disney 4me2
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2005
- Messages
- 68
Our vacation was just wonderful, thanks in part to all the great tips on this message board! Our trip included me, (45) my husband (48) DS (16) and DD(9). We left our home in upstate NY on Sunday morning April 17th, and drove 3 hours to Buffalo. We went to Niagara Falls, and the Butterfly Conservatory. Great place. We had dinner at the top of the Minolta tower, overlooking the falls, spectacular view. We stayed at the Sheraton near the airport. We discovered it is almost cheaper to do this than to use the parking lot at the airport for 8 days.We paid around $100 for our room, and they gave us free shuttle service to and from the airport.The reason that we departed from Buffalo was that it was muuch cheaper to fly out of buffalo than Syracuse or Albany. We had 4 round trip tickets on Delta for a total cost of $560 and it would have been $1300 if we flew out of either Syracuse or Albany. We did not mind the drive to Buffalo, and we loved seeing Niagara Falls! One little thing, I thought I was so organized, I had everyones birth certificate ready when we crossed the Canadian border. My husband actually thought I was kidding when I told him that I did not have mine... I had put in my NY state teaching certificate by mistake, as it looks similar to a birth certificate, anyway I was afraid that I would get stuck in Canada, but all they asked us for were drivers licenses.
Day 1 We flew out of Buffalo at 5:30 Am great flight, arrived in Orlando at 10:30 AM Picked up rental car (Dollar Rental Car)and luggage, got to Vistana Villages at noon. We were told we could not check in until 4pm, but we were actually able to check in at 1:30 pm. We did not get the room or the building that we wanted but we were on vacation, and we were really just glad to be there! The front desk people were mostly bilingual, and had their home countries on their name tags. They were efficient and could understand English quite well. I did have an issue with one very rude employee, and brought it to the attention of the front desk manager.Our room was very nice, we were on the 1st floor of building 9. I had asked for a higher floor in building 1, 2, or 3 as they are closer to the pools, and they do not overlook the lake.I realized that we were pretty much stuck with our room location, so we chose not to let it bother us, even though I was told emphatically over the past month that my request would try to be honored. They do not guarantee a specific location.We had lunch at the poolside deli, it was very good. My husband had a phillly steak sand. , I had a chicken sand. The kids had burgers and fries.We enjoyed the rest of the day by the wonderful pool. Frozen Pinya Coladas were very good. The whole place reminded me of a Club Med, they had kids activities, hair braiding, someone doing massages, rafts for the kids, cabannnas , ping pong, pool, ect... The pool was by far the biggest I have ever seen, with a waterfall in the middle of it, and they also have a smaller quiet pool. they have 2 outside large hot tubs as well. Pool towels were never a problem, they had plenty, located at the activity center right at the pool area, and they were very nice; tourquoise and white striped large beach towels. When finished with the towels, they pick them up, so you do not even have to return them . We were at the pool everday, and they always had plenty of towels for everyone. the Tiki bar was also great, we had frozen drinks for $7 and well worth it! there is a small store right by the pool and also an exercize room and sauna.
Day 2: we went to the Majic Kingdom. We got there when they first opened, not crowded at all.It was great, and our daughters first time, so it was extra special. We saw a nice show at the castle, and our daughter got many pictures and autographs wth Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, ect... We did not get hopper passes, we did not need them.We ate at Peco Bill's and used our Qand C vouchers. Great place, excellent food, large portions, and they have a nice fixing bar set up for your burgers .My daughter and I shared a chicken wrap, chilli cheese fries, soda and chocolate pie. My husband and son each had a double bacon burger, chilli cheese fries, soda and pie. We used 3 vouchers, had more than enough food, and the bill would have been $40 without the vouchers.( I bought 6 vouchers from a very nice person on these boards, paid a total of $55 for all 6!) We loved everything about the Majic Kingdom! The crowds were not bad at all and we rarely waited more than 15 minutes for any ride. We used our Brita Water bottles, they really came in handy! We even took the filter out of one, and pored filtered water into the bottle, and added crystal light lemonade. I was afraid to put the crystal light in the filtered bottle, but it worked out great poring the filtered water into the unfiltered bottle.This was my husband's idea, and I thought it was a good one! I figure the water bottles saved our family $50 or more last week. We got water from the drinking fountains and we even got ice from the counter service. They were very nice a bout giving us ice, I offered to pay for it they said no charge. A bottle of water is $2.50 in the parks, so this was a huge savings.We picked up subs from Subway for dinner on our way back to the Vistana. We got 2 large subs for a total of $12 . We were not very hungry after the big lunch at Peco Bill's. We also went to the grocery store and picked up cereal, bagels, eggs, sausage, juice coffee, milk, soda, bread and donuts for breakfasts in the room. We had a full kitchen but did not want to cook too much. We thought eating breakfast in the room would save alot of time in the morning. Our total cost for groceries was $35. We went to the hot tub and pool and turned in early . Our master bedroom had a huge jaquizzi tub, it was great.
Day 2:We went to Epcot, and arrived just before they opened. We were able to walk right on many rides. We went back to our resort in the afternoon, for some pool time and relaxation. the weather was perfect. We went back to Epcot at 6pm, got parking right up front, and ate at a Morrocain (sp) restaurant ,again using 3 vouchers. We paid for a kids meal for our daughter.The food was excellent and we did not have to wait at all for a table. My husband and son both had lamb and chicken platters, soda, salad, and very yummy pastries. I had a chicken platter(half a chicken, marinated -very good) salad, and strawberry shortcake-like tart. Our bill would have been $63 if we did not use the vouchers, this did not include my daughters meal. The vouchers, for us, were a very good deal, and I would use them again. Both of the restaurants we used them in were excellent also. Shortly after dinner Illuminations began, and we had perfect seating. After the show we strolled in the opposite direction that most people were going in. We browsed the shops that were still open and had no trouble at all getting to our car and exiting the park. We found everone associated with Disney to be polite and helpful. We were impressed with everything about the parks! I also lost my credit card today, thought that I left it at the front desk of our resort. I called and cancelled it. My credit card company was very helpful and even offered to deposit $$ into my checking account if I needed it! (they assured me that I was not responsible for anything that was charged without my consent.) I did not need the money but thought this was very helpful of them to offer to put cash into my account. My card is throught the American Federation of Teachers. I later found my card in my wallet(duh) , after I had cancelled it, anyway there was a new card waitjing for me when I returned home.
Day 3: We went to Sea World today. We saw all the shows and were ready to go back to the Vistana around 3pm to go swimming. On our way out we noticed they were getting ready for the Shamu show that started an hour later.We got to see the whales and had the whole staium practically to ourseleves! the trainers were warming then up for the show, so we felt like we were given a private show! there were about 20 other people also watching, it wa svery nice and we got some great pictures.We went to a buffet place later for dinner, I think it was Golden Corral, quite good, and total bill was only $45.
Day 4: We went to MGM today and loved it! Again the crowds were low, so we got right on the rides for the most part. We ate turkey legs and Mickey bars for lunch. We did notice many high school seniors I think it was grad weekend, they all seemed to be having a great time, and we noticed no problems whatsoever. We ate at the Outback for dinner, bill was $80 food and service good.
Day 5,6,7 Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We really love Universal, and find it to be well organized and clean. We saw alot of school groups over the weekend. Everyone seemed polite and friendly. Saturday night they had added security but we saw no problems at all. We ate at Margaritaville and only had to wait 10 minutes for a table. Great food and drinks, bill was around $70. We found Universal to be a fun upbeat place and we really enjoyed it.We had counter snack food including fried dough, popcorn and ice cream. One day we left Universal and ate a late lunch at a place called Road Rocks, it has big trucks in the parking lot. It is owned by Nascar drivers, and it filled with car stuff. The food was really good, huge portions. I think our bill was around $50
We did not go to Wet and Wild even though we had tickets, ( Orlando 4 park flex tickets)there just was not enough time.
We had a great vacation and we even bought a timeshare through Vistana- a Sheraton property- (We actually own in building 9 on the 4th floor)so we will be returning! We can use the timeshare anywhere we want, but we will return to Orlando for sure at least a few times! Our total cost for this trip was around $4500 . We were not really on a budget, but we did not spend as much as I thought we would on food and trinkets. We bought t -shirts and my daughter bought and traded pins. I got a bell ( I collect them) and a mug with our family name on it. My husband says our big souvenir is the timeshare! The kids did not ask for a lot of things like I thought they would. We did not eat at some of the nicer places that I thought we would. We were tired by dinnertime,and we eat out alot here in NY, so it was not a big "treat" to eat at fancy places. We just were pooped by the time we left the parks!
the one thing about the Vistana that bothered me the most was that I saw a snake!!!! I hate snakes and that is why I asked not to be on the 1st floor in a building overlooking the lake. I asked not to be in buildings 8,9, or 10 because not only are they near a small lake, but there is constuction going on next to building 10. With all that construction, the animals ecosystem is compomised and they have to go somewhere else. I was on my way back from the hot tub on my 2nd day there. I was walking and there was a snake right on the sidewalk in front of me! My kids were with me and saw it too, but they are not afraid like I am. It was small but I screamed and drove my car to the pool from then on. I did tell the front desk staff andd they assured me they do not get many "snake reports" , however in Florida one can expect to see a snake .I felt foolish for reporting it, but I still think that if I were in a building near the pool I would not have seen that snake. Aside from this, I felt very safe at Vistana, all the people we saw were other families on vcation, no college spring breakers or wild parties of any sort. Gated entrance with a security guard, and many security people driving golf carts around the grounds. Very clean and well run. Staff were all pleasant and very helpful for the most part. The Vistana is on a very quiet end of International Drive, no big traffic or loud noises at all. !0 -15 minutes to all the parks.
Also while in Orlando last week I heard 2 sad things on the news. There was a Robbery at Days Inn , 2 girls were followed and then robbed, late at night. They thought it may have been an inside job. I do not think they were hurt. And there was a carjacking on International Drive, by Pointe Orlando. An out of town tourist was the victim. Apparently it is wise to drive with windows rolled up and doors locked.
I hope this trip report was not too long or boring! If anyone has specific questions about the Vistana Villages, let me know!
Day 1 We flew out of Buffalo at 5:30 Am great flight, arrived in Orlando at 10:30 AM Picked up rental car (Dollar Rental Car)and luggage, got to Vistana Villages at noon. We were told we could not check in until 4pm, but we were actually able to check in at 1:30 pm. We did not get the room or the building that we wanted but we were on vacation, and we were really just glad to be there! The front desk people were mostly bilingual, and had their home countries on their name tags. They were efficient and could understand English quite well. I did have an issue with one very rude employee, and brought it to the attention of the front desk manager.Our room was very nice, we were on the 1st floor of building 9. I had asked for a higher floor in building 1, 2, or 3 as they are closer to the pools, and they do not overlook the lake.I realized that we were pretty much stuck with our room location, so we chose not to let it bother us, even though I was told emphatically over the past month that my request would try to be honored. They do not guarantee a specific location.We had lunch at the poolside deli, it was very good. My husband had a phillly steak sand. , I had a chicken sand. The kids had burgers and fries.We enjoyed the rest of the day by the wonderful pool. Frozen Pinya Coladas were very good. The whole place reminded me of a Club Med, they had kids activities, hair braiding, someone doing massages, rafts for the kids, cabannnas , ping pong, pool, ect... The pool was by far the biggest I have ever seen, with a waterfall in the middle of it, and they also have a smaller quiet pool. they have 2 outside large hot tubs as well. Pool towels were never a problem, they had plenty, located at the activity center right at the pool area, and they were very nice; tourquoise and white striped large beach towels. When finished with the towels, they pick them up, so you do not even have to return them . We were at the pool everday, and they always had plenty of towels for everyone. the Tiki bar was also great, we had frozen drinks for $7 and well worth it! there is a small store right by the pool and also an exercize room and sauna.
Day 2: we went to the Majic Kingdom. We got there when they first opened, not crowded at all.It was great, and our daughters first time, so it was extra special. We saw a nice show at the castle, and our daughter got many pictures and autographs wth Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, ect... We did not get hopper passes, we did not need them.We ate at Peco Bill's and used our Qand C vouchers. Great place, excellent food, large portions, and they have a nice fixing bar set up for your burgers .My daughter and I shared a chicken wrap, chilli cheese fries, soda and chocolate pie. My husband and son each had a double bacon burger, chilli cheese fries, soda and pie. We used 3 vouchers, had more than enough food, and the bill would have been $40 without the vouchers.( I bought 6 vouchers from a very nice person on these boards, paid a total of $55 for all 6!) We loved everything about the Majic Kingdom! The crowds were not bad at all and we rarely waited more than 15 minutes for any ride. We used our Brita Water bottles, they really came in handy! We even took the filter out of one, and pored filtered water into the bottle, and added crystal light lemonade. I was afraid to put the crystal light in the filtered bottle, but it worked out great poring the filtered water into the unfiltered bottle.This was my husband's idea, and I thought it was a good one! I figure the water bottles saved our family $50 or more last week. We got water from the drinking fountains and we even got ice from the counter service. They were very nice a bout giving us ice, I offered to pay for it they said no charge. A bottle of water is $2.50 in the parks, so this was a huge savings.We picked up subs from Subway for dinner on our way back to the Vistana. We got 2 large subs for a total of $12 . We were not very hungry after the big lunch at Peco Bill's. We also went to the grocery store and picked up cereal, bagels, eggs, sausage, juice coffee, milk, soda, bread and donuts for breakfasts in the room. We had a full kitchen but did not want to cook too much. We thought eating breakfast in the room would save alot of time in the morning. Our total cost for groceries was $35. We went to the hot tub and pool and turned in early . Our master bedroom had a huge jaquizzi tub, it was great.
Day 2:We went to Epcot, and arrived just before they opened. We were able to walk right on many rides. We went back to our resort in the afternoon, for some pool time and relaxation. the weather was perfect. We went back to Epcot at 6pm, got parking right up front, and ate at a Morrocain (sp) restaurant ,again using 3 vouchers. We paid for a kids meal for our daughter.The food was excellent and we did not have to wait at all for a table. My husband and son both had lamb and chicken platters, soda, salad, and very yummy pastries. I had a chicken platter(half a chicken, marinated -very good) salad, and strawberry shortcake-like tart. Our bill would have been $63 if we did not use the vouchers, this did not include my daughters meal. The vouchers, for us, were a very good deal, and I would use them again. Both of the restaurants we used them in were excellent also. Shortly after dinner Illuminations began, and we had perfect seating. After the show we strolled in the opposite direction that most people were going in. We browsed the shops that were still open and had no trouble at all getting to our car and exiting the park. We found everone associated with Disney to be polite and helpful. We were impressed with everything about the parks! I also lost my credit card today, thought that I left it at the front desk of our resort. I called and cancelled it. My credit card company was very helpful and even offered to deposit $$ into my checking account if I needed it! (they assured me that I was not responsible for anything that was charged without my consent.) I did not need the money but thought this was very helpful of them to offer to put cash into my account. My card is throught the American Federation of Teachers. I later found my card in my wallet(duh) , after I had cancelled it, anyway there was a new card waitjing for me when I returned home.
Day 3: We went to Sea World today. We saw all the shows and were ready to go back to the Vistana around 3pm to go swimming. On our way out we noticed they were getting ready for the Shamu show that started an hour later.We got to see the whales and had the whole staium practically to ourseleves! the trainers were warming then up for the show, so we felt like we were given a private show! there were about 20 other people also watching, it wa svery nice and we got some great pictures.We went to a buffet place later for dinner, I think it was Golden Corral, quite good, and total bill was only $45.
Day 4: We went to MGM today and loved it! Again the crowds were low, so we got right on the rides for the most part. We ate turkey legs and Mickey bars for lunch. We did notice many high school seniors I think it was grad weekend, they all seemed to be having a great time, and we noticed no problems whatsoever. We ate at the Outback for dinner, bill was $80 food and service good.
Day 5,6,7 Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We really love Universal, and find it to be well organized and clean. We saw alot of school groups over the weekend. Everyone seemed polite and friendly. Saturday night they had added security but we saw no problems at all. We ate at Margaritaville and only had to wait 10 minutes for a table. Great food and drinks, bill was around $70. We found Universal to be a fun upbeat place and we really enjoyed it.We had counter snack food including fried dough, popcorn and ice cream. One day we left Universal and ate a late lunch at a place called Road Rocks, it has big trucks in the parking lot. It is owned by Nascar drivers, and it filled with car stuff. The food was really good, huge portions. I think our bill was around $50
We did not go to Wet and Wild even though we had tickets, ( Orlando 4 park flex tickets)there just was not enough time.
We had a great vacation and we even bought a timeshare through Vistana- a Sheraton property- (We actually own in building 9 on the 4th floor)so we will be returning! We can use the timeshare anywhere we want, but we will return to Orlando for sure at least a few times! Our total cost for this trip was around $4500 . We were not really on a budget, but we did not spend as much as I thought we would on food and trinkets. We bought t -shirts and my daughter bought and traded pins. I got a bell ( I collect them) and a mug with our family name on it. My husband says our big souvenir is the timeshare! The kids did not ask for a lot of things like I thought they would. We did not eat at some of the nicer places that I thought we would. We were tired by dinnertime,and we eat out alot here in NY, so it was not a big "treat" to eat at fancy places. We just were pooped by the time we left the parks!
the one thing about the Vistana that bothered me the most was that I saw a snake!!!! I hate snakes and that is why I asked not to be on the 1st floor in a building overlooking the lake. I asked not to be in buildings 8,9, or 10 because not only are they near a small lake, but there is constuction going on next to building 10. With all that construction, the animals ecosystem is compomised and they have to go somewhere else. I was on my way back from the hot tub on my 2nd day there. I was walking and there was a snake right on the sidewalk in front of me! My kids were with me and saw it too, but they are not afraid like I am. It was small but I screamed and drove my car to the pool from then on. I did tell the front desk staff andd they assured me they do not get many "snake reports" , however in Florida one can expect to see a snake .I felt foolish for reporting it, but I still think that if I were in a building near the pool I would not have seen that snake. Aside from this, I felt very safe at Vistana, all the people we saw were other families on vcation, no college spring breakers or wild parties of any sort. Gated entrance with a security guard, and many security people driving golf carts around the grounds. Very clean and well run. Staff were all pleasant and very helpful for the most part. The Vistana is on a very quiet end of International Drive, no big traffic or loud noises at all. !0 -15 minutes to all the parks.
Also while in Orlando last week I heard 2 sad things on the news. There was a Robbery at Days Inn , 2 girls were followed and then robbed, late at night. They thought it may have been an inside job. I do not think they were hurt. And there was a carjacking on International Drive, by Pointe Orlando. An out of town tourist was the victim. Apparently it is wise to drive with windows rolled up and doors locked.
I hope this trip report was not too long or boring! If anyone has specific questions about the Vistana Villages, let me know!
a snake!! I remember when we were on our first vacation, at night I would scream and clap my hands... dh would roll his eyes, but hey, it worked for Haley Mills in that movie 
ok, so it didnt, but it made me feel good warning the critters a scaredy cat was coming!! 
