Sheraton Vistana??

[goofy4tink]

Ok.....there's not much I don't know about the WDW resorts. But I'm pretty clueless about the off-site resorts. I just got a 'special' (and I use that term quite loosely!!!) from Sheraton giving me a 4 night/5 day stay in a one bedroom unit at Vistana, for $249. Okay, I'm pretty sure a bombardment of time share selling will happen.....we can deal with that. Is there any other reason I should walk away from this?
My dd is starting DCP in the fall and it would be nice to get in a short visit, without using my DVC points or spending a fortune oop.
Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

There are two Vistana properties in Orlando.....the Sheraton Vistana Resort (which is very close to DTD) and Sheraton Vistana Villages (which is closer to SeaWorld). Which one is your offer for?

We own at SVR, and absolutely LOVE IT there. Assuming its the Resort that you are considering, there is a great thread on these boards with tons of photos and resort information which you can find here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread.3148502/

There are two types of one bedroom villas, one which is much smaller than the other (400 or so square feet with a kitchenette and no balcony, versus 900+ square feet with a full kitchen and balcony). We stayed in the larger configuration last May and thought it was great. A one bedroom villa would guarantee you to be in either the Lakes or Cascades phases, both of which have elevators in each building.

The timeshare pitch, if you have to go to one, isn't bad at all. We did it once, and it was 90 minutes on the dot. Not high pressure and very civilized (especially when comparing to Westgate....aye yi yi ).

The resort is beautiful, the amenities are INCREDIBLE (7 pools, 6 hot tubs, 13 tennis courts, 2 sand volleyball courts, 2 basketball courts, shuffleboard, multiple playgrounds, daily scheduled activities, mini golf, farmers market, onsite store that serves Starbucks coffee, etc.), parking is free, internet is free, and the villas are marvelously well appointed. We have stayed onsite at Disney, and the tiny rooms just can't compare to the SVR villas. As long as you don't mind driving to the parks, you're golden.

And.....the north side of the resort is right next door to one of the DCP residences (which one is your DD staying at?).

I wish I could snag a deal like you've received.....we need a second week in October and that price point is right in my budget!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks!!! I'll head over to that thread you linked!!
You know the saying....if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't. We shall see.
Just double checked...it's the Villages.

 

[bankr63]

Sheraton Vistana Villages is also a great property. Maybe half the size of the Resort, but a newer build. The quality and style of the two is pretty comparable. These low rate offers almost always require you to attend a sales presentation, but as Gina mentions, as long as you don't let them smell blood (e.g. don't show any interest at all), then you will be out in 90 minutes. If they feel there is a sale to be made, they will try to keep you going. But that is not to scare you off. The Vistana sales pitch isn't a hard sell like many other developers, especially those in Mexico.

If you do manage to avoid attending the presentation, the terms of the deal generally allow them to hit you full freight for the stay (about 2-3 times your rate).

Consider whether you want to mention that you own DVC. Sometimes this can be seen as a opening; people who have purchased once are often likely to purchase again. The pitch will move to how many more areas of the world you can travel to in the Starwood system as compared to DVC.

Now my last timeshare sales presentation (not Sheraton/Vistana/Starwood) lasted about 10 minutes. When I told him that we owned 2 timeshares purchased resale, he said he had nothing to sell me that could compare, and marched me out to sit by the pool with a cup of coffee until my 90 minutes was up. I played Sudoku on my phone until released. Most pleasant timeshare presentation I have ever attended...

 

[vistana101]

That is a great deal, I have received a similar offer before and used it...it worked well! Vistana Villages is a wonderful resort; you will enjoy it! The villas are beautiful, and as mentioned above, the resort itself is newer than the sister resort property. Yes this involves a sales pitch but it is not too bad! They actually usually put guests with these offers in the newest building of the resort (opened for occupancy in 2012), as the sales center is on the top floor of that building, so you can take the elevator right up! If you have any more questions about the resort, please let me know as we have been owners there since 2001, soon after the resort opened.

 

[DianeV]

You should be fine as long as you have a car since its not walking distance to check in for the DCP. We haven't stayed at Villages but we have stayed at the other and they are really nice

I would second to not show any interest whatsoever if you do the tour

 

[pa. dad]

We stayed at and liked the resort. its very close to disney. the rooms are large and you can keep the kids on one side of the room with some seperation from the adults if they need to go to bed earlier. The kitchen also comes in handy for light meals and snacks. Considering that Orlando is not a place where we spent a lot of time in the room itself, it was more than adequate.
Watch you don;t have to take a timeshare visit in exchange for the low costs. They are very high pressure long and boring.

 

[dmc6469]

My first trip was in December and we stayed at the Resort. LOVED it. It was a great place for 3 people and we really were close by! We were at the parks in a matter of minutes. Good size kitchen for our breakfasts and late night snacks after the parks. I think it was even better than some of the budget Disney property places my friends have shown me photos of. The screened in patios were nice to sit in the morning and watch the ducks and geese in the ponds while drinking our coffee. We got such a great deal. With all timeshare points for 7 nights it was only $40 per person for a 5 star resort! Where else in Orlando can you stay a week for $40?! We loved that!

 

[disneygirl777]

I'm a bit late to the party here, but we are also SVR owners who stay at SVV when they have this discounted rate. It is required that you attend a sales pitch thing, but if you make it clear you do not wish to own and show no interest at all, you'll get out of there relatively quick. And as said before, everything is very new and the rooms are huge and beautiful. The room we stayed in last time had an absolutely MASSIVE bathroom and big kitchen with an island. The location is very convenient for going to Disney as well. It's a beautiful resort (although we do prefer SVR, as that's where we own) and if you're lucky they'll extend the package offer to you again for the next year (we've been offered it the last 4 years in a row)/