Staying off site at Marriott's Grand Vista

[maciec]

In Decemeber 2001 we stayed at Vistana Resort. The room that we got was in one of the older buildings and it looked dated. Although it was very spacious, which we liked a lot. We just didn't feel like we were at Disney though because we had to drive everywhere.

Our dilema this time is that my parents own a Marriott timeshare and would like to stay at Grand Vista if they can't trade into DVC. I don't think that we are going to get into Disney because it's very hard to get into from what I understand (we want to go the 1st week in December 2004). So, I have a few questions for those who have stayed at Grand Vista......

1) Is it nicer than Vistana? I think that stay has put a sour taste in our mouth.

2) Is it closer to Disney than Vistana?

3) Is it set up like Disney resorts are where everything is out of or branches off of the main building?

4) Is it a hike everywhere you go around the resort?

5) Where is it in relation to Vistana? The only other place that I can think of location wise is MOWC ... is it closer to this?


Thanks for your help,
Melissa

 

[KProuty]

Melissa,

We own there. We love it. I have never been to Vistana so I can't compare. It IS further away than Vistana, about a mile away, but not towards the Marriott World Center, the other way, on the same road. We always drive to the different parks in Disney so it doesn't seem far to us.

I would ask for a refurbished room close to the main pool, this will get you close to the activities center, the bar, the store, etc. There are multiple buildings at Grande Vista.

You don't say if you have kids... there are some great things there for them, like an indoor playyard, similar to the big climbing gyms, a fabulous kids night out program where you can have some adult time, etc.

If your parents own at Grande Vista, then they won't be able to trade into DVC. If they own outside of Orlando, they "might" be able to.

As far as being in Disney, we have stayed at The Grand Floridian (one room, two nights), the Polynesian (two rooms, a week), the Beach Club (one room, one week), the Yacht Club (two rooms, four nights), Boardwalk Villas (one bedroom suite, one week), the Wilderness Lodge Villas (one bedroom suite, three nights). Except for the Boardwalk Villas which is the crown jewel of the Disney timeshares because of the location and the extra room and the kitchen, and the slide in the pool, we prefer the Grande Vista. (To me the difference between the Grande Vista and OKW where you have to drive or take those Disney busses is non-existent.) The above trips were all made with a family of four. We preferred Grande Vista to the Wilderness Lodge Villas as well, but there were lots of other factors going into it like the price of the Wilderness Lodge Villas, the checkin (horrible!), the view (the bus stop), the vegetation (all dead because of a frost that particular year), the transportation to the Villas from the MK during e-ridge night, (hello overcrowded busses!)

I don't have to tell you the value we get from owning this timeshare. We "split" it each year and get two weeks vacation from it. Next year we are going to Newport Beach as well with the same week of the timeshare.

Not sure if this helps you or not...

You might want to tack on an extra day at the end of your trip and stay at a monorail or an Epcot resort to get that extra feeling of Disney. We have done this. (I would vote for the Yacht Club at Epcot (full balconies)... your choice at a monorail.)

Let me know how many people and what types are going....

We are going to the Marriott Grande Vista later this year in a three bedroom with another family.

Katherine

 

[maciec]

My parents timeshare is a Marriott in Palm Beach called Ocean Pointe.

By the time that we go my dd will be 4 and my ds will be 15 months. She would love the indoor playground.

I get the picture as to the location of the resort. Thanks.

Do you know if there is a map of the resort online? I would like to get the feel of it before we go down.


Thanks a bunch for your info,
Melissa

 

[KProuty]

Melissa,

The link to this site is the best I can do...

I don't have a map.

Marriott site

I think that kids five and up (if potty trained) can go to kids night out. They also have them during the day. Lots of great activities. My kids (now 6 & 9) don't want to stay anywhere else! (I think they may have taken four year olds if they are almost 5.)


Katherine