From your Orlando vacations, you are probably already familiar with Kissimmee (even if you can’t figure out how to pronounce it the way the locals do). You may even know about charming Winter Park and quaint Mt. Dora, both nearby communities rich with history and the flavor of ‘old Florida’.

But it’s entirely possible that despite your Florida holidays, Orlando timeshare vacations, and all the days you have spent in the theme parks and other well-known tourists attractions, you may have missed one of Central Florida’s most interesting communities—historic  Eatonville.

Eatonville, Florida is America’s oldest incorporated African American municipality. With a current population of just over 2,000 people, this small community was formed after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to create a place where people could live and raise their families in peace and safety.

Rich in cultural history and tradition, Eatonville claims many talented natives and adopted sons and daughters including author Zora Neale Hurston, who was  best known for her 1937 novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

If you are enjoying an Orlando vacation or long weekend as part of the Martin Luther King Jr holiday, you may want to follow this link and check out these scheduled events: Martin Luther King Jr Day in Orlando.

Each month for the past three months, ARDA, through its Vacation Better website has turned the spotlight on the most powerful message the timeshare industry can share: the testimonial of happy owners.

The timeshare owner spotlight for November focused on happy Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare owners, while in December it was turned to shine on timeshare owners at Hilton Grand Vacations. Now, the New Year begins with the focus on Wyndham Vacation Ownership, where as one Wyndham owner says, “We have never regretted a single minute of it; it has been the best investment we’ve made in our lives, to spend time with each other.”

Included on the Vacation Better website is another great story of a happy Wyndham timeshare owner who spent this past Thanksgiving, with 38 family members at Wyndham’s beautiful Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando. Be sure you visit the site (www.vacationbetter.org) to find out how a timeshare turned out to be the ideal choice for one family’s holiday-family reunion combo event. You’ll even find their  Thanksgiving menu and one of the family newsletters this Wyndham timeshare owner created when they started making their plans last July.

The bottom line is this: Nobody explains why timeshares are such an ideal way to vacation better than the owners themselves who love and enjoy their timeshare vacation ownership.

Previous Vacation Better Videos from Happy Timeshare Owners:

VacationBetter.Org Unveils New Look for Timeshare Vacations Website

Raging Fans and the Truth about Timeshare

Orlando, Florida based Wyndham Vacation Ownership, will soon be moving into new offices. Wyndham timeshare, part of Wyndham Worldwide, has signed a lease to move into a building previously occupied as the headquarters of Harcourt, Inc., a company you may be familiar with as the publisher of the textbooks you read in school as a child.

The eight-story building has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking SeaWorld and the hub of Central Florida’s tourist area, International Drive. Previously, Wyndham Vacation Ownership’s 1350 employees have been operating from four separate buildings. With the move, not only will the company gain the convenience of being housed in one building, but they will be expanding personnel, adding 231 new positions.

The new space offers more meeting and gathering places, a full-service cafeteria, natural light, covered parking, and the opportunity to add amenities such as a childcare center, a nature trail or an outdoor meeting venue.

Franz Hanning, president and chief executive officer of Wyndham Vacation Ownership was quoted by the Orlando Sentinel as saying, “When it’s tough like this, people are going to stay in a job, but they will [leave] the first opportunity they get. We want to be the employer of choice. And we do a lot of things to separate ourselves from our competitors.”

The Orlando Business Journal reports that Wyndham timeshare is receiving as much as $277,200 in tax incentives from Orange County for creating the new jobs, which are anticipated to pay an average annual salary of $60,425. The Orange County incentives, to be paid out over six years, are the local share of a $1.4 million package Wyndham requested under the state of Florida’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program.

Floridians, and many vacationers, are already familiar with the building as a local landmark, originally built by textbook giant, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. Although the Harcourt Company had many corporate partnerships, (including Harcourt, Brace & Howe; Harcourt, Brace & World, etc,) since its founding in Chicago in the early 1900s, it was during the 1970s and 1980s, as Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich (HBJ) that the company became its most diversified, including the purchase of SeaWorld and other theme parks. HBJ acquired SeaWorld in 1976 for $46 million and in 1989, divested its theme park division for $1.1 billion.

The building was once a showpiece, with its exterior including a public area with fountains and even a play space in the shape of a giant map, however, now, parts of the building have been empty for several years. Julie MacPherson, vice president of facilities for Wyndham is overseeing plans to renovate the building’s interior. MacPherson points out that with employees who put people on vacation, Wyndham timeshare is looking for ways to make the workplace help feel as if the employee themselves are on vacation.

You may not have realized it yet, but 2012 is a leap year. Meaning, of course, that the calendars we commonly use in the world today will insert (it is properly called intercalate) an extra day in the month of February to ensure that the calendar, over time, stays in sync with the solar year.

But what does a leap year really mean for you?

Well, if you work for yourself, you have one extra day to earn income in the month of February, while if you work for a salary, your boss or your company picks up an extra day of your labor. But perhaps a better way of thinking about Leap Year is that it means, in this 366-day year we all have an extra day to live life to its fullest and an extra day to show our friends and family how much they matter to us.

Which for anyone vacationing in the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida or Disneyland® Park in California, Leap Year 2012 is being translated into a never-before celebrated, 24-hour Leap Day. For the first time ever in the history of the parks, they will be open to guests for 24 straight hours of fun. Beginning at 6 AM on February 29, 2012, select attractions and entertainment within the parks will operate—for one magical day—around the clock!

What better reason do you need to plan a Disney Vacation Club, California timeshare or Orlando timeshare vacation right now?

Leap Day 2012, make plans and make it count for something extra special!

This past week, Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida, officially broke ground on its new partnership property Four Seasons Hotel and Resort.

Planned as a 444 room hotel, the upscale resort will feature a rooftop restaurant, spacious spa, three pools and a lazy river, and meeting and event areas. When complete, it will include 40 Four Seasons Residence Club units and approximately 90 Four Seasons Private Residences.

This is the first Four Seasons Resort to be built in Orlando and the first partnership project between the Walt Disney Company and Four Seasons.

Four Seasons President and Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Taylor issued a statement, saying, “Each of us is dedicated to creating a product of the highest quality and standards, something that will become a landmark here in Orlando and a destination unto itself for travelers from all over the world.”

Meg Crofton, president Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations US & France says, “Travelers around the world know and trust Four Seasons, and Walt Disney World is the world’s premiere family vacation destination. Together, our two companies offer a brand-new reason to visit and experience Central Florida.”

Scheduled to open in 2012, the new Disney Four Seasons Hotel and Resort is part of Disney World’s high-end Golden Oak residential subdivision.

Last week, the Walt Disney Company announced it is expanding its timeshare accommodations at its Orlando, Florida Disney World resort.

The planned addition will add some 147 Disney Vacation Club timeshare units in a separate building, adjacent to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.  The new construction will include exclusively timeshare units, plus related amenities such as a children’s water play area.

Expected to open in 2013, the new Disney timeshare at the Grand Floridian will be the second timeshare property Disney has constructed along its Magic Kingdom monorail. Bay Lake Tower, which opened in 2009 and is an addition to the Contemporary Resort, was the first timeshare expansion along the monorail route. (see: Disney Vacation Club Timeshare will Include New Bay Lake Tower Resort)

The Orlando Sentinel quoted Claire Bilby, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club as releasing a prepared statement in which she said, “We continually look for ways to expand Disney Vacation Club by creating resort experiences that our members will love. With the continued popularity of Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, we are thrilled to offer our members and guests a new resort option along the monorail system with easy access to the Magic Kingdom Park, as well as a variety of shopping, dining and recreation experiences.”

The project is seen as a way to add high-demand timeshare inventory to the Disney Vacation Club.The Grand Floridian is Disney’s highest-priced company-owned resort property and one of its most popular.

You may be preparing to eat your Thanksgiving turkey around your dining table this year and then take in a few hours of sports on your big screen TV. Sounds pretty good, but what if you were spending Thanksgiving somewhere warm and sunny, and the sports you were watching were courtside?

Many people will be doing exactly this, enjoying early season collegiate tournaments in NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball while soaking up some sun at a relaxing timeshare resort destination.

For example, fans of Chaminade, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Memphis, Michigan, Tennessee, or UCLA can be taking in the fun of Hawaii timeshare and enjoying the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Fans who root for Arizona State, Dayton, DePaul, Fairfield, Indian State, Minnesota, Texas Tech or Wake Forest can enjoy the Old Spice Classic at Disney’s Wide World of Sports as well as all the amenities of Orlando timeshares, perhaps choosing Disney Vacation Club timeshares to be close to the sports action as well as the theme part fun.

UConn, Harvard, UMass, Charleston, UCF, FSU, UNC Ashville and Utah fans have the option to enjoy basketball at Harborside Resort during the Battle 4 Atlantis College Basketball Tournament, held for the second year at the amazing Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

Although the Maui Invitational has been a staple of college basketball’s Thanksgiving tournaments for more than 20 years, it’s only been in recent years that Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and other popular resort destinations have begun hosting collegiate tournaments. But based on the success of these events so far, maybe it’s time to start thinking about which fabulous timeshare resort you’d like to be roasting your turkey at next year.

Vacation Villas at Fantasy World in Kissimmee, (Orlando) is already a popular Florida timeshare resort. But they are sure to become even more of a vacation favorite with the recent $6 million addition to their resort amenity area, a construction project that was handled by Winter Park Construction (WPC) also of Florida.

The new project includes a 14,000 square-foot activity building, with an owner’s lounge, business center, family activities center, workout facility with sauna and steam room, and a  game room. Spacious new banquet facilities will make it possible for the resort to host large groups and events.

But these amenities are only part of the fun at this Florida timeshare. The new design and construction also includes:

• A zero-entry pool with two 35-foot waterslides
• A 750-foot lazy river with a bridge
• An interactive kiddy splash pad
• Renovation and enlarging of the pool bar paired with two spas
• An outdoor double-sided fireplace
• 10 cabanas
• An indoor golf simulator
• And a spectacular fountain designed to add to an ambiance of total relaxation

Jeff Forrest, president of WPC, says, “With over three decades of construction and general contracting services, our experience has enabled us to build just about anything imaginable. Creating innovative amenities has provided added value to our clients and is a nice compliment to our extensive experience in the resort industry.”

These fun and engaging new features at the resort are a perfect addition to Fantasy Surf at the Vacation Villas at Fantasy World Resort, which was constructed for the resort by Winter Park Construction in 2010. Fantasy Surf is a unique surfing experience that makes it possible for timeshare guests to “surf” the pipeline of Hawaii or “hang ten” as they feel the rush of riding and surfing waves.

The Orlando Business Journal has ranked Winter Park Construction one of Central Florida’s largest local construction/general contractor companies. With revenues exceeding $200 million, Winter Park Construction has completed over one billion square feet of construction work.

Related news from The Timeshare Authority blog:

Your Timeshare Was Getting a Make Over While You Were on Staycation

The 2011 Obitz Travel Index revealed some surprising and not-so-surprising travel trends for this year’s holiday season.

Despite the still-tight economy and rising airfares, which are up some 4 percent over last year, people still plan to travel this holiday season. Of those surveyed, 68 percent said they would cut back elsewhere, including on gift buying if necessary to cover the cost of holiday travel.

Where is everybody going?

Well, New York City ranks as the top destination for Thanksgiving travel. Chicago and Orlando ranked as second and third. Other popular destinations include Las Vegas, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For Christmas and New Year’s travel, Orlando ranked number one, New York number two, with Denver ranking third in Christmas travel and Cancun taking the number three spot for New Year’s travel.

But experts advise, book your travel and lock in your plans NOW.

Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com, says, “With the travel demand strong for the holidays, consumers need to lock in their plans. We’re seeing many deals catering to families on a budget, but travelers will miss these great opportunities if travel planning is pushed back as prices are not likely to go down.”

This year, more than ever, at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services, we are finding that timeshare rentals are being snapped up fast.

Timeshare Rentals mean:

• Spacious accommodations, where you and your family or friends can spread out, with home away from home comforts
• Great competitive prices, as timeshare owners seek to rent timeshare they cannot use themselves
• Locations near all the fun attractions you want to visit
• In-unit kitchens, making it easier to save money on dining out
• In-unit or on-site washers and dryers meaning, less to pack and fewer “extra bag” fees from airlines
• Great options for accommodating your holiday guests as well as for your own travel

Timeshare rental for your holiday travel … do it NOW.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations has added its seventh timeshare resort destination with the addition of a 36-unit resort on the Rio waterway in the City Center District of Marco Island.

Don Harrill, president and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, the timeshare developer that manages Holiday Inn Club Vacations properties, explains,  “As part of our alliance with IHG, we said we’d grow Holiday Inn Club Vacations in places where our Holiday Inn Club Members have said that they want to vacation. Our Members have asked for another drive-to destination in Florida, and Sunset Cove Resort delivers just that, with a unique and upscale experience for all owners and guests who visit.”

Beautiful Marco Island, located on Florida’s southern Gulf Coast, is an extremely popular Florida timeshare destination with pristine beaches and a unique but elegant island lifestyle. The new Holiday Inn Club Vacations Sunset Cove Resort offers three-bedroom timeshare villas ranging from a spacious 1667 to 1900 square feet, with views of either the Gulf of Mexico or Smokehouse Bay.

In keeping with Holiday Inn Club Vacations standards, the timeshare villas will be renovated to include such details as granite countertops and fabrics and furnishings that are consistent with the company’s Signature Collection décor. Amenities for Holiday Inn Club Vacations owners and their guests include a pool with sundeck, bar, boat dock and fitness center. The property is part of the RCI Registry Collection^® (Resort Condominium International).

Holiday Inn Club Vacations Timeshare

The expanding locations of Holiday Inn Club Vacations include:

• Orange Lake Resort, an Orlando timeshare.
• Panama City, a Panhandle area, Florida timeshare.
• Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
• Brownsville, Vermont.
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
• New expansion with a Las Vegas timeshare destination.
• And member access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.

“At Holiday Inn Club Vacations, we offer great resorts where families can create their own vacation experiences,” said Del Ross, vice president, U.S. Sales and Marketing, IHG. “We offer our guests the flexibility to vacation when, where and how they want to, all under the comfort and security of a well-known and trusted brand like Holiday Inn.”