NASA held its first Information Technology Summit last week, bringing together thought leaders from government and industry with the purpose of showcasing the best in private and public IT innovations. Of course, such a summit calls for representation from the Walt Disney Company.

At the summit, Jack Blitch, vice president of attractions and development for Walt Disney Imagineering shares some special insights into the fun we can all expect from Disney parks in the future and our upcoming Disney timeshare vacations.

The video clip below is from CSPAN, and gives you a rarely seen look at 3-D models of “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid” and the entire Beauty and the Beast section. While it is 1 hour and 50+ minutes in length, there are many interesting points about the Disney process and development as well as some updates on Disney Vacation Club properties you will want to catch if you are a Disney timeshare owner, or even just a Disney aficionado.

Watch this video and:

• Learn how during the renovation of the Disney Tree Houses, the new units were actually dropped into place from above, to ensure that the tree canopy was undisturbed.
• Find out about the expansion of the world’s only water rollercoaster on the Disney Cruise lines.
• See how Disney has undertaken its largest single expansion project ever by doubling the size of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.

In June, The Timeshare Authority updated you on the new pet resort opening at Orlando’s Walt Disney World. (See: Disney Offers Pet Resort with Special Pricing for Disney Vacation Club Timeshare Owners). Pet-friendly timeshares and pet boarding accommodations are important to travelers. According to the 2009-2010 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association there are 77.5 million dog owners in the US alone, accounting for 39 percent of all American households.

For most pet owners, Fido or Fluffy is a beloved family member who creates a conundrum when it comes time for travel or a timeshare vacation. Do you plan your vacations only at pet-friendly timeshares? Do you board your pet, hire a pet sitter or maybe even stay home because you can’t come up with an acceptable solution?

Orlando’s Disney World Resort is making it easier than ever to enjoy a guilt-free vacation, fully confident that your pet is nearby and is receiving the very best of care. And for Disney timeshare owners, members of the Disney Vacation Club, the solution is especially sweet as they receive special discounts.

Disney Vacation Club Timeshare Members Receive Discounts

Disney’s new Best Friends Pet Resort will be able to accommodate up to 270 dogs, 30 cats, and other animals including hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, and potbellied pigs. Not accepted for boarding will be snakes, lizards and turtles. Here are few of the tail-wagging details to update you on just how very ‘luxurious’ these accommodations for your pet really are.

Add-on pet services, in addition to outdoor playtime are available, including doggy playgroups, Frisbee or ball play, walking trails, a water park area, and snuggling for your dog while someone reads stories aloud—like a bedtime story being read to the family dog. Dogs also have the option, for a fee, to view movies or to vacation in one of the 226-square foot luxury suites that feature a private play yard and a personal pet concierge. Upgrades for felines include two and four-story kitty condos.

While basic pricing starts at $37 nightly, Disney timeshare owners receive discounts as part of their membership benefits in the Disney Vacation Club.

The Orlando Sentinel has recognized Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort timeshare as one of the, “Top 100 Companies for Working Families.” To make this list, a company must score well in areas that include employee benefits packages, work environment, communication, family-related benefits to employees, and employee training.

Dan Carricato, senior vice president of Human Resources for Orange Lake Resorts timeshare, explains, “Family is the key word at Orange Lake…it’s who we are – as a company and individually. Our employees come to work every day to create great vacations for families, and in turn, we create a family-friendly workplace that engages them daily. We’ve been creating this culture for more than 28 years, and we’re ecstatic to have been selected as one of the Sentinel’s Top 100.”

Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare, you may recall, was created in 2008, by an alliance between Orange Lake Resorts and IHG, the corporation that owns Holiday Inn Resorts. The Orange Lake Resorts timeshare is a popular Orlando timeshare located near the Walt Disney World Resort and other theme park attractions of Central Florida. The resort features a lazy river and outstanding golf courses onsite. With nearly 2500 timeshare villas, expansion plans call for an additional 2000 timeshare units to be added.

Orange Lake Resort timeshare, the flagship property for Holiday Inn Club Vacations, is a family-owned company with over 2799 timeshare employees.

The acclaimed Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels, known for some of Europe’s most popular resorts, is breaking into the Florida timeshare market. The hotel and timeshare company has acquired the current Encantada Resort, which is located just outside Orlando, in the Kissimmee-Orlando vacation area, in close proximity to all your favorite Orlando theme parks and recreation destinations.

Club La Costa is renowned worldwide for its mixed-use resorts, which include both whole ownership homes and timeshare, and the famous Club La Costa Yacht Club. Founded more than twenty years ago, by South African entrepreneur, Roy Peires, Club La Costa resorts can be found in Spain, Tenerife, Turkey, the US, England, Austria, and Scotland.

Peires explains, “The announcement of our new resort has already caused a lot of excitement among our members who can look forward to a resort exhibiting Club La Costa high standards in this sought after destination.”

There are currently over 50,000 Club La Costa member-owners and the company employs approximately 2,000 people. Club La Costa Resorts are a member of the RCI.

It seems appropriate to pause this week on The Timeshare Authority blog to talk about the game of golf. With the British Senior Open wrapped up and the US Senior Open set to tee off, you have to look at such events and reflect on the fact that anyone — amateur or pro — past champion or tournament rookie – has the opportunity to polish his skill, go out on one of sport’s biggest stages and write his name in the history books. And while the same is true for all events in professional golf that permit open qualifying, there’s something to be said about the idea that a man, 50 years old or older, who may have never competed in a pro tournament before, has the opportunity to become the US Senior Open Champion.

Golf is one of the few sports you can take up as a child and play throughout your lifetime. Because of the handicapping system, your teenage son can play a round of golf with Grandma, on a level playing field. Families can share the game; they can play together, play on their home course, and play while on vacation. Professional golf superstar, Luke Donald, credits his early interest in the game to playing at his family’s timeshare.

Even physical challenges don’t have to stand in your way of enjoying the game of golf. If you haven’t read Dave Kindred’s Golf Digest article this month on the triumph injured war veterans are claiming on the golf course, (“The Healing Game”) I encourage you to do so. In it, golf professional Jim Estes explains, “Fear inhibits the ordinary person’s ability to perform. But these guys — they have no fear. When your leg is blown off, who cares if you don’t hit that little white ball perfectly?”

Yet as U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ramon Padilla, injured in Afghanistan, says after taking up the game, “I had a sense of accomplishment. I thought, I may be missing an arm, but I’m still whole, I’m still one person.”

This week, as the favorites at the US Senior Open tee up at the beautiful Sahalee Country Club (just outside of Seattle, WA.), I will likely be pulling for some amateur playing who qualified on a wing and prayer. There is something uniquely inspirational about the idea that an ordinary guy can do extraordinary things, through a combination of determination, hard work, and perhaps a little luck.

• You can learn more about golf timeshares at: Take a Timeshare Golf Vacation in an Orlando Timeshare and Myrtle Beach Timeshare Resales
• And find out how all of us can do more to help wounded veterans at: woundedwarriorproject.org

Enjoy this excellent video of Luke Donald’s swing:

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

Yes, the lines to the most popular attractions at Disney World’s theme parks in Orlando can be long, but experienced park-goers will tell you there are some ways to improve your park experience—including one strategy that you can only take advantage of if, you are staying in a Disney hotel or Disney Vacation Club timeshare.

1. When you enter a theme park in the morning hours, whether it is Animal Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, consider covering the park’s attractions in a clockwise pattern. In other words, when you go into the theme park, turn left. In North America, most people instinctively make a right turn into a theme park, even though all of the Disney parks are laid out in what is roughly a circular pattern and are equally enjoyable whether explored in a clockwise or a counterclockwise pattern. Go against the flow, and you will be ahead of the lines for at least 50 percent of your day.
2. Visit the most popular attractions during the times shows, parades, or even the fireworks are scheduled.
3. Take advantage of the single rider lines. The Rock ‘n Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; and Test Track at Epcot all offer the single rider line. In this line, you and your party can wait in line together, but as single seats become available, you will be individually seated. You will all get onboard faster, just be sure you plan a place to meet and regroup after you individual finish the ride.
4. During selected seasons, on-property guests, which include anyone staying at a Disney Vacation Club timeshare, have access to extra park hours either before or after the park’s regular hours. This means that temperatures are usually cooler and lines are definitely shorter. You will need a valid theme park admission and your Walt Disney World Resort ID in order to take advantage of the extra hours in the park, which can be as long as one hour early in the morning and up to three hours extra in the evening.
5. Take advantage of FastPass… it really works! Go to your favorite rides early in the day, use your park admission ticket and obtain a FastPass. The FastPass will tell you at what time later in the day to return to the attraction for immediate boarding. Note that everyone in your part will need his or her own FastPass, but they are free and available to all park goers.

Enjoying the Disney World theme parks is on the to-do list for almost everyone who vacations in the Orlando area, but most people’s idea of fun does not include standing in long lines in the hot sun. Study a park map before you begin your day, and then take advantage of these five effective tips. You and your family want to spend the maximum amount of time oohing, ahhing, shrieking in delight, or just plain belly laughing during your Orlando timeshare vacation and a little preplanning can go a long way to making this happen.

Effective last week, the Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando) began accepting reservations for a new luxury pet resort scheduled to open this summer. The 50,000 square-foot facility is called Best Friends Pet Resort and is described by Disney as a “best of breed” pet resort, with air-conditioned, VIP suites and private outdoor play yards for your pet.

Disney has offered pet boarding for many years but this announcement indicates that their services are being taken to a new level. Their boarding service includes up to two meals per day and two scheduled daily walks. You can choose to add other services such as an extra walk ($5 add on charge), cuddle time ($5 add on charge), or an ice cream break ($4 add on charge). Other options include playgroups for dogs or special one-on-one play times, also available at à la carte pricing.

Discounted Rates for Timeshare Owners with Disney Vacation Club

Overnight rates for dogs start at $20 per night for pets of Disney Vacation Club members and go to $21 for dogs belonging to Disney resort guests and $23 for those of park visitors. For cats and other small animals, the Disney Vacation Club member price is $13 per night and ranges up to $18 for the pets of park guests.

Disney Vacation Club currently does not offer pet-friendly timeshares, which makes the pet resort an especially important feature for pet owners planning a Disney timeshare vacation.

Here are two timeshare resorts in the Disney area that you might be interested in for timeshare resale and timeshare rentals that ARE pet friendly:

• Celebration World Resort – Kissimmee, Florida
• Summerfield Condo Resort – Kissimmee, Florida

And for some really good tips on traveling with your pet, click here to see this article from Smarter Travel.

When you see the executive team at Sell My Timeshare NOW don chef’s aprons, you know we have to be cooking up big things. Here’s a photo from our “Ice Cream Social” this week, held at our Dover, NH headquarters following our Sell My Timeshare NOW companywide update.

Left to right, wearing “custom designer aprons” you’ll find:

Leslie Martin, Vice President Operations; Jacqueline Russ, Chief Financial Officer; Jerome Bocquet, Vice President Timeshare Broker Services; Jason Tremblay, CEO; Jay Bade, Vice President Business Development; and Chris Ownby, Chief Technology Officer.

This is a great photo; you can tell it captures the fun and smiles that are so much a part of working at Sell My Timeshare NOW. And dressed in white, it’s a good reminder that we are the ‘timeshare good guys’ even if we are wearing white aprons instead of white hats.

And in addition to ice cream sundaes, we did talk about all the things that are moving and shaking around here. After sharing with the Sell My Timeshare NOW team more information about the growth funding we received from our partner, Edison Venture Fund (Sell My Timeshare NOW Receives Growth Funding-Exciting Things on the Way) we also looked at our company’s vision for the future—both short-term and long-term.

We’ve got big plans for growth in our Orlando Sell My Timeshare NOW office, as well as other exciting areas of expansion we’ll be announcing in the future.

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.