|
|||
Brought to you by...
John and Donna Gross "The Full Mickey - At a Discount!" The Wall Street Journal
For a traveler's calendar listing vacation spots around the world and the
time of year to visit, see:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/features/travelnews/sns-trvrail3
Disney Vacation Club Opens 'Doorway' to New Preview Center in Suburban Chicago Mall visitors can discover benefits of Disney's vacation-ownership program in a convenient, new retail concept featuring a full-scale model vacation home CELEBRATION, Fla. -- Disney Vacation Club, the innovative vacation-ownership program that helps families enjoy flexibility and savings on decades of future vacations, is officially opening the doors to a first-of-its-kind preview center. Located at the Woodfield Mall in the greater Chicago area, the preview center, called Disney's Doorway to Dreams, celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 4. "Through Disney Vacation Club, our members are enjoying vacations at incredible destinations around the globe and building vacation memories that will last a lifetime," said Jim Lewis, president of Disney Vacation Club. "We are delighted to bring Disney's Doorway to Dreams to Chicago, which is one the top markets for our rapidly growing membership base, so that more people can discover all that Disney Vacation Club has to offer." Once inside the preview center, guests will experience an interactive family vacation discovery zone, comfortable discussion areas and a supervised children's play area within its approximately 6,300 square feet of retail space. Also incorporated within the preview center is a full-scale model of a two-bedroom vacation home. The design of the model vacation home represents accommodations available at Disney Vacation Club's eighth resort, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas at the Walt Disney World Resort, which opened its first phases earlier this summer. Designed to create a fun and immersive experience, Disney's Doorway to Dreams will catch the attention of Woodfield Mall shoppers even before they enter the preview center through a whimsical portal playfully shaped in the form of the familiar Disney silhouette of Mickey Mouse. Disney's Doorway to Dreams will be among the first retail environments in the country to utilize a technologically advanced visual display system. An eye-catching, flat panel screen will feature holographic-like 3-D video images appearing as a glasses-free 3-D display at the storefront. Disney's Doorway to Dreams will offer Chicago-area residents and visitors a convenient and exciting way to learn firsthand about Disney Vacation Club, which provides families with a way to spend quality time together at Disney destinations worldwide, as well as more than 500 other popular vacation locations year after year. The experiences and memories shared by Disney Vacation Club members complement a consumer trend toward reconnecting with family as a strong motivator and theme of vacation travel. Survey data from the 2005 Roper Report shows that 85 percent of Americans say spending time with family is their top leisure priority. Disney's Doorway to Dreams is the first Disney Vacation Club sales center located offsite from Disney theme park properties. Other existing Disney Vacation Club preview centers are located at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., and at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. Disney Vacation Club is currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, and membership has more than doubled since 2003 to include more than 300,000 members from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. "Disney has always been a unique and innovative leader in the timeshare industry," said Howard C. Nusbaum, president and chief executive officer of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). "Now, Disney's Doorway to Dreams brings Chicago-area families a flexible, affordable way to vacation for years and years." Located in Schaumburg, Ill., Woodfield is the Chicago area's largest mall with nearly 300 stores and restaurants, including dozens that can't be found anywhere else in the Midwest. Merchants range from the hottest new retail concepts to major department stores such as Nordstrom, JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Sears. For additional information, log on to www.shopwoodfield.com or call 847-330-1537. Disney Vacation Club is owned by Disney Vacation Development Inc., part of the magic of The Walt Disney Company. For more information about Disney Vacation Club and "Disney's Doorway to Dreams" preview center, please visit www.disneysdoorwaytodreams.com. (Source: Press Release, 08/01/07) |
Resources
|
||
Adventures by Disney: "Disney is expanding its selection of guided tours for families with 12 itineraries for 2007. Among the Adventures by Disney tours are trips to Wyoming, including whitewater rafting on the Snake River; the American Southwest; the mid-Atlantic, including a tour of Colonial Williamsburg; Costa Rica, including a zip-line tour of a rainforest; England and France; Ireland; Austria and the Czech Republic; and various destinations in Spain and Italy." Tours are pricey: $8,000 - $12,000 for a family of four. (Source: news.yahoo.com, 01/02/07)
Animal Kingdom Villas "Disney time shares are coming to the Animal Kingdom, with a plan for 458 units... Development of the Animal Kingdom Villas is scheduled in phases, with units to begin opening in fall 2007. The project is scheduled to be completed by spring 2009. The first phase will include 134 remodeled accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and additional phases will include the building of 324 vacation properties in a new building at the resort." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 10/12/06) "The new units will feature African-inspired details and views of the area where Disney keeps some of its African animals, an area which will be expanded to accommodate the new rooms. Also to be added are a sit-down restaurant, a themed water feature, a fitness center, a merchandise shop and recreation facilities." (Source: orlandobizjournals.com, 10/12/06)
Cindy writes: "Wanted to let you in on a deal I found recently. There are several people who sell time at their Disney Vacation Club Resort on E-Bay. You can bid on it or some of them have a "just want to buy" option. My husband and I just got 5 days at Old Key West in an efficiency for $500. We will be going in November and even with the specials Disney is running we couldn't find a better deal than that for the same accommodations. Some of the sellers will even help you get tickets to the parks."
Ed writes: "I am going to two different time share presentations at local resorts in Orlando. One to buy discounted Disney World tickets (five day regular hopper pass about $75 off the regular rate) or pair of one day free passes. And the second one for low hotel rates (about $32.00 per night for five nights). We'll be saving about $200 - $300 approx. 2-adult 5-day hoppers and 2-child 5-day hoppers = $675 5 nights at Ameri-Suites = $170. Total = $825 We are driving to Orlando from Marion, VA (about 11 hours straight. or 15-16 hrs with frequent stops. we are planning a 2- day drive) We don't know how much we are going to spend on food, but we figure another $300 to $500 depending on how we do. Do you think this is a pretty good way to go? I would appreciate any comments or suggestions." You could spend 5 nights at Disney's All Star Resorts and buy 5-day park hoppers for your family for $1,250 during the value season. So you save about $425 with the timeshare deals. Here's a driving tip: My wife and I change drivers at every rest stop and one of us naps while the other drives. We drive straight through in 18 hours and arrive relatively rested.
Luanne writes: "What is your opinion of the Disney Vacation Club? We like the flexibility it offers versus other timeshares, but would you say it is a decent value?" We don't like the fact that you have to give up rights to the property after 40 years. We are also disappointed that Disney no longer includes passes. They used to give complementary passes during your stay! Still, there are those who think it is a good deal. You have to crunch the numbers. Richard wrote us about Luanne's question: "Please tell Luanne that the Disney Vacation Club is great. It affords you the opportunity to have a great amount of flexibility. You can use your timeshare at many properties and you can use 'points' from the next year. Like any timeshare you need to plan in advance, but the units are great."
Priscilla writes: "A person wrote about taking advantage of visiting timeshares to get freebees. We went on a Disney's Vacation Club visit and received a free lunch at Spoodles."
Money Saving Strategy Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members buy their timeshare points from Disney and use them to purchase stays at Disney's Vacation Club properties like the Wilderness Lodge Villas, Old Key West, and BoardWalk Villas. If the DVC members can't use their points, they are willing to sell them to nonmembers. The going rate is $10 a point. This is how it works: Let's say the Wilderness Lodge Villas cost 80 points for a 5-night stay. You pay a DVC member $800 (which is about half the rack rate) and he makes the reservation in your name. Typically, the member will ask for a deposit in advance (usually the cost of a one night stay) with the balance due 30 days before arrival. 30 days is a significant number since DVC reservations must be cancelled 30 days in advance! DVC resorts are very appealing. The Studios feature microwaves and refrigerators; the larger rooms boast a full kitchen. You also enjoy the perks reserved for WDW resort guests like early entrance to the parks and the use of Disney transportation. Because the transaction requires quite a bit of trust, I would open up a PayPal account and pay the deposit and balance with a credit card. PayPal allows payments to individuals by credit card and they have a buyer protection plan. It only takes a few minutes to set up and both parties can feel safe. We use PayPal to pay our associates and process membership payments. If the DVC member doesn't want to open a PayPal account, I would contact another member. For more information on PayPal, click here. Expect to pay twice as many points for weekend stays. You'll also pay more points to stay during certain seasons like Xmas. Points may be used at any WDW resort, should the resort you want be unavailable. The savings may not be as good, though. You will probably save 30% per night off the rack rate at the Contemporary, for example, whereas you would save 50% off the rack rate at a DVC resort like BoardWalk. To buy or sell DVC points, join the discussion group at alt.disney.vacation-club.
MM writes: "We just came back from Orlando and paid very little. We got our tickets free by visiting a timeshare - no pressure - in fact, it was fun. We almost bought one - maybe will on our next trip. We visited another one and they gave us $100 - which took care of our meals. We found a special on the internet for our accommodations - only $40 per night, - kitchen and a Jacuzzi and living room - lovely resort. So really, all we had to pay for was our gas - which was a bundle. But we only spent about $200 and had a lovely time."
J. M. writes: "Do you have to stay in a Hilton or Marriott resort to get the free Disney tickets? We already have our accommodations, but are interested in complimentary tickets. Someone told me that you can visit a timeshare and take a tour and that they will give you 2 tickets just for your time in taking the tour. Is this true? It sounds too good to be true... we would like to take several tours! How can we find out about these?" Some timeshare resorts do offer Disney tickets if you take a tour of their facilities. We advise our members to avoid them because they can literally hold you captive trying to get you to sign a contract! If you insist on investigating timeshares, just type in "florida timeshares" in your favorite search engine and you'll find several.
Jolene writes: "I have been looking into villas that you have suggested for our whole family. (12 people) I am running into a problem when I contact them because they are 'vacation club' villas and they don't know the dates that are open for next April/May yet. Do you have any tips on how to get around this? do I need to join the vacation club/time share to get into these villas? or how can I get hold of someone who has a timeshare at these villas and ask them to buy their week or two at that villa? thanks for the info." No, you don't have to join the vacation club. You are in a unique position - you are reserving your rooms a year in advance. That's the way to do it. This is what I want you to do - start calling every week until the operator knows the dates that are open. I don't even take the word of the first operator I speak to. Hang up and call back. A different operator may give you a different response! Happens all the time. I can't tell you how many times I hang up and call back and get what I want. Don't become obsessed about it, but call regularly. To buy someone's timeshare points at WDW, join the discussion group at alt.disney.vacation-club.
Hajime writes: "We are a member of the Disney vacation club and at this moment we have accumulated so many points that we never used. Do you handle trading or selling such points to other people? To buy, sell or trade timeshare points at WDW, join the discussion group at alt.disney.vacation-club.
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge are located next to Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort. The Villas connect to Wilderness Lodge by a walkway. The 5-story tall Villas feature 136 units with studio and one and two-bedroom availability. Pool and view of the woods are included. The new vacation club is based on hotels built by railroad workers in Rocky Mountain park country in the early 1900's.
Adam writes: "I am looking for internet information on the Celebration Homes that Disney has been building. I am very interested in relocating to Orlando and would like to live in Celebration, any information you have or any websites would be very helpful." For more information, visit their web site, call 407/566-2200 or write:
Celebration Information
Choose a page and jump: Looking for something in particular?
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information contained on our site. Always check to be sure. The views and opinions expressed by others do not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and other companies mentioned on our site and in our newsletter are registered trademarks of their respective companies. The use of these trademarks is for editorial reasons only. No endorsement by the Walt Disney Company or any other company is implied. |
