Review Marriott Sabal Palms vs. Sheraton Vistana Resort

[sweetnjmom]

We are going to stay off site for our next trip (last trip was Nov. 2013 at Wilderness Lodge) because my uncle is trading a timeshare week for us and we can stay for 7 days in a 2 bedroom unit vs. 1 room.

I have a choice between the Marriott Sabal Palms (or Imperial Palms) or the Sheraton Vistana Resort. Has anyone on the board stayed at either? I'm on another Disney group and a lot of people seem to recommend the Sheraton but the Marriott seems slightly closer.

As much as we love to stay on property, my 5 year old son will not make it for evening EMH and we didn't really accomplish much during AM EMH on our last trip. We realize we can only do FP+ 30 days out but are hopeful that we will be able to see what we want. Plus we're going during a "quieter" week--the first week of May.

Thanks for any replies!

EDITED TO ADD: Looks like I posted before seeing the resort forum... moderator please feel free to move/close if you need to. I apologize for not checking first.

 

[Inhislove]

We loved the spaciousness of an off-site resort. The marriott palms are in a great location- only one light to disney Imperial Palms are all 3 bedroom units. Royal and Sabal are all 2 bedroom units. We stayed at Sabal for two weeks this september and LOVED it. Intimate resort with friendly staff and access to all 3 smaller palms pools as well as the large pool complex at World Center Marrott (pool slides stated $10/day for the whole villa although we weren't charged). Imperial and royal are newer, have elevators, and are right at the front of the the world center complex, so we will aim for those in the future.

We've never stayed at sheraton vistana, although we would like to. For a strictly disney trip, the Marriotts are an extra turn and light closer, which can be a good 5-10 minutes in high traffic. You can see the Vistana building from Royal palms.

Either of these, we would recommend a car! Enjoy your resort experience, and make sure to leave a little time for their activities. They are often included in the price, and our girls loved feeling special.