Sheraton Vistana Villages - Your reviews, tips & ratings

popsynic

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 28, 2006
We stayed here in 2009, and returning this October 2012. This one often gets mixed up with Sheraton Vistana Resort, which is not that far from this one, and looks similar (but bigger).

In fact, even travel agents get mixed up, as we had thought we had booked the other one, but a few weeks before we left, realised they had booked us into villages instead. Which did work out better. Sheraton Vistana Villages is at this address 12401 International Drive,Orlando,Florida,32821

So I just wanted to begin a thread for people to share their reviews, reports and ask questions about this resort. Advice on best/worse buildings/rooms. Reviews on services (restaurant, shop, activities, pool, transport, location, etc)

In 2009 we stayed in Building 23 (think this is classed as St Augustine Village). They had almost completed a brand new section with a new pool area which we could see from our balcony. I believe this are is now open. I have a link to a resort map (at the time I was last there) here, showing the building and complex layout

Sheraton Vistana Villages resort map here

Anyway, this post is open to anyone who can contribute or has a question about Sheraton Vistana Villages
 
Haven't stayed there yet, but probably willl for at least a few days in May. Your video is awesome! I have my whole family watching it and getting excited about our upcoming Disney family reunion. Love that you included the resort in the video. The pool with the waterfall looks great! Can't wait to go! If you have any pictures of the resort, I'd love to see them.
 
Haven't stayed there yet, but probably willl for at least a few days in May. Your video is awesome! I have my whole family watching it and getting excited about our upcoming Disney family reunion. Love that you included the resort in the video. The pool with the waterfall looks great! Can't wait to go! If you have any pictures of the resort, I'd love to see them.


Hi, thanks for kind words about the video - and yep, below some images of the Sheraton Vistana Villages resort from our trips

Below are a selection of real life pictures to this resort from our last visit

VISTANA.jpg
 
Great pictures, thanks so much for posting them! I think that helped me make up my mind, I'm booking as soon as I have definite dates. Love that pool! Hope someone else jumps in here with some reviews. This looks like a great resort!
 


Great pictures, thanks so much for posting them! I think that helped me make up my mind, I'm booking as soon as I have definite dates. Love that pool! Hope someone else jumps in here with some reviews. This looks like a great resort!

It really was. Highly reccomened it. We found it immaculately clean, quiet, and easy to get to and from the Disney parks and resorts.

We didn't feel we missed out being at a Disey resport as we often went to them for dinner (eg Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge) but we either used the car to get there (not that much difference in time than it would jave been to take the internal disney transport probably) and on one occasion we booked a taxi when we went to Hoop De Doo Review (as alcohol was included in the meal, and well it would be rude not top partake!).

We loved a lazy pool afternoon ater a busy morning in the parks, or better were the evening swims after coming back from a hot sticky night at food and wine/MK fireworks/Fantasmic or Illuminations.

I only ever used the main restaurant on site once to grab a poolside sandwich one day, but it looked really nice if you wanted a proper meal. We also never really used the kitchen in the villa that much as we mainly ate out at restaraunts. But was good and big enough to do full meals if you wanted to. It was like a regular kitchen.
 
we either used the car to get there (not that much difference in time than it would jave been to take the internal disney transport probably) .

Here is a map showing the main routes/attrcations from Sheraton Vistana Villages

sheratonroutes.jpg
 
Great pics and info.
We're staying here for the first time this year (well at least I think so, a little confused about the vllages and the resort). It's my parents' timeshare. We are exchanging from Orange Lake. She may know better but I have no idea.
Is one of them for timeshares and the other not? From your pics I'm hoping it's the villages- looks awesome.
A little concerned about the distance though. Orange Lake looks way closer.

Your video was awesome!!!
 


Great pics and info.
We're staying here for the first time this year (well at least I think so, a little confused about the vllages and the resort). It's my parents' timeshare. We are exchanging from Orange Lake. She may know better but I have no idea.
Is one of them for timeshares and the other not? From your pics I'm hoping it's the villages- looks awesome.
A little concerned about the distance though. Orange Lake looks way closer.

Your video was awesome!!!

Thank for kind words about the video

Below is an image which higlights the location of Vistana Villages and Vistana Resort. Both are owned by Starwood, and similar in style/amenities. However Resort is a little closer to Downtown Disney, but the resort is older, and much, much bigger. I feel it is too big for the kind of thing I like, and also you can never be sure on the age of the resort area and villa you will end up in. Where at Villages, its smaller, quiter, and has a higher percentage of new buildings/villas. But it is a tiny bit further out. But hardly noticable in my opinion.

vistana&resort.jpg
 
thanks for sharing your pictures, the place looks nice. This is the one we want to stay at, we stayed at the other one. Probaly will end up staying at the other one as this one may not be available for us. My parents have been to both and like this one much better.
 
Great pics! We are seriously considering staying here for a few nights before our cruise this summer. On their website I saw a pool with a little pirate ship... my preschoolers would love this. Can you put in room requests like at a Disney resort? What area would I request to be near that pool?
 
How does this compare to a Disney resort? Is it similiar to any of the deluxe or moderates?

Its similar to a Disney Villa Resort - no themeing like a Disney resort, but better appointed villas with more space at half the price.

But, you don't have the Disney perks (extra magic hours, etc) and if you want that 'full on disney experience' 24/7 then this is not for you. But if you want a luxurious resort close enough to Disney but with better facilities and a place to base yourself for your vacation with superb pools and service, then here it is.
 
Great pics! We are seriously considering staying here for a few nights before our cruise this summer. On their website I saw a pool with a little pirate ship... my preschoolers would love this. Can you put in room requests like at a Disney resort? What area would I request to be near that pool?

Yes you can request areas on your booking - and also request a location when you check in too.

In order of age the newer areas (including the area with Pirate Ship in the pool) is St Augustine Village - Buildings 24, 25 & 26. With Building 25 the newest and closest to that pool.

The buildings surrounding the waterfall/rocks style pool are Buildings 1 to 11 in the Bella Florida Village part of the resort. These are the older villas too.

Buildings 27 to 30 are along the edge of the resort and against the road, so not sure I'd want these perosnally, as they seem furthest out.

Finally there is a slightly different styles area of the resort with yet another pool area called Key West Village. Buildings 12 to 17 are here. We used the pool here once or twice, and there is a grocery shop here too. But prefreed it where we were in Building 23, which felt central to everything, but not facing any potentially nposy areas. Although this resort is relatively quiet by any standard - especially Disney.
 
Here is a map of the resport - the Area near the pirate pool is where it says under constructiion. This area is now open

SheratonVistanaVillagesMAP.jpg
 
Great pics and info.
We're staying here for the first time this year (well at least I think so, a little confused about the vllages and the resort). It's my parents' timeshare. We are exchanging from Orange Lake. She may know better but I have no idea.
Is one of them for timeshares and the other not? From your pics I'm hoping it's the villages- looks awesome.
A little concerned about the distance though. Orange Lake looks way closer.

Orange Lake, Vistana Resort and Vistana Villages are all timeshare resorts.

OLCC is quite close to the Animal Kingdom park but both of the Vistanas are closer to the other three parks. Here are the distances (distances may vary based on the route that you choose to travel)...

From OLCC to AK 4 miles, Hollywood Studios 8 miles, Epcot 9 miles, TTC parking lot (MK) 10 miles.

From Vistana Resort to AK 7 miles, Hollywood Studios 5 miles, Epcot 6 miles, TTC parking lot (MK) 7.5 miles.

From Vistana Villages to AK 9 miles, Hollywood Studios 7 miles, Epcot 8 miles, TTC parking lot (MK) 9.5 miles.

But all-in-all, not a lot of difference in terms of either mileage or travel time from any of those resorts to the Disney parks. I'd note that either of the Vistanas are more convenient to Universal or SeaWorld than OLCC is.

Vistana Villages is a nice resort set up, somewhat, in sections with pools and amenities for those sections (but guests may use any of the facilities throughout the resort). I think that the resort store (in front of the Key West village) is limited, but there are plenty of off-resort stores in the area. I'd note that while the St. Augustine village was the section that was most recently built (it was only partially open when we were there in Dec. 2010 but fully operational in Dec. 2011), the section that has been most recently refurbished, making the interiors the newest at the resort, is the Key West village at the back of the resort. We were the first to stay in our Key West villa after it was refurbished in November 2011 - a nice updating of furniture, carpeting, paint, softgoods, etc.

Dick Taylor
 
We've stayed here both in 2010 and 2011 and we loved both visits. We had a one bedroom each time. There are 3 of us (2 adulta and 1 child). Many, MANY perks to the rooms, but mainly loved all the space we had.

I'll try and mention things that have not been mentioned.

In 2010 we stayed in Bella Florida building #2 by the main pool on the main floor. The floor plan was huge!! It was 1 1/2 baths, full kitchen and a really large balcony. It was large enough for a small patio table and 4 chairs. (I believe the newer buildings in St. Augustine are the same).

In 2011 we stayed in St Augustine, building #26. It was OK. Had we not had the visit the year before it would have been lovely, but this room was definitely smaller. Only 2 chairs on the balcony and a kitchenette and smaller table.

Both visits, the resort was clean and well taken care of. If you don't want housekeeping to bother you just put out the "quiet please" tag on the door. Wifi was great in the rooms, the pools were fantastic, there's a waterslide at the pirate poolfor adults/school-age kids. They have activities every day from exercise classes to fun at the pool to poker games for adults.

There is a washer/dryer in the rooms, but they are loud. But they're fine to toss in a load of laundry during the day and head out to the parks or the pool or something. There are also lots of BBQ grills throughout the resort for guest use.

This IS a timeshare place though, so you may/may not get calls to attend the "talk". Our first trip we didn't get any, oue second trip we received several calls.

Location is REALLY close to everything. We spent a lot of time at Aquatica and it was less then a 10 minute drive. Shopping at Outlets was close as well as Walmart maybe 10 minutes away and a Publix (??) grocery store every closer. Lots of restaurants in the area if you don't want to cook or use the hotel restaurant. (Food was really good there - but the menu is pretty limited).

I would highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again if we go to Florida and decide to stay offsite.

I will say the way you book your reservation determines "how good" of a room you get. Our first trip we booked directly through Sheraton and got a really great deal with the better room. The second time we booked through expedia (or travelocity or something) and even though we paid the same amount, it wasn't as good of a room.
 
Finally booked this resort for three days in May. We'll be staying here before joining our family for a week-long reunion at WBC, and then two days at the Poly after that. I know, we're crazy to do a three-way split stay, but we like trying different resorts.

I booked through Last Minute Travel. The rate online was $144 per night for a two-bedroom unit, but I called Last Minute Travel directly and got a rate of $137per night. Just a small discount, but every little bit helps.

DD has a lot of medical issues, and because of her severe allergies and difficulty walking long distances, I asked for a recently renovated room close to a pool. I hope the resort can honor those requests. I'm wondering if I should call them directly sometime before we arrive?
 
Since this is a gated community, does anyone know if you can have guests visit you?

The reason I'm asking is we are planning a family reunion for 2013/2014 and WDW is one of the places we are considering. I've been looking around for accommodation options and this place looks like it could fit the bill. We want a place that we could all gather and have lunch/dinner spending the day together as our main "family" day. Some of the family might decide to stay at a Disney Resort so would need to be a guest of a person staying there.
 

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