Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--Part II

[JLB]

Below is an intentional duplicate of a previous post, which has changed topic. Those who wish to discuss other OL matters may continue to post on the original thread. Let's try to restrict this one to keeping a record of where exchangers get placed.

So, if you would, please post that information here and the idle chatter on the other one.

Thanks for your cooperation.
- - - - - -


An loyal owner announced today:


Quote:
Originally Posted by timetraveler
ALL RCI external exchangers will now be placed in the West Village. Policy should be in place very shortly.


It should be pretty easy for us to keep track. Let's use this thread to make a record of where exchangers get placed, both external and internal exchanges.

When you post, let us know if you are an owner or non-owner and if you contacted OL to make a placement request in advance.

I'll post ours in December. A three bedroom in the Tennis Villas would be my last choice, but since we have never been placed there, it will be different. I can give the OL Pedo a workout, seeing how far it is, by walking, to River Island.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

That's a bit difficult at this precise moment. As I stated in my OP...it's new policy to be implemented shortly.

Until it's put in place, your data will be skewed.

One of your requests was for internal exchangers.....ok I just returned. I requested North Village........was given North Village.

 

[JLB]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Thank you.

All data is skewed!

Since OL makes unit assignment, not RCI, and since OL has told many of us that they do that at the time of check-in, then the policy can be implemented any time they want. Even if they don't do unit assignment at the time of check-in, but work it up every week, they can still implement the policy any week they want.

 

[BocaBum99]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I am an owner at OLCC in both the West Village and the East Village. My last exchange was an external exchange into OLCC. I requested the North Village. I was assigned a Golf Villa. I made the exchange in late April for May 21-28.

I like the idea of allowing owners to request specific sections of the resort and randomly assigning exchangers. It seems fair to me to give owners some preferences like unit assignment requests.

I would also be in favor of increasing the fees in the resort so that owners can get better than a 10% discount for various services. A 25% discount would be better and can be done in a revenue neutral way.

In my last owners update, I was told that there would be many more amenities added to River Island and a new swimming pool area in the east village along with a more direct route into Disney through the East Village.

My sales guy, whose name was Con by the way, told several lies. So, I am not sure what was real vs. what was a lie. Two verifiable lies he made were a) River Island has bbq grills and b) if you buy resale the resort will charge you triple maintenance fees.

He said that studio units will no longer be exchangable into 2 and 3 br units.
He also said that at the end of June, a new points program and vacation club would be announced. He said that owners could trade in their weeks and only use a couple of days at a time. He also said that only River Island owners could exchange into River Island.

I doubt that OLCC will be able to keep all non-River Island owners out of River Island. It seems silly to leave empty units there if there are inbound exchangers and the rest of the resort is full.

 

[lawgs]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

according to the sales manager we just recently spoke to.....the call was with respect to what we had been told when we toured in january versus the posting of exchangers here on TUG

timetraveler was right....

they have been having extensive meetings this last week with changes that he could not tell me about....

maybe timetraveler got more up to date info since there seemed to be an implication in another post that she was there at the meetings or had "privy" to what was discussed in those meetings

he also stated that with respect to River Island.....they have been putting exchangers and referrals into these units as part of the developers inentory and sales promoting....and that referrals will continue to be placed there as long as there are developer weeks thus "exclusvity" at RI is dependant on developer whim.....


any other information he could not relate at this time but he expected we would all be updated by the end of june ????? guess there is gonna be a mass mailing ....

he said the changes will "greatly enhance" ownership at OL

but perhaps the changes will work against Exchangers??? just my speculation

 

[jas9503]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Just got back from OLCC on 6/9/06.

Anyway, was put into 5455. It was older but in good shape. I did like being near all the activities in the West Village. After all the 'horror' stories of the West Village, I was expecting the worst. We called a head of time and asked to be put anywhere except the WV - we did say the highrise would be ok if we had to be in the WV.

None of the pools were very busy, including Splash Lagoon and River Island. Plenty of intertubes available for the lazy river - we ended up getting an intertube from someone who was leaving for the day. Also, we used our own flotation device for our toddler. This was fine as long as you don't take it on the lazy river.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Yes, it's true.....major changes are coming to OL. Very positive changes for it's owners.

The days are gone when the exchange company granted apples for apples. We all know that.

I believe in the near future your going to see more resorts start to bring this back into balance. I have watched and read people here on TUG gloat about using a "dog" trader to get into OL, and other high end resorts. Or brag that they used nothing but a studio to get a much larger unit.

Surely we all know the resorts read these boards as well, don't we?

Just like with many other bragging situations that have gone kaboom.......no one should be surprised, when the door slams shut.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Thank you.

All data is skewed!

Since OL makes unit assignment, not RCI, and since OL has told many of us that they do that at the time of check-in, then the policy can be implemented any time they want. Even if they don't do unit assignment at the time of check-in, but work it up every week, they can still implement the policy any week they want.

Well.....dang. You might be on to something there.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Just got back from OLCC on 6/9/06.

Anyway, was put into 5455. It was older but in good shape. I did like being near all the activities in the West Village. After all the 'horror' stories of the West Village, I was expecting the worst. We called a head of time and asked to be put anywhere except the WV - we did say the highrise would be ok if we had to be in the WV.

You were in the tennis villas. They have been rennovated since their opening in 1998. One of our OL units is a tennis villa, and we enjoy staying in these units each year along with other areas of the resort.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Boca....what a hoot. Salesman named Con.

Things were very busy last week at the resort. Major change can be a bit overwhelming. But I believe what's coming is a major plus for owners and the resort.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Vickie, the only reason a person can exchange into a two-bedroom in Orlando with a studio is that Orlando is overbuilt. Perhaps that will change at some point, but for now Orlando just has more availability than any other place. That makes our units more valuable because the Colorado Rocky Mountains and Hawaii are exchanges that are highly desired by those who buy their Orlando weeks to go elsewhere, so it is okay by me that developers keep building.

We own two-bedroom units exclusively, except our one bed GC EOY on Kauai that is closing right now. We only own one blue week that gets us into Orlando during off-season times because many Orlando units would sit vacant during those weeks, like September-Christmas, January-mid February, some of April, all of May, etc. Actually, we gave that week to Kimeul, our Foster son, because blue weeks are not worth much for exchanges, except he loves Orlando and will only use it in the fall/winter. Anyway, RCI would rather satisfy exchangers and grant larger units for off-season times. They want that $149 exchange fee.

An oceanfront studio is actually worth more than a two-bedroom in Orlando, as far as RCI is concerned. I think Orlando is much more fun, personally, but there are people who would disagree with me. I know people who hate Orlando. I don't understand it.

I don't think that it will benefit OLCC at all to assign exchangers to lesser areas of the resort. Exchangers could change the rating RCI gives to them.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Sorry JLB, this thread is going to stray even worse than the last.....

 

[BocaBum99]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Sorry JLB, this thread is going to stray even worse than the last.....

Yeah, we probably need a version III and IV of this thread simultaneously.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Anyway, RCI would rather satisfy exchangers and grant larger units for off-season times. They want that $149 exchange fee.

And that's my point. Resorts are getting tired of the exchange companies doing exactly that. Years ago, the exchange company would not grant a studio exchange for a larger unit. That was not permissable. The exchange company along the way changed the rules.

So...you are going to see OL and I predict, other Orlando higher end resorts make changes.

First, the exchange company is not going to have that much of these resorts inventory anymore and second....you are going to see these resorts place the incoming smaller, lesser valued TS used in the exchange, in an apple for apple unit.

 

[lawgs]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

timetraveler

will this change the 9000 point bonus weeks ( the lowest regional point value for the Studio ) that the RCI points people draw on from Orange Lake ? ( this would be analagous to the studio for a two bedroom lesser valued exchange you mention )

it would seem from your "informed" comment above that OLCC is tighthening the draw strings on RCI's inventory to Orange Lake???

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

lawgs

I'm sorry but I won't discuss OL policies in that kind of detail on an internet forum.

All OL owner's will be informed in detail soon of the major changes. As far as how much this will impact exchange company inventory, well, that will come out in due time. And how OL handles these unequal exchanges as well.

 

[philemer]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

First, the exchange company is not going to have that much of these resorts inventory anymore and second....you are going to see these resorts place the incoming smaller, lesser valued TS used in the exchange, in an apple for apple unit.

Do you really think RCI is going to tell OL which resort & unit I used to exchange into OL? It's really none of the resort's business IMO. OL is not going to be able to dictate to RCI what they will allow as an appropriate exchange week. Two cents.

 

[JLB]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

As long as this thread has gone way off-topic, I might as well join in. Hopefully, those who exchange in will still remember to come here and post their information, and then we can glean through this thread for it.

Since Phil mentioned OL wanting to know what he used to exchange in, that exactly was the hangup in our last tour there, when we succumbed to the many, multiple-daily calls to our villa.

Our snooty little sales wench had already just about gotten me POed when she told by BIL and the rest of my family that they couldn't go back to the buffet for more food. They were not being gluttons; they just wanted a bite of fruit, and she said no.

When it got to point in the sit-down where she asked where we owned, I told her that didn't have any bearing on why we were touring. She would not move. She would not budge. Neither would I. I old her it was none of OL's business what propety we own anywhere. Period. I was being very polite, but getting close to pulling out the profanity arsenal.

Besides we had not traded in through our account.

Hey, if they don't want to have to deal with me, then stop calling our unit after the ninth or tenth No!

A couple hissy-fits from her and a couple managers later, and I finally told her where we own, just because I felt my family didn't understand my stubborness and the whole thing had really soured our week.

Take it or leave it, the next time I deposited those weeks there had been a downward trading power adjustment.

Incidentally, Jenny will not tour there ever again, but she says her bother and I can if we want to go as a couple.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I thought the exchange companies get weeks when owners deposit them? I don't think OL has control over that. Perhaps they are not going to dump a bunch of developer weeks into the mix? That would make sense.

Orlando owners want to exchange other places, which is what timeshare is all about. How much control can OLCC have over their owners exchanging elsewhere?

 

[BocaBum99]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

First, the exchange company is not going to have that much of these resorts inventory anymore and second....you are going to see these resorts place the incoming smaller, lesser valued TS used in the exchange, in an apple for apple unit.

I think the first half of this statement is correct. As megaresorts and resort groups create internal exchange systems, the inventory that gets deposited into RCI and II will diminish.

I disagree with the second half. Certain resorts like the Manhattan Club seem to put enough pressure onto RCI to modify their trading power rules. But, I think that is more of an abherration than anything else.

If artificial rules are implemented to prevent upgrades within RCI, then there will just be a greater oversupply of units at OLCC and owners trading power will tank accordingly. That's a lose-lose scenario that nobody will be willing to accept.

The best thing that OLCC can do is make their resort in such high demand that people will forego other opportunities to exchange and/or own at the resort. Enforcing like-kind exchange rules makes very little ecomomic sense for the resort or for RCI. They may give us lip service for a while, but economic self interest will always win in the end.

As a result, trade ups will prevail as will exchangers ending up in River Island.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I thought the exchange companies get weeks when owners deposit them? I don't think OL has control over that. Perhaps they are not going to dump a bunch of developer weeks into the mix? That would make sense.

Orlando owners want to exchange other places, which is what timeshare is all about. How much control can OLCC have over their owners exchanging elsewhere?

Cindy.....were you aware of the fact that OL owner's return to their home resort by the thousands each year? Yes, we owner's do exchange out....but not very often. And OL certainly caters to their owner's, so all I'm going to say is that alot of owners are going to be happy campers, whether it's trading back in or going elsewhere.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I agree Boca. But you are going to see far fewer OL units deposited to RCI. So that bolsters your high demand statement.

 

[Steve]

Interval International here we come???

I agree Boca. But you are going to see far fewer OL units deposited to RCI. So that bolsters your high demand statement.

Perhaps Orange Lake is dumping RCI for II? That would be a major plus for Orange Lake owners, in my opinion.

Steve

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Vickie, there must be tens of thousands of owners at OLCC. It is a mega resort. So of course thousands of owners go back to their own resort each year. That is a great way to use your ownership, but when those owners tire of OLCC and want to go elsewhere, they expect availability and choices. OLCC and Orlando are not the only vacation choices in the RCI guide.

Boca, if internal trading systems become the trend, that would be fine by me. I plan to get involved in some other system, am even considering your favorite, by year's end. I see this change coming as well, but in the long term. I will still never buy an Orlando fixed week, though, nor would I buy any other Orlando week. I would buy HGVC before I would buy anything at a specific resort, simply for the flexibility of it. I know that internal trading could be a bad thing for a company that has way too many Orlando weeks to dispose of. Something has gotta give.

Orange Lake would never switch to II. I am sure that the contract with RCI is solid. All of those owners have been using RCI and will continue, of course.

I met a woman at a baby shower ten days ago that owns OLCC. She owns a golf villa (and loves it and is thrilled at the renovations) and has had a request for TWO YEARS with RCI for any Hawaii island for any week she can get. She finally got a week for September on Kauai, at Lawai Beach Resort. She was told by her salesperson that she could get anything she wanted with her OLCC deposit. She found out that it is very difficult. She tried to get a ski week, right here in Colorado and never has gotten one. I advised her to dump her OLCC and buy that very thing, a ski week in Colorado. She is considering that move and will certainly have better luck. We have exchanged into Hawaii two weeks per year for the last four. I have always seen every week that others post on Sightings through RCI.

OLCC may be the favorite of many, but it does not have the pull that our Colorado weeks do. It is fact, not just a theory, that Orlando has too many timeshares. Those owners want to go elsewhere, which creates demand for the other areas. That is just logic. The theory is as good as any 10th grader's geometry proof of an equilateral triangle . By process of substitution, you can say that if Orlando has the most owners by far, then they have to go somewhere for their exchanges, so therefore, demand is thereby made higher elsewhere, to meet their exchange needs.

 

[gophish]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

As I have said before, I have never been to OL but know quite a few people who own there and because of the things they have told me I would like to go there sometime. Having said this if they start to treat exchangers poorly I will not go, there are just too many resorts in Orlando to choose from to put up with that kind of crap.
The last time I did an RCI search there was a ton of availability at OL and I would guess that if they try to force RCI to make it a like for like exchange and forgo the trading power rules that are in place now many of those units will stay not exchanged for and that will not have a very good effect on the OL owners trading power when they deposit their units.
From everything I have heard OL is quite a nice place, but, guess what, it's in overbuilt Orlando and with the exception of a few weeks each year it's pretty easy to get an exchange to that area.
I know that a lot of owners use their own weeks at OL, but, it seems that a lot of others want to exchange at least some of theirs. I guess it just doesn't make any sense to me at all why any resort whose owners expect to be able to exchange their units would make rules that would make it uncomfortable for eschangers to come to their resort. And I also don't understand why anyone who experiences such treatment would ever go back, I know I wouldn't. If they don't want exchangers then they should just say so, but I doubt if that is really the case.