# January 2021 -- Will TUG People Be Getting Together Again In Orlando ?



## AwayWeGo (Nov 11, 2020)

Toward the end of the TUG-BBS discussion topic about the 2020 Orlando TUG meeting, most of the recent entries actually concern when & if something similar will happen again next January -- January *2021*.  

Click here for those TUG-BBS entries. 

The title of that discussion topic can easily make people think it's just about an event that is over & done, even though attention has shifted to the possibilities for _next_ January.

So the TUG-BBS discussion about a possible *January 2021* informal TUG social get-together in Orlando clearly needs its own TUG-BBS thread (although there's nothing wrong with keeping the old thread going too).  I got to thinking about that right before I started this thread. 

Plenty of TUG people are interested in getting together next January, same as we've enjoyed doing for the past several Januaries. Some people's plans are already set.  Others are tentative, owing mainly to safety concerns over travel in the age of coronavirus.  

Because the traditional Golden Corral TUG meeting place could iffy next January, other possibilities have been mentioned -- a timeshare resort social room (Magic Tree, for example), or an unused movie theater that rents out auditoriums at nominal cost, etc.  The possibilities are still open.

Plans & ideas are still in flux -- no official announcement or invitation has gone out. 

Meeting times mentioned so far are Friday evenings -- i.e., Jan. 15 or Jan. 22 or Jan. 23, *2021*.

_The Chief Of Staff_ & I are really hoping that plans for the event come together & that we get to enjoy some fun time in Orlando again next January with our TUG friends.  Yet our own travel plans are still uncertain.  

We have a unit in Kissimmee reserved for January 23-30, *2021*. We might show up & check in. We might even snag more timeshare reservations for 1 or 2 of the January weeks right before that. Or we might forgo January travel altogether, scared off by coronavirus. 

With luck, the situation will start to clarify by the middle of next month, which by coincidence is when the RCI calendar of available bargain units _Last Call_ (etc.) should start to open up for January 2021.

Meanwhile, we'll keep on checking TUG-BBS & RCI Dot Com. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 4, 2020)

We're well into December.  _Last Call_ & other bargain timeshare units are showing up at RCI Dot Com.  We should be firming up our plans to go to Orlando next month.  We should be participating with other TUG friends to nail down the time & place for a fun January 2021 informal social gathering.  But we aren't.  We're still in a fog of uncertainty over whether we'll even go to Florida at all next month.  So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## silentg (Dec 4, 2020)

I’ll be there if and when there is a get together.


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## rstolker (Dec 5, 2020)

I can't understand what you could be thinking.  Have you not heard?  There is a PANDEMIC going on and we have been advised by trained scientists not to congregate -- all the more so in Florida, which is a super-spreader state.


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 5, 2020)

Yeh -- that's how come we're getting cold feet even about keeping the timeshare reservation we already have for check-in Jan. 23rd.

To this point, we are keeping our options open & have not ruled out going to Florida for an added week or 2 before Jan. 23rd. Some of the RCI _Last Call_ (etc.) offerings are extremely attractive.  

If we go -- & if other TUG people are willing to chance taking their lives in their hands by participating in an informal TUG social event -- chances are we'll be there. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Dbostron (Dec 5, 2020)

AwayWeGo said:


> Yeh -- that's how come we're getting cold feet even about keeping the timeshare reservation we already have for check-in Jan. 23rd.
> 
> To this point, we are keeping our options open & have not ruled out going to Florida for an added week or 2 before Jan. 23rd. Some of the RCI _Last Call_ (etc.) offerings are extremely attractive.
> 
> ...


​We are committed to four weeks at VV in January. We can look at the four walls inside a Florida timeshare unit as well as the walls inside our home. A side benefit, much warmer weather so that we can get outside and walk in parks and other areas away from people.

We will not meet a group indoors. Let us know Alan.


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 5, 2020)

Dbostron said:


> We are committed to four weeks at VV in January. We can look at the four walls inside a Florida timeshare unit as well as the walls inside our home. A side benefit, much warmer weather so that we can get outside and walk in parks and other areas away from people.
> 
> We will not meet a group indoors.


That's brilliant -- an outdoor informal TUG social event in January. 

Maybe at 1 of the resorts, on the pool deck or nearby.  The resort people shouldn't mind, unless we hog all the pool chairs.  Maybe TUG people can bring their own folding lawn chairs. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## mcnallyj (Dec 5, 2020)

We will be in Orlando from January 17-31--looking forward to a get-together!


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## Sea Six (Dec 6, 2020)

I'd be happy to book multiple weeks away, but I would miss my doggy!


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## rickandcindy23 (Dec 6, 2020)

We are here from 1/15-1/29.  We would love a get-together, but I know a lot of people will be worried about it.  I am not.  We are here now, staying healthy and enjoying the parks.


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## sfwilshire (Dec 7, 2020)

AwayWeGo said:


> Yeh -- that's how come we're getting cold feet even about keeping the timeshare reservation we already have for check-in Jan. 23rd.
> 
> To this point, we are keeping our options open & have not ruled out going to Florida for an added week or 2 before Jan. 23rd. Some of the RCI _Last Call_ (etc.) offerings are extremely attractive.
> 
> ...



We were in Orlando early November. The COVID cases were less there than at home. Probably still are. Sheraton Vistana seems to be doing a good job of extra cleaning. Even the television remotes were in baggies. We went to Disney World since we're annual pass holders, which felt safer than going to the grocery store at home. We brought a lot of groceries with us, didn't eat in any restaurants, and avoided most other public places.

Sheila


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## frank808 (Dec 9, 2020)

Will be in Orlando from Jan 4-18.  Then returning from Jan 23-29.  Would love to participate in a TUG gathering.  We have had a few TUG gatherings here at Marriott KoOlina for the past couple months.  Hope you guys set a date that I will be able meet everyone.  Jan 15 or 23 would work for me.  

Until then everyone stay safe.


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## Dori (Dec 10, 2020)

We will have to skip any TUG get-togethers again this year.  We are not going to travel to our Florida home this winter, just don't feel comfortable during this time. It's going to be a loooong winter up here in Canada!

Dori


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 10, 2020)

Current thinking is that if there's an informal TUG social get-together next month in Orlando -- & it's still a big _*if*_ -- then the most likely date will be Jan. 26 (Tuesday) or Jan. 27 (Wednesday), mid-day or in the afternoon.  

And if the event does happen, an outdoor location seems safest & most congenial, very likely meaning the pool area or other outdoor space at a timeshare resort where TUG people will be staying that week -- also meaning that people will need to bring their own folding chairs or borrow plastic patio chairs from their timeshare units (otherwise TUG people could be hogging too many pool chairs).  

For snacks, maybe it would be best for people to bring their own, I don't know.  Sharing pot-luck style is a nice possibility, but who knows what public health measures will be in effect?  It sure seems like face masks & social distancing will still be expected next month, but who can say ?

Meanwhile, _The Chief Of Staff_ & I have refined our thinking about our own wintertime travel to Florida.  We are currently intent on keeping our Kissimmee timeshare reservation for Jan. 23-30.  Not only that, we'll be scouring the RCI website availability lists for bargain reservations in the area during the following 2 weeks (checking in Jan. 30 & Feb. 6).  We're no longer thinking about early & mid-January.  But all that could change.  

Bottom line for us right now is that the whole thing is still a quandary -- not only being iffy about getting together with TUG people in Orlando but also even whether to venture out of the house at all in January.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## ronandjoan (Dec 10, 2020)

frank808 said:


> Will be in Orlando from Jan 4-18.  Then returning from Jan 23-29.  Would love to participate in a TUG gathering.  We have had a few TUG gatherings here at Marriott KoOlina for the past couple months.  Hope you guys set a date that I will be able meet everyone.  Jan 15 or 23 would work for me.
> 
> Until then everyone stay safe.


So how did you handle these recent TUG gatherings?


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## frank808 (Dec 10, 2020)

ronandjoan said:


> So how did you handle these recent TUG gatherings?


We all met at Marriott Koolina since everyone was staying on site. Arranged an amicable date and time for mostly everyone. It was an outdoor meeting and we all kept masks on and social distanced. It worked well and I believe we had 4 or 5 meetings. JanT and myself were able to attened every get together. Various other tuggers attended when onsite.

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk


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## Sea Six (Dec 10, 2020)

I'm afraid to commit to much.  Things are getting worse instead of better.  I'm reading more about cancellations than reservations.  The time frame of the gathering is only 1 month away.  I suppose I will still be stuck in my house.  Vaccines may be rolling out by then and I will be anxious to hear about the reactions and deciding if I want one.


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## ronandjoan (Dec 10, 2020)

26th or before would work for us as we drive over  from St augustine every year anyway.  Then we move closer or in Orlando for the next 3 weeks before returning to Seattle .
     Meeting outdoors sounds like the best deal;indoors anywhere in a group is questionable.
     WA state governor has us all in lockdown. I’ll just say it is so strict most people are very unhappy, especially those businesses that prepared so many ways to be safe for patrons and then got shut down again.
We’re staying pretty well in anyway (we’re older , haha) but go out to walk everyday, even today at 39 degrees.  Doctor’s orders for Ron.)  we just need a nice place outdoors  to meet at someone’s timeshare


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## rapmarks (Dec 11, 2020)

I always felt so bad that I had a senior moment and missed the one six years ago, sitting doing nothing on the day it was held and shocked at  seeing the posts of what fun everyone had. I thought it was the next day


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## ronandjoan (Dec 11, 2020)

rapmarks said:


> I always felt so bad that I had a senior moment and missed the one six years ago, sitting doing nothing on the day it was held and shocked at  seeing the posts of what fun everyone had. I thought it was the next day


I remember


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 11, 2020)

rapmarks said:


> I always felt so bad that I had a senior moment and missed the one six years ago, sitting doing nothing on the day it was held and shocked at  seeing the posts of what fun everyone had. I thought it was the next day


The Orlando TUG event has been a major January highlight for several years.  People have such a good time that afternoon blends into evening & evening becomes nighttime before people reluctantly start saying their goodbyes.  

I hate the idea of possibly missing it or not having it next month.

I wish the murky public health situation would clear up.  

Will it ?  

Who knows ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## rapmarks (Dec 11, 2020)

ronandjoan said:


> I remember


And we would have brought Jonah. He was two months old that day


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## ronandjoan (Dec 15, 2020)

After all our plans and total reservations for 2 months, Ron’s pulmonary doctor yesterday said “No travel.” He has an underlying lung disease which is not good at all as catching the virus would probably not mean a recovery. 
    He said he would still go,but pretty soon realized that that probably would not be a good idea. We called our St Augustine timeshare where we have FIXED January weeks but they said “No problem... we can find weeks later for you. “ A very understanding timeshare management!!
     We had other different reservations in several places but I had purchased the cancellation insurance for all . Even Alaska Airlines agreed “Don’t go!” And refunded our total cost ( not just a credit but a refund.) 
    Thus, we will miss you all, as that has become a fun annual January routine for  us —- and we can look forward to 2022.


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## Sugarcubesea (Dec 15, 2020)

I am hoping 2022 is the year that I can finally attend a Tug Get Together in January...


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## Jan M. (Dec 16, 2020)

I doubt I can talk DH into driving to Orlando for the get together. We will be staying at the Wyndham Panama City Beach resort from January 8 until February 11 or 12. If anyone else is staying in the Destin/Panama City Beach area we can have our own get together.


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## rapmarks (Dec 16, 2020)

rapmarks said:


> And we would have brought Jonah. He was two months old that day


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## TheHolleys87 (Dec 16, 2020)

ronandjoan said:


> After all our plans and total reservations for 2 months, Ron’s pulmonary doctor yesterday said “No travel.” He has an underlying lung disease which is not good at all as catching the virus would probably not mean a recovery.
> He said he would still go,but pretty soon realized that that probably would not be a good idea. We called our St Augustine timeshare where we have FIXED January weeks but they said “No problem... we can find weeks later for you. “ A very understanding timeshare management!!
> We had other different reservations in several places but I had purchased the cancellation insurance for all . Even Alaska Airlines agreed “Don’t go!” And refunded our total cost ( not just a credit but a refund.)
> Thus, we will miss you all, as that has become a fun annual January routine for  us —- and we can look forward to 2022.


Sorry to hear! Best wishes for future travels!


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## dioxide45 (Dec 16, 2020)

We will only be in Orlando from the 17th to the 22nd this year. But even if it were held that week, I probably couldn't make it. That is the week we are hitting five DVC resorts in five days. Gotta make the most of it. We had planned on staying the week after, but retraded out to a week in February.


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## ilene13 (Dec 17, 2020)

rstolker said:


> I can't understand what you could be thinking.  Have you not heard?  There is a PANDEMIC going on and we have been advised by trained scientists not to congregate -- all the more so in Florida, which is a super-spreader state.


I totally agree with you, as a Florida resident I can't believe all the people who want to come here!!   We will never mitigate this virus if we don't follow medical guidelines and stay home.  Florida had over 11,000 cases yesterday.  IMHO if you are going to have a meeting, do it over ZOOM!


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## silentg (Dec 17, 2020)

Let’s skip it until we can go safely in 2022


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## AwayWeGo (Jan 4, 2021)

I have been in denial since before Christmas, but reality is now pushing through -- the outlook for the possibility that _The Chief Of Staff_ & I will go to Florida this month is dim & growing dimmer.  

We are grateful that our health is basically OK, other than some chronic conditions that are reasonably well managed.  Even so, & even with Covid-19 vaccine now in the picture & soon to be available (we hope), we are reluctant to venture far out of the house, much less to go Florida timeshares for 1, 2, or 3 weeks.  

I hate the idea of giving up the resort reservation we made months ago, but increasingly it appears that discretion will be the greater part of valor this year, meaning our reservation will simply go by the board (hard as that is to swallow).

_The Chief Of Staff_ says we won't be giving up our Florida trip this year, only postponing it.  I applaud her optimism, but I'm not sure when or whether we will (a) feel safe going to Florida & (b) find timeshare bargains later in the year like what we're giving up this month.  (Not only forfeiting the reservation we already have, I mean, but also losing out on some of the outstanding _Last Call_ & similar RCI Orlando-area off-season bargains that have been showing up on the RCI website recently.)

If we're not in Florida this month, needless to say we won't be at the TUG informal social event in Orlando this January, if the get-together happens.  It's always such a pleasure to reunite with TUG friends & to meet new TUG acquaintances if new attendees were to show up.  I hate the idea of missing out. 

It's not definite that we won't be going.  But it's the closest thing to definite without being final. 

So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## ronandjoan (Jan 4, 2021)

Nice to have an update from Alan (Away We Go), although saddened that their trip may be cancelled too.  Of course, some people who will be in FL can always get together, and we will look forward to an “official” 2022 gathering. 

   I did mention that we had cancelled everything we had planned for two months, but we would have been  going to several different places which would increase our exposure.   

    The great news is that as I reported, since we had purchased the Platinum Interchange and DAE (now 7Across) cancellation insurance for the exchanged weeks, that they refunded the exchange fees as well as the weeks.  Our FIXED weeks at the Townhouses at St Augustine Beach and Tennis Club have been changed to the 4 weeks beginning Nov 27 which will connect with the other FIXED weeks owned there to make a 10-week stay next year – in the same unit.  Such a great considerate timeshare resort!


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## moonstone (Jan 4, 2021)

AwayWeGo said:


> _The Chief Of Staff_ says we won't be giving up our Florida trip this year, only postponing it.



We are in the same boat!  We have 3 weeks (so far) booked starting Oct. 23rd and really hope it is safe to travel by then and that the majority of folks have had the vaccinations. We really missed our annual dose or 2 of Florida in 2020. 

~Diane


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## moonstone (Jan 4, 2021)

ronandjoan said:


> Our FIXED weeks at the Townhouses at St Augustine Beach and Tennis Club have been changed to the 4 weeks beginning Nov 27 which will connect with the other FIXED weeks owned there to make a 10-week stay next year – in the same unit. Such a great considerate timeshare resort!



We will miss you by just a few weeks!  We will be at The Beach Club (2 Ocean Trace) from Oct.31st to Nov.7th when we move down to Palm Coast for a week. We hope to be getting our condo up by the pier ready for our own part-time occupancy during our 2 weeks in the area.


~Diane


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## ronandjoan (Jan 5, 2021)

moonstone said:


> We will miss you by just a few weeks!  We will be at The Beach Club (2 Ocean Trace) from Oct.31st to Nov.7th when we move down to Palm Coast for a week. We hope to be getting our condo up by the pier ready for our own part-time occupancy during our 2 weeks in the area.
> 
> 
> ~Diane


Great. We could still get together in Palm Coast.  Ron has two cousins there that we visit every year.


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## moonstone (Jan 5, 2021)

ronandjoan said:


> Great. We could still get together in Palm Coast.  Ron has two cousins there that we visit every year.


I think we will still miss you as we are only at Palm Coast for a week beginning Nov.7th.  Unless there is something very pressing with the renos on our condo that requires us to stay in the area longer, will be heading back to Canada very early on the 14th.  We will wait and see. 


~Diane


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## AwayWeGo (Jan 10, 2021)

It's official.  We won't be going to Florida this month.  The faint chance has evaporated.  Sorry to say, we will have to miss the January TUG Orlando get-together this year.  

_The Chief Of Staff_ says we're not canceling our 2021 Florida vacation.  We're just postponing it, she says -- till February or March, once the Covid-10 danger subsides. We'll see.  

Meanwhile, our Jan. 23-30 timeshare reservation will not be going to waste.  In our place, old friends-for-life in the Tampa FL area will be checking in for a nice timeshare vacation using our reservation.  We got'm an official _Guest Certificate_ so everything is on the up & up.  

Ironically, the reservation our friends will be using represents the 1st time an _RCI Platinum_ _Unit Upgrade_ request has come through for us. So our friends are getting a nice 2BR A+B or possibly A+C unit, instead of just a 1BR "B" or 1BR "C" unit.  

The timeshare resort is Vacation Village At Parkway, so what our friends are getting, rather than a true 2BR condo, actually will be 2 side-by-side stand-alone 1BR units connected by a vestibule off the main hallway.  Regardless, they'll have plenty of space no matter how they choose to use their doublewide timeshare condo.

We put in for _Unit Upgrade_ & _Resort Upgrade_ shortly after we made the reservation last May -- 1st time we requested those. Just this morning we received E-Mail notification from RCI that an upgrade came through for a 2BR unit instead of the 1BR partial-kitchen unit that we reserved.  

We understood that no upgrades were guaranteed, but we did not know how we would be notified, or when, or whether upgrades were optional when & if offered.  So 1 time when we were logged on to the RCI website, I opened up a "chat" box with an RCI _Vacation Guide_.  

The guide explained that if a _Unit Upgrade_ or _Resort Upgrade_ came through, we would be notified 3-14 days ahead of check-in. Plus, the upgrade (if 1 came through) was not optional. Once we requested it, then if we got it -- _*WHAP !*_ -- we got it, meaning our reservation was automatically switched, either to a larger unit at the same resort if we got _Unit Upgrade_, or to a completely different Orlando timeshare complex (that we had selected among the possibilities offered)  if _Resort Upgrade_ came through.  So there was a certain amount of suspense waiting for the 3- to 14-day upgrade window to open up, even though when it did open we had already bailed out on the idea of using the reservation ourselves.  So it goes. 

 We hope that when January 2022 rolls round, we & all our TUG friends will be in good health & that a goodly group of us will once again be able to get together informally in the Orlando area for a long-overdue TUG reunion.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## AwayWeGo (Jan 23, 2021)

This is check-in day for what was supposed to be the start of our 2021 January vacation at Vacation Village At Parkway, Kissimmee FL. We reserved 1BR partial-kitchen unit, then got upgraded to 2BR by RCI.

Unfortunately, because of concerns over covid-19, we're not traveling & won't be checking in.

Rather than see our outstanding resort reservation go to waste, we gave it to good friends-for-life who said they'd enjoy an Orlando-Kissimmee vacation. We got'm a _Guest Certificate_ & everything, so everything is on the up & up.

We've had our 1st dose of Moderna covid-19 vaccine & expect to get our 2nd doses in 3 weeks or so. Emboldened by that, we made ourselves an RCI reservation for check-in the end of February at a timeshare just 3½ miles east of Vacation Village At Parkway (FantasyWorld Resort, where we stayed just once before).

We're sorry we missed out on a possible TUG Orlando get-together this month, but we're encouraged by the prospect of a gradual return to something like normality.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​PS:  E-Mail from our Florida friends reported that they're all checked in at Vacation Village At Parkway, in an  A+C unit in 1 of the new buildings.  Very nice, they say.  They even signed up for the Sunday morning sales pitch & got out after 2 hours without buying anything -- collected a $100 Visa gift card & everything.  (I congratulated them on surviving the authentic Orlando timeshare experience.)  So far, so good.


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