Sheraton Vistana Villages vs Marriott for Universal

[GinnyBear's_mom]

We are a family of 6, 4 kids (2 boys, 2 girls) between the ages of 10-16 with annual passes to Universal. If given the choice would you rather pick a 2 bedroom at Sheraton Vistana Villages or one of Marriott's properties like Harbour Lake or Grande Vista?

My mom gifted us a week at her timeshare, we currently have Sheraton Vistana Villages booked. We stayed there about 15 yrs ago but have no current knowledge of the place. There are a few other places we can trade for including Harbour Lake and Grande Vista.

We are staying a week afterwards at Animal Kingdom Lodge so only planning on Universal for the first week of the trip. Anyone have any recent experiences with the resorts I listed?

 

[Shellyred8]

I think Harbour Lake would be a better option for you. I think the pool area is better there. I also wasn't overly impressed with the Sheraton Vistana. Our unit was run down and trying to get in and out of that complex was more challenging than I thought it would be. It's on a really busy road. We stayed at Cypress Harbour (just across the road from Harbour Lake) and I really liked that area.

 

[dioxide45]

I think you will like Sheraton Vistana Villages just fine. It has a pirate ship pool. Though Harbour Lake has one that is a bit cooler (small slides). Going to UO is a right turn out of Vistana Villages, so the road being busier won't matter too much. You can't really go wrong with any of the options you are looking at. I suggest searching on YouTube for videos of the different resorts. I also hear there is a great guide to all the MVC properties on YouTube...