Timeshare Information

In a survey sponsored by the Personal Travel Group in the United Kingdom, they list timeshare vacation spots around the world that were highest rated by their clients. If you are looking for a source of great suggestions to help you choose a wonderful destination for your family timeshare rental vacation, check out the top six timeshare resorts on their list:

1. Sheraton’s Vistana Resort, Kissimmee, Florida, is consistently rated as a top timeshare rental resort on many lists and it's no wonder with it's 135 acres filled with fountains, lakes, tennis courts (13), swimming pools (7), hot tubs (8), and recreation centers (3). Not to mention the 18-hole miniature golf course, basketball and volleyball courts, children's playgrounds (2), and a host of family-oriented activities.


2. The Manhattan Club, New York City, is a premier timeshare location in the middle of Manhattan, just 2 blocks from Central Park. Its budget timeshare rentals, although combined with elegant interiors and a suburb staff with a continental flare, allow for an affordable big city family vacation.


3. Harborside Resort at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas is one of the world’s most famous resort destinations where celebrities rub elbows with vacationing families. The resort’s natural beauty of warm ocean breezes, blue crystal waters and amazing white-sand beaches, combined with activities that include family-friendly waterparks and adult casinos, make this a popular budget timeshare rental vacation destination.


4. Royal Sands, Cancun, Mexico is truly a resort where your timeshare rental vacation experience will make you feel like royalty. This premier resort has been one of the top-rated resorts in the world since 1975, and with its spectacular Caribbean beaches and incomparable amenities this will be a vacation experience you'll never forget.


5. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui, Hawaii, is located in historic Lahaina on Maui's North Beach, a beach which has been rated on "America's Best Beaches" list. This resort sits on 26 acres of lush tropical landscaping with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and of the islands of Lana'I and Moloka'i. A budget timeshare rental here will have you relaxing in no time.


6. Marriott’s Cypress Harbour Resort, Orlando, Florida, has timeshares for rent that start as low as $100/night. This incomparable resort offers lighted tennis courts, and a 15-acre picturesque lake complete with a beach area and watersports. The serene setting and ultimate in pampering will give you a wonderful feeling of extravagance, even though the timeshare rentals are budget-friendly.

These are all luxury resorts where yes, you can afford to take your family, simply by taking advantage of the many budget timeshares for rent.

When you rent a timeshare for your family's vacation, you know that you're getting budget accommodations at a luxury resort; you're getting the many amenities that the resort has to offer; you're getting spaciousness including real bedrooms, a living room and a dining area; and - you're getting a fully-equipped kitchen.

For many of you wives and moms, the idea of vacationing someplace with a kitchen may not be exactly the dream vacation you had in mind. But, you ARE going to save money on the meals that your family does not HAVE to eat out. And, you are going to enjoy the convenience of being able to give your tousle-headed tribe breakfast without the hassle of getting everyone up and showered and dressed and out the door just for a bite to eat.

This is your vacation, too, so the meals you prepare in your timeshare kitchen need to be quick and easy, as well as filling and nutritious.

"Taste of Home" has some easy breakfast recipes that are perfect for adapting to your family timeshare vacation. These are quick, yummy, and use basic ingredients. Here are a couple:

Raspberry-Cinnamon French Toast - easy factor: make up the night before.

Ingredients

• 12 slices cinnamon bread, cubed
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups fresh raspberries

Directions

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle almonds over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining brown sugar; drizzle over the top.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with raspberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Morning Fruit Salad - easy factor: just chop and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 cups seedless grapes, halved
• 2 small apples, chopped
• 2 small bananas, sliced
• 1/3 cup flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup maraschino cherries, halved
• 1/4 cup raisins

Directions

• Drain oranges, reserving 4-1/2 teaspoons juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use). In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and reserved juice.
• In a large bowl, combine the oranges, grapes, apples, bananas, coconut, walnuts, cherries and raisins. Divide among serving dishes; drizzle with mayonnaise mixture. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings.

"How to Rest on Your Vacation." That seems a no-brainer. Except that in this day and age half of you find it hard to "turn off," and instead turn your vacation into a mini work week. The other half of you come back from vacation bushed and exhausted from trying to cram too much into your few precious vacation days. Dr. Matthew Edlund, author of "The Power of Rest," offers these 6 great tips on how to turn your timeshare vacation into the rejuvenating, relaxing, and pleasurable experience it was meant to be.

1. Get enough sleep. Most Americans are sleep deprived, so your vacation is a good time to work off some of your "sleep debt."


2. Spend time enjoying food. Food, Dr. Edlund points out, is more than fuel - it's also love, pleasure and celebration. On your vacation try dining rather than feeding by enjoying food socially. And a timeshare advantage: Being able to cook in your timeshare kitchen will eliminate the hectic rushing to get out and get fed.


3. Get outside. Dr. Edlund states that studies prove that moving in nature, especially when surrounded by greenery and water, markedly and quickly improves mood. Even if you are in the most urban of environments, get to a park or waterside if you can. "Nature is high, wide, vast, and deep, and moments spent in nature can make us feel better physically, mentally, and spiritually," declares Dr. Edlund.


4. Emphasize experiences. "You don't want to treat a vacation like it's a job, where you manage to run through 17 palaces, 24 museums and 11 amusement parks in 8 days," says Dr. Edlund. "Take time to look and see the unexpected. Let serendipity take its eventful course. The great fun of travel is to experience the new."


5. Figure out your desired level of adventure and go for it, but don't forget that rest is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle, so be sure to schedule down time. "Rest renews, rebuilds, and rewires our brains and bodies," points out Dr. Edlund, "which can make us look better, feel younger, and be healthier."


6. "And please," pleads Dr. Edlund, "turn off the cell phones, forget the emails, hide your blackberry, and only use your iPad for directions on how to find the closest park."

Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade is Back! For a limited time this famous parade will wind itself down Main Street at Walt Disney Resort's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, in celebration of the "Summer Nightastic!" entertainment package. Run, don't walk, to your nearest Orlando timeshare rental this summer to take advantage of this great opportunity to once again see this exciting parade.

The Main Street Electrical Parade was a mainstay at Disneyland in Anaheim from 1972 until 1996. It featured floats and live performers covered in thousands of electronically-controlled lights. A synchronized soundtrack was triggered by radio control along key areas of the parade route. During the summer of 2010 the original parade can be seen at the Magic Kingdom, and an updated version, that includes LED pixie dust, will perform at Tokyo Disneyland.

Wikipedia does a good job explaining just how this amazing parade works. The engineers who helped create the parade in 1972 also created the first show-control program in existence. This allowed the 2,000-foot long parade route to contain multiple radio-activated "trigger zones." Using radio-activated triggers as each float entered a zone, the audience would hear float-specific music through the Disneyland audio system. Each zone was between 70 and 100 feet long, and the zoned system meant that every person watching the parade would experience the same show, no matter where they stood along the parade route.

Until 1977, some of the floats like the elephant train and the American flag finale were 2D and had to be pulled or pushed along the parade route. The Blue Fairy float was a 3D float, and ran until closing. The Big Bass Drum pulled by the Casey Jr. Engine, the Cinderella float and a Chinese dragon (later replaced by Pete's Dragon) and the circus calliope were all 3D. Most of these original floats can be seen in the 2010 parade at the Magic Kingdom.

As important to this parade as the lighted floats is the music. The unmistakable jaunty theme is based on a song entitled "Baroque Hoedown." The original version was created in 1967 by early synthesizer pioneers Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley.

Many of you parents and grandparents remember the Electrical Parade as a wonderful part of your childhood, and now you have a chance to make sure the next generations get to experience the same incomparable Disney magic. When the kids see the parade for the first time, once will Not be enough! A timeshare rental, and multiple-day passes to the Magic Kingdom, will allow everyone in the family to see this special Disney attraction again and again!

(Photo provided by Disney Parks Blog)

Urban Kayaking makes a great timeshare vacation idea, and if you plan it right, you can combine this fun sport with celebrating the Fourth of July. Most of the cities mentioned below have July 4th fireworks over their bays and harbors - giving the kayaker the perfect view from out on the water.

The National Geographic Adventure magazine puts it this way: If you live in a waterfront city or are visiting one this weekend for Independence Day festivities, chances are you’ve seen at least one stranger navigating your metropolis in a kayak and wondered, Could that actually be . . . fun? “People ask me that all the time,” says Ted Choi, owner of San Francisco’s City Kayak (see photo above provided by citykayak.com). “They basically assume that kayaking in a natural setting is the best thing—but urban kayaking is amazingly beautiful.”

Many waterfront cities in the U.S. have kayak outfitters that offer equipment rentals, and either guided or Do It Yourself tours. Following is a list of some of the top urban kayaking cities in America, where you can rent a timeshare and spend the week seeing the sights as you never have before!

• San Francisco
  Rent a San Francisco timeshare and head to City Kayak (see photo above provided citykayak.com), which offers rentals and a guided 3.5 mile Alcatraz tour. You can even head out under the Golden Gate Bridge to the open ocean - if you're up to it, and are an advanced kayaker. On the 4th of July this city will be giving two firework displays over the bay - double the fun for your money!


• Washington, D.C.
  Rent a Washington D.C.area timeshare and get in touch with Jack's Boathouse where you can get an affordable kayak rental and directions for paddling on the Potomac. You can go upstream into the "wilds of Virginia," or, on the 4th of July, choose to ride the current down to the Washington Monument to watch the spectacular "Capitol Fourth" fireworks.


• Boston
  A Boston timeshare rental will allow you to kayak around this historic city even in the cold New England winter. Hook up with Charles River Canoe & Kayak for equipment rentals and touring instructions. On the 4th of July watch Boston's magnificent fireworks reflected in the water as they're synchronized with the Boston Pops orchestra.


• New York City
  Rent a NYC timeshare and explore this metropolis via kayak from the Hudson River. The New York Kayak Company has all of the equipment rentals you'll need. And on the 4th of July you'll have a front-row seat for the Macy's Fireworks Spectacular released from six barges in the Hudson River.

In the second of our two-part series on safety tips for traveling with children, we will pass along suggestions by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) on how to be prepared for an actual visit to the Emergency Room. Hopefully your summer timeshare family vacation will be enjoyable and go off without a hitch, but knowing what to expect if you do take a detour to the hospital will help you meet the situation calmly and with confidence.
If you do have to visit the Emergency Room, the ENA offers these tips:

1. If possible, research the Emergency Departments or walk-in clinics in the area you’ll be visiting before you go. You can get the names of the facilities from your timeshare resort concierge, and most facilities have online web sites. Those located in seasonal vacation destinations may only be open part of the year. Find out where they’re located and what their capabilities are. Some Emergency Rooms may also list estimated wait times on their web sites.


2. “We tend to trust parents as far as their child’s vaccination history goes,” says Deena Brecher, E.R. Clinical Nurse Specialist at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. “But if they have any medical problems, especially complicated things, it’s always good to take a copy of their medical records with you.” If your child (or senior) has seen more than one doctor or specialist, be sure to have phone numbers for all of them.


3. You should know about any allergies of the people you are traveling with, and be sure to bring along a list of medications and the dosages of each medication they take.


4. If your child is with a relative or another adult, make sure they know how to reach you. Emergency Departments need consent from a parent or guardian to treat a child, so you should be accessible by phone or have gone through the proper steps to give someone else the power to make medical decisions.


5. If your child is especially young, try to remember to grab a favorite teddy bear or doll. Having this "friend" to hug can go a long way toward calming the child, which goes a long way toward allowing the medical personnel to give optimal care in as short a time as possible.

All of these tips are also good to know for any seniors with whom you may also be traveling, especially if they have given Durable Power of Attorney or Medical Power of Attorney to someone else.

Read our previous article: Safety Tips for Traveling with Children – Part 1

This is the first in our two-part series on safety tips from the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) on traveling with children. Summer is a time when many families head out on a timeshare vacation that has been dreamed about and planned on for a long time. Vacations are for relaxing - but you don't want to be too lax and end up with a trip to the E.R. with one of the kids.

“In a new environment, or when you’re doing new and different activities, there are risks you may not have thought of because you don’t encounter them every day," said ENA President Diane Gurney. The ENA offers these tips to help ensure a safe and happy family vacation.

1. If you're driving, make sure everyone stays buckled in, and car seats are used. Pack the car so heavy and dangerous items will not fly about the car if you are in an accident. DO NOT text and drive, and only use hands-free devices for talking on the cell phone. Take frequent breaks to keep alert - it's just as easy to doze off during the day as at night.


2. If you're flying, remember to take the car seat which you'll need in the taxi. If you'll be renting a car at your destination, check to see if a car seat can be included.


3. At your timeshare, child-proof it just as you would at home. Bring electric outlet covers with you. Look for trip hazards, and put out of reach anything little ones could accidentally ingest. Use rubber bands or twine to keep cupboards and drawers in the kitchen closed if they contain knives, glassware, cleansers, etc.


4. At crowded places such as theme parks, pin a piece of paper with contact information on your child (in a pocket or by a hem, etc.) in case they get lost. Also take a picture of your child with your cell phone camera so you'll have a picture of what the child is wearing.


5. Swimming - make sure there is a lifeguard at the pool. If the pool is posted to have no lifeguard on duty, remain with the child at all times. If the child is old enough to swim without a parent, make sure they use the "buddy system."


6. Outdoor activities require sun screen, which must be reapplied at least every two hours. And make very sure that the children stay well hydrated. Ideally outdoor activities would be done during the cooler times of the day, typically before 10am and after 4pm.

With these safety tips, and using your parental common sense, you and the kids are bound to have fun on this year's summer timeshare vacation.

Read Safety Tips for Traveling with Children - Part 2