There are good and bad points to it; Vida Lifestyle is run by International Cruises and Excursions (ICE), which is the company that runs the travel store for SFX and RCI travel. You can get cruise deals through them that are comparable to other travel agencies; their guarantee is for the price you actually pay after discounting the "Vida Dollars" you get for paying your Vidanta usage fees. You can also book non-Vidanta resorts at a reasonable rate, though not really top of the line ones. Benefits will depend on what level you are with Vidanta; if I remember right, you're at the Deluxxe level, which would get you VL platinum. They have a first Friday event every month during which you can buy cruise certificates, resort certificates, wine or merchandise on a first come first served basis with limited availability; it's really a deal shoot if you can get anything at that level. At the 2 BR loft level and up, you have access the day before, but it's still not a sure thing on being able to get anything. You can use the Vida Preferred SFX access for privilege weeks instead of maintaining an SFX diamond level membership, but you wouldn't be able to deposit non-Vidanta weeks through it.
the SFX travel store is essentially the same, but has access to Vidanta resorts. In the spring, they had access at the Jungle Luxxe level in RM and the GL 1 BR or studio level in NV; there wasn't any the last time I checked, though.
I've gotten good deals on car rental through them, but think it's the same cost as through RCI, so it might not be worth it was if you already have access there. The resort access is about equivalent to the last call RCI ones, though there aren't as many to choose from typically. It does provide another option for post-retirement travel when you're more flexible, though. I've seen good deals for the Pueblo Bonito resorts, for example, and haven't seem any return restrictions (i.e., 1 in 4) like you see for some in the big exchanges.
I think you also get a certain number of weeks you can use to go back to Vidanta in the off seasons, but I've never seen it tough to get in by other means then. The upgrade gets you a lower annual fee than just renewing, but you get a year free with the Vidanta purchase, so you can try it out first. I would recommend doing that and asking the sales guy that called for his/her extension in case you decide you like it. It would be tough to believe they won't be able to sell you an upgrade later if you decline now; they'd still get a commission, so they'd likely find a way to waive any restrictions they cite now.
Hope that helps.
