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

[bankr63]

Thanks for the quick reply and the bits about getting out of the complex! It's going to be a big help for our stay. So if we want to hit Disney Springs, is it better to go RIGHT out of the complex and loop around, then to make a left and try to go straight up into the Springs area? Will be eating a lot of dinners at the Springs!

I almost always do exactly this now. Trying to get through the Crossroads and onto Hotel Plaza Blvd is often a bit of a nightmare. Turning right out of the resort onto 535, right onto World Center Drive, and right again onto Buena Vista Drive is probably twice the distance, but often half the time.
BV Drive was freer flowing last visit due to the new road alignments, but there may still be some slowdowns in the area as the 2nd DS parking structure is (I think?) still under construction. The access to the DS parking was still pretty messy last visit, we ended up in the overflow parking a couple of times. Hopefully that is better now.

 

[ugadog68]

Does anyone know if Sheraton acknowledges your Diamond Lane request? I sent mine in Saturday no response yet.

 

[bankr63]

Does anyone know if Sheraton acknowledges your Diamond Lane request? I sent mine in Saturday no response yet.

Yes, usually. However a couple of things to keep in mind. It appears that it is usually the same person who responds to the email requests, so I suspect only one person is assigned; it could be a workload issue. Also, they often do not seem to respond until near your reservation date. The resort doesn't get its reservations from the exchange companies until a couple of weeks before check-in and sometimes seem to respond around that time once they can match your request to your reservation. Finally, there were a couple of people reporting on the older Vistana thread here on DIS that they never heard back, although the resort did have the request information.

I would say your best strategy is patience if you are not very near your date, and perhaps send or call with a followup within a couple of weeks of arrival.

Note that all of the above is conjecture based on following Vistana discussions here for many years now. My personal response rate to my DL requests is 100%, but YMMV...

 

[elizabeth vuong]

Hi, we exchanged through RCI and booked a one bedroom, description is: Sheraton Vistana Resort with Resort ID: 0450. I booked a Sunday check-in for end of August 2017. Will I have any problems getting a decent unit with a Sunday check-in? Seems like Friday check-ins are better but this just worked better for our schedule. Should I change it? Also, my main concern is getting a clean and updated unit on the top floor. Where should I request we be placed? Cascades or Falls is where I hear the 1 bedroom units are correct? It's just myself, my husband and 9 year old son. Thanks so much for any advice!

 

[bankr63]

One bedrooms are only in Cascades and Lakes sections. Sunday is not a problem; the number of building allocated to each day check-in is pretty much proportional to the popularity of those days for starting a vacation. So there is one more Saturday building in each of the two sections above, and a couple less Friday buildings as it is the least popular of the 3 days. There are 9 buildings total for Sunday check-in in the 2 sections - that's a lot of units. I would not change the day at all. Considering that the 2BR are only a couple of TPU more for a week, you might consider moving up a level. I find letting kids have their own bedroom makes the unit so much more livable than having them sleep on the pull-out in the living room.

I would suggest that either section would be appropriate. I would maybe shy away from Lakes building 6 as it is getting a bit close to the highway. There are a couple of the Cascades buildings that front onto 535 as well, but the one bedrooms' sleeping areas all face to the back (pond or pool views) so I don't think that road noise will be an issue. You may just want to send a request for a top floor villa if that is important to you.

 

[elizabeth vuong]

One bedrooms are only in Cascades and Lakes sections. Sunday is not a problem; the number of building allocated to each day check-in is pretty much proportional to the popularity of those days for starting a vacation. So there is one more Saturday building in each of the two sections above, and a couple less Friday buildings as it is the least popular of the 3 days. There are 9 buildings total for Sunday check-in in the 2 sections - that's a lot of units. I would not change the day at all. Considering that the 2BR are only a couple of TPU more for a week, you might consider moving up a level. I find letting kids have their own bedroom makes the unit so much more livable than having them sleep on the pull-out in the living room.

I would suggest that either section would be appropriate. I would maybe shy away from Lakes building 6 as it is getting a bit close to the highway. There are a couple of the Cascades buildings that front onto 535 as well, but the one bedrooms' sleeping areas all face to the back (pond or pool views) so I don't think that road noise will be an issue. You may just want to send a request for a top floor villa if that is important to you.

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One bedrooms are only in Cascades and Lakes sections. Sunday is not a problem; the number of building allocated to each day check-in is pretty much proportional to the popularity of those days for starting a vacation. So there is one more Saturday building in each of the two sections above, and a couple less Friday buildings as it is the least popular of the 3 days. There are 9 buildings total for Sunday check-in in the 2 sections - that's a lot of units. I would not change the day at all. Considering that the 2BR are only a couple of TPU more for a week, you might consider moving up a level. I find letting kids have their own bedroom makes the unit so much more livable than having them sleep on the pull-out in the living room.

I would suggest that either section would be appropriate. I would maybe shy away from Lakes building 6 as it is getting a bit close to the highway. There are a couple of the Cascades buildings that front onto 535 as well, but the one bedrooms' sleeping areas all face to the back (pond or pool views) so I don't think that road noise will be an issue. You may just want to send a request for a top floor villa if that is important to you.

Thank you so much for your quick response. This is much appreciated. Your knowledge of this place is incredible. I am so happy to stumble upon this. Are the Cascades buildings units pretty well updated? Thanks!

 

[bankr63]

The entire resort went through a major multi-million dollar update (with the owners charged a lot of money in a special assessment), that finished up about 4 years ago now. All sections underwent complete renovation and upgrading. Since that time the resort has been a lot more proactive about maintenance and updating to ensure that it never falls into a state of outdatedness/disrepair again. Our quarterly newsletters are filled with the ongoing maintenance announcements, and they are already starting to replace all of the soft surfaces that were redone just a few years back. I would have no worries about ANY section in the resort. I have stayed in several sections, and they are all top notch finishes and well kept up.

 

[Jennasis]

We are checking in in about 2 hours! Very excited!

 

[elizabeth vuong]

The entire resort went through a major multi-million dollar update (with the owners charged a lot of money in a special assessment), that finished up about 4 years ago now. All sections underwent complete renovation and upgrading. Since that time the resort has been a lot more proactive about maintenance and updating to ensure that it never falls into a state of outdatedness/disrepair again. Our quarterly newsletters are filled with the ongoing maintenance announcements, and they are already starting to replace all of the soft surfaces that were redone just a few years back. I would have no worries about ANY section in the resort. I have stayed in several sections, and they are all top notch finishes and well kept up.

Thank you so much. That is great to hear!

 

[Jennasis]

All settled in to our room. We are in Cascades building 13. The room is spacious and clean (bathroom a little small but fine). Check in was smooth and pleasant. They were respectful when we politely declined the sales pitch and the breakfast thing. The lobby scent reminded us of our DVC home resort Bay Lake Tower. I had thought the rooms would have a washer and dryer, but I guess not. No big. Getting around Disney from the resort was easy Peasy. Looking forward to trying the pools!

 

[bankr63]

Not a bad location to be in, the inner drives are generally quieter. Short walk to the Cascades pool and the Marketplace, also very close to the Springs pool, which is often quieter than the larger Cascades. The washer/dryer should be there. Sounds like you may be in the smaller 1BR (smaller bath, no balcony), which would put the W/D in a closet near the front door usually (although not all floor plans are identical).

Enjoy your stay, and don't forget to call housekeeping or maintenance if anything goes awry or runs short. They are generally very helpful.

 

[Jennasis]

Not a bad location to be in, the inner drives are generally quieter. Short walk to the Cascades pool and the Marketplace, also very close to the Springs pool, which is often quieter than the larger Cascades. The washer/dryer should be there. Sounds like you may be in the smaller 1BR (smaller bath, no balcony), which would put the W/D in a closet near the front door usually (although not all floor plans are identical).

Enjoy your stay, and don't forget to call housekeeping or maintenance if anything goes awry or runs short. They are generally very helpful.

I found the washer dryer lol! I totally missed that first closet by the front door thinking that it was the connecting door to the room next to us.

 

[ugadog68]

Yes, usually. However a couple of things to keep in mind. It appears that it is usually the same person who responds to the email requests, so I suspect only one person is assigned; it could be a workload issue. Also, they often do not seem to respond until near your reservation date. The resort doesn't get its reservations from the exchange companies until a couple of weeks before check-in and sometimes seem to respond around that time once they can match your request to your reservation. Finally, there were a couple of people reporting on the older Vistana thread here on DIS that they never heard back, although the resort did have the request information.

I would say your best strategy is patience if you are not very near your date, and perhaps send or call with a followup within a couple of weeks of arrival.

Note that all of the above is conjecture based on following Vistana discussions here for many years now. My personal response rate to my DL requests is 100%, but YMMV...

Thanks I did hear from them, as a matter of fact they acknowledged my DL request and then Concierge agent sent me a separate email inquiring if they could do anything for me.
5 more days!

 

[Jennasis]

Just wanted to chime in now that our trip is over. We REALLY enjoyed our stay at SVR. I swear we felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves. The ONLY time we ever saw another human being was when we checked-in in the lobby (which smelled exactly like the lobby at BLT) and like 3 people in the pool. We had to call for help one day because the room safe refused to recognize our pin number. A maintenance guy showed up within 10 minutes and fixed it right away.

The pool was delightful as was the hot tub. I wish we had more time to enjoy the resort amenities.

The room towels were great...dare I say more plush than Disney room towels, though the bathroom was way on the small side. The shower was awesome! Great water pressure.

The kitchen and living area were well appointed and spacious. The room spotless. The bed was super comfortable. Loved the screened in porch.

We enjoyed some off-site souvenir shopping (I LOVE those $5.99 tee shirt stores) and got to eat at some off site restaurants. Really enjoyed Chevy's.

So easy to get to and from WDW. The resort was super close. The only time I missed being at a Disney resort was attempting to leave MK one night when it was beyond crowded. Took us over an hour just to get to our car!

Next time we are out of DVC points and looking for a quickie getaway we will try for SVR!

 

[brazilian fan]

Hello all,

First of all I’d like to thank @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina and @bankr63 for the amazing job in this thread. Because of you and the other SVR lovers I’ve booked my first trip to this resort.

I have been reading this thread for six months (lol) and my trip is still 80 days from today. I have a couple of questions and I hope you guys can help me.

1) Does anyone know if the resort still doesn’t charge a fee to receive a package?

2) I am checking in on a Saturday (02/25), I have booked a 2 BR through RCI. We are 5 adults 1 kid and 1 baby. My main needs are: Ground floor and the second bedroom must be 2 double beds. Closeness to the Fountains pool and away from 535 would be nice upside. What should ask for in my Diamond Lane requests?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[bankr63]

Hi Brazilian Fan,

Thanks for the kind words; we do love talking up our little piece of heaven on earth!

Here is the currently posted policy for packages:

As a courtesy, we will accept and store USPS letters and flat UPS, FedEx and DHL envelopes free of charge. Owners and guests will be informed that handling fees apply for receiving packages. A fee of $10 per package up to 10 lbs. applies to all Owners and guests. For packages over 10 lbs., $1 per pound applies up to a max of $25. For additional information, please contact the resort directly.
​

A fairly comprehensive list of various resort policies can be found at:
https://www.vistana.com/destinations/sheraton-vistana-resort/terms-conditions

If you want to be on the north end of the resort, I would ask for placement in Lakes or Fountains I. I am not overly enthusiastic about Fountains II because a few of the Saturday buildings back onto the I-4 or I-4 ramp to 535 Just watch for the ones on the back property line. Ask for ground floor, not usually a problem as the top floor units are usually more popular; but if you mention that there are mobility issues that would help. Do mention you need 2 double beds as well, if you were to get a 2BR Lockoff unit in Lakes, both bedrooms would have king beds; regular 2BR have doubles. The only section with singles in the 2nd BR for Saturday is Courts on the south side.

Hello all,

First of all I’d like to thank @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina and @bankr63 for the amazing job in this thread. Because of you and the other SVR lovers I’ve booked my first trip to this resort.

I have been reading this thread for six months (lol) and my trip is still 80 days from today. I have a couple of questions and I hope you guys can help me.

1) Does anyone know if the resort still doesn’t charge a fee to receive a package?

2) I am checking in on a Saturday (02/25), I have booked a 2 BR through RCI. We are 5 adults 1 kid and 1 baby. My main needs are: Ground floor and the second bedroom must be 2 double beds. Closeness to the Fountains pool and away from 535 would be nice upside. What should ask for in my Diamond Lane requests?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[brazilian fan]

Thanks a lot!!

 

[Burgermom]

Sorry if this was already answered elswewhere but I have a question re: cribs at Sheraton Vistana.
Do they offer full sized (not pack and play) cribs at this resort? What is the cost? If I had a one bedroom unit would I be able to fit the crib somewhere in the main living area and then have my son, DH and I sleep in the bedroom?
Thanks for your help!

 

[bankr63]

Sorry if this was already answered elswewhere but I have a question re: cribs at Sheraton Vistana.
Do they offer full sized (not pack and play) cribs at this resort? What is the cost? If I had a one bedroom unit would I be able to fit the crib somewhere in the main living area and then have my son, DH and I sleep in the bedroom?
Thanks for your help!

Yes, they have cribs, and if I understand correctly they only supply full size (somewhat industrial) cribs. Pack and plays don't stand up to the rigors of a resort, are hard to clean properly, and represent a liability to the resort. They only say that a "charge may apply" but I don't think they charge for these, or if they do it is minimal. Please report back after your stay to confirm for others! You should request in advance - perfect reason for a Diamond Lane request.
I would say that yes, a crib will fit in any of the living areas, since there is enough room for the sofa bed to expand. It will be a bit tight in the smallest 1BR units though. You might be more comfortable with the baby in the master bedroom and son on the sofabed though unless you want everyone heading off to bed early. I think having the baby asleep in the main living area might heavily restrict evening activity (but then my kids were always light sleepers, at least until their teens).

 

[Certified106]

New Forum Member here but just wanted to say I really appreciate this thread on the Sheraton Vistana Resort Immensely! We just booked an exchange week through RCI and will be at the resort on Friday June16'th through Friday June 23'rd. We booked at the fountains side of the resort so hopefully that is where they will put us as it seems really nice from what I saw. I also appreciate the tips to put in our request through the Diamond Lane and will be marking our calendars to do that 2 weeks out. We are already so excited to be heading back that way!

I know it's going to be hot and humid and the disney parks will potentially be busy but we are hoping it's not as busy as it was when we there for Christmas last year. This time around we are planning an off day between going to different parks to just hang out and enjoy the awesome looking swimming pools and maybe see a little bit more of Orlando area as we have never done anything other than go to Disney parks.