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Ocean Pointe vs Grande Vista

S

Smooth Air

TUG Member
Joined
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Hi! Thinking of exchanging Ocean Pointe for Grande Vista in Orlando through II. We love OP & are wondering if somebody can compare the 2 resorts for us.
Which do you prefer & why?

Smooth Air:cool:
 
smoothair said:
Hi! Thinking of exchanging Ocean Pointe for Grande Vista in Orlando through II. We love OP & are wondering if somebody can compare the 2 resorts for us.
Which do you prefer & why?

Smooth Air:cool:
Click to expand...

They are very different resorts. MPB is a beach resort, where MGV is attraction oriented and inland in Orlando. You can't really compare, it depends on what you are looking for. MGV is an excellent resort with great amenities. You can likely book MGV through the Florida Club for free at 6 months out. What time of year do you want to visit?
 
dioxide45 said:
They are very different resorts. MPB is a beach resort, where MGV is attraction oriented and inland in Orlando. You can't really compare, it depends on what you are looking for. MGV is an excellent resort with great amenities. You can likely book MGV through the Florida Club for free at 6 months out. What time of year do you want to visit?
Click to expand...
Or you could deposit your Ocean Pointe in II and get an accommodation certificate - and use that to get a Grande Vista 2BR unit for $299.

Grande Vista's furnishings and grounds/pools/golf courses are beautiful - the units are comparable to Ocean Point..but as pointed out, it is an inland golf resort near all the theme parks.
 
similar physically, different otherwise

Different types of resorts, obviously, because of the different destinations; however, both have units which are very nice and they both have similar amenities...in that sense they're equal.

Main difference to me is in trading---- Ocean Pointe historically would be a more difficult trade to obtain, especially in prime season. Anything in Orlando, including GV, can be obtained easily most any time of the year with any other timeshare week traded. GV (and Orlando in general) does not require a high-powered week to obtain on trade. (We've done both...OP & GV on trade.)

If you trade an OP week, you may receive a trade week plus an A/C. Don't waste your "good trade week" on GV....you can get that with the A/C......thereby saving the trade week for something better and more difficult. jme
 
I do not believe that any 2009 weeks have been offered AC's at Ocean Pointe.

You may consider locking off your OP unit and trying to get a 2BR exchange for your 1BR deposit. If you only get a 1BR trade, most likely you will be able to upgrade it during Flexchange to a 2BR for a $99 fee.

As stated above, the resorts are apples and oranges when trying to compare them. I can only guess that MGV is a more full service resort than OP. IMO


Terry
 
Ocean Pointe:
great ocean front location
nice pools
very quiet setting
not much to do within walking distance, but tons to do with a five minute drive
traditional marketplace
most units have great views of either the ocean or intercoastal waterway

Grande Vista:
15 minutes from Disney, two minutes to Sea World, ten minutes to Universal
great pools
bar and grill at one pool
on site golf school and executive course
full service (and pretty good) restaurant
units have all different views (golf, pool, lakes) and are all different ages and levels of quality
great kids activities including paddle boats, kids zone, tennis, etc.
 
So, do I call II & ask them for an A/C & tell them that I want to "deposit" my 2BR Platinum week @ OP? Then, if I understand this correctly, I use the A/C for GV & still have another week to go someplace else? That sounds way too good to be true! What am I missing? Do I have to "lock off" b/f I do any of this? Call Marriott & divide my 2BR....so, in effect, I am depositing a lock off & a 1BR?

Smooth Air:cool:
 
For Moi:

Ocean Pointe - spend virtually everyday at the resort soaking at the pool, walking on the beach, and relaxing.

Grande Vista - spend a day or two at the resort and the rest of the time doing something or other in Orlando.


Charles
 
smoothair said:
So, do I call II & ask them for an A/C & tell them that I want to "deposit" my 2BR Platinum week @ OP? Then, if I understand this correctly, I use the A/C for GV & still have another week to go someplace else? That sounds way too good to be true! What am I missing? Do I have to "lock off" b/f I do any of this? Call Marriott & divide my 2BR....so, in effect, I am depositing a lock off & a 1BR?

Smooth Air:cool:
Click to expand...


It all boils down to their willingness to offer the A/C for your deposit. If a resort is in great demand (which OP is), it will rate the A/C....if not, it won't. All depends on what week/season you offer. I've heard it go both ways, so nothing would shock me.

One poster above mentioned that 2009 weeks will not rate the A/C.....that could be entirely true. I would not, however, neglect to ask I.I. , tho..........you never know. (What could it hurt?) Things change as time moves on.

If they do offer the A/C, then what you describe above is exactly how you handle it. Same for any owner at a high-demand resort who wishes to deposit for trade. Sometimes you walk away with an A/C, sometimes you don't. To be honest, it's been inconsistent, so give it a chance. jme
 
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Ocean Pointe has the reputation of being one of the most owner used (occupied) resorts in the Marriott collection. It would surprise me if prime weeks do not get an AC.

Charles
 
jme said:
.....One poster above mentioned that 2009 weeks will not rate the A/C.....that could be entirely true. I would not, however, neglect to ask I.I. , tho..........you never know. (What could it hurt?) Things change as time moves on.....
Click to expand...

I agree with the above post. Call II and ask them.

I have not checked in a few months and now do not have a 2009 week to check with anymore. Last time I checked, there were no AC's being offered for platinum (winter) or gold (summer) weeks at OP. Things could have changed since then.

We all know that II has been stingy with AC's for 2009 at most resorts.


Terry
 
ok....so, I have to "lock off" my 2BR Platinum 2009 Rez @ OP w/ Marriott Rez b/f I call II to ask for the A/C thing. Right? Then I ask for GV w/ the A/C if OP is giving A/C & then I still have another week w/ II. Amazing the things u learn from Tuggers! Thanks Everybody!

Smooth Air:cool:
 
smoothair said:
ok....so, I have to "lock off" my 2BR Platinum 2009 Rez @ OP w/ Marriott Rez b/f I call II to ask for the A/C thing. Right? Then I ask for GV w/ the A/C if OP is giving A/C & then I still have another week w/ II. Amazing the things u learn from Tuggers! Thanks Everybody!

Smooth Air:cool:
Click to expand...

Call II first to see what qualifies for an AC, if anything. If II is offering AC's, they will tell you if you must deposit a 2BR or if a 1BR will qualify. Then call Marriott and lock-off if wanted. You could possibly end up with three weeks vacation if all goes as desired!

Remember, you cannot use your AC to search II during the most premium seasons, not even at MGV.


Good Luck and keep us posted.

Terry
 
Hi, Terry! Ok....I am lost! How cld I potentially get 3 weeks? Educate me! One for the lock off, one for the 1BR & one for the AC if OP is giving AC's??

Smooth Air:cool:
 
smoothair said:
Hi! Thinking of exchanging Ocean Pointe for Grande Vista in Orlando through II. We love OP & are wondering if somebody can compare the 2 resorts for us.
Which do you prefer & why?

Smooth Air:cool:
Click to expand...
To add slightly:
OP has a big owner's reception, GV has none.
GV units in newer bdlgs and renovated old are nicer (opinion generally shared in reviews).
GV has golf on site and accross the street. OP did not have any golf deals I recall (although I played golf near there).
GV has shopping and restaurants (on and off site) much closer and more convenient. MANY more restaurants (it's Orlando).
GV gym S T I N K S!!! Way too small. OP is smaller resort with TWO gyms.
GV has a too small Marketplace, but it is bigger than OP. Still, it should be 3x the size when you consider the comparative resort sizes.
Note on last two---GV is supposed to be rebuilding both areas, athough I don't know if they started yet or when they will be done.
 
Just checked -- no ACs for January, February or March deposits at OP.:(

Are ACs ever given within 6 months of check-in, or are they more likely at 12 months out?
 
no A/C's ?

thinze3 said:
There are currently no bonus weeks being offered for ANY week in 2009 at OP.

Terry
Click to expand...

One could infer from the lack of A/C weeks awarded that OP has a lot of owners who deposit their weeks, so there must be a ton of traders there year round, less owners occupying (gas prices??), and hence less demand for weeks, as they appear readily in the trade pool. If no one was depositing for trade, they would be offering A/C's in order to encourage deposits.....jme
 
But, why wld OP want to encourage deposits? I thought that OP had one of the highest Owner Occupancy rates.


Smooth Air:cool:
 
smoothair said:
But, why wld OP want to encourage deposits? I thought that OP had one of the highest Owner Occupancy rates.


Smooth Air:cool:
Click to expand...

OP doesn't want to encourage deposits, but II sure does. That is why they normally offer AC's.
 
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