Sheraton Vistana Resort/ Disney Tips

Hi everyone, staying at the Sheraton Vistana resort around New Years this year. First time going to Disney any tips would be greatly appreciated. Should we rent a car, best places for food etc.

Absolutely rent a car. Visit the theme parks early or late; save mid-day for lounging around your pools and enjoying the resort.

A car is a must. We usually limit our dining to a couple times during the week and prepare most meals in unit - days when we are in Disney excepted. If you like eating out there are enough chains close by that you can visit - but you will need a car as there is virtually nothing within walking distance. They have an onsite restaurant but I'm not a big fan.

Try and fill your vehicle away from the main tourist areas - they will really try to gouge you.

Usually the best gas prices are at Wal-Mart, south of the resort about a mile or 2.

jabberwocky said:

A car is a must. We usually limit our dining to a couple times during the week and prepare most meals in unit - days when we are in Disney excepted. If you like eating out there are enough chains close by that you can visit - but you will need a car as there is virtually nothing within walking distance. They have an onsite restaurant but I'm not a big fan.

Try and fill your vehicle away from the main tourist areas - they will really try to gouge you.

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Filling up onsite at one of the Speedway locations on Disney property is usually a safe bet. They don't tend to gouge. There are only a few gas stations near the airport and on or around 535 tend to gouge. Especially the Shell station on Vineland.

dioxide45 said:

Filling up onsite at one of the Speedway locations on Disney property is usually a safe bet. They don't tend to gouge. There are only a few gas stations near the airport and on or around 535 tend to gouge. Especially the Shell station on Vineland.

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Gas was $5.99 st the Shell Station on Vineland last week. Hard to believe people actually pay that much when everywhere around was below $2.20 or so.

Request a villa in Cascades or Fountains. Both are deep inside the resort, so no noise from the highway right in front, and both are right across from the market and close to pools, restaurants, and bars (if that's your thing).

The resort does provide shuttle service to Disney TTC, from where you can take Disney transportation to other parks and resorts. Renting a car does give you more freedom to come and go, but there is the parking fee of $20 at the parks to consider. No parking fee at the resort though. Uber is also an option that is very popular around WDW. We're planning to use that for our trip in December, staying at the Swan, for when we go to Universal and other non-Disney things.

The market at SVV is a bit over priced, but offers a great selection of staples. You can order pre-stocking of groceries* and supplies, but they won't deliver until after you check in, and call for delivery during market hours. We arrived late at night, so couldn't get our stuff until the next day. There is a Walmart just down the road a piece too.

(Link to grocery pre-stock order is in the middle of the page, next to the link to Diamond Lane Check In - which I HIGHLY recommend using too)

Allow yourself ample time to enjoy the parks fully. Get park tickets for at least 4 days. Park Hopper is an option to consider, as it allows you to visit more than one park per day. There are several sites that offer discount tickets - they are Disney authorized, and totally legit:
The best known in UnderCoverTourist.com - first go to MouseSavers.com and sign up for the newsletter. Around the 15th, they will send one with a link for an extra discount. I have purchased from them before, and can attest to their legitimacy.

Then there is ParkSavers.com - right now they are offering a 4 day Park Hopper pass with three days free, or 7 days for the price of 4. I bought these tickets for our trip in December, and have them linked to our My Disney Experience account and Magic Bands, so these are legit too.

Another authorized seller of discount tickets is OfficialTicketCenter.com - I have not used them personally, but those in the know say they are legit.

All of the above have discount tickets for Universal Orlando, too, if that is part of your plans. Also SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and other Orlando area attractions.

There are several sites out there with tons of Disney (and other theme park) tips, tricks, hacks, and other information. My favorite is Disney Tourist Blog. From restaurant and ride reviews, to packing tips, to freebies - they cover it all.

Another fantastic site is Touring Plans where you can get customized park itineraries that will save hours of waiting in lines. They have lots of other great information and tools there too. I use their crowd calendar to plan out which parks we will visit on what days, based on how crowded they will be. The park hours and special events are also a factor.

Another one that has proven invaluable for me is their dining reservation finder - just pick the restaurant and time frame, and it will send a text message when a reservation comes available. I was able to get two hard-to-get reservations two weeks before our last trip.

You are making dining reservations, right? If you aren't, you might spend a LOT of time waiting for a table, or be relegated to quick-serve dining. Get yourself a My Disney Experience account. You can link your tickets for each member of your family there, and not only make dining reservations, but also get FastPass+ reservations as well. Use this in conjunction with the Touring Plans site to plan out your visit. Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) can be made 6 months ahead of time, FastPass 30 days if staying in a non-Disney hotel or resort.

Do not make the mistake of planning to just go in the parks without a plan or reservations - doing that guarantees HOURS of waiting in lines, even if you are going in low season. The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is historically the most crowded time in the parks.

Weather at that time of year is also a consideration. Daytime highs will be in the 60s to 70s, but dropping into the 40s and 50s when the sun goes down. All parks have lockers you can rent to store cool weather gear and other things you might not want to tote around. From March to October, the main concern is keeping cool enough. At all times, sunscreen is a must. Winter is the dry season in Florida, but it still could rain. Take along disposable ponchos that you can get cheap at home or from Amazon, rather than paying $15 for one with Mickey printed on it in the park.

Comfortable, supportive shoes are essential. Be sure they are well broken in, too. You will be doing lots, and lots, and lots, of walking. On our last visit, my Fitbit said I averaged 10 miles per day in the parks. Best tip I ever got was to take along moleskin to cover blisters that might come up. I take a small first aid kit with bandaids, gauze, tape, itch cream, and antibiotic ointment, but there are first aid stations all around the parks too.

It's perfectly OK to bring snacks and water bottles. We take trail mix and protein bars. Any dining location with fountain drinks will give you a cup of ice water for free. We pour it into our water bottles, and add flavor drops like Mio or Stur.

Do your research and planning ahead of time so you know what rides, attractions, activities, etc., you want to see and do, which you want to skip, and the best order in which to do them. Take into consideration your level of endurance, and build in rest times. FYI ... Magic Kingdom doesn't have a lot of benches or other places to sit and rest, however Animal Kingdom has lots of quiet paths and sitting areas. Are you going with children? Families often find it best to start the day early, go until lunchtime then go back to the resort for a few hours for lunch, nap, etc. before going back for evening events. We're a middle-aged couple without kids, so we often go from rope-drop to Kiss Goodnight with some down time in restaurants along the way.

Let me know if you have specific questions about Disney ... I'm a bit obsessive about knowing as much as I can about the places we visit, so I have done a lot of digging into all things Disney.

And one more tip, which goes for ALL travel, but especially for airports and theme parks ...

Get RFID-blocking wallets.

It's really a thing, and should be done all the time, everywhere. We did so on our last trip to Disney and Harborside, but I went back to my regular wallet when we got home. A couple months later, we attended a concert, and the very next day, Amex contacted me about fraudulent charges on my card, which I had with me, but hadn't used in several days.

Another option if you do not rent a car for groceries is to contact a local Grocery delivery service. We used it the one and only time we made the mistake of staying on Disney property. I believe the fee was $35 to have our order brought.

The Haileys said:

And one more tip, which goes for ALL travel, but especially for airports and theme parks ...

Get RFID-blocking wallets.

It's really a thing, and should be done all the time, everywhere. We did so on our last trip to Disney and Harborside, but I went back to my regular wallet when we got home. A couple months later, we attended a concert, and the very next day, Amex contacted me about fraudulent charges on my card, which I had with me, but hadn't used in several days.

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http://www.infoworld.com/article/3023422/security/why-you-dont-need-an-rfid-blocking-wallet.html

Don't assume you will spend any time at the pools because it does get COLD out that time of year. Afternoon temps are beautiful for roaming the parks, but don't expect swimming weather.

We park at the Boardwalk lot for free and walk to Epcot or take the boat the HS. HS is walk-able as well along the river behind Boardwalk. Saves the $14 parking fee.(may be higher now; not sure)

Go to undercovertourist.com and check out the crowd calendar to plan your days. Disney has "Phased closures" where they deny entry because the crowds are reaching capacity. The closures are rare, but most have happened during that Christmas week, so plan on busy, busy, busy.

Bring clothes for the nightime cooldown and rent a locker at the park. It will get cool to cold at night and then you won't have to leave the park. Changing in the bathroom has never been an issue. Lockers are $12, but you get $5 back when you return the key.

Take the buses from Disney Springs to the parks to save on parking and hassle, especially at MK. From MK you will have to wait for either the boat or monorail to take you to the transportation center. There you get to wait for the tram to take you to your car. Can be a pain. Often times the buses are quicker. Not always but often. And you save on parking.

Saaz124 said:

We park at the Boardwalk lot for free and walk to Epcot or take the boat the HS. HS is walk-able as well along the river behind Boardwalk. Saves the $14 parking fee.(may be higher now; not sure)

Go to undercovertourist.com and check out the crowd calendar to plan your days. Disney has "Phased closures" where they deny entry because the crowds are reaching capacity. The closures are rare, but most have happened during that Christmas week, so plan on busy, busy, busy.

Bring clothes for the nightime cooldown and rent a locker at the park. It will get cool to cold at night and then you won't have to leave the park. Changing in the bathroom has never been an issue. Lockers are $12, but you get $5 back when you return the key.

Take the buses from Disney Springs to the parks to save on parking and hassle, especially at MK. From MK you will have to wait for either the boat or monorail to take you to the transportation center. There you get to wait for the tram to take you to your car. Can be a pain. Often times the buses are quicker. Not always but often. And you save on parking.

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I think parking is now $20. I also don't think busses run directly from Disney Springs to any of the parks, unless things have recently changed. It would also be hard to get a bus from DS to a park early in the morning since they really wouldn't be running since DS doesn't really get hopping until all the shops open up.

I would think just paying the $20 for the convenience is far better than jumping through hoops to get to a park from DS or even a hotel. Disney does have specific rules against what you are suggesting even if they don't enforce them.

BW technically has a 3 hour limit on parking for non-guests as do all the other resort hotels . Whether or not they enforce it depends on how busy they are and if security has been heightened. I would expect that since that is the most crowded time of year for the parks, then I would expect that they will enforce the 3 hour limit. I have also seen during the holidays when even the overflow parking lot at BW is full and cars have been turned away.

blondietink said:

BW technically has a 3 hour limit on parking for non-guests as do all the other resort hotels . Whether or not they enforce it depends on how busy they are and if security has been heightened. I would expect that since that is the most crowded time of year for the parks, then I would expect that they will enforce the 3 hour limit. I have also seen during the holidays when even the overflow parking lot at BW is full and cars have been turned away.

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We never travel there during busy times so it has always worked for us, but you're right; during Christmas the parking lots will be packed and rules enforced.

A free parking hack at Magic Kingdom I learned right here on TUG. See Post #7.

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224633

This is NOT like jumping the fence to sneak in. It is proper roads with a well marked sign to turn for Magic Kingdom Parking. It joins the parking lanes just inside the toll plaza.

We (6 adults and 2 children) just returned from Disney and Vistana Villages. We rented a van and paid the $20/day parking. It was an easy, quick drive to Disney. We bought groceries at Walmart and ate breakfasts, and most dinners, at the condo.

Touringplans. com was a HUGE help. We had our customized touring plan for each day in the park, and it saved us from spending a lot of time in lines. I also used their site in the park to check wait times.

Be sure and make your dining reservations as soon as you can and your Fast Passes at 30 days out - as soon as the Fast Pass site opens at 7 AM. I logged on each morning exactly at 7 AM and could not get a couple of Fast Passes that I wanted. I imagine those went to people staying at Disney resorts that could book 60 days in advance. For those days, we were there at rope drop so we were able to ride everything we wanted without major waits, ie > 30 minutes. Dining also fills up quickly so make sure you get your reservations at 60 days.

One of the attractions we rode was Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom. We saw people getting on board with their ponchos on, and I learned the hard way why that was. I got DRENCHED! I looked as though someone had just dumped buckets of water on me. Thanks goodness it was a warm day and my feet did not get anywhere near as wet as I was from the knees up, because I can't stand squishy shoes

Enjoy your trip!

Sweet Tomatoes

Not sure how you and your family like to eat but we love salads and usually eat at Sweet Tomatoes several times when we are in Oralndo. It is only a few miles from Vistana. Nice, fresh salad bar, soup bar. Also has pastas, breads, pizza.
Free for 3 and under. $3.99 for children and $10 for adults (sign up for their mobile coupons)

Make sure you have the Disney app on your phone. You can pre-select your 3 fast passes but if you have the app it is easy to change them if you are not on schedule or if you want to look for something else. Also once you use all 3 you will go to a kiosk and select one new one. It really doesn't matter what you get because you will then be able to look for a new one on your phone-so no need to stand at the kiosk trying to make up your mind for 10 minutes . Fast pass availability changes minute to minute. Often when we are standing in line I refresh several times until what I want becomes available. The app will also show you which rides have the shortest waits.

We live in Naples FL so go to Orlando, have a 4 year old and go several times per year. We have also found it beneficial to go early in the morning, spend a few hours. Go back to the timeshare, relax and have dinner from 2-6. Head back to the park. During the parades and fireworks- short lines for the rides.

The Haileys said:

Request a villa in Cascades or Fountains. Both are deep inside the resort, so no noise from the highway right in front, and both are right across from the market and close to pools, restaurants, and bars (if that's your thing).

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Did you mean Lakes and Fountains?

Most Recent Renovated Phase

Anyone knows?

Also, what phase do you recommend for 2 BR units that sleep 8. Kids and parents will be the guests.

Helios said:

Anyone knows?

Also, what phase do you recommend for 2 BR units that sleep 8. Kids and parents will be the guests.

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Here is the renovation schedule. Most 2 bedrooms sleep 8 except Falls and lower units in Courts.

Springs Phase: August 28 – December 31, 2016
The Springs phase will undergo a villa interior refresh including all seating, window treatments, bedding and accessories, interior paint and carpet replacement. Exterior projects include HVAC replacement, exterior paint, and window/door replacement.

Falls Phase exterior building maintenance: January 15 – April 2, 2017
The Falls phase will undergo a window replacement and exterior paint project.

Palms Phase: April 2 – July 16, 2017 and Courts Phase: September 16 – November 17, 2017
The Courts and Palms phases will undergo a villa refresh that will include all seating, window treatments, bedding and accessories, interior paint and carpet replacement.

got4boys said:

Here is the renovation schedule. Most 2 bedrooms sleep 8 except Falls and lower units

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Thanks.

I was looking at pictures on the resort website and the units seem pretty comparable as far as furnishings. I am assuming they have decent sound insulation so being close to the highway should not be an issue.

Publix discount gas cards

Just down the road near the Hilton Tuscany is a Publix supermarket. About once a month they offer a gas card..$50 for $40. That 20% off the cost of gas. You can buy one for every $40 you spend. They also have tee shirts and lots of Disney stuff cheaper than the parks! You have to hit right, but just after the holidays should be a good time.
If you want to go to Disney springs, go to the French quarter, they usually don't hassle you for parking there and you can get the boat to the springs, or the buses to the parks.
They may give you more trouble during peak seasons though.
Have a great time