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Grande Vista lately?

GTLINZ

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Has anyone been there lately? I am interested in what is open and closed, and if there is enough pool seating to have a chance during spring break in mid March. Thanks!
 

jmhpsu93

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I'll be checking in on Saturday - I'll give you an update if no one else has by then, though I think a few tuggers are there right now.
 

dioxide45

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We were there in January. The two food and beverage outlets are open; Grande Cove and Copa Loca. For carry out/walkup only. The Grill at Grande Vista has also reopened. I can't speak to what occupancy and seating around the pool will be like over spring break.
 

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Has anyone been there lately? I am interested in what is open and closed, and if there is enough pool seating to have a chance during spring break in mid March. Thanks!
We are currently at Grande Vista. Grande Cove is currently open 12- 9 and Copa Loca is only open from 11-5. (The food hut by the pool in the golf village is closed for example.). The Grill is open Thursday-Monday from 5-10, with reservations recommended . Fitness Center is open with masks and limited occupancy (15) at a time. The Kid's Zone is closed. Some chairs at the pools have been eliminated to promote social distancing, which already makes finding a lounge chair on a warm sunny day especially challenging. We're here for a few more weeks...
 

dioxide45

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The food hut by the pool in the golf village is closed for example.
Over all the years and all the trips we have taken to Grande Vista, I have never seen the food windows open at the Golf or Club Village pools.
 

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Over all the years and all the trips we have taken to Grande Vista, I have never seen the food windows open at the Golf or Club Village pools.
Perhaps the reason you never experienced the food hut being open has something to do with the time of year you are at Grande Vista or even the time of day. The food hut didn’t open until President’s Day weekend and it was only open in the afternoon (from maybe 12 to 4 or 5?). They had a limited menu of snacks, sandwiches and beverages. We typically request a room by the Golf Village pool, so it was a great convenience to us and others.
 

NboroGirl

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We'll be there on Saturday too. The woman who called me from Preferred Check told me the good news - the activities are returning to Grande Vista. When I last checked the What's Open/Closed list: https://hub.vacationclub.com/properties/marriotts-grande-vista/, it still shows most of the stuff being closed. Maybe they'll be reopening on Thursday (1st check-in day for that week).
 

NboroGirl

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We'll be there on Saturday too. The woman who called me from Preferred Check told me the good news - the activities are returning to Grande Vista. When I last checked the What's Open/Closed list: https://hub.vacationclub.com/properties/marriotts-grande-vista/, it still shows most of the stuff being closed. Maybe they'll be reopening on Thursday (1st check-in day for that week).

You can't go by the information on the website (see above). I noticed the information for MGV was dated Feb. 16 which basically says most stuff is still closed. I'll be checking in on Saturday and someone from Preferred Checkin told me on Monday "Good news! The activities are returning to Grand Vista!" Determined to find out the truth, today I called the resort and spoke to someone from the activities center who said "Activities have been open for 4 months!" So I started asking her about the different activities, and basically everything is still closed unless it is done by the pool (i.e. Bingo, movie nights) or sports (basketball tournament, golf).
 

jmhpsu93

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Checked in today. I'm guessing close to full occupancy right now based on how the main pool looked at 3 PM and the parking lots. Lots of activities and the only things closed are the spa and the indoor kids gym. There are daily aquafit classes and a rotating list of other ones. 15 people allowed in the gym.

Main pool was MOBBED today, so if you're looking for a pool chair better get there early. I haven't wondered around to the other pools yet, but will update.

It was upper 80s here today and we saw 92 on the car driving down from our overnight in Florence, SC (by the way, I could not steer you away from the Residence Inn there enough...). Looking forward to our 22 nights here! :banana:
 

dioxide45

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Same experience today at Cypress Harbour. The pools looked like they did in past years. Not an open seat. Of course the thinned out loungers are probably leading to that. Enjoy your stay there, we are off to Lakeshore Reserve tomorrow!
 

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@jmhpsu93. we arrived yesterday, Saturday. We asked for a quiet building, top floor, corner unit, because we were going to be working. Based on another post here, I amended the request for good Internet.

They put us on the top floor, but in the middle, right next to the mechanical room. I'm guessing that might be where the router is. The master bed sits next to the mechanical room. I feel a slight hum, but I don't mind it. White noise. Hubby doesn't hear/feel anything. We are in building 89, golf village.

Blissfully quiet at night. There are lots of bat houses by the pond. A little noise this morning from lawn mowers, but not bad at all.

Last year we were here with the family and stayed in first floor by the main pool. We could walk out to the pool from our patio. Saturday night very loud movie from the big screen movie by the pool. This year they have those movies every night.

Pictures coming at a size that can be uploaded soon.
MarriottGV Activities Covid3.png
MarriottGV Activities Covid2.png
MarriottGV Activities Covid.png
 
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erm

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Checked in today. I'm guessing close to full occupancy right now based on how the main pool looked at 3 PM and the parking lots. Lots of activities and the only things closed are the spa and the indoor kids gym. There are daily aquafit classes and a rotating list of other ones. 15 people allowed in the gym.

Main pool was MOBBED today, so if you're looking for a pool chair better get there early. I haven't wondered around to the other pools yet, but will update.

It was upper 80s here today and we saw 92 on the car driving down from our overnight in Florence, SC (by the way, I could not steer you away from the Residence Inn there enough...). Looking forward to our 22 nights here! :banana:
Are they enforcing the mask mandate issued by the mayor of Orlando? Just got a notice about that from Lakeshore Reserve where we check in mid March. I believe in masking but outdoors at 6 feet ? Are people wearing masks in/around the pools?
 

NboroGirl

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We checked in yesterday too. There is a supposed mask rule while in any public areas, but walking back from the fitness center this morning I passed many people on the zig-zag bridge, and only about 1/3 were masked. :(

When we arrived, there's a sign on the lobby door that said only 1 person per villa was allowed in to check in. We had Preferred Checkin so they allowed our party of 4 to enter that room off the side. I have to say, preferred checkin is great. Not just because of the beverages and snacks they offer, but we asked for a building by a pool and was initially offered building 82. It didn't look all that close to a pool (I was thinking building 96, 97, 91, or 92 - the small pools) so she looked and found a 3BR in building 97, but on the first floor. I said never mind, I'll take 82 but she made a phone call and got us in building 84, end unit facing the (quiet) lake, although we hear a lot of sound from the Main Pool (ironically not from the Copa Loca pool, but I think all the activities are at the Main Pool). And as luck would have it, the room in #84 was ready (shortly after 1:00). That never happens.

And Preferred Checkin IS a way to get you to sign up for an "owner's update" i.e. sales presentation. We were offered our choice of $250 gift card, 40,000 Bonvoy points, or 500 club points. I said that no, every time we attend an owner update, it's just a sales presentation to get us to buy points and we don't buy points. She said no, there was NO PRESSURE from the sales office at MGV (HA! Liar. We've only attended them at MGV and they were all high pressure.)

We noticed some construction around that circle where you park before checking in, and about half the parking spaces around the circle are gone. Our checkin person said they are building an Owner's Lounge there. Not sure when it will be ready.
 

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One more thing, we picked up Maggiano's curbside takeout last night so we could eat good food in our room after a LONG drive. (We stopped in Norfolk, VA on our way from MA. Stayed at a Fairfield Inn. The BEST thing about it is it is 10 minutes away from a Costco and 5 minutes from Ikea. I had to pick up some stuff from Costco. Didn't get a chance to try the IKEA, next time!)

Anyway, we were here at Cypress Thanksgiving week and the week after. International Drive by the Convention Center was a GHOST town. VERY sad to see! Last night it was hopping. People were walking around, cars at the stop lights instead of just red lights with no cars at them. I didn't care about the traffic! It was so great to see a lot of economic activity! I think there is a wedding convention going on now. Weddings are going to be HUGE after everyone gets a vaccine!

Can't wait until I get mine and we have no more masks!
 

dioxide45

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Last night it was hopping. People were walking around, cars at the stop lights instead of just red lights with no cars at them. I didn't care about the traffic!
This is probably because of CPAC happening in Orlando this weekend.
 

jmhpsu93

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We wound up with a top floor corner 3BR unit overlooking the practice facility. I wanted a south-facing room so we could get some sun on the balconies and not have to get down to the pools to do it. We love the layout of the corner 3BR lockoff - this place is bigger than my first house I bought LOL. While our room wasn't fully ready until almost 5:30, we're going to be here 22 days so it was worth the wait to get the unit we wanted. The mowers are loud in the morning but we're up early anyway.

I got in some lap swimming around 10 AM yesterday and the main pool was busy but not mobbed. I would've been able to get a chair or a table. Outdoor masking is hit or miss and I'll be the first to admit to not wearing one when not near people.

Totally unrelated but bummed about the SpaceX cancellation last night. There was a full-ish moon rising right around the time of launch so would have made a cool picture from the 6th floor here. Tonight is supposed to be cloudy so probably not a good view.
 

NboroGirl

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This is probably because of CPAC happening in Orlando this weekend.
Yes, CPAC added quite a bit of traffic around the Convention Center (it was held at the Hyatt next door). DH saw them carrying out that hideous gold statue of Trump out, LOL.
 

GTLINZ

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Thanks for the updates. Sounds like most things are open and the pools will be crowded.
 

jmhpsu93

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it appears to me that some buildings are closed since I don’t see any cars parked outside of them.
They're definitely doing a refurb in 95.
 

dioxide45

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I beleive 95 was also closed for refurbishment when we were there back in January. I think they had just started.
 

KProuty

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We just checked out yesterday. Enjoyed the resort but there were NO LOUNGE CHAIRS. place had lots of people that we didn't mind at all, but if you wanted a lounge chair by a pool and didn't get one first thing in the morning, you were out of luck. We usually go off season. After Thanksgiving or first week of February. I don't know if this is because of Covid and limiting chairs or this is a regular thing. Or, people can't go to theme parks as much because of attendance caps or need of reservations.

I would request a room with sun so you could use that as a backup. Our room only had sun very early in the morning.
 

dioxide45

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We just checked out yesterday. Enjoyed the resort but there were NO LOUNGE CHAIRS. place had lots of people that we didn't mind at all, but if you wanted a lounge chair by a pool and didn't get one first thing in the morning, you were out of luck. We usually go off season. After Thanksgiving or first week of February. I don't know if this is because of Covid and limiting chairs or this is a regular thing. Or, people can't go to theme parks as much because of attendance caps or need of reservations.

I would request a room with sun so you could use that as a backup. Our room only had sun very early in the morning.
I think the lounge chairs is a regular thing during peak seasons, though it is probably impacting other weeks now too and those peak weeks even more since they have removed a lot of lounge chairs for social distancing. I also think that, while the parks are open, people may only be going a couple or few days of the week instead of every single day. Putting more pressure on the pools.
 
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