Twenty-six years ago, while in Orlando, Florida, on a Walt Disney World® vacation with her family, the trajectory of Teresa G.'s life changed. During their stay at a Hilton hotel, she discovered a new property under construction at SeaWorld® Orlando that piqued her interest — a Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare for purchase.
As much as the family valued their Orlando vacations together, whether it was worth the money wasn't a question.
At the time, her three young boys loved going to Walt Disney World. The younger two enjoyed Magic Kingdom, while her oldest was interested in technology and had a blast at Epcot.
"Hilton Grand Vacations at SeaWorld was the perfect vacation spot for us," said Teresa. Not long after, the family began their vacation ownership journey, purchasing their first points allotment, even though the property was still under construction.
"We bought a 2-bedroom suite during Platinum Season, and we've gone every year during spring break since," added Teresa.
But their adventures haven't been limited to Orlando vacations. Since then, the family has made more than two decades' worth of memories across the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean.
If you were to ask Teresa which memories stand out the most, she'd tell you, without hesitation, that it's the opportunity to travel with family and friends.
"My cousin and a friend from work both purchased timeshares at other Hilton Grand Vacations Orlando resorts, so we've been able to see them on vacation," Teresa recalled with a smile. "We also traveled to Hawaii and Marco Island, Florida, with my sister and brother."
Another unexpected perk that came along with their ownership was joining a family of travel enthusiasts. "We've met other Owners at Club Member parties who've been to Italy and other European destinations. It's so inspiring to hear their experiences and swap travel stories, she said.
However, it's the flexibility of vacation ownership with Hilton Grand Vacations that has continued to wow Teresa decade after decade. "We became Owners in 1995, so we've explored many of the resorts. As soon as we hear about a new one, we make plans to go check it out together," explained Teresa.
And as their family matured, Hilton Grand Vacations provided the backdrop for some of life's most celebrated milestones.
Their ownership grew with them — from theme park adventures at Legoland and Hilton Grand Vacations at MarBrisa to living it up in Miami at Hilton Grand Vacations at McAlpin-Ocean Plaza and her son's destination wedding in Aruba.
"When I used RCI® Vacation Exchange to host my son's wedding in Aruba, I had enough space to accommodate 10 other college kids for the wedding. And the two kitchens came in handy," Teresa explained with a chuckle.
Vacation ownership has also provided a reprieve from the trenches of parenthood and time to reconnect as a couple — a wedding anniversary trip to Lagoon Tower by Hilton Grand Vacations in Hawaii and even an Alaskan cruise.
"In June of 2017, My husband and I went on a Hilton Grand Vacations Member Alaska cruise."
"We aren't really "cruise people," but we'd been happy with our other Hilton Grand Vacations experiences, so we gave it a try," said Teresa.
"They gave us plenty of time to explore the outdoors. For example, we got to take a five-day tour through Fairbanks and enjoy a beautiful scenic train ride while we were there."
When asked to choose a favorite resort, Teresa paused before admitting she doesn’t have one.
"Originally, Hilton Grand Vacations at SeaWorld was my favorite because my kids loved it, and we have so many memories there," she recalled with a touch of nostalgia in her voice. "We're going back for our 45th wedding anniversary and reserved a three-bedroom to stay with our sons and their kids."
Although Teresa did mention some notable resorts, including Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations in Las Vegas, Hilton Grand Vacations at Tuscany Village, and Parc Soleil by Hilton Grand Vacations in Orlando and the Myrtle Beach properties.
We couldn’t help but wonder what was next for Teresa. What does a seasoned Owner, with so many memories already made, look forward to next? Her answer didn't disappoint.
"Now that I'm getting ready to retire, I'd love to travel internationally —exchange our points to go visit my 94-year-old mom in Taiwan. And I'd like to see the properties in Japan and Europe."
Read "Our Journey Into Upgrades" for another Owner's story.