Vistana

[OnePrincessMom]

Can someone explain the differences between Sheraton Vistana Resort and Sheraton Vistana Villages? Thanks so much!!

 

[bankr63]

There is a fairly recent thread here that asks a very similar question, check out: http://www.disboards.com/threads/vistana-vs-vistana-villages.3556655/

Perhaps the easiest way to explain it is to explain a little history. Sheraton Vistana Resort (SVR) started out in early 70's as a tennis training resort rather than what we now think of as timeshares. Over the years it grew considerably and expanded out to 7 different sections over a fairly large chunk of property at I-4 and 535. Over those years the resort morphed a bit as the timeshare industry evolved. The first section, Courts, has more what you would think of as stacked townhomes with lots of open space. As the resort expanded, the building density and height went up, so that the last two sections (Lakes and Cascades) were 5-6 story buildings with elevators and outside corridors.

I'm not certain exactly when Vistana Villages (SVV) started construction, but presumably it was as SVR was running out of space and the timeshare boom was still in full flight. Although it wasn't that serial, as both were under active development at the same time for a period. SVV is about 4 miles away from SVR, a bit closer to SeaWorld a little bit further from Disney (but still very handy access to all the parks). The resort is a bit smaller, and the buildings are all similar to the newer two sections of SVR. SVR is bigger, has a few more amenities, and has more variety of accommodations to suit different tastes. Our very first timeshare stay was at SVV many years ago, where we caught the bug, and we later purchased a week at SVR (resale!) to feed our Orlando habit.

Either resort is a great choice, and they are both well kept to Sheraton standards (although Sheraton has since spun off it's timeshare division). SVR had a multi-million dollar refurbishment just a few years ago so even the oldest buildings are decked out with granite countertops, heavenly beds, and other top finishes. The larger SVR resort has a fairly strong following here on DIS, join us on the SVR thread here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread.3148502/ for pictures and details on the resort. Feel free to ask any questions.

 

[OnePrincessMom]

Thank you, this is so helpful. It is usually just my daughter an I so we stay onsite but I am hoping to bring my nieces next summer and would need a bit more room. Is there a particular building or section you recommend? Thanks!!

 

[bankr63]

A bit depends on the age of the nieces. At Villages the St Augustine section has a Pirate Ship Pool and slide, but if DD is 12 (according to your sig) she is probably right at the top of the age that would be interested in that. If the girls are older, the waterfall is a lot of fun for splashing through and playing tag, that would be Bella in Villages. For pool fun at SVR, the Lakes/Fountains pools are a pretty compact area with good features for various ages, with a common area building between the two. On the south side of SVR, Cascades has a nice waterfall and splash area, while the slightly older kids prefer Spas pool. There is a water slide at the Falls pool while the Courts and Springs pools tend to be quieter (if/when you need an afternoon away from the girls).

Really hard to suggest sections let alone specific buildings at SVR. A lot depends on what you like for space and vibe. Read along in the thread noted above and you will hopefully get a feel for what you might want; there are a handful of buildings I would not recommend for noise factors (noted in the main thread), but the vast majority of the buildings are great. Just to give an idea of size, there are 207 distinct buildings on site with anywhere from 4 (early phases) to 40 (later phases) villas per building.