I’m interested in hearing opinions on this topic too!
We have had really great experiences at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, Sheraton Vistana Lake Buena Vista, and Sheraton Vistana I-Drive (which surprised us when we saw how nice it was!) I’d spend a happy week with the family at any one of those resorts any day and be very happy!
We have found great deals with Vacation Strategy for Bonnet Creek, and directly with Sheraton prior to the Marriott merger. Lately both of those routes seem more pricy (still reasonable, just more than last year) so I’ve been looking at other properties.
Part of me says just stick with those 3 as the quality and value is excellent for the price. I’m interested in this topic to help me know if I’m right that these options are the best value/quality for the price? Or are there other properties that offer similar quality for similar prices that are worth a look?
So you can't go wrong with the 3 you list, but there are lots of other really good timeshare resorts in the area, and lots of not quite as good timeshare resorts. The really terrible timeshare resorts in the area don't generally stay open due to the competition, but there are some of those too. Best bet there is to stick to the name brand resorts and ask lots of questions (here or other forums) about the ones that aren't name brand. As mentioned above, the Marriott and Hilton timeshares near Disney are also very good. For the smaller more independent resorts I personally like Silver Lake Resort as well.
You can also consider HOW you go about renting one of the timeshare villas to get a better deal. Directly from Sheraton is probably the most expensive way to get one of the Vistana Resorts. The cheapest path is usually skyauction.com, but prime weeks may not be available and you need to pay attention to the fine print for each auction; many dates will have a surcharge above your bid price; but a $100 bid for a week with a $400 surcharge is still a week for $500 - not too shabby. You can also rent directly from the timeshare owners via Redweek, TUG, or even eBay for most any area resort.
A lot of the other recommendations here are for privately owned villas (homes and townhomes) in nearby communities. This is a slightly different vacation type, and the amenities are different, but they often require a little more "effort" (both in researching, booking, and staying at) than a top name timeshare. Some provide excellent value for money (probably better 'value' than timeshares depending on how you define value), but each and every one is really like a single villa hotel with different ownership (although most are managed by a handful of property management companies in the area). The decor and quality often varies with the tastes and effort of the owner and with the quality of the management company they hire. If you get a line on a good one, go with it.
Feelings about amenities can be different; some people like having their own private pool in the yard because it is theirs alone and the deck chairs are always available. I like having a resort pool where I just show up and jump in; I don't have to worry if it is clean, chlorinated, or if the heater is working, and I don't mind sharing the pool (although I don't like it when resorts are short on deck chairs, or allow chair "hogging"). Some people really like having housekeeping to tidy up the villa and keep things stocked; these same people might likely bristle at having to grab some rolls of TP from Walgreens, or stripping the beds at the end of their stay.