Top Cities for Timeshare Travel

Top 5 4 Cities for Timeshare Travel

Originally I wanted to talk about the top 5 cities for timeshare travel, but as I looked over my notes and consulted my colleagues, we could only come up with 4 that deserved the title of “top destinations”. Here’s the list (in no particular order):

·         Branson

·         Las Vegas

·         Myrtle Beach

·         Central Florida (Orlando, Kissimmee, and the beach)

I think the reason all these cities are popular for timeshare travel is because they have so much to offer. There is definitely a week’s worth of stuff to do, not to mention that there are several properties located in those areas.

Here are our top cities and why we chose them.   

Branson

This is a great destination for all ages, but I would recommend it mostly for families and those old enough for AARP cards. Branson is known for its shows, its shows, its shows, and you guessed it… shows! Throughout the year of 2010 there are 220+ shows to choose from. Not a fan of Broadway or… Stand-up Comedy or… Rock ‘n Roll or… Magic or… Tributes? (Then who are you?!) Well, Branson has lots of other attractions. Things like caves and caverns to explore, family adventure/entertainment parks, lakes for fishing and cruising, movie theaters, museums, scenic tours, zip line tours, wineries, etc. Need I come up with more? There really is a plethora of activities to choose from.

Las Vegas

Does this destination really need an introduction? I mean it’s Vegas! I remember in one of my tourism classes in college we talked about the top reasons people visit Las Vegas. I wish I remember who published the survey, but I don’t. However, I do remember the top reason listed. Shopping. Umm, yeah right. I don’t know who those people thought they were fooling, but the top reason for visiting Vegas is because whatever happens there stays there. ‘Nough said.

For the less risqué, Las Vegas is also known for gambling, world class restaurants, weddings, shows, over the top resorts, and an adult good time. I wouldn’t recommend Vegas for families, just like I wouldn’t recommend Sunday School for the members of Hell’s Angels, but it’s up to you.

Most people that visit Vegas are usually there for a convention or just a weekend getaway. For those in Las Vegas longer than a weekend or for the brave souls that take their children, Vegas is about a 4 hour drive to the Grand Canyon. You can make a day trip out of it!  Or you could always visit the Hoover Dam, which is just about 30 miles away.

Myrtle Beach

The beach! Another thing that makes Myrtle Beach popular is its location. It’s not as far south as Florida, so it’s within driving distance for a lot of people. This is probably the most popular destination that I book for summer and spring break. Don’t ever underestimate how quickly this destination gets booked. If you’re thinking of going, don’t procrastinate!

Central Florida

M-I-C- See ya’ real soon! K-E-Y- Why? Because we like you! M-O-U-S-E! Or come visit Shamu at Sea World or Shrek at Universal Studios Orlando. The biggest reason people come to the Central Florida area is for the theme parks. No doubt about it! It has been a top family destination since Walt decided to bring his famous mouse here.

It’s also a popular city for conventions. Orlando is home to the second largest convention center in the United States. That coupled with the high concentration of hotels on

International Drive

make it the perfect spot for annual company meetings. Unlike Las Vegas, business people can bring their families along and stay for a little longer. 

So far I’ve only talked about the Orlando/Kissimmee area, but Central Florida also includes Ormond Beach, Pompano Beach, and Daytona Beach. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot see the beach from everywhere in Florida. Orlando is about an hour away from the beach depending on which coast you chose. The east coast of Florida has a lot more timeshares than the west coast and therefore is a better place to go. There is also much to see and do along FL’s east coast. Kennedy Space Center, historical St. Augustine, Ron Jon Surf Shop, and obviously the beach!

Want to know why you should stay in a timeshare for your next vacation? Read my next blog! (I can’t give away all my secrets at once. Sheesh.)

The Vacation Industry’s “T” Word: Timeshares

Most of the time the word “timeshare” conjures up images of crooked sales people, rundown buildings, and an all around headache for everyone involved. I think (and hope!) that image is going by the wayside and making room for a new set of images: friendly, helpful vacation concierges, updated and upscale resorts, and a pleasant vacation planning experience.

Of course stereotypes and preconceived notions come from somewhere. We didn’t all get together one night and decide that Italians from the Jersey Shore are way too tan, or that Irishmen drink a lot, or that people from the South make moonshine in their bath tubs… the list could go on but I don’t want to offend anyone. My point is the timeshare industry has a bad reputation because it attracts a lot of crooks. But take heart! Not every timeshare company out there is full of scam artists and conmen.

I wanted to give that preface to help introduce my next series of blogs. I’m going to be addressing some of the facets of the timeshare industry. Here are some of the topics I’ll be covering:

• What’s a Timeshare? And Why Do They Call It “Vacation Ownership”?
• Top 5 Cities For Timeshare Travel
• Timeshare Travel vs. Hotel Holidays

I do want to be clear. In no way am I advocating the purchase of timeshares. Nor am I condoning them. I’m simply sharing my experiences as a travel agent as they relate to this part of my industry.

Have any questions about timeshares? Send them to amy.stark@resortsandports.com and I’ll do my best to give you an honest and well-informed answer.

Car Games and Parents' Sanity

(Sung to the tune of Oh My Darling, Clementine)

♫ ♪ Are we there yet?

      Are we there yet?

      Are we goooooonaaa get there soon?

      I can’t wait t’ get t’ our destination.

      Please let us… get there soon! ♪ ♫

Songs like this are the reason that parents dread long car trips. My middle brother and I were infamous for the songs and nonsensical jokes we came up with on the long drive from our home in south Florida up to Tennessee. But today the game has changed, quite literally! There are so many different types of handheld game systems on the market that most parents don’t ever have to listen to songs made up by their bored children. As long as you have enough batteries, kids can stay occupied all the way from Florida up to Washington state!

But what about us? Growing up we didn’t have fancy iPods to listen to. Everyone in the car sang along with the bright red Wee Sing Kids Songs cassette tape. We didn’t have DVD players that magically appeared from the ceiling. Everyone looked out the window for different states’ license plates and VW Beetles aka Punch Buggies. No one had handheld gaming systems. Instead we played Thumb War and Rock, Paper, Scissors.

I don’t really feel old enough to be complaining about what I did “back in the day,” but I do feel like kids these days miss out on the true meaning of a family car trip. It’s real sibling bonding time. Any other time our parents would be yelling for us to “LEAVE EACH OTHER ALONE” but in the car you have no choice but to mess with each other. We’d start out by making faces at each other and inevitably there would be an invisible line drawn down the center of the car. One half belonging to me and the other half belonging to him. After about 15 minutes the line was forgotten and we were doing something else that eventually lead to the line being redrawn.

Technology is a wonderful thing. I know lots of parents now maintain their sanity on long car trips because their kids have Nintendo DS Lites and LeapFrog LeapPads, but I hope they still learn the car games of yore. My husband and I still enjoy singing along to music in the car! With one modification of course, it’s our iPod plugged into the car jack. Not a bright red, shiny cassette tape. 

I asked everyone in my office to name their favorite road trip game. Here’s our list:

• Road Sign Alphabet
• I Spy
• 20 Questions
• Hangman
• Tic Tac Toe
• Magnetic games like Checkers, Chess, and Backgammon       

What else can you come up with?

The Best Halloween Song Ever Recorded

This blog has nothing to do with travel, but I had to share this with everyone. Growing up our house was always filled with music. Most of the time it was because my parents were singing some goofy song from their childhood. The following lyrics are to a song my Dad taught us. It’s a Halloween song and since that’s my favorite holiday I wanted to share that with you. Thanks to my best friend for finding it on You Tube. Now I’ll never get it out of my head!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh3cF0h7KM4

The Wobblin’ Goblin 

The Wobblin’ goblin with the broken broom
Could never fly too high
For right after take-off
Another piece would break off
And soon he would be danglin' in the sky!

Each evening just as he would leave the ground
His radio would say:
"Control tower to Goblin,
Your broom stick is wobblin',
You better make a landing right away."

It soon got so that he could only fly
When the witches took him piggy back
Until at last, he used his brain,
And bought himself an aero-plane!

So if you look for him on Halloween
You'll see him zip and zoom
No harm can befall him, no longer can they call him,
The Wobblin' Goblin with the Broken Broom!

Happy Halloween!

Show Me The Money: Cruising vs. Land Vacations

I could write up a really long explanation, but take a look at the table we created. It speaks for itself!

Dollar for dollar, a cruise vacation is more economical than flying to the same destination and staying in a resort on the beach. Notice that the land journey pricing above doesn’t account for food.  Since cruises include all meals, the difference in price would be even greater! You could say that it would blow a land vacation… wait for it… OUT OF THE WATER!  And, yes, I’ll be here all night.

Another thing to consider… I don’t know how many of you have ever taken a vacation with your whole family, but please tell me where you can go and only spend $50 per person on activities per day. It ain’t happenin’ anywhere I’ve ever traveled. Even when I was in China and one Yuan was equal to $8.

Let me know if you’d like more info on a cruise. I can get you pricing anytime!

Big Apple Exhaustion

Big Apple Exhaustion: Our First Trip 

Have you ever gone on vacation just to come home and need another one? I’ve experienced this before and it’s usually because I tried to fit too much in. The best example I have of this is the very first trip I went on with my now husband. And in case he’s reading this, I HAD A GREAT TIME! It’s just that, by far, that was the most exhausting trip I’ve taken.

At the time we were on a tight budget because we were both college students. However we cut out Chinese takeout and pizza for a whole semester just so we could take a trip to New York. In February. When it’s freezing there. And I’m from Florida. See where I’m going with this? I know nothing of long johns and wool socks! Even though there wasn’t snow on the ground, the wind whipping between the buildings is enough to re-create the moped scene from Dumb and Dumber. (Such a gross visual!) Back to my story…   

My husband loves New York and we were both really excited about going on our first trip together. I had been to New York once before but there was still a lot I wanted to see. So maybe the story that follows is partly my fault.

Fall 2006

I got to my boyfriend’s apartment and he was sitting on the couch with a legal pad in his lap and his laptop on the coffee table. Now I knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t doing homework. After all, his next test wasn’t for another 2 days. He still had a full 36 hours before he’d start studying. Once I got a closer look I realized he was researching places to go while on our New York trip. “How cute!” I thought. Then I noticed he was writing down a schedule. Not a general list of what we’d do while we were there. Not even mapping out what we’d do each day. Not even by hour… he was making a schedule PER MINUTE of what we’d do while in NYC. If you know him you’d know that he’s more of a “fly by the seat of his pants” guy (aka procrastinator). He seemed really excited so I didn’t say anything.

We laugh at his schedule now. But we kept it as a keepsake from our fist trip together. Take a look…

The trip was fun, but I spent most of it trying to catch up on sleep. I feel asleep in a noisy club in Brooklyn. I feel asleep on practically every subway ride. I feel asleep at the table when we met some of his friends at a diner. Most of those guys were in our wedding last year and probably couldn’t figure out why Ryan liked me. I’m sure I seemed like a load of fun to them!

Even though things didn’t go the way I would have planned, it was still a great trip and I learned a few things.

1. Always add in some time to rest. You don’t have to do everything in one trip. I eventually will get to visit Central Park. 
2. Have a budget. Do some research. You may be surprised at the things you can do for free.
3. Don’t go to New York in February. 

The moral of the story is this… when planning a vacation with your significant other (or with anyone for that matter) it’s best to do at least a little homework. You each need to pick one thing that you’d really like to do on your trip. That way it’s not just one person’s vacation. Have a budget and stick to it. There’s no worse feeling than coming back from a trip just to feel like you have to work hard to pay it off. And finally, have fun! You may see this person everyday, but vacation isn’t supposed to be like “the everyday.” Let loose and bring the camera!    

Cost vs. Quality: How cheap does a vacation have to be for it be "just ok"?

We’ve all been there… you really need to get away, but it’s just too dang expensive. You Google a cheap flight to a cheap hotel and pack your bags. Then you’re on your way! However, whadda do when you arrive at the airport and realize that you’re flying in the very back of the airplane next to the lavatories? Then you get to your hotel and realize your “total steal” of a room is located next to the public laundry room in a hotel along a busy street.

Everyone’s heard this one before: if it looks too good to be true then it probably is. There’s always the exception, sometimes you can find a great rate on a great place. But that doesn’t happen very often. I don’t want to sound discouraging, but do your homework. At the very least read reviews other people have posted. That way you know what you’re getting into. The pictures online may look spectacular, but so do pictures of Joan Rivers.      

No matter what destination you daydream of while stuck in traffic, consider this: How cheap does a vacation have to be for it to just be “ok?” Do you know what I mean? What’s your threshold? Even when you book an inexpensive hotel you still expect it to be clean with a hairdryer in the bathroom and a Bible in the drawer.

Not to say you can’t vacation on a budget. That’s a very different thing. Of course it’s possible! What I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t sacrifice something you really want on vacation just to save a few dollars. It’s kinda like eating a rice cake when you’re really craving hot, fresh, salty French fries. You’re left feeling unsatisfied. Even a cheap vacation can feel like a waste of money if you don’t get what you really want. It’s about finding the balance. A trip can be cheap, but if it isn’t any good… you still wasted your money.   

So my advice? Design your budget. First, decide how much you can afford. Then, look at your trip of choice and start estimating what the costs will realistically be. Don’t forget to include everything: transportation to and from your destination (and while in town!), accommodations, food, money for activities, and of course some extra cash for those must-have souvenirs. A magnet for your neighbor as a thank you for getting your mail, a coffee cup for your brother who doesn’t drink coffee (after all, he was the one who sent you a postcard from Mt. Rushmore with butts on it), and a “The weather is here, wish your were beautiful” postcard to your best friend. You need to try and account for everything… and then some extra “just in case.” You should be able to find the estimated costs by searching through the city’s website.   

Finally total those amounts. Does it come in under your total budget? If so, take that vacation you SO deserve! If not, I recommend waiting a bit until you can afford the vacation you truly desire. Don’t book a trip that’s gonna be “just ok.” Fiji won’t sink into the ocean in our lifetime… It’ll wait for you. But if you really want to take a vacation, maybe book a quick weekend escape and save most of your budgeted money for your next trip.

Sound overwhelming? It’s not. Just find the balance. And remember that cheap doesn’t always equal a good deal. Your perfect vacation is out there … And it’s gonna be fabulous.