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

[tots05]

Hi tots05,

The standard Lakes 2 bedroom villas are actually larger than the standard 2 bedroom villas in Cascades, by about 200 square feet. You can check out the layouts of each one at this link:

https://www.starwoodvacationnetwork...a-resort/villas/100#two-bedroom-villacascades

You could ask about the availability of lock-off villa, but I would suspect the likelihood is going to be remote. Your travel date in July puts you at the resort a busy time of year. Send in your Diamond Lane request, though, and see what happens. It never hurts to ask!

thanks as always Gina! from the looks of it based on the link, you are totally right. We love our lakes villa before so it will definitely be lakes based from this info. Do they charge differently for lock off units? Just wondering if we are even qualified to request one based on our reservation. Either way, the villas are wonderful. It would be be a total bonus to be able to get a lock off unit lol

Finally, this time around, we want to stay more on the resort and maybe just put one day to explore outside. I know you have been here so many times, any suggestions on what they have to offer during the summer? I have 2 boys, 5 and 10. They would be mostly swimming but we want to do other things as well... again, thanks for always being there to help. it is truly appreciated.

 

[bankr63]

thanks as always Gina! from the looks of it based on the link, you are totally right. We love our lakes villa before so it will definitely be lakes based from this info. Do they charge differently for lock off units? Just wondering if we are even qualified to request one based on our reservation. Either way, the villas are wonderful. It would be be a total bonus to be able to get a lock off unit lol

Finally, this time around, we want to stay more on the resort and maybe just put one day to explore outside. I know you have been here so many times, any suggestions on what they have to offer during the summer? I have 2 boys, 5 and 10. They would be mostly swimming but we want to do other things as well... again, thanks for always being there to help. it is truly appreciated.

Hi Tots,

It is not so much about charging extra, it is more about availability. I own a lock-off, at another resort but the principles are the same. A lock-off owner has basically 4 choices each year. Use their whole unit; split the ownership and get two weeks at the resort (leaving the other half open for use as a 1BR); use one half, and deposit the other half for an exchange; deposit the entire unit for exchange. And when an owner deposits, they almost always split the unit, because they get much more "trading power" from 2 separate units with the exchange companies. So in most scenarios, the unit is locked-off.

Also, a lock off might not suit all needs. Since both actual bedrooms have king beds, there is less "real bed" sleeping, but you do end up with two sleeper sofas in the two living rooms, so you do get the same number of people as normal 2BR.

I have always suspected that there are often many more of the smaller 1BR units available on exchange/rental, because when an owner decides to only use half, you can bet they are choosing the larger 1BR half for themselves.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

thanks as always Gina! from the looks of it based on the link, you are totally right. We love our lakes villa before so it will definitely be lakes based from this info. Do they charge differently for lock off units? Just wondering if we are even qualified to request one based on our reservation. Either way, the villas are wonderful. It would be be a total bonus to be able to get a lock off unit lol

Finally, this time around, we want to stay more on the resort and maybe just put one day to explore outside. I know you have been here so many times, any suggestions on what they have to offer during the summer? I have 2 boys, 5 and 10. They would be mostly swimming but we want to do other things as well... again, thanks for always being there to help. it is truly appreciated.

We have been a couple of times in August. I know they had lots of poolside activities (the FUN Team had special events for kids, tie-dye t-shirts, family game show days, dive-in movies, s'mores at night, karaoke, etc.). Gatorland comes once a week for an onsite presentation. There are lots of special pay-one-price nights for the whole family to mini golf for $10 or so (not per person, per family). There's an onsite farmers market a couple of times a week, BINGO several times, a "Vacation Celebration" pool party on Mondays, several playgrounds (6, maybe?), shuffleboard, beach volleyball, basketball courts, surrey bike rentals, aqua zumba, and a bunch of different craft type activities. You will have tons to do without ever leaving the property!

 

[tots05]

Hi Tots,

It is not so much about charging extra, it is more about availability. I own a lock-off, at another resort but the principles are the same. A lock-off owner has basically 4 choices each year. Use their whole unit; split the ownership and get two weeks at the resort (leaving the other half open for use as a 1BR); use one half, and deposit the other half for an exchange; deposit the entire unit for exchange. And when an owner deposits, they almost always split the unit, because they get much more "trading power" from 2 separate units with the exchange companies. So in most scenarios, the unit is locked-off.

Also, a lock off might not suit all needs. Since both actual bedrooms have king beds, there is less "real bed" sleeping, but you do end up with two sleeper sofas in the two living rooms, so you do get the same number of people as normal 2BR.

I have always suspected that there are often many more of the smaller 1BR units available on exchange/rental, because when an owner decides to only use half, you can bet they are choosing the larger 1BR half for themselves.

thanks bankr63, I appreciate all the information. the timeshare we are using is not ours, its our inlaws who rarely/never use it (they are at that point where they are actually regretting getting this but hopefully once they are retired, they will be able to have flexibility and be able to use it) so not very familiar on how these work. Extra charge is not too much of a consideration, its more of are we even qualified to request such a unit lol... Im very much open to being denied but it wouldn't hurt to ask if we are allowed to based on what villa we have reserved for us.

My husband is always amazed on what I actually know about this resort. I always tell him that whatever I learn comes from the people here such as you, Gina and many others who contribute so much information to make our vacations wonderful. Thank you so much.

 

[tots05]

We have been a couple of times in August. I know they had lots of poolside activities (the FUN Team had special events for kids, tie-dye t-shirts, family game show days, dive-in movies, s'mores at night, karaoke, etc.). Gatorland comes once a week for an onsite presentation. There are lots of special pay-one-price nights for the whole family to mini golf for $10 or so (not per person, per family). There's an onsite farmers market a couple of times a week, BINGO several times, a "Vacation Celebration" pool party on Mondays, several playgrounds (6, maybe?), shuffleboard, beach volleyball, basketball courts, surrey bike rentals, aqua zumba, and a bunch of different craft type activities. You will have tons to do without ever leaving the property!

thank you! since we are arriving Sunday, that Monday pool party sounds fun! Im excited, it will be our first time not going to the parks and are making a decision to stay at the resort this time and explore what it has to offer. My in laws will have the chance to see this property for the first time as well (its their timeshare, might as well see what it has to offer lol).

 

[Tricia's mom]

I am 15 days away as of this morning !!!!

Gina bo bina - it would be nice to say hello !

I have a few questions :

We are die hard park goers ... Sun up, sun down !! We really only shower in our room and sleep.

We are a family of 3 and my daughter is 9 . We arrive late on Friday night .Because of that I think I should do the diamond check in, I signed up months ago. When do I do that and what will it save me ??
Our flight arrives at MCO at 9 pm and I would like to stop at the store to pick up fruit and beverages .
So that means it will probably be around 11 pm before we check in.

My other question is should I bother requesting a building ??

I like to be where there is action, close parking or a distant view of Disney springs possibly ??
From what I've seen on the maps all the spots look great.

How far is the drive to the MK parking lot ? DH wants to stop at Waffle House for breakfast

and I need to know how long to allow myself in the morning to get there by rope drop. Park opens at 9 am.
DH is crazy for the awful house.....it's his look forward to while down south. I believe there is one right on the way to the parks, correct ??

 

[bankr63]

I am 15 days away as of this morning !!!!

Gina bo bina - it would be nice to say hello !

I have a few questions :

We are die hard park goers ... Sun up, sun down !! We really only shower in our room and sleep.

We are a family of 3 and my daughter is 9 . We arrive late on Friday night .Because of that I think I should do the diamond check in, I signed up months ago. When do I do that and what will it save me ??
Our flight arrives at MCO at 9 pm and I would like to stop at the store to pick up fruit and beverages .
So that means it will probably be around 11 pm before we check in.

My other question is should I bother requesting a building ??

I like to be where there is action, close parking or a distant view of Disney springs possibly ??
From what I've seen on the maps all the spots look great.

How far is the drive to the MK parking lot ? DH wants to stop at Waffle House for breakfast

and I need to know how long to allow myself in the morning to get there by rope drop. Park opens at 9 am.
DH is crazy for the awful house.....it's his look forward to while down south. I believe there is one right on the way to the parks, correct ??

Hi Tricia's Mom,

Not quite sure what you mean by signing up for Diamond Lane. It is simply a form that you send to the resort generally about 2 weeks before your stay with any special requests or other requirements like extra bedding, grocery prestock. The resort will do their best to place you in a unit that meets your request, but remember that it is an ownership resort, so their hands can be somewhat tied to only the units they have access to. Requests are not a guarantee.

The main thing it may save you is a bit of time at checkin if you arrive at a busy time as Diamond Lane gives you a second lineup option at reception. The Diamond Lane will have your paperwork already started and your room keys ready, HOWEVER when you arrive check the lines carefully. Sometimes it is better to use the regular line as it can move quicker (they can grab your papers from the DL desk). Considering your estimated checkin time, DL will not be open and it will not be busy, so not a lot of advantage aside from making a request.

And to the "need to request" question, based on your initial words, I would say possibly not. If all you want to do is shower and sleep and hit the parks from rope drop to last kiss, one of the older quieter sections would actually be better than an active section. Why? Because the busy active sections are generally the higher density sections and by midnight, you won't be parked very close to your villa at all. At our very peaceful Courts villa, there is a parking spot waiting right at the door no matter what time we arrive, and we are out the door and into the car in a few steps in the morning. So perhaps leave it to fate, you could get a Cascades or Lakes busy building, or a quiet Spas or Falls building or something in between.

You won't be able to directly see Disney Springs itself, but you can sometimes see the balloon rising up from a few spots around the resort. A Lakes unit might give you the best possibility of this.

There is a Waffle House nearby (S Apopka Vineland, right beside the I-4), but in the opposite direction you would drive to access the parks.

Disney Parks Parking Gates are generally about 10 minutes away via World Centre Drive, AK is a bit further, allow 15. Add up to 20 minutes for tram to the tapstile, 30-45 for MK. For MK rope drop, I would suggest leaving an hour prior; other 3 parks would be 30-45 minutes.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Thanks bankr !
Good point about the parking ! I hate getting back late and there's no parking ! Very good point.

As far as the awful house , I thought if I make a left out of the villas and travel down under I-4 it's on the right ??
Then I would leave there get to the parks via Disney springs area ?

I have heard it's a problem to turn left out of there but I'll be leaving early so I don't see it a problem.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Just looked on my confirmation certificate we are in fountains.... Looks as though decision was all ready made. We traded through RCI.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Just looked on my confirmation certificate we are in fountains.... Looks as though decision was all ready made. We traded through RCI.

Fountains is a great area (lol...there's my bias coming out!!). We will be in the same section, as that's where we own. We have also stayed in Lakes and Spas, and Fountains is our favourite of them all.

As far as turning left from the resort to get to the Awful House (love that BTW....will have to use that nickname more often!) it is easy to do from Fountains, as there is a set of lights near the Fountains exit (at Walgreens).

Hopefully we will run into each other at the pool or hot tub in the evenings!

 

[bankr63]

As far as the awful house , I thought if I make a left out of the villas and travel down under I-4 it's on the right ??
Then I would leave there get to the parks via Disney springs area ?

I have heard it's a problem to turn left out of there but I'll be leaving early so I don't see it a problem.
Thanks for the help.

That route will work. Just not the way I would ever think of going to the parks. But early morning, DS will be closed so traffic down LBV Blvd should be pretty light.

Agree with Gina, if you have to make a left onto 535, (and you are at all tentative about traffic) go to the lights at Walgreens, regardless of time of day. Traffic is pretty "chunky" in front of the resort, so lefts aren't THAT difficult, but 535 is wide and fast, so you need a heavy foot to make it across sometimes.

 

[Tricia's mom]

My foot is pretty heavy..... To heavy sometimes.

This may sound silly but, I don't want to go pass the sign that says " see ya real soon" every night when I leave. It will make me sad. I would rather go that back way - the sign is smaller....I want to sneak out so it feels I never left. I also think it's quicker. I take that way and sneak down passed the good neighbor hotels and keep to the right of Disney springs and go to the MK that way- pass fort wilderness . I think it's a quick short cut.
We also like to drive around ( behind) the magic kingdom to look at all the warehouse buildings ... It's pretty interesting .

11 days and I am so excited. I have a business trip to NC next week and when I come back , it's vacation time !

 

[takingkidstodisney]

Ok I was hoping to get some opinions on locations to request. This is our first time staying at Vistana. There will be my parents, my husband & I, and our 2 children (4 & 1). We only plan on going to Disney 3 days so we will be spending a good amount of time at the resort. We like to swim but the 1 year old will still need to nap so would you recommend Fountains?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Has anyone ever done "VIP Check In" at the Lakes Rec Center?

Yesterday, we received an email from a VIP Concierge asking us for some information about our upcoming stay (how many people, if we had special requests as to location, how many keys and parking passes we would need, what time we expected to arrive, etc.). I emailed him back, and today received a second email confirming that we were confirmed for VIP check-in, and he would be meeting us at the Lakes Rec Center next Sunday afternoon.

We have always just gone to the Welcome Center on previous visits. We filled out the same Diamond Lane form we always have, in the same way we always have.

Anyone done the "VIP Check In" at Lakes before?

 

[bankr63]

Someone else mentioned this quite a way back, and I replied with scepticism that it was another ploy to get you to a TS presentation. That was based on my experience at SVV several years ago when VIP certainly was a euphemism for "Very Intensely Prospected". However, that poster did report back that as far as SVR went, it was on the up and up, and they were checked in quickly and efficiently.

So putting my natural scepticism aside, perhaps they are doing this to alleviate some of the pressure at the welcome centre over busy times? As an experienced owner, they perhaps realize that you could probably check yourself in now with minimal intervention, and don't require the full services of the front desk. But I am obviously just speculating here...

 

[luvdisney14]

What section is for Sunday check in?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Someone else mentioned this quite a way back, and I replied with scepticism that it was another ploy to get you to a TS presentation. That was based on my experience at SVV several years ago when VIP certainly was a euphemism for "Very Intensely Prospected". However, that poster did report back that as far as SVR went, it was on the up and up, and they were checked in quickly and efficiently.

So putting my natural scepticism aside, perhaps they are doing this to alleviate some of the pressure at the welcome centre over busy times? As an experienced owner, they perhaps realize that you could probably check yourself in now with minimal intervention, and don't require the full services of the front desk. But I am obviously just speculating here...

Hmmmm.....I hope you are right! I wouldn't have thought the end of April would be a busy time per se.....it was very quiet at the resort during the first week of May last year, just one week prior to the timing of this visit....but hey, I have been wrong before!

Either way, I must admit my interest is piqued. If they are waiting for us, with everything ready (room assignments, parking passes, the correct number of keys, and someone personally there to greet us) I will be mighty impressed, though. That sure would be a nice way to kick off a week at my favourite place in the world!

 

[vistana101]

I use the VIP Check-In at Sheraton Vistana Villages, and it is a nice service. There is typically a shorter line to check in, and they are generally good about meeting your requests. You are correct, they have everything prepared for you at the time of check in to expedite the process. But those who coordinate the "VIP" check-ins are technically part of the in-house marketing department, as it is a sales tool to encourage you to attend the timeshare presentations.

 

[bankr63]

What section is for Sunday check in?

All sections except Courts and Spas. Falls section is Sunday only, the other 6 have a mix of Fri/Sat/Sun building.

 

[jvars]

I use the VIP Check-In at Sheraton Vistana Villages, and it is a nice service. There is typically a shorter line to check in, and they are generally good about meeting your requests. You are correct, they have everything prepared for you at the time of check in to expedite the process. But those who coordinate the "VIP" check-ins are technically part of the in-house marketing department, as it is a sales tool to encourage you to attend the timeshare presentations.

We had VIP check in last year and it was really a very relaxed experience. No pressure to attend owners meeting or sales! Actually I don't even remember if it was even mentioned but I'm sure it must have been. They had everything ready and we were offered drinks and snacks in the VIP lounge they had set up. They said the lounge was available every day during certain hours of the day. So far we have not gotten notice of a VIP check in for our upcoming visit in just 2 weeks but we are staying in the Cascades section this year. In 20 + years of ownership we have always stayed in Lakes so a little apprehensive about having to stay in a different section