We absolutely lovvvvvved Silver Lakes. AJKMom may have had a different arrangement (we went as RCI members) but the 25-dollar fee/time share presentation was optional for us. We just said no thanks at check-in (when they ask you in person)...and then ignored the pamphlets that were left on our door for the first 3 nights or so!
The pool is tremendous....3 or 4 large pools connected. They have a neat cabana/snack bar at poolside where you can get everything from chicken and burgers and salad and chili to tropical drinks (alcoholic and virgin). They also put out a pretty decent breakfast buffet for something like 6 bucks.
They have a movie rental vending machine....3 or 4 bucks for a movie, or...like we did...something like 18 dollars for unlimited movie rentals for your entire week.
They had an exercise room/billiard tables/pinball, etc which we didn't use.
We had a 2-bedroom villa and could not have been happier. It was clean, large and modern...more than enough for me, wife and three kids. We were in the "100 section"...3-story units (try to get top floor if you can...cathedral ceiling...makes room look even larger!!). Right at poolside is the "newer" section...my guess is around 7 or 8 stories tall. We didn't go inside...but others we met said even though the taller section was newer, they preferred the older section (3-story units). But, I'm told that you can go to the top of the new building and go to some public balconies to oversee Animal Kingdom and, at night, Disney fireworks.
As AJKMom said, location was tremendous....south end of Disney....a 4 or 5-minute ride puts you on "Disney Highway" as I call it...the main road on Diz property that leads you to all the parks.
I don't even know what hgvc is, so I won't try to compare...maybe your first place was much better....but all I can tell you is all 5 members of our family loved silver lakes and that's where we're headed next spring!!!
Have fun...feel free to reply or send me a private message!
