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Reccomendation for TS near Disney World

Andi

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
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Location
Foley, AL
Plan on taking grandkids to the Theme Park at Disney World in Orlando. Please give me your best reccomendation. I appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks

Andi
 
I am going to move your question to the Florida Board, but be sure you check the TUG Orlando Reviews & Ratings.

What exchange company will you be using and when?
 
II exchanges:

1. DVC-Beach Club/Broadwalk/Wilderness Lodge/Animal Kingdom/Saratoga/Old key west

2. Sheraton Vistana Villiages

3. Marriott-Horizons/Grand Vista/Cypress Harbor

RCI:

1. Hilton International Drive
2. Hilton Seaworld
3. Wyndham Bonnet Creek
 
Boatloads Of Great Disney Area Florida Timeshares.

Plan on taking grandkids to the Theme Park at Disney World in Orlando. Please give me your best reccomendation. I appreciate any help you can give me.
We like 2 favorite Disney area timeshares so well that we bought them -- Cypress Pointe Phase II & Cypress Pointe Phase I -- resale, of course, both of'm.

Those are on the east side of the Disney complex, about 1 mile up Rt. 535 from the main gate into Downtown Disney at Hotel Plaza Blvd.

There are loads more not much farther away, including some that are much larger resort complexes with multiple phases & some that are newer & pricier.

A bunch more timeshares are out on the west side of the Disney complex, arrayed more or less along Rt. 192 out past the I-4 interchange.

Beside the 2 Orlando timeshares we like so well we that bought'm, we've stayed on exchange at . . .

Vacation Village At Parkway
Vistana Orlando
Vistana Villages
Silver Lake Resort Silver Points
Wyndham Cypress Palms
HGVC Sea World

Those were all great, & we've only just scratched the surface, with loads more Orlando timeshares we'd love to try if we're able to snag advantageous future Last Call & Instant Exchange reservations.

Before we lock in exchange reservations into other people's timeshares, we always read up on the resorts via TUG Resort Reviews & RCI member reviews.

However that may be, some Disney fans find they just can't enjoy the full Disney vacation experience unless they stay in 1 of the plush Disney Vacation Club timeshares that are always in high demand.

There are so many great Disney-area timeshares that even if the 1 you pick is not The Absolute Best, it's apt to be outstanding anyway.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 
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I'd switch 2 and 3 on the II list and would place Grande Vista and Cypress Harbour about equal with each other but much higher than Horizons by Marriott. But there's little that I'd argue with about this list! These are all topnotch resorts!

Dick Taylor

II exchanges:

1. DVC-Beach Club/Broadwalk/Wilderness Lodge/Animal Kingdom/Saratoga/Old key west

2. Sheraton Vistana Villiages

3. Marriott-Horizons/Grand Vista/Cypress Harbor

RCI:

1. Hilton International Drive
2. Hilton Seaworld
3. Wyndham Bonnet Creek
 
Depending on how close and how much you want in terms of restaurants on site, etc. I'd also suggest Royal/Sabal/Imperial Palms by Marriott each is about a mile from the main Disney gate and you get all the amenities of the World Center Marriott.

For grandkids, I'd pick Horizons.
 
Be careful with Grande Vista. It has some crummy rooms. My brother and his family refused to take the first two they offered him on the last trip he took - the first two were BAD. Smelly like mildew, rust on the appliances, and in just plain bad shape. They wondered if people were sneaking pets in because of the smell or if it was possibly a mildew/mold problem. He couldn't believe Grande Vista even had rooms like that, but they do. So if you go to Marriott Grande Vista, insist on a new building or remodeled building. My brother and his family usually stay at Grande Vista in the off season so they always got a new building. But this time they traveled in peak time and were offered substandard units at first until they complained and finally got assigned a remodeled unit. If you take a look at tripadvisor.com, you'll see some recent complaints on the mildew smelly rooms so I know it just isn't my family that had problems with it. One family on trip advisor was even afraid it would make their kids sick.

Horizons doesn't have any bad rooms (it's too new). Cypress Harbour should be almost totally remodeled now, but I would still ask for remodeled building (just in case).

I've heard Sabal Palms is set for refurbishment so I would probably stay away from that one. Imperial and Royal Palms should be refurbished so that should be a safe bet.
 
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If you are planning on going during the winter, i wouldn't recommend Royal Palms. We were there a few winters ago, and while the resort was nice, the pool was not heated! This is the first TS in Florida that we have visited where the water was too cold to swim. Although the weather was very nice, there was not a soul in the pool all week. :(

Dori
 
Not Even The Brits ?

Although the weather was very nice, there was not a soul in the pool all week.
When we're on Orlando timeshare vacations in January, usually nobody's in the pool but Our British Cousins.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 
We stayed at Star Island last summer, and loved it. We spent more time at the kddie pool than anywhere- DGS Eddie was 4, and called it the pool without steps.

I'd exchange into there again anyday.
Holly
 
Hey Alan, we are hardy Canucks, but even so, the water temps were too frigid for us! :bawl:

Dori
 
If your grandkids are between the ages of 1 and 10 I would choose Marriott Horizons. Great themed pools. My kids loved the pools so much that they didn't want to go to the parks.
 
If you are planning on going during the winter, i wouldn't recommend Royal Palms. We were there a few winters ago, and while the resort was nice, the pool was not heated! This is the first TS in Florida that we have visited where the water was too cold to swim. Although the weather was very nice, there was not a soul in the pool all week. :(

Dori, this past January, we stayed there too. Not only was the water frigid and devoid of swimmers, but it was the same at ALL the sister resort pools - Imperial Palms, Sabal Palms, even the Marriott Orlando World Center hotel pools - indoor and outdoor!!! My teenaged sons wanted to swim so we checked them all but they settled for a dip in a hot tub that day. Very disappointing. Staff insisted that they were all heated but they kept them too cool for swimming in 70 degree weather.

OTOH, on other winter visits this year, we found the pools at Wyndham Cypress Palms very nice and warm. We even asked a man from maint if the hot tub could be made hotter and he responded that it would make the pool warmer too, did we mind? :rofl: Loved it!!! Orange Lake Country Club has at least some of their pools nice and warm in the winter too. The Disney resorts heat their pools but not as warmly as these two, IMO. The larger the pool, the less likely that it'll feel really warm throughout.
 
In reality, most of the resorts in Orlando are nice. People have their personal preferences. For example, while I think the Hilton at I-drive was okay, I didn't like the double wide-bathtub being in the master bedroom but others like that arrange. Nothing wrong with either position but it is hard to recommend a specific resort without really knowing what your preferences are. I think with young kids, Vistana, Bonnet Creek, and Orange Lake should also be consider but as I stated earlier, there are many nice resorts in Orlando. Unless you are hung up about being on Disney property, the off site units will be larger.
 
If you are renting, start by looking at the dates you need. Then read the TUG resort reviews and then post the top 2 or 3 you like. You will then get the recent info, for the places you can get.

I have stayed at Club Sevilla, a last minute exchange during the summer for 7 people - it was okay. Star Island was nicer, but both pools are located next to each other and my unit was a longer walk than I was happy with (nice, nice unit location).
 
Timeshare recommendation

I am with RCI. Thanks for all the information.

Andi
 
HGVC Seaworld

I'm not an Orlando area expert and have only stayed in a timeshare one time near Disney. It was HGVC Seaworld. We had a three-bedroom and thought it was great. Would definitely stay there again.
 
RCI

RCI:

Houses at Summer Bay
Cypress Pointe Grand Villas
Grand Beach (3 bedroom)
Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Seaworld
Wyndham Bonnet Creek

(Not necessarily in that order depending on preferences)
 
I liked Westgate. I stayed in Town Center but I think other resorts in Westgate were pretty nice also. I didn't buy Westgate since it was too expensive but I liked what they are doing to their resort. I think they are in construction of new TS and shopping/swim pool.
I rode boat for free and it was fun. They also have mini golf with dinos.
Their pool is not as good as other TS but it was clean and I liked the huge jacuzzi by master bed.
 
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