Sheraton Vista Resort Lake Buena Vista or Marriott Grande Vista

[Disney.fan]

Wondering if anyone has pros/cons of either and also wondering if the door to the room is accessible from an inside hallway or only from the outside. Thanks!

 

[HopperFan]

Sheraton Vista Resort Lake Buena Vista or Marriott Grande Vista​

Wondering if anyone has pros/cons of either and also wondering if the door to the room is accessible from an inside hallway or only from the outside. Thanks!

Stayed at both several times.

Location:
Sheraton is closer to Disney property but Marriott is not that far that it bothered me - assuming you have your own car. The Sheraton area is VERY busy traffic wise, has all kinds of businesses around it but in the property you don't feel it. Marriott is a much quieter greener area of International. Again it sits back so not really a factor. I think all rooms at Sheraton open to the outside. I think Marriott might have some rooms with halls in the main building but it might just be how it looks, perhaps the outside halls are in the courtyard. I have always had rooms that open to outside at both.

Buildings:
Sheraton feels like a very large apartment complex with a variety of building styles. It is very dense in shrubbery, trees and plantings - very shaded. All of the units we stayed in back up to small ponds with fountains and it's very peaceful and private like on the porches. Marriott is built around a golf course so there are big trees with more vista views from your porches. Lots of grass, minimal bushes. Feels much sunnier and open. Buildings are taller so feel more like Florida condo buildings. Parking at both is close to your unit.

Both have activities and other recreational things but we are park centric and don't seek them out. Perhaps you can find some schedules of those.

Pools:
We've only used one at Sheraton Vistana because we've always stayed in the same spot but best I can describe it as old school resorts. Rock formations, waterfalls, tucked away hot tubs. Food/drinks was right there at the pool so I feel like we could spend the day there enjoying. Marriott main pool is very nice, high end design, great for kids. There was a bar there but I don't remember food, we went back to unit to eat. Part of that is we had to do a charge back to room and since someone else paid for the room each time (stepfather) I was not comfortable charging on his account. Marriott has two very nice main pools and two quiet pools. I felt much nicer than Sheraton but downside was depending on your room you might not be close at all.

Check In:
Sheraton has always been a breeze, no hassle or pressure. Marriott Grande the time I went by myself without Stepfather was awful. It took me an hour and it was a pressure to do a sales pitch meeting. Once I told them I was married and DH was not there, they had to stop. It is a big popular resort with not enough check in help.

Interiors:
Been years since I was at Sheraton but I thought they were well decorated and appointed. I was bouncing back between there and Bonnet Creek and felt while I liked Bonnet creek much better, Sheraton was nicer inside. Marriotts are usually very nicely decorated depends on where you are on the renovation cycle. We have stayed there post - COVID and our unit was nicely done. I do think the Marriott units are much bigger and feel more spacious, that might tie in to bigger windows and sunlight coming in. Example my Sheraton units have had a screened porch off living room so it is dark while the Marriott put them to the side so living room has huge windows.

Dining:
While we don't use onsite dining, Sheraton seems to have several options, a real plus. Marriott Grande has just a couple spots other than the Golf Club. We did not see anything open when we were at pools in fall so perhaps it operates more seasonal. I don't know. We use our kitchen for light fare or are at parks.

 

[bankr63]

Excellent synopsis of both @HopperFan! The only thing I would add is that each section of Vistana is a bit different, so where some sections may seem darker, some sections have giant windows with lots of light:

(That is the living room in an Upper Villa in Courts, loft area visible to the left) Each section has some pros and cons, but there is probably one that matches well with most desires.
If you want to explore Sheraton Vistana Resort Further, there is a long thread here with a few photo essays:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread-key-links-on-p-1.3148502/

 

[HopperFan]

Excellent synopsis of both @HopperFan! The only thing I would add is that each section of Vistana is a bit different, so where some sections may seem darker, some sections have giant windows with lots of light:

(That is the living room in an Upper Villa in Courts, loft area visible to the left) Each section has some pros and cons, but there is probably one that matches well with most desires.
If you want to explore Sheraton Vistana Resort Further, there is a long thread here with a few photo essays:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread-key-links-on-p-1.3148502/

Wow that is really nice!! Good thought to explore photos.

We've never had anything like that. All our stays have been in Fountains. I did request that after the first time because the pool there worked well for my DS. Its been a few years, can you still request in advance an area?

 

[Brian Noble]

If memory serves, there are (at least) two different occupancy configurations for the 2BRs, so you probably can't be placed in a 6/6 if you booked an 8/6, and vice versa. And for those coming through RCI, I think Fountains has its own ID.

 

[Disney.fan]

Stayed at both several times.

Location:
Sheraton is closer to Disney property but Marriott is not that far that it bothered me - assuming you have your own car. The Sheraton area is VERY busy traffic wise, has all kinds of businesses around it but in the property you don't feel it. Marriott is a much quieter greener area of International. Again it sits back so not really a factor. I think all rooms at Sheraton open to the outside. I think Marriott might have some rooms with halls in the main building but it might just be how it looks, perhaps the outside halls are in the courtyard. I have always had rooms that open to outside at both.

Buildings:
Sheraton feels like a very large apartment complex with a variety of building styles. It is very dense in shrubbery, trees and plantings - very shaded. All of the units we stayed in back up to small ponds with fountains and it's very peaceful and private like on the porches. Marriott is built around a golf course so there are big trees with more vista views from your porches. Lots of grass, minimal bushes. Feels much sunnier and open. Buildings are taller so feel more like Florida condo buildings. Parking at both is close to your unit.

Both have activities and other recreational things but we are park centric and don't seek them out. Perhaps you can find some schedules of those.

Pools:
We've only used one at Sheraton Vistana because we've always stayed in the same spot but best I can describe it as old school resorts. Rock formations, waterfalls, tucked away hot tubs. Food/drinks was right there at the pool so I feel like we could spend the day there enjoying. Marriott main pool is very nice, high end design, great for kids. There was a bar there but I don't remember food, we went back to unit to eat. Part of that is we had to do a charge back to room and since someone else paid for the room each time (stepfather) I was not comfortable charging on his account. Marriott has two very nice main pools and two quiet pools. I felt much nicer than Sheraton but downside was depending on your room you might not be close at all.

Check In:
Sheraton has always been a breeze, no hassle or pressure. Marriott Grande the time I went by myself without Stepfather was awful. It took me an hour and it was a pressure to do a sales pitch meeting. Once I told them I was married and DH was not there, they had to stop. It is a big popular resort with not enough check in help.

Interiors:
Been years since I was at Sheraton but I thought they were well decorated and appointed. I was bouncing back between there and Bonnet Creek and felt while I liked Bonnet creek much better, Sheraton was nicer inside. Marriotts are usually very nicely decorated depends on where you are on the renovation cycle. We have stayed there post - COVID and our unit was nicely done. I do think the Marriott units are much bigger and feel more spacious, that might tie in to bigger windows and sunlight coming in. Example my Sheraton units have had a screened porch off living room so it is dark while the Marriott put them to the side so living room has huge windows.

Dining:
While we don't use onsite dining, Sheraton seems to have several options, a real plus. Marriott Grande has just a couple spots other than the Golf Club. We did not see anything open when we were at pools in fall so perhaps it operates more seasonal. I don't know. We use our kitchen for light fare or are at parks.

Thank you so much for the amazing info! So helpful! Thanks again!

 

[erinch]

we love the Vistana, and stay there by choice over Disney on-site, as it feels much less frenetic, and a quick hop over by car. On the main side, we like Springs best, requesting a building away from the highway, but our top choice is in the part of the complex known as Fountains 1, buildings 9, 11, 12 or 13, all of which back up to vegetation and face a pond. We ask for 3rd floor, which has a skylight and makes it much brighter. We like it that except for Cascades and Lakes, all the buildings are low profile with 2-3 floors, and the landscaping is lush and impeccably maintained. The Tacky Tiki bar is lots of fun by the pool.