Help me decide: Embassy Grand Beach, Sheraton Vistana Resort, Marriott Grande Vista

[LisaMM]

Does everyone take forever deciding on a resort, or am I just a weirdo?!? I'm up researching til 2 a.m. most nights, and I really need to get some sleep, so please help!

Here's my revised, narrowed down list. Please help me rank them, keeping in mind, I'm traveling with 4 people -- myself, my hubby, and two kids, ages 4 and 7. We're looking at renting a 2 bedroom unit at one of these places:

*Embassy Grand Beach
*Sheraton Vistana Resort
*Marriott Grande Vista
*(we also considered Cypress Pointe Grand Villas, but I think this might be lower on the list -- tell me if I should reconsider)

I've seen lots about each of these places on this site, but I'd love a direct comparison from you guys.

Each are going to cost us about the same: close to $700 for the week. ANY opinions/extra info would be appreciated! My kids would love a fun pool, maybe with slides, etc. I want clean and somewhat spacious, which I think all of these places should deliver. Convenience to WDW is huge for us -- is MGV too far away? Will I have to fight tons of traffic at the beginning of June? Is MGV's new pool completed or will it be by June 5? If not, is their current one good? Would you recommend the shuttles of any of these resorts (if they have them)?

Embassy GB tells me that their new pool is complete and being inspected now. Hopefully it will be open by the time we arrive. Is this a resort a step down from the other two?

The only room at Sheraton VR that I can find available on such short notice is in the Courts area. I've read some bad but a recent post I submitted gave me lots of good reviews on it too -- older but more spacious. I'm mostly concerned about clean and up-to-date-ness. I'm still searching for a room in SVR in another area, hoping to catch a last-minute deal.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[peoriaguy]

first forget embassy suites, very outdated, at times problems with ants, small pools.

grande vista is very nice and if you can get them for the same price as vistana, stay there.

vistana has more things to do on site, but usually to busy doing disney to to do onsite actvities. if you stay at vistana, its important what section you stay in. the older sections can be run downed. section like cascades is very nice.

i would also check out vistana village, cypress palms, orange lake newer 3 bedrooms units.

one thing i love about the area you are looking at is using ste rte 536 to get to disney. takes no more than a couple of minutes.

also another small place i like, very cleaned is polynesian isles.

but whatever you do dont stay at embassy, you wont be happy.

 

[LisaMM]

Thanks so much for your reply! Your comments about Embassy surprised me, so I thought I'd double check: When I made reservations at the Embassy, they told me the 2 bedrooms were pretty new -- now called the Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach -- I think like less than two years old. They are on Lake Bryan Beach Blvd, I think about one mile or so from WDW. Are these the same ones you're talking about, or are you talking about a regular Embassy Suites hotel place?

Thanks so much for the other suggestions too! I'll check some web sites for them tonight!

--Lisa

 

[undertheradar]

While Grande Vista is my first choice, the room layout is troublesome with the ages of your kids. The master br is on one side of the unit, while the second bedroom is on the other. With the patio and second br(lock-off unit) having its own entry door, the master br is distant from the room your boys would be in. If the rate is 700 for a week(7nts), that is a fantastic rate. We arrive there on June 13 and the rate for a 2br is 143/nt+.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Have stayed at Vistana Villages three times and loved it. Am staying at Vista Grande (right next door to VV)this year. Wyndham Palms Golf is another choice you might consider. ALL of these are great. Just depends on what you want. Pools are better at VV but I hear that there is a new one opening at VG with a water parkish theme for the kids. I second the Embassy Suites thing. By the way where did you get such great rates for the week?? 700 for a 2 bedroom at these places?? 100 per night. No way!! I have been watching and the best I could come up with was to take a tour to get a decent rate at GV and Wyndham Palms. Nothing at Sheraton.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

AS I re read the posts I realized that although we are trying to help you we are giving you more choices!!! Sorry, looks like you will be up till 3 am now.
Just want to say this is some of your better research. Sometimes a web site looks great and then when you arrive you can be disappointed.

The people who have responded to your question obviously know the better places. Since I have stayed at both great and disgusting I have learned to trust their opinon more than a website. Hope this helps a little.

 

[LisaMM]

Bella at the Ball,

You asked about the rates I got. The Marriott rate is not for sure yet, but if I get it, that's the main reason I'm considering it. Otherwise, I'm not willing to spend so much for a place that we won't really be spending so much time at; we'll be at the WDW parks much more and "donating" much more of our cash to Mickey! ;-) Anyway, I've been looking at a bunch of timeshare for rent web sites and called one about a Sheraton listing. The guy said the Sheraton was not available anymore but that he had one for the MarriottGV. The asking price for that one was like $1499. He convinced me that I should offer the owner $700 and that they might accept, since it's only two weeks away and the unit is still empty for the week. I felt funny about it because I didn't want to insult the owner with a lowball bid, but he called them nonetheless. I'm supposed to hear today; I've got my fingers crossed but I'll be surprised if they really accept the bid.

As for the others, the Embassy Grand Beach I got through calling Sunterra marketing. Am I allowed to post a phone number on this board? If anyone wants it, feel free to pm me. The rate I got through them (without doing a timeshare presentation) is $579 for 6 nights. They couldn't give me a 7th night, so I had to call the resort itself and book the 7th night through them for $136. They assured me that I could stay in the same room on the 7th night. So my total rate there is $715. I wasn't thrilled with the guy at Sunterra, but the reservationist at the resort itself was very helpful.

Last, the rate for Sheraton is $675 through a private owner. Honestly, I can't remember where he was advertising...some web site I found by searching. Again, this one is in the Courts section, so I'm a little leary. I haven't given him a definite answer yet, so I could lose this one if I don't make up my mind soon.

Same question to you as I asked the first person about Embassy. You guys are referring to it as Embassy Suites. Is this the same one I'm talking about? Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach on Lake Bryan Beach Blvd? I had heard several good comments until now and thought this is the one that I know is a sure thing. Now I'm scared!!!! The people where I rented it told me that these 2 bedrooms were pretty new and that they are opening a brand new fun pool this week.

Thanks again for your help!
--Lisa

 

[PammyK]

I visited friends at the Embassy Grand beach and thought it was a fine resort. They had a 3BR in bldg 5 with a lovely view of the lake from their screened porch. Everything is within a 2 minute walk from most buildings although the new pool is sort of at the opposite side of the property from the original. The old pool is very basic, but the activities staff who run things at the pool were really wonderful with my friends' 4 year old. Furniture, including beds, was comfortable and the unit was well appointed. The location is just a 5 minute drive to Disney property but on its own road set well back from any main roads.

I've never been inside a Vistana unit but the resort on 535 does not impress me. From the outside, it doesn't appear to be especially well maintained but that could just be b/c it is older. The Vistana Villages resort looks to be in much better shape. Also, it is just such a large resort - personally I prefer something a bit more compact where everything is just a short walk away. Especially with little ones - who wants to have to pack the kids in the car or a stroller just to get to the pool or to the reception building. Finally, if your building is near 535 you could get lots of traffic noise and if it is near Meadow Creek, you might be hearing buses going to Vista to pick up CP CMs early in the AM and late into the night. Again, not sure how close the units are to the roads or how well soundproofed they are but when traveling with kids, noise is always a concern.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I feel a little better knowing that you went through private owners. I do not do this and I was thinking that you found those rates somewhere on the discount boards and I could not figure how I missed them.
As to Vistana Village I am sure of that one. I have stayed there 3 times and this is the 4th year it is open. We loved it and I have yet to hear a bad report about it. I do not know the Embassy of which you speak. THat does not mean it is bad and if you do choose it please be sure and post your feelings when you return. I am always in the market for another choice. I am so spoiled but do not want to live beyond my means so this year I am going 4 days on a time share tour at the Grande Vista , 4 days on a special from Vistana Villiage (only 119 total for 4 days one bd rm )no timeshre tour and 8 days at Wyndham Palms 99 per day 2 bd rm time share tour. I know it seems like a lot of moving but it was the only way I could get these really great places for a bargain price. Both Wyndham and Marriott have very low key classy timeshare tours and I plan on using those as days spent by the pool. We have annual passes so we got our money's worth out of them last year. This year is all gravey.

 

[KAH]

We stayed at the Embassy Grand Beach November 2003 and were very pleased with the resort. We had a 3BR with a screened in porch that overlooked a lake. There were kid's activites every day that my three (ages 6,4,2) loved. The grounds are nice, pool isn't fancy but I did read somewhere there is another pool being opened there with slides, etc. I would highly recommend this resort.


Kate

 

[peoriaguy]

yes i stayed at the grand beach in a 3 bedroom unit for two weeks. this was last august 03. the first unit we stayed in had ants all over the place, and the second day there we were moved to a another unit same building. the following day we woke up to ants all over the kitchen. finally admitted that several buildings were having ant problems, esp with as wet of august as they had last year. we moved to our third unit for the rest of our stay. no ants but a couple of days before leaving we had another bad storm, and wound up geting water leaking on the inside of our master bedroom. didn't even try to have them do something about it, just lived with it.

excluding the above, the units were outdated(but to be fair, most of the other timeshares are too), there is no new buildings, and the pool is small. they are on lake bryan and it is a beatiful view. there are some activities for the kids each day. the best thing i liked about staying there, is the location and using st rte 536 to fly into disney in under 5 minutes easy.

i would personally not stay there again.