At one time, the “hottest” central Florida theme park destination was Cypress Gardens. Opened in 1936, in Winter Haven, just west of Orlando, Cypress Gardens was known for its ski shows, Southern Belles in vintage dresses, and well… its cypress gardens, those manicured grounds of beautifully landscaped floral gardens and stately cypress trees.

In 2010, Cypress Gardens closed its doors for the last time, overshadowed and overwhelmed by the Disney, Sea World and Universal Studios parks in Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa. But you just can’t keep a good theme park destination down for long, because before 2011 is over, the 150-acres of the former Cypress Gardens will be reborn as Legoland Florida.

Plan Your Next Florida Timeshare Vacation and Catch the Opening of Legoland

Last week, Legoland officials announced that the park—planned as the world’s largest Legoland park, will officially open on October 15, 2011. Built to cater to children ages 2 through 12, Legoland Florida will offer over fifty rides, including roller coasters and race cars.

Legoland Florida sales manager Todd Andrus says, “Guests (callers) have been all but begging to know the date, so they can book their flights and accommodations, and purchase admission tickets.”

And with its plan for family-friendly shows and attractions, there is no reason to think that Legoland Florida won’t be at least as successful as the Legoland parks in Denmark; Windsor; England, Germany; and Carlsbad, California. And just like a Grand Pacific Palisades California timeshare offers you the ideal venue for your trip to Legoland California, you can count on an Orlando timeshare resale or Orlando timeshare rental vacation making it fun, affordable, and easy to enjoy your trip to Legoland Florida.

Click here to learn more about Legoland Florida.

And follow this link to get started planning your Orlando timeshare vacation.

More about timeshares and a visit to Legoland: Hawaii Timeshare in Maui, California Timeshare Near the Beach, and Desert Beauty in a Las Vegas Timeshare Resort

According to Hotels.com, online searching for European vacations accommodations is extremely strong, but it may have as much to do with a quirk of the calendar as it does the upcoming Royal Wedding itself. Although travel agents are reporting from 30 to 56 percent increases in interest in their holiday packages and Hotels.com says that the number of people searching for holidays for the week ending April 29 has increased by 212 percent compared with the same time in 2010, Prince Harry and his bride-to-be, Kate, don’t get all the credit.

This year, thanks to Easter coming unusually late in the season, the European bank holidays for Good Friday and Easter and the holiday for May Day will fall closer together than ever. Combine that with the holiday for the Royal Wedding, and many vacationers are looking at an atypically long spring break.

By taking only three days off, April 26 to April 28, most Brits can enjoy eleven days of continuous holiday or vacation time.

And while some people are headed to London for the Royal Wedding, just as many Londoners are scheduling to leave the area and enjoy sunny vacation days in destinations such as a Spain timeshare. Paul Furner of TravelRepublic.co.uk, says, “Sales are up by an astonishing 59.3 percent over the same period last year.

According to Furner, “The run of bank holidays and the fact that the royal wedding is being screened and celebrated in lots of places outside the UK, has been too much to resist.” But Furner adds, “We are also seeing strong demand from those wanting to escape the ­celebrations completely.”

Demand for Europe Timeshare Resales, Rentals and Timeshare Exchange

The Royal Wedding is only the starting point of a year of British festivities leading up to and including Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympic and Paralympic Games which are both scheduled for 2012.

How this translates to the demand for Europe timeshares is easy to anticipate. If you own Europe timeshare you want to sell, now is likely to be a good time to advertise it as a timeshare resale. If you’d like to hold on to that Europe timeshare, but don’t plan to take in the festivities yourself, then using it as an England timeshare rental is another very strong option.

And if you do wish to be part of the history and pageantry of 2011-2012 in the United Kingdom, then lucky you, because you hold accommodations at the primo destination for European travel.

TATOC, The Timeshare Association has announced key changes among executives. During TATOC’s Annual General Meeting, March 13, 2011, the TATOC Board of Directors approved Harry Taylor, the current Chief Executive Officer of TATOC, as the new Executive Chairman, replacing David Eastburn.

Harry Taylor, says, “We would like to thank David for his hard work and efforts over the past years. TATOC has grown as an organisation both in the number of members and in prestige during his time on the board.”

Also, the TATOC Timeshare Association board approved the appointment of Richard Coles to join the TATOC Board of Directors. He is a retired capital accountant and is chairman of the owners committee at Cameron House, a De Vere resort located on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland.

The Timeshare Association (Timeshare Owners and Committees)

TATOC was formed in 1989 and is the only elected consumer association representing the interests of European timeshare owners. TATOC works to safeguard and strengthen the timeshare holiday or timeshare vacation experience for both existing timeshare owners and prospective owners. TATOC is recognized as a voice of the timeshare consumer in Europe and an informed point of contact.

TATOC, the European Timeshare Association, has released new information on the growing success of its consumer helpline. In 2011, the helpline has already received over 1400 inbound calls through the month of February along with nearly 250 emails. This marks an increase of 264 call over the same period in 2010.

Harry Taylor, TATOC CEO explains, “The majority of the calls and e-mails received by the helpline were enquiries by consumers looking for advice, support and information which we supply via e-mail or through the website. The subject of re-sales generates most of these enquiries. The remaining calls were complaints but interestingly the statistics show that these were mainly about non-timeshare products such as the sales and marketing techniques by non-timeshare companies and unsolicited cold calling.”

TATOC is a non-profit limited company that works to safe guard and enhance the timeshare experience for owners and prospective timeshare owners. Last year, the association’s hotline (new in 2010) handled a combined total of 9183 inbound calls or emails.

Perhaps the most important takeaway here is that the complaints and concerns tend to focus on the way the product is sold or resold, and not on the timeshare concept itself.

Past The Timeshare Authority news on TATOC’s hotline:

Timeshare Association TATOC Launches Sharetime Online

In 1979, The Osborne Club was established as one of the first English timeshare resorts. Located on five and a half acres within the tranquil gardens of Hesketh Crescent in Torquay, today this elegant English timeshare resort offers 46 one, two, and three bedroom timeshare units.

But The Osborne Club, a mature timeshare, with loads of English charm, is by no means behind the times. This UK timeshare resort just selected Merlin Software for Vacation Ownership to provide software for its resort operations.

As Sarah Smith, resort manager, explains, “As a mature resort our focus is on providing the best possible service to our owners and guests and the software we choose to run our systems will help us with this. From tracking ownerships and running our rental programme to management fee billing and owner reservations, Merlin can support all of our activities. We are delighted that Merlin works with all types of resorts from the newest start ups to mature resorts like the Osborne Club and are very impressed with their professionalism.”

Merlin is the only software available that is intrinsically web-based and served totally over the internet. It is considered to be a state of the art Business Application Software, incorporating modules for sales, marketing and front and back office.

Citadel Trustees has announced it will be a sponsor of Fractional Summits in the US, Europe and the Middle East. This is an exciting and significant commitment of sponsorship by Citadel Trustees, known as one of the leading providers of trustee and stakeholder services in the shared ownership and fractional real estate industry.

Piers Brown, founder of Fractional Life says, “It’s generally accepted that we raised the bar for fractional real estate conferences with the successful launch of our USA and MENA events in 2010 and are very happy to have signed this deal with Citadel. Our mission is to grow the fractional ownership marketplace, and for a company of their stature to show this level of commitment by sponsoring all our conferences this year, and the 2012 London event demonstrates significant confidence in what we are trying to achieve, as well as offering proof that Citadel shares our goals. We are delighted to have them on board.”

Chris Allen, Director, Client Services & Business Development for Citadel Trustees adds, “Sponsorship of the Fractional Summit conferences is essential to raise our company profile as we reach out for new business opportunities throughout the world. We sponsored the very first Fractional Summit and have been pleased with how the conference has grown during these challenging times. The fractional conferences are a great opportunity for the industry to get together and exchange knowledge and best practice, as well as providing a networking opportunity which is ideal for making new business contacts. We are pleased to be able to support such useful industry events across three continents, and look forward to a successful partnership with Fractional Life over the coming year.”

Fractional Summit Europe Underway, USA and Middle East North Africa Upcoming

This year’s Fractional Summit Europe is currently underway at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London. Fractional Summit USA is planned for August 30-31, 2011, at the InterContinental Hotel, Miami, Florida and the Fractional Summit Middle East North Africa is in the planning stages with a destination and dates to be announced. Follow this link to learn more about Fractional Summit Europe: Fractional Summit Europe is Only 10 Days Away.

Fractional Life a leading consumer lifestyle brand dedicated to growing the fractional ownership marketplace. The company has three divisions: interactive, b2b fractional conferences and consumer exhibitions.

Additional information related to fractional ownership: Fractionals Could Offer Unique Opportunities in Real Estate and Vacation Ownership

Last week, ARDA (the American Resort Development Association) released a media announcement looking at American travel trends for 2011. Here’s some of the patterns they identified:

• Americans will be traveling more in 2011 than in the past few years.
• Trip Advisor estimates that 69 percent of travelers will take international trips this year with the top three destinations being Paris, London, and Rome.
• Trip Advisor predictions also show that in the US, top destinations are Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco.

Travel and Timeshare Sales and Timeshare Rentals

What does this renewed enthusiasm for travel indicate for timeshare sales, timeshare resales, and timeshare rentals? Many things, all of which are as good for timeshare owners as they are for the timeshare industry.

As more people discover the opportunities of timeshare rentals, the spacious accommodations and the great prices, travelers will quickly realize that their vacation dollars are going further, allowing them to travel more or stay longer. And timeshare owners who want to rent timeshares they currently own may find a larger and more competitive market for renting timeshare.

And as travelers take to the highways and skyways, timeshare sales companies and timeshare resale brokers will be able to market in targeted ways, recognizing in advance the trending interest in Las Vegas timeshare, New York City timeshare, San Francisco timeshare, and European timeshare. As Howard Nusbaum ARDA president and CEO, explains, “This resurgence of travel is terrific news for the timeshare industry. More travelers are beginning to understand the value and comfort of a timeshare vacation and with resorts in all of these popular 2011 destinations, vacationers will find exactly what they need.”

Follow this link to read the ARDA media release in full.

This year’s Fractional Summit Europe starts in just ten days, scheduled for February 17 and 18, 2011, at the Marriott Grosvenor Square in London. Sponsored by Fractional Life, this event is significant to anyone involve in, or thinking of becoming involved in, fractional ownership.

Starting with an intro to fractionals session called Fractional 101; the two days include presentations, networking opportunities, and discussion groups. This year’s conference will unveil a new format including a B2B Exhibition; a new Developer Panel, for learning from successful fractional developers; and a new Owners Panel in which recent fractional buyers will be discussing why fractional ownership makes such good sense. Other topics to be covered are marketing and sales, financing, project evaluations, the role of the trustee, and how fractionals can play a part in the portfolio of UK investors.

The Registry Collection is a Platinum Sponsor of Fractional Summit Europe and as Gregg Anderson, Global Vice President, The Registry Collection explains, “One of the key reasons for the consistent growth of The Registry Collection programme in Europe has been our support of and involvement in the annual Fractional Life conference. We believe that Fractional resort real estate is in its early growth cycle in Europe and we are confident savvy developers and affluent travelers will see the concept as a better value proposition to holiday home whole ownership.”

To learn more about Fractional Summit Europe, go to: www.fractionalsummit.com

Past news from The Timeshare Authority blog on Fractional Life

• Congratulations to Timeshare Industry Leader, Fractional Life, Winner of OPP Award
• Follow Up on Fractional Summit USA Conference for Fractional and Timeshare Industry
• Fractionals: That’s Timeshare on a Whole Different Level
• Fractionals Could Offer Unique Opportunities in Real Estate and Vacation Ownership

TATOC, The Timeshare Association, announced that its helpline is experiencing record-setting levels of traffic these days.

The helpline service is operated by consumer-focused association, TATOC, from its Manchester, England headquarters and was created to offer advice ad general information to timeshare owners, timeshare buyers, timeshare sellers, and timeshare renters. The number of calls the helpline handled in November reached a record high of 797, surpassing the previous high from January 2009 of 691 inbound calls.

Harry Taylor, CEO of TATOC explains, “The helpline team has been really busy and the service we provide is proving invaluable to owners and consumers. We have also updated our cold callers list, which covers all the companies undertaking cold calling activities over the past four weeks. This is generated by the helpline team from all the calls they receive.”

Responsive to Timeshare Owners and their Needs

Despite the heavier load, TATOC handles the calls responsively, with the average wait time for callers being only 15.7 seconds. The single busiest day in November was the eighth when TATOC representatives handled 56 calls. During the month, the association also responded to 176 email inquiries, which was the second highest number of emails inquiries received in any one month by TATOC.

TATOC was established in 1989 for the purpose of serving and representing timeshare owners. It is the only consumer association that represents the interests of timeshare owners in Europe. The mission of TATOC is to safeguard and enhance the timeshare holiday experience for existing and prospective users and to be the voice of owners.

In October, The Timeshare Authority blog brought you news of a new timeshare owner mediation service established by TATOC (see: TATOC Timeshare Association Announces New Mediation Service for Timeshares).

Are you among the millions of timeshare owners with a happy story to tell? TATOC. The Timeshare Association, based in the United Kingdom (Manchester, England), is looking for your story.

Harry Taylor, TATOC CEO explains, “There is lots of negative publicity about our industry but TATOC is an association of timeshare owners who love their timeshare holidays and visit them or exchange every year. We know we’re not alone so we’d love to hear about the good holiday experiences of other timeshare owners.”

TATOC is focusing on the one the ‘hot topics’ we write about frequently on The Timeshare Authority blog: telling the positive side of the timeshare story. Sell My Timeshare NOW, TATOC and others in the timeshare and vacation ownership industry know it is big story and it rarely receives the attention it deserves.

TATOC, The Timeshare Association Wants to Put You in Print (or is that Pixels?)

TATOC has sent a request to all its members and affiliates, looking for a short story (200 words or less) explaining what, “owners love about their timeshare and where their favourite destination has been.” The request applies to all timeshare owners, whether or not their resort is a member of TATOC.

The association is asking you to email your good news stories and a photo to: TATOC at info@timeshareassociation.org or go directly to the Sharetimemagazine.com website and submit your article.

Featured stories will appear on TATOC’s website: www.timeshareassociation.org and in its Sharetime magazine, www.sharetimemagazine.com.