Well, I took the plunge...

[Dorian]

Bought my first time share a little while ago. 92k annual RCI points, two bedroom, week 12 (Late March), Vacation Village at Parkway, deeded, $736 MF including taxes. Got it for $50.99 on an eBay auction.

Seemed like a good deal to me.

Thanks for all the tips, advice, and guidance. I had planned on waiting some time to make a purchase but I was fairly confident that had enough info to pull the trigger on this.

 

[Passepartout]

Well, it WAS a little soon, but given the amount of study you've done and the questions you've asked..... You know 300-400% more than anyone who sits through any VVP presentation and parts with thousands or 10's of thousands for the same thing.

Congratulations!

You are getting 60% more RCI Points than I am and for roughly the same MF. AND for multiple thou$and$ less cost. And I bought resale and it was a good deal at the time. Late March may be a great time to escape the late winter of Wisconsin and too early to start gardening at home.

Enjoy your vacations! Now sit on your hands and remove any searches you have set up until at least you've closed on this one and taken a vacation somewhere.

Jim

 

[slip]

Congratulations!! Keep us updated how the closing goes. Now you can start to
learn and get the most out of your timeshare. Are you going to use it there
first of go somewhere else?

 

[Hilal]

I was watching that same auction, and am looking for basically the exact same thing. Definitely interested in hearing how this goes, so please keep us posted.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Congratulations.

Bought my first time share a little while ago. 92k annual RCI points, two bedroom, week 12 (Late March), Vacation Village at Parkway, deeded, $736 MF including taxes. Got it for $50.99 on an eBay auction.

Seemed like a good deal to me.

Just to put $50.99 in perspective: We recently paid $104.50 for an eBay Vacation Village At Parkway unit like yours -- except ours is triennial (92,500 triennial points delivered as 30,833 points every year) .

Just to put initial timeshare purchases in perspective: We paid $3,500 for our 1st timeshare (resale) in 2002.

Now you can start having fun playing The Timeshare Game.

It starts with your 1st timeshare vacation & can escalate from there if you're not careful.

(Anybody care to speculate how long it will be before Dorian springs for another timeshare?)

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[slip]

It took me a month for my second one.

 

[MichaelColey]

I think you made a decent first choice! That's a good Points value.

Just planting a seed...

I recommend waiting a bit before you buy a second one, but when you do...

I would suggest a timeshare that fits three criteria:

1) Is affiliated with RCI Weeks.
2) Is affiliated with II.
3) Is NOT affiliated with RCI Points.

This would give you the ultimate in flexiblity. Since it would be dual-affiliate with both RCI Weeks and II, you could deposit into either. Since it's not in RCI Points, you could use PFD (Points For Deposit) to deposit it into RCI Points. This gives you the flexiblity of using the week for RCI Weeks, II or RCI Points, rather than limiting you to just one of those three options.

Beyond that, there's a ton of other criteria to consider (trading value, best season/week, lockoff, rentability, where you would want to stay, whether you need more weeks, etc.) as well.

Keep learning!

 

[Dorian]

Thanks all! I am happy with the transaction. I will do my BEST to not look at any other timeshare resales. I can see where it can become an obsession. I don't really want to get stuck paying all those maintenance fees. I imagine that one day I will pick up another and the way I see it, a triennial that I can pad my annual points with would be the only scenario that I'd consider.

 

[Dorian]

I think you made a decent first choice! That's a good Points value.

Just planting a seed...

I recommend waiting a bit before you buy a second one, but when you do...

I would suggest a timeshare that fits three criteria:

1) Is affiliated with RCI Weeks.
2) Is affiliated with II.
3) Is NOT affiliated with RCI Points.

This would give you the ultimate in flexiblity. Since it would be dual-affiliate with both RCI Weeks and II, you could deposit into either. Since it's not in RCI Points, you could use PFD (Points For Deposit) to deposit it into RCI Points. This gives you the flexiblity of using the week for RCI Weeks, II or RCI Points, rather than limiting you to just one of those three options.

Beyond that, there's a ton of other criteria to consider (trading value, best season/week, lockoff, rentability, where you would want to stay, whether you need more weeks, etc.) as well.

Keep learning!

Thanks Mike! I will take your advice to heart.

 

[chriskre]

Thanks all! I am happy with the transaction. I will do my BEST to not look at any other timeshare resales. I can see where it can become an obsession. I don't really want to get stuck paying all those maintenance fees. I imagine that one day I will pick up another and the way I see it, a triennial that I can pad my annual points with would be the only scenario that I'd consider.

Congrats Dorian but I told you to stay off ebay.
Just couldn't resist could ya?

I own at VV Parkway and it's been a great ownership so far. I've gotten alot of mileage out of it. You can get two very nice 2 bedroom weeks at the beach in Florida with 92K points if you have to work around the school calendar.

I hope you don't want to go to Disney cause unfortunately this ownership will keep you out of DVC thru RCI points. Of course there are others ways in but that's for your second purchase.

 

[Dorian]

Congrats Dorian but I told you to stay off ebay.
Just couldn't resist could ya?

I own at VV Parkway and it's been a great ownership so far. I've gotten alot of mileage out of it. You can get two very nice 2 bedroom weeks at the beach in Florida with 92K points if you have to work around the school calendar.

I hope you don't want to go to Disney cause unfortunately this ownership will keep you out of DVC thru RCI points. Of course there are others ways in but that's for your second purchase.

eBay? Yes, no joke, you're words echoed in my mind but the price was right with a good points value. Not too concerned about Disney. One of my daughters inquired about visiting Disneyland but if we ever get down there I'll just pay the piper.

Thanks chriskre!

 

[gnorth16]

For me, three months for #2 and one more month for #3.

I have since realized that three timeshares (one which is a 2 BR L/O and included 2011 usage) is a bit much for me. I recently sold the third one for what I paid.

Always looking to add, but when I do it will be an EOY and with a different TS company, most likely Marriott, for preference reasons.

 

[AwayWeGo]

DVC Is Not The Only Way To Experience WDW.

I hope you don't want to go to Disney cause unfortunately this ownership will keep you out of DVC thru RCI points. Of course there are others ways in but that's for your second purchase.

Fret not.

Our daughter-in-law is a major serious Disney fan.

When we invited her & our son & their little boy to our 3BR Orlando timeshare for a week, we got there ahead of them & replaced all the timeshare soap with Disney Resort soap, which we bought via eBay specially for the purpose.

Mickey Mouse soap & shampoo & lotion, etc., did not convert the luxury non-DVC resort unit to the real mccoy. Even so, our daughter-in-law appreciated the gesture & had a nice Disney-area vacation in non-Disney resort accommodations.

Some Disney fans who have vacationed at DVC say nothing else can compare & thus nothing else will do.

While acknowledging that only DVC offers total immersion all week in all things Disney, others can point out that some of the near-by non-Disney resorts offer more space, more amenities, more luxury, & more cable-TV channels, etc., in Orlando locations that are reasonably convenient to WDW.

So if you want to go to WDW, you can go & have a very nice time even if you're not staying at DVC.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[dreamin]

Alan - You are a wonderful father-in-law and grandpa to make that extra effort to add special Disney touches to the non-DVC condo for your family. Hope you had a memorable time.

Dorian - I don't know a thing about the resort you bought, but you got almost double the points I have for about 25% less in maintenance fees. Way to go!

 

[ampaholic]

Bought my first time share a little while ago. 92k annual RCI points, two bedroom, week 12 (Late March), Vacation Village at Parkway, deeded, $736 MF including taxes. Got it for $50.99 on an eBay auction.

Seemed like a good deal to me.

Thanks for all the tips, advice, and guidance. I had planned on waiting some time to make a purchase but I was fairly confident that had enough info to pull the trigger on this.

Wow I go away for a few hours and you are off and running - congrats.

I am also an owner at VV@P - hey if we get enough owners here we can take over the HOA. :hysterical:

 

[ronparise]

Wow I go away for a few hours and you are off and running - congrats.

I am also an owner at VV@P - hey if we get enough owners here we can take over the HOA. :hysterical:

count me in...I own there too. A triannual 74000 points. Bought so I can do what Mike suggests..deposit weeks for points

 

[fishingguy]

on the way there

Wow, that didn't take you long Dorian. VV-P isn't a bad place to stay, and you will also get resort group priority at ~18 other affiliated resorts in your RCI Points account, should you want to take advantage of it some time. Keeping MF <$.01/point isn't bad either.

Now you will play the waiting game as the TS closes... Be sure to let us know how the closing goes, and don't be afraid to ask any questions if you have them.

 

[Dorian]

Thanks all!!! I appreciate the kind words and advice moving forward. I feel better about the purchase this morning after reading your positive reviews.

 

[chriskre]

eBay? Yes, no joke, you're words echoed in my mind but the price was right with a good points value. Not too concerned about Disney. One of my daughters inquired about visiting Disneyland but if we ever get down there I'll just pay the piper.

Thanks chriskre!

If Disney's not a concern then you did just fine. Enjoy your ownership. I know I have. As for Disneyland, I don't believe you'd be blocked from the other Disney resorts with this ownership, just the ones in Orlando so you'd be fine for California's Disneyland.

 

[Free2Roam]

count me in...I own there too. A triannual 74000 points. Bought so I can do what Mike suggests..deposit weeks for points

Me too...same purchase...similar reason.

 

[chriskre]

Me too...same purchase...similar reason.

Me three but now that DVC is with RCI, I'm replacing my VVP with a Grandview unit. I had no problem finding a taker for my VVP unit.

 

[Gophesjo]

Still wondering...

Its probably covered in another thread, and I believe it was hinted at earlier here, but why oh why so many points for VV@P? I don't get it.

 

[Dorian]

If Disney's not a concern then you did just fine. Enjoy your ownership. I know I have. As for Disneyland, I don't believe you'd be blocked from the other Disney resorts with this ownership, just the ones in Orlando so you'd be fine for California's Disneyland.

Thanks chriskre, I look forward to visiting many new locations!

 

[chriskre]

Its probably covered in another thread, and I believe it was hinted at earlier here, but why oh why so many points for VV@P? I don't get it.

Why not?

 

[ampaholic]

Its probably covered in another thread, and I believe it was hinted at earlier here, but why oh why so many points for VV@P? I don't get it.

It's because it's in the "Happiest Place On Earth" tm WDW 2011