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

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thought I would come in and do a quick update because you were so helpful with info when I was trying to plan for my son the other day. We saw the specialist today.. and the ER doctor read the X-ray wrong!!! There's no break in his foot.. it looked like one but was a growth plate. So he will be healed by our trip (it's still a foot sprain) and we won't need a wheelchair or a special room assignment. Now I can go back to my regularly scheduled trip planning and excitement!!

Woohoo! That's awesome news!!

How many more days to go? Are you under 50 yet?

I am getting sooooo excited for you!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

An update video from SVR on the changes in progress to the Welcome Center, Zimmies and the new Spas fitness center:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2TjIGohots

 

[micheypl]

Hi all...
I hope someone can help me with this question...I am wondering what and where the closest car rental place is to the vistana resort ..We are renting a car for the two weeks we are there but I only have enough airmiles to cover one week so I can only book one week at a time...therefore half way through our vacation I will have to check in to the car rental place for my second reservation.

 

[pigletto]

An update video from SVR on the changes in progress to the Welcome Center, Zimmies and the new Spas fitness center:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2TjIGohots

Looks beautiful! When are they reopening Zimmies and the Welcome Center? We will be there from Dec.7th to the 14th so I am hoping it might be open then. If it is I will definitely get some pictures for you all.
37 sleeps to go!! I can't wait!!!

 

[bankr63]

Hi all...
I hope someone can help me with this question...I am wondering what and where the closest car rental place is to the vistana resort ..We are renting a car for the two weeks we are there but I only have enough airmiles to cover one week so I can only book one week at a time...therefore half way through our vacation I will have to check in to the car rental place for my second reservation.

This may be better asked over on the transportation board. You don't say which company, but most of the major companies have a site on Disney property somewhere (car care centre, Swalphin hotels, etc); that would be only 10/15 minutes away. However, if you are picking up and dropping of at MCO or Sanford, it is probably best to do the swap there too. Your paid rental is likely to be a LOT more expensive if your pickup and drop point are different. We are renting a car for the first day only of our vacation (for DW who is flying until I arrive driving with kids from Canada later that day). A pickup/drop at two different locations TRIPLED the daily rate on most categories. Even for a 24 hour rental, it is still worth the extra time for us to drop at the airport on morning two rather than pay the higher rental.

 

[micheypl]

Thank you very much Bankr63.... You are correct it is a lot more expensive to have a different drop off location ... Wow!! I'm just going to purchase a few more air miles and keep the car for the whole trip ... Cheaper and easier

I want to thank you all for all the info you provide in this thread ... So excited to be going to the vistana resort .. I was very anxious and worried about not staying right on Disney property ( like we have the last two times) .. But feeling like this will be the best trip ever ... From what I have learned about this fabulous resort

 

[micheypl]

Looks beautiful! When are they reopening Zimmies and the Welcome Center? We will be there from Dec.7th to the 14th so I am hoping it might be open then. If it is I will definitely get some pictures for you all. 37 sleeps to go!! I can't wait!!!

This looks awesome...we are going on Dec 7th as well ... Not far off now and we also will be taking lots of pics

 

[keeperof4]

micheypl not sure if this will help but your best bet is to book a car at Sanford Air or Orlando Air. Rental cars are much cheaper at the airports than any where near Disney. I have booked Thrifty this year , full size, 10 days for $380. tax in. Year before last I used Priceline's name your price , got the full size for $22 bucks a day,up graded to premium Hertz $3 a day.Will try them again in Dec.Then cancel Thrifty if I win. What I would do is try Priceline ,might be cheaper than air miles?? it seems to me that December would probably be a great time to get a deal from them. I know that some Orlando Airport car rentals have shuttle service into the Buena Vista area , Sanford Air is always far cheaper. Perhaps Sanford Air provides some kind of Shuttle service into the Buena Vista area.Just in case you have agreed to drop off rental in the Disney area. Just a reminder that Florida has the highest "liability" law suits in the US. So It might be a good idea to ad this($10 day) to the rental. Make sure you try to get a plate pass on the rental,If using Thrifty/ Dollar rental?? decline the offer stop and buy a Sun pass at the first Publix,way cheaper!!

 

[Sharonco]

Hi everyone,

We are currently staying on site at Disney but move to the Sheraton Vistana Resort early next week; we haven't hired a car but I am wondering if anyone can tell me the best options for transportation to the Disney and Universal parks from this location - we are unsure about the I-trolley and the Lynx buses and the proximity of both to the resort and we are also unsure of reliability based on reviews of the Sheraton shuttle. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance. Very excited to be coming to the Sheraton

 

[micheypl]

micheypl not sure if this will help but your best bet is to book a car at Sanford Air or Orlando Air. Rental cars are much cheaper at the airports than any where near Disney. I have booked Thrifty this year , full size, 10 days for $380. tax in. Year before last I used Priceline's name your price , got the full size for $22 bucks a day,up graded to premium Hertz $3 a day.Will try them again in Dec.Then cancel Thrifty if I win. What I would do is try Priceline ,might be cheaper than air miles?? it seems to me that December would probably be a great time to get a deal from them. I know that some Orlando Airport car rentals have shuttle service into the Buena Vista area , Sanford Air is always far cheaper. Perhaps Sanford Air provides some kind of Shuttle service into the Buena Vista area.Just in case you have agreed to drop off rental in the Disney area. Just a reminder that Florida has the highest "liability" law suits in the US. So It might be a good idea to ad this($10 day) to the rental. Make sure you try to get a plate pass on the rental,If using Thrifty/ Dollar rental?? decline the offer stop and buy a Sun pass at the first Publix,way cheaper!!

Thanks keeperof4 for the tips ..

 

[keeperof4]

Sharonco GET A RENTAL CAR!! It will save you so much grief! The reviews in the most part are correct! I have been surfing rentals for a few days now.Great deals for Nov.even in the Disney area.Try this one. Dollar Rental ,get at least a mid size? $29us tax in a day Just on the Disney side of I4 across from Vistana Resort Dollar Rental WYNDHAM RESORT
1850 HOTEL PLAZA BOULEVARD
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL UNITED STATES 32830
407-583-8000 If you are going to be traveling around the Orlando area Go to Publix on Vinland Av, across from Hilton Vacations Club and get the Sun pass for the tolls.

 

[bankr63]

Hi everyone,

We are currently staying on site at Disney but move to the Sheraton Vistana Resort early next week; we haven't hired a car but I am wondering if anyone can tell me the best options for transportation to the Disney and Universal parks from this location - we are unsure about the I-trolley and the Lynx buses and the proximity of both to the resort and we are also unsure of reliability based on reviews of the Sheraton shuttle. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you in advance. Very excited to be coming to the Sheraton

Rental car is highly recommended for staying at Vistana, SunPass isn't really necessary for Vistana travelling inside Orlando if you are just going to the parks. The only place we tend to hit tolls while staying at Vistana is to/from Orlando International Airport. It is more appropriate if you are going to the Space Coast area (Atlantic side), but again no tolls if you go beaching on the Gulf side.

I-Trolley isn't really an option at Vistana Resort, it doesn't come down that far, so you would have to get to the end-of-the-line stop near Premium Outlets on Vineland.

Lynx is possible, inexpensive, but not very convenient. The service connections to WDW appear okay, not as sure about Universal. They have the most confusing transit map I have ever seen online, but they do have lots of information on their web site.

Sheraton shuttles are fairly expensive for a family, and the limited times can be inconvenient. For a family of four, a rental car and parking will probably cost you not much more than the shuttle bus (although the shuttles to WDW, not to Uni, are free for hotel stay guests).

If you are looking for the best deals on car rentals, hit the transportation board here on DIS. There is a thread for every month of the year with the best rental discounts and codes. We pick up some great rental deals there by following along.

 

[pigletto]

Just want to second bankr's advice of using the threads on the transportation boards. I have a 10 day reservation from MCO for a standard car for $161 all in right now. We couldn't take the shuttles to the parks for that cheap. So follow those threads and try the codes.

 

[pigletto]

So I'm getting ridiculously excited! Look at this ticker.. only 30 days to go!! I am sure I will have more and more questions as time goes on so I hope nobody gets sick of me.

Is the standard advice still to submit Diamond Lane requests at about 2 weeks out? I am still torn on what to request.
So far I am pretty sure I will be requesting no highway/road noise, and a top floor unit to try to reduce noise of people overhead and in hopes of a skylight. That's about all I can think of. Is there a section that could accommodate those requests? We have a Sunday check in with a 6/8 sleeping configuration. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So I'm getting ridiculously excited! Look at this ticker.. only 30 days to go!! I am sure I will have more and more questions as time goes on so I hope nobody gets sick of me.

Is the standard advice still to submit Diamond Lane requests at about 2 weeks out? I am still torn on what to request.
So far I am pretty sure I will be requesting no highway/road noise, and a top floor unit to try to reduce noise of people overhead and in hopes of a skylight. That's about all I can think of. Is there a section that could accommodate those requests? We have a Sunday check in with a 6/8 sleeping configuration. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

The final 30-day countdown! I am so jealous!

2 weeks out is still the recommended time frame for sending in Diamond Lane requests .

A top floor unit with a skylight and a Sunday check-in could get you Fountains.....but be aware these three storey buildings don't have elevators so that would mean walking up and down stairs to access your unit. We didn't mind it, but I'm not sure how your DS's foot is recovering from the injury a few weeks back (I know you mentioned it wasn't broken...thank goodness!...but I am guessing it may still be pretty sore nonetheless).

Do any of the other sections have skylights? I know Spas didn't.

I think bankr63 has stayed in a few other sections...Courts, and maybe Springs?....so perhaps he had an upper floor on those getaways and can add in his two cents!

 

[pigletto]

The final 30-day countdown! I am so jealous!

2 weeks out is still the recommended time frame for sending in Diamond Lane requests .

A top floor unit with a skylight and a Sunday check-in could get you Fountains.....but be aware these three storey buildings don't have elevators so that would mean walking up and down stairs to access your unit. We didn't mind it, but I'm not sure how your DS's foot is recovering from the injury a few weeks back (I know you mentioned it wasn't broken...thank goodness!...but I am guessing it may still be pretty sore nonetheless).

Do any of the other sections have skylights? I know Spas didn't.

I think bankr63 has stayed in a few other sections...Courts, and maybe Springs?....so perhaps he had an upper floor on those getaways and can add in his two cents!

Thanks Gina! I loved the look of your unit from your trip report pictures, so Fountains would be nice. Ds's foot is pretty good! He's even returned to basketball practice. The only time it's sore is at the end of the day occasionally so I think we will be good by December. Certainly much better than the broken foot mis-diagnosis!! The boy is running around just fine, and I'm still waiting on the insurance claim for the walking cast.
So if we were to get Fountains I think we would manage really well.

 

[chalee94]

Do any of the other sections have skylights? I know Spas didn't.

the lakes section did.

my dad had a "senior moment" and had trouble turning off the lights as we left the villa one day.

"dad, you can't turn off the skylight..."

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

the lakes section did.

my dad had a "senior moment" and had trouble turning off the lights as we left the villa one day.

"dad, you can't turn off the skylight..."

Oh, yay!

I would like to try out the Lakes section at some point. Maybe on our October trip. I know it won't be guaranteed (as our ownership is in Fountains) but heck, it doesn't hurt to ask .

That is too funny about your dad .

 

[bankr63]

Do any of the other sections have skylights? I know Spas didn't.

I think bankr63 has stayed in a few other sections...Courts, and maybe Springs?....so perhaps he had an upper floor on those getaways and can add in his two cents!

Actually, a quick perusal of the satellite images on Google maps gives the answer. Fountains, Lakes, Springs, Palms and some Cascades. Cascades has less skylights than the number of units, so I think it probably depends on the unit configuration there. I would expect that only premium half of the 1BR LO units (Cascades/Lakes) might have a skylight.

 

[karalgriffin]

We are arriving at the Vistana Resort in 23 days! We're so excited! Quick question...my kids are pool junkies and love to have pool toys (ie: noodles, swim rings, etc). Are there some for use at the pools or should we bring our own ? Some of the photos I've seen on tripadvisor show stacks of pool floats.