Have you heard anything about or stayed at Grande Vista or Cypress Harbor? Also, I am looking at Sabal Palms because you can used the World Center pool. This is hard!
Sabal Palms, at the Marriott World Center hotel complex, is among a group of three small, and older, timeshare resorts that are close to Disney property and I-4. It's an older style, two-story modular resort that is set up along a golf course and is fairly peaceful in it's location behind the hotel and set away from the other two timeshare resorts (Imperial Palm Villlas and Royal Palms) in the group. It's rather low on onsite amenities - a smaller resort pool, a fitness room and a small game room - and hosts less than half of the childrens' activities that are shared among the three resorts. It's located about a mile from the other two resorts but only a short walk, via a path that starts next to the spa building, to the huge pool area at the hotel. The villas are moderately large by most timeshare standards, have individual, private entrances with balconies that overlook the golf course. This is a nice resort for a quiet but not fancy resort experience. The resort staff is very nice and accommodating.
Cypress Harbour was the second Marriott timeshare effort in Orlando (after the three "Palms" group). It's a relatively concentrated resort with mature landscaping and, IMO, a great relaxing resort feel. There are three pool areas - one irregularly shaped pool with a separate childrens' pool behind the registration clubhouse building; one called the Island Pool that's across the lake from the clubhouse pool via bridge that features a lap pool, a waterfall, a sauna and a couple of hot tubs; and one smaller and rather private pool area that's at the end of the lake near the buildings that is next to the activities center. The resort store, a bar and pizza hut express/grill are located next to or at the clubhouse complex above the pool area. This resort is our favorite Orlando Marriott timeshare resort. It's located in the SeaWorld neighborhood and close to I-4.
Grande Vista was built after Cypress Harbour and is the largest freestanding Marriott in Orlando. This resort is probably smaller than the Newport Coast Villas that you've stayed at but also probably more like that resort than are the other Orlando Marriotts. Grande Vista has two major pool areas and two smaller "area" pools which are located near the buildings that are furthest from the resort center. The Village Center pool area includes a large irregularly shaped pool, a small lap poll and a few hot tub. That area is located behind the registration building and adjacent to several buildings of villas. That area also features the resort store and a pizza hut express. I think that the game room and fitness center are in that area, too. Across the lake, via bridge, at the Plaza del Sol complex is a second major pool area that includes a pool with some childrens' features - a couple of small towers with water guns, I think - and the Copa Loca bar and grill. The resort features direct access to a golf course and has a traditional full-service sit-down restaurant. This one is located off International Drive near SeaWorld, I-4 and the Beachline (SR 528 - one of the routes into the resort and theme park areas of Orlando from the airport). I think that this is a nice resort in a good location.
Sabal Palms is the quietest and smallest of these resorts, Cypress Harbour has a more adult feel to it but is just as responsive to families with children and has all the great Marriott activities programs and facilities, Grande Vista feels like it's aimed more at families and is, by far, the largest of these resorts. And all of them are pretty nice.
Dick Taylor
