Just to share my experience as I am now a biannual points owner with Festiva:

We started 30 years ago with a fixed week (blue) at Sandpebble in Myrtle Beach with I can't really remember who. It started out easy to exchange into anywhere, any week, but became increasingly harder and harder. We lost usage the year Hugo hit with no recourse and an assessment, even though nowadays they give people their weeks back.

We got so exasperated we forked over extra money to get a red week at Peppertree by the Sea as supposedly no red weeks were available to buy up/in to at Sandpebble and were bounced around through several companies until Festiva took over. Then the pressure to convert to points began. I was very resistant but eventually forked over YET AGAIN more money and converted to points.

Truthfully the whole thing did tork me but they gave me a high level of points for my trouble/money.

Using points, as it is fluid for what you need, I could theoretically take at least 6 or more weeks per year. Just this year it has ranged from us using almost 8000 points (with many left over) to visit New Orleans during Jazz Festival to using ZERO points for 2 weeks at the Atrium (albeit during hurricane season). We can also trade into most any locale. Last year we needed lodging in Orlando for a convention and were told nothing was available. When I became insistent we ended up in a non-Festiva resort.

So, this does not directly make your situation any better but converting, after the initial distaste, can be a useful evil...