This week, Sell My Timeshare NOW  rolled out its newest program, The Partner Portal for Timeshare Resale and Rental.

Here’s how this business-2-business platform works:

1. Anyone with clean timeshare rental or timeshare resale inventory can use this service. This means timeshare resellers, resales companies, companies that accept trade-ins, real estate brokers, timeshare brokers, management companies, HOAs, timeshare developers, and perhaps even in some cases individuals who have a large number of timeshares to resell. This includes rental burn inventory and unwanted trade-in inventory as well as choice timeshare resales and rentals.
2. Vendors or industry partners who chose this program log onto the Partner Portal webpage and set up their account. http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/portal
3. Account set-up is very, very simple. Once that’s done, the vendor then uploads his or her timeshare ads for rental or brokerage resales. The upload process is amazingly easy; it is a smooth interface. You can use our spreadsheet forms or use your own.
4. Uploaded timeshare resales and rentals are then reviewed by Sell My Timeshare NOW, data checked for accuracy, and then ads for these properties are created.
5. SellMyTimeshareNOW or Timeshare Broker Services contacts the seller (or person with rental inventory), finalizes the terms of the account and then the ads go live.
6. These ads appear on SellMyTimeshareNOW’s website. They are standardized to ensure that the information on the ad is complete and factual. Best of all, they gain exposure on the most highly visible timeshare resale and timeshare rental website on the web.

The websites for SellMyTimeshareNOW average 1.7 million monthly pageviews. Listings are non-exclusive and sellers can decide when they want to take down their ads.

Learn more at: www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/partner-portal.pdf or by contacting Jerome Bocquet at 877-884-9577 ext. 307 or Jay Bade at 317-213-2553.

To read the full media release go to:

http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/index/content/release9-27-11/

Everyone knows the best reasons to take an Orlando timeshare vacation. Theme parks, sunshine, and great deals on Orlando timeshare resales and Orlando timeshare rentals head the list.

But we thought you might want to know about other “Bests” in their category, from Orlando Magazine’s 2011 Best of Orlando list. Today’s The Timeshare Authority blog looks at 5 “Bests” that have nothing to do with thrill rides at the theme parks, but could help make your Central Florida timeshare vacation experience more fun and more memorable.

1. The CityArts Factory on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando took first place in the category of Best Art Gallery. But if you are like many visitors to Orlando, and you rarely venture downtown, Baterby’s Art Auction Gallery came in as number 3 on the list and it is located in the heart of the vacation area, on International Drive.
2. Charming and historic Dubsdread Golf Course was recognized as the Best Public Course in Orlando while Celebration Golf Club ranked second. Celebration Golf is only minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort and just 7 miles from Sea World, Discovery Cove and other popular tourist destinations.
3. The Mall at Millenia earned the spot as Best Mall in Orlando with The Florida Mall, coming in as a close second. Both are conveniently located near Orlando timeshares and resorts.
4. The honor of Best Live Music Venue went to the Hard Rock Live, located at Universal Studios, followed by the House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, (also a popular area with vacationers) and coming in at number 3 is The Social, a downtown venue, where the atmosphere is cozy and the entertainment ranges from unpredictable to amazing.
5. And for anyone who plans to turn an Orlando vacation into a lifetime of wedded bliss, The Venetian Room at the Caribe Royale Hotel ranked as the number one Best Place to Propose.

To learn more about these and other “Bests,” visit the website for the Orlando Magazine and click here to find the best deals in Orlando timeshare resales and Orlando timeshare rentals.

Love cars? Personally, I can’t imagine not being fascinated by automobiles, from luxury models to the eccentric and quirky. And for car lovers everywhere, this is a perfect time to be in Orlando, whether you are already there on an Orlando timeshare vacation or you rework your schedule to take in a car show that ranks as one of the 5 Best Exotic Car Shows in the world.

This week, April 7-10, more than 250 unique cars will be on display along the waterfront in Celebration, Florida, just outside of Disney World and the city of Orlando. The show is free to the public and will showcase North America’s largest collection of exotic cars, racecars, and iconic cars from Hollywood movies.

Movie buffs will get to see Landspeeder from the original “Star Wars;” the General Lee Dodge Charger from “The Dukes of Hazzard; KITT, the Pontiac Trans-Am from “Knight Rider; Herbie the Volkswagen Beetle from the Disney films and the Rolls Royce from the Dudley Moore version of “Arthur.” Also, look for the Coutach Lamborghini driven by Adrienne Barbeau in “The Cannonball Run,” and the Diablo Lamborghini from the movie “Dumb and Dumber” as well as the 1958 Plymouth Fury from the horror movie “Christine.”

There will also be Formula One cars and other high performance vehicles. And the festivities are not limited to simply enjoying the cars. There is an opening night party planned for Friday, April 8, at the American Experience pavilion at Disney’s Epcot, including dinner and a fireworks show and the Jetport Food & Wine Party on Saturday night, when a Kissimmee airplane hangar will be transformed into a nightclub, hosting an air show, silent auction and fashion show. (Both of these events require ticket purchase.) Then on Sunday, April 10, the Exotic Car Rally departs Celebration at 9:30 AM.

This is the festival’s eighth year and all of the net proceeds are donated to charity after each event. Since 2004, the event has donated more than $600,000 to Make-a-Wish and Special Olympics.

To learn more call 407-566-4007 or go online at celebrationexoticcars.com. Click here to check for an Orlando timeshare rental.

Think you can’t afford a romantic weekend to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year?

…Maybe you can!

In 2011, February 14 falls on a Monday, perhaps increasing the likelihood that you can turn the day into a long-weekend getaway for you and the one you love. And while some hotels will be offering weekend rates with elegant dinner packages, even at a bundled price many of these hotel getaways are not all that budget-friendly.

Have you considered a timeshare rental?

Why Timeshare Rental Works So Well

Timeshare is easier than you think it is to rent; it is often available even at the last minute, and frequently, deeply discounted. Discounts on timeshare rental are not in place because there is anything ‘wrong’ with the timeshare; on the contrary, timeshare rentals can be highly desirable destinations, beautiful timeshare units, and amazing opportunities.

But for a timeshare owner, who finds he or she cannot use the property this year, and for any number of reasons either cannot bank it for future use or prefers not to, using it as a timeshare rental is an obvious and beneficial option. The timeshare owner stands to recoup some or all of his annual fees on the timeshare unit or perhaps some or all of his monthly mortgage payment. For the timeshare owner who was about to let the week slip away, unused, the option of renting it to you is a great deal. For you, the opportunity to enjoy the resort at a great rate, maybe even check it out in case you want to buy timeshare there yourself, is also a great deal. Timeshare rental is truly a case where everybody wins!

Where Does White Castle Fit in Your Plans for a Valentines Timeshare Rental?

So where does White Castle and its famous square, steamed hamburgers fit in to your plans for a romantic getaway on a budget? Select White Castle restaurants across the country are offering a special Valentine’s Day 2011 promotion. You can actually make reservations for a candlelit dinner at White Castle complete with table service and Valentine’s themed décor. You will even receive a collapsible White Castle vase to take home with you.

This quirky take on how to spend Valentine’s Day is not offered at all White Castle restaurants. (Click here to check availability) and if you can’t match up a timeshare rental with a White Castle reservation, you do have other options. You could: plan to dine at a restaurant at or nearby your timeshare resort or prepare a romantic dinner for two at your timeshare (most units offer an equipped kitchen plus dining area) that might even start with picking up a box of White Castle burgers in the frozen food section of most grocery stores. Either way, you’ll be making memories that last.

If you are like millions of other people, the start of a new year means a resolution to exercise more and eat better—perhaps even eat less.

Sticking to that resolution gets a little easier as the holiday season passes. You will likely have fewer parties and family dinners to tempt you, fewer encounters with eggnog, chocolate fudge and pecan pie. But as anyone who ever made this resolution before knows, anything that takes you outside your normal routine can challenge your resolve to stay on that healthful diet.

Here’s the good news: your timeshare vacation doesn’t have to be one of your diet challenges! With a timeshare resale or timeshare rental, you can go on vacation and stick to your new diet plan because typically, your timeshare will include a full and functional kitchen; no more trying to find low fat or low carb solutions on a restaurant menu.

Timeshare Kitchens and Eat-In Dining Make a Healthful Diet Plan Easier

A timeshare vacation gives you the option to plan your meals in the same way you would at home. Shop at a grocery or market after you arrive. In top tourism destination Orlando, for example, you will find both Whole Foods Markets and Chamberlin’s markets offering organic fare and conveniently located near the attractions and Orlando timeshares.

If you are concerned about whether your timeshare resale or timeshare rental will include a specific cooking tool, contact the resort before you travel for a detailed list of kitchen items. That way, if you feel you must have a steamer, colander or other designated cooking implement that your timeshare does not include, you can plan either to bring one with you or to purchase one at a nearby store after you arrive.

Not only does a timeshare vacation make it easier to stick to your new year’s diet plan, but the enticing opportunities for fresh air and exercise could make it a vacation in which you actually lose weight instead of gain.

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.

Each year more than 1600 couples plan their wedding for Walt Disney World Resort. Starting in 1991, the Orlando theme park has hosted over 30,000 weddings. Many wedding industry experts cite Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida as one of the top wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world.

The first Disney wedding to be hosted in the Wedding Pavilion (1995) was televised on Lifetime Television. Today, the Wedding Pavilion at Walt Disney World can host up to six weddings a day, but couples can choose to be married at many other locations throughout the resort. Park services easily handle up to 12 weddings per day within the resort’s four theme parks.

In addition to Cinderella’s Castle as a wedding backdrop, other popular themed weddings at the park include a safari theme at Disney’s Animal Kingdom; a Hollywood extravaganza at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and international themes at Epcot. One couple even said their vows on Disney’s The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror.

A Disney Timeshare for a Lifetime of Magic Moments

A Disney themed wedding starts at just over $4000 and Disney offers several add-on honeymoon packages. But no one has money to throw around these days and a Disney timeshare resale offers a couple an excellent way to begin a lifetime of memorable vacations. For couples taking the plunge but who aren’t quite ready to plunge into becoming a timeshare owner, there are also excellent opportunities in right-priced Disney timeshare rentals.

The Disney timeshare resale a couple buys today would make a perfect anniversary destination for living happily ever after.

Check this video for more information from Disney Wedding planner Kori McFann.

The long-awaited 52-story Westgate residential, vacation ownership, and timeshare resort, PH Towers at Planet Hollywood, officially opened this week. Grand opening of the 1,201-room resort began with room availability to timeshare owners and will be followed on December 28 by rooms available to the general public.

The resort’s timeshare units account for approximately 20 percent of the total number of rooms at the property and include studio timeshare units, and one and two bedroom timeshare units. Many feature dramatic city views with floor to ceiling windows, marble accented bathrooms, spa tubs, and other luxury amenities. But perhaps the real draw of Las Vegas timeshare at the PH Towers is its location at the heart of the Vegas Strip, on four acres next to the Miracle Mile Shops. At build out, you’ll find some 170 specialty stores and thirty restaurants in what Westgate timeshares describes as “retail bliss” for the “semipro shopper”.

The PH Towers at Planet Hollywood Resort and Las Vegas Timeshare is a partnership development between Planet Hollywood Resort and Westgate timeshare. In opening the PH Towers, more than 800 hospitality professionals have been hired.

The South Florida Business Journal reports that research from Deloitte has found, “45 percent of U.S. consumers planned to take a leisure trip involving an overnight stay at a hotel, motel or timeshare from the beginning of Thanksgiving week through March.”

photo credit: Michal Zacharzewski SXC

In the state of Florida alone, AAA estimates that 2.1 million Floridians will be traveling during this Thanksgiving holiday, marking a 3 percent increase over Thanksgiving travel last year. Across the country, as many as 38 million people will travel at least 50 miles (or more) this Thanksgiving holiday weekend—a nearly one and a half percent increase over 2008.

Kevin Bakewell, senior vice president of AAA Auto Club South says, “We take the projected increase in travelers as a sign that economic recovery may finally be taking root and we believe many Americans certainly share the same hope.”

Your Drive-To Timeshare Resale or Timeshare Rental Destination

While many of us are traveling this Thanksgiving, more of us are driving vs. flying. With increasing costs to fly, add-on charges for luggage and other services, and fewer flights translating to more delays, only 6 percent of Thanksgiving travelers will fly, which is a drop of a staggering 62 percent since 2000.

Thank goodness, the flexibility of timeshare exchange and timeshare rentals makes it easy to plan a drive-to vacation. And if you don’t already own a timeshare that is conveniently located so that travel time doesn’t become the most important aspect of the flight, now’s a great time to be looking at the many opportunities in timeshare resales.

We deliver so much timeshare news and current events here on The Timeshare Authority, it becomes easy to forget that many of the people who are interested in buying timeshare or a timeshare rental are new to the world of timesharing. They may not “speak the language” that the rest of us have all grown accustomed to understanding.

So let’s use today’s blog and talk about some of the industry jargon that is understandably confusing to people who haven’t encountered it before:

• Fixed Week: These are seven-day increments of timeshare that you own at a home resort. Your fixed week of timeshare ownership is usually identified by a number, such as, “Week 10”. When you own a fixed week of timeshare, you are guaranteed that vacation week every year. But you are not required to stick with it; you can still typically use it as a timeshare exchange.
• Floating Week: A floating week gives you the right to one week of timeshare that usually falls within a season of a specified value. RCI (Resort Condominiums International) for example, uses color coded seasons of red, white, and blue with red representing the highest demand season. Use of a floating week is always based on availability and you must go through the steps required by your resort or exchange company to use it as a timeshare exchange. Points based timeshare is always floating timeshare ownership.
• Space banking: When you save or ‘bank’ your timeshare into a collective of other available timeshare weeks or units, you are space banking it for future use.
• Lock-out: A lock out or lock off timeshare unit is one that can be subdivided and each section rented separately.
• Gold Crown Resort: A Gold Crown timeshare resort is a connotation applied by RCI to identify timeshare properties of the highest standards.

Buying, renting, or selling timeshare is not a complicated process (at least it shouldn’t be) and enjoying timeshare is certainly not hard to do. But the industry has developed some specific terminology and you will be better prepared to make decisions and make plans if you understand the language.

To learn more about the no doubletalk approach to timeshares, check out the Sell My Timeshare NOW Timeshare Glossary.