vistana resort

[tracylee]

Brand new here; so advance thanks for some advice.
we are booked to stay at the vistana resort thru starwood vacations; we
have a 5day/4night stay very cheap rate with the perk of points or money returned upon arrival; my concern is will we be hounded to do a timeshare meeting? also my two teen boys have asthma and I am concerned about getting/requesting a non-smoking villa...we have a two bedroom booked but
now after reading more about the villas it seems we have a lot of villas sections to request. what villas have the biggest pool area and are the most "lively" my
two boys will definetly prefer the "lively up beat" area....not really concerned about a "view" or stairs, etc. just really want to know what villas are the newest and most likely to be non-smoking. we have been to disney and universal many times at have stayed at various places, we prefer to be onsite but with this promotion we were offered the vistana resort seems like a good find; please reassure me we made a good choice. also is there any one person there at the resort(front desk, manager, etc.) that I should contact for special requests? I have read here about the Diamond lane and I plan to do that as well...sorry to ramble hope you don't mind!

 

[darlene9947]

Welcome, tracylee!

Vistana is great. We were there in May, 2005. Units in the Lakes and Cascades sections are the newest. We were just a short drive to one of the main pools. You could walk, but I'm lazy!!! I'd rather do my walking at Disney!

We were given a gift certificate from friends of our who could trrade into Vistana, so our cost was FREE. We were not in the unit that much, so were not hounded at all about a timeshare offer. They did leave a message on the phone, but we never returned the call and they did not press us. With you receiving points or cash back they may pust to do a timeshare presentation, but I'm not sure about that. Hopefully, some other posters on this board will chime in with some more info for you.

 

[tracylee]

thanks darlene! we aren't obligated to a timeshare presentation so i hope they will accept a polite No...which pool would you say is the most "lively" do any
of the villa areas have an arcade/game room...thanks again...
Anyone else?!

 

[keishashadow]

Mia's the resident expert, gave me tons of advice to make the trip smoother, seek her out.

we had a similar offer, no TS presentation required, of course they'll ask you, many times...unplug the phone.

we got mainlined to Alex, the big gun, one of the best agents I've seen in my years of real estate. Gracious, suave & persistent...tough to overcome his persuasive nature.

You'll be told to check back in w/him your second day if you decline breakfast/tour, etc. to obtain your refund.

After the dust settles, he'll still try to get you to accept park tix, etc. in lieu of cash. Stand firm & he capitulate.

We were in the Cascades Blg., beautiful, well-maintained & spacious; close to nice pool w/child area & waterfall (some cleanliness issues, moreso the fault of guests I'd imagine). Went to another pool one day in the back that was nice too, less crowded but, lots of unsupervised kids that were using vines on the rock over waterfall as a tarzan type swing...nerve wracking.

The on-site gen. store is large & well-stocked & the Pizza Hut Express was good.

Amazing close to WDW, only complaint is the off-site disadvantage on non-EMH that we're so used to; certainly worth a visit IMO. We'd go back in flash if another great deal came our way.

 

[tracylee]

thanks keishadow...I will stand firm and will not try and be swayed....when I made the reservation the agent said we'd get our refund money when we check in...hmmm? it sounds like they with hold that? until you agree to tour?? wow! that's cheap!! I think it sounds like the cascades area would be the one to request...

If mia is reading this; you are the expert...any advice??

thanks so much!!

Tracy

 

[connie1042]

A few years back we took a tour of Vistanna and bought a week there for a future trip. Did not buy into a timeshare, just a week stay. I was suppose to pay 150 a month til it was paid off. I have no idea what happened,but every month the vistanna people would call and say I was behind on my payment, even though I was like two months ahead. It really got nasty. I was getting calls just about everyday. So we get everything straightend out and go for the week. We are suppose to meet with the gal and say how we like this. Our appt. is set up, we go, and they have us at a different time.By this time I am livid! Well it ended up we got some free tickets, and did not have to sit through any demo. They knew they were not going to sell me anything with the kind of bookeeping system they had. The condo was nice, but for what we paid, we could of gone anywhere. There shuttles were useless. The room was clean, but service was only okay.

 

[MiaSRN62]

just really want to know what villas are the newest and most likely to be non-smoking. we have been to disney and universal many times at have stayed at various places, we prefer to be onsite but with this promotion we were offered the vistana resort seems like a good find; please reassure me we made a good choice. also is there any one person there at the resort(front desk, manager, etc.) that I should contact for special requests?

Hi there Tracy
You've gotten some great suggestions from Keishashadow and Darlene. I was working a late shift last night and just getting to your post now.
Yes, Cascades is the newest section and has a pretty lively pool. You can find Karakoe, live music and other activities going on there during the week. You also have the Cascades Bar and Grill very near poolside.
Besides the Fountains pool (which Keishashadow mentioned with the waterfall), the Spas "super" pool is also pretty lively. Zimmies restaurant is right there and you have a mini sports bar area right off the pool area. Pretty lively in this area with sometimes a DJ or live music etc. You'll often find kids' pool games being organized here during the day. It is the only pool open until 1 am and over in the Spas section. There are several game room/arcades scattered throughout the resort. You'll find activity centers in various sections of the resort. For example you can rent bikes in the Cascades activity center as well board games and sports equipment. The older Springs section, which is very near the Cascades, has an activity center with video games, pool table, ping pong, and air hockey.
If you're not at the parks, try and make the special themed nights. There is Mexican and Carribbean nights for example and the location will be posted in the info you get at check-in. During August when we were there it was at the Flamingo Cafe restaurant at the Fountains pool area.
As for the non-smoking rooms. Vistana has very little of them, but I believe they are situated in the Lakes and Cascades area. The majority of rooms are smoking optional. Since your teens have asthma, I would make that known both with starwood who you booked through, as well as the Diamond Lane online reservation form. Try and check-in early if you can (noon-2 pm) and reinforce your request through the front desk person who checks you in. There is noone else to really contact about special requests. There used to be a room controller you could fax request through, but when Starwood took over that all changed. I have never ever had a problem with a villa that smelled like smoke in all my yearly visits since '94 if that makes you feel any better. Vistana does a MUCH better job of deodorizing than even disney does. And we stay onsite alot because we're DVC Members. I've had a couple instances where I could smell cigarette smoke at a disney hotel, but never had that problem at Vistana. But regardless, stress you need a non-smoking room due to a medical problem.
And yes, to avoid a timeshare sell attempt, be firm at check-in. If you're lucky enough to slip through check-in without being nailed down to a specific time for the "informational breakfast" or "special welcome buffet" (they'll use all sorts of terms to make it enticing), they will probably nab you via phone in your villa on the second day. We simply unplug the phones as Keisha mentioned. At check-in, it may be suggested to you to stop by at another desk to get your "welcome packet" and coupons etc. They usually try and confirm a "breakfast" time with you here, so avoid the welcome packet if you can.
If there's anything else I can help you with, please feel free to ask. It's not "onsite" as you prefer (as do we !), but it's a very nice resort & very close to WDW (I've had glimpses of Planet Hollywood in DD from some of my balconies at Vistana). Enjoy your stay

 

[tracylee]

hi maria, thanks soooo much for the info. and for the others whom have posted...it really is wonderful information!!

our local internet supplier is changing...we are high speed internet users and the server has been down most of today, my appreciation for your response!!! sorry i way delayed in getting back to you!!

all the best,
tracy