Magic Village Views in Orlando

[TravelTime]

We are staying at Magic Village Views in Orlando. We got it as an exchange through ThirdHome from an owner so I assume this is a timeshare. It is managed by Wyndham and part of their Trademark Collection. I am wondering if it’s a timeshare because if it is, then I will post a review on TUG.

 

[Eric B]

Looking at the ones labeled that in ThirdHome, they look like part of Magic Village Resort, which shows up as being Resort ID RG09 in RCI, but has no availability. It does discuss having "Owners" in the portion of the write up discussing the need to pay $45/day for resort fees. It's not part of Club Wyndham, so I'm not sure if it trades anywhere besides ThirdHome; there are a few others that I don't have much info on but see in ThirdHome like Exclusive Resorts and a few others.

The Wyndham Trademark Collection is a franchising type of arrangement that allows independently owned properties to take advantage of the Wyndham branding and rewards programs; some seem to be strictly hotels while others are in RCI or other exchanges as timeshares as well as hotels.

 

[bizaro86]

This appears to be a whole ownership property. But owners are second home only, as you are limited to 6 months of total occupancy. Resales (not affiliated in any way except that imo resale is the Tug way for everything!) Can be seen at the link below:

Magic Village Yards Resort - My Orlando Vacation Home

Magic Village Yards Resort townhomes for sale list. Magic Village Yards Resort information including resort amenities, features, location, property features and area shopping, medical, dining and entertainment options in the vacation home areas near Disney in Orlando Florida.

www.floridaneighborhoodrealty.com

 

[TravelTime]

I have ant bites that are infected all over my arms and legs. We checked out early and paid $500 a day to move to the Marriott Vacation Club at the last minute. I took photos to prove it to Wyndham. Hopefully they will reimburse us for the extra days that were duplicates.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I have ant bites that are infected all over my arms and legs. We checked out early and paid $500 a day to move to the Marriott Vacation Club at the last minute. I took photos to prove it to Wyndham. Hopefully they will reimburse us for the extra days that were duplicates.

Oh my goodness, that sounds so horrible, so sorry your having to have this extra expense. Are you going to WDW on this trip if so have a great time, I'm so glad I purchased the Memory Maker photo package.

 

[dioxide45]

I have ant bites that are infected all over my arms and legs. We checked out early and paid $500 a day to move to the Marriott Vacation Club at the last minute. I took photos to prove it to Wyndham. Hopefully they will reimburse us for the extra days that were duplicates.

Bites from what? Bed bugs?

Not sure why Wyndham really has anything to do with this. It was a private owner exchange through ThirdHome. Perhaps you could seek reimbursement from ThirdHome?

 

[Eric B]

Bites from what? Bed bugs?

Not sure why Wyndham really has anything to do with this. It was a private owner exchange through ThirdHome. Perhaps you could seek reimbursement from ThirdHome?

@TravelTime noted earlier that Magic Village Resort is part of the Wyndham Trademark Collection, but that seems like the only connection with them. That brand seems to be one that Wyndham Hotels franchises out to independent owners/management companies, so I would have to agree that "Wyndham" would be unlikely to reimburse anything. The other problem being figuring out which of the Wyndham entities to ask.

I do believe that ThirdHome would be able to help out; we had to evacuate from a property we exchanged into via ThirdHome due to a hurricane a few years ago and got our exchange fee and keys credited back to our account. I have my doubts about whether they would pay for the Marriott stay, though, but you never know. They weren't really obligated to credit us for those by the terms and conditions, but did so for good customer relations, I believe.

 

[dioxide45]

@TravelTime noted earlier that Magic Village Resort is part of the Wyndham Trademark Collection, but that seems like the only connection with them. That brand seems to be one that Wyndham Hotels franchises out to independent owners/management companies, so I would have to agree that "Wyndham" would be unlikely to reimburse anything. The other problem being figuring out which of the Wyndham entities to ask.

I do believe that ThirdHome would be able to help out; we had to evacuate from a property we exchanged into via ThirdHome due to a hurricane a few years ago and got our exchange fee and keys credited back to our account. I have my doubts about whether they would pay for the Marriott stay, though, but you never know. They weren't really obligated to credit us for those by the terms and conditions, but did so for good customer relations, I believe.

Usually the best course of action would have been to call ThirdHome at the moment there is a problem. Not usually after the fact. We had an issue with an II exchange into Harbour Town Yacht Club in December. The room simply was not going to work. We called II while sitting in the room and they were able to swap us into a week at Barony Beach Club. Had we just went and rented the same nights and move to Barony, we likely would have received nothing, or perhaps at least a refund of our getaway fee that was paid to book the Yacht Club. Getting remedy after the fact is usually very difficult.

 

[dgalati]

Usually the best course of action would have been to call ThirdHome at the moment there is a problem. Not usually after the fact. . Getting remedy after the fact is usually very difficult.

@dioxide45 Very Good advice. Op should of given Thirdhome or who ever they booked from the opportunity to make things right. Without contacting them and moving to another place you elimited what they could have done to rectify the bad situation.

 

[TravelTime]

Bites from what? Bed bugs?

Not sure why Wyndham really has anything to do with this. It was a private owner exchange through ThirdHome. Perhaps you could seek reimbursement from ThirdHome?

Wyndham manages this property. There is a concierge onsite and you pay $60 a day extra for so-called “resort services.” However they do not supply toilet paper or ant spray. This is like if Marriott managed a property. Marriott is amazing and they provide everything you need.

 

[TravelTime]

@TravelTime noted earlier that Magic Village Resort is part of the Wyndham Trademark Collection, but that seems like the only connection with them. That brand seems to be one that Wyndham Hotels franchises out to independent owners/management companies, so I would have to agree that "Wyndham" would be unlikely to reimburse anything. The other problem being figuring out which of the Wyndham entities to ask.

I do believe that ThirdHome would be able to help out; we had to evacuate from a property we exchanged into via ThirdHome due to a hurricane a few years ago and got our exchange fee and keys credited back to our account. I have my doubts about whether they would pay for the Marriott stay, though, but you never know. They weren't really obligated to credit us for those by the terms and conditions, but did so for good customer relations, I believe.

I already emailed my ThirdHome contact but it’s the weekend so I assume she will reply on Monday. I sent her photos of my arms. I also have ant bites all over my legs. I slept on the couch on day 6 to avoid the ants in the bed. Then we moved to the Marriott Grande Vista for $500 on day 7, which was the overlapping night. We had to leave because apparently I am allergic to ant bites. I did not know this because I have never had any allergic reactions to any bug bites.

 

[TravelTime]

Usually the best course of action would have been to call ThirdHome at the moment there is a problem. Not usually after the fact. We had an issue with an II exchange into Harbour Town Yacht Club in December. The room simply was not going to work. We called II while sitting in the room and they were able to swap us into a week at Barony Beach Club. Had we just went and rented the same nights and move to Barony, we likely would have received nothing, or perhaps at least a refund of our getaway fee that was paid to book the Yacht Club. Getting remedy after the fact is usually very difficult.

I am less concerned about reimbursement and I will not make a big deal about it. I am reporting the problems to Wyndham and ThirdHome. I hope they will do something nice for us out of good will and good customer service. We have another ThirdHome exchange in late July. I hope this exchange will be up to normal standards.

 

[TravelTime]

Bites from what? Bed bugs?

Not sure why Wyndham really has anything to do with this. It was a private owner exchange through ThirdHome. Perhaps you could seek reimbursement from ThirdHome?

Ants were all over the bed, all over my daughters’ rooms, all over the living room and dining room, pretty much everywhere. We are at Marriott Grande Vista now and there are no ants. If Wyndham manages the property, they should be responsible for cleanliness.

 

[paxsarah]

If Wyndham manages the property, they should be responsible for cleanliness.

Just to clarify, you do realize the “Wyndham” that manages the property is the hotel group, which is a completely different company from the timeshare group? If you were to contact Wyndham Destinations, they would rightly have no idea what you’re talking about.

 

[Eric B]

It is managed by Wyndham and part of their Trademark Collection.

Wyndham Hotels includes this graphic on the site describing what the Trademark Collection is:

They also include the following statement (emphasis added):

Define Your Independence.
Introducing Trademark: a soft-branded collection of upper-midscale and above hotels that maintain their independent spirit and individuality.

Trademark is designed for independent entrepreneurs who have built an iconic hotel and are looking to boost its distinctive legacy with unmatched support. The brand invites hoteliers who operate landmark, 3 to 4 star hotels to maintain their individual spirit while taking advantage of Wyndham’s scale, distribution, services and loyalty program.

My impression from this is that the individual hotels/resorts that are in the Wyndham Trademark Collection are not owned and operated by Wyndham Hotels. There may be some of them that are partially or wholly owned, but not all of them. I believe this brand is a franchising type of arrangement for independent owners of hotels or resorts. If it were me, I would complain to the Magic Village Resort management; they have a website and a contact phone number; the website says "Powered by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts" rather than managed by them. I couldn't tell you if you would get anywhere by contacting the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts corporate entity, but have some doubts about that - you could complain about the conditions of the resort and that might effect their franchising relationship (if enough people do), but you'd be more likely to get a response from the folks actually running the place.

 

[Lisa P]

I have ant bites that are infected all over my arms and legs.

...photos of my arms. I also have ant bites all over my legs. I slept on the couch on day 6 to avoid the ants in the bed... We had to leave because apparently I am allergic to ant bites. I did not know this because I have never had any allergic reactions to any bug bites.

So sorry that you've had this bad experience. Hate to say it but this does not sound like a reaction to ant bites at all but rather to bed bugs. Suspect that the unpleasant ant invasion was just coincidental. Ant bites hurt and you're not likely to get bitten by ants that come into a home, least of all at night while you sleep. OTOH, it's not unusual for people to have an allergic reaction, itching, significant hives, and/or infected spots from bed bug bites. Having more bites on your limbs (or face) than on your trunk is classic with bed bugs. Sorry.

Remember: Bed bugs are not about cleanliness; they're pests that hitchhike into a space and reproduce there. Dear lady, if it were me, I'd immediately get ALL luggage out onto the balcony and all dry clothing into clothes dryers to kill any hitchhikers that you may have brought with you to the new condo. Damp or wet clothes need a longer time in the dryer. Examine your empty luggage and other belongings thoroughly. Then check the bedding of your new bed. If in doubt, also ask the resort for a complete change of linens (used sheets & towels) and explain that you've just found out you were recently in a room that may have had bugs and you're unnerved, wanting to make sure nothing is in your new room. It's a nightmare but far easier to address this soon after recognition and BEFORE you risk returning home with a hitchhiking bed bug. Again, bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness.

What was the resort front desk or manager's reaction when you told them you had bug bites and insects in the room? They're your first and most important contact. The exchange or rental service (such as II, RCI, Hotel.com, Priceline, ThirdHome, etc.) is the next best contact, if you don't get a satisfactory response, especially while you are still there.

 

[Lisa P]

We are staying at Magic Village Views in Orlando... It is managed by Wyndham...

If Wyndham manages the property, they should be responsible for cleanliness.

If they did manage the property, I'd agree completely. However, there seems to be a misunderstanding here. Trademark Collection by Wyndham forges affiliations with independent hotels & resorts to provide the hotels with supports TO the business/finance side of running a hotel business, not for the operations or upkeep of those independently owned properties. Magic Village Views is such an independently owned and managed property. ThirdHome's website says they offer stays at "13,200 luxury homes, villas, and resorts". ThirdHome Exchange is specifically aimed at individual "second home owners". For you, they were the exchange service or booking agent. So they're your 2nd line of contact, after the resort's local management. Doubtful that Wyndham Hotels or Club Wyndham (timeshares) would have any kind of remedy to offer,

 

[paxsarah]

Doubtful that Wyndham Hotels or Club Wyndham (timeshares) would have any kind of remedy to offer,

And to reiterate, the entity that’s involved even tangentially is Wyndham Hotels, not Club Wyndham - which is a completely different company. Wyndham timeshares are 100% not involved in this property (and that’s not me being a Wyndham apologist, just me googling the corporate relationships).

 

[Eric B]

ThirdHome's website says they offer stays at "13,200 luxury homes, villas, and resorts". ThirdHome Exchange is specifically aimed at individual "second home owners".

They do, however, also accept exchanges and rental listings for fractional ownerships and some timeshares. You'll see a number of them in the property listings and the affiliates.

 

[jules54]

I already emailed my ThirdHome contact but it’s the weekend so I assume she will reply on Monday. I sent her photos of my arms. I also have ant bites all over my legs. I slept on the couch on day 6 to avoid the ants in the bed. Then we moved to the Marriott Grande Vista for $500 on day 7, which was the overlapping night. We had to leave because apparently I am allergic to ant bites. I did not know this because I have never had any allergic reactions to any bug bites.

Travel Time please don’t think I’m being rude, but you have over 5,000 posts on Tug. According to your profile you own many high quality resorts. Is the OP really travel time or have they been hacked somehow? With so many strange thing going happening on the web I was just concerned. It’s purely concern fellow Tuggers don’t jump all over me.

 

[TravelTime]

So sorry that you've had this bad experience. Hate to say it but this does not sound like a reaction to ant bites at all but rather to bed bugs. Suspect that the unpleasant ant invasion was just coincidental. Ant bites hurt and you're not likely to get bitten by ants that come into a home, least of all at night while you sleep. OTOH, it's not unusual for people to have an allergic reaction, itching, significant hives, and/or infected spots from bed bug bites. Having more bites on your limbs (or face) than on your trunk is classic with bed bugs. Sorry.

Remember: Bed bugs are not about cleanliness; they're pests that hitchhike into a space and reproduce there. Dear lady, if it were me, I'd immediately get ALL luggage out onto the balcony and all dry clothing into clothes dryers to kill any hitchhikers that you may have brought with you to the new condo. Damp or wet clothes need a longer time in the dryer. Examine your empty luggage and other belongings thoroughly. Then check the bedding of your new bed. If in doubt, also ask the resort for a complete change of linens (used sheets & towels) and explain that you've just found out you were recently in a room that may have had bugs and you're unnerved, wanting to make sure nothing is in your new room. It's a nightmare but far easier to address this soon after recognition and BEFORE you risk returning home with a hitchhiking bed bug. Again, bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness.

What was the resort front desk or manager's reaction when you told them you had bug bites and insects in the room? They're your first and most important contact. The exchange or rental service (such as II, RCI, Hotel.com, Priceline, ThirdHome, etc.) is the next best contact, if you don't get a satisfactory response, especially while you are still there.

I hope it was not bed bugs. That would be so much worse. I do not think it was bed bugs because I did not get any bites on the first 5 nights. On night 6, a bunch of ants invaded my side of the bed because I ate something in bed and some crumbs must have fallen. I remember feeling some bites because the ants walked on me. Then we went to the concierge and asked for bug spray and we think we killed them but we had to spray all over the unit. There were ants everywhere that day. So when we came back for night 7, I was so bitten up and my daughter is scared of ants, so we decided to check out one day early and pay for an extra night at the Marriott Grande Vista. We had a 3 bedroom through II so I asked if we could pay for 1 night and stay in the same room for all 8 nights. The resort is almost fully booked and I could not use DPs, so I had to pay cash. Since it’s a 3 BR, it was a very expensive add-on. With tax, that one night was close to $500.

 

[TravelTime]

I just got an email from Trademark Collection by Wyndham/Wyndham Rewards/Hotels by Wyndham. The email is branded Wyndham all over. If this hotel is marketing itself as being part of Wyndham Hotels, then they should take responsibility for this because it is hurting their brand. They are marketing TRademark along with all their hotels and the vacation club.

The email says:

Get Rewarded the Way You Want
Join Wyndham Rewards and start enjoying all the great perks of membership—from exclusive discounts to earning points toward free nights. Then, redeem your points for hotel stays, gift cards, gas discounts, merchandise, and more.

Earn Points Toward
Free Nights
For every qualified stay at a Wyndham Rewards hotel or vacation club resort, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar or 1,000 points—whichever is more.1

Unlock New Member
Levels & Perks
The more qualifying nights you stay, the closer you’ll be to reaching new member levels and enjoying perks like early check-in, late checkout, and so much more.

Enjoy Exclusive Offers
Access special offers and partner discounts—plus, get the lowest price when you book direct.2
JOIN WYNDHAM REWARDS

Count on Us®
Whenever and wherever you decide to travel, our flexible cancellation policies and elevated health and safety protocols will give you the confidence to book.
LEARN MORE

Wyndham Rewards
HOTELS BY WYNDHAM
VACATION RENTALS, CLUB RESORTS & CONDOS
Club Wyndham
WorldMark by Wyndham
Shell Vacations Club
Margaritaville Vacation Club
Cottages.com
Landal
Vacasa

 

[TravelTime]

Travel Time please don’t think I’m being rude, but you have over 5,000 posts on Tug. According to your profile you own many high quality resorts. Is the OP really travel time or have they been hacked somehow? With so many strange thing going happening on the web I was just concerned. It’s purely concern fellow Tuggers don’t jump all over me.

What? Why would I not be TravelTime? What made you think that?

Magic Village Views marketed itself as being upscale through ThirdHome. The photos looked really nice and it was right outside the Disney World gates. We had a 4 bedroom townhouse. I deposited a week at Four Seasons Aviara and got 8 keys. I used 2 keys for Magic Village plus a pretty hefty exchange fee of like $500 or $600, plus this hotel charges a $60 per day resort fee.

Not sure if I mentioned, this hotel does not provide extra toilet paper. They provide one roll per bathroom and when you run out, you need to buy your own at the supermarket.

 

[dgalati]

What? Why would I not be TravelTime? What made you think that?

Magic Village Views marketed itself as being upscale through ThirdHome. The photos looked really nice and it was right outside the Disney World gates. We had a 4 bedroom townhouse. I deposited a week at Four Seasons Aviara and got 8 keys. I used 2 keys for Magic Village plus a pretty hefty exchange fee of like $500 or $600, plus this hotel charges a $60 per day resort fee.

Not sure if I mentioned, this hotel does not provide extra toilet paper. They provide one roll per bathroom and when you run out, you need to buy your own at the supermarket.

One roll of TP that's pretty Shi***!

 

[TravelTime]

One roll of TP that's pretty Shi***!

Luckily, we had 4 bedrooms for 4 people so we each had one roll of TP for the week,