Help with purchase WR vs GC vs GV

[mhoffman]

I’m looking at purchasing WR a 2br lockoff platinum season for a trader in II. Mf are lower but I do know we will spend a week in Fl every year. Would it be worth the higher fee at GV or is the Orlando market so full having search set up 10-12 months out is not an issue to get a Marriott there or even another nice time share on the last minute deals and use the trade for our summer trips. Would WR be a disadvantage over GC as a trader due to its location or do all available show up as long as it’s a 150 TDI. Lastly, with many locations only having a 2br anyone here split there lock off and use both to get the same week to get the extra space. 3br is what we need for now but a 2br and studio even if they weren’t together would work for us. Just want to be as educated as I can on before purchasing. The plan is once purchased to use to the max value.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Assuming you follow all of the trading best practices (deposit early as possible, use ongoing searches) I doubt you'd notice a difference in trading power across the three resorts. If you're looking for a super high-demand resort/week maybe, but for most trading not.

Yes you can split / lockoff and deposit and trade two units, and usually be able to upgrade sizes (for a fee), especially if your goal is to go Orlando every year. I (and others here) have traded studios for 3 BRs in Orlando quite often (though it's a little more difficult as there aren't that many).

 

[dioxide45]

I agree with @jmhpsu93 , I think overall we put too much importance on trading power of deposits. In the end, much of it comes down to depositing early and either placing an ongoing search or being diligent with searching II. We own two gold Orlando weeks and we no longer stress about booking specific weeks. If we need to make a deposit to confirm an exchange, we will book an early May week and deposit it. It seems to work just the same as those Memorial Week deposits. @Dean did mention that his July 4th week Willow Ridge studio deposit didn't pull a summer MGO week where his Grande Vista studio did. So there is a small tidbit of information.

One issue with exchanging and 3BR units is that Marriott doesn't have a lot of resorts with 3BR units to exchnage into. Most are 2BR or 2BR lock off. So you are limited to the resorts you can go to if you want or need a 3BR.

 

[Dean]

I’m looking at purchasing WR a 2br lockoff platinum season for a trader in II. Mf are lower but I do know we will spend a week in Fl every year. Would it be worth the higher fee at GV or is the Orlando market so full having search set up 10-12 months out is not an issue to get a Marriott there or even another nice time share on the last minute deals and use the trade for our summer trips. Would WR be a disadvantage over GC as a trader due to its location or do all available show up as long as it’s a 150 TDI. Lastly, with many locations only having a 2br anyone here split there lock off and use both to get the same week to get the extra space. 3br is what we need for now but a 2br and studio even if they weren’t together would work for us. Just want to be as educated as I can on before purchasing. The plan is once purchased to use to the max value.

I would concur. Use the studio to trade back into Orlando and the 1BR for something else no matter what you decide including buying in Orlando. The only issue I see with WR & Harbour Lake, are that they are Premier not elite so if your other trade requests might require the higher resort quality, that might steer you to GC or GV. HI, SC July, Aruba Platinum and the like.

Don't get too enamored with the TDI because this is not standardized across markets though I do believe that overall a 150 in Branson, LV & Orlando are all fairly close. I have come to the opinion that Orlando is a little higher. I reached that conclusion before the occurrence I mention below. I looked at RCI's TPU's and rental prices for Branson, LV & Orlando Platinum (basically week 26) and also for CA desert Gold (top TDI week). My conclusion was that the Gold CA desert and Orlando should have about the same trade power and that Branson & LV should have a lower trade power but roughly equal to each other. I did not use the week 51 holiday week at LV though. I do also believe that there is quite a bit of difference based on the resort ratings.

Jeremy, it was actually a WR 2 BR that was week 26 and deposited about 14 months out with a pending request. The GV studio AND 1BR were deposited much later (and under 12 months out) and both pulled a 2 BR at MGO over the 2 BR at WR.

Ultimately my recommendation is to consider these issues and where one wants to trade to then keep an open mind across the options one decides to consider within this group. I might add Manor Club Sequel only in there as well and CA Desert Platinum. Just consider the price and fees. I know some are enamored with the 3 BR at GC & GV but my opinion is that two 2BR are probably better for most than a single 3 BR for most people. Whether the CA desert is worth the extra yearly fees depends on other factors. If one is flexible esp not needing a 2 BR and not tied to the school calendar, WR should be fine.

 

[dioxide45]

Jeremy, it was actually a WR 2 BR that was week 26 and deposited about 14 months out with a pending request. The GV studio AND 1BR were deposited much later (and under 12 months out) and both pulled a 2 BR at MGO over the 2 BR at WR.

What does that say for the 2BR WRL? Wonder if it was some kind of glitch?

 

[dioxide45]

While the studios trade fairly well, our gold Orlando studios do pretty good, they are highly variable. Over the years II has gone back and forth as to how well they treat the studio side of the Marriott lockoffs. Some years they are great and others not so much. I seem to recall prepandemic that they weren't doing all that great. It seems that II has given them a boost in the new era of travel. I wonder with travel slumping a bit, if things will change?

 

[Dean]

What does that say for the 2BR WRL? Wonder if it was some kind of glitch?

It makes me question why I own two of them. I personally do not think it a glitch but I don't work for II, LOL.

 

[mhoffman]

Assuming you follow all of the trading best practices (deposit early as possible, use ongoing searches) I doubt you'd notice a difference in trading power across the three resorts. If you're looking for a super high-demand resort/week maybe, but for most trading not.

Yes you can split / lockoff and deposit and trade two units, and usually be able to upgrade sizes (for a fee), especially if your goal is to go Orlando every year. I (and others here) have traded studios for 3 BRs in Orlando quite often (though it's a little more difficult as there aren't that many).

Great to know that 3br in Orlando are pretty available. That’s my biggest stress is making sure we can get the place we need with enough space.

 

[mhoffman]

While the studios trade fairly well, our gold Orlando studios do pretty good, they are highly variable. Over the years II has gone back and forth as to how well they treat the studio side of the Marriott lockoffs. Some years they are great and others not so much. I seem to recall prepandemic that they weren't doing all that great. It seems that II has given them a boost in the new era of travel. I wonder with travel slumping a bit, if things will change?

Thanks for the input. Hopefully I will be able to enjoy some good scores with my studio trade. Looking forward to getting into the game and seeing what choices become available. Maybe this sounds crazy but I feel so burnt out of searching endless sites spending hours and hours for the best place to stay. I’m ready to simplify the process. Pick from my traders and see what matches come up and lock it in.

 

[jmhpsu93]

Great to know that 3br in Orlando are pretty available. That’s my biggest stress is making sure we can get the place we need with enough space.

There are three resorts in Orlando with 3 BR units: Imperial Palms, Grande Vista, and Lakeshore Reserve. I'd say the "ease" of trading into a 3 BR would be in that order, with Lakeshore the hardest as they have the fewest units. Note this is totally anecdotal based on my observations regularly searching for stuff in Interval, no real method to the analysis.

If I were you, I'd place an ongoing search for those three resorts (they're all very different but each has their charms) for 3 BR only. You'll have better luck with the 1 BR deposit for sure, but depending on season I wouldn't worry about matching a 3 BR for a studio but as @dioxide45 mentioned Interval messes with their algorithms all the time.

 

[Big Matt]

While the studios trade fairly well, our gold Orlando studios do pretty good, they are highly variable. Over the years II has gone back and forth as to how well they treat the studio side of the Marriott lockoffs. Some years they are great and others not so much. I seem to recall prepandemic that they weren't doing all that great. It seems that II has given them a boost in the new era of travel. I wonder with travel slumping a bit, if things will change?

I noticed the trading power during the pandemic went to the floor for my 1BR platinum GV. I had used the studio already. It traded like a bonze studio. I couldn't see much of anything.

 

[Big Matt]

I would opt for at Grande Vista 2BR lock off in the Florida Club. You can reserve BPT and OP.

 

[mhoffman]

I would concur. Use the studio to trade back into Orlando and the 1BR for something else no matter what you decide including buying in Orlando. The only issue I see with WR & Harbour Lake, are that they are Premier not elite so if your other trade requests might require the higher resort quality, that might steer you to GC or GV. HI, SC July, Aruba Platinum and the like.

Don't get too enamored with the TDI because this is not standardized across markets though I do believe that overall a 150 in Branson, LV & Orlando are all fairly close. I have come to the opinion that Orlando is a little higher. I reached that conclusion before the occurrence I mention below. I looked at RCI's TPU's and rental prices for Branson, LV & Orlando Platinum (basically week 26) and also for CA desert Gold (top TDI week). My conclusion was that the Gold CA desert and Orlando should have about the same trade power and that Branson & LV should have a lower trade power but roughly equal to each other. I did not use the week 51 holiday week at LV though. I do also believe that there is quite a bit of difference based on the resort ratings.

Jeremy, it was actually a WR 2 BR that was week 26 and deposited about 14 months out with a pending request. The GV studio AND 1BR were deposited much later (and under 12 months out) and both pulled a 2 BR at MGO over the 2 BR at WR.

Ultimately my recommendation is to consider these issues and where one wants to trade to then keep an open mind across the options one decides to consider within this group. I might add Manor Club Sequel only in there as well and CA Desert Platinum. Just consider the price and fees. I know some are enamored with the 3 BR at GC & GV but my opinion is that two 2BR are probably better for most than a single 3 BR for most people. Whether the CA desert is worth the extra yearly fees depends on other factors. If one is flexible esp not needing a 2 BR and not tied to the school calendar, WR should be fine.

Thank you for the detailed post. A lot of great points to consider.

 

[mhoffman]

I would opt for at Grande Vista 2BR lock off in the Florida Club. You can reserve BPT and OP.

Does a Grand Vista in the Florida Club give precedence over others looking for the same place but own outside of the Florida Club? I first thought I needed to stay away from an Orlando timeshare to be able to trade to DVC but then read there is a trick to getting around that.

 

[sponger76]

Does a Grand Vista in the Florida Club give precedence over others looking for the same place but own outside of the Florida Club? I first thought I needed to stay away from an Orlando timeshare to be able to trade to DVC but then read there is a trick to getting around that.

If you own GV in the Florida Club, the way it works is this: You can either reserve at GV (normally as far as 12 months out, but 13 if you are reserving concurrent or consecutive weeks by owning more than one). Or you can reserve one of the other Florida Club resorts up to 6 months out. If you reserved a GV week, because it's in the Orlando bubble you won't be able to trade for a DVC Orlando resort. If you reserved one the Florida Club resorts that is outside the Orlando bubble, you would be able to trade for DVC Orlando.

If two GV owners reserve the exact type of unit at GV during the same week, and deposit them into II at pretty much the same time, and one is a Florida Club owner and the other isn't, there will be absolutely no difference in what they can get in II. The tie-breaker would just be who put their trade request in first.

 

[jmhpsu93]

If trading into DVC Orlando is your ultimate goal and you want to consistently to that, I'd buy outside of Orlando. If it's "I want to try DVC once" then I'd stick with Florida Club Grande Vista.

You'll be at a trading disadvantage depositing only six months out vs. the twelve you'd get other than FC.