Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year

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🇺🇸 Pigeon Forge, United States
Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year Traveler
Scooby-Doo Mystery Putt Putt – Pigeon Forge, TN
March 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
We love doing mini golf. It’s our thing.

We have mini golfed in almost all fifty states, and in many countries around the world. Whenever we travel we try to find a course and squeeze in at least one round.

Today we played at Scooby-Doo Mystery Putt Putt in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

It’s a great course. Well maintained and a lot of fun. The whole theme follows Scooby-Doo and the gang as they are chased through a cemetery filled with ghosts, monsters, and other spooky scenes. Each hole has clear audio with comments from the Scooby crew, which adds a fun extra layer to the experience.

The holes themselves are a good balance of easy and challenging, so it keeps the game interesting without being frustrating.

Our only concern was the price.

It was $19.99 per adult, and our total with tax for the two of us came to $44.87.

Later we learned they do offer a senior discount, but you have to ask for it up front.

I honestly don’t know how a normal family of five could afford to do this very often. In my opinion, mini golf should be under $15 for adults and around $10 or less for kids, or at least offer some kind of family package.

Still, it was a fun course and we enjoyed the experience.

And of course… Donna beat me once again.

#findpenguins
#MiniGolfLife
#ScoobyDooPuttPutt
#PigeonForgeTN
#TravelFun
#MiniGolfAroundTheWorld
#TravelGames
#PuttPuttChallenge
#CouplesTravel
#DonnaWinsAgain 😄Read more
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Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year Traveler
Indoor Snow Tubing, Pigeon Forge, TN
March 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
This "trip" will also include some of the fun things we did along the way as we visited various timeships.

We didn't even know this was a thing.

After a round of Mini Golf - I saw next door was an Indoor Snow Tubing place. Being curious , I told Donna I want to just check it out. We drove over to the next parking lot, and went inside.

This is a place kids would love. It is $39 an hour. However, for only $5.00 we could do a once-in-lifetime single run.

We opted for it.

Totally, cool. We both smiled - happy we did it. We aren't kids any more. But completely worth it for the $5.00 trip down the hill.

Watch all the videos - they are great.Read more
TravelerLove the snow tubing! Way to go!
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Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year Traveler
Reflection - It was over 25 Years Ago
March 3 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F
Today, sitting in a very nice two-bedroom Timeshare in Gatlinburg, TN - Thinking back — it was about 25 years ago.

Donna and I were engaged. Living together with Keara. Starting life. Starting bills. Starting responsibilities.

We did one of those “3 Nights for Only $49” deals in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. It was a nice mountain resort. We had a good time. Yes, we attended the sales pitch.

And I got sucked into the vortex.

I purchased a deeded timeshare.

Let me say this clearly:

Tip #1: Never purchase a deeded timeshare.

You want a trust.
You want a points-based system.
You never want part ownership in a single property.

After we got home, the buyer’s remorse hit hard.

I was already in debt. I couldn’t afford more debt.

Which I had just signed up for.

I couldn’t sleep. I remember lying awake thinking, I just made one of the worst financial decisions of my life.

There is usually a clause in these contracts — often 3 to 5 days — where you can rescind and cancel.

Tip #2: Make sure that clause exists before you sign anything.

I made the call.
I cancelled the contract.
And I felt immediate relief.

This had to have been in the late 1990s.

Since then, we’ve done a handful of other “3 Nights for $49” stays. We listened. We smiled. We said no. We left.

We never purchased again — because we couldn’t afford it.

Tip #3: If you can’t pay for it, you most likely can’t afford it.

Remember, the company — and the commission-based salespeople — make money not only on the sale, but on the loan you just signed. At that moment, do you really understand your total cost of ownership and what you’re getting in return?

Most likely not.

Thankfully, we didn’t purchase anything else from one of those high-pressure stays… until January 2025 at the Hollywood Beach Tower in Hollywood, Florida.

And this time it was different:

- It was not a deeded property.
- There was a clear exit clause.
- We could afford it — cash.
- We earned airline miles.
- We knew exactly what we were paying: $1,900.
- We were retired and had flexibility in our travel dates (off-season travel saves you tons of points/money - you cost per stay goes way down.

- We knew we would get at least one week in Maui — which, to us, made it worth it.

And here’s a small spoiler alert:

We got more than the Hawaii Trip! That's what this series of post are about.Read more
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Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year Traveler
Discover Stay #1 - Myrtle Beach, SC
February 25 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 54 °F
Let’s do the math first — then I will tell you about the stay.

We purchased the Discover package for $1,900 and received 200,000 points in our inventory.

That means our points cost $0.0095 per point (just under one cent each).

This week we are staying at the Maritime Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, SC — oceanfront, 2-bedroom unit, overlooking the beach.

For this stay we used 35,000 points.

Now here’s where it gets interesting.

If we only used these 35,000 points and never used another point again, then this week would effectively cost us the full $1,900 — or about $271 per night.

At that point in the game… we’re behind financially.

So I always ask the front desk:
“What is the normal walk-in rate for this unit?”

He told me:

Monday–Friday: $139 per night

Weekends: $209 per night
Total for the week: $1,113

So again — if we never use the remaining points — we lost money.

But…

At our actual cost of $0.0095 per point, 35,000 points equals $332.50 for the week — or about $47.50 per night.

For a 2-bedroom, beach-view unit with heated pool and hot tub access.

Now we’re talking.

If we use all 200,000 points at that value, this stay represents over $700 in savings compared to being a walk-in customer.

This is where timeshare ownership can provide value.

Tip #5: Always do the math.

I was a Senior Software Engineer at Yale University for over 25 years. I love spreadsheets. I love working the system. I love getting my money’s worth.

My wife says it’s always about money with me.

She’s not wrong.

Because when we save money, we can spend money on other things.
A $10 savings adds up over time.

Now… the Stay

The Maritime Beach Club raised the bar compared to our January 2025 stay at Hollywood Beach Tower.

Waaay nicer.

Not Viking Cruise Ship perfect — but very nice.

We had a true 2-bedroom. Beach view. Comfortable space. Heated outdoor pool. Hot tub. Easy beach access.

Myrtle Beach is the Mini Golf Capital of the world — we always travel with our putters and try to play at least one course wherever we go.

Boardwalk Billys has good Fish & Chips, Great ribs!

Adela's has excellent Mexican food.

The Barefoot Queen River Boat Dinner Cruise was not worth the price of admission. Google it and you will find my Google Review listed.

The weather wasn’t exactly on our side this week, but overall we had a decent time.

It was nice to simply sit in the room and read. I worked on some art projects. Donna did a couple of model horse craft projects. No rushing. No tight excursion schedule. No 6:30 a.m. breakfast calls.

This stay was very different from our 70-day and 140-day Viking cruise adventures.

It wasn’t rushed.

It wasn’t structured.

It wasn’t exhausting.

Donna got the flu while we were in Egypt on one of our cruises — so we’ve learned something about “types of travel.”

Using timeshare points to just go somewhere and relax.
Plan to do nothing.
Maybe see an old friend nearby.

We’re learning we can balance our travel modes.

So you can start to see that timeshare purchases can be worth it.

Know your true ownership costs.
Keep spreadsheets.
Use tools like ChatGPT to ask questions and run the numbers.

But mostly — you have to do the work to work the system.

By the way… it was during this stay that Donna and I purchased the VoyagePlus package from Capital Vacations.

That will be a separate post — with the math and the “why.”

More to come.

We head to Gatlinburg, TN on Sunday.

#TestingTimeshareTravel
#DiscoverYear
#CapitalVacations
#TimeshareMath
#PointsTravel
#MaritimeBeachClub
#MyrtleBeachSC
#BeachfrontStay
#MiniGolfCapital
#TravelModes
#RetirementTravel
#SpreadsheetLife
#WorkTheSystem
#BoardwalkBillys
#AdelasMexicanKitchenRead more
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Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year Traveler
Three Nights for ONLY $49
January 5, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
kay, this FindPenguins trip entitled “Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year” will include several stays over an extended period of time.

We’ve all seen the deals.
Pay $149. Stay three nights. Listen to a sales pitch. Endure the “presentation.” Collect your $100 gift card once you’ve successfully completed what feels like waterboarding.

That’s how this story started.

Back in January 2025, Donna and I completed a 27-day “USA National Parks East Tour.” We visited 13 National Parks in 27 days — you can find those posts here on FindPenguins.

One of the places we stayed was the Hollywood Beach Tower in Hollywood, Florida. It was conveniently located for our route, so we figured, why not?

We arrived. We got our room.

It was a dumpy little studio. Murphy bed. Tight space. No charm.

Donna took one look and said, “No.”

She refused to stay in that room.

I went down to the front desk, calmly explained the situation, and we were upgraded to a slightly better room — with an actual bed. Much improved. Still not impressive.

Overall, it was not a positive stay.

And if Capital Vacations is trying to sell Timeshare memberships — this wasn’t exactly inspiring confidence.

The next day, we attended the sales presentation.

Group lecture.
Salesperson One.
Salesperson Two.
Salesperson Three.
Manager floating in periodically.

Sandwiches. Soda. Coffee. Cookies.

It begins at the Platinum Lifetime Membership — over $100,000.

Then, miraculously, they “just happen to have” a resale for $68,000.

That becomes a lower-level package for $38,000.

By this point, I’m in panic mode. Feeling boxed into a corner.
Our 90-minute commitment has stretched into over four hours.

I finally say I need to leave.

“Okay,” they say. “Just a quick exit survey and you’ll get your $100 gift card.”

But wait…

Now comes the “Discover” package.

200,000 points for $1,900.

Two years to use them.

One of the options? A full week in Maui, Hawaii.

For $1,900, having a place to stay in Hawaii — which was already on our short-term bucket list — suddenly felt reasonable.

We gave them our American Airlines credit card (yes, we earned the miles), and paid the balance off the very next day from our hotel room.

That was the beginning.

The upcoming posts in this footprint will document our Timeshare travel adventures — and how we used 200,000 Capital Vacations Discover points over two years.

Was it worth it?

Did it enhance our travel life?

Did it complicate it?

We’re about to find out.

#TestingTimeshareTravel
#DiscoverYear
#CapitalVacations
#TimeshareExperiment
#PointsTravel
#TravelStrategy
#RoadTripLife
#RetirementTravel
#GrandparentLife
#BucketListTravel
#NationalParksJourney
#MilesAndPointsRead more
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Trip start
February 21, 2026

Testing Timeshare Travel – Discover Year

Scooby-Doo Mystery Putt Putt – Pigeon Forge, TN

Indoor Snow Tubing, Pigeon Forge, TN

Reflection - It was over 25 Years Ago

Discover Stay #1 - Myrtle Beach, SC

Three Nights for ONLY $49