True - I've managed plenty of prime Valdoro reservations as well by being diligent and checking the system frequently. I'd add, however, that if you really care about going somewhere and if your travel schedule is somewhat limited, then it may be worth it to pay the premium and buy at the resort you really want. We did that with Kings' Land and Valdoro (with a 2BR + :whoopie to make sure we have the 12-month window when we needed it. After those two properties we just added a sh*t load of points via the cheapest Vegas property.
My goodness I just looked at the listing of resorts you have... How many weeks a year are you vacationing at HGVC properties. January must be a very unpleasant month for you budget wise.