Wow, the thread I posted 13 years ago is active again!
I own VVC @ Parkway but wanted to experience the Disney thing. I am beyond excited that I did an ongoing search & got to exchange for DVC Saratoga Springs. I received my confirmation, and I'm in heaven.
Then I read something way down at the bottom of the confirmation, that there is a regional restriction to an exchange if you own an Orlando resort or a resort within 30 miles of Disneyworld.
Now, I already got my welcome email from Disney, already ordered my wristbands & park passes. No mention from anyone about this being cancelled. Should I worry? Is this restriction from VVC or DVC? Does anyone have any experience with this? Trip is in October.
Mafinster, the best place to ask would be on the Exchange board. Yes, RCI may cancel trades that violate the Orlando-area restriction for Disney, but I have no experience with this. I fact, I only register my Orlando weeks with II, not RCI, to avoid exactly this problem. Someone on the exchange board may be better able to tell you if RCI has been canceling exchanges lately and if so, how long it takes them to inform exchangers. This problem occurs with any Orlando-area weeks in RCI, not just VVP. If your Disney confirmation is canceled, I'd say there's a 100% chance that Disney will know you are not staying onsite and cancel all your onsite privileges. If Disney didn't do this, they'd have constant problems with people booking to get onsite privileges, then canceling.
Now, on to to my experience with VVP at Parkway. I decided to give it a try, but it really didn't suit me and I haven't been back.
Problem 1: Noise. I have to rest a lot during the day due to illness, so I really appreciate a resort that's quiet during the day. Here's what I said in 2006:
...
I like shady pools, but I still see drawbacks with having buildings around the pool. There will be no privacy for swimmers, and it will be noisy for anyone staying in the units that face the pool -- in fact, I just came across a VVP review complaining about this...
Right. So, I request a quiet location in VVP and they gave me -- a room facing the pool. Noisy, as expected. Also, there was noise from the unit above me.
Problem 2: Crowded pool with cloudy water.
There seemed to be too many guests for the pool facilities to handle. I love swimming and sometimes don't even go to the parks. So, this was a problem. I wasn't sure the cloudiness meant the pool was dirty, but I can't risk coming down with something. I stayed out of the pool the whole trip.
Problem 3: Scary parking situation. My theme park strategy is to visit the parks at the end of the day. I always feel better later in the day, and I can avoid the hot sun and the crowds. But, this meant there was no parking near my room when I got back. It was my very first solo trip to Disney and I had to park in a dark, deserted parking structure, then walk alone past a construction site to get to my room. Yikes! I never encountered anyone at all while returning to my room, but I felt unsafe.
Obviously, my Disney vacationing style is different from almost everyone else's, but this resort just didn't fit me. So, now I usually stay at another, very large resort -- the original Sheraton Vistana. Seven pool complexes, lots of spacious grounds and amenities, parking right by my room, and quiet. Ahhhhh.
