Review Sheraton Vistana Resort Questions

[marvel]

Not sure about renting but we paid $170 per night for lovely 2 bed 2 bath renovated suite in oct 2011. Not sure if renting can be much cheaper han hat. Room had a king in one room, 2singles in another and a double sofa bed. It was fantastic. Very close to all the parks.

 

[FrankieDplus3]

Their prices are seasonal, so, look around. I visited in Sept 2012 for two weeks and booked through booking.com for about $138 a night.

The DIS / Dreams Unlimited Travel has promo codes. You can get a 2BR as low as $140 a night with no housekeeping.

 

[keeperof4]

Try contacting the resort (Sheraton Vistana Resort /not the villages two different locations) resort before booking through a third party. If you get the right day & willing to pay up front? you can get great savings, far cheaper than on a third party website. As far as a one bedroom, friends of ours stayed this past spring (april) and were given a one bedroom lock off, divider door between the two units.They did not request a unit before arriving. Don't take my word for this but I do believe it was Lakes Bld. 9. I believe there are lock off units in the Cascades section also. They were not very happy with their neighbors. A lot of noise came through the door from early hours and then late in the evening (tv,LOUD). So you might be wise to request a 1 bedroom (4 max) (superior).REMBER If you have a problem they will do every thing they can to make it right,but you have to ask! It all depends on how booked the resort is but from our experiences they do everything they can to make this a memorable vacation experience. Most answers to any questions can be found threw previous posts.Wind chill today -22c,can't wait to get to the newly refurbished Super pool.Lego land Feb,20/Daytona 500 Feb.24 MerryXmas to all.

 

[todd222222]

Hi,
I've read this entire thread over the last few days and I have questions I don't think were addressed.

1. I'm guessing because this didn't come up there isn't a problem, but how are the beds?
2. We are staying on the "Dreams" discount with no housekeeping. We will be there for 8 nights. Will there be extra trash bags in the room and are their dumpsters we can take trash to? We will be doing a good amount of cooking in the room and will produce some trash.


Thanks!
Todd

 

[bankr63]

Hi,
I've read this entire thread over the last few days and I have questions I don't think were addressed.

1. I'm guessing because this didn't come up there isn't a problem, but how are the beds?
2. We are staying on the "Dreams" discount with no housekeeping. We will be there for 8 nights. Will there be extra trash bags in the room and are their dumpsters we can take trash to? We will be doing a good amount of cooking in the room and will produce some trash.


Thanks!
Todd

We've stayed in several units, and the beds have always been comfortable pillow tops; never had a lumpy or saggy mattress. I always find the pillows too thin and soft (I use a memory foam at home), but there are lots of them so you can compensate.

My nephews have slept on the sofa bed for a week and declared it comfortable; it did seem to be a bit better than your average SB mattress, but I personally wouldn't want to sleep on it for a week.

There will usually be a few bags in the room for trash, but generally not enough. A quick call to housekeeping and they will bring you more. There are bins for trash and recycle outside the buildings with daily pickup.

Hope you enjoy your stay!

 

[mrsap]

Hi,
I've read this entire thread over the last few days and I have questions I don't think were addressed.

1. I'm guessing because this didn't come up there isn't a problem, but how are the beds?
2. We are staying on the "Dreams" discount with no housekeeping. We will be there for 8 nights. Will there be extra trash bags in the room and are their dumpsters we can take trash to? We will be doing a good amount of cooking in the room and will produce some trash.

Thanks!
Todd

Just came back a couple weeks ago and found the beds to be extremely comfy!! Pillows were large and SO fluffy - great to sleep on! We actually said we had to go get new pillows for home now because we enjoyed them that much!
Yes there are extra trash bags and the people who do the house keeping are always around. If we needed more paper towels or clean towels, we just asked and they accommodated us with no problems.
You will love it! Enjoy!

 

[todd222222]

Thanks for the info guys!

I asked a user who posted a few months ago to send me a map in the pdf format she had. It's a "2012" map and seems current. Here is a link for anyone who wants to download it via dropbox.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/58988914/SVR Resort Map 2012.pdf

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We are very excited to stay at SVR this coming August.......just made our reservations this week .

I have tried to read through most of this thread, but haven't found (or somehow missed) the answer to one of our questions. How much is a round of mini golf at the resort?

And how does the course compare to say, Congo River or Pirates Cove?

 

[bankr63]

We are very excited to stay at SVR this coming August.......just made our reservations this week .

I have tried to read through most of this thread, but haven't found (or somehow missed) the answer to one of our questions. How much is a round of mini golf at the resort?

And how does the course compare to say, Congo River or Pirates Cove?

Mini flog (oops, golf) is open 8:00AM - 10:00 PM and runs $5 per person (less for owners); it is not a great deal, but a fun diversion. If you really enjoy mini-golf, I would go off-site. This a very small course for the younger set, not a lot to challenge a good golfer here, but the last time we played (3 years?) the course was in good condition. No fraying carpets or divots, well painted woodwork etc.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Mini flog (oops, golf) is open 8:00AM - 10:00 PM and runs $5 per person (less for owners); it is not a great deal, but a fun diversion. If you really enjoy mini-golf, I would go off-site. This a very small course for the younger set, not a lot to challenge a good golfer here, but the last time we played (3 years?) the course was in good condition. No fraying carpets or divots, well painted woodwork etc.

I *knew* you would know! Thanks for that .

Sounds like the perfect course for me (I'm not very co-ordinated) but not so much for my competitive male counterparts. I think we will stick to the larger I-Drive and Kissimmee courses......unless we get so darn relaxed at the resort and can't bear to leave (might happen, you know! )

 

[keeperof4]

Hi all, just counting the days until we can return home to the SVR. We received an amazing gift for Christmas of a family pass to Aquatica. We certainly were not expecting this. Just wondering if there is any free advice on how to enjoy the park. Are there certain areas where we should try and get in to early in the morning? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi all, just counting the days until we can return home to the SVR. We received an amazing gift for Christmas of a family pass to Aquatica. We certainly were not expecting this. Just wondering if there is any free advice on how to enjoy the park. Are there certain areas where we should try and get in to early in the morning? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

We have been to Aquatica three times in 2012, so maybe I can help a little . Its a great waterpark....we loved it each time we went!

If you want to check out some photos from our Christmas Eve Day visit, you can click on the link in my signature and it will take you to my trip report. The Aquatica details are found on page 2.

Their feature slide is Dolphin Plunge. That's the one you will want to be sure to do right when you arrive as lines are longer here than anywhere else. The two slides take you through the pool that houses the Commerson dolphins .

The rest of the slides, even when we were there in the heat of August, didn't have unbearable lines. So after Dolphin Plunge, you could probably enjoy the remainder of the attractions at your leisure.

Roa's Rapids is not to be missed! Its a tubeless lazy river that really, really moves you along. Wear a lifejacket (there are tons provided at the attraction entrance) to get the most fun out of Roa's....then you can just lift your feet and GO! Even when the rest of the park is busy and the lines at the slides are long, you can have a ton of fun at Roa's.

The Banana Beach Cook-out is an all you can eat buffet which is your best value for dining. You can choose the one-visit option or the eat-all-day option (or you can choose the one-visit initially, then save your receipt and upgrade to the all-day option later if you so choose by just paying the difference). There's hot dogs, pizza, chicken, etc. We much preferred the entrees at the Waterstone Grill, though.

We LOVED having a cabana there. They come with 12 bottles of water, your own fridge, a large locker, and a supply of rental towels. Each have a ceiling fan, and the area they are in is restricted to guests with cabana wristbands. We have had one on all three of our visits and its so nice having a home base to come back to, and somewhere quiet to get out of the sun and siesta for a bit .

Bring a waterproof camera. They sell the disposable ones at the park fairly reasonably ($14, I think) so you can always pick one up there as well.

Let me know if you have any specific questions that I might be able to help with .

 

[blakefamily]

Thinking of staying at SVR in September and I have a few questions. IS there a pool bar? And do they serve you while you are laying by the pool? Are there restaurants on site? How is the quality? How close is the resort to Universal?

 

[bankr63]

Thinking of staying at SVR in September and I have a few questions. IS there a pool bar? And do they serve you while you are laying by the pool? Are there restaurants on site? How is the quality? How close is the resort to Universal?

Yes, 3 of the 7 pools have bars (assuming you don't mean in-pool swim-up bars; these are bars accessible from the pool area), but the wait staff only do the tables in the bar area - no poolside service. That said, it's a very short walk, and I've never stayed at a resort with pool side service.

There are two casual restaurants (Zimmies and Cascades Bar&Grill) and a food court on-site. We've only eaten from Zimmies, and only for a quick poolside lunch and snacks. Quality is fine, prices are reasonable for a resort (i.e. high, but not outrageous). There are so many great dining options in Orlando that I don't think they get a huge amount of traffic for major meals.

Universal is a straight shot up I-4, about 3 exits. Google maps says 14 minutes and that's about right if traffic is light. If you are going during rush add at least 10 minutes. Tip: get the POI file for your GPS from mousesavers.com. They have the quick back door route that can save you a ton of time getting there.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Speaking of pools...........

Hoping you can all chime on on the "qualities" (for lack of a better word) of the various pools at the resort.

For each of the pools (there are 7, right?) what makes them unique/better/different from the others? Which are your favourites and why?

We will be travelling with a 17 year old boy (and maybe a friend) and during the sweltering heat of August, so you know the resort (in their minds, anyway!) will be all about the swimming .

If anyone wants to share their photos of the various pools on property, I love pictures (hint, hint!).

Are there cabanas for rent at any of the pools? If so, has anyone done so? (price? inclusions?)

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[bankr63]

Speaking of pools...........

Hoping you can all chime on on the "qualities" (for lack of a better word) of the various pools at the resort.

For each of the pools (there are 7, right?) what makes them unique/better/different from the others? Which are your favourites and why?

We will be travelling with a 17 year old boy (and maybe a friend) and during the sweltering heat of August, so you know the resort (in their minds, anyway!) will be all about the swimming .

If anyone wants to share their photos of the various pools on property, I love pictures (hint, hint!).

Are there cabanas for rent at any of the pools? If so, has anyone done so? (price? inclusions?)

Thanks everyone!!!

Well I can give a bit of a rundown, but you'll need a North Sider to speak up for the pools over there:

Courts Pool: A standard rectangle pool - no redeeming features, except that it is not popular with the kids. Therefor it is usually a quieter pool. Does have a fairly large whirlpool.

Falls Pool: smaller free form pool with a water slide. Seems to mostly attract the "tweens" crowd.

Springs Pool: fairly straight pool, again quieter, popular with the older set.

Spas Super Pool: one of our two favorites. This is a uniformly deep pool with a volleyball net across. Seems to attract more teens, pretty good shade, poolside bar. Should be popular with for the 17 yo boys. Will probably be more 17yo GIRLS here than the other pools. (I'm sorry to burst the bubble, but it's not ALL about the swimming with a pair of teenage boys!)

Cascades pool: a bit of everything for everyone, and our second favorite. A near zero entry at one end to an area with water fountains - great for the little ones. Middle section has an amazing waterfall that is Soooooo refreshing. Pretty sure I posted this elsewhere here but once again - here are the falls:

Also has a poolside bar, but this pool tends to be fairly busy.

On the North side you have two large free form pools, Lakes and Fountains on either side of the Lakes pavillion. Have only been over here a couple of times - it usually appears to be pretty busy around these two pools.

There are no rental cabanas, but most pools have some amount of available shade. The shadiest spots can go early so if you are planning a full day, stake out a spot fairly early. There are also some shaded tables and portable umbrellas as well as chair shades available, but they are all first come first served. Actually, they may rent the chair shades (attach to the pool chairs) - not sure about that, but ask at the activity desk between Courts and Spas pools. I tend to be a sun seeker, not a sun hider, so I've never thought ask.

Unlike you, (as I can see from your fine trip reports), I almost never remember to turn the camera on, so no good photos to offer.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Spas Super Pool: one of our two favorites. This is a uniformly deep pool with a volleyball net across. Seems to attract more teens, pretty good shade, poolside bar. Should be popular with for the 17 yo boys. Will probably be more 17yo GIRLS here than the other pools. (I'm sorry to burst the bubble, but it's not ALL about the swimming with a pair of teenage boys!)

Geez, bankr63! Moms don't like to think about their little boys thinking like that!!

Thank you so much for the great pool info The reason I was asking is because I know definitively where we would like to stay.....in the Spas section.....but I am unsure what kind of chance we will have of getting our request honoured, so thought it might be prudent to have Plan B. Yes, we have a Friday check-in and yes, it has the two double beds in the 2nd bedroom and yes, its close to a great pool, basketball, and mini golf (all perfect!) but I read somewhere in this thread that Spas is one of the deeded ownership sections, which I think might make our 8-night stay problematic (we don't check out until the following Saturday). So far, I am leaning toward the Fountains I if we can't be in Spas, but I would have preferred to be on the South Side as opposed to the North.

Your picture of the waterfall is fabulous! You should get that camera out more often!

 

[keeperof4]

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina, thanks for the info. The cabana idea sounds like a must for us. Just wondering , do they restrict food items and drinks being brought to the cabana area if we are able to get one?. We have what I do believe is a one day unlimited meal and drink plan from Banana Beach Restaurant. I presume that means we are limited to this one restaurant, with no take out.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina, thanks for the info. The cabana idea sounds like a must for us. Just wondering , do they restrict food items and drinks being brought to the cabana area if we are able to get one?. We have what I do believe is a one day unlimited meal and drink plan from Banana Beach Restaurant. I presume that means we are limited to this one restaurant, with no take out.

All food from the Banana Beach Cook Out needs to be consumed at the restaurant (I would guess the rule is in place to stop someone from buying one meal plan, loading up on a tray full of food, and taking it back to feed their entire family). If you have the unlimited plan, though, you can go as often as you want throughout the day, as long as you eat there at one of their many tables.

If you were purchasing your meal at the Waterstone Grill (not included in the all day dining) then yes, you could take your food back to the cabana and eat with no problem. You can also purchase any snacks you might like (popcorn, cookies, ice cream, etc) and eat them in your cabana. The souvenir popcorn bucket is a rather nice little deal. It is $4.99 with 99 cent refills (good for the life of the bucket, too). And the bucket is actually shaped like a sand pail, complete with the little square bumps on the bottom, so you can make a nifty castle or two on the beach when its empty .

 

[keeperof4]

I will just add a little input to the pools. Lakes pool is zero entry up to about 5 feet medium size, this is my sister's favorite pool.She is there right now. Although there are usually some younger children it is quieter than the fountains pool that is about a 2 minute walk away. We use the fountains pool often especially on Friday nights when they have outdoor movie night. It is a very large pool and yes you must get there by 11am and claim your chairs. Ages range from infant to senior. Heads up there is almost always two morons throwing a foot ball.There is a food court with pizza hut, A&W etc. This will keep the kids happy. There are also hidden away at the top of the waterfall, two hot tubs. Now the only problem with these is that sometimes large groups, families, teenagers will move in and want to have them exclusively for themselves. The fountains pool later in the evening is taken over by teens and although they don't bother you , it can get a little wild. This also can be expected at the cascades pool which is open until 1am. Again, plan on getting to cascades by 10 or 10:30 am if you expect to get a lounger or a chair. Make use of the whole resort, like banker stated the super pool is our favorite by far. Although it gets busy you can almost always find a place to sit and relax. After 6pm courts (seniors) pool is a great place to relax ,I would say that it has the best hot tub and is almost always empty. Until I posted this anyway! Ps sister says that the resort is top notch again this week and the pools are like bath water, Counting the days until we get there.