Located in Lake Buena Vista, the Sheraton Vistana Resort is part of the Starwood timeshare program which covers the brands Sheraton and Westin. You don’t need to own at the Sheraton Vistana timeshare to book a vacation here as it is also a category 4 Sheraton property so you can book for cash or if you are an SPG member, you can use 10,000 SPG points per night. By booking through a regular SPG or Sheraton portal, you should get daily housekeeping service, but I do believe “no housekeeping” specials are available if you are happy to skip it and save the money. If you are an RCI member and looking to stay an entire week, your most economical option will probably be to exchange into the property or buy your week from Extra Vacations.
This particular resort is a large property built in phases. Each phase has its own name – Cascades, Falls, Lakes, Palms/Spas, and Springs. I’ve stayed in the Lakes and Cascades sections and they were both very nice. The Lakes area is probably my favorite. I just really like the furnishings and the layout of the two bedroom units here.
So far I have stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Resort three times, once on an RCI timeshare exchange and twice through RCI Extra Vacations rentals. I’ve also booked a week for my sister’s family and they loved it as well.
The entire property is well-landscaped and most buildings are just a few stories high so I think it makes the resort a lot more welcoming and attractive as a vacation destination than the massive apartment towers you will find at some other resorts.
Vistana Resort Orlando Amenities
On site, there is plenty to do at the Sheraton Vistana Orlando. There are several pools dotted around the property (I believe there’s one in each major area of the property) including an especially nice “super” pool that is located next to the casual restaurant, Zimmie’s. You can eat indoors at Zimmie’s or sit outside next to the pool deck at their “Sports Bar”. We watched the Superbowl there earlier this year and they had a buffet set out for the Superbowl and a large outdoor screen was erected so you could actually watch the game while sitting in pool or whirlpool. It was a lot of fun until it started raining!
Zimmie’s has five other TV’s as well. When they aren’t showing the Superbowl, you can expect a typical casual menu (burgers, snacks, etc) at Zimmie’s and they usually have specials during the week which you will get notice of in your info packet when you check-in to the resort. There’s also an All-You-Can-Eat BBQ on Wednesdays and Sundays.
In addition to Zimmie’s there’s also the Cascades Bar and Grill and the Coral Reef bar which are both open until sunset, the Oasis poolside bar (open seasonally), and the Fountains Food Court which has a KFC, A&W and Pizza Hut all on site. In fact, you can get the fast food places to deliver to your unit as well.
In addition to the casual dining, there is also a general store which sells groceries that you can prepare in your unit and you can buy prepared sandwiches, etc.
In addition to the pools and dining options, the Vistana resort has 9 tennis courts, basketball courts, a fitness center and a game room. I have never bothered to take advantage of any of these because I prefer the pools and I get most of my exercise just walking around Disney World. Like many timeshare resorts, there are also lots of schedule activities every day, but again I don’t realy participate in most of them because I’d rather be at the Parks. Though, the Superbowl night they hosted was lots of fun.
Vistana vs other Disney area Resorts
Of the resorts I stay at when I visit Orlando, the Sheraton Vistana is one of my top choices and I would usually book here before booking the Bonnet Creek Wyndham because I think the Sheraton Vistana has a bit more to offer in terms of amenities. In fact, in some ways it might even be a bit preferable to the Disney DVC resorts if you want to spread out a bit as the units are large and comfortable.
Resort Details:
Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake Buena Vista/Orlando
8800 Vistana Centre Drive
Orlando,Florida 32821
Phone: (407) 239-3100
Website