I have my take on Lakeshore Reserve resort and the use of the adjacent JW & Ritz properties.
The JW pools and garden-like complex are truly wonderful, and beautiful as well, and the cost of $50 per day is not unreasonable, imho,
in order to change things up and enjoy a different day-long experience.
It keeps both the kids and adults happy to have a change of scenery every now and then, and you don't have to do it every day.
And the Ritz property is also quite different and also a fun and quality experience (altho I'm not sure about the current Ritz usage and policies), but as far as I know
it's still available and worth doing if it appeals to you.
But I would NEVER say that the JW/Ritz access is THE primary reason for opting for or pursuing Lakeshore Reserve. It's a perk, but not a necessary one.
So what the heck is wrong with Lakeshore Reserve and its pool area? It can hold its head high and easily stand on is own merit.
It's amazingly beautiful, gorgeous in fact, and has as nice a complex as any in the Marriott system.
The slide is great for the kids and teens, and there's plenty there to enjoy, and nobody has to tout the beauty of the place to us---it's already wonderful.
Lakeshore Reserve is a gem, and quite worthy of a stay there, and frankly it makes zero difference to me whether the JW or Ritz access
is available or not----Lakeshore Reserve is plenty enough for a most enjoyable week, independent of the perk of another adjacent hotel experience.
It's not like one is fleeing a mediocre or decrepit property in order to salvage the trip by using someplace else.
And also to mention the World Center Hotel as the "ultimate quintessential additional perk" available if one stays at the Palms Resorts
is highly overrated too! The World Center Hotel at peak times is absolutely jammed with people and imho not enjoyable at all.
It's loud with both the crowd and the music, etc, and it's beyond annoying given the number of bodies everywhere. The beauty of the place simply does not live up
to expectations when you have to compete with dozens of others to find a spot around the pool. At the end of the day, one typically goes back to their villa,
wherever it is, with ears still ringing and a memory not of a relaxing day, but instead of one having been engaged in some sort of day-long contest to survive.
I would say a stay at Lakeshore Reserve by itself would be an example of one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ones in the Marriott system.
It's a classy and quality resort, and has a more serene and relaxing experience than people give it credit for.
And I also think Grande Vista, where we've stayed a few times, also has gorgeous pools to enjoy, on both sides of the lake, even though it's a huge resort
and can be crowded too. But it has amenities and activities that make it great for kids and adults alike. It does have more room to explore and in so doing,
experience different areas too.
Our best Orlando stays (and we don't go there nearly as often as to the South Carolina resorts) have been at Lakeshore and Grande Vista, and our kids
who are now grown and in their mid-30s, still adamantly agree. They loved both Lakeshore and GV, and have never once mentioned World Center Hotel
where we did visit more than once.
To each his own, and I'm not knocking the JW and the Ritz in Orlando (we love both brands and have stayed at many JWs in the past, all over the country),
but I didn't want anyone to believe that Lakeshore was somehow inferior if in fact access to the adjacent properties ever is denied.
Ironically, given my post, we have dear neighborhood family friends that we give a yearly vacation to (he helps me with "stuff" all year long in a business sense),
and they've been to many of MVC's best beach resorts because of our generosity), and this year he requested only one destination that his family longs to return to----
and yes, it's Lakeshore Reserve....so they are going for a week's stay in June. And they tell us every time we see them that they can't wait!
They have a 4yo, two mid-teens, and a college student, and they always remark about the activities which they love to sign up for at Lakeshore.
