Sheraton Vistana Villages vs. Dolphin - Torn

[MickeyMickey]

Has anyone ever stayed in a villa type and went back to a hotel room. We stayed at the Vistana Villages 2 years ago and loved it!

We now have to chose between:

2 bedroom villa - Vistana Villages $119 per night
2 standard rooms Dolphin - teacher rate $99*2=198 per night

Everyones says what a great price on the Dolphin, but we are afraid we will miss the living room and washer/dryer terribly! We will be there for 7 nights the last week of September

Any Advice?

Thanks

 

[PeterPanFanWDW]

This is a rough choice. The allure of being within walking distance of Epcot and the Studios versus a larger accommodation with kitchen and living room.

How many in your party and how old are the kids? Sometimes having more room is worth the drive to the parks. When I travel with my family (brother, sis-in-law, 2 nephews) we need the extra space for the two young ones to spread out.

IMHO, for seven night, you'll appreciate having the extra space. If I'm travelling alone, I can bounce back and forth with no problem. But add others to the mix and I need my Villa.

Maybe the price difference can help pay for the rental car's gas.

PPF

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We stayed at the villas last January. It was nice for the extra room but the hassle of driving was more than enough for us. Not sure if you have kids or not. We just love staying in the park. DH and I stayed at the Swan by ourselves, 3 years ago. We loved it!

 

[Blondie]

I guess you'll have to compare the pros and cons of staying onsite vs. offsite.

For us, there's no comparison. We love staying onsite and being able to just hop on a bus or boat and be in our room within minutes. It's nice while on vacation to have someone else do the driving and not having to fight any traffic coming and going. Staying at the Dolphin or Swan, you have the added convenience of being within walking distance to Epcot and MGM too. That is what keeps us staying onsite. The convenience and ease of transportation.

 

[treesinger]

If you are going to spend any quality time in your rooms, Vistana is the choice. If you plan on saving money on food, Vistana's kitchen will help very much. If you like going home with your clothes already clean and folded, it is much more convenient to do so with laundry machines in your room. If you don't like paying for parking, Dolphin wins. If being on Disney property just for the general feeling of things, Dolphin will provide. If you like being within walking distance to Epcot, Dolphin does it.

You have to decide which factors are most important to you and go with it.

 

[klofan]

Both have there pro's and cons. The Dolphin is sooo close to Epcot and MGM. But the two bedroom villas are nice too. Honestly, I'd choose the Dolphin because the rate is awsome and it's a limited time only, I think. And your ON-SITE, but your not really immersed with Disney magic 24/7 because it's not operated by Disney.

 

[buckler]

Can they guarantee adjoining rooms at the Dolphin? If not, you are taking a risk there.

At $79 per night difference over 7 nights that is $553 savings by staying at the Vistana Villages (I know you have to pay parking at Disney if you stay at Vistana, but that is offset by the extra tax you will pay on the pricier Dolphin room). Plus at Vistana you have extra room, access to laundry and a kitchen to help you save extra money on food. Frankly, I can do a lot with $553! Especially since the Dolphin isn't a full fledged Disney operated property.