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Just got back from Horizons Orlando and have questions for next year's trip

smith_4

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Hi all!!

We just returned today from our first trip to Horizons Orlando. We were very pleased with the resort. My two kids (ages 5 and 7) absolutely loved the pools, miniature golf, water park, daily ice cream parties at 2 pm, etc. Definitely a great resort if you have young kids.

We are thinking next year to lock off and try to get a week at the beach in the summer and a week in Orlando in either November or December. I have a couple of questions. First - for those who have travelled to Orlando in November or December, is it warm enough to swim? Or will we not be able to use the pools at that time? We've been to Disney three years in a row now in October and would like to experience a Disney Christmas instead next year. Another question - Does anyone know if the crowds are less in either mid-November or mid-December? We are amazed at how each year we have gone in October, the crowds appear to get larger and larger each year. We were hoping that either a trip in mid-November (the week before Thanksgiving) or mid-December (the week before Christmas) would be smaller crowds and shorter lines.

Also, what are the chances of locking off our Horizons Orlando and exchanging one week for a week in the summer at Myrtle Beach (any suggestions on a good Marriott resort to try to exchange for?) and switching the other week to Cypress Harbour in either November or December (so that we can ensure we get a full two bedroom/two bathroom unit since Cypress Harbour does not have lock off units)? We are new to timeshares... This was our first visit to Orlando as timeshare owners. I have never tried to lock off and trade so not sure if anyone has suggestions on the best way of doing this. Do the weeks get placed into II and then we wait to see if an opening comes up for the weeks that we want for next year?

Thank you to everyone for your help and suggestions!

Trish
 

abdibile

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Getting any Marriott (or whatever great resort) in Orlando in November and December should be very easy with any trading week.

I have been watching early December 2008 but am still not sure it I can travel.

Even my worst non-Marriott studio sees lots of 2 Bedrooms at great resorts sitting online.

Sorry, no clue about your other questions...
 

smith_4

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Hi! Thanks for your reply! Is there a way to look online at II to view what weeks are available and at what resorts? Or do you have to trade in your week(s) first to II before you can log in and view what weeks are available to trade for and where?

Thanks again!
Trish
 

Paumavista

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Does Horizon have Lock-offs?

We've stayed there twice in two bedroom units but neither of them were set up as lock-offs. Are the newer 2 bedroom units now being built as lockoffs?

Judy
 

dioxide45

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From the sounds of it I think you have a Horizons Gold week? If so, the best time to go to Orlando around the time you want to travel as far as crowds are concerned is the week after Thanksgiving.

To lock off and get the best trade power, you would want to book either Thanksgiving week or Memorial week in gold season. Trading for summer Myrtle Beach or HHI will be tough with Horizons Gold, especially to trade up to a two bedroom. I can see 2 BR units at Cypress Harbour with our 2009 1BR MGV Memorial week for the week after Thanksgiving in 2009. So trading with a 1BR Horizons in to a 2BR Cupress Harbour shouldn't be tough, you may even be able to get it with the studio. You would be best to use the 1BR to trade for the summer beach week.

Make sure you lock off early. Horizons only has a limited number of lock off rooms available, and they are reserved on first come first serve. Their new building may be open by then if it is not already, I think it may have lock off units in it, though I don't know for certain.
 
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summervaca

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Weather in Orlando in December can vary wildly. Last year we were in Orlando for 10 days from just before Christmas until just after New Years. The first five days it was in the 80's, very warm for that time of year. The following five days were in the 40's, even 30's in some parts of Florida. They said it was the coldest it had been in many, many years. We were never sure quite what to wear!

My kids swam everyday anyway.:) On the really cold days, there was steam rising up from the pool.(They were heated to about 88 degrees) It looked really neat, but you wouldn't have caught me in there. :eek:
 

capjak

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We went over XMAS last year and as previvous poster stated it was very warm when we were there 70-80 and we swam, but I think that it usually closer to 70 than 80.

It was amazing to see all the decorations and Disney Studios Osbourn Festival of lights is really really something to see...:D

I highly reccomend going over XMAS.
 

smith_4

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Hi,

So, regarding locking off and trading..... Since I have never done this before, do you pick a week that you think would be considered a prime week to trade? Since I would want to lock off my Horizons Gold and trade both weeks, would I reserve two prime gold weeks at Horizons first? Like perhaps the week of Thanksgiving and the week of Xmas or Memorial day week? And then do I trade that into the II system? This does not mean that I need to travel on those days, right? I can pick any dates that I would like to trade for? Is this correct? And then do I tell II (or Marriott) what weeks I want and where and then they continue to look for an opening at the resorts I am interested in? Do they call me when an acceptable trade becomes available?

Thanks so much for your help!
Trish
P.S. Yes, Horizons has lock offs and the new building is supposed to be done in February, 2009. The exterior looked finished to me. I imagine only the interior needs to be completed.
 

dioxide45

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Hi,

So, regarding locking off and trading..... Since I have never done this before, do you pick a week that you think would be considered a prime week to trade?
Your best option is to reserve the week with the strongest trading power. Using the II demand index is the best way to select your week.

Since I would want to lock off my Horizons Gold and trade both weeks, would I reserve two prime gold weeks at Horizons first?
Yes

Like perhaps the week of Thanksgiving and the week of Xmas or Memorial day week? And then do I trade that into the II system?
Yes, reserve the strongest weeks in your season. You can even reserve both weeks as Memorial week. Then deposit both in to II. Or you can do a request first and hold on to your weeks until the trade comes through.

This does not mean that I need to travel on those days, right?
You don't need to travel on those dates. Once deposited in to II you can travel for any time up to two years past the reservation date. If you do a request first then you can still travel on the originally reserved dates if your trades don't come through.

I can pick any dates that I would like to trade for? Is this correct?
Correct.

And then do I tell II (or Marriott) what weeks I want and where and then they continue to look for an opening at the resorts I am interested in?
Correct

Do they call me when an acceptable trade becomes available?
You will receive an e-mail most likely. You have up to 24 hours to decline the exchange confirmation.



Thanks so much for your help!
Trish
P.S. Yes, Horizons has lock offs and the new building is supposed to be done in February, 2009. The exterior looked finished to me. I imagine only the interior needs to be completed.
 

JimIg23

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here is an old link about getting an idea what is available through exchange without a specific reservation.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46120&highlight=exchange+fake+reservation

There are many factors in trading weeks. I would search this site for all the different scenarios. However, I own MHZ (Plat) and locked off, and deposited both weeks. I reserved a June week. Since I wanted to look for upgraded rooms, I used the on line search. I was able to pick up a 2 bedroom Cypress Harbor in June for my 1 bedroom and a 1 bedroom Ocean Point in June for my studio. I am hoping to upgrade the 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom in flex time. Good Luck
 

hvsteve1

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We were at GV last December two weeks before Christmas. The local news kept talking about the unusual "cold spell" as it was in the 60's some days. The pools were busy...you can always tell the northerners. They'll swim in the winter down south if they have to wear parkas to do so.

The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is considered one of the slower periods at WDW unless your'e there when school is out. I would suggest buying tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on line. Do so early as they sell out. As I recall they were $40 or so. The advantage is they close the park at 6 and reopen only for ticketholders. As they limit the number of tickets, you get to see the special parades, fireworks, shows, etc. without having to fight crowds. If you use that time to go to the attractions, even the normally busy ones have no long waits and, indeed, we went into some that had only a handful of people inside.

BTW, we reserved a one BR and GV only about a month or so before we went using points from another resort through II and getting a discount as the time was so close. So, I guess Orlando is pretty available those weeks.
 

Dean

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I'm not optimistic you'll get a beachfront resort mid summer such as HH or MB using a Horizon's Gold 1 BR. It certainly doesn't hurt to try and put in the request. IF you can do early June or late August you will have a much better chance of success. You would have a better chance at Ocean Pointe but likely would get a 1 BR instead of a 2 BR. For Orlando I'd look do trade the studio online. It's likely you can get a 2 BR at Horizon's or Grande Vista if you'd prefer those. You're biggest obstacle is likely time. You've missed a lot of units previously deposited and likely have far more people ahead of you for summer, the more difficult of your two goals. If you get a bonus week when depositing your 1 BR, you could likely use that for your Orlando trip as well. You have plenty of time for the Orlando trip as units are just now being deposited for those that reserve 13 months out for some of your time.

I've been playing around with my available units in II. I also spent a lot of time recently looking for 2 BR units next year for Horizon's, CH or GV. I used a Horizon's Branson studio, AC, Surfwatch summer 2 BR and a non Marriott 2 BR light pink week. The results were very interesting and enlightening to me. I came to several conclusions. These were that Horizon's resort rating is less than CH which is less than GV, n0ot necessarily a surprise I know but it was enough to affect what I saw with various deposits as noted above. That II put a different trade power on Friday and Sunday starts than Sat, at least for Orlando, and that II has strengthened somewhat their prohibition on studios trading up. The AC didn't work well since July & August are excluded but Oct, Nov and Dec are included in my AC. I ended up using two identical and FREE 2 BR non Marriott light pink to white weeks and got two Horizon's 2 BR units, Fri start as a gift for two of my staff. I got Fri start dates but could not see the same week for Sat using these deposits even though both weeks were there online in II. I felt my studio did not trade as well as in the past. Still, if you're patient they will open up the options as you get closer to the dates but likely only a few months. I have traded the same studio for GV 2 BR in the past. You could likely use an AC for June or the first week of Sept. You should be able to get a 2 BR at Horizons or GV as you get closer but it might be a lot closer. If you're set on a 2 BR and don't mind CH, that would be your safest bet as you could have an ongoing search.

This opens up a world of possibilities if you can get a week to deposit that Ii will give you a bonus week for Horizon's Orlando but I'm not sure what weeks, if any, get an AC for Orlando Horizon's. You could potentially deposit and trade back in to your resort spending a few $$$ for essentially one or even two free trades. Extra costs include exchange fee, lockoff fee and cost of using the AC; total about an extra $600 assuming you use the AC for a 2 BR.
 
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