Orange Lake - Check In Question

[jstapleton]

Hi.
We exchange our 3 bedroom t/s at OLCC from April to December 25 this year.
We used my mom's week (we also own) and exchanged through RCI.
My family will arrive on December 26 and my mom will arrive on December 27.
Do I need to purchase a Guest Certificate for myself since she will not be there at check in? Does the person on the exchange have to be there at check in with the rest of the group.

Thank you very much!

 

[tschwa2]

Usually that is the case and it is the terms of the RCI exchange- if the RCI member is not present at check in a guest cert is required. She can call the resort and see if they can notate the reservation so you can check in without one. Some resorts will do this all the time. Some will do it because she is an owner at that particular resort. Some won't budge at all. It doesn't hurt to ask but if the answer from the resort is no, then you will need to purchase the RCI guest cert. Whatever the answer you get from the resort, I would call a week prior just to confirm and if they put your name on the reservation, I would check on that. There isn't really a reason to rush to purchase the GC, it can be done up until the day prior and possibly check in day but that would require a call in to RCI vs online.

 

[jstapleton]

Usually that is the case and it is the terms of the RCI exchange- if the RCI member is not present at check in a guest cert is required. She can call the resort and see if they can notate the reservation so you can check in without one. Some resorts will do this all the time. Some will do it because she is an owner at that particular resort. Some won't budge at all. It doesn't hurt to ask but if the answer from the resort is no, then you will need to purchase the RCI guest cert. Whatever the answer you get from the resort, I would call a week prior just to confirm and if they put your name on the reservation, I would check on that. There isn't really a reason to rush to purchase the GC, it can be done up until the day prior and possibly check in day but that would require a call in to RCI vs online.

Thank you SO much! This is very helpful. I'll call OLCC and find out and purchase prior if need be.

 

[jstapleton]

Hi. I have another question about OLCC.

I have a two bedroom on hold.
My dh thinks we should hold out for a 3 bedroom (what we currently traded from OLCC) to become available for December 26. Would you chance it for this time of year. Currently there are not any 3 bedrooms available at any Orlando resort but we really want OLCC, we love it there and there is plenty to do without the parks but I'm worried once we let this go, it will be hard to get another 2/3 bedroom (I have a hold in East Village, where we also own).

What would happen if I confirmed my 2 bedroom at OLCC East Village and then I found myself online one day a 3 bedroom opened up. Can I call RCI and change my booking, even if I have to pay a fee?

Thank you all so much!

 

[tschwa2]

You would have to pay another exchange fee and the difference that you get back in tpu's to what the 3 br would cost.

It's hard to say. There are not going to be a lot of 3 br week 52 deposits anywhere in Orlando. I have already rented out my 3 br week 52 and bonus week 53 at Orange Lake for 2016. I still have one from another resort but if I deposit that one at all, I will lock it off first.

If I were in your situation wanting a 3 br at Orange Lake for week 52, I would have started an ongoing search 4 months ago. With MF due in January, those that knew they were depositing would have most likely done so at that time or earlier. Now you are waiting for those who are waiting to see if they can rent or deciding whether or not to go to Orlando during the holidays. Yeah there may be a few more deposits but they won't be predictable and without an ongoing search may never appear online. So booking the 2 br now would preclude you from starting an ongoing search even at this perhaps too late of a date.

How many are travelling and what is the room config for a 2 br. I would guess it is a king and two doubles in the second bedroom. Is she willing to share with the kids (or are you). I would probably just keep the 2 br and enjoy the trip.

 

[jstapleton]

You would have to pay another exchange fee and the difference that you get back in tpu's to what the 3 br would cost.

It's hard to say. There are not going to be a lot of 3 br week 52 deposits anywhere in Orlando. I have already rented out my 3 br week 52 and bonus week 53 at Orange Lake for 2016. I still have one from another resort but if I deposit that one at all, I will lock it off first.

If I were in your situation wanting a 3 br at Orange Lake for week 52, I would have started an ongoing search 4 months ago. With MF due in January, those that knew they were depositing would have most likely done so at that time or earlier. Now you are waiting for those who are waiting to see if they can rent or deciding whether or not to go to Orlando during the holidays. Yeah there may be a few more deposits but they won't be predictable and without an ongoing search may never appear online. So booking the 2 br now would preclude you from starting an ongoing search even at this perhaps too late of a date.

How many are travelling and what is the room config for a 2 br. I would guess it is a king and two doubles in the second bedroom. Is she willing to share with the kids (or are you). I would probably just keep the 2 br and enjoy the trip.

Thank you. December would have been great to start my search, knowing about the MFs, but at the time was still thinking we were cruising over NYE with my sister's family and mom as we have done last three years (they have decided not again this year since my sister is getting pool, etc).

Anyway, my "kids" are older and they are a boy/girl. There will be five of us, which includes my dd boyfriend. The two bedrooms have a pull out couch in the master bedroom, two beds in the second bedroom and a pull out couch in the LV. My dd just slept in our cabin with my dh and me over NYE while my ds and my dd's bf had an inside cabin down the hall. My dh wants our bedroom to be just us and that leaves my ds/dd's bf in the second bedroom with my dd on a pull out couch all week. OR, I can have my dd/ds in the second bedroom and my dd's bf on the pull out couch but my dh (and I) really didn't want anyone having to sleep in the LR but I think I am going to do as you mention.

I am going to tell my dh that I am confirming the 2 bedroom and then will just keep looking for a three bedroom. I have enough points for the 3 bedroom. If one comes up, the worse case is that I have to pay another $250 exchange fee but it will be worth it for us to do so. Do you agree?

Thank you SOO much for all your help. I really appreciate it.

 

[tschwa2]

I would think it would be worth an extra $250 to upgrade. You also have to be careful because the closer you are to check in the more points you lose when cancel your confirmed exchange unless you pay for the points protection which I think is another $69. Another option is the request upgrade, which only charges you if it happens and would not require another exchange fee but it only starts looking 14 days or less from check in and only happens once per day (I think over night) so even if one is available it has to be available at the time the system checks.

 

[jstapleton]

I would think it would be worth an extra $250 to upgrade. You also have to be careful because the closer you are to check in the more points you lose when cancel your confirmed exchange unless you pay for the points protection which I think is another $69. Another option is the request upgrade, which only charges you if it happens and would not require another exchange fee but it only starts looking 14 days or less from check in and only happens once per day (I think over night) so even if one is available it has to be available at the time the system checks.

Thank you. I do not think I will do the "request upgrade". I can do that myself and checking once a day is not an option, need more frequent LOL

But, when I confirm the exchange, is there an option for the Point Protection or do I need to call? I like that option and didn't think of that scenario.

 

[carl2591]

Three bedroom unit are getting harder and harder to find, especially the lockout one's due to RCI killing TPU's on them.

You get more "points" to split them up as 2 bd and hotel or one bed that as the 3 bed unit.

I have a 3 bd lockout unit in MB and get more points splitting it up. even then it not enough TPU to get back into the place at that. You should get at least the point value of what it cost to get into the resort when you deposit.

 

[tschwa2]

Orange Lake doesn't have lock offs in any of the older villages. I am not sure about river island. Week 52 owners also get week 53 for free. RCI is only offering 47 tpu's for my 3 br week 52 east village. There is no way I would have deposited week 52. If anything I would have deposited the week 53 which would have also been worth 47 tpu;s. As it is a nice Canadian family will be coming down to enjoy two weeks in a nice 3 br unit at Orange Lake this year.