Welcome to the Jungle........Pool! Updated 7/7 pages 14 & 15

[MRYPPNS]

Joining in - hoping for Pixie Dust for you on this trip!

This was a trip!

And we would have loved having you!!!

Oh you will LOVE the final season. Next week is the finale. I'm sad that it's ending.

You got over the bridge just in time. Traffic really starts to pick up by 6.

No traffic should start as early as 6am!!

 

[MRYPPNS]

For those of you that read my PTR you know that I went thru resort angst during the planning of the trip. For flawed reasoning I originally booked POR at 180 days out (when all along I really wanted to stay at CSR). Well as time went on CSR was booked and I hated the idea of staying at POR more and more. Not wanting to stay at POR was mostly about the fact that I think the rooms are ugly as is and the whole resort is rumored to be getting refurb’s in the next year or two. So then I wanted to rent dvc points for a studio at SSR or OKW. But that went no where because I couldn’t get a deal on points that would cost me less then what I was paying for at POR. So I started looking off site. And that was easier for me then it would be for some of you because I just don’t get the whole magical experience at a WDW resort. Sure I love them, service is good and the locations are great but when you won’t be using EMH or ME, you just end up paying premium for a room with a cool theme.

I booked a one bed-room at the Sheraton Vistana Resort thru the Allears discount. My friend Amy (DisMomAmy) has stayed there before and gave it a great review….that and the price were enough for me. I ended up paying less for the one-bedroom villa PLUS the cost of theme park parking than what it would have cost me for a discounted room at POR. We didn’t have daily housekeeping with the rate I got but frankly I don’t like daily housekeeping….they always seem to come when someone is trying to take a nap!

I was extremely happy with this resort. The villa was spotless and I mean spotless! Check-in was easy since I did it online. The pools were nice. There is a food court right in the resort compound. I say compound because it’s huge and gated. Our room had a ton of storage….nice big closet in our bedroom (with a safe) and a closet in the hallway. The location (drive) to Disney was easy and quick with 2 different ways to go depending on where you were headed. So not only are you close to Disney you are close to local restaurants and stores. There is a Walgreens in walking distance. Oh and guess what is next to the Walgreens…..that horrible Wendy’s from our October 2008 trip! I just about died when I saw it!!! Lol

For our family I don’t know how we would have managed with just a hotel room between the need for (at least) at kitchenette and the need a separate room for Danica to take her mid-day naps in. Having the full fridge with freezer and ice maker was awesome! I attempted to make coffee every morning but I have a Keurig at home so I didn’t do a very good job with the coffee maker….oops.

There were only two cons for the resort….our Villa was a lock-off and you could hear thru the edges of those doors (yes 2 lock off doors) plain as day. It wasn’t really an issue for us to hear the room next door but I’m sure my crying/screaming kids were an issue for them. Of course that stressed me out thinking that we were bothering others but there really isn’t anything more that I could do about it.

The other con was that at check-in they wanted me to go see some other employee to get my welcome packet (which would have included a food discount card). It took 3 employees that weren’t doing anything other then move me to this other line where the guy I needed to see was trying to get a family to go to a time share presentation. After standing in the line for about a minute I just walked off. Now if I haven’t been so tired I might have either just waited or more likely I would have made one of those other employees get me my packet. I know better for next time.

 

[DisMomAmy]

I'm so glad you liked Vistana! I like the decor in your unit better than the two we have stayed in. I'll have to get my condo update posted today so our joint readers can see both. I hope we get a chance to stay in the Cascades section sometime.

You didn't miss out on much with the "welcome packet"... there were some disposable toiletries, a mug (which I did use during our stay but didn't take home) and a few discount cards for local restaurants - which we didn't use.

I'm going crazy trying to figure out where we'll stay in November... nothing good coming up for timeshare exchanges yet.

 

[MRYPPNS]

I'm so glad you liked Vistana! I like the decor in your unit better than the two we have stayed in.

Oh don't tell me that....I was thinking of staying in a different section next time.

I'll have to get my condo update posted today so our joint readers can see both. I hope we get a chance to stay in the Cascades section sometime.

I think Cascades has a lot of the cash ressies staying there.

You didn't miss out on much with the "welcome packet"... there were some disposable toiletries, a mug (which I did use during our stay but didn't take home) and a few discount cards for local restaurants - which we didn't use.

Yeah I knew I wasn't missing a whole lot and it just wasn't worth the wait to me.

I'm going crazy trying to figure out where we'll stay in November... nothing good coming up for timeshare exchanges yet.

Are you exchanging or doing a getaway in Nov? Is at least Vistana coming up available??

 

[DisMomAmy]

Are you exchanging or doing a getaway in Nov? Is at least Vistana coming up available??

We've stayed in the Lakes & Fountains sections - they are very nice but just a different decor. Just posted pictures. The furniture is dark - though my pictures make it look even darker than it really is....

We have two weeks banked so we would definitely do an exchange. There are no 2BR units coming up at Vistana or anywhere else we want to stay. Mystic Dunes comes up which has a waterslide & is located sort of near AKL but it has mixed reviews & just doesn't look as nice as the Sheratons & Marriotts we've stayed at.

The lack of availability is making me think about DVC points again...

 

[MRYPPNS]

The lack of availability is making me think about DVC points again...

You've done the math on that right? I know I did and that was only on a one bedroom

 

[DisMomAmy]

You've done the math on that right? I know I did and that was only on a one bedroom

Yes... We would do a one bedroom but yes - scary expensive!

We want to make our anniversary trip special but then again, I need to remember how Tim commented about the budget of this trip effecting how soon we could go back!

I just hope something good comes up for exchange soon. I used to have to wait until 60 days out but now that I don't, I'm anxious to get something.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Between you and Amy, the Sheraton villas are very intriguing. How close do you think you were to the parks? Did you have to fend off a time-share presentation? All that space looks wonderful!

 

[disneyfan61]

Wow seeing those Vistana rooms makes me want to stay offsite. No comparison to POR. Really nice kitchen & living area.

I know what you mean about your Keurig. We have one also & love it!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Between you and Amy, the Sheraton villas are very intriguing. How close do you think you were to the parks? Did you have to fend off a time-share presentation? All that space looks wonderful!

Vistana (Vistana Resort... not Vistana Villages - two separate resorts both called Vistana) is very close to the parks. Magic Kingdom is a bit more complicated because you have to park at the TTC & take the monorail or ferry to the park. I mapquested the directions and it says 8 minutes to Epcot, 11 minutes to DHS, 19 minutes to AK & 13 minutes to MK. These number sound about right, except 19 minutes to AK - it didn't seem that long.

As far as timeshare presentations, we've been encouraged to attend the "owners breakfast" even though technically we aren't owners. My parents gave us the timeshare as a gift but their names are still on it so we have to purchase a "guest certificate" when we make our reservations. We've always politely declined the breakfast saying we'll be in the park every morning. We usually get one voicemail reminding us of our last chance to sign up for the breakfast but that's it.

The only problem I see with you guys staying off-site is that you sometimes split up. I remember reading about Charles either leaving a park early or meeting up with you later. But I suppose the money you could save staying off-site could be used for a cab or two. There are shuttles between the parks & Vistana but they are few & far between and I believe you have to pay.

 

[MRYPPNS]

Between you and Amy, the Sheraton villas are very intriguing. How close do you think you were to the parks? Did you have to fend off a time-share presentation? All that space looks wonderful!

Jackie I've waited longer for a Disney bus then it took to get to the parks. If you take a left out of the resort you're about 2 traffic lights from Hotel Blvd and that's the way we'd go when we were going to DTD, TL or the Epcot resorts. If you take a right out of the resort your 1 traffic light away from the main road that takes you to all the parks (World Drive???)

I unplug the phones because of the kids playing with them but I'm sure they called at least a couple times about time-share, especially since we were there on cash, but all the staff is really professional.

You trade off things like more room at this place but you can't just walk to the food court for breakfast like you can at a Disney resort (that's not saying that you can't get a breakfast at this resort it's just not the same)

Wow seeing those Vistana rooms makes me want to stay offsite. No comparison to POR. Really nice kitchen & living area.

I know what you mean about your Keurig. We have one also & love it!!

I Keurig. I love the Green Mt. version of Dunkin's regular coffee.

Staying on site vs. off site just depends on how you "do" your vacations. We still need a car at this point no matter where we stay so it makes staying off site an easier decision for us.

 

[Mommy2LittleVols]

Wow! I am in with your Villa! We have considered staying off-site in the future, and this place is most definitely going on my short list. Like you, we still use our car and rarely take advantage of EMH, so staying off-site wouldn't be a big deal for us, other than not being able to purchase the dining plan. DH is a HUGE fan of the DDP b/c it means that he doesn't have to think about how much $$ he is shelling out for character meals.

 

[pinkxray]

The villa looks fantastic! We did a split stay with POR and an offsite 2 bedroom villa and the extra space at the villa was awesome. We our staying onsite for our next trip but as my DD gets older and our family grows we will most likely be moving offsite. I will have to remember this one.

 

[irish dancer]

I too like the looks of your villa. As I said on Amy's report, we'll have to keep them in mind in case we're out of points for a future vacation. Question, in the 1br villa did you have a washer/dryer?

 

[2boyzmom73]

Hi I am new to the boards and I am waiting with baited breath for the rest of your trip....we are going in 74 days and love Disney!!!!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm here - still need to read...I have over 500 DIS emails in my inbox! I'll get caught up ASAP!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Vistana (Vistana Resort... not Vistana Villages - two separate resorts both called Vistana) is very close to the parks. Magic Kingdom is a bit more complicated because you have to park at the TTC & take the monorail or ferry to the park. I mapquested the directions and it says 8 minutes to Epcot, 11 minutes to DHS, 19 minutes to AK & 13 minutes to MK. These number sound about right, except 19 minutes to AK - it didn't seem that long.

As far as timeshare presentations, we've been encouraged to attend the "owners breakfast" even though technically we aren't owners. My parents gave us the timeshare as a gift but their names are still on it so we have to purchase a "guest certificate" when we make our reservations. We've always politely declined the breakfast saying we'll be in the park every morning. We usually get one voicemail reminding us of our last chance to sign up for the breakfast but that's it.

The only problem I see with you guys staying off-site is that you sometimes split up. I remember reading about Charles either leaving a park early or meeting up with you later. But I suppose the money you could save staying off-site could be used for a cab or two. There are shuttles between the parks & Vistana but they are few & far between and I believe you have to pay.

This is true about us splitting up -- I think we would all have to stick together if we stayed off-site. Thanks for all the info!

Jackie I've waited longer for a Disney bus then it took to get to the parks. If you take a left out of the resort you're about 2 traffic lights from Hotel Blvd and that's the way we'd go when we were going to DTD, TL or the Epcot resorts. If you take a right out of the resort your 1 traffic light away from the main road that takes you to all the parks (World Drive???)

I unplug the phones because of the kids playing with them but I'm sure they called at least a couple times about time-share, especially since we were there on cash, but all the staff is really professional.

You trade off things like more room at this place but you can't just walk to the food court for breakfast like you can at a Disney resort (that's not saying that you can't get a breakfast at this resort it's just not the same)

After this last trip where we drove to all the parks instead of taking buses, I am spoiled. LOL! I am squirreling all this away in my mind for future trips. I really like all that space you and Amy had!

 

[IheartDDuck]

The villa was very pretty!

My family owns DVC, so I know exactly what you mean about not having housekeeping every day. Honestly, I kind of prefer it too. Makes me less embarrassed too when my room is a mess.

 

[englishrose47]

The Villa looks spacious !!But I am still hooked on Pop!!!

 

[mousescrapper]

glad I made you happy w/ that snort laugh

your villa looks nice good comparison between what both you and Amy had...so happy it all worked out so well