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

 

[Valentine]

Dolphin.. hands down. Sure.. a villa is great.. but nothing beats the proximity of the Dolphin... you can walk everywhere you want... and the pool is one of the best on property (Stormalong is only one better!) So much to do at night also...

If you happen to be the kind of people who like to drive to the parks.. stay there all day and then head back to your room and veg out.. then the villas win.. but if you like to come and go and like lots of entertainment options.. go with the dolphin!

Good luck!

Kathy

 

[MiaSRN62]

The Dolphin is great for free use of wdw transportation, free package delivery to your hotel from the parks, access to Extra Magic Hour in the parks, plenty of resort dining options, walking capability to Epcot/MGM and a good shot at seeing the the MGM fireworks and Illuminations from your room. And, as Valentine pointed out---a great pool.

Not sure how many people are traveling with you, but on the flip side, you may very well miss the w/d, kitchen etc that you'll get from VV. If you plan to spend the majority of your time in WDW, then the Dolphin might be for you. But if you plan several trips offsite to Uni or Sea World etc, then VV might be better.

If I had a choice with my family I think I'd go with the Dolphin to be on property and take advantage of all those perks (and I'm a Vistana owner). For me, the lack of a kitchen/refrig would be tough though & make it a difficult decision. I don't think you can even rent refrigerators at the Dolphin ? I don't envy your decision....it's a tough one. Good luck !

 

[luvdisney14]

How did you get those rates? I would like to stay at VV next year, can't find anything that cheap. I stayed at dolphin and loved it. I like the area around the boardwalk. This year we stayed at Vistana Resorts and love the extra room for everyone, the kitchen, washer and dryer. You certainly have a tough decision.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

This is a no brainer for me. V.V. all the way. Dolphin is only a room with beds VV is a suite with a full kitchen, 2 baths, beds, tv's , patio...Should I continue. Plus it is half the price for triple the luxury. I stayed there 5 years in a row and this year at the Vistana Resort. For my money it is the only way to go.

 

[ttfn3]

I guess to me it would depend on what time of year you are going, who will be in the rooms and what do you plan on doing. I'm a big fan of the VR (and have also stayed at the VV). Love the space and the homelike atmosphere - and therefore all the amentities of home - plus the onsite activities if you are planning to just hang out at the resort.

However, we stayed in a 1 BR at the BWV during Food & Wine Festival and I absolutely LOVED it. It was nice to be within walking distance of Epcot - and I can't wait to do it again. Especially nice for an adult only trip!

 

[belsam]

You can get great rates at Vistana Villages through www.allearsnet.com. Go to http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/faq_villages.htm . These rates are lower than anywhere else that I have seen. We'll be there for a night in November.