I stayed there twice, most recently in November. I was upgraded to a large room with a king bed, bunk beds and a refrigerator. The room was just fine, except the AC unit did not work and it was about 90 degrees in the room when we arrived. A repair person arrived in about 10 minutes and determined the breaker needed to be reset.
Many people have had problems with their rooms smelling like mildew. The maintenance person explained why they had that problem. The housekeeping staff would leave the AC unit on fan, even during hot, humid weather. All that humid air would fill the room during the day making the room nasty by the time guests arrived. Obviously, the AC situation is a problem at this resort.
The resort recently completed renovations and is a typical 3* hotel, IMHO.
There are many great restaurants in the area (Bahama Breeze, Antonio's, Roys, Fish Bones, TuTu Tango, Samba Room, Seasons, Sweet Tomatoes). Many are within walking distance.
Traffic can be a nightmare, especially on International Drive. To get to Universal, drive west on Sand Lake, turn north on Turkey Lake Road and take the lesser traveled entrance from there. You can also go east on Sand Lake then turn north on Universal Blvd. There will be fewer cars than on International Drive.
The fastest way to Disney is to take I-4 south off Sand Lake. If it is backed up, continue past I-4 to Turkey Lake Road and turn south. It becomes Palm Parkway and will drop you near the hotel Blvd. just north of Disney World. This road is often free of traffic.
The hotel offers free transportation to Sea World and Universal but pickup times are limited. You can also hop on the International Drive Trolley to get to these locations as well as others, like the Belz Outlet Mall.
Have a great time.
