Sheraton Vistana- better/Worse rooms?

[newmouse2008]

Not everything has a fee. A few of the ones I am aware of range in price from $1 for bingo for kids to $25 to build your own bear. Others are: Scuba lessons $25, Necklace and Bracelets $6,Tye Dye $10, Snakes and Lizards $3. There is a ton of things to do!! Some free things are: Toddler time by the Zero entry pool, Speed stacking,Family game night, Vollyball Tournament for tween and teen,Kids giant games, group tennis lessons, card games, ping pong tournaments. The list goes on for both free and for a fee activities. And I am sure they change it up and add new things.

Lots to do!!!

 

[GetGlowing]

We are going thru Interval International, and I was concerned as well, as several people had mentioned about the timeshares not getting good rooms or locations.

For our November trip, we used an Interval Int'l Getaway (where you pay cash instead of trade your timeshare week) and could not have had a better experience.

But then we went in November, which is low season. If you travel in high season, I suspect your unit choice will be more limited.

ETA - Our Interval Getaway for this resort was $502 for the week. So if you are a member of Interval, check out the Getaway prices before you trade. Seems like a "waste" of a trade week if you can get it that cheap with cash. But again, we traveled in the off-season when prices are lower and there's more availability.

 

[TheKatie]

For our November trip, we used an Interval Int'l Getaway (where you pay cash instead of trade your timeshare week) and could not have had a better experience.

But then we went in November, which is low season. If you travel in high season, I suspect your unit choice will be more limited.

ETA - Our Interval Getaway for this resort was $502 for the week. So if you are a member of Interval, check out the Getaway prices before you trade. Seems like a "waste" of a trade week if you can get it that cheap with cash. But again, we traveled in the off-season when prices are lower and there's more availability.

That's sort of what we did through RCI - booked it as an Extra Vacation for $480 for the whole week.

 

[GetGlowing]

I just checked on Interval's website, and Getaway weeks in September are coming up at $417 for the WEEK in a 6/8 2br, even less if you're a Gold member. Now that's a deal!

 

[MinnieForMe]

Trust me, the Vistana is soooo big that your kids will never see the RipSlide if you don't want them too! If you are on the fountains side you will probably take your car over to it.

There is a regular, enclosed pool slide in the Falls pool. It's free.

My kids never had a problem entertaining themselves at the Vistana without doing extra activities. It's completely up to you as to what you want to spend. Each section has a playground too!

 

[spima3]

For our November trip, we used an Interval Int'l Getaway (where you pay cash instead of trade your timeshare week) and could not have had a better experience. <snip>

Our Interval Getaway for this resort was $502 for the week.

Sorry, not familiar w/ the lingo , I quess I should have stated we are using a Getaway w/ our friends' Interval International.

We are going in mid Sept, so I think that is low season, so really hoping for a refurb unit. All totalled, with fees, tax, etc, it comes to $562 for the week. It's really not much cheaper than the Windsor Hills unit we were looking at, which we all loved and had 3 BR's, but someone suggested Sheraton Resorts would have much more interest for the 15 yr old DD, who is not really sure she wants to vacation with her family! You know how that age can be.

The younger two were really wanting to do a waterslide and we are actually planning to be at the resort quite a bit. I was hoping to steer them to the "free" activities, and it's good to know there is a slide that is free as well. We'll probably do both, because it is still very hot in Sept.

 

[TheKatie]

Trust me, the Vistana is soooo big that your kids will never see the RipSlide if you don't want them too! If you are on the fountains side you will probably take your car over to it.

There is a regular, enclosed pool slide in the Falls pool. It's free.

My kids never had a problem entertaining themselves at the Vistana without doing extra activities. It's completely up to you as to what you want to spend. Each section has a playground too!

yup- the only extra thing we did was let my DD get a hair wrap -- we were in the Falls section and just steps to the Falls pool and slide , and from there to the Courts pool, springs super pool which we loved, and a bit further to the Cascades Super pool - we had a blast -- we looked at the Rip slid but my dd was chicken!

 

[DaiseyDoItAll]

Totally disagree! we LOVED the Resort -- renovated units, and wonderful pools and friendly staff and most of all QUIET -- a wonderful respite from the parks!

Where did you stay at the resort. I really would like a quiet area when I go in June.

 

[DaiseyDoItAll]

Any suggestions on getting the promotions mentioned for Vistana. I am specificallly looking for a 2 bdr mentioned for $259 for 3 night stay. I called and they said offer is not available. (looking for 7/24-7/27 or close) any suggestions are appreciated. TIA

Go to bookit.com and see what they have for the resort

 

[DaiseyDoItAll]

We did go to the RCI office...it was an 8/6 reservation, we had called both RCI AND the resort several times before we arrived to make sure (because I had read on here of others having this issue), and we still got stuck with what we had. And yes, there is NO way the room we had would ever sleep 8. So that is definitely false advertising. That is why we did the diamond lane form and called. And when we got there, the resort desk told us we had to deal with the RCI desk...who basically told us there were no other 2 bedrooms available---it was memorial day weekend and they were full.


Not happy.

What time did you arrive for check in?

 

[annacali]

What time did you arrive for check in?

Between 2-3 pm on Saturday

 

[MinnieForMe]

That's the problem. By 2-3 pm, all the good units are already given out. We always go around 10 am and sit with a map with the reservationist if we don't get our requested area. Once we are assigned, we head out for a couple hours and then return before the stated check in time. I'm usually told the unit will be ready at 2. At 2 pm, all we have to do is pick up the key without any lines!

Like I stated before, we are not owners there but have stayed at least 8 weeks and have never had a bad unit! It also pays to be super nice when you are checking in. I'm over the top friendly so it comes naturally to strike up a conversation.

We love the Vistana so much that my husband is hoping in the future we will skip Disney and for once just relax by a pool.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Where did you stay at the resort. I really would like a quiet area when I go in June.

Quiet area would be the Falls, Springs, Courts (not updated yet). We find the Fountains and Lakes to be the busiest area. I think it's because the lakes are 3+ floors so you have limited parking with the number of people.

 

[TheKatie]

Where did you stay at the resort. I really would like a quiet area when I go in June.

We were in the Falls section - and loved it!

 

[Detailor]

That's the problem. By 2-3 pm, all the good units are already given out. We always go around 10 am and sit with a map with the reservationist if we don't get our requested area. Once we are assigned, we head out for a couple hours and then return before the stated check in time. I'm usually told the unit will be ready at 2. At 2 pm, all we have to do is pick up the key without any lines!

Like I stated before, we are not owners there but have stayed at least 8 weeks and have never had a bad unit! It also pays to be super nice when you are checking in. I'm over the top friendly so it comes naturally to strike up a conversation.

That's really good advice for any timeshare stay and particularly for Orlando. Though most resorts have a 3 pm or 4 pm check-in time, it's a very good idea to get to your resort early and do a pre-check-in at the reservation desk.

Like MinnieForMe and family, we tend fly in to Orlando on the morning of the first day of our vacations and head directly to the resort. There's almost never anyone waiting at the reservation desk so we do a quick pre-check-in and go over our lodging requests. They take my cellphone number and call me when our villa is ready. They'll let you use the resort facilities if you decide to stay at the resort (we usually head off to Disney's BoardWalk for lunch and then make a grocery store run after we hear from the resort).

I think that this process makes for a more relaxed beginning of a vacation and tends to give you a bit of an advantage in terms of resort placement.

Minnie's advice regarding attitude at check-in is really good, too. And it's much easier to be pleasant if you don't have to wait in a long line when you get to the resort.

Dick Taylor

 

[annacali]

It would be nice but there is no way we are getting there by 10 am. We left our house at 4am for a 6:30 am flight, had a connection in Atlanta landed a little after noon. Got the bags, got the rental-which did take over an hour, and headed straight for the resort---hence the 2pm arrival. I have a special needs child who doesn't handle transitions all that great so flying out the night before and staying in a different hotel just doesn't work all that well for us.

And besides---I was under the impression that our resort was assigned long before we arrived. We were pleasant and nice and my Dad, who checked us in is a natural talker---we were at Disney and we were excited. We had filled out the Diamond Lane ahead of time and called to confirm. We also had no reason to suspect we were not given what we had asked for until we drove to our room because it was our first time at the resort and had no idea what sections had and had not been renovated and which had double or twin beds etc. So there were no discussions at check in. We checked in, got our keys and went happily on our way to drop stuff off at our room. Only then did we discover that we didn't have what we had asked for. We called the front desk to inquire, were told to come back up and speak to the RCI desk. We did, were told the resort was full and so we requested a rollaway and that was the end of it.

 

[momblanch]

That's the problem. By 2-3 pm, all the good units are already given out.

That's really good advice for any timeshare stay and particularly for Orlando. Though most resorts have a 3 pm or 4 pm check-in time, it's a very good idea to get to your resort early and do a pre-check-in at the reservation desk.

Just how busy is Vistana in early November?

We will be checking in late on a Tues evening of a Sun-Sun week on a RCI exchange. Sounds like we could be out of luck for a nice room and have to settle for whatever is left, due to our late arrival.

 

[Bob S]

it has more to do with a lack of rci inventory than time of day you get there.
a few years back vistana switched to interval international as their exchange company of choice. i was told there were a few reasons. first off they were having problems with rci and secondly interval deals with more high end resorts. that fits in with the plan to renovate the entire vistana resort to fit in with the other starwood high end resorts like westin, st regis etc.
i was there in may and i would call the new rooms elegant, not dreary.
flat screen tv, bose sound systems, granite countertops, high end style furniture etc.
so back to my first point. if you come in on an rci exchange you can only switch rooms if rci has the inventory available. vistana still deals with rci because not every owner has switched to interval. i was told the rci inventory is pretty limited so it may be difficult to switch if you have a problem. by the begining of next year the entire resort should be renovated so it wont really matter what section or room you are in.
bob

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

it has more to do with a lack of rci inventory than time of day you get there.
a few years back vistana switched to interval international as their exchange company of choice. i was told there were a few reasons. first off they were having problems with rci and secondly interval deals with more high end resorts. that fits in with the plan to renovate the entire vistana resort to fit in with the other starwood high end resorts like westin, st regis etc.
i was there in may and i would call the new rooms elegant, not dreary.
flat screen tv, bose sound systems, granite countertops, high end style furniture etc.
so back to my first point. if you come in on an rci exchange you can only switch rooms if rci has the inventory available. vistana still deals with rci because not every owner has switched to interval. i was told the rci inventory is pretty limited so it may be difficult to switch if you have a problem. by the begining of next year the entire resort should be renovated so it wont really matter what section or room you are in.
bob

Does the same apply when you are not using a timeshare swap, and are just renting a room? We will be arriving rather late in the day (after 8 pm) because Jet Blue has only one direct flight to Orlando per day, so we're stuck with it. I would hate to discover that we are relegated to less desirable rooms because of the arrival time!

 

[Bob S]

im not sure. they have a rental program to help owners rent out their time so i would imagine the rental inventory would come from all the different sections of the resort giving you more options if there is a problem. i really dont think the quality of the rooms are based on check in time.