Review The Sheraton Vistana Resort Thread (key links on p.1)

[rapunzel3]

Hi, thanks for the replies. Yes, I would like the extension for the manager. I also received a prerecorded message from him last week with that info which I deleted. I received both calls and blast messages. Did not like either.

As for internet, you have it on 5 devices, so you paid the $14.95 per day? It was only free for us for ONE device. The one day we needed it on two devices we had to pay the $14.95. For a week of that it would have been too much $.

Also, there was a gas leak in Fountains last week (not where I was) and they had to evacuate 1000 people for a few hours. This was not in my section so it did not affect me... but just just FYI. Also I read on trip advisor that there was mice in a room last week also.

All in all, I'm not bad mouthing the place. I understand it's a timeshare and I guess that is the root of some of my gripes. It fulfilled our needs for the week and that is fine. I think I'll look elsewhere next time though. And I thought I would share my review here.

 

[erinch]

Hi, thanks for the replies. Yes, I would like the extension for the manager. I also received a prerecorded message from him last week with that info which I deleted. I received both calls and blast messages. Did not like either.

As for internet, you have it on 5 devices, so you paid the $14.95 per day? It was only free for us for ONE device. The one day we needed it on two devices we had to pay the $14.95. For a week of that it would have been too much $.

Also, there was a gas leak in Fountains last week (not where I was) and they had to evacuate 1000 people for a few hours. This was not in my section so it did not affect me... but just just FYI. Also I read on trip advisor that there was mice in a room last week also.

All in all, I'm not bad mouthing the place. I understand it's a timeshare and I guess that is the root of some of my gripes. It fulfilled our needs for the week and that is fine. I think I'll look elsewhere next time though. And I thought I would share my review here.

I will PM the GM's extension to you.

We are in Fountains this week, and so were affected by the road closure due to the gas line rupture. Although our unit was not evacuated. What happened is they are replacing sidewalks, and the contractors (not Vistana people) cut into a gas line. They evacuated the units nearest, and the road into Fountains was closed for several hours, with lots of fire trucks and excitement, until the rupture was repaired. We were talking to some of the sidewalk pouring guys. They had been on target to finish on Friday, but the work stopping spilled them over to Saturday. I've been I,pressed at watching this massive project, which is now nearly complete after a week.

With the Internet, Rapunzel,, did you try to connect 2 devices at the same time? Again in our unit, although it says only one, we have logged on up to 5 devices, selecting the free option, and all of them have worked simultaneously.

 

[rapunzel3]

Thanks! Yes, we tried just connecting but it forced us to put in our last name and room number, and agree to be charged on our bill before connecting.

Other things I would have liked were if the mini golf was free .. it was $5 per person so we didn't do it. I had thought it would be included in our stay. I would have also liked if the shuttle was for guests (we were told it was only for timeshare owners). I am now reading that it was available for a $9 fee for guests (we weren't told this, and wouldn't have wanted to pay that anyway.)

 

[bankr63]

Thanks! Yes, we tried just connecting but it forced us to put in our last name and room number, and agree to be charged on our bill before connecting.

Other things I would have liked were if the mini golf was free .. it was $5 per person so we didn't do it. I had thought it would be included in our stay. I would have also liked if the shuttle was for guests (we were told it was only for timeshare owners). I am now reading that it was available for a $9 fee for guests (we weren't told this, and wouldn't have wanted to pay that anyway.)

Close, but opposite. The shuttle is FREE for most people who book a hotel type stay (through Sheraton or a TA). Free transportation is actually a requirement of the Disney good neighbor program.

For timeshare owners or those staying on an exchange or rental from an owner the shuttles are $9/pp. And again, this is because owners don't want the shuttle cost included in their annual maintenance fees, because most owners won't use the shuttles.

IMO, the shuttles aren't very convenient because the number of trips is limited and you have to follow their schedule instead of your own. And for us (owners) at $9/pp, our family of four costs $36 which is about the cost of a daily car rental plus Disney parking for the day.

Rapunzel, if you are going to call the GM, I would try to identify who gave you so much bad information about the resort. I would like to think that your experience was isolated, and perhaps involved a poorly trained staff member. I assume all this information came from the front desk and not a third pary site or travel agent. Did you book your vacation directly with Sheraton?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So just to keep the information complete; is it advisable to call first so they know it's coming, or just go ahead and ship to the resort? Presumably they're used to matching up packages to guest reservations?

Good conversation here, I'll summarize and post when I think we have all the details figured out.

I was perusing the SVR website this morning, and found this:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/announcements.html?propertyID=5608

Package Handling Policy

As a courtesy to our guests, our mail room will accept parcels for registered and arriving guests. All parcels must be addressed to the registered guest or with the name on the future reservation. All parcels will be accepted up to 30 days prior to arrival and held up to two weeks after departure. Improperly addressed parcels and those left for more than two weeks after departure will be returned to sender.

We will accept up to 3 parcels free of charge. A $5 handling fee per additional parcel will be applied. For additional information, please contact the resort directly.

So, now we have the "official" word .

 

[TillyMarigold]

We're just starting to look into a trip for next winter (2014-2015). This thread is about the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, next to Vista Way, and not the Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort, on I-Drive, right? I'm having trouble keeping them straight.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

2 or 3 calls per week about the "resort photographer" (which I have been told is NOT an attempt to get you to a timeshare presentation; but I still wouldn't go)

We did a resort photography session at the resort yesterday morning, and there was no mention of a timeshare presentation . Heather was our photographer, and she was super friendly. Prices were really quite good ($59 for the photo CD....we purchased a package that included six sheets of our choice plus the CD for $79, and the CD had 56 pictures IIRC) and both prints and the CD are ready same day. You get a free 5 x 7 just for having the session done. Photo backgrounds differ between the two photographers....Heather used mostly the shaded areas in and around the bridges, palm trees, etc. (much appreciated in the August heat!) while Ray seemed to like the backdrop of the Vistana signage, etc. (which Heather completely avoided). I will post some samples of the photos when we get home later this weekend.

I cannot say it enough......we LOVE this resort. Everything we had hoped for and more. Truly a fabulous place to vacation (my boys are already planning next year's trip and we aren't even home yet). This is the first place we have stayed in Orlando that we feel like we'd want to come back year after year. The staff are awesome, the villa is fantastic, the grounds are gorgeous, the amenities are excellent, and we could easily enjoy a week here without ever leaving the grounds (which I think is pretty much what we might plan for next summer, God willing).

I really hate the thoughts of going home tomorrow . What an amazing week.

 

[Nixie]

So glad to hear you had a great time! I can't wait to see the pictures!

I have two questions: Are there changing areas near the pools where we could change if we get there beforehand and our villa isn't ready? Do they have a bell service where we could store our luggage while we wait until our villa is ready?

 

[chalee94]

We're just starting to look into a trip for next winter (2014-2015). This thread is about the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, next to Vista Way, and not the Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort, on I-Drive, right? I'm having trouble keeping them straight.

yes, this thread is about SVR, and not SVV. totally different resorts.

 

[Michelina]

Hi, we're going to SVR for the second time at the end of October. We love this resort!
We are booked for Sunday to Sunday but just found out that we need to fly in on the Friday before and fly out on the Monday after..
Does anyone know if the resort has any kind of reservations for single nights? We might spend Friday and Saturday near the coast and just need Sunday night at the resort.
Thank you, this thread (and the old one) are so helpful!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So glad to hear you had a great time! I can't wait to see the pictures!

I have two questions: Are there changing areas near the pools where we could change if we get there beforehand and our villa isn't ready? Do they have a bell service where we could store our luggage while we wait until our villa is ready?

Yep, there are recreation centers at each of the Cascades, Fountains and Super pools where you could change into your swimsuits.

And according to the SVR website:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/shera...announcements.html?propertyID=5608#conditions

Early Arrival Policy

We invite you to check in after 4 p.m. However, if your arrival does not coincide with our schedule, the Front Desk will be happy to receive your bags while you enjoy the surrounding resort facilities. For your security, keys will only be given to the individual with the reservation unless other arrangements have been made.

Hope that helps!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi, we're going to SVR for the second time at the end of October. We love this resort!
We are booked for Sunday to Sunday but just found out that we need to fly in on the Friday before and fly out on the Monday after..
Does anyone know if the resort has any kind of reservations for single nights? We might spend Friday and Saturday near the coast and just need Sunday night at the resort.
Thank you, this thread (and the old one) are so helpful!

You could book single night reservations directly with the resort . I don't know if adding a single night reservation to an existing Sunday to Sunday reservation would mean a room switch for you or not, though, for the additional night (or nights). It would be worth calling the resort and asking Guest Services for their assistance.

Dreams Unlimited also offers a special rate which should apply to single nights. You can check it out here:

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/sheraton/vistana/svr-res.cfm

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So, we decided to book a resort photography session for the Thursday of our stay. I thought I'd contribute some information on the sessions for anyone else who might be interested.

We ended up spending $79, which included the CD of all photos (61 in total) plus six portrait sheets of our choice (sheets were one 8 x 10, two 5 x 7's, 3 4 x 6's or 9 wallets). We also received a free 5 x 7 for booking the session. On the sheets, they allowed us to blend more than one photo per sheet (so two different poses on one 5 x 7 sheet).

The CD alone was $59. 3 sheets alone (no CD was also $59). 4 sheets was $69 (again, no CD). Plus, you get the free 5 x 7 in addition to the packages.

Heather was our photographer, and she was excellent. Very low key, very friendly. She kept us in the shady areas because it was so hot, and to help avoid some of the really bad squinting (even so, we had some squinty eyes...it was just SO sunny).

The actual picture taking time took about 30 minutes. We let her decide the poses but she was open to do whatever combinations we wanted. It then took about 30 additional minutes inside to pick the poses we wanted for the prints. Both prints and the CD are available for pick up at their booth in the Welcome Center after 6 pm the same day.

Definitely happy with both the overall quality of the photos and the prints. Some pictures turned out better than others, of course, but that's with almost any portrait session. It was nice and easy to have the pictures done at the resort and picked up there too. Convenient for sure!

Absolutely no mention of a timeshare presentation at any time, so its not a ploy to suck you in for a resort preview.

Here are some sample pictures that were taken during our session:















Any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[bankr63]

I cannot say it enough......we LOVE this resort. Everything we had hoped for and more. Truly a fabulous place to vacation (my boys are already planning next year's trip and we aren't even home yet). This is the first place we have stayed in Orlando that we feel like we'd want to come back year after year. The staff are awesome, the villa is fantastic, the grounds are gorgeous, the amenities are excellent, and we could easily enjoy a week here without ever leaving the grounds (which I think is pretty much what we might plan for next summer, God willing).

I really hate the thoughts of going home tomorrow . What an amazing week.

Welcome back Gina!

We have just returned from a couple of weeks enjoying the great outdoors of Ontario and Upper New York State - haven't posted in weeks.

I am so relieved that you enjoyed the resort that much! That is exactly how our family feels about SVR as well; but there is so much variety in Orlando because everyone likes different things, so your never sure if others will feel the same way.

Great photos of the family too; you all look so happy.

 

[Nixie]

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures and review of the photo package!

 

[Michelina]

Thank you so much!

You could book single night reservations directly with the resort . I don't know if adding a single night reservation to an existing Sunday to Sunday reservation would mean a room switch for you or not, though, for the additional night (or nights). It would be worth calling the resort and asking Guest Services for their assistance.

Dreams Unlimited also offers a special rate which should apply to single nights. You can check it out here:

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/sheraton/vistana/svr-res.cfm

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The Vistana portion of my trip report is now partly up (photos and a write up of the interior). Outdoor pics to be added soon. Feel free to check them out by clicking on the link in my signature .

 

[mikat]

Thank so much bankr63 for the detailed info with photos! Am I correct that 1BRs are only in Lakes and Cascades? We're thinking of requesting Lakes close to Spas so that we can be near the Superpool. Does anyone else have recommendations for 1BR requests?

Gina, I've been catching up on two of your trip reports as we are going to SVR and we are going at Christmas, and are thinking about Seaworld for a day. Thanks for all of your great photos!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thank so much bankr63 for the detailed info with photos! Am I correct that 1BRs are only in Lakes and Cascades? We're thinking of requesting Lakes close to Spas so that we can be near the Superpool. Does anyone else have recommendations for 1BR requests?

Gina, I've been catching up on two of your trip reports as we are going to SVR and we are going at Christmas, and are thinking about Seaworld for a day. Thanks for all of your great photos!

Hi mikat,

Thanks so much for the kind compliment on my trip reports . I am glad you are finding them helpful!

In regards to your questions about the villas, you are correct about the one bedrooms being in the Lakes and Cascades sections. That said, the resort (which is very large) is split into two distinct parts (the north side and the south side) by a road. The Lakes, Fountains I, and Fountains II sections are on the north side, while Spas, Cascades, Springs, Falls, Courts and Palms sections are on the south side. While you can use the amenities in ANY section the resort, the Spas and Lakes are each located on opposite sides (and are quite far apart....we drove from Spas to Fountains when we wanted to take in the bingo at the Fountains rec center....it would have been a lengthy and hot walk).

Now, some of the Cascades buildings are really quite close to the Super pool, so that might be an option for you. Cascades building 1 would give you the best of all worlds, IMHO....very close to the Super pool, the Cascades pool, the mini golf, the Marketplace, Zimmie's, and even a walkable distance to the Courts and Falls pools.

 

[mikat]

Thanks so much Gina for confirming what I thought - I messed up and wrote the wrong section! I did mean Cascades close to Spas, and I'm so glad to hear that would be a good option for us. Your trip report talked about the Superpool -was that your favorite pool at SVR?