one got grumpy with the trainers a bit ago (their newer modified show was good though, and tried hard to be more PC). Our favorite show was the Sea Lions, frankly. Though very not-packed, it was hilarious. And the Sea Lions are stubborn, which just made it better.

We stayed in SD last time (been to LA and SF lots, but not SD). The other thing we really enjoyed was just walking the beach boardwalk and going to see more "local" places, restaurants, events. The Mexican border is so close, and the influences on SD were very interesting for us. Not sure if that stuff is of interest to you, but maybe keep it in mind if you head out there again.


----------



## Jaybee (May 17, 2012)

One other point.... If you get a 2 BR unit at Mtn. Villas, the 1 BR unit is a completely separate space, with it's own entrance, and balcony.  It's the best of both worlds for sharing, and for private time.


----------



## Steve (May 17, 2012)

*A different view...*

I kind of disagree with the majority on this one.  While Welk may have bigger units and more on-site activities, I much prefer Marriott's Newport Coast Villas.  The setting, architecture, and views are so much better at the Marriott.  You're high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Marriott vs. being in a hot inland valley overlooking I-15 at Welk.  

That said, my favorite timeshare in Southern California by far is Four Seasons Aviara.  Huge lock-out 2 bedroom villas with 3 full baths, fireplaces, tons of privacy, upscale decor, daily maid service, and a great location in Carlsbad.  It's definitely worthy of your consideration.

Steve


----------



## ricoba (May 18, 2012)

ljlong15 said:


> ...Plenty to do there....WDW, Universal, Knotts Berry Farm and of course Hollywood. ..



Whoops your East Coast is showing...no WDW here, just the one and only original DL!


----------



## Passepartout (May 18, 2012)

ricoba said:


> Whoops your East Coast is showing...no WDW here, just the one and only original DL!



And don't forget Disney's California Adventure. If it isn't fully open yet, it will be soon.

Jim


----------



## Luanne (May 18, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> And don't forget Disney's California Adventure. If it isn't fully open yet, it will be soon.
> 
> Jim



Don't understand this comment.  What do you mean?


----------



## ricoba (May 18, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> And don't forget Disney's California Adventure. If it isn't fully open yet, it will be soon.
> 
> Jim



It's been open a few years now, though it has just recently undergone some major upgrades.


----------



## GreenThumb (May 19, 2012)

*FSA / Carlsbad*

Interesting you mentioned that. I was just thinking this morning that it might be worth putting in a ongoing request for FSA, while watching for one of the others. It could be a great place for cross-generational time. 

I am not sure I'd get a 2 bdrm on exchange, though. I believe if they match me to a 1-bd or studio, I have 24 hours to reject the confirmation, correct?  

I'd need to be vigilant. I'm a newbie and it is our first year in the system. 

Good input on the other places. I do think that personally, I would prefer the Marriott.


----------



## Steve (May 19, 2012)

Four Seasons Aviara is actually not a difficult exchange if you are using a high quality week for your search/deposit in II, and if you are willing to travel in January or February.  You should be able to get a 2 bedroom during that time frame without too much trouble.  Sometimes, a week becomes available for March through May, but it is not a sure thing by any means.  Prime summer weeks are extremely rare.

To answer your question, you can certainly turn down a studio or 1 bedroom exchange if you call II within 24 hours of the confirmation of the exchange.  If the week you are giving II is a 2 bedroom, however, then you may want to just request a 2 bedroom at FSA and not have to worry about a confirmation into a smaller villa.

Steve


----------



## hjtug (May 24, 2012)

*weather experience*

We just returned from a trip to CA to meet our new Grandson in Pasadena.  We tried to trade into Newport Coast but didn't get a match and ended up staying at Welk.  Every day was beautiful and sunny with highs near 80.  One day we drove back from Pasadena on the 5 and the whole drive along the coast was below fog banks from the ocean.  The next day we drove to Newport Coast Resort to check it out and again there was no sun along the coast.  The resort was nice but the temperature was in the mid 60's.  From the weather reports, it seemed that there was little sun along the coast all week.  This seems to be a typical late spring/early summer situation.  If you like sun, Welk Resort might be a better choice than Newport Coast around the May-June time frame.


----------



## BJRSanDiego (May 25, 2012)

hjtug said:


> We just returned from a trip to CA to meet our new Grandson in Pasadena.  We tried to trade into Newport Coast but didn't get a match and ended up staying at Welk.  Every day was beautiful and sunny with highs near 80.  One day we drove back from Pasadena on the 5 and the whole drive along the coast was below fog banks from the ocean.  The next day we drove to Newport Coast Resort to check it out and again there was no sun along the coast.  The resort was nice but the temperature was in the mid 60's.  From the weather reports, it seemed that there was little sun along the coast all week.  This seems to be a typical late spring/early summer situation.  If you like sun, Welk Resort might be a better choice than Newport Coast around the May-June time frame.



I live here.  It's called "May Gray" and "June Gloom".  It often clear inland and "socked in" on the coast.


----------



## Davey54321 (May 28, 2012)

*Whats the weather like in late Aigust?*

We are checking into Newport coast on 8/24 for a week and hoped for beach weather? Any must dos not already mentioned in this thread either on property or in the vicinity? We have a 12 year old daughter and will be visiting Sonoma for a few days before and Yosemite for a few days after...


----------



## winos2 (May 28, 2012)

Is it possible that you can go to both Sonoma and Yosemite before Newport?
That would sure make you trip easier. WINOS2


----------



## winos2 (May 28, 2012)

Davy, Forgot to add August is great Beach weather.  July and August are the best.  Have a great time.


----------



## ThreeLittleBirds (May 28, 2012)

We traded into Newport Coast for this coming December (12/16 arrival). 

I'm so excited to stay at this resort, and we wanted this particular week to be able to watch the boat parade. Also, VERY excited to find out that the Cars Land is opening (again?) at Disneyland. Not so excited about ticket prices, though.

I now have to squish a year's worth of vacations into a month. So, it is Newport Coast for a week. Home for 1.5 weeks, then off to Maui for 2 weeks. 

Hope I can handle the stress 

EDIT: When I was trading (just me looking, no ongoing search), this week in December showed up along with several weeks in January, and possibly early February. This was about 2 weeks ago. Keep looking, they may show up again.


----------



## chalee94 (May 31, 2012)

ThreeLittleBirds said:


> We traded into Newport Coast for this coming December (12/16 arrival).
> 
> I'm so excited to stay at this resort, and we wanted this particular week to be able to watch the boat parade. Also, VERY excited to find out that the Cars Land is opening (again?) at Disneyland. Not so excited about ticket prices, though.



stayed there last year in early dec.  loved it - i did use the pool one day but it was a little chilly for the most part, though.


----------



## Davey54321 (Jun 2, 2012)

*Thanks winos...*

We are flying round trip NYC to Sacramento and already made flight and lodging arrangements, so no, we wont be able to do both Sonoma/Napa and Yosemite before Newport Coast...That said, we are looking so forward to the trip, all three locations and know we have quite a bit of driving involved.. Thanks for info re NCV and weather etc...


----------



## GreenThumb (Jun 20, 2012)

*Got one!*

So, I put in an ongoing request for FSA. Then the Newport Coast 2-bdrms came up for early 2013. I went ahead and exchanged for one of those in mid-February. 

The Welk Resort Villas had 2-bedrms, but only 1-bdrms have been coming up at the Mountain Villas. (With the in-laws, a lockoff would be awesome.) And, the in-laws do partly want the beach experience, as they haven't been there. Since we used a one-bedroom SDO, I'm feeling we got a great trade.


I'll call to see if we have any better options before the 24 hours is up, still I think this should work out for us. It could be a little snug. Maybe hubby and I will have to go visit a winery or something for a couple nights elsewhere.


----------



## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jun 20, 2012)

Probably sunnier at the beach in February than May or June.
Liz


----------



## SmithOp (Jun 20, 2012)

ricoba said:


> It's been open a few years now, though it has just recently undergone some major upgrades.



It's been remodeled into Radiator Springs - Cars Movie theme park, opened last Friday. 

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneys-california-adventure/cars-land/


----------



## GreenThumb (Jun 21, 2012)

*Thanks!*



Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> Probably sunnier at the beach in February than May or June.
> Liz



Great news! Does anyone know about whether they heat the pools enough for kids (who are more immune to cold) to swim that time of year? Seems a long shot, but I saw references to people swimming there in winter on some trip advisor reviews I think.


----------



## MichaelColey (Jun 22, 2012)

DeniseM said:


> Newport Coast Villas is a difficult exchange and it takes a strong trader - it's very close to the coast.





sue1947 said:


> NCV is not that hard of a trade in Jan when many think it's too cold for the beach. I'm from the north so think it's perfect weather.


I'll have to agree with Sue.  Based on my own experience, January/February doesn't take much trading power.  I was able to get two consecutive weeks using non-Marriott deposits that had fairly average trading power.  The bulk deposit was reported about a week earlier with Marriott preference, but most of the units were still there when I saw them (with my non-Marriott weeks) a week later.


----------



## daventrina (Jun 22, 2012)

We had three 2BR units at the Welk resort in February. It was a nice resort. Well laid out, but it is rather isolated. Costco and a few grocery stores are a few miles away though. If you Golf, this would be a great choice. Many of the units are directly adjacent to the golf course. Our preference would be the beach (but Newport Coast isn't San Diego). That said, we had a Birthday party with 46 guests and it wasn't crowded. I think that they were about 1300 sq. ft.  Here is the resort from the air. We had three days of very nice weather. The day we flew in, the day of the party, and the day we flew out. Nice flight down from the Bay Area. 2-1/4 hours and 16 gallons of gas- had a it of a tail wind. 2-1/2 hours going home. 




2012-03-02_10-54-25_878 by dntanderson, on Flickr




IMG_0394 by dntanderson, on Flickr

and the ground....



2012-02-27_16-07-22_464 by dntanderson, on Flickr




2012-03-01_17-12-07_678 by dntanderson, on Flickr




2012-02-29_16-43-43_846 by dntanderson, on Flickr




2012-02-28_13-33-57_234 by dntanderson, on Flickr




2012-02-26_12-08-58_760.jpg by dntanderson, on Flickr


----------



## daventrina (Jun 22, 2012)

*SCBC*

Southern California Beach Club in Oceanside is one of our favorites. Right across the little road from the beach...



IMG_0378 by dntanderson, on Flickr




IMG_0379 by dntanderson, on Flickr



P4190145y by dntanderson, on Flickr

Not new or overly fancy, but can't beat the location.

Coronado Beach Club is hard to beat also.



IMG_0662y by dntanderson, on Flickr




P1020172y by dntanderson, on Flickr

We also had a nice week at Carlsbad Inn. Not on the beach, but it is only a block over. There are a number of nice restaurants in walking distance and a grocery store so if you just want to hang out, there isn't a need to drive a lot.


----------



## pipet (Jun 29, 2012)

GreenThumb said:


> We could also still think about doing an early morning rise-and-shine to Disney -- I know that drive is a nightmare though.



Grats on NCV!  It's easier to get in the winter because SoCal sometimes gets hit with big winter Pacific storms, so the weather is hit and miss.  However, there is still a lot to do in the area (definitely some wine tasting), and you can just as easily end up with shorts weather and sunshine as a Pacific squall.  In a week's time, you are likely to get at least some nice days, and sometimes the storms are kind of neat to watch (sometimes impressive waves, etc).  Welk might miss some of the rain that NCV might get, but NCV is at a very pretty location.

FYI, the drive to the mouse is not that bad from SD, and from NCV is fairly trivial.


----------



## daventrina (Jun 29, 2012)

Davey54321 said:


> We are flying round trip NYC to Sacramento ... know we have quite a bit of driving involved..


We were rather shocked at how LONG it took to get to the LA basin flying down the valley at 200+ MPH. You have some time to shop so we might suggest looking for a Southwest sale from Sacramento to LA. On the other hand we usually decide to drive when we start adding up all the time it takes for the 1 hour flight to LA from the Bay Area (total travel time can be like 4 hours). Just a thought.

I think that the Newport Coast resorts are in this photo.
I was kinda busy with Air Traffic Control when T took it, so I'm not sure exactly where we were at when she took it.



2012-03-03_11-21-24_515 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Dana Point is just to the south of here. These were taken the first week in March. The temp on the way down at 11,500 feet was 32 deg. On the way back at 10,500 feet it was 60 deg.   At sea level the temp. was in the mid to upper 70s and is was nice and sunny. While the weather can be hit and miss, it can be quite nice in February/March.




2012-03-03_11-32-54_473 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Our flight path took us almost right over Dana Point so we didn't get the best photos of the area. But, here you can see I5 wandering by on the right and most of the resorts... (had we known anyone might care in the future we could have diverted to the west a little to get better photos - It's great to be a pilot )



IMG_0420 by dntanderson, on Flickr


----------



## GreenThumb (Jul 1, 2012)

*Neat aerials!*

Cool to see the aerials of the area. My uncle and cousin fly; I never have. Hubby and I were just talking this morning about how interesting it would be to be able to fly the gulf coast. I've never seen the delta, and I think it would not be quite as impressive from sea level.

I agree with our pilot friend that from Sacramento, driving to LA would eat into quite a bit of my vacation time. Too much for my preference. If I were coming from NYC, especially would want to keep my free time free. But that's just my opinion.

That said, as a native west-coaster, everyone I know faces long driving distances on short vacations. Grand Canyon and back on spring break from Seattle? Not a problem, load up the van or SUV and drive!

When I lived in New England, I was puzzled by how the 3,000 miles across the country were psychologically farther for New Englanders than the 3,000 miles from the west coast back east is to west coasters.

I think cities out here are just so far apart, we are maybe more used to it. I road-tripped all over--and across the country a few times--until my mid-20's or so. I'm a lot older now, though, and my leisure time is less leisurely. Gas was cheaper and my back hurt less on long drives, too.

Anyway, totally off topic. Sorry!

Coming all the way from NYC, you may indeed prefer taking a short-hopper flight to the drive. You have to do a little waiting at the airport, but it would be a wash or a little faster to fly. Also, I don't remember that particular drive being highly scenic, though I suppose it is pretty in it's own way....


----------



## daventrina (Jul 2, 2012)

GreenThumb said:


> Hubby and I were just talking this morning about how interesting it would be to be able to fly the gulf coast. I've never seen the delta, and I think it would not be quite as impressive from sea level.


If you're down here... we can take you for a ride to see our delta...


----------

