Grand Beach Diamond Resort

[lap1072]

Has anyone stayed here recently? The reviews on TripAdvisor are pretty good but I’m hoping someone here has been. I usually stay onsite but got such a great deal on a 3 bedroom that is hard to pass up. Thanks to anyone that can help!

 

[CarolynFH]

We've stayed there twice or maybe three times on timeshare exchanges over the last 10 years or so. Not sure when our last stay was, though. We liked it, obviously. The location is good (just a little stressful making the left onto 535 when you want to go to WDW), the rooms were spacious and well equipped, and you can park under the building (usually, unless you come home too late and all the spaces are filled). If it's a cash reservation you're not likely to be hit on by the timeshare sales staff, but be aware that can happen and be prepared to turn them down. Diamond recently was bought out by Hilton Grand Vacations, so hopefully the sleazy sales tactics will change - Diamond had a reputation almost as bad as Westgate.

 

[Jellybass]

Just stayed there in August. Extremely spacious 3 bedroom, 3 bath unit. Very quiet, very comfortable. I love Disney hotels but we are staying there on our next trip

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We've stayed there twice or maybe three times on timeshare exchanges over the last 10 years or so. Not sure when our last stay was, though. We liked it, obviously. The location is good (just a little stressful making the left onto 535 when you want to go to WDW), the rooms were spacious and well equipped, and you can park under the building (usually, unless you come home too late and all the spaces are filled). If it's a cash reservation you're not likely to be hit on by the timeshare sales staff, but be aware that can happen and be prepared to turn them down. Diamond recently was bought out by Hilton Grand Vacations, so hopefully the sleazy sales tactics will change - Diamond had a reputation almost as bad as Westgate.

We were just in the area and it looks like they may be installing a traffic light which would make the left turn onto 535 much easier.

 

[CarolynFH]

We were just in the area and it looks like they may be installing a traffic light which would make the left turn onto 535 much easier.

That would be wonderful! It would make travel to WDW parks from there about as easy as from the TS resorts north of DS.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We stayed there in the last year and did not have a good experience. I actually completed a survey, which I never do! But clearly from other reviews, we are in the minority.

We loved the facility, especially the recreation options. The location was good.

The walls in our unit were paper thin. Way worse than Pop Century, actually. I could hear normal conversation from the family next to us. They were not being loud - it just was that thin (we did have a connecting door which may have been a big part of it!). We joked that we might as well all have dinner together because we basically were. The people above us sounded as if they were a herd of elephants redecorating the room all day and night. I don't think they were being exceptionally loud, it was just so thin.

We didn't sleep well, we had to turn the TV way up to hear it over the people next door, and it was overall a really annoying experience.

We just stayed at Wyndham Bonnet last week and heard not a sound the entire stay. Felt like we were the only ones in the building! Same for Vistana.

Maybe our unit was missing the insulation

 

[CarolynFH]

We stayed there in the last year and did not have a good experience. I actually completed a survey, which I never do! But clearly from other reviews, we are in the minority.

We loved the facility, especially the recreation options. The location was good.

The walls in our unit were paper thin. Way worse than Pop Century, actually. I could hear normal conversation from the family next to us. They were not being loud - it just was that thin (we did have a connecting door which may have been a big part of it!). We joked that we might as well all have dinner together because we basically were. The people above us sounded as if they were a herd of elephants redecorating the room all day and night. I don't think they were being exceptionally loud, it was just so thin.

We didn't sleep well, we had to turn the TV way up to hear it over the people next door, and it was overall a really annoying experience.

We just stayed at Wyndham Bonnet last week and heard not a sound the entire stay. Felt like we were the only ones in the building! Same for Vistana.

Maybe our unit was missing the insulation

We’ve only ever been in 3 BR there, so the party beyond the connecting door was with us. That might explain the difference, at least partially. (Our issue the last time we were there was my sister, who HAS to sleep with the TV on all night and the volume turned up all the way, and there was no place to put her where the TV sound didn’t go through the walls into someone else’s bedroom! )

 

[lap1072]

Thank you all!

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We were just in the area and it looks like they may be installing a traffic light which would make the left turn onto 535 much easier.

Just wanted to come back and correct myself. They are installing several traffic lights on 535 but not at the exit / entrance for Grand Beach.

 

[CarolynFH]

Just wanted to come back and correct myself. They are installing several traffic lights on 535 but not at the exit / entrance for Grand Beach.

That's too bad, but hopefully the new ones at the other intersections will create enough breaks in traffic to make the Grand Beach turn a little easier and safer.

 

[dioxide45]

We were just in the area and it looks like they may be installing a traffic light which would make the left turn onto 535 much easier.

That would be wonderful! It would make travel to WDW parks from there about as easy as from the TS resorts north of DS.

That's too bad, but hopefully the new ones at the other intersections will create enough breaks in traffic to make the Grand Beach turn a little easier and safer.

I beleive those traffic lights are to make it easier for people turning right out of Sheraton Vistana Resort as well as those on the oposite side to turn north (right). The lights that they are installing are not going to permit left turns. They may help break the flow of traffic for left turns out of Grand Beach, but it would probably be easier to just turn right and then a u-turn at one of the new lights.

 

[CarolynFH]

I beleive those traffic lights are to make it easier for people turning right out of Sheraton Vistana Resort as well as those on the oposite side to turn north (right). The lights that they are installing are not going to permit left turns. They may help break the flow of traffic for left turns out of Grand Beach, but it would probably be easier to just turn right and then a u-turn at one of the new lights.

Thanks for the observation - we don't have another stay booked at GB yet, but it's always on the list of possibilities!