# Should I take Lawrence Welk resort villas trade for Spring Break April 2009?



## vacationlover2 (Jul 15, 2008)

I am trading a 1BR Marriott Aruba Surf or a 1BR Manor Club.  Not sure which yet.  Is Welk a nice trade?  Is it nice there the 2nd week in April, weatherwise?

Thanks!


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 15, 2008)

The weather is very nice in April.  We love the resort, though we haven't visited since February of 2004.  The area is beautiful, the units are very nice, and I believe they have been refurbished since our last visit.


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 15, 2008)

I've been out to the SD area twice around Easter time. Had great weather those times except for 1/2 day(it did rain, but we were on a bus heading back from the zoo).


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## riverdees05 (Jul 15, 2008)

We are going there over our Grandsons Spring Break in 2009.  It is the week before Easter and we have a Saturday to Saturday.  Hope it is nice weather for Lego Land and the SD Zoo. etc.


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## lprstn (Jul 15, 2008)

I loved it there...great views, great pools, and lots of activities...quite a ride to some of the CA attractions though, but a lot to do in the area.  The accomadations are very nice, however NOT a Marriott...so not room service etc, but a restaurant is on site and they have shows onsite.


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## GrayFal (Jul 15, 2008)

I notice there are several different 'areas' of Lawrence Welk.

*Villas on the Greens at the Welk Resort *
VLW  VL2  
Escondido, California     

  Welk Resorts Mountain Villas 
WMX  
Escondido, California  

Lawrence Welk Resort Villas 
LWR  LW2  
Escondido, California 

Looking at the resort photos, *Villas on the Greens at the Welk Resort * seems to be the newest units....any comments about which section is the nicest?


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 15, 2008)

GrayFal said:


> I notice there are several different 'areas' of Lawrence Welk.
> 
> *Villas on the Greens at the Welk Resort *
> VLW  VL2
> ...



Good question! I see quite a few Welk weeks and was also wondering which would be a good choice.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 15, 2008)

The units that are dedicated 2 bedrooms are Lawrence Welk Resort Villas.  We have stayed in those twice.  They have king beds, a giant soaking tub, a nice shower in the master.  The second bedroom is on the other side of the living room, opposite the master, and has twin beds and a very nice shower with a bench and (if I remember right) it has dual shower heads, too.  

The dedicated 2 bedrooms are very large, much roomier than the lockouts, in my opinion.  But it could be the shape of the units, with the kitchen seemingly very wide, rather like Disney's Old Key West, and living room being directly in front of the kitchen/ eating area.  It's hard to describe, but I love those floorplans.


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## cali girl (Jul 15, 2008)

I would always take the original Welk Villas. They are huge with lots of privacy. Also a very nice kitchen. Not a bad drive to Carlsbad either. About a half hour or less to the ocean.


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## David (Jul 16, 2008)

cali girl said:


> I would always take the original Welk Villas. They are huge with lots of privacy. Also a very nice kitchen. Not a bad drive to Carlsbad either. About a half hour or less to the ocean.



I agree completely with this.


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## honeybunney (Jul 16, 2008)

*Welk Resorts*

We came back from Villas on the Green, 2 bedroom, in June 2008 and it was definitely roomier than Marriott Timber Lodge, especially the lockoff.  If you reserve a one-bedroom at Villas on the Green, be careful which code you select.  One is the lockoff even though it has a kitchen minus an oven.  I haven't been to Lawrence Welk, but I heard it's nice and it's not a lockoff.  Villas on the Green is closer to the theater, market and administrative office and golfing.  The Mountain Villas will be the newest addition and it's the furthest from the entrance and the main office, closest to the mountain.  Saw the floor plan and it will be just as nice as the Marriott's, if not bigger.  Will have granite counters and in the master bedroom, it will have a jacuzzi tub with a fireplace separating the tub and the bed.  The fireplace is one of those that has three glass sides.  It looked very romantic.  The Mountain Villas will have an infinity pool looking down into the rest of the resort and either one or two water slides.  However, I don't know if they will be done by then.  You will have to ask them.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 16, 2008)

Which code is the lock off units? I had seen the two codes, but didn't know what it meant. If you have a choice, I think the original LW Villas are the nicest. Large, spacious, very relaxing and all are refurbished very nicely.
Liz


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## DebBrown (Jul 16, 2008)

I'll also be there the week before Easter 4/4-4/11.  We'll have to get the Tuggers together!

Yes, you should come!

Deb


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## honeybunney (Jul 16, 2008)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> Which code is the lock off units? I had seen the two codes, but didn't know what it meant. If you have a choice, I think the original LW Villas are the nicest. Large, spacious, very relaxing and all are refurbished very nicely.
> Liz



When you click the one bedroom unit in II for Villas on the Green, I believe on the description it will tell you (warn) which one is the lockoff.  I forgot which code it was and the exact phrase, but the gist of it will let you know that something is lacking if your code is this or that.


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## mamadot (Jul 16, 2008)

We traded into LWV with a Marriott. While the property is similar the location is not.

Lots of driving to get anywhere. If you plan to play golf and just enjoy the resort then the trade will be great!


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## Kauai Kid (Jul 16, 2008)

There is a horrible review of the Welk Resort in the latest Timesharing Today.  Made it sound like the arm pit of New Jersey.



Sterling


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## applegirl (Jul 16, 2008)

I would have to disagree with mamadot about the driving.  The wild animal park is quite close, Temecula not far and everything else you'd want to go to is 1/2 hour to 45 minute drive (except for Disneyland or LA).  For us Californians who are used to driving everywhere, this is nothing.  I'd stay there in a heartbeat.  The property itself always looks beautiful when we drive by it on the 15 Fwy going to San Diego.  I'm sure someday we'll give it a try, just haven't yet.

Janna


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## honeybunney (Jul 17, 2008)

Kauai Kid said:


> There is a horrible review of the Welk Resort in the latest Timesharing Today.  Made it sound like the arm pit of New Jersey.
> 
> 
> 
> Sterling



So, what were some of the negative things did it say about the resort?


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## BevL (Jul 17, 2008)

It's one of the nicest resorts we've ever stayed in.  We'll likely be back now that we're through the one in four time.


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 17, 2008)

Kauai Kid said:


> There is a horrible review of the Welk Resort in the latest Timesharing Today.  Made it sound like the arm pit of New Jersey.
> 
> 
> 
> Sterling



I read that too. I thought that doesn't really jibe with what I have read about the Welk resorts here.


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## Debbyd57 (Jul 17, 2008)

We stayed in the Lawrence Welk resort villas a couple years ago and at that time they were nice.  Not quite up to the Marriott stardards but definately nicer than most timeshares.  The units were large.  The bathroom was the worst kept up and I think it was due to the tile being outdated.  The unit was clean and well maintained.  We loved it and would go back every year if we could.   My only complaint was road noise.  Debby


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## vacationlover2 (Jul 17, 2008)

*Update*

Ok.  I used an accommodation certificate and booked it.  April 12-19, 2009.  I'm very excited.  I have a 3 and 7 year old.  Where should we go?  Definitely Sea World as I have a Platinum pass.  We do Disney world all the time.  Is Disneyland different enought to bother?

Thanks all

Val


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## Luanne (Jul 17, 2008)

vacationlover2 said:


> Ok.  I used an accommodation certificate and booked it.  April 12-19, 2009.  I'm very excited.  I have a 3 and 7 year old.  Where should we go?  Definitely Sea World as I have a Platinum pass.  We do Disney world all the time.  Is Disneyland different enought to bother?
> 
> Thanks all
> 
> Val



San Diego Zoo for sure.  

Disneyland is similar to the Magic Kingdom portion of DisneyWorld.  If you go to DisneyWorld a lot I'd skip Disneyland, although personally I like it more than the Orlando version.


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## honeybunney (Jul 17, 2008)

Val, you gotta take those kids to Legoland.  If you have AAA then you can buy tickets and the second day is free.  Or buy it at Costco.  Your kids are at a perfect age for Legoland, especially if they love playing with legos.  As an adult you will be amazed with what they did with the legos.  They made a mini USA and you have to see it to believe it.  Pretty awesome.  If the weather is warm there, Legoland also has a water play area too for the kids for free.  If you have to eat inside the park, I highly recommend eating at Sports Cafe.  One of the best theme park casual restaurant to eat at for the price.  Unlike Disneyland.


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## mjkaplan (Jul 17, 2008)

Kauai Kid said:


> There is a horrible review of the Welk Resort in the latest Timesharing Today.  Made it sound like the arm pit of New Jersey.
> 
> 
> 
> Sterling




The review mainly complained about the size of the unit.  They traded into the small 1 bedroom (lockoff) side in Villas on the Green.  I would agree with the writer that that would seem very cramped.  I own in the Welk resort villas (the older units) which are quite large, and would only be happy in the Villas in the larger side one bedroom or having the entire 2 bedroom unit.  I guess the writer does not spend time here on TUG where he could have gotten the advice given in this thread about what side to accept or not accept in a trade.  It is too bad that the review came from someone without all the data to understand why their unit was so small.  The Welk in Escondido is one of my favorite places to vacation.  However, we always have a car with us as the resort is at least a 10 or 15 minute drive to a restaurant or market.


Mike


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## swift (Jul 17, 2008)

DebBrown said:


> I'll also be there the week before Easter 4/4-4/11.  We'll have to get the Tuggers together!
> 
> Yes, you should come!
> 
> Deb



Sign up for the TUG Banner to get a TUG group picture with it!:whoopie: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=523185&postcount=1


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## mjm1 (Jul 18, 2008)

vacationlover2 said:


> Ok.  I used an accommodation certificate and booked it.  April 12-19, 2009.  I'm very excited.  I have a 3 and 7 year old.  Where should we go?  Definitely Sea World as I have a Platinum pass.  We do Disney world all the time.  Is Disneyland different enought to bother?
> 
> Thanks all
> 
> Val




The resort has a lot of things for kids to do.

If you want to drive down to San Diego another day, and if you and your kids are into it, I would also recommend touring the ships they have in the harbor.  They have The Star of India which is an old sailing ship.  They also have an aircraft carrier with some planes on it.

You never know how the weather will be in April, but it could be very nice.  There are nice beaches in Oceanside and Carlsbad, which are about 35 minutes away.  Our favorite beach area is La Jolla Shores, which is closer to San Diego.  If you catch a nice day the kids would enjoy it if only to play in the sand and touch the water.

If they like baseball, the Padres may be in town.  If not, the Angels play in Anaheim, very close to Disneyland.

Have fun.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jul 18, 2008)

The Ruben Fleet Space Museum in Balboa Park is one of our favorite places for adults as well as kids. It's a great science hands on museum, plus IMAX theater and a good science museum store.
Liz


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## JulieAB (Jul 21, 2008)

Which units are closer to the kid's pool?  Green or the original?  I can get a 2 bedroom in either, but I want to be closest to the activites my son would enjoy the most.  It the kids pool/slide that boulder creek thing?


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## applegirl (Jul 21, 2008)

We have kids that are 5 and 2 and we just took them to Legoland. They loved it!  We will go again next year.  We had a coupon from Wendy's restaurants for a free child admission with full paid adult. That saved us $40! The full price children's admission is $50 and we paid $10 more for full paid adult admission compared to the AAA price which was a $10 savings. The othe adult ticket we were able to get for AAA price and our daugther was free!  Next spring a couple of months before you go, ask around on here if any fast food chains are offering the Legoland coupons.  I will get you some if I can.

I second the vote for La Jolla Shores Beach.  It has very convenient parking, clean restrooms and is in an upscale area, so the clientele is nice.  Don't think it will be sunbathing weather, but it would still be fun to play at the beach a  bit.  Also walk around La Jolla on this same outing, as you will be right next to "the village".

Be sure you contact the resort prior to arrival and request certain room location based on your needs ( quiet building, close to certain pools or playground, whatever your needs are). We always request certain locations when going to a resort and it seems to work most times.  Upon check-in if you find your requests weren't honored but they are noted, you can probably get some of your requests fulfilled on the spot by the mere fact that you had indeed called ahead and requested.

Your kids would definitely enjoy the wild animal park and it's so close by your resort.  I would not do both the WAP and the zoo.  Too much.  In fact, I would choose 2 out of the 3 for Sea World, WAP and Legoland.   I would not do all 3.  I just think it's too much.  Skip Disneyland this time.  Maybe in the future if you are staying closer to Anaheim or come on a trip when you haven't been to WDW in a while. But skip it on this trip.  There is Sooooooo much to do in San Diego.

I also second the vote for the Reuben Fleet Museum.  There's also a kids science museum at Bablboa park that is totally fun.


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## honeybunney (Jul 21, 2008)

JulieAB said:


> Which units are closer to the kid's pool?  Green or the original?  I can get a 2 bedroom in either, but I want to be closest to the activites my son would enjoy the most.  It the kids pool/slide that boulder creek thing?



For kids, I would take the Villas on the Green.  I don't know how old your kids are but there's a decent water slide in that pool area.  There's also a water activity area for toddlers to play in.  Two small pools.  Two ping pong tables outdoor and has two huge BBQ grills all in the enclosed area.  There's lockers and billiards, foosball and reading lounge too.  In the lounge you can watch TV or go on the internet if you have paid for the service.  Outside of the enclosed area there's a decent size fire pit area to sit and relax too.  Hope this helps.


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## Jaybee (Jul 22, 2008)

I believe that resort is referring to a lockoff in Villas on the Green, not the "old" villas.  The original villas don't even have any 1 bedrooms.  
I think part of the disappointment was due to checking out the LWRV, thinking it was Villas on the Green.  We've owned at the villas, and love them. We wouldn't be interested in owning on "the green".  They are lockoffs, but all chopped up, with lots of "gingerbread", but not much space.  

The property also has a lake where kids can fish..a catch and release lake.  Kids usually love it.



Kauai Kid said:


> There is a horrible review of the Welk Resort in the latest Timesharing Today.  Made it sound like the arm pit of New Jersey.
> 
> 
> 
> Sterling


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