Disillusioned with this whole timeshare thing...

[MichaelColey]

Regarding school schedules - we pull our kids OUT of school for a week or so, if need be, to travel shoulder and low seasons. ... And we always try to make each vacation "educational" if possible - even Disney (Epcot center "world" section comes to mind).

The day the schools refuse to allow our kids to miss a week or two for family travel, is the day we begin homeschooling!

Theme parks are a great education on physics, engineering, etc. There's no better way to learn geography than by traveling.

We already homeschool, for other reasons, and the flexibility is a great perk.

 

[tzvecl97]

Thanks for the advice everyone. We deposited our week hoping for a two bedroom in Gatlinburg....and just got one at MountainLoft Resort. It has spotty reviews, but I think it will be fine. Next time we use, we now know to choose a location, deposit and submit for exchange request, and then wait.

 

[wackymother]

Do your resorts exchange only through II, or could you exchange through RCI?

RCI gets bashed here, and often rightly so, but we are also limited by the school calendar and we also live in NJ, and we get some very nice exchanges through RCI. There's quite a bit of summer Massanutten availability in RCI, too.

In fact, we had a membership in II and we gave it up because we found that if you're in the Northeast, and you want to travel mainly in the Northeast, then RCI has many many more resorts and much more availability. It works for us. Good luck!

 

[MichaelColey]

In general, from what I've seen, RCI has much more selection while II has higher quality resorts. Obviously there are some quality resorts in RCI and some areas where II has better selection, but that's the general observation I've made.

 

[bogey21]

We've been owners since about 1998 and I have owned at least 22 timeshares. I am currently down to one after selling some and giving a few away. Timesharing was the best thing going for years......(

Same for me although my first TS Week was purchased in the late 80s. I too am down to one, a ski week used by my Son. It was a great run while it lasted. I'm just glad I got out while the getting was good.

George

 

[hypnotiq]

Regarding school schedules - we pull our kids OUT of school for a week or so, if need be, to travel shoulder and low seasons.

My daughter is not quite two and this is already the opinion I have (as it was the opinion my parents have). If I want to take my kids out of school for a week to vacation, we will. Of course there is a little school work to be done while on vacation but not so much it spoils the vacation.

 

[SueDonJ]

My daughter is not quite two and this is already the opinion I have (as it was the opinion my parents have). If I want to take my kids out of school for a week to vacation, we will. Of course there is a little school work to be done while on vacation but not so much it spoils the vacation.

When the kids were young, in elementary school, I didn't have any problem with pulling them out for a week, and if I gave enough notice to the teachers they were pretty good about sending work along. But as they got older, into middle school and then especially in high school, I gave the kids some say in it and allowed them to decide how much of an impact they could tolerate. There came a time when they thought it would be too difficult for them, and that was that.

 

[ronparise]

Theme parks are a great education on physics, engineering, etc. There's no better way to learn geography than by traveling.

We already homeschool, for other reasons, and the flexibility is a great perk.

Right

and drinking beer is a great education in human biology..brain chemistry and kidney function especially

 

[Beefnot]

Right

and drinking beer is a great education in human biology..brain chemistry and kidney function especially

That is hilarious

 

[AwayWeGo]

A.E. Housman (1859-1936).

drinking beer is a great education in human biology..brain chemistry and kidney function especially

According to A.E. Housman . . .

Malt does more than Milton can
To justify God's ways to man.​

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