Worldmark West Yellowstone

[New2time]

How hard is it to get into this resort for June or July? since it is Worldmark, is there very limited inventory for Wyndham owners?

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

As of right now, no 2013 dates for Wyndham owners.

TS

 

[CO skier]

It is extremely difficult for even WorldMark owners who want to vacation at WorldMark West Yellowstone, MT to get summer reservations. The 2 and 3 bedroom units fill up right at the 13 month advance booking window.

As a Wyndham owner, your only hope would be to arrange a trade (or rental) with a WorldMark owner, and you would have to plan this more than 13 months in advance of your planned arrival, so the WM owner could book it at 13 months. The WorldMark owner could go on the waitlist for West Yellowstone, if you are trying for summer 2013 and are not too picky about what dates you get (and when you get a possible match and confirmation -- WM reservations made 90 days to 13 months in advance can be cancelled up to 30 days before arrival, and many cancellations occur during this short-notice time frame).

Here is a more detailed discussion from the past that sums up the situation for a Wyndham owner:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167189

 

[Timeshare Von]

Interesting dilemma and conversation referenced on the other thread linked.

I'm curious, if I'm thinking about doing a couple/three days in early September (after Labor Day) what do you think the chances will be for me to be able to book at 10mos?

I have such a small points package, I couldn't do a full week and frankly wouldn't want to. Even with a couple of nights in W Yellowstone, I would plan on at least a couple/three more inside the park between Roosevelt and Canyon (which I loves this past summer).

p.s. Perhaps another option/solution for me would also be the "swap" suggestion since I do own at Myrtle Beach and could book a decent summer date (just not a full week).

 

[learnalot]

Interesting dilemma and conversation referenced on the other thread linked.

I'm curious, if I'm thinking about doing a couple/three days in early September (after Labor Day) what do you think the chances will be for me to be able to book at 10mos?

p.s. Perhaps another option/solution for me would also be the "swap" suggestion since I do own at Myrtle Beach and could book a decent summer date (just not a full week).

Well, at 10 months Wyndham won't have inventory. At 8 - 9 months out, they might have 1 unit available. So not what I would call a good chance.

 

[CO skier]

I'm curious, if I'm thinking about doing a couple/three days in early September (after Labor Day) what do you think the chances will be for me to be able to book at 10mos?

I just checked September 2013 inventory at WM West Yellowstone (using my WorldMark account), and all units are mostly booked-up, except for some availability in 2-bedroom twins the last week of September (and this will likely be booked by the 10-month window). If Wyndham only loads "underutilized" WorldMark inventory into Club Wyndham availability, there is little to no chance of ever making a June-Sept. reservation at WM West Yellowstone using Club Wyndham points.

The short story seems to be that if you want reservations at popular WorldMark locations at high-demand seasons, you either need to be a WorldMark owner, or make reservation arrangements through a WorldMark owner. This is as it should be; although WM does not have home resorts, it appears that Wyndham honors a certain collective "home resort" advantage within the Wyndham system for WorldMark owners at WorldMark locations (and vice versa for WorldMark owners that want to book into Club Wyndham resorts).

 

[Timeshare Von]

Thanks LearnaLot and COSkier! Oh well . . . it's not that important to me to stay in a TS. I actually prefer inside the park but thought if I could get a TS for a couple nights, that would cut some of my costs the next time I do go to Yellowstone.

 

[Sandy VDH]

That is why I took a May week via RCI instead, I have tried repeatedly to obtain an exchange via Wyndham and have given up. Instead a May dates works better into our schedule. It may not be optimum but it should be after the snow is off the roads and many young critters are out.

At least we have accommodations.

 

[learnalot]

Thanks LearnaLot and COSkier! Oh well . . . it's not that important to me to stay in a TS. I actually prefer inside the park but thought if I could get a TS for a couple nights, that would cut some of my costs the next time I do go to Yellowstone.

Yvonne,

There is a complex on the parkway between Yellowstone and the Tetons called Flagg Ranch. They have campsites on one side of the road and a lodge and cabons on the other side. Stayed there about 10 years ago. Suited our needs well and it was perfectly situated for us.

 

[New2time]

It is extremely difficult for even WorldMark owners who want to vacation at WorldMark West Yellowstone, MT to get summer reservations. The 2 and 3 bedroom units fill up right at the 13 month advance booking window.

As a Wyndham owner, your only hope would be to arrange a trade (or rental) with a WorldMark owner, and you would have to plan this more than 13 months in advance of your planned arrival, so the WM owner could book it at 13 months. The WorldMark owner could go on the waitlist for West Yellowstone, if you are trying for summer 2013 and are not too picky about what dates you get (and when you get a possible match and confirmation -- WM reservations made 90 days to 13 months in advance can be cancelled up to 30 days before arrival, and many cancellations occur during this short-notice time frame).

Here is a more detailed discussion from the past that sums up the situation for a Wyndham owner:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167189

When doing such an exchange....what guarantee does one have the exchanger #2 doesn't cancel YOUR reservation after he takes his vacaton on your points??

 

[CO skier]

When doing such an exchange....what guarantee does one have the exchanger #2 doesn't cancel YOUR reservation after he takes his vacaton on your points??

There is no guarantee; it is a matter of mutual trust. Someone will be taking their vacation before the other. Ideally, you would be able to verify a reputable history with the WM owner. A number of people seem to have arranged these trades successfully. For myself, I wanted to trade into enough WM properties that it just made sense to buy a WM membership, in addition to the Wydham Plus ownership. (And we stayed at WM West Yellowstone in June 2011, Steamboat Springs in March 2011 and again this coming March, plus other locations; it has been well worth it).

The WM West Yellowstone unit is much nicer (much larger and more modern) compared to the National Park accommodations, and they are a much better value. We stayed in a 3 bedroom unit; there are no 3 bedroom units available in the National Park.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Yvonne,

There is a complex on the parkway between Yellowstone and the Tetons called Flagg Ranch. They have campsites on one side of the road and a lodge and cabons on the other side. Stayed there about 10 years ago. Suited our needs well and it was perfectly situated for us.

Thanks again.

Actually I'm familiar with the location of Flagg Ranch; it is too far south for my interests. Grant (inside Yellowstone near the S entrance) is actually only good for perhaps one night if arriving or departing towards GTNP/Jackson Hole.

As I said, inside the park(s) I really liked Canyon and Roosevelt. I would also consider Lake as another option. I would consider outside the park at W Yellowstone for a base on the west side of the park . . . but it is totally out of the way for the wildlife viewing, especially at Hayden Valley and lesser so at Lamar Valley.

 

[Timeshare Von]

<<SNIPPED>>
The WM West Yellowstone unit is much nicer (much larger and more modern) compared to the National Park accommodations, and they are a much better value. We stayed in a 3 bedroom unit; there are no 3 bedroom units available in the National Park.

I guess it depends on how you personally define "value". Many who vacation in Yellowstone are looking for clean & convenient accommodations. If you are spending long days in the park, your lodging largely becomes just some place to sleep.

It is true you will not find cooking accommodations or individual 3 BR units inside the park in their lodging options, but for the VALUE, you cannot beat the Roosevelt Roughrider Cabins.

I know not for everyone, but this past summer I had one of their 3 bed/sleeps 6 cabins. For just 2 of us it was $76/night. Had we had the max of 6, I think the price would have been around $120 (including taxes) which works out to about $20pp/night. Now that is a great value!

During my 4 night stay in July I used my van as a camper for 2 of the nights - - the Roughrider Cabin the other 2. Every night of the 4 I was back at my accommodations between 8 and 9pm, and fast asleep within an hour. I was also up and out each morning before 6am . . . so you see, lodging in a timeshare while nice and affording some creature comforts, would not be a high priority for a traveler such as myself. (I will add, I was traveling alone and w/o family which made a HUGE difference. My DH would have had no part of sleeping in the van, no matter how comfy the bedding situation was. And kids? Well no way to do 14-16 hour days with little ones.)

 

[Timeshare Von]

When doing such an exchange....what guarantee does one have the exchanger #2 doesn't cancel YOUR reservation after he takes his vacaton on your points??

Actually you have little to no guarantees with any private arrangement . . . a rental, barter or swap/exchange.

I've been fortunate to do a couple of creative arrangements and yes, as pointed out by CO Skier, you need to have some level of trust in both directions. The key is doing your research and trying to do everything in your power to be sure you know that the person you're dealing with is honest.

When we did the Hawaii TS for an RV in Alaska for two weeks, we started that vetting process two years before our trip. It worked out great for both parties and it is something we're both hoping to do again some day!

 

[Timeshare Von]

I want to also comment to those who may have never been to Yellowstone National Park or the adjacent Grand Teton National Park . . . the size of Yellowstone is huge! The primary areas of interest, are spread out. To base yourself in any one location, even if staying INSIDE the park, will require a lot of driving and doubling back.

I personally don't mind the backtracking because I am largely interested in viewing/photographing the wildlife so the more time on the roads crossing over areas multiple times, the higher potential you have for seeing animals . . . especially the more elusive ones like bears & wolves.

There are "villages" throughout Yellowstone and GTNP in the primary attraction areas in the park. Staying in one of them while spending a lot of time in that specific area, or a nearby area, makes a lot of sense . . . versus staying "all the way over" in W Yellowstone.

Any accommodation in W Yellowstone is convenient enough for the areas from Mammoth to Old Faithful. Many "experts" on the park, however, will discourage you from staying there if you are planning to do any wildlife viewing as driving before sunrise or after sunset can be particularly dangerous. This creates a rather significant limitation of the time you will spend in the park, not even taking into account the drive to the park from your accommodations. And if wildlife viewing is an important consideration to you, you will want to be up early (at first light) and out late (until dusk).

Anyway, this all may be more than folks here are interested in. For a greater discussion of lodging location strategies, I'd encourage folks to check out the Trip Advisor Wyoming/Yellowstone forums.

 

[CO skier]

It is true you will not find cooking accommodations or individual 3 BR units inside the park in their lodging options, but for the VALUE, you cannot beat the Roosevelt Roughrider Cabins.

I know not for everyone, but this past summer I had one of their 3 bed/sleeps 6 cabins. For just 2 of us it was $76/night. Had we had the max of 6, I think the price would have been around $120 (including taxes) which works out to about $20pp/night. Now that is a great value!

The Roughrider Cabins are aptly named. This is the description from the NP website:

Roughrider Cabins

Rustic cabin units are sparsely furnished and heated with wood burning stoves and typically contain two beds and are all without bathrooms. Communal showers and bathrooms are located nearby. Two "Presto" logs are provided for use in the stove.

Estimated Summer 2013 rate* = $72/night

Frontier Cabins

Frontier cabins are simple yet comfortable cabin units typically with two double beds and with bathroom with shower, toilet and sink.

Estimated Summer 2013 rate* = $120/night

*Lodging rates are per night, for up to 2 adults and do not include tax and utility fee. Most rooms available online allow 2 to 4 people per room. Larger room sizes may be available.


From the WM West Yellowstone table of credit values:

WorldMark West Yellowstone, MT

1 Bedroom with Full Kitchen, sleeps up to 4 (at $0.07/credit/night)

Mon.-Thurs. $74, Fri.&Sat. $171.50, Sun. $91, plus 1 housekeeping token/stay


3 Bedroom, 2 bathroom with Full Kitchen, sleeps up to 8 (at $0.07/credit/night)

Mon.-Thurs. $112, Fri.&Sat. $220.50, Sun. $126, plus 1 housekeeping token/stay

There is much more to "value" than the dollar/night cost. For a family of four, who want their own private bathroom(s), the value of WM is clear. Plus, much of the value for us at any WM location, is the $150/day savings by cooking our own meals, versus dining out every day.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I understand, to each their own in terms of what their lodging needs are. Yes, the Roughrider Cabins are sparse; essentially a weather protected place to sleep. As for the shared showers/bathrooms, also not an issue for me. For others needing/wanting more privacy or immediate access, it might not be acceptable.

Also your "math" on the WMWY would be for an owner. If you have to factor in exchanging or using Wyndham points from another resort, the value/math doesn't work out nearly so favorably. In fact for me, I'd be paying roughly $600 for three nights using my Wyndham points based on my MF's.

The most important thing is knowing your needs. If I'm traveling as a single (as I often do), your cost analysis is blown out of the water with no comparison in terms of value.

 

[CO skier]

Also your "math" on the WMWY would be for an owner.

That was the point of my reply to the original post, that if you want to get into WM West Yellowstone in the summer you need to be an owner, or work with one. How much it would cost in Wyndham points is irrelevant, because summer availability for WM West Yellowstone won't appear in the Wyndham Plus portal.

Here are the WM West Yellowstone blue season "values" for anyone considering a WorldMark purchase

3 Bedroom, 2 bathroom with Full Kitchen, sleeps up to 8 (at $0.07/credit/night)

Mon.-Thurs. $87.50, Fri.&Sat. $175, Sun. $105, plus 1 housekeeping token/stay

(For the cost concious: If you put 8 people in the unit Mon.-Thurs., that is only $10.94 pp/night).