Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--Part II

[BocaBum99]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I don't think that OLCC treats exchangers in an unusual way at all. I think that is one of the arguments that HOLs use against LOLs just to counter what they believe is an overstatement of the positives of OLCC. The reality is that OLCC is just another megaresort with all the pros and cons that you would expect from such a beast.

It is very large and you must have a car to get around effectively. Lots of people don't like that aspect of the resort. The service is average at the resort, but you will find many individuals who will provide a superb experience. You get more personalized service at smaller resorts. But, there is a lot more to do at OLCC than any small resort.

Love it or hate it, OLCC is unique in the timesharing industry and you should check it out for yourself to see if it suits you.

OLCC recently brought in an entire new management team from the industry. They are obviously trying to make their mark on this resort. I think they will achieve it. I believe the change coming to OLCC are real. It will be very interesting to watch its development into a more complete theme park of its own.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Boca, isolating exchangers into a particular area, the older area, is treating exchangers differently.

gophish, you should try OLCC for yourself and not go by others' experiences. Even though we traded into OLCC before and did not like our experience does not mean we would not try it again at some point.

The availability that RCI has for OLCC is just a symptom of a bigger problem, which is that Orlando is too easy to trade into, so anyone can get there. That is not a bad thing for those of us who love Orlando. Orlando really is the number one vacation destination, about the only thing a salesperson can say about owning in Orlando that is true. So if you buy to go there, that is probably the best use of an Orlando week. If you buy to trade elsewhere, you better request early and often, cause it is going to be difficult.

 

[gjw007]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Can someone explain how putting exchangers in a specific area is isolating them especially when they are intermingled with owners?

• Are there other exchangers there? Yes.
• Are there resort owners there? Yes.
• Is there nobody near them? No.
• Are they denied use of resort activities? No.
• Are they welcome to use all the resort facilities and activities? Yes.

By all reasonable measures, they are not isolated. So why say they are? Whether you agree with exchangers being put in one section or not, they clearly are not isolated from the resort and the owners.

Vistana does it as well. At Vistana, RCI exchangers are put in the older sections (note: Extra vacations don't fall in this category as they use excess weeks for this. Extra vacations also don't apply the 1-in-4 rule either. Using Extra vacations doesn't follow Vistana's normal rules so using them to say that Vistana will put you in a new section for exchangers is not correct) and II exchangers are put in the newer sections. In both cases, they are intermiggled with resort owners in that section, just like at OLCC. DVC charges an extra $95 for exchangers in addition to the II exchange fees for exchangers coming into DVC. In addition, they are not allowed all the benefits of DVC such as the benefit of pool hopping that is allowed by DVC members. I guess by the logic of being isolated that seems to be defined in this discussion, these exchangers must be as well.

I found the comment about not being able to trade to Hawaii using an OLCC property interesting. Needing 2 years is crazy. I pull up Hawaii all the time - it is not difficult. I was told that no resort in Orlando can pull up Aruba. I have also pulled up Aruba although not nearly as much as I do Hawaii. The thing that I find interesting is that when you buy a fixed week resort, they emphasis the color code, the size of the unit, and the time when you make the deposit for maximizing its trading power. This is also in RCIs literature. What you are not told is that certain weeks, even if it is a red unit, have less trading power than another similiar unit at the same resort but on a different week that may be more popular. In effect, you have different strengths for different weeks within the rating but you are unaware of this. For example, a 2-bedroom unit during week 50 will have less trading power than a 2-bedroom unit during week 51 in Orlando. A blanket statement that the resort can't pull something may be more dependent on which week the owner owns than the resort.

 

[elaine]

real life trade "tests" of OLCC xmas week---decent, not great

my parents own 2 BR week 51. When it fails within xmas, trading power is decent, but not great. We always have to plan at least 1 year in advance. With xmas week, we could pull Kaui and some BI like paniola or a 1 BR Bay CLub, but never maui, HGVC honolulu, etc. We woulnd up renting when we went to HAwaii.

And the only ski week for Colo. after searching for months was March in Steamboat--not any Feb weeks. And when wk 51 it outside of xmas----it is a total DUD!
But, with that said, we have gotten great trades. We trade every 2 years to Hilton Head for prime summer weeks and always get a 3 BR for the OLCC 2 BR. WE could also easily trade into other high supply areas-williamsburg, etc.

I, personally, would not buy O, myself. But for those who want it and understand the deal--it can be great.

 

[timetraveler]

Re: real life trade "tests" of OLCC xmas week---decent, not great

And with the new program launch.....owner's will be able to trade to Hawaii period, Europe, etc.

Gary............thanks for your on target reply to Cindy's blanket statement of exchangers being isolated.

I wasn't wanting to burn up my finger pads that much! :rofl:
As far as trades go I've never had problems getting exactly what we wanted. But RCI is even now getting ready to raise exchange rates.

Just hang on OL owner's...........things are about to pop.

 

[Vodo]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I don't think the comment about exchangers being "isolated" was intended to infer that they are not allowed to intermingle with owners. I suspect it meant merely that exchangers will now all be isolated to the oldest, least desirable (at least to many) units in the resort.

Cindy

 

[Steve]

I'm still betting on Interval International

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.

Cindy, what makes you so certain that Orange Lake would never switch to II? Many resorts have...including Orange Lake's arch rival, Vistana.

A switch to II would likely provide better trade power for Orange Lake owners as II gives better trade power to Orlando than RCI does. (Just ask any Marriott Grande Vista owner...it trades very well in II.) What's more, II is much pickier about "like for like" exchanges and is much less willing to let someone with a beachfront studio somewhere trade into a 2 or 3 bedroom in Orlando.

These are exactly the types of changes that Vickie says are coming to Orange Lake...and a switch to II would accomplish them. Just the fact that Vickie has chosen to ignore my suggestion about a switch to II...rather than refute it...seems to increase the likelihood that it may be accurate.

Steve

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I do not see how a change to II would change anything. We own two-bedroom units and pull three-bedrooms at all of the Marriott resorts in Orlando. How is II going to be better?

There are so many resorts in Orlando, which is the reason exchangers can pull larger units. Exchange companies are all about demand. A winter ski week studio is going to have more demand than any winter Orlando week (except X-mas and New Year's weeks, but even for those, demand is higher for skiing because there are less ski resorts than there are Orlando resorts). I think the way that exchange companies can honestly deal with the "like for like" issue is to finally be honest with all of us and call fall and winter, low trading Orlando weeks what they really are: BLUE! And Spring weeks after Easter should be white. There are others that should be white, like mid-August. To call all Orlando weeks red is ludicrous, just because the weather is good all year long. The volume of units RCI rents and has for exchange most of the year is evidence that Orlando has an "off-season."

Hawaii is red all year long and until exchange companies have a glut of supply, it should be red. When there are hundreds of units sitting in inventory during winter, they should adjust trade power there as well.

Isolate was probably not the best word choice, but I frankly cannot think of another to describe assigning exchangers into one area exclusively. I am not attacking OLCC at all. I think it is a problem with the entire area, overbuilding and telling buyers that the entire area is red all year long, even though they know that some red is more blue or white. If there were limits to the number of timeshares available, that may change.

I should also add, while I am editting, that the volume of OLCC owners that are RCI might be a hard sell for II, but now that the exchange fees for RCI are going up to $164 and II is still $135, perhaps that is not going to be such a hard choice after all.

 

[ajsmithtx]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

• Are there other exchangers there? Yes.
• Are there resort owners there? Yes.
• Is there nobody near them? No.
• Are they denied use of resort activities? No.
• Are they welcome to use all the resort facilities and activities? Yes.

Gary, very simply, you nailed it.

Personally if I had a bad experience at a resort, with all of the TS availability in the world I wouldn't go back. We have had a couple of places that we didn't like, and we will not be going back to those resorts. On the other hand there are some resorts that we really enjoyed.

 

[gjw007]

Re: real life trade "tests" of OLCC xmas week---decent, not great

With xmas week, we could pull Kaui and some BI like paniola or a 1 BR Bay CLub, but never maui, HGVC honolulu, etc.

Elaine;

I don't much about the resorts that I pulled as I really hadn't planned to go to Hawaii. I had just wanted to check to see if I could pull Hawaii. I almost always get something which is different the implication that OLCC couldn't pull Hawaii even with a 2-year search. I suspect that there might be difficulty pulling a specific resort or resorts but I think this is true in general and not specific to OLCC. Like everything, it does requires some patience and planning. But your comments re-enforce my point that you can get Hawaii using an OLCC exchange. I'm also not convinced that my RCI Points account pulls any better - I've gotten the same resorts when I've done searches but it may be. At 8 months, points are suppose to be points no matter where they come from but I have my suspicions.

 

[elaine]

re OLCC and hawaii---only when bulk spacebanked and a few others

I was looking 1+ year out and could only pull the pahio's when bulked for a few weeks or so, and then an odd week here or there. But I certainly did not think that the OLCC xmas week had "great" trade power for hawaii, by any means, and trust me---I used all the tricks in the book--and finally had to rent.
But, for some reason, it does very well for summer hilton head weeks. Kept us pretty content, based upon that.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Gary, I did not ask the OLCC golf villas owner if she had a summer week at OLCC, which I should have done. If her week is in the off-season red, then certainly she would have a more difficult time. That would make sense. But she really DID place a search two years out, for any resort on Hawaii, any week she could get. She is not flexible enough to take a week that they offered (several times) at the last minute.

Fortunately, she got Lawai Beach Resort and is pleased with her trade. She is, however, not pleased with the time it took for her to get a trade. She probably really believed the sales guy when he said that all Orlando is red. Brother......

Gary, I know you own at Vacation Village at Parkway. We have stayed there twice and had beautiful, new units, both with trades, though one was with points. We love that resort and feel that it is GC all the way. Yet you think that VV is not as nice as OLCC. Wouldn't that indicate to you that our OLCC exchange experience was quite different from yours as an owner? What I am trying to say is that I am the same person that traded into both resorts, and my opinion is that VV is far and above better than OLCC. I don't think I had the same experience that you have as an owner.

How do you compare the two resorts as an owner at both? Just curious because you have not been a defender of VV when the opportunities presented themselves and have even said that it doesn't even compare with OLCC. Is it the resort experience that you are talking about? VV does not have the amenities, but we don't use pools most of our vacations, we go to Disney. I am actually allergic to the sun, so the pools at VV are shaded by the buildings, which I SO appreciate. I love VV.

 

[gjw007]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Gary, I know you own at Vacation Village at Parkway. We have stayed there twice and had beautiful, new units, both with trades, though one was with points. We love that resort and feel that it is GC all the way. Yet you think that VV is not as nice as OLCC. Wouldn't that indicate to you that our OLCC exchange experience was quite different from yours as an owner? What I am trying to say is that I am the same person that traded into both resorts, and my opinion is that VV is far and above better than OLCC. I don't think I had the same experience that you have as an owner.

How do you compare the two resorts as an owner at both? Just curious because you have not been a defender of VV when the opportunities presented themselves and have even said that it doesn't even compare with OLCC. Is it the resort experience that you are talking about? VV does not have the amenities, but we don't use pools most of our vacations, we go to Disney. I am actually allergic to the sun, so the pools at VV are shaded by the buildings, which I SO appreciate. I love VV.

Cindy;

I've said it before that VV is good for some people but may not be for others (I also think this is true for OLCC and any other resort). I even had the VV saleperson say that it was a poor exchange (it was an Orange Lake unit - I like trying other resorts in Orlando to form a comparison) for my stay. I think VV is good if you use Suite A and don't use resort amenities. I think a 2-bedroom VV is good if you have 2 couples where they can each have their own separate bedrooms and living room areas. I don't think VV is good if you have a family because the living room is split between the two 1-bedroom, making it smaller and also separates the children. Sure there are work-arounds like leaving the interior doors open but the lose of the living rooms space for a family is too much for me. I also don't think Suite B is good unless you don't cook and don't spend much time at the resort. It is better than a hotel room though. If you use the unit to cook in, you will be disappointed. I've said it before, same units, same configurations, but they may not be good for some but are perfect for others. At OLCC, I never have to give these things a thought.

I probably wouldn't be so down on VV if it weren't for the management. I own some other timeshares not listed and none of them have given me the grief that VV has. As an example, in 2003 they sent me the maintenance statement in September. I was surprised it was so early but it gave me plenty of time to make sure I had the funds as the due date was in January. What I didn't know what that they froze my Points account in September until I paid the maintenance fee even though I was not late. I learned this because the last week in September I tried to make a reservation and found that I was froze out. RCI told me that VVP put the freeze on and VVP said that they wouldn't release it until the maintenance fees were paid.

Maintenance fees are comparable as VV's for the year including tax was $585 while OLCC was around $605. OLCC has plenty of activities and parking space, VV has limited activities and parking was a pain. You can easily have a guest park at OLCC but it is a pain to find parking for my own car at VVP, let alone a guest. My stay at Vistana was also like that. The building at Vistana had six units and there was parking for only six vehicles. Room layouts are a matter of personal choice - some may like OLCC, some may like VVP. It doesn't made one superior or inferior, just a choice. OLCC let you have the feeling of being free and in the open, VVP left me with a feeling of being in a sardine can that was crammed and management was still trying to cram more units into the building. I like the single-story, family-type dwellings to the hirise. I may not have gotten that feeling if the parking hadn't been so limited as I have stayed in other hirise units without getting this feeling. The units are actually larger for a 2-bedroom at VVP and the Suite A 1-bedroom unit is larger than the OLCC 1-bedroom unit but the OLCC 1-bedroom is larger than the VVP Suite B 1-bedroom. I really don't like the VVP Suite B. I would choose OLCC studios over it and let's me honest here, OLCC's studios are okay but nothing to write home about. They do, however, have a fuller kitchen.

I don't understand RCI's standards for GC. It would appear that the only requirement for a GC is to be new, clean, and have a good location (I understand comment cards play a role). Although I understand that a room may not be clean occasionally (I worked in a hotel for 10 years and would have things marked clean only to have guests check into dirty rooms), units should be clean. Alhambra Villas was gold crown a few years ago until the hurricanes wrecked havic. It also only had a pool. A similiar resort with limited amentities is Celebration World, also a GC. It also only has a pool and such related activies as VVP but I would choose it over VVP because the partial kitchen is more complete and like OLCC, the units are spread out rather than crammed together like VVP. I enjoyed my stay there better than VVP. I was in a Suite B unit at VVP and hated the entire week. It was not what I was lead to believe and didn't match my experiences with other timeshares. I had expected a Suite A unit but had a Suite B unit. If I was in Suite A and didn't have the issues that I had with management, I probably would be more positive. It is hard to overcome the initial hassles I had with them.

Many people will argue that it takes longer to go to WDW from OLCC than from VVP but it depends on where you are going and for OLCC, it does depend on the route that you take. VVP will get you to DTD quicker while OLCC will get you to the AK quicker. The other theme parks are within a couple minutes of each other so I can't really say there is an advance for one or the other as people's driving habits can make one or the other quicker.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Gary,

Wow, I am surprised that your studio at VV did not match what we had last October. We had an A + B unit, and the studio had a washer/dryer unit and full-sized refrigerator. There was no dishwasher and only a hot plate, but there were lots of dishes, counter space and a microwave. The full-sized refrigerator and extra washer and dryer were nice to have, since we were going to another unit after our stay there. I did the laundry in record time. It was better than the Marriott Grande Vista studio side.

Both stays were in the buildings close to the new parking garage. I would guess your unit was different, by your comments on studio kitchen facilities.

I just wanted you to note that our experience was different at OLCC than yours has been. I also want to add that favoring owners is okay with me. I just won't go to a resort knowing that I could get a high-rise unit on So. Magnolia Ct. again, at least not until they add those large whirlpool tubs.

So count me as one that will avoid OLCC in the future. Even though I find the attitudes of some owners offensive here on TUG, I still commend you all on your loyalty to your resort, based on your own experiences. Mine was different, just as yours was with your own VV, Gary.

 

[goodnighter]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I have been reading and reading the post here and I have an exchange to OLCC for December but I dont know if I want to go there. It is probably too late to change without a stiff penalty from RCI. I have been going to Orlando for a few years and have stayed in many places including Vistana, Cypress Pointe, Westgate etc.... Each time we visited I had always wanted to stay at OLCC but some of the post has really made mw rethink this. I should have read here before I exchanged into OLCC. I will probably still try it and see really how it is for myself and then report back here what my findings are.
Thank you for all of your posts they are very informative comments.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Goodnighter, don't cancel your exchange. The resort is actually very nice. The grounds are like a country club: the golf greens are amazing, the pools are nice and River Island sounds like a lot of fun. All of those amenities are yours as an exchanger, including a movie theater and putt putt. Most exchangers have a wonderful time and love the units they get. I would bet 80% of exchangers have a great experience. Do not second guess your vacation. That would make me feel guilty, truly it would.

 

[DianeV]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

We have stayed at Vistana twice through an RCI exchange..stayed in the Lakes and Cascades...NOT the older sections and I have not heard exchangers make statements that they were all put in the older sections

 

[Vodo]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Having stayed at both Vacation Village at Parkway and OLCC multiple times each, I can say without a doubt that the units at VVP are superior, with regard to both luxury and quality of maintenance. Customer service is also greatly superior at VVP. We've never been made to feel like second class citizens there. Quite the contrary in fact - they've always gone out of their way to honor our requests. Staff is amazingly warm and friendly. That has not been the case at OLCC where each and every one of our 5 stays has provided at least one instance of unacceptably rude staff.

Parking has never been a problem for us at either resort, but we did appreciate the undercover parking at VVP, especially during the hotter months. As for OLCC, I would suggest that you not park in the first space near a building walkway there. My nephew parked his SUV in that space for the entire weekend he was there with us earlier this month. He never moved his vehicle because we used our van all weekend. He left with a large scratch and a healthy ping on his driver's side door. Since the space adjacent to that door was coned off pretty much all weekend for housekeeping and maintenance people to park their carts, it was either them or extremely unkind pedestrian guests who did the damage.

But back to my comparison. VVP vs. OLCC is pretty much apples to oranges in my mind. One is a smaller, more intimate, immaculately maintained property with amenities one would expect at a resort that size. The other is a huge, impersonal (to the point of rude) property with loads of amenities and activities. You can fully utilize all of VVP's amenities without needing a car, although the placement of the fitness center and internet room could be more convenient. OLCC definitely requires a car since it's about 2 miles from one end to the other and the complimentary shuttle service is pretty much a farce. VVP does not have gated security, while OLCC does. (It would be nice if OLCC would use a card reader rather than stacking everyone up while the guard visually inspects for parking passes.)

I loved the 2BR layout at VVP. I wouldn't book the B side studio unit on its own, but as part of the 2BR configuration, it was great. My 5-year-old daughter thought she was a big shot, having her "own unit." She even invited her Daddy and I over for dessert one evening (written invitation and all ). On the other hand, I will not book a 2BR unit at OLCC because I don't want to risk being assigned one of the old single-story villas with their tiny bathrooms (do they even have jacuzzis in those?) or worse yet, one of the old highrise units that Rick and Cindy had to suffer through. I'm perfectly content with a 3BR at Orange Lake, but I do wish they were lockoffs so that two sets of adults would be afforded more privacy. I would suspect that a Sleeps 12 configuration is often occupied by multiple sets of adults.

In the end, if you want an intimate resort with superior unit quality and if you care little about massive amenities options, then VVP is a great choice (though I must confess that Summer Bay is my favorite mid-sized resort). If you like a mega-resort atmosphere with loads of amenities and activities, then OLCC might fit the bill. It's all about personal preferences.

Cindy

 

[gjw007]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Diane;

I've heard the comment alot that exchangers are put into the older sections. I was told this by owners. I have also heard of exchangers put in the newer sections from RCI but they have been few. The newer sections exchanges have been through II. Some of this may be due to the fact that Vistana changed exchanged companies, keeping RCI for the owners who had it and liked RCI. I tend to believe this is true as it was pointed out to me during the sales tour when I was there although you can never tell with what timeshare salespeople tell you.

Vodo;

Our experiences at VVP were different. There was nothing superior, just different design. It uses the same quality of fixtures, appliances, etc. If you want to see an upgrade in this material, I suggest checking out DVC where you will find a difference in quality. There was no overhead canopy when I was there. I've never found people at OLCC rude. I don't think the staff at VVP was rude either but I wouldn't say friendly either. It's been over 3 years since I was there and all they were concerned about was building more units. I left with the feeling that people didn't matter as much as profits did. It really left a bad taste that I was just a sardine in a sardine can and didn't matter as much as I was just a source of income and that they were still trying to stuff more into the sardine can. This was re-enforced by their financing charges of 17.9% with the heavy sales techniques, it is the only resort that I have came accross that sold units in an every-third-year arrangement (I'm familiar with the every-other-year arrangements), and the emphasis on building lots of new buildings. My experience has been far more impersonal at VVP than OLCC. But as I said, your experience didn't match mine.

My suggestion is that if you find a resort that you like, stay there. I found OLCC better meets my needs and requirements much better. VVP is not superior, just different. I would choose Celebration World over VVP for a resort with limited amenitities. I'm not a fan of VVP, so I don't stay there. As their sales people kept saying, points are points are points are points are points and you can use them anywhere. I choose not to use them at VVP. I've also noted that for some people, it may be the right choice but for others it may not be the best choice. There are many considerations to consider but having or not having a jacuzzi isn't how I rate a resort as desirable or not desirable. But I'll admit that I like to use them when they are available.

In some ways, this discussion resembles DVC discussions of the hotel units (Broadwalk, Beach Club, and Wilderness Lodge) versus the traditional timeshare units (Old Key West and Saratoga) where people will argue one is better than the other. If one style meets your needs better than the other than for you it is better but it doesn't mean the other isn't nice as well.

 

[DianeV]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

gjw: Well I dont know what to tell you. We did RCI exchanges 2 times and were able to be in the sections we requested. I read on the DIS boards all the time about exchangers and even sky auction travelers also being able to be in newer sections. I have to think if this were the case at Vistana like seems to be the case at OL we would be seeing posts about Vistana instead of OL all the time dont you?

All I can say is I am like many others who have stated that they would hesitate or maybe not even accept an exchange at OL unless it was a 3 bedroom unit. Knowing what your chances (or not) are of getting a nicer unit certainly wouldnt make me want to stay there and definitely wouldnt encourage me to buy there thats for sure

 

[Topeka Tom]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

A few observations:

First, that a studio at OL could be purchased for $500 (give or take, not an important figure). IMHO, that would be a bargain, because you could then ignore the obnoxious "one in three" rule. Be honest, it's not like OLCC never comes up in a search. Weeks that can't pull much, can pull decent weeks, and units, at OLCC.

Second, anyone but a true believer would be made dizzy by all the spinning! "OLCC is great if it does A, but if it does B, then better! Only supeheros would do neither A nor B until they had tested the wind."

Sorry, but I'll be butting out for a while. I'm going looking at eBay for a cheap OLCC studio, and, while I'm at it, maybe a decent SA week to trade for OLCC, once I'm free of the "one in three."

 

[timetraveler]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

Well Tom.....you need to know that while purchasing that $500 studio at OL you said you found......you also need to know that....you will NOT be internal trading that studio for a larger villa. That door as well as some others, are closing.

Now if a studio fits your needs....at OL and that's where you want to stay each time there.....buy all means.....purchase a studio.

 

[gjw007]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

gjw: Well I dont know what to tell you. We did RCI exchanges 2 times and were able to be in the sections we requested. I read on the DIS boards all the time about exchangers and even sky auction travelers also being able to be in newer sections. I have to think if this were the case at Vistana like seems to be the case at OL we would be seeing posts about Vistana instead of OL all the time dont you?

All I can say is I am like many others who have stated that they would hesitate or maybe not even accept an exchange at OL unless it was a 3 bedroom unit. Knowing what your chances (or not) are of getting a nicer unit certainly wouldnt make me want to stay there and definitely wouldnt encourage me to buy there thats for sure

First, the West Villiage units are nice. They don't have the oversized jacuzzi tubs which is a requirement for some people. Having an oversize jacuzzi doesn't make them nice but if the West Villiage had oversized bathtubs, it would eliminate most of the complaints. The only reason you go for the 3-bedroom units is because you are assured of getting a unit that has the oversized jacuzzi. Second, it has been reported here many times that OLCC had a policy of putting exchangers in the West Villiage but there were reports of getting put into the newer sections all the time. It has only recently been announced that OLCC is about to implement this policy. I've also seen reports on Dis where people were trying to make sure they could get into the "better" areas at Vistana just like they try to do for OLCC. From what people tell me, it is hard (but not impossible) to get those sections. I think Maria could provide more information as there seems to be conflicting information. I know that Maria had been put into the Courts area and didn't like it. She owns in the Fountains I area, I believe. Third, different people value different things. It doesn't mean that because somebody thinks that something is "better" means that it is "better" as it may not be somebody else's preference. A person can like a resort but not another and a second person can like the second resort but not the first. That doesn't mean that one resort is "better" than the other but some people will prefer one resort over another while another person it will reversed. I draw a line though when a person says that one resort is superior as this is a subjective. It may be superior for that person but inferior for another.

If I were to accept the arguements given by some about the Villas at Wilderness Lodge, I would never have stayed there but I have and I like the resort. Should I avoid buying at DVC because there are people who don't like it? Many people have been scared away from resorts by reports but have found that they love the resort once they got there. OLCC (or any other resort) is not going to please everybody. As in the DVC discussions, some people like the Beach Club or Boardwalk but don't like Old Key or Saratoga. I think it is a good thing that there are different resorts with different layouts and that people find a resort that they like. I happen to like the layout of OLCC, dislike VVP (the layout doesn't work for me but it may for others - there are several favorable reports for the units), but have been favorable for most resorts including DVC.

I think this discussion has about reached its conclusion and has gotten away from the thread topic.

 

[spoody]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

I just got back from OLCC. I had 3 units, all of them were in the West Village. 6/23/06-6/30/06 RCI Exchange

 

[lawgs]

Re: Orange Lake Units for Exchangers--II

spoody

did you go to the "resort presentation"?

were they extolling the new "Go Global" program ?

if so do you have any details you can share....

we have attempted to get information from Orange Lake both by phone and by email but they do not seem to answer emails promptly with the exception of the boiler plate reply when you send in your request for informtion stating

We received your inquiry, and one of our team members will e-mail or call you shortly. As a valued owner at Orange Lake, your satisfaction is very important to us. It's our pleasure to assist you with all of your vacation ownership needs. Have a great day!


( and yes the program has been rolled out so their would be no trade secrets being released or policies being shared which were not suppost to be)

BUT no one seems to be forthcoming......it is a "lil secret" .....THEY are keeping close to their lil ole vests