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

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thank you so much for updating this thread and for all the wonderful information! I am a huge planner so I am trying to get as much info as possible for our trip for ringing in in 2015 Disney Style!! We have never stayed at SVR before so this is really helpful.

I do a have a couple questions:

1 - For those that have stayed here before, what is the best way for an owner (we traded through RCI) to get to and from WDW? We don't want to do the shuttles, but are bouncing between rental car and cabs as there is 7 of us (4 adults, 3 kids age 5, 7, 9)

2 - What is a Diamond Lane Request? (Sorry for my ignorance on this)

We also rent a car. We have been very lucky on each of our trips to find a decent deal for a rental vehicle, and then we have vacation freedom (to visit the parks, or offsite attractions, shopping and dining as well). Parking is super convenient (and free) at the resort, so the only annoyance is paying for parking at the theme parks.

The Diamond Lane Check-In form can be found here:

https://www.mystarcentral.com/services/diamond.jsp?propertyId=01

Basically, it puts in your requests ahead of time to expedite the check-in process. The form says they must have your Diamond Lane requests at least 72 hours in advance, but our resident expert, bankr63, always suggests submitting it somewhere around 2 weeks in advance of your arrival as that is when they start making the room assignments.

We always use Diamond Lane to request a top floor villa that's away from the 2 highways (I4 and the 535) and near a pool.

 

[VacaDream]

Thank you both so very much!!

 

[faeriesxist83]

My husband and I are expecting a little boy any day now and I want to squeeze in one more adult centered Disney trip since future trips will revolve around the kiddo. I'm looking at the first week in March (arriving Feb 27,28 or 29) I'm thinking if we stay in a timeshare it might be cheap enough that I could afford to fly a friend with us to babysit a few nights and help out in the parks. Since we usually stay in a hotel, I'm starting my research super far in advance because the whole thing makes me nervous. Maybe some of you could answer some questions for me?
1. I'm trying to get an idea of pricing, but it seems like most rentals are only available for 2014. When do next years dates/prices usually become available on redweek/tug? How far in advance do you typically plan?
2. We'll be renting a car but would love to know how the shuttle works in case we want to split up. If you rent from an owner can you pay to use the complimentary shuttle? How often does it come? I can't seem to find a schedule anywhere.
3. Are the pools heated? Not sure if it will be warm enough for swimming then anyways, but just in case.
4. We're considering SVR or bonnet creek. Bonnet creek is more expensive, but it does have the shuttle and being onsite it seems like it would be easier to get to/from the parks if we needed to drop off the baby/sitter at the condo. Any thoughts comparing the two? Thanks!

 

[bankr63]

My husband and I are expecting a little boy any day now and I want to squeeze in one more adult centered Disney trip since future trips will revolve around the kiddo. I'm looking at the first week in March (arriving Feb 27,28 or 29) I'm thinking if we stay in a timeshare it might be cheap enough that I could afford to fly a friend with us to babysit a few nights and help out in the parks. Since we usually stay in a hotel, I'm starting my research super far in advance because the whole thing makes me nervous. Maybe some of you could answer some questions for me?
1. I'm trying to get an idea of pricing, but it seems like most rentals are only available for 2014. When do next years dates/prices usually become available on redweek/tug? How far in advance do you typically plan?
2. We'll be renting a car but would love to know how the shuttle works in case we want to split up. If you rent from an owner can you pay to use the complimentary shuttle? How often does it come? I can't seem to find a schedule anywhere.
3. Are the pools heated? Not sure if it will be warm enough for swimming then anyways, but just in case.
4. We're considering SVR or bonnet creek. Bonnet creek is more expensive, but it does have the shuttle and being onsite it seems like it would be easier to get to/from the parks if we needed to drop off the baby/sitter at the condo. Any thoughts comparing the two? Thanks!

Hi Faeries, and welcome to DIS!! I'll run through your questions as best I can:

1. Timeshares can hit these sites at any time throughout the year, but the vast majority are posted as the owners' annual maintenance fees are due - so you should see many more posted around the November/December/January timeframe.

2. Actually the shuttle is only complimentary to people booking as a hotel stay. Owners pay for the shuttle as well, and yes, it can also be used by people renting/exchanging from an owner. I am not aware of a published schedule as it can change, but in general there are 3-4 trips TO the parks each morning up until around mid-day, and another 3-4 trips FROM the parks starting around mid-day through the evening. There is a set pickup point for hotel shuttles in the Disney Park parking lots.

3. Yes the pools are all heated, and they will be plenty warm around your time. Our ownership is the second week of March and we swim regardless of weather, but always have at least a couple of days warm enough for laying around the pools.

4. The difference in drive is about 2 miles between the two resorts on a fairly quiet main thoroughfare (Epcot Centre/World Centre Drive), so the distance would be a wash.

I haven't stayed at WBC but have stayed at a couple of other Wyndham Timeshare properties in the North East. IMO for luxury, Wyndham is a notch below Sheraton but still nicely appointed. WBC buildings are towers with indoor corridors and elevators (like an apartment building). SVR buildings are mostly low-rise - more like townhomes; Cascades and Lakes sections have elevators, all others are 2-3 storey walkups. There are no interior corridors so you have more of a resort feel. But the lower density at SVR leads to larger grounds; it is a big resort, but with 7 pools and most other services centrally located it's very easy to get around.

Hope that helps. Regardless of where you decide to stay, hope you have a great vacation!

 

[delilah18]

Hello

I have a couple of questions does anyone have pictures of the two zero entry pool? Which section are they in?

Also if we checking in on a Monday, where are we mostly likely to be placed?
Can we still request an area?

Thanks

 

[delilah18]

Anyone??
Please

 

[bankr63]

Hello

I have a couple of questions does anyone have pictures of the two zero entry pool? Which section are they in?

Also if we checking in on a Monday, where are we mostly likely to be placed?
Can we still request an area?

Thanks

Hi Delilah,

Sorry for the delay in responding, it has been a very busy weekend!

There is really only one true zero-entry pool in the Lakes section (close to both the Lakes and Fountains area):


The Cascades pool is not really zero entry, but it's only about a six inch step down. The area for small kids has a bunch of sprinklers and the shallow zone is quite large!



Monday is not a standard check-in day; weeks owners have Fri-Sat-Sun check ins. With a non-standard day, it probably depends on your check-out day. If it aligns with one of those days, there is a better chance you will end up in a section with that day check-out. The objective to standardizing the check-in/out days is to efficiency of cleaning staff.

You can always make requests at the resort. My recommendation for making requests is to not be overly specific. The resort management really wants you to enjoy you stay!

 

[delilah18]

Hello

Thanks so much
We are checking in on Monday and checking out on a Tuesday
On the Sheraton website we booked a two bedroom it said King bed and two single beds in the second bedroom, does that mean a specific section?

Thanks again for the pics

 

[Detailor]

On the Sheraton website we booked a two bedroom it said King bed and two single beds in the second bedroom, does that mean a specific section?

I believe that would mean either Courts or Falls. While I could well be wrong, I think that all of the other phases have two full-sized beds in the second bedroom.

Dick Taylor

 

[delilah18]

Thanks

Does anyone have pics of the pools in those areas?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks

Does anyone have pics of the pools in those areas?

Courts pool and hot tubs:







Falls pool and playground:









delilah, I wouldn't hold your breath on being assigned to Falls or Courts with a Monday check-in and a Tuesday check-out, as both of those sections generally have weekend check-ins only (I think Courts is generally Saturday and Falls is Sunday....bankr63 will correct me if I am wrong). I would say that Lakes, Cascades and Fountains are all quite possible (which would be an "upgrade" of sorts as they have 2 double beds in the 2nd bedroom). Just something to be aware of.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

delilah, here are some additional recreation are pics for you:

Cascades pool and playground:









Basketball area (near Falls/Courts/Super Pools):



Surrey Bikes (at Cascades activity center....rental fee applies):



The "Fishpipe" (fee applies):

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The Spas recreation area (pool, hot tubs):











Volleyball court:

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Tennis courts:



And finally.....mini golf:





This is my favourite place, though :

 

[bankr63]

Thanks

Does anyone have pics of the pools in those areas?

One thing to keep in mind is that most of these pools are in two fairly central clusters on the North (Lakes/Fountains) and South (Courts/Falls/Spas/Cascades) areas. Only the Springs pool is a little way off from the others (making it generally a good quiet pool). Guests are welcome to use whatever pools they desire, and our crew generally does, sometimes pool hopping once or twice a day. It's a very short walk from pool to pool.

 

[Detailor]

One thing to keep in mind is that most of these pools are in two fairly central clusters on the North (Lakes/Fountains) and South (Courts/Falls/Spas/Cascades) areas. Only the Springs pool is a little way off from the others (making it generally a good quiet pool). Guests are welcome to use whatever pools they desire, and our crew generally does, sometimes pool hopping once or twice a day. It's a very short walk from pool to pool.

That's a good point. If I remember correctly, the Falls pool area is adjacent to the Courts pool area and Courts is, in turn, adjacent to the Spas 'super pool' which is sort of behind Zimmie's.

On the check-in date:
Isn't it true that the Friday/Saturday/Sunday check-in schedule is associated with timeshare check-in dates for owners or exchangers? I took the OP's comment about booking it through Sheraton to mean that it was booked through the Sheraton hotel reservation system (presumably starwood.com) and that system would allow for any check-in day for villas that had been opened up for hotel stays. If that's true, I'd think that the King/2 Twins would stand up and that only Courts or Falls would be a possibility.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Dick Taylor

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

That's a good point. If I remember correctly, the Falls pool area is adjacent to the Courts pool area and Courts is, in turn, adjacent to the Spas 'super pool' which is sort of behind Zimmie's.

And the Cascades pool is just across from that general area. We stayed in Spas last summer, and were easily able to frequent all of those pools within a short walking distance.

On the check-in date:
Isn't it true that the Friday/Saturday/Sunday check-in schedule is associated with timeshare check-in dates for owners or exchangers? I took the OP's comment about booking it through Sheraton to mean that it was booked through the Sheraton hotel reservation system (presumably starwood.com) and that system would allow for any check-in day for villas that had been opened up for hotel stays. If that's true, I'd think that the King/2 Twins would stand up and that only Courts or Falls would be a possibility.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Dick Taylor

For some reason, if you go to book directly from the Sheraton website, the only option is "one king + 2 singles". They don't give you the option to select the "one king + 2 doubles" room configuration, even though there would be more of that room style than the king/singles set-up.

 

[bankr63]

On the check-in date:
Isn't it true that the Friday/Saturday/Sunday check-in schedule is associated with timeshare check-in dates for owners or exchangers? I took the OP's comment about booking it through Sheraton to mean that it was booked through the Sheraton hotel reservation system (presumably starwood.com) and that system would allow for any check-in day for villas that had been opened up for hotel stays. If that's true, I'd think that the King/2 Twins would stand up and that only Courts or Falls would be a possibility.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Dick Taylor

For some reason, if you go to book directly from the Sheraton website, the only option is "one king + 2 singles". They don't give you the option to select the "one king + 2 doubles" room configuration, even though there would be more of that room style than the king/singles set-up.

Yes, I noticed that they "simplified" this a while back on the Sheraton site. I think it helps them get rid of any arguments if they just list the lowest common denominator for bed size to provide flexibility. This way a hotel stay is truly "run of house" within the (many) units that Sheraton holds.

I know from past hotel reservations we have made that they align hotel stay check-ins with the weeks section check in where possible. I am only guessing that non-standard check-in days then try to align with the check-out days. Stands to reason because the cleaning teams are in those buildings already, and it is all about efficiency for the resort staff and management team.

 

[delilah18]

Yes I booked through starwood, I know it's a weird checkin And checkout date, my work week is saturday to friday vacation wise. We are driving down on Saturday and are staying one night in Cocoa Beach before staying at the Vistanas.
I requested Cascades area, but I will be hsppy with anywhere, thanks for the pics everyone posted.

 

[Ang1e]

I've read this thread all the way through a couple of times now. Am getting so excited for our stay. Thank you all so much for the information provided.

I've booked through hotel.com, arriving on a Saturday, check-out a Friday, with daily clean. Our room will be a double and 2 singles. Really wanted 2 doubles in the second room but couldn't find them. Reading through it looks likely that we will be assigned either Courts or Falls. They look to be in quiet spots away from traffic noise. Suits me