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

[bankr63]

I am here now, after my DVC stay. Bring clorox wipes! It could be that we are stuck inside more due to the rain this week, but I am noticing some areas that could be cleaner. Also be prepared to wash all the dishes and wipe the inside of the cabinets and in the bathrooms when you arrive.
I've also seen a few bugs. I do realize it is wet outside. I won't be back. And I have stayed here 4x previously without issue.

Just a couple of comments for other readers.

Vistana, like all timeshare condominiums, does not rewash the dishes before occupancy. Everything goes through a standard household dishwasher and sometimes particles will be left; the dishwashers are never top quality in timeshares. Our DS has a severe food allergy, so we usually send the dishes through an wash cycle and clorox wipe counters in case contaminants were left behind as soon as we arrive. We do this at every timeshare we stay at, not just Vistana.

Surprised about the humidity, I would probably have called the housekeeping/maintenance line about this. Air conditioning should generally remove most humidity from the air, if your clothes were damp I would expect it was broken/malfunctioning. And bugs are pretty pervasive throughout Florida as they get through the smallest cracks, but if you have a bug problem (i.e. quantities of bugs), then this too is a maintenance call. At Vistana I have always had prompt and thorough maintenance service, and generally call at least one per visit (after all I rarely go a full week in my own home without something needing fixing). Most villas are in service 50-51 weeks per year, so generally the only way they know maintenance is required on all those weeks between is if they get a call.

 

[mckennarose]

Well we were on the ground floor in fountains II. The room was quite humid and there was mildew. Our clothes were very damp. As well as bugs.I'm trying to attach a photo but I'm not.sure how to shrink it

I'm not doubting you, I'm just saying we didn't have anything near that experience with bugs and dampness. I do keep the room fans on so it keeps the air circulating. We were on the second floor of building 35.

 

[tots05]

I am so sorry.......been off the boards all week, and am just seeing this now (as we sit at the airport, readying to return home).

We did not use diamond lane this time around (particularly as it's functionality is sorely diminished with no ability to add in villa requests). We did, however, direct email the pre arrival coordinator, Jennifer Bravo, two weeks before our arrival day and submit our requests to her directly. She responded within 48 hours and honored both of our specific requests (top floor, close to the pool).

When we checked in on May 4th, we saw no one use the diamond lane line. In fact, we saw no one use that line all week, and happened to be at the Welcome center on multiple occasions (for variety of reasons).

I suspect @bankr63 might be right in his assessment that the option might be getting phased out.

Hi Gina, thank you for the info. would you by any chance have the email address of this person? for every year we go, we always use diamond lane and this year, I did see that there is really no spot to put any requests. Our reservation says unit 2231, we are a sunday arrival. Not even sure what part of the resort this will be at. I am hoping to at least get a top floor with a building that have access to an elevator.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi Gina, thank you for the info. would you by any chance have the email address of this person? for every year we go, we always use diamond lane and this year, I did see that there is really no spot to put any requests. Our reservation says unit 2231, we are a sunday arrival. Not even sure what part of the resort this will be at. I am hoping to at least get a top floor with a building that have access to an elevator.

Absolutely. Her name is Jennifer Bravo, and she is the Pre-Arrival Coordinator.

Jennifer.Bravo@sheratonvistanaresortvillas.com

 

[loveswdw]

Just wondering...does Vistana give you the hard press to do a timeshare tour? I'm thinking about booking a stay here through Sheraton but absolutely despise being bugged constantly about taking a tour. Is it one of those where they send you to the presentation desk to pick up your parking pass or activity sheet, etc? Or can we just check in and not be bothered?

 

[mckennarose]

When we went three weeks ago they did send us to the concierge desk after check in for our parking passes but no one said anything about a timeshare presentation. The gentleman asked us if they can help us with park tickets and we said no thanks and that was it.
FWIW we had a super hard timeshare sell at Mystic Dunes about 4 years ago. Talk about uncomfortable!

 

[loveswdw]

When we went three weeks ago they did send us to the concierge desk after check in for our parking passes but no one said anything about a timeshare presentation. The gentleman asked us if they can help us with park tickets and we said no thanks and that was it.
FWIW we had a super hard timeshare sell at Mystic Dunes about 4 years ago. Talk about uncomfortable!

Thank you, mckennarose!

 

[bankr63]

Probably the only thing you need to remember is to just say no. Sheraton/Vistana/Marriott (I don't even know what to call it now with all the mergers), is a high end chain and doesn't want to P*O their guests with a high pressure pitch. If they ask you to a free breakfast presentation, or offer discounts for a attending a presentation, just say no; firmly, politely, but unequivocally. It should only take two nos before they back down; they are trained to make at least one comeback, but should back down after that. The worst thing you can do is leave them with anything that sounds like a "maybe" because then they will keep calling you through the week trying to develop that into a yes; we have only made that mistake once.

Not trying to worry you here at all; as I said, Vistana is generally very low pressure as these things go.

 

[loveswdw]

Probably the only thing you need to remember is to just say no. Sheraton/Vistana/Marriott (I don't even know what to call it now with all the mergers), is a high end chain and doesn't want to P*O their guests with a high pressure pitch. If they ask you to a free breakfast presentation, or offer discounts for a attending a presentation, just say no; firmly, politely, but unequivocally. It should only take two nos before they back down; they are trained to make at least one comeback, but should back down after that. The worst thing you can do is leave them with anything that sounds like a "maybe" because then they will keep calling you through the week trying to develop that into a yes; we have only made that mistake once.

Not trying to worry you here at all; as I said, Vistana is generally very low pressure as these things go.

Thanks, bankr63! Definitely can say no.

 

[mckennarose]

I'm finally getting around to writing about our recent stay! Overall we had a good experience and would definitely stay here again.

We booked through Interval and checked in on May 13 for a 7 day stay. I can say that for our first stay, the Sheraton went above and beyond to fulfill our request for a condo in the Fountains section near the pool. We were in a two bedroom, two bath in building 35 which is close to the Fountains pool, but not directly facing it. (for which I was glad!) Check in was a breeze and although our unit wasn't immediately ready (at 1PM, which was early) it was ready by 2. As I mentioned a few posts above, we were directed to the concierge desk for our parking passes, but were not pressured, or even asked at all, to do a time share presentation.

Our unit was on the second floor, clean, easily accessible and very nice! I'll (try!) to attach some pictures. It was raining when we checked in so the pics are a little dark.

Some general notes:
We usually stay at the Marriott Sabal Palms, which is directly behind the Sheraton property, so it is still very, very close to the parks, especially Epcot and Disney Springs. I will say that Rt 535 is very busy. Much more so than 536, which is where the entrance to the Marriott is.
The main issues we had were; the busy-ness of 535 and allowing some extra travel time, the busy-ness of the Fountains pool and we had some issues with the water in the showers staying hot. We had to adjust the temperature in both showers several times during one shower. One other thing that took me by surprise was that they don't have pool items for guests to use. You have the option to purchase noodles, balls, etc. Also, the washer/dryers are compact size and definitely not full size. Washing for 6 people took some extra time.

But the negatives certainly don't outweigh the positives: the close proximity to the parks, the spaciousness of the units, (I really like the hallway that made the master suite very private), the beautiful landscaping and views from the private patio, the general quietness at night. As I mentioned being glad not to be right up against the pool, as it stays open until 1 am! The staff is extremely helpful and polite. I also loved the second bedroom, which had two full (queen?) beds where the Sabal only has one full and one twin. Having that extra sleeping space was more comfortable.

I would definitely recommend staying here and I'm thankful for everyone here for answering my questions and sharing information. The cost for us as a getaway through Interval was about the same as the Marriott Sabal. It would definitely be a toss up for our next stay. I will say that I'm already looking at a one bedroom at the Sheraton for the Fall.

Here's the view from the front door, looking toward the dining and living room space:


Turning to the left you see the kitchen area and hallway to the second bedroom and bathroom:


The kitchen with full size fridge and stove.


Second bedroom

Second bathroom


The hallway to the master. The washer/dryer is in the closet on the right.

Master. The patio door is on the right. The first sink area is on the left.


The first sink area. Good place to get ready without disturbing anyone in the bathroom.

The master bathroom/second sink area.


In the master bath; whirlpool/jacuzzi tub.

 

[lovemoca]

Hi everyone, I am new here. I just booked our first stay in 2 bedroom villa from May 19th. And ourreservation is for a 1025 sq ft room, 2 bedroom villa,one king +2 dbl beds +sofa sleeper.

Could someone give us some suggestions of which building to choose? We have 2 toddler boys, ages 6 and 2. They don’t like to play in the pools and prefer quieter space to sleep. We would like to stay in the modern decorated building and with nice view, elevator is a plus for us. And we need crib to put in the second bedroom.

is that still possible to request buildings? Since there is only 10 days left.

Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[bankr63]

Hi everyone, I am new here. I just booked our first stay in 2 bedroom villa from May 19th. And ourreservation is for a 1025 sq ft room, 2 bedroom villa,one king +2 dbl beds +sofa sleeper.

Could someone give us some suggestions of which building to choose? We have 2 toddler boys, ages 6 and 2. They don’t like to play in the pools and prefer quieter space to sleep. We would like to stay in the modern decorated building and with nice view, elevator is a plus for us. And we need crib to put in the second bedroom.

is that still possible to request buildings? Since there is only 10 days left.

Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi @lovemoca,

First, to DIS!

I hope you mean June 19th? Otherwise you have a bit of a wait ahead!

10 days out is the perfect time to make arrangements. I would be most anxious about arranging the crib; although I have never heard of the resort running out, they do have a limited number. Read back a couple of pages and you will find a post from @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina with the email for one of the prearrival coordinators. Since the old Diamond Lane request system seems to dying out, that is probably the best path, or you could simply call the resort directly to request the crib.

At that time, I would request a quiet room away from pools. The two sections with elevators (Lakes and Cascades) are also the busiest sections, so you might want to consider how important that elevator is. A ground floor villa in another section like Springs, Spas, Fountains, or Palms might actually provide more peace and quiet with easy accessibility and parking generally right at/near your door. The entire resort was completely refurbished over a two year period, so there really is no section that is better than another in terms of decor.

 

[lovemoca]

Hi @lovemoca,

First, to DIS!

I hope you mean June 19th? Otherwise you have a bit of a wait ahead!

10 days out is the perfect time to make arrangements. I would be most anxious about arranging the crib; although I have never heard of the resort running out, they do have a limited number. Read back a couple of pages and you will find a post from @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina with the email for one of the prearrival coordinators. Since the old Diamond Lane request system seems to dying out, that is probably the best path, or you could simply call the resort directly to request the crib.

At that time, I would request a quiet room away from pools. The two sections with elevators (Lakes and Cascades) are also the busiest sections, so you might want to consider how important that elevator is. A ground floor villa in another section like Springs, Spas, Fountains, or Palms might actually provide more peace and quiet with easy accessibility and parking generally right at/near your door. The entire resort was completely refurbished over a two year period, so there really is no section that is better than another in terms of decor.

Hi,thank you so much for your reply. Your suggestions are really helpful! Yes,we travel on June 19th, my mind is still in May somewhere I just find the email and will try to email her today, hope I can receive a reply asap.

I checked the map, seems Fountains is near a big road, is that going to be noisy? and is that convenient to go to the market place and near restaurant?

 

[bankr63]

There are a couple of buildings in Fountains Phase II that back onto I-4 and can be a bit noisy (there is still a bit of buffer space), but most of Fountains is fairly quiet. Fountains and Lakes are in the North part of the resort, and have access to the Tacky Tiki Bar and Grill. It is a fair distance from the Marketplace which is in the larger South part of the resort. There are a couple of dining options on the South side as well; on top of the Deli at the Marketplace there is also the Cascades Bar & Grill, and Zimmies Bar & Grill.

 

[Longisland55]

Staying during worldcup and kids are big fans. Do room tv s get both fox tv channel and fox sports one channel? Thanks!

 

[lovemoca]

There are a couple of buildings in Fountains Phase II that back onto I-4 and can be a bit noisy (there is still a bit of buffer space), but most of Fountains is fairly quiet. Fountains and Lakes are in the North part of the resort, and have access to the Tacky Tiki Bar and Grill. It is a fair distance from the Marketplace which is in the larger South part of the resort. There are a couple of dining options on the South side as well; on top of the Deli at the Marketplace there is also the Cascades Bar & Grill, and Zimmies Bar & Grill.

Thank you so much for the info. That’s really helped us! I requested the Fountain I, hope my request can be fulfilled. We rented a car, so we can drive to the marketplace

 

[bankr63]

Staying during worldcup and kids are big fans. Do room tv s get both fox tv channel and fox sports one channel? Thanks!

Someone else may pipe in on this one, with accurate information. We are not big TV watchers while in Orlando; too much other great stuff to do! They do have a very full slate of channels, and I know that when we are hanging out at Zimmies they have no problem showing something different on every screen (5 IIRC), so that's plenty of sports feeds.

 

[Lindareitter]

Thanks, bankr63! Definitely can say no.

Find in the older resorts with more experienced sales staff, saying ‘no thanks. Not interested’ is sufficient
I need a recommendation for apt block with a sunny balcony in January.
Top floor with lift
3 adults in apt 8/4 .sunday arrival
Thanks

 

[bankr63]

Find in the older resorts with more experienced sales staff, saying ‘no thanks. Not interested’ is sufficient
I need a recommendation for apt block with a sunny balcony in January.
Top floor with lift
3 adults in apt 8/4 .sunday arrival
Thanks

Hello and to DIS. I am always surprised how many first posts are made on this thread.

I am not familiar with the specific configuration you list - on RCI/II 2BR are only listed as 8/6 or 8/8. However, assuming it is within your class, then Lakes and Cascades are the only sections with lifts. For a Sunday arrival Lakes buildings 6 and 7 would have sun most of the day (balcony faces south) and Lakes 10 would have good afternoon sun with the West facing balcony (but it also backs onto a busy pool and volleyball area). In Cascades, 7 and 10 should get afternoon sun, and 15, 17 should get morning sun.

But don't rule out other sections. Those sections without elevators generally have larger and quieter villas.

 

[Lindareitter]

Hello and to DIS. I am always surprised how many first posts are made on this thread.

I am not familiar with the specific configuration you list - on RCI/II 2BR are only listed as 8/6 or 8/8. However, assuming it is within your class, then Lakes and Cascades are the only sections with lifts. For a Sunday arrival Lakes buildings 6 and 7 would have sun most of the day (balcony faces south) and Lakes 10 would have good afternoon sun with the West facing balcony (but it also backs onto a busy pool and volleyball area). In Cascades, 7 and 10 should get afternoon sun, and 15, 17 should get morning sun.

But don't rule out other sections. Those sections without elevators generally have larger and quieter villas.