Marriott Grand Vista

[Taratink]

How is the Marriott Grand Vista and how far is it grom WDW?
Tara

 

[utahkennedys]

We stayed in a 2BR last April and really enjoyed it. DH loved it so much he didn't want to leave for the Poly for the last 1/2 of our trip...I enjoyed the space, the w/d, the kitchen, the balconies (one was screened which was nice at night and had a ceiling fan). It was a very pretty resort. My only minor complaint was that the main pool was cold, and dd3 was freezing trying to swim. Not sure it they don't heat it or if something was broken, but that wasn't so great. Personally I didn't like driving to WDW since we most often stay on site, but I did like the quieter location on I-drive and the proximity to the new Publix grocery store. We would stay there again if we found a good deal.

 

[Connears]

We (DH and I)stayed here 6/21-6/25/06 while attending a conference at Orange County Convention Center. We were solicited to tour timeshare with rate of $199 for 4 nights(we upgraded to 1 bedroom villa for $149 more total). Let's start by saying we have been DVCmembers since 1994 at OKW and HHI since 2002 with many stays under our belts(also at BWV and BCV). We thought it was a good opportunity to try the offer out for the conference as we didn't want to waste DVC points for the conference. We have APs and went to parks after conference with DS(15).

POSITIVES:
Very convenient location on I-drive very near conference made for easy drive to conference and not bad to WDW. Villa was very nice with full kitchen master bath with jacuzzi, washer/dryer screened in porch. Quiet pool by our building was very nice, but we did not see main pool area. That is really all the positives I can give.

NEGATIVES:
We checked-in and when we opened the door to our villa, it was totally uninhabitable! Ceiling in bathroom had caved in onto floor and shower,kitchen and bedrooms were dirty. I wouldn't have minded if there had been a housekeeping error, but this room should NOT have even been in the inventory. When we called the desk she forwarded me to the room assigner and she gave me a new villa, but I was told I could wait upto an hour for new keys and assist with luggage unless we wanted to go back to get the keys ourselves(which we did). The buildings are numbered differently from the rooms and it is very confusing(We were in building 98 but our room was 8207). They building all have outdoor hallways made of stucco (not my style)and only one elevator. Some building have luggage carts and others do not(our first did, but not the final one). So DH had to lug everything to 2nd floor. New villa was fine.

We asked to be directed to where we could rent dvds and 3 different people sent us to 3 different places!

Everyday there were huge garbage and linen carts in the parking areas which was really unattractive.

Addendum:
Other positives included $100 disney dollars for doing timeshare tour. Very low pressure tour which we of course did not buy. We also we given $50 resort dollars after we spoke to manager about check-in fiasco(which was not the reason we spoke to her, but we did accept it).

Nothing there prompted me to even think about buying there. We had great time at Ford's Colony Marriott in Williamsburg, but this was a far cry.
There are other reviews of this resort in the review portion of this forum, itf you want another prospective.

Glad to be DVC member!
Connears
__________________

 

[spiceycat]

the first few years this Marriott was excellent.

then I think it was a new manager.... anyway this guy was only interested in the rehab - didn't care what the state of those yet to be rehab was....

we kept being told it would look lovely next year - who cares about next year I wanted a clean place NOW....

our villa was fine - only had a studio - but it was clean and in good shape. the problem was the outside - horrible. they weren't cleaning the halls or the elevators - little kids were jumping into the pool after being in these halls - I hope you get the picture.

we went to Disney for one day - stayed at Pop and mother did not want to come back to the Marriott.... Disney was clean....

this was in 2004 and I have not stayed in that Marriott since then.

Marriott's Cypress Harbour even when it was doing a rehab got great reviews.

 

[jeff968]

Glad to be DVC member!

It is too bad you had problems but I have stayed at the Marriotts a number of times and I think they are great. i don't own there but I would definately purchase there over DVC any day since DVC it is not a deeded property and you'll have nothing but memories for your children when your DVC time runs out.

 

[Connears]

Our family plans to enjoy DVC for many more vacations...until I'm 80 or so..I really don't plan on bequeathing a timeshare to my son. That is not an incentive for sub-par services..at least in our opinion.To each his/her own-if that's what's important to you.

Connears

 

[littlestar]

Marriott Grande Vista can be a mixed bag depending on if you end up in a new or rehabbed room.

Marriott's Cypress Harbour was still nice even before the recent rehab. Cypress Harbour actually looks a lot like OKW. It's a lovely resort. It's my personal opinion that Horizons and Cypress Harbour are managed better than Grande Vista.

We're DVC members who own both DVC and Marriott. I do enjoy both of them. My choice of Marriott in Orlando would be Cypress Harbour or Horizons.

 

[bethbuchall]

Wow! I'm a little nervous. My parents own at Grande Vista, and we have visited twice with them before (2002 and 2004). Both times we had great stays and everything was clean. We are going again in August, so I hope that we are in a good location again!

Beth

 

[littlestar]

Wow! I'm a little nervous. My parents own at Grande Vista, and we have visited twice with them before (2002 and 2004). Both times we had great stays and everything was clean. We are going again in August, so I hope that we are in a good location again!

Beth

Don't be worried. Owners get the best units. It's the exchangers or Getaway week people that get the leftovers.

 

[Connears]

Don't be worried. Owners get the best units. It's the exchangers or Getaway week people that get the leftovers.

It was not the unit itself that we had issues with..the 1 bdroom we finally got was lovely..very clean and nicely set-up. It's the confusing layout of the buildings with outdoor corridors with one elevator/building;laundry carts and garbage carts constantly in the parking areas and poor service and knowledge of staff and management that concerned me. They certainly did not put their best foot forward to entice new owners, that's for sure.

Connears