The Sheraton Vistana Resort Thread (key links on p.1)

@hhhaleybird I don't use skyauction personally, so can't help with the level of service; others here have booked through them with no issues and can chime in with personal experiences.

I would say that it is legitimate and not a scam. Skyauction is actually a discount site where the larger exchange companies (RCI or II) "dump" their unused inventory from timeshares all over the country. It can be hard to get prime weeks as the resorts are generally full, but that is a fine price for a week in shoulder season. The one thing to watch for with SA is the fine print. Most auctions have a base price, but then there are additional fees for weeks in busier periods. This is disclosed in the auction, but you do need to look at the terms carefully to see if your desired week is available and what it will actually cost.

You might consider posting this as a separate thread on the parent Orlando Hotels and Attractions sub-forum. Skyauction sells weeks at many area resorts, so lots of experience outside of Vistana Resort.
 
I’m new to this thread...how reliable is SkyAuction on getting reservations for you after you give them your credit card information? I see where I can buy a 7 day vacation now for $375 and put in my dates I want to book. I’d like to book this month. Can anyone give me some insight on the process? How long does it generally take for them to confirm reservations? Am I being scammed? It just seems too good to be true.
I've used skyauction for the Sheraton Vistana and had a great experience. We did it last year, and as @bankr63 mentioned, you need to keep an eye on the fine print and any surcharges. They will be clearly listed on the page toward the bottom. Also, they offer trip protection for around $25 - $50 which I also bought. I can't remember how much exactly it was, but you can cancel easily with the protection.

When you book you specify the week you want, they will send you a confirmation after you pay. They book rooms using a "dummy" name but they change it to your name around 2 weeks before your trip. I think they do it that was to hold certain dates/rooms and then sell them to people. You can then call the resort directly after they change the name to yours and room requests. I believe I got a confirmation pretty quickly after I bought the stay. If your date is closer than 2 weeks, I would email skyauction and request they change the name asap so you can all the resort for any requests.

I had some questions after I booked regarding the "one in 4 years" thing you see on most timeshare resorts. That applies to people who trade, not who buy a stay, but I wanted to be sure since I do stay at the SVR other times but those are "getaways" through Interval. I sent an email and someone from skyauction called me and answered my questions.

One thing to note: if you are staying at SVR in a one bedroom unit, it will be part of a lock off. That means one unit has a separate bedroom, a balcony and full kitchen and listed as a "one bedroom premium" and the regular one bedroom does not have a balcony or full kitchen, but a kitchenette. They are listed regular one bedroom units. If you book a one bedroom, I highly suggest calling the resort to request a "one bedroom premium". They won't guarantee requests, but I've found them more than accommodating and if they can do it, they will.

Looking at skyauction quickly, I think you might be referring to #3178438
If so, the September check in is Sept 15, this coming Sunday, but there is an asteric ** near that date, so that means it is a unit that accommodates 6 people, rather than 8. Those are the types of "small print" you need to be aware of. I believe the "sleeps 6" units are in the Courts or Falls sections.

Regarding a deal "too good to be true".... there are weeks that people/companies own and they need to fill. This time of year I get emails from a time share company we deal with with loads of really cheap beach weeks, Orlando weeks, etc.

HTH!!
 
Thank you @bankr63 & @mckennarose for your useful information on SkyAuction and SVR. Thanks for pointing out the details and process to me. I missed a few details when I read it on the page. The one bedroom unit that locks off wouldn’t work for me so I’m glad you mentioned it. But I really like what I see. I plan to stay here in the future.
 
I've seen people walking up and down 535 a lot. I believe there's a crosswalk on the corner of 535 and Meadow Creek Drive (the back entrance to SVR) near Walgreens.
We'll be there in 2 1/2 weeks so I'll double check where the cross walk is. Just be aware that 535 is a super busy, double lane road with a divider in the middle. I wouldn't dare try to cross anywhere but a designated cross walk!
Just wanted to confirm for @likesdisney that yes, there is the crosswalk located on the corner of 535 and Meadow Creek Drive. We were there in the beginning of September (had to leave early due to Hurricane Dorian) but I made sure to note the crosswalk.

The current Pre-arrival Coordinator is Kayla Lee,

Thank you for posting the new coordinator! One of my daughters is going down next week and we had to make a change in the room but Interval (who we book through) was not able to help us. I emailed Kayla and she fixed everything for us!

We had our stay a few weeks ago at the Sheraton but we had to cut our trip short because of Dorian. However.... we are going down again next week to stay with my daughter and her husband in the Sheraton. They graciously invited us as our trip was cut short last time!

I will say this.... The Sheraton does make their guests comfortable when there is a threat of a hurricane. They will keep guests updated by phone messages and they are very helpful with recommending preparations (food and water), general hurricane instructions (keep windows and curtains closed) and that the resort buildings are built to Florida code to withstand hurricanes. They do not have a generator so if you do lose power, there is no backup. When we arrived, Dorian was still set to hit Orlando so the resort was making preparations and there were a lot of people evacuating TO the Sheraton. Then Dorian stalled over the Bahamas and changed direction..BUT then the whole coast was under mandatory evacuations and we decided to leave early because there was an issue with gas availability and we didn't want to get stuck in all the people evacuating.

When we arrived we parked our car with a full tank of gas (to get out quickly if we needed to) and we relied on Lyft to get around. It was super convenient and I had a discount for 25% off 10 rides so we used it. Otherwise there are also a lot of Ubers around too. We never waited more than 5 minutes to get picked up at the SVR.
 


What is the amount of the security deposit when you're staying with timeshare? It's mentioned that they have one but they don't say the amount. Anyone know?
 
I recall a $200 hold on my CC, but don't bank on that info. Might have been as high as $500, but I don't really notice it. I tend to use a different card for the hold (one with travel insurance) for this other than the card that I use for general purchases (a points card with no insurances), so I don't really notice it.

It is used more for participating in the signing privilege; guests are given a card and can sign meals and sundries to their villa rather than carrying cash around. Very handy for the pool. There really shouldn't be a security deposit for the unit itself; timeshares are paid off well in advance and there really is no balance to settle up aside from charges made to the room.
 
What is the amount of the security deposit when you're staying with timeshare? It's mentioned that they have one but they don't say the amount. Anyone know?
We’re here now again and it’s the same hold of $50 that we’ve had for the past 5 trips. This stay is another interval one and one other time we used skyauction who uses RCI, so I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. But each time has been a $50 hold which you can use for food and drinks or they’ll just put it back on your card if you don’t use it.
 


We’re here now again and it’s the same hold of $50 that we’ve had for the past 5 trips. This stay is another interval one and one other time we used skyauction who uses RCI, so I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. But each time has been a $50 hold which you can use for food and drinks or they’ll just put it back on your card if you don’t use it.
Thanks! I guess my memory isn't as good as once it was! I do remember thinking it was a fairly token amount, but I guess I inflated it in my memory.
 
Thanks! I guess my memory isn't as good as once it was! I do remember thinking it was a fairly token amount, but I guess I inflated it in my memory.
No problem! I didn’t know if there was some difference with the hold depending on how you book, but we’ve always had the same amount of $50. The Marriott timeshare property right next door has a hold of $250! I always thought that was a lot for a hold.
 
No problem! I didn’t know if there was some difference with the hold depending on how you book, but we’ve always had the same amount of $50. The Marriott timeshare property right next door has a hold of $250! I always thought that was a lot for a hold.
I've just booked our first stay at Visitana for November and I'm hoping you can answer a few questions.
Is it $50/ day or per stay?
Is there a fee for the shuttle? (booked through Marriott, not sure if that matters)
What is the shuttle schedule?

I have Homewood Suites booked for the same dates, but Visitana is about $200 less and I've heard good things, so trying to make a final decision. Thank you!
 
I've just booked our first stay at Visitana for November and I'm hoping you can answer a few questions.
Is it $50/ day or per stay?
Is there a fee for the shuttle? (booked through Marriott, not sure if that matters)
What is the shuttle schedule?

I have Homewood Suites booked for the same dates, but Visitana is about $200 less and I've heard good things, so trying to make a final decision. Thank you!
We need to a bit cautious about advice here as it sounds like your stay has been booked as a hotel type stay rather than a timeshare stay. There are some small but significant differences. Note the Vistana is a timeshare property where the vast majority of villa weeks are owned by private individuals. Vistana (owned by Marriott) is the Management Company. Vistana/Marriott also retains some percentage of the villas that they make available through their hotel booking system.

The $50 hold mentioned above is possibly specific to the timeshare stays; as a hotel type guest they may charge you a different fee more commensurate with standard Marriott/Sheraton rates. Timeshares are fully paid in advance by the owner before they can be made available for rental or exchange, so there is little risk to Vistana as the management company. For hotel units, the stay is generally not paid until the end of the booking, so there is more risk to Vistana itself and the hold may be higher for that type of stay as a result.

Yes, it is significant that you booked through Marriott. The shuttle is free to guests staying in a hotel type booking (the minority). This is (apparently) a requirement for SVR to be listed as a Disney Good Neighbor hotel. Timeshare type guests do have to pay a fee. Note that the fee waiver is only for the Disney shuttles. There is a fee for all guests for shuttles to other destinations (Universal).

If you read back a bit (a fair bit) the schedule has been posted once or twice, but if @mckennarose sees this while still there, perhaps she can get a current schedule from the transportation desk and let us know what the current charge is for the shuttle (where there is a charge).

Another thing to consider is that the shuttle fee is per rider. With a family of four, the cost of the shuttle is higher than the cost of parking at Disney for the day, and a car is MUCH more convenient. I strongly recommend having a vehicle available for Orlando and Central Florida (not just Vistana) as the area is VERY spread out and nothing is particularly walkable. Since there is no fee for parking at the resort, and rentals are usually dirt cheap in Orlando (probably the most competitive market in the US), it is pretty economical to have a vehicle.

Found a link to an older schedule here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread.3148502/page-63#post-55995522 and have added it to the list on page one. If someone posts more up to date information I will update the link on page one.
 
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Thank you for the prompt response and valuable info! We're AP, so no parking fees, but Hubby flat out refuses to drive on vacation and won't ride without criticizing mine, so we'll definitely shuttle or Uber. We've never stayed more than a day at a time off property before, but there are 7 of us, so it will save quite a bit over a Disney resort for the entire trip (we are splitting with half off/ half on). I'm still trying to learn all the ins and outs!
 
I have Homewood Suites booked for the same dates, but Visitana is about $200 less and I've heard good things, so trying to make a final decision. Thank you!
I am a bit biased here, but if you are referring to the Homewood Suites Lake Buena Vista, then Vistana is IMO a far superior property. Google lists HSLBV as a 3-star property and SVR as a 4-star and I would concur with that.
 
I am a bit biased here, but if you are referring to the Homewood Suites Lake Buena Vista, then Vistana is IMO a far superior property. Google lists HSLBV as a 3-star property and SVR as a 4-star and I would concur with that.
I agree SVR is much nicer, but I just called and there is a $10 pp fee for the shuttle (even booked through Marriott), which means we would have to Uber every time. Between that and loss of provided breakfast and manager's reception at Homewood, I don't think it will make sense on this trip. I'll definitely keep it in mind for a future stay. Thank you for the help!
 
If you read back a bit (a fair bit) the schedule has been posted once or twice, but if @mckennarose sees this while still there, perhaps she can get a current schedule from the transportation desk and let us know what the current charge is for the shuttle (where there is a charge).
I’m still here and I’ll look around. Hubby and I were on an early morning walk by the marketplace but I never looked. We never use the shuttle, we either drive or ride share. There’s no schedule over here by the fountains pool/restaurant/bar area... I just looked and asked. If we head the marketplace way again I’ll be sure to check.

Re: the $50 fee... as I posted above I don’t know if it’s specific to the way we book. But through a timeshare reservation we’ve been charged a total of $50 for our whole week, not by day. This was through interval and skyauction who used rci. There is no daily resort fee or parking fee or us either. I don’t know if or how that applies to booking directly through Marriott/Sheraton.
 
I agree SVR is much nicer, but I just called and there is a $10 pp fee for the shuttle (even booked through Marriott), which means we would have to Uber every time. Between that and loss of provided breakfast and manager's reception at Homewood, I don't think it will make sense on this trip. I'll definitely keep it in mind for a future stay. Thank you for the help!
FWIW, and just my opinion here so please don’t get offended, but the issue of driving vs shuttle, vs Uber shouldn’t be a deal breaker when you’re talking about the SVR amenities and overall experience. My family members who own DVC and are currently staying at BLT came over this morning and were super impressed with SVR. They are currently squashed in a tiny room with bed, pullout and kitchenette and we’re in a huge two bedroom, two bathroom, full kitchen, washer/dryer, living room and dining room unit in Lakes section. Two of their family just moved from BLT into our unit this morning and we still have tons of room.

You could always tell hubby to shuttle himself and you drive everyone else... :thumbsup2
 
FWIW, and just my opinion here so please don’t get offended, but the issue of driving vs shuttle, vs Uber shouldn’t be a deal breaker when you’re talking about the SVR amenities and overall experience. My family members who own DVC and are currently staying at BLT came over this morning and were super impressed with SVR. They are currently squashed in a tiny room with bed, pullout and kitchenette and we’re in a huge two bedroom, two bathroom, full kitchen, washer/dryer, living room and dining room unit in Lakes section. Two of their family just moved from BLT into our unit this morning and we still have tons of room.

You could always tell hubby to shuttle himself and you drive everyone else... :thumbsup2
Thanks for that! I did not realize there are 2 Sheraton Vistanas so close together. I accidentally booked I- Drive, but was just able to switch to LBV for the same price. Shuttle fee does not apply when booked directly through Marriott. I forgot to ask about the incidental fee, but that was more curiosity than deciding factor. It looks wonderful and I'm excited to stay!

*edited for typos. I was enthusiastic and typing fast
 
Just for clarification, there is the Sheraton Vistana resort villas, which is the one I stay at and it’s directly across I4 from Disney Springs and the one this thread is about. The other one is Sheraton vistana village, which is a little farther from Disney and closer to Seaworld.
 
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Just for clarification, there is the Sheraton Vistana resort villas, which is the one I stay at and it’s directly across I4 from Disney Springs and the one this thread is about. The other one is Sheraton vistana villiage, which is a little farther from Disney and closer to Seaworld.
I've got it now. I am correctly booked (although the other looks nice too) Thanks for the help!
 

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