Best non-WDW timeshare for "resort" type vacation?

[ceopamom3]

We will be traveling to Orlando the week of Dec. 29, 2007 to Jan 5 2008. Sounds like the parks will be packed, so we plan on speding a great deal of time relaxing at the resort. I have checked several websites, and it seems that I can rent this week at the timeshare of my choice (for the right $$ of course).

It will be my DH and myself, and our 3 kids, 12, 10 and 9. They love waterslides, pools.. not big video game kids.

Any suggestions? Anyone stay at a great resort that they hated to leave?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Lisa P.]

Wyndham Bonnet Creek and Marriott Grand Vista are really nice resorts with lovely pool areas and plenty enough things to do onsite - game room, organized activities, pool slide, etc. They'd be my first preferences with kids the ages of yours. Sunterra Cypress Point (Resort & Grand Villas) has enough to do and nice enough pools that most kids have a blast at this place too. It's not quite as deluxe but a very nice choice. All three of these have a modest pool slide somewhere on property.

The Marriott "Palms" resorts share amenities with the Marriott Orlando World Center hotel, so guests staying at them (Royal Palms, Sabal Palms, Imperial Palms) may use the main hotel's pools with a slide and other features, as well as their own resort's quiet pool.

The largest timeshares, Orange Lake and Vistana Resort (not Villages), have lots more to do and many families who enjoy resort activities strongly prefer these. Note that because of their size and many sections in various stages of refurbishment, that your experience may vary somewhat depending on which section you get. Mega-resorts offer a LOT to do onsite but they're so large that you may need to drive to get to some of the amenities. For that reason, we prefer smaller resorts. But these two resorts do have a modest pool slide somewhere on property too.

 

[ttfn3]

We have stayed at several Orlando timeshare resort. The Vistana Resort is a favorite of ours when we want a place to hang out for the week. Lots of activities and good pools. It may be a bit cool, tho. the week that you are traveling.

 

[gjw007]

I own at OLCC and have stayed at the Vistana Resort. If you spend a lot of time at the resorts, both will be fine. Some people like resorts like Vacation Village at Parkway and the Hilton's but the only real thing I found on property at these resorts were the pool (Hilton also has a restaurant and small gift shop); not quite what I have in mind when enjoying resort activities. I've never been there but Bonnet Creek has a lazy river that kids should enjoy. I've been told its about 1/10 the size of the OLCC lazy river but I don't think it is that small but I do believe that it is smaller than OLCC's.

I would make a list of activities that you would like to enjoy at a resort and then see what resorts match that list.

 

[spiceycat]

well the 9 and 10 year old would love Horizons at Marriott - but I think the 12 year old might want something a little older.

Marriott Cypress Harbour always get good reviews from families.

 

[Detailor]

The Marriotts, Cypress Harbour and Grande Vista, have a wide variety of activities pool styles but I don't remember a water slide at either though there's a restaurant and a poolside bar and grille at Grande Vista in addition to pizza take-out at each. Marriott's Horizon resort is nicely themed and has a couple of pool areas, one based on a pirate ship theme with a slide. Orange Lake has several nice pool areas (great slide at the Splash pool in the North Village and new 'water park' area at River Island section), restaurants and cafes in each of the villages. Vistana Resort has a large number of pool areas to serve the various sections of the resort and an assortment of food and drink options on site.

It would seem to me that any of these resort may suit your needs but gjw007's suggestion to test that against their descriptions at their websites might help you narrow the choices.

Dick Taylor

 

[spiceycat]

Hilton Grand Vacation Club - has a bunch of activites - but again no slide.

very nice resort despite there being no slide.