The Disney Vacation Club is another one of the timeshare systems that gets a lot of attention.  We thought we would take a quick look at some of the ins and outs of this system.

We have stayed at the Disney Animal Kingdom Villas, visited two other Disney timeshare locations, and have attended two Disney timeshare sales presentations over the years.  One recent action was a switch by Disney to move to the RCI trading company from II.  The talk from the Disney sales staff was they made the switch because RCI would let you make nightly bookings and not hold you to a full week as II does. All of our current timeshares are in the RCI system,  so we are happy they came over to RCI.

Generally, in the timeshare world, the Disney timeshares are considered the Cadillac of timeshares.  All the Disney resorts get top rating in the rating system at TUG-the Timeshare User Group.  You can see the ratings and read reviews of the Disney timeshares at the TUG site and we suggest you take a look.  Just click here to go to the TUG site.

The Disney system consists of 10 resorts.  Most are on the Disney World property in Orlando, Florida.  They also have resorts in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Vero Beach, Florida, a new property at Disneyland in California, and one on the drawing board for Oahu in Hawaii.  All resorts are top of the line with wonderful accommodations, typical Disney staff people, great amenities and excellent activities, especially for kids.

They operate on the points system.  You buy so many points into the system and then use those points to book your stays. As usual, more points for larger units, fewer points for smaller units. They have units from studio size up to 3 bedroom villas which sleep up to 12 people.  At some resorts you need more points for a better view.  As with most point systems, more points are needed for certain times of the year– they have five levels for different times of the year.  You can book less than a weeks stay, with more points needed for the weekend.

The Disney system is a ” right- to- use” for a certain number of years. You do receive a deed, but that deed expires after so many years.  Most of the older resorts can be used until 2042 and the newer ones will expire in 2054 or 2060.  This might be a concern if you are younger, or if you want to pass on the timeshare to your children.  You need to work this into the cost of ownership, knowing that your use will end at a given date.

Another unique feature in the Disney timeshare system is that if you want to sell, they have the right of first refusal.  That means that if you sell or buy a Disney timeshare other than  from Disney directly,  Disney will look at the offer and if they feel that the price is too low, they will buy the deed.  Then they will resell the points through the Disney sales system.  This keeps the price on the resale market higher than most other timeshares.

You do buy points at a given resort, and this gives you priority booking at that resort over other Disney owners.  They also allow you to use your points to exchange into the RCI system, as well as for Disney cruises, Disney hotels, and other adventures.

All in all, they are excellent timeshares that will allow  you to enjoy numerous years of great vacations, but be aware that maintenance fees are on the high side and that your deed will expire after a certain number of years.

Timeshare maintenance fees are yearly fees that you pay to keep your resort running,  and in good shape for the year. We frequently get questions about the high costs and the ever- rising amounts we pay every year.  We thought it might be helpful to take a look at some of the issues that come to light when we think about those maintenance fees.

First what do those fees include? They cover many of the following:  utilities, phone, cable, new furnishings, property taxes, insurance, timeshare maintenance, cleaning, upkeep of the resort, and the staff salaries necessary to run the resort.  Usually they include a portion for capital expenditures, improvements, and emergencies that might come up.  One timeshare we own sets aside a number of units to be updated every year and the money to do that comes from the maintenance fee.

The maintenance fee is usually a good thing, because it is a set cost to keep your resort up to the standard that you expect. The fee does go up, but usually at the rate of inflation, which is to be expected.  This is much better than if you had to pay everything for the upkeep on a need basis.  It is a fixed amount and part of your vacation costs.

How are the fees set? Timeshares have an elected Board of directors or a developer might have set up a special group that meets on regular basis.   They set a yearly budget which then determines your maintenance fees. A well run resort tries hard to keep costs in line which can keep those fees at a reasonable level. By paying yearly fee you do not have to worry about the upkeep of the resort.

When buying a timeshare either resale or through the developer, make sure you check on the yearly maintenance fee. You should be asking:  What does it cover? How is it set?  What has been the rate of increase over the past several years? And when is it due?

The rate for maintenance fees can differ greatly from timeshare to timeshare.  In  some cases you get what you pay for, but in others it might be poor management.  That why you need to be proactive before you purchase.  We did sell one of our timeshares because we felt that the fees were too high for what we were getting.

We have heard some criticism about the fact that the fees go up every year or that the fees are more than what it would take to stay in a hotel.  These are things you need to think about before buying a timeshare.  Keep in mind that the costs of hotel stays are going up every year as well. Think about what you are getting in accommodations at a timeshare over a hotel.  You might read our post about “Timeshare Value”.

Some timeshares charge the same maintenance fee per unit at the resort while others might charge differently depending on the unit size and the time of the year you own. So, again, do your homework in order to get the biggest bang for your bucks. Points resorts usually charge so much a point for maintenance fees.  If you trade your points for off season or a smaller unit you would get more nights for your maintenance fees.

We love timesharing and think that the maintenance fees are part of our costs of going on great trips in great places with friends and family.

When we think of Timeshare Cooking, we usually don’t think too much about desserts. I guess the reason for that is because one of the best desserts in the world is also the easiest.  Of course, I’m talking about ice cream! This is our default dessert, whether on vacation or at home.  The most difficult part about it is deciding what flavor to buy.  I tend to favor the chocolate varieties, while John usually goes for any other kind.  Sometimes we have to break down and buy 2 half gallons, so we can each have our favorite!

Occasionally, though, we want a special dessert for guests.  Also, some resorts do a potluck as one of their weekly activities. Treetops in Gatlinburg has a potluck every Monday night, complete with a country band and prizes. (This is a great resort, by the way—if you ever have the opportunity to trade in, do it!). So we’ve come up with a few favorites to prepare for those potlucks or special occasions.  We’ve tried to follow the old stand-by rules:  few ingredients, easy to prepare, and good taste.

LEMON BLUEBERRY PIZZA

1 pkg. (18 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 8-oz. bar cream cheese
2 T. sugar
1 6-oz. container of lemon yogurt
2 C. fresh blueberries (Strawberries or raspberries would also be good).

Press cookie dough onto ungreased 12” pizza pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Cool.

Beat cream cheese and sugar.  Stir in yogurt.  Spread over crust to within ½ inch of edges.  Sprinkle with blueberries and pat down.  Cut into wedges.

We always carry a pizza pan in our Timeshare Tub, but many resorts now have them in their kitchen equipment.  Not sure where this recipe came from, but it might have been Simple & Delicious Magazine.

YUMMY ICE CREAM CAKE

16 ice cream sandwiches
1 16-oz. container Cool Whip or similar topping
1 12-oz. jar fudge topping at room temperature
1 chocolate candy bar (1.5 oz.) grated

Place 8 of the ice cream sandwiches in a 9 x 13 pan .Spread with half of the fudge topping, then half of the Cool Whip.  Repeat layers and sprinkle with the grated candy bar.  Cover and freeze for at least an hour or two.  You can freeze the remainder, if there is any left.  Makes up to 16 servings.  This recipe appeared on the Kraft Allrecipe site.

It seems to me that when I make this dessert, I usually use a few more ice cream sandwiches than what it calls for.  Of course, it never hurts to have extra ones in the freezer!

SPECIAL FRUIT TARTS

1 envelope Dream Whip Topping Mix
½ C. cold milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 8-oz. cream cheese
½ C. confectioners’ sugar
12 graham cracker tart shells
Assorted fruit

In small bowl, beat Dream Whip, milk and vanilla on low until blended, then on high until soft peaks form (about 4 minutes).  In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Fold in the Dream Whip mixture.  Spoon into tart shells and top with fruit.  Refrigerate.

Fruit suggestions:  blueberries, raspberries, pineapple tidbits, cut-up strawberries, mandarin oranges, kiwi, etc.

This last recipe uses a few more ingredients, but looks spectacular!  We always use the leftover fruit in a salad or for breakfast.  The recipe came from Quick Cooking Magazine (which is now Simple & Delicious).

Stay tuned for more delicious recipes to enhance your timeshare cooking!

Every January the snow and cold settles in over Michigan where we live, and it’s not much fun.  So, we usually plan a three or four week’s timeshare travel vacation to some place that is warm.

This year we were off to Florida.  We planned our first week in the panhandle of Florida in Panama City Beach.  We were able to get a 2 bedroom at the Wyndham using a small deposit of points into RCI.  Read our post on using your Wyndham points to trade back into Wyndham timeshares with far less points.

The Wyndham was originally built as condominiums and then half of the current building was sold to Wyndham for sale as timeshares.  The units are large and come with a number of features not found in a lot of timeshares.  We suggest you watch the short video we made while staying there to get a good idea of the unit.

All units face the ocean and the building sits fairly close to the water.  The beautiful emerald water is very enjoyable and the sunsets are outstanding. There are 27 miles of beautiful white sandy beach.  Parking is in a parking garage across the street which is connected to the main building with a large walkway that also has a nice bar area.  There is also a Starbucks on property which is a nice gathering and relaxing area.

There were three heated pools each with a Jacuzzi.  One was oceanside and the most popular.  Our weather in mid- January was in the high 50’s most of week, which was fine for a walk on the beach or relaxing by the pool. It was  not really good sunbathing weather on the beach, but it was better than the ice and snow of Michigan. The usual list of activities were available, but we did not participate in any and felt there should have been a few more for adults.

Panama City Beach is a typical beach town with the usual stores, mini golf, restaurants, etc.  About a mile down the beach from the timeshare is a fairly new mall called Pier Park. It contained numerous little shops and several good eating places.  There were also a number of outlet stores that we enjoyed.  We did drive a short distance to Panama City to do a little shopping at a regular mall and drove around the downtown area which was nothing great.

St Andrew’s State Park is located here with a great beach and numerous outdoor activities.  You can, from the state park, take a boat over to Shell Island for good shelling.  We did not go, but heard it was nice.

Another day we drove along the coast to Destin. This area seems more upscale with newer developments. An excellent outlet mall was doing a brisk business.  Wyndham has a number of timeshare properties not directly on the beach, but some were across the street from the beach.

We had a relaxing week, but it is a little cool for some who want to get out of the north’s cold, snow and ice. If you have questions or want more information let us know.

“Everything that a timeshare vacation should be”—that pretty much describes our recent trip to Marco Island in Florida!

I’ve heard a lot of different things about Marco.  I’ve heard that it’s very expensive and there are a lot of high rises.  I’ve heard that it’s laid back, and there’s not much to do there.  I’ve heard that the people that you meet there tend to be snobby socialites with lots of money.  Having just completed our third trip to Marco Island, I’d like to write about our impressions of the place.

To begin with, it was difficult to secure a week there.  Using our Hilton timeshare points, we had to call on the exact day nine months out. The Charter Club had the only available unit, and it was on the second floor.  We usually prefer to be up higher, so we got the unit number from the counselor and called the resort to see what they could tell us about the location of the unit.  They assured us that we would have on excellent ocean view on the second floor, so we booked it.

The Charter Club is one of 5 affiliated Hilton resorts on the island.  It’s an older, Gold Crown resort wih only 2-bedroom units.  They are nicely decorated with all the usual amenities to include a wet bar and a lovely deck overlooking the ocean.This particular resort provides free use of  bicycles, kayaks, windsurfers and sailboats to their members and Hilton guests.The heated pool and spa area is beautifully landscaped. The resort has long been sold out, but the resale weeks are pricey—they average about $38,000 for a fixed winter week, less for April-December weeks.

We met several lovely people at the Welcome breakfast and the sub sandwich lunch.  We also engaged in conversations with Marco residents at various restaurants and found almost everyone to be very friendly.  So much for the snob theory.

Marco can be expensive, as most resort areas often are. We tend to seek out restaurants that appeal to the locals, two of which come to mind right away—Susie’s Diner and Nene’s. Nearby Naples has an abundance of eating places that will suit any budget.  Most of the shopping in Naples tends to be more upscale, but the Miromar Outlets are not too far away. For a retro treat, visit Tin City while you are there.

We did a great sunset dinner cruise on the Marco Princess, a beautiful boat that was just recently re-furbished.  There are lunch cruises, shelling cruises, fishing cruises and just about any other type of cruise imaginable!

 For those nature enthusiasts, Everglades National Park is less than an hour away.  Airboat and tram tours are highly recommended, but much of the park is accessible by car.  Crocodiles, turtles and beautiful birds reside here.  If you are a bird-watcher you’ll enjoy the Rookery and also the Corkscrew Preserve

Fort Myers is less than an hour away and there is a Seminole Casino in Immokalee if you need a Vegas fix.

But the best thing about Marco Island is the beach! Yes, there are high rises, but there are also natural dune areas and beautiful sunsets. Marco has good shelling—not quite as good as Sanibel, but certainly a collector’s paradise.

So yes, as timeshare vacations go, we found Marco  to be particularly enchanting. We had good weather (especially for January) tranquil and beautiful beaches, good company and a great resort with lots of activities.  We ate at good restaurants, shopped and enjoyed nature and our surroundings.  In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we’re going to try to get back there next winter!

If you are staying home this winter and dealing with ice and snow, probably about now you’re ready to insure that NEXT winter you can travel somewhere nice and warm, or at least someplace not freezing.  If your circumstances allow and you want to do it, NOW is the time to start planning for a nice 2, 3, 4 or more week getaway.

“Yikes!  Isn’t that kind of complicated?” you say.  Actually, it’s not, but it does take a little bit of work, and it takes a good understanding of your timeshare systems.   We’ll be using our recent Florida trip to illustrate what we did to plan a timeshare vacation.

First, you need to block out your time parameters.  Decide when and for how long you can be gone, keeping in mind how long you would LIKE to be gone.  Our max is usually 3 weeks at a time, and 2 is probably more average for us.  Those are just our preferences—we’d rather go more often, but not stay as long as some people might.  Be sure you take into account your mode of transportation, as driving might add extra days to your itinerary.

Now you are ready to decide where to travel—or maybe you already know.  Sometimes choosing a general area is good, because then you can research in your timeshare books and on the internet to narrow things down.  We’ve often used Las Vegas as a hub, spending some time there and then driving to other places like San Diego, Sedona, Phoenix, and the National Parks in Utah.  If this is a longer trip, you might want to leave some of the time open until you can find out what’s available.

One you decide on an area, it’s generally best to book the “hardest to get” week first.  When we decided on Florida, we knew that we wanted a week on Sanibel or Marco Island, and we knew that both places are tough to get.  So we relied on our Hilton timeshare, called at the exact time 9 months out, and managed to snag the Charter Club.  Nothing was available on Sanibel.

We were pretty happy about that, and began searching RCI for the Sarasota area the week before and after Marco.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t pop up very often, and we were getting discouraged.Then one day we noticed a spacebanking for the Wyndham resorts in Panama City Beach and Destin.  We had had to cancel a trip there back in 2004 when a hurricane came through, and had always wanted to go there.  Yes, it would be cooler, but not as cool as Michigan—and it’s an 8.5 hour drive from PCB to Marco, but we decided to book it!

A week or so later we were searching RCI Points online when Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas came up.  We’d been looking for a week after Marco, and it seemed like Orlando was about the only area coming up anyway.  It took us about 2 minutes to decide that, yes, we would love to stay at a Disney Resort, especially if we could have a savannah view!

Bingo!!   Florida vacation planned!  EXCEPT for a few details.  Having just flown in November (one of us is really not fond of flying), we decided to drive. Because of this, we had to book motels for 2 nights on the road—one going and one coming back.  We also had a night between Marco and the Animal Kingdom where we would have to sleep on the beach or the savannah.  So we needed 3 nights of what some timeshare people call “tweeners,” meaning you are in-between residences.

If you travel frequently, you might want to consider The Hilton Honors program.  When we charge on their American Express card we accumulate points that can be used for Hilton family hotel stays.  Usually we choose Hamptons, because they offer free breakfast and require the least number of points.  Marriott has a similar program and there may be others.   We have not paid for a hotel room in a very long time. 

So two of our ‘tweeners were spent at Hamptons, and we didn’t really sleep on the beach or the savannah!  That night was spent at Bonnet Creek, using Wyndham points.  Watch for trip reports on this trip and other timeshare vacations!

Let’s take a look at some of the issues that come to mind when we talk about timeshare weeks.

First let’s look at some of the history.  When timesharing began, you bought a given week at a given resort in a given unit.  You had to use that week at that resort every year.  To many people, this got old real fast and did not provide much flexibility in vacationing, and so timeshare trading companies were born.  Companies like RCI, Interval International and others were used to assist people to exchange a timeshare week for another week at a different resort or at a different time of the year.

This evolved into many resorts developing a point system, where you bought so many points to use each year.  You used more points for resorts that were in higher demand, more points for a larger size unit, and more points for a high demand time of the year. You could also change from going for a full week, to using any number of days you wanted to for your vacation. Also, large timeshare companies came into being and expanded in the number of resorts they owned.  This opened up lots of vacation locations and possibilities when you bought into their systems. These are companies like Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Wyndham and others.

It became necessary to set up a calendar so everyone in the timeshare world knew which week you were talking about. So, a calendar was developed showing weeks 1-52 and what dates those would be for the entire year.  This changes from year to year, but keeps everybody on the same page about which dates you are talking about.  A current sample of this calendar can be found at TUG a timeshare user group.

Several timeshare users groups developed on the internet to help people with  timeshare issues. The largest and one of the most complete is TUG.  Others, like Red Week, Timeshare Forums, Wyndham Resorts Forums and others are very active and provide excellent opportunities to discuss timeshare ideas, as well as areas for trading, selling, renting, and buying timeshares.  Be sure to check some of these out.

Many people enjoyed timesharing so much that they ended up purchasing more than one week of timeshare.  Some bought more weeks at the same resort or within the same timeshare system.  Other bought into different systems completely.  It seems like each system has some advantages and disadvantages, and by owning in the different timeshare systems, it gives you the ability to put together vacations all over the world. For example, it is hard to get into a timeshare on Sanibel Island without owning there.  Hilton has several associate resorts on Sanibel, Captiva and Marco Island, and none of our other timeshare weeks will pull them, except Hilton.   So when people ask us why we own timeshares in 5 different systems, we cite this example.

Because we own a number of timeshare weeks, we usually try to put together at least two or more weeks in a given area of the country.  This saves on transportation costs of getting to and from the area.  We learned this after returning from Gatlinburg one month, only to head out for Myrtle Beach 3 weeks later–Duh!  Not good planning.

We hope that this information is helpful as you work with your timeshares to get the most out of your vacations.  Enjoy!

The dreaded moment has arrived. The timeshare tour “hooker person” has given the spiel and is waiting for your answer–and in his mind, it’s a matter of “when” you’ll take the tour, not “if.”  You look to your spouse/significant other/friend for moral support–no help there!  So you politely take the plunge and say, “no thank you.”

EGAD!!!  Did you really think saying “no” one time would be enough!?? Now, if you happen to be at a kiosk on the street or at a mall, and you can walk away at the same time, you might actually be okay.  But if you are at the “parking pass desk,” forget it!  It is now time to do battle! Here are some ideas that sometimes (the key operative word here is “sometimes,”) work if you honestly do not want to do a tour:

• “We’ll think it over.  Why don’t you give us a call tomorrow once we’ve had some rest?”  If you do this, make sure you unplug all your unit phones, for several days.
• “Oh, we were just at Wyndham Branson only a few weeks ago!”  They will sometimes assume you did a tour there, but if they specifically ask, you’ll have to decide whether to lie or not.
• “We have guests coming, and don’t know our schedule, yet.”  Unfortunately, they sometimes still want to “pencil you in.”
• “We have no intention of buying and don’t want to waste the time.”  (They will probably counter with, “Oh, it’s just a short survey that will give us your input–it only takes 30 minutes.)

As you can see, these strategies don’t always work, but they’re the best excuses we have to try to keep things on a friendly keel.  Remember, these people often do not understand the timeshare system, the high developer prices or what actually transpires during the tour.  Their job (and salary) depends on whether or not they get you to sign up. We have often had to say “no” five or six times and endure belittling looks that indicated we must be crazy not to fall for this really good deal. We have also been asked, “why not?”  (I really flipped out over that one.  My answer was, “I don’t have to give you my reasons!”)  If things get to that point, all you can do is repeat “NO,” try to refrain from sarcasm, and leave with some bad feelings to start your vacation.

I guess this is why we no longer feel guilty if we decide to do a timeshare tour just to receive the gifts.  Numerous times we have stated that we had no interest in buying, and we were still hounded to “take the survey.”  We have even discussed this with timeshare salesmen, suggesting that they cut out the gifts and lower the prices so that their product is more affordable. Unfortunately, the way the industry is now, 50% of timeshare company budgets go toward the promotions that lure people in.

Whether you admit to buying resale or not is your call. Some companies will penalize or restrict your use of your timeshare.  We’ve heard of people going on timeshare tours that state their resale history up front or even wear t-shirts that say “only buy resale.”  We try to low key it, realizing that being a timeshare salesman is not a great job and we’d rather not rub his face in the dirt.  Also, we usually go into the presention hoping to learn more and possibly (though not probably) consider a future purchase.

Someone once posted online that they actually thought they had to do the updates when staying at a resort!  Know that you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do. Also know that if you get talked into buying, you have so many days (depending on what state you’re in) to rescind the offer.  Timeshare tours and promotions generally give timesharing a bad rep–and that’s too bad, because the product is fantastic!

Nothing can invoke fear and discomfort to your well-being quicker than being approached to do a timeshare presentation, a.k.a. a timeshare promotion, a.k.a. a “timeshare tour.”  Usually it goes something like this:

You have arrived at your vacation destination after many long hours of travel, be it by car or plane.  All you want to do is move in your 28 pieces of luggage, find your toothbrush and collapse into bed. Or maybe you’re starving, and you want to race off to the grocery store to buy a pizza to pop in the oven as soon as you get into your unit.  You now have your resort map, your room keys and all the other info you might need to have a great vacation. That’s when the dreaded spiel begins—“Because you are owners, we really value your opinions. . . “   And, “I’ll just pencil you in for 9:00 tomorrow morning—or would you prefer noon?  And, we’ll treat you to any one of these 5 restaurants!”

So, what do you do? If you’re like most people, you probably cave and agree to do a timeshare presentation. It’s truly difficult to get out of it without being rude, or completely deceitful.  What we have just described is the “Wyndham tactic,” although we’ve been victimized by this same method at other resorts. One of the latest ploys seems to be sending you to another desk for a parking pass (even if the resort is in outer Slobovia and no one would ever park there illegally!).  That way, the friendly registration person doesn’t have to deal with the unpleasantness of the timeshare tour– it’s left to the “parking pass person,” or concierge.

A totally different method of “hooking” potential buyers is to station people at a mall or kiosk in well-traveled or touristy areas such as Gatlinburg, Las Vegas and Orlando.  A pretty standard opening line is, “Hi, where y’all from?”  Another good one is, “Hey, I’ve got some free show tickets for you!” The person who approaches you has very little understanding of the actual timeshare system, the cost, or the arm-twisting that awaits you should you decide to take him up on his offer.  His job is simply to get you to go to the presentation.  He gets paid for that, and he gets some kind of a cut if you buy.

And the “gifts” that they offer are pretty tempting!  We have done timeshare promotions for many different dollar amounts, restaurant meals, show tickets, Sea World tickets, etc. etc.  In some cases, we were somewhat interested in the system, but not really interested in buying.  Occasionally, we (and we used to feel guilty about this, and I’ll explain later why we no longer feel guilty) just did it for the money or gifts, with no intention of buying.  A good “rule of thumb” is to never agree to a presentation when they first ask.  If you stall, hem and haw, or tell them to call you later, the dollar amount usually goes up, or the gifts multiply.

Check out our upcoming post for more fascinating info about timeshare promotions and presentations.  Explore the ideas/answers to these questions:

How do you say no?

How do you say yes, and should you feel guilty?

Why do they offer promotions?

Should you be honest about buying resale?

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I disagree with that statement.  Every meal is the most important meal, and therefore should taste really good, and be nutritious (well, some of the time, anyway!)  We try to do a Timeshare Cooking article about once a month, and this time we will highlight Timeshare Breakfasts, and hopefully give you some ideas to spark your next special morning meal.

Usually when John and I stay in a timeshare, we don’t get too excited about cooking in the morning. Since it’s just the two of us, we stock up on muffins and coffee cake.  If we’re trying to eat a little healthier, we opt for English muffins or oatmeal and some fruit.  We often go out to breakfast and have omelets.  But occasionally, especially if we have guests, we like to serve something a bit more creative and/or special.  Thus we came up with the Baggie Omelets. Here are a few other recipes for you to enjoy that generally follow the Timeshare Cooking Rules:  Uses few ingredients, is easy to make, and tastes good.

BRUNCH EGG SOUFFLE

6 eggs
6 slices bread, cubed
3 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 c. shredded cheese
Diced ham, bacon or crumbled sausage (whatever you like—about a cup)

Mix eggs, salt, milk and mustard with hand mixer or whisk.  Stir in bread and other ingredients.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Cover with foil and put in refrigerator overnight.  Take out ½ hour before baking.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.

We have tried lots of variations of this recipe, some much more complicated, and found this basic one to be very good.

BREAKFAST BANANA SPLITS

½ banana per person
1/3 c. vanilla yogurt per person
Bowls of fruit—blueberries, strawberries, grapes, pineapple chunks, sliced kiwi, whatever you like
A bowl/bowls of dry ingredients:  granola, almonds or coconut
1 cherry per person

Slice bananas length and widthwise.  Put in large bowls or on plates.  Top each with yogurt, fruit and dry ingredients as desired.  Put cherry on top.

These are nice, because everyone can make their own.  They can be served with another entrée, or simply eaten alone.

BAKED APPLE FRENCH TOAST

20 slices French bread (1 in. thick)
1 can (21 oz.) apple pie filling
8 eggs
2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/tsp. nutmeg

Topping

1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. cold margarine, cubed

Arrange 10 slices of bread in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Spread with pie filling and top with remaining bread.  In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Cut margarine into brown sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Put on French toast.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

You can also use some chopped pecans as part of the topping.

Happy eating!