Vacation Village at the Parkway- info please!

[Cdn Gal]

Hey there! Anybody have any advice on this timeshare? We have just booked a week there through RCI. Thank you!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We have stayed there twice in 1 bedroom A sides through RCI. It is really a great value TPU wise! The first time (2010) was in bldg 4; the second (last month) was in bldg 18. We were on the first floor both times. If you park at the end of the building (instead of in the middle where the main entry/foyer is), you can park right at the door on the end (accessed with a card key).

A sides are 1000 sq feet, have a full kitchen, washer/dryer and sleep 4 (1 sofa bed in LR, 1 king in the bedroom). B sides are 500 sq feet, have a partial kitchen, some have a washer/dryer and also sleep 4 (1 sofa bed in LR and a queen in the bedroom). A two bedroom unit is an A side and B side together. The A and B are connected to each other through a center foyer with a locking door to each unit and a locking door to the main building hallway. I hope this makes sense.

We asked for bldg 18 this time because we wanted a fireworks view. You can make building requests 2 weeks before your check in date via phone or email. The check in person thought we could see the fireworks from the first floor - NOT. All we could see were the landscaping trees. It wasn't that big a deal to us. The beautiful unit was updated with a flat screen tv and granite counters and was super clean. You can hear the highway noise in bldg 18, so we brought along a sound machine to block it. Bldg 18/19 had its own pool and jacuzzi. In 2010, bldg 4 wasn't as updated (big box tv, laminate counters), but it was still nicely decorated and super clean. At VVP there is one pool with hot tub for every 2-3 buildings. The buildings kind of surround each pool. The bldg 4 pool looked nice but we had 2 waterpark days that trip so never used the condo pool. DH did take the kids to the VVP gameroom, and they liked it.

The complex itself is very big and spread out. We wouldn't have wanted to walk from bldg 18 to any of the other buildings. The location is awesome. There is a Publix just down 192 and across the street. There were NO traffic back ups going to or coming home from the parks over busy Easter week. It literally only took 5 minutes to get from VV@P to the Disney gate! We had our own car, so we didn't use the shuttle. We also didn't participate in any of the resort activities. We were there for DD's softball team's Disney's High School Spring Training and the parks.

We've also stayed at WBC, which is very popular on this board. Both resorts are super close to the parks. I think the decor, condo size, cleanliness, activities, and proximity to the parks are very similar for both properties. WBC has a bit more of a resort feel due to the lazy river, themed pirate pool and the snackbar/bar/restaurant. VV@P is in the process of building a lazy river, which will close the gap some. And VV@P is a much more economical trade.

Feel free to ask me any questions. After 2 positive experiences, we would stay there again.

 

[Cdn Gal]

THank you very much! I have read very mixed reviews on trip advisor and tomorrow I'm calling to request a building/room that has not allowed pets. So I'm thinking one of the newer buildings. Would you happen to know which one that would be? We are staying at wbc later on in the summer but this was too good of a deal to pass up! Do you need to bring your own bbq tools etc? Is there a bar where you can purchase a beverage? Thanks again!

 

[Asherry25]

We stayed there at the end of last August for a somewhat last minute trip. It was a good value, points wise. Convenient. Nice pool. Unit was clean and current. I heard they are putting in a lazy river. Location is good.

Cons (for me): I am not as much a fan of timeshare towers, which this resort is full of. There is a huge number of units. I felt like some of the crowd there was a little bit...shady? I didn't feel unsafe, but overall, the feel isn't as upscale as many of the other Gold Crown resorts in the area. I don't remember a restaurant, and they are light on the amenities.

Overall: Not my favorite (that would be Vistana for resort/rooms, Silver Lake Resort for location). This comes in third of those three, for me. That said...I'd stay there again with no hesitation if I could not get into one of my preferred resorts.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

THank you very much! I have read very mixed reviews on trip advisor and tomorrow I'm calling to request a building/room that has not allowed pets. So I'm thinking one of the newer buildings. Would you happen to know which one that would be? We are staying at wbc later on in the summer but this was too good of a deal to pass up! Do you need to bring your own bbq tools etc? Is there a bar where you can purchase a beverage? Thanks again!

Bldgs 20 & 21 are the newest. I never checked their pet policy, so I can't comment on that. I can't remember if I saw bbq tools in the kitchen drawers or not. We never used the bbqs, so I wasn't paying attention. There is no bar. That is one area where VV@P is lacking. It would be nice to order a nice cold umbrella drink at the pool! The Publix has a liquor store right next door, so you could make your own if you were so inclined. I hear ya about the great deal through RCI. Sometimes you can get VV@P as an Extra Vacation for almost nothing, or they offer it with a huge TPU discount! It always "costs" us so much less than WBC for what I think are very similar accommodations.

 

[Goofygirl17]

I would definitely request a non-pet building. We weren't aware that they had changed the policy on pets (the rci website still says they're not allowed) and ended up in an A unit with 2 small dogs in the B unit that were left for long periods of time and spent much of that time barking.

So I requested a newer non-pet building last time and it was great