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

[erinch]

Josh’s email is Joshua.marsh@vacationclub.com

 

[disneyjr77]

I am here right now! We arrived on the auto train, which was 45 minutes late, and we got here around 12:30 or so.

When I checked in, I had emailed Josh, and then he had called me back to make sure he understood. We are here 2 weeks, and I rented each week from a different owner. Each of them has a different kind of ownership, so the confirmation certificates were very different. Because it had been harder than usual to find owners who wanted to rent through the TUG classifieds, I had made a backup ressie through the Marriott website, which I then cancelled when I got the confirmations.

Prior to arrival, I had emailed Josh asking to be in same unit, Fountains 1, 3rd floor, pond view (not pool view), with a preference for buildings 12, 13 or 16.

Josh had pre blocked the room for us. When I arrived, somehow the backend system had cancelled one of the weeks I’d rented and reactivated the Marriott ressie. The very pleasant young man at checkin went and got Josh, who was working on a Saturday. My problem was that one of the owners had disregarded my last name—Cox-Holmes, and made it for Erin Holmes. Josh had corrected this manually when linking the ressies, but the backend end system had overrides that.

Josh was very apologetic, got it straightened out, moved some things around, and got us relinked. The only downside was the room wasn’t ready then. That was a downside, according to Josh. We were happy and grateful. We went to Disney springs for sunglasses for my hubby, and new Vera bradley backpacks for me and my daughter and got the text at 3 that our room was ready.

Room 1342 in building 12. Spotlessly clean and beautifully refurbed. I’ve made a couple of requests for the porch fan to be fixed, and for more washcloths, and the response was instant. You can now text guest services and don’t need to phone.

I have unlimited Verizon data, which is working flawlessly. I did check the WiFi, and it seems to be working. We got a notice on one day that it was intermittent, and then another a few hours later saying it was fixed.

The ONLY minor downside is the food franchise at the fountains pool is now called Azzula. My daughter and her new hubby went there one evening. They promise artisan pizza, and they said it was pretty bad. The chips and salsa were chips and a plastic Heinz salsa container with a pull off top, and the nachos was a plastic container of cheese with a pull off top. ONLY negative. We got snacks from Publix and take our own to the pool.

The AKL is the resort I love at WDW, but it is amazing to me that we can get a week at the Vistana —this time I paid each owner 1200, which was high—and we get such a beautiful spacious unit, with amazing uncrowded grounds for a fraction of Disney costs. We had dinner at Ohana, and the Poly was wall to wall people . Every inch of the pool was packed. We are so happy to leave the Disney madness at the end of a fun day and head back here.

Glad to answer any questions.

Thanks for the info! I'm wondering since we emailed him, if he pre-blocked 2 rooms like he did for you. I feel like from what you said about getting there earlier and what @dioxide45 said about the potential for getting bumped from a great room becasue an earlier person complained (paraphrased), it will be beneficial to check in asap. I'm going to tell her to meet us there first, check-in, and if our room isn't ready then we can go to the grocery, get lunch, all that fun stuff.

That's also great to know about the autotrain timing...my friend wasn't sure how long it would take once they arrived, so we were guesstimating 2 hours from when they pulled in.

 

[erinch]

The auto train is a crapshoot, unless you pay for priority. IMO, the sooner you check in at Vistana, the better. Once all the rooms are given out, there isn’t much you can do.

 

[M SH]

Has anyone had this offer by email before?
"4 Nights in Orlando for $269 with 12 Months to Travel"
it seems like a very good deal, but im looking to stay longer than 4 nights (10) for my upcoming trip.
Would it work to call them and ask them to get that offer and the rest of the night at the regular rate under a single reservation? or would it need to be 2 separate reservations?
if it's 2, would i need to checkout - checkin in the middle or would they be able to link my reservation so i don't have to change rooms in the middle of my trip? any advise is appreciated.

 

[dioxide45]

Has anyone had this offer by email before?
"4 Nights in Orlando for $269 with 12 Months to Travel"
it seems like a very good deal, but im looking to stay longer than 4 nights (10) for my upcoming trip.
Would it work to call them and ask them to get that offer and the rest of the night at the regular rate under a single reservation? or would it need to be 2 separate reservations?
if it's 2, would i need to checkout - checkin in the middle or would they be able to link my reservation so i don't have to change rooms in the middle of my trip? any advise is appreciated.

You will probably need separate reservations, but try calling them to see what they have to say. They may be able to add additional nights at full price. The problem is that full price might be pretty expensive. If it does have to be separate reservations, you can request to stay in the same unit for the entire stay. No guaranty, but generally the resort will want to save on housekeeping costs and will do their best to keep you in the same unit. Just be sure to book the same unit size and max occupancy for both reservations.

That special offer probably also requires attending a timeshare sales presentation, so keep that in mind.

 

[M SH]

The problem is that full price might be pretty expensive.

I usually book on the marriot bonvoy site. Do you recommend other cheaper options through other sites?

 

[dioxide45]

I usually book on the marriot bonvoy site. Do you recommend other cheaper options through other sites?

Marriott.com works, but it will usually be the highest prices. You can try other third party sites such as booking.com, Expedia, orbitz and others. Sometimes SkyAuction will have some SVR weeks out there, though I don't see much right now. Also try checking ExtraHolidays.com as it usually lists leftover RCI inventory. You won't get Bonvoy benefits when booking through a third party.

 

[trish4bruce]

I have a larger one bedroom condo booked with a Friday check in. What sections could I be placed in? I had originally had a 2 bedroom booked but needed to cancel for my original date an II only had a 1 bedroom left for the date I wanted. Secondly, of the sections I could be placed in, which are the newest renovated? Originally I had hoped to be put in Fountains1 but not sure if that is now possible as I only have a one bedroom. Of importance of being close to barbeque and a good pool and hot tub.

 

[dioxide45]

I have a larger one bedroom condo booked with a Friday check in. What sections could I be placed in? I had originally had a 2 bedroom booked but needed to cancel for my original date an II only had a 1 bedroom left for the date I wanted. Secondly, of the sections I could be placed in, which are the newest renovated? Originally I had hoped to be put in Fountains1 but not sure if that is now possible as I only have a one bedroom. Of importance of being close to barbeque and a good pool and hot tub.

One bedroom units are only in Cascades and Lakes. Lakes is the most recently renovated of the two.

 

[trish4bruce]

One bedroom units are only in Cascades and Lakes. Lakes is the most recently renovated of the two.

Thank you, looking at the descriptions of the different villa in the different sections, it appears the Cascades 1 bedroom Premium Villa is signficantly bigger at 855 SQ FT as opposed to the Lakes 1 bedroom Premium at 480 SQ Ft. Is this correct?

 

[dioxide45]

Thank you, looking at the descriptions of the different villa in the different sections, it appears the Cascades 1 bedroom Premium Villa is signficantly bigger at 855 SQ FT as opposed to the Lakes 1 bedroom Premium at 480 SQ Ft. Is this correct?

The 480 sqft looks to be the 1BR standard in Lakes, not the premium. Here is what I show from the Visana.com website;

Lake 1BR Premium - 920 sqft
Lakes 1BR Standard - 480 sqft
Cascades 1BR Premium - 855 sqft
Cascades 1BR Standard - 471 sqft

 

[ASHFOSA]

We have a reservation via Interval International for a 2 bed (sleeps 8) in two weeks time. There are only six of us so I want to avoid anyone sleeping on the main sofa. I would appreciate some advice on which villa/building/phase to request based on our preferences which are:

• high floor
• recently refurbished
• walking distance to pool/restaurant
• non lock-off as I think these have 2 sofa beds?
• Not too noisy i.e. not close to a busy road or late nightlife etc.

Not sure if all those are possible! Any recommendations will be very much appreciated. Which is the best phase right now, and why?

Thank you.

 

[dioxide45]

We have a reservation via Interval International for a 2 bed (sleeps 8) in two weeks time. There are only six of us so I want to avoid anyone sleeping on the main sofa. I would appreciate some advice on which villa/building/phase to request based on our preferences which are:

• high floor
• recently refurbished
• walking distance to pool/restaurant
• non lock-off as I think these have 2 sofa beds?
• Not too noisy i.e. not close to a busy road or late nightlife etc.

Not sure if all those are possible! Any recommendations will be very much appreciated. Which is the best phase right now, and why?

Thank you.

As long as people are okay sharing a double, the sleeps 8 units all have two double beds in the guest bedroom. The non lock off units only have one sofa bed in the living room. Given you confirmed through Interval International, you very likely have a non lockoff unit. As for what to request. Only Lakes and Fountains I/II have been renovated recently. As for your other items, take a look at the resort map and see what area may be best just knowing that Falls and Courts aren't an option since they are both max 8 occupancy.

 

[ASHFOSA]

Thank you. That's very helpful.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Does anyone know what food options are back?

1. Zimmie’s?
2. Tacky Tiki Bar?

Also are they offering room service again?

We were there last Nov and I feel like there was no room service back yet, and just zimmies with limited hours/menu…

Thx!!

 

[bankr63]

Does anyone know what food options are back?

1. Zimmie’s?
2. Tacky Tiki Bar?

Also are they offering room service again?

We were there last Nov and I feel like there was no room service back yet, and just zimmies with limited hours/menu…

Thx!!

Here is what is listed on the status site (https://hub.vacationclub.com/properties/sheraton-vistana-resort/)
On-Site Convenience Store
In Villa delivery is available from Azzula from 5 .p.m to 10 p.m.
Pool Bar/Grille
Zimmie's Bar & Grill: Open daily from 11 a.m.
Castaways Bar & Grill: Open daily from 11 a.m.
Mai Tiki Hut Bar: Open daily from 11 a.m.
Azzula open daily from 11 a.m.
Zimmies Indoor Dining is open Thursday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

That is pretty much where it was when we visited in March; all venues were open then, but for carry away only (I don't think Zimmie's was doing any sit down yet). I was impressed that the speed of service at Zimmie's had increased significantly as a result of the carry-away; there was a short line to order at the bar, and food came up very quickly. We would just take the food back to our loungers to enjoy a poolside lunch and beverage.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Here is what is listed on the status site (https://hub.vacationclub.com/properties/sheraton-vistana-resort/)
On-Site Convenience Store
In Villa delivery is available from Azzula from 5 .p.m to 10 p.m.
Pool Bar/Grille
Zimmie's Bar & Grill: Open daily from 11 a.m.
Castaways Bar & Grill: Open daily from 11 a.m.
Mai Tiki Hut Bar: Open daily from 11 a.m.
Azzula open daily from 11 a.m.
Zimmies Indoor Dining is open Thursday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

That is pretty much where it was when we visited in March; all venues were open then, but for carry away only (I don't think Zimmie's was doing any sit down yet). I was impressed that the speed of service at Zimmie's had increased significantly as a result of the carry-away; there was a short line to order at the bar, and food came up very quickly. We would just take the food back to our loungers to enjoy a poolside lunch and beverage.

Awesome thanks! I called Tacky Tiki and they are doing room service again too

 

[erinch]

We were there for a fabulous stay June 4-18
We ate one night in Tacky Tiki, in a monsoon outside, we were happy tucked into a high top. We got one of the artisan pizzas from the place that used to be Pizza Hut. They made it to order which took about 40 minutes. It was actually quite good. Quinton kept us supplied with adult beverages, and was such a great bartender, I called and left a message on the manager’s line for comments. (Those make a difference for the employee!) My daughter was a fan of the orange crush. They had a nice small selection of craft beers on tap.

The rest of the menu, along with Zimmies and Castaway were burger and checkin tenders and nachos.

They have pre made sandwiches and salads in the marketplace. There are 2 round refrigerators in the middle of the store holding them, with different options in each. They were fine, not fabulous, but good quality ingredients. The. Marketplace also has the sort of selection of quiches etc you’d see at a Starbucks, which it is.

 

[mckennarose]

Long time since posting, but back with updates.
We stayed here recently, and things are definitely improved since last year's stay. Last year we had some garbage issues, and a lot of closures and reduced services, but everything seems back to normal except for some minor clean-up things. Last year was chalked up to covid and understaffing.
As for wifi, it's not the best, so plan accordingly. For Genie plus (the $15 plus tax one that you can purchase at 7, I believe) the wifi isn't great. We didn't do the regular G+. But for the ILL, our experience has been that you need to first tap into the park, then wait until park open to purchase. Our experience was at AK, and we got there at 7:15 for a 7:30 open, and we couldn't purchase ILL for FOP until 7:30 and AFTER we had tapped in. Forget the old days of rope drop.... they don't exist anymore since the early entry for resort guests.
There is A LOT of construction on 535. The light at Meadow Creek Drive by Walgreens is only letting you turn right now. It looks like they're making a new light right at the Sheraton Centre Drive, which should help. My advice is that to go to I4, Disney Springs, etc, to NOT turn left onto 535 (which you can do via the U turns) but to go right out of Vistana onto 535 and turn right again on 536 (World Center Drive). Plan on extra travel time, especially if you're trying to turn left onto 535 and get on the I4. There is also a lot of road construction on Disney property so keep an eye on the signs.
As always, please remember to watch what personal info. you put in this thread, because not all members on here, especially the ones who are self proclaimed Sheraton "experts", will respect your privacy.
And a side note, everything is super, super crowded in WDW. WDW is packing guests into shows, ride queues, lines, restaurant, etc. We came home with DREADED C VIRUS. Not blaming anyone or any place in particular. But just be aware. We took that risk, and took precautions. There were people coughing literally EVERYWHERE. I'm pretty sure we got it in MK at the fireworks. Wear a mask if you're concerned.
Also, the hold on your credit card at the resort has gone up. I can't remember how much it was, but it was definitely a lot more. You get the money back when you leave, and provided you didn't charge anything to your unit, but be aware that it went up SIGNIFICANTLY from what it was. I believe initially it had been $50, but it was around $150+ this time around.

 

[erinch]

My hubby also got the dreaded C virus at WDW. We think it was in the crowd leaving after the fireworks. I stayed negative. It was a downer end to the trip.

When we were at Vistana first two weeks of JUNE, 3 times they turned on the new light right outside vistana. The rest of the time it was the world drive option or the u turn.