As the summer speeds past, we don’t want to miss the chance to fill you in on all of the timeshare resales and timeshare rentals that made the Top 10 of this years’ HOT 100 List. These are the timeshares that consumers voted (with their dollars) as the most popular timeshares advertised with Sell My Timeshare NOW. In other words, vacationers, like you, made more offers to buy or rent timeshare at these resorts than at any other resort destinations we marketed.

If you have been following the Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List, then you may already know that six of the top ten timeshares on this year’s list are Marriott Vacation Club International properties. In today’s post, we are focusing on three of those six—the timeshares that came in as numbers 6-7- and 8 on the list.

All three are US timeshare but are located in very different parts of the country: (6) Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club (Maui, Hawaii); (7) Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas (Newport Coast, California); and (8) Marriott’s Grande Vista (Orlando, Florida).

Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club timeshare resales and rentals is a past nominee to Travel & Leisure’s prestigious list of “Top 25 Hotels in Hawaii. Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas timeshare resales and rentals offer Mediterranean styling in the heart of Orange County, California. And Marriott’s Grande Vista timeshare resales and rentals are located in the vacation favorite destination of Orlando, Florida, with easy access to great golf and all of the theme parks.

If you are considering buying a timeshare, then the strength of Marriott timeshare resales should give you great confidence that you are buying a vacation ownership product other consumers consider to be among the best.

If you are considering buying a timeshare, then the strength of Marriott timeshare resales should give you great confidence that you are buying a vacation ownership product other consumers consider to be among the best.

• Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North, a HOT Hawaii Timeshare Destination
• You Could Be on a Timeshare Vacation at Marriott’s Oceanwatch Villas at Grande Dunes

Posted on the Disney Vacation Club website you will find a warning to everyone who may have received a letter saying that they have won a “Travel Passport Cash Giveaway. The letter, according to Disney Vacation Club timeshare, is fraudulent.

Not only are some people receiving letters, but many are receiving telephone calls as well from an individual who represents him or herself to be a Disney Vacation Club Cast Member (Cast Member being the term the Disney Parks use for all of their employees).

The Disney Vacation Club advises those who receive the letter or the phone call to report it to their State Attorney General and to the Federal Trade Commission. As an added control measure, Disney Vacation Club timeshare is recommending that any timeshare owner or vacationer who receives a phone call from a Disney employee to validate the authenticity of the call and to refrain from giving out any personal or financial information until the caller’s identity is confirmed. The number to call to verify an employee of Disney is 888-727-4880.

Difficult times seem to give rise to more scammers in every industry. Be smart, play it safe and be wary about the information you share with anyone, whether it is by phone, email, or postal mail.
The link for more information on the Disney Vacation Club timeshare website is located near the bottom of the page and asks you to click-through to a pop-up page. You must have pop-ups enabled in order to read the full text of the warning. http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc

And to learn more about safe, reliable opportunities to buy Disney Vacation Club timeshare resales or rent Disney Vacation Club timeshare, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

How about tall pines and the sounds of nature? Spring with the dogwoods in bloom or winter with freshly fallen snow? We’re talking about California timeshare at Lake Arrowhead, located in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Writer Brian Welch profiled NorthBay at Lake Arrowhead timeshare resort in the May/June edition of Resort Trades’ Management & Operations magazine. The Timeshare Authority blog, and other timeshare news sources regularly update you on Marriott timeshare, Wyndham Vacation Club timeshare, Disney timeshare, and the several dozen “big names” in the hospitality and timeshare resort industry. But none of us should ever overlook timeshare resorts that may not always be top of the mind, but can certainly become tops on your list of favorite vacation destinations.

NorthBay at Lake Arrowhead is precisely this type of timeshare, described in the Resort Trades article as, “off the beaten path, tucked away on a slope forested with towering pines…with terrific amenities and contemporary facilities yet offers an old-fashioned experience and atmosphere that encourages spending time together.”

And just as importantly, as the article goes on to point out, this is timeshare ownership where individual owners are valued and respected and where long-term relationships are built. President and CEO of The Alderwood Group (management services for North Bay at Lake Arrowhead timeshare), Tom Johnson says, “We understand our owners have entrusted us to ensure the viability and longevity of their investment. We are remaining focused on our clients…”

NorthBay at Lake Arrowhead, a Favorite California Timeshare Resort

Geared for boaters, skiers, hikers, horseback riders, and other outdoor sports enthusiasts, even if you choose to spend your day leisurely curled up with a book enjoying a backdrop of serene nature, you’ll enjoy unwinding at the resort’s indoor heated pool and spa and the redwood saunas. And how much more peaceful can the nighttime be than when you leave the city and your worries behind and relax under a canopy of twinkling stars?

Breathe deeply, you can almost smell the pines already. And with opportunities in NorthBay at Lake Arrowhead timeshare resales you can soon be enjoying this tranquility firsthand.

Hat tip and our thanks to: Resort Trades’ Management & Operations magazine and author Brian Welch.

Theme parks are part of many family’s timeshare vacation plans, but let’s face it, they get pricier and pricier every year. Here are some excellent tips for cutting the cost of theme park tickets that we learned from our friends at Theme Park Insider blog, one of the excellent resources you will find on the Timeshare Authority blog roll.

If you are lucky, you have friends or family members who work at one of the parks and can score you free or discounted tickets, or you might earn free tickets yourself by sitting through a timeshare sales presentation. But unless you manage to have courtesy tickets, you’ll probably be searching for the best deals available on park admission.

Theme Park Insider recommends that you buy your theme park tickets in advance and online, suggesting you look for both special offers as well as last minute deals. Members of AAA may be in line for discounts on theme parks, and some employers offer theme park discounts as an employee benefit.

If you are either active or retired military, you and your family may be eligible for some excellent discounts and sometimes, free admission. Visit the website for Shades of Green or check with your local ITT Tickets and Tours office to learn more about military discounts on theme parks and attractions.

Check out these resources for theme park tickets, listed on the left, and timeshare rental opportunities, listed on the right.

For more information on discount ticket opportunities, visit the Theme Park Insider Blog. And to learn more about the opportunities in renting timeshare visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Yes, Disney Vacation Club Timeshare will give you a ‘home away from home’ at the Happiest Place on Earth, along with some 500 other popular resorts in the network of Disney timeshare exchange, but there’s more to know before you buy a Disney Vacation Club timeshare of your own.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most frequently asked questions about Disney timeshare. Please remember that this information can change so always check for updates before you make a buying decision or schedule a timeshare vacation.

1. Where will I find Disney timeshare resorts? (Click the links to learn more about opportunities in Disney timeshare resales and Disney timeshare rentals)

• Bay Lake Towers at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s Boardwalk Villas 
• Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Soon to be added: the Ko Olina resort in Hawaii
• Tree House Villas
• You can also exchange Disney timeshare for a vacation on Disney Cruise Lines; other resorts at the Disney theme parks (Orlando, Anaheim, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo); Club Intrawest Resorts; Club Cordial, and other timeshare exchanges through RCI.
• Also, a new Disney timeshare resort at Myrtle Beach remains a persistent rumor…

2. When I buy Disney timeshare, can I own it forever?
No. Disney timeshare is not deeded timeshare. Instead, the Disney Vacation Club sells points that you may use at your home resort, or exchange for vacations at other Disney timeshare resorts, as well as worldwide destinations. The right to use your points expires at a future date.

• Bay Lake Towers timeshare expires January 31, 2060.
• Animal Kingdom timeshare expires January 31, 2057.
• Saratoga Springs timeshare expires January 31, 2054.
• Boardwalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, Old Key West, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Vero Beach Resort, and Hilton Head Resort timeshare expires January 31, 2042.

3. Do I pay annual dues on my Disney timeshare?
Yes. Your dues are based upon the number of points you own. For a current chart on what the percentages are, click here: Disney Timeshare Points

4. Is it true I can borrow on my Disney Vacation Club timeshare points?
Yes! Most timeshare exchange programs let you bank timeshare points for use in the future, but Disney Vacation Club also lets you borrow against next year’s points.

5. How far in advance can I book my Disney Vacation Club timeshare holiday?
You can reserve your timeshare stay up to 11 months in advance when you are vacationing at your home resort timeshare, and up to 7 months in advance at other Disney timeshares and resorts.

You already know about Disney Vacation Club timeshare preview centers in Long Island, NY, (Finding Disney Vacation Club Magic at the Mall) and in Chicago, Illinois. Now Disney Vacation Club is opening a timeshare sales center in Tokyo.

The first international timeshare sales office for Disney Vacation Club will open in Tokyo with a 15,000 square foot sales center at the Ikspiari shopping complex. Disney also plans to add timeshare sales kiosks throughout the Tokyo Disney Resort. The Disney brand is already very popular in Japan.

Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis says, “We are thrilled to announce our first ever international sales preview center in one of Disney’s most popular markets and to bring the magic of Disney Vacation Club to Tokyo.” Lewis adds, “Our new sales center at the Tokyo Disney Resort is ideal for bringing our timeshare brand to a whole new group of families looking to vacation at our Disney Vacation Club Resort hotels, including Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas in Ko Olina, Hawaii.”

Tokyo Disney Timeshare Sales Center

The new timeshare sales center for Disney Vacation Club will include a full-size model of one of the two-bedroom timeshare units planned for the Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawaii (Disney Timeshare Goes Hawaiian).

Since Disney Vacation Club has become a part of RCI timeshare exchange, (Disney Vacation Club Timeshare to Affiliate with Group RCI), Disney timeshare owners not only have access to the Disney timeshares, resorts and cruise ships, but to over 500 favorite vacation destinations worldwide.

Laughingplace.com, a great blog for Disney updates, quotes Howard C. Nusbaum, president and chief executive officer of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), as saying, “Disney changed the industry by bringing the vacation experience to a local shopping location. Now, the new Disney Vacation Club sales preview center in Tokyo will give Japanese families the opportunity to see how timeshare accommodations differ from traditional hotel rooms.”

Thank you LaughingPlace.com for the updates. And be sure to watch the Disney Tokyo “Sea of Dreams” video below—it is definitely not your typical marketing video.

Travel + Leisure Magazine recently tracked down the top-ten best hamburgers in the US; fortunately, you can plan your timeshare travel to enjoy them all.

Burger Joint in San Francisco took the honors for the numero uno best burger. Burger Joint is a 1950’s-style restaurant that boasts an old-fashion burger made from hormone- and pesticide-free beef.

Recommended San Francisco timeshare to accompany your Burger Joint hamburger is: Shell Vacation Club’s The Suites at Fishermans Wharf timeshare resales and rentals, where you are just a cable car ride away from Chinatown, Ghirardelli Square, The Cannery, and Pier 39.

Dyer’s Burger in Memphis took second place honors with their thin-patty burger, fried in oil in a cast-iron skillet. Once you order this burger, you might as well go all out and add Dyer’s famous chili cheese fries and a deep fried Twinkie for desert.

An ideal destination for a Memphis timeshare vacation is just 30 minutes away in Robinsville, Mississippi. The Westgate Tunica Resort, designed to look like an anti-bellum southern mansion, is centrally located for enjoying the hot jazz and cool blues of Memphis as well as the casinos, golf, and southern charm of Mississippi.

Duchamp’s Burger in Chicago is no greasy diner, yet this restaurant proves it still knows how to cook a burger, serving an eight-ounce ground chuck special on a Czech cottage-cheese-and-dill bun.

You may decide to day trip into the city for your Duchamp’s burger while spending your timeshare vacation in Silverleaf’s Fox River Resort timeshare, located a little over an hour away in Sheridan, Illinois. There you can choose between waterskiing, boating, hiking or picnicking in the peaceful rolling hills, or grab your sightseeing gear and head for Chicago, famous for its museums, shopping, and dining.

Timeshares at Every Top Burger Destination

Here are the next seven (NYC scores two great burger destinations, turning the top ten into an actual count of eleven) destinations for world-famous burgers…and a few of the outstanding timeshare vacation destinations that will get you there:

Lüke in New Orleans, LA., where you can vacation in a Chateau Orleans timeshare resale or rental in heart of the French Quarter.

Quinn’s Pub in Seattle, WA, when you are enjoying a WorldMark Seattle timeshare resale or rental at The Camlin.

Ranch 616 in Austin, Texas, where you can stay in Austin timeshare resales and timeshare rentals in a city known for its live music and western fun.

Kua’Aina Sandwich Shop in Hale’iwa, Hawaii. You know Hawaii timeshares are outstanding, so just pick an island and pack your Hawaiian shirt and your flipflops.

Kemble Park Tavern offers you and excellent dinner spot during your Washington, DC timeshare resale or rental vacation.

Back Forty and Black Iron Burger Shop in NYC. Two great burger destinations only a few blocks apart and both worth visiting during your Big Apple New York City timeshare stay.

Murphy’s on the Green in Hanover, NH, where you can enjoy New Hampshire timeshare resales or rentals, here in our own headquarters home state for Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Here’s a reminder to all timeshare owners that the next National Timeshare Owners Association Educational Conference is right around the corner. The NTOA will be meeting in Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, April 11.

So far this year, the NTOA has met in Orlando, Florida, and in Orange County, California with a full house of timeshare owners in attendance. While these meetings are certainly a great time for timeshare owners in the geographic area to meet and ask questions of industry experts, the meetings often draw wide-ranging attendance. For the January meeting in Orlando, Canada timeshare owners, California timeshare owners, and timeshare owners from Missouri and Utah were on hand.

When the NTOA meets, questions get answered, timeshare owners learn how to better benefit from their timeshares, and new information and ideas about vacation ownership are exchanged. To attend the informative meetings you must be a member of NTOA, but membership in the National Timeshare Owners Association comes with many worthwhile benefits.

Here’s a direct link to the NTOA membership application: http://www.nationaltimeshareownersassoc.com/media/Membership_Application_2010.pdf

We can’t say enough about an association that stands for the rights of timeshare owners and works diligently to help its members get the most out of their vacation ownership product.

To learn more about the NTOA, contact Ed Hastry at hastry@aol.com or call 410-536-0064

David Siegel, founder of Westgate timeshare, will reportedly attempt to sell some $350 million in assets. On the “for sale” list is the former Grenelefe Resort, near Haines City, Florida, which includes 432 condominium units, two golf courses, a marina, and 277 acres of undeveloped land.

Grenelefe Golf and Tennis Resort was, not so many years ago, as a popular Florida vacation destination. With a 50,000 square foot conference center, Grenelefe was a favorite site for smaller convention and meeting groups, boasted golf courses of such quality that they were frequently early stage qualifying sites for the PGA and Champions Tour events, and offered a tennis venue where Martina Navratilova and Andrea Jaeger both competed.

But time has not been kind to the resort since it was purchased by Westgate Resorts in a 2002 U.S. Bankruptcy Court proceeding from Sports Shinko, a Japanese company, for $12.75 million. During Westgate timeshare resort’ ownership there have been buyers interested in purchasing the property, but none has been able to gain sufficient backing and close the deal. As if to add insult to injury, Grenelefe Resort was hit by tornado-like winds last week, damaging 28 condo units and leaving 5 uninhabitable.

Westgate Resorts to Focus on Timeshare

Among other properties and assets scheduled to be sold by Westgate timeshares are River Ranch, which is a 1,700-acre dude ranch on the Kissimmee River (south of Orlando); real estate in Nevada, Missouri and Tennessee; a 500-room Ramada hotel in Kissimmee, FL; two private aircraft; and the rights to develop lodging on land near the entrance to Disneyland, Anaheim, California.

David Siegel was quoted by the Orlando Sentinel as saying, “We’re selling our non-time-share assets to raise cash for our time-share operations. We’re selling anything that we don’t currently need for our time-share [business].”

In the midst of all our blogging recently about the ARDA Convention wrapping up this week in Las Vegas, we can’t overlook another important event for timeshare owners.

The National Timeshare Owners Association (NTOA) will meet on Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM in Orange County, California.

Although the meeting is open to all NTOA members who pre-register to attend, the event offers a particularly outstanding opportunity for California timeshare owners and Nevada timeshare owners to meet face-to-face with industry experts.

You’ll hear firsthand insider information about buying timeshares, selling timeshare, timeshare exchange, and how to fully enjoy and maximize the rewards of being a timeshare owner.

When you join the NTOA, you not only gain access to their regional educational events, but you earn other benefits including:

• Discounted costs and liability protection for timeshare rental.
• Serious discounts when you are ready to buy timeshare.
• Legal assistance for dealing with timeshare as a charitable donation, in your will, during a divorce, and more.
• Lower interest fees for financing timeshare or refinancing timeshare.
• Monthly news and tips from timeshare owners and experts.
• Timeshare exchange opportunities without the membership fee, and at the lowest timeshare exchange rates.
• Reduced closing costs for direct timeshare transfers.
• Security and members-only discounts when you sell timeshare.
• The only comprehensive “bible” on timesharing available exclusively through NTOA.

To learn more about the NTOA or to plan to attend the California timeshare event or future educational events for timeshare owners, contact the National Timeshare Owners Association, by emailing hastry@aol.com or calling (410) 719-0064.

You can also download an NTOA membership form by clicking the link below:

Membership Application 2010