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

[Tigerlily26]

Hello

Does anyone have a link to a copy of The March activity guide?
Thanks

 

[marvel]

I don't know what exact dates you are looking at, but Skyauction has a 7 night stay beginning December 29th for $1520 ($650 base fee + $850 date surcharge + $20 booking fee). If your $277 per night includes tax, that would save you $419 on one of your weeks. If that's a tax exclusive rate, then your savings would be $545 for the 7 day stay. I would suspect that $1520 for one of your weeks is just about the best that you'll see. Worth a look!

http://www.skyauction.com/action/offer/2904579

We have used Skyauction several times and never had an issue.

Thanks, might look into it, just didnt want to have to move midstay. I dont think they ever auction longer stays, only in 7 day blocks

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks, might look into it, just didnt want to have to move midstay. I dont think they ever auction longer stays, only in 7 day blocks

There's no guarantee, of course, but if you contacted the resort in advance of your stay via Diamond Lane and let them know that you had a two week stay booked via two different methods, it is quite possible that they may be able to keep you in the same room for the duration of your vacation.....especially if you are flexible as to which section of the resort you are placed in.

 

[bankr63]

Hello

Does anyone have a link to a copy of The March activity guide?
Thanks

AFAIK, the resort doesn't post the calendar online. You can get an idea of the types of activities here: https://www.vistana.com/destinations/sheraton-vistana-resort/activities. I have posted a sample calendar many posts back; that might help with an idea of the frequency of activities. There are a couple of posters here who have been at the resort in February who may be able to scan and post a more recent copy, but the activities do change a bit from month to month, so would be no guarantee that it would be accurate for March.

There is a phone number on the link provided above for booking activities. The concierge or activities team member who answers may be able to email a copy to you.

 

[bankr63]

There's no guarantee, of course, but if you contacted the resort in advance of your stay via Diamond Lane and let them know that you had a two week stay booked via two different methods, it is quite possible that they may be able to keep you in the same room for the duration of your vacation.....especially if you are flexible as to which section of the resort you are placed in.

I might also add that it is also not in the resort's best interest to move you. You will get a mid-stay major cleaning, but it is still not as intensive as the cleaning required for changeover, and it is much easier for the resort to schedule with cleaning staff if they aren't worried about getting your unit flipped. You will likely either get early morning attention before the departures get started, or late afternoon after all the vacant units needed for reservations have been attended to. Trying to smoothly flip renters between units is a headache generally to be avoided.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

AFAIK, the resort doesn't post the calendar online. You can get an idea of the types of activities here: https://www.vistana.com/destinations/sheraton-vistana-resort/activities. I have posted a sample calendar many posts back; that might help with an idea of the frequency of activities. There are a couple of posters here who have been at the resort in February who may be able to scan and post a more recent copy, but the activities do change a bit from month to month, so would be no guarantee that it would be accurate for March.

There is a phone number on the link provided above for booking activities. The concierge or activities team member who answers may be able to email a copy to you.

The calendar is often posted on the SVR Facebook page . It generally is only released at the beginning of each week, so March won't be quite available just yet.

 

[amie416]

Hello

Does anyone have a link to a copy of The March activity guide?
Thanks

I checked in today... here’s Feb 23-Mar 1:

 

[twoznuff]

Hello,
Planing for our stay May 4-May 12. I would like to make some food while there (yes, I know its vacation and there are many fabulous restaurants but, I enjoy cooking). Can anyone tell me if the condo has a baking dish (Pyrex type) a blender and some BBQ tongs?

 

[bankr63]

Hello,
Planing for our stay May 4-May 12. I would like to make some food while there (yes, I know its vacation and there are many fabulous restaurants but, I enjoy cooking). Can anyone tell me if the condo has a baking dish (Pyrex type) a blender and some BBQ tongs?

Yes to all 3, although I don't remember seeing a blender in our last couple of stays, it is on the kitchen amenities list. BBQ utensils have been provided since the installation of the new propane grills. pyrex baking dishes (I'm going to say two - a "normal" and "shallow") are provided, but no lids IIRC. We'll be there in less a week, so I will make a point of refreshing my memory...

 

[twoznuff]

Yes to all 3, although I don't remember seeing a blender in our last couple of stays, it is on the kitchen amenities list. BBQ utensils have been provided since the installation of the new propane grills. pyrex baking dishes (I'm going to say two - a "normal" and "shallow") are provided, but no lids IIRC. We'll be there in less a week, so I will make a point of refreshing my memory...

bankr63. Any info you care to share about whats available to cook/bake with in the kitchens would be appreciated. I have been on a carb free diet for a couple months now and will be until we get there. I intend to bake some Peach cobbler and drink some yummy margarita's while I'm there

 

[amie416]

Hello,
Planing for our stay May 4-May 12. I would like to make some food while there (yes, I know its vacation and there are many fabulous restaurants but, I enjoy cooking). Can anyone tell me if the condo has a baking dish (Pyrex type) a blender and some BBQ tongs?

I just checked into a 2-bedroom in Fountains I and snapped some photos of the kitchen supplies for you:

https://michaelandkaryn.smugmug.com/Sherarton-Vistana-Villas-Kitchen/n-92x68V

 

[haPevraftr]

Only one week left until our arrival at SVR! We will arrive in Florida on Friday and spent the weekend at the beach before we check into SVR on Sunday, April 1. I filled out the Diamond Lane online form, but didn't get an email from anyone. I called the resort and they noted my requests over the phone. Should I contact someone with Diamond Lane specifically about my requests, as well? Or does it not matter? Do I need to confirm anything with Diamond Lane or just assume that they received my information and I can use that check in lane (if it is still busy enough to warrant it by the time we arrive)?

Since they assign your rooms in advance, if I contact them later this week to confirm my requests, is there any chance that they will share my room location with me? Normally, I am very confident that they will honor my requests (as they have in the past), but we always check in at or before 4:00. This time we will arrive later in the evening and I still have that slight fear that they will give my room to someone else that arrives earlier and is unhappy with their room assignment.

 

[bankr63]

Only one week left until our arrival at SVR! We will arrive in Florida on Friday and spent the weekend at the beach before we check into SVR on Sunday, April 1. I filled out the Diamond Lane online form, but didn't get an email from anyone. I called the resort and they noted my requests over the phone. Should I contact someone with Diamond Lane specifically about my requests, as well? Or does it not matter? Do I need to confirm anything with Diamond Lane or just assume that they received my information and I can use that check in lane (if it is still busy enough to warrant it by the time we arrive)?

Since they assign your rooms in advance, if I contact them later this week to confirm my requests, is there any chance that they will share my room location with me? Normally, I am very confident that they will honor my requests (as they have in the past), but we always check in at or before 4:00. This time we will arrive later in the evening and I still have that slight fear that they will give my room to someone else that arrives earlier and is unhappy with their room assignment.

Have a great trip Happy!

I had problems with DL this time as well. We submitted at 2 weeks, but didn't hear anything back; I'm not certain anyone is actually looking at the email anymore since they made the form harder to find. Things seem to be changing to more of a pull than a push (i.e. they contact you?) Time will tell.

I did call the resort about 5 days prior and talked to someone at the desk who seemed pretty clueless; wasn't really listening. He said he would make a note on the file, but when we arrived nothing had been noted and still no record of our prior DL request. I had already resigned myself to taking whatever the pick may be, I have yet to stay in a section I didn't like, and eventually would like to try them all.

However, the front desk staff was wonderful about correcting things - eventually we had 3 people cheerfully working on it. On learning that we were owners in Courts and that was our preference (we were exchanging back into our own resort), they very quickly moved us into our own section, in fact managing to place us into the unit directly beside our owned unit. (That was a little bizarre because it was a mirror image; I kept walking into walls, turning left when I shoulda turned right, and I kept turning into the wrong parking space). A rocky start, but a fine finish for the ressie.

All I can say is give a call a try. Don't know if they can tell you your assignment or not, but worst they will do is say "sorry, I can't tell you that" (arrrrrghhh.... - God, it's been like 35 years, when will Monty Python finally leave my brain?) If not, well the front desk staff have always been very helpful with us on arrival. The one caveat here is that you are arriving on Easter Weekend, which can be a very busy one. It might be a bit tight for flexibility on placement.

 

[diznee princess]

We just got back and had a phenomenal stay!! We had a 2BR in Fountains 2, was one of the furthest buildings, but meant it was very quiet (backed towards the highway, but no noise issues at night). We easily walked to Fountains pools most days, but drove to those over on the Cascades side. We had a car, so didn't use the shuttle service, but had been told earlier it was a $10 pp cost as of Jan 1, so worth looking into if you are considering that.

The pools were fabulous, clean, warm, not too crowded. They had pool toys, etc. you could rent or buy and they were decent quality and very reasonable priced (pair of floaties for my DD were only $6), so have no complaints about any of that. Hot tubs were also very nice and hot, my only regret is we didn't spend more time there!! (refer to earlier reference to children )

The room was huge and clean, only a couple of areas looking a little tired, but we were extremely comfortable there (2 adults, 2 kids) and DH said he could easily live there in that amount of space (I assume without me or kids!!)

Restaurants on site were decent, but I found fairly overpriced as many hotel restaurants can be (same with market). We used them a couple of times for convenience (Tiki grill and Castaway grill at Cascades), but they were neither spectacular nor cheap, so we opted to pick up some easy food to prepare in-room on days we didn't want to go out for a big meal.

We opted for the housekeeping since we were staying for 2 weeks, and the daily breakfast was an all or nothing deal (I asked about every other day, or even weekly cleaning, neither was an option) and I wasn't interested in 2 weeks without any cleaning. I have to say the housekeeping was a little hit or miss, some days the towels were all replaced, some days they missed some, some days they missed changing a garbage, etc. Not a major issue, we are pretty tidy people, but we noticed it was uneven. If we were staying less than a week, I think we would seriously consider the meal option, although we asked about doubling up the breakfasts (instead of breakfast for 2 each day, could we get breakfast for 4 every other day) and were told that was not allowed, so I wouldn't want to plan to pay for the kids every time we wanted to use our freebies.

The entertainment and activities were more than I expected, we didn't partake in much, but saw some of the live music and thought they were good. Definitely something to look into and plan for next time!

When we were there on a hotel stay for 4 nights in January 2018 we were only offered 5 dollars a day or 500 points in lieu of housekeeping. I would have taken breakfast and let my 2 older children have it. It wasn't even an option offered.
This time we are staying on my RCI exchange in April. I'm hoping to get a better section closer to pools, cabanas and activities, but not so close we overlook it and hear everything. We also need a villa that sleeps 8 and is either ground floor or has access for a mobility EV scooter to park and charge... can anyone suggest what I should request? Thank you!!

 

[bankr63]

When we were there on a hotel stay for 4 nights in January 2018 we were only offered 5 dollars a day or 500 points in lieu of housekeeping. I would have taken breakfast and let my 2 older children have it. It wasn't even an option offered.
This time we are staying on my RCI exchange in April. I'm hoping to get a better section closer to pools, cabanas and activities, but not so close we overlook it and hear everything. We also need a villa that sleeps 8 and is either ground floor or has access for a mobility EV scooter to park and charge... can anyone suggest what I should request? Thank you!!

Based on an EV, I would say any of Lakes, Cascades, Spas (Springs would work too, but it is further from the main pools). These floor plans have relatively uncluttered entryways, so there is room for your EV just inside the door. Spas would have to be a ground floor, but the other two sections have elevators, so any floor would do. Honestly, for any accessibility request, I would contact the resort directly a couple of weeks before so they can place you in an appropriate unit.

 

[bankr63]

I thought I would add a post with some additional current information (March '18) on Internet options. Vistana has added a very succinct explanation of the charges to the signup page:

Screenshot_20180311-090913 by Munro Ross, on Flickr

As you can see there are two options, and the complimentary internet actually allows for more devices than the premium (10 vs. 4) but the Premium is approximately twice as fast.

We did actually pay for premium this time as we only had 4 connected devices with us (we decided to leave the computers at home). In comparison it was noticeably faster and more reliable than complimentary, but the free service has never really let us down and, although slow, let us check our emails, make fastpasses, and book restaurants.

At $10 for the week, it is certainly not a wallet buster. ESPECIALLY in Orlando. Might actually be the best deal we got all week...

ETA: I did not get to test it, but I suspect that, because of the way it tracks device MAC addresses to your folio, that you are truly limited to 4 devices on the premium. I don't think that additional devices would be able to roll down to the complimentary level. If anyone has a chance to test this out, please report back.

 

[got4boys]

Thanks, might look into it, just didnt want to have to move midstay. I dont think they ever auction longer stays, only in 7 day blocks

If you are going in the middle of the week (right after Christmas) which falls on Tuesday, it will be difficult to rent from an owner unless they have Staroptions. If you book from a weeks owner, their checkin dates at Friday, Saturday or Sunday depending on the unit that they own.

 

[Portugal1000]

We always stay at Bonnet Creek but left it late booking this year and we can't book with who we usually do. Have driven past the Vistana Resorts many times and love the location. I will start to read through this thread for info but just had some questions.
What's the best way to book. Direct or rent points? We want to go for 15 nights from 6th October.
Which resort is which? I prefer location near the back of Premium Outlets.
Thank you

 

[bankr63]

We always stay at Bonnet Creek but left it late booking this year and we can't book with who we usually do. Have driven past the Vistana Resorts many times and love the location. I will start to read through this thread for info but just had some questions.
What's the best way to book. Direct or rent points? We want to go for 15 nights from 6th October.
Which resort is which? I prefer location near the back of Premium Outlets.
Thank you

Sheraton Vistana Villages is the resort closest to Premium Outlets, maybe a mile (North) up International Drive. The resort directly behind the Outlets is actually a Hilton (Tuscany Village) and is also an amazing option.

Most stays at the Sheraton Resort are by the week (7 days), so you would probably need to rent the additional night directly through Sheraton. Owners can book split stays (points) but only in a short window closer to the date, so it is difficult for them to get what you need.

Best sources are owner direct (check TUG or RedWeek on the internet), or via auction (skyauction is a favorite of many). The Sheraton points system is much more tightly controlled than Wyndham, so you don't tend to find owners making a business out of renting points.

If it is SVV you are interested in, there is a separate thread for that resort in this forum.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

What is travel time back and forth from the Disney parks compared to Wyndham Bonnet Creek, please?