Just stayed at the Vistana. I rented a week from an owner. Asked for the Cascades a month in advance (as the paperwrk suggested). It was an OK stay. The unit was outdated but clean. Was first assigned to a really old unit in the Courts but the cleaning solution smell was so strong, we had to leave. The staff at the desk was very accomodating, and asked us to look at another unit. That unit was ok, but was a total mess (hadn't been cleaned yet). Finally settled into the third unit that was in the Fountains II section. The outside stairs up to the unit could use a simple powerwashing. The unit itself was clean, just outdated. Freshly painted and wallpapered. Large in size. Shaded location, relatively quiet. Convenient parking. Got maid service mid-week, plus a supervisor follow up to make sure we were happy.

The service was friendly, just a call every day to invite us to a "free" breakfast (where they try to sell you a unit). The heater in the Fountains pool was broken. Got a nice voice mail saying it would be fixed (after we left). Used other pools which where nice but only certain pools have towels available. No poolside drink service.

The small mini golf course was not worth the $5 charge per person---it should be free since it was completely boring.

Overall, I would have preferred the Cascades newer models and pools. I recommend being assertive and not taking a really old unit.

VISTANA is the GREATEST. I have owned a vista in Vistana for over 10 years. You cannot go wrong with ANY of the facilities. The older units (Courts and Falls)are actually more private than the newer units. These are only two story resorts and much better parking facilities. The entire resort is open to everyone. We swim at every pool, visit all parts of the complex and enjoy it immensely.

I have visited many other timeshares from coast to coast. The service levels at Vistana are the best. The atmosphere is very family oriented. No pressure sales pitch if you choose. Excellent accommodations for young and old alike. I't always been rated as a gold crown unit and always will.

It sure doesn't hurt that it sits besides "the happiest place on Earth". Disney, Epcot, Universal, City walk, Seaworld, Daytona, NASA are all within easy reach.

Enjoy your stay....I'll say hi to you and welcome you when I see you at Vistana.....

I have owned in the Courts for more than 20 years. They have been updated recently, and the units are larger than the newer ones. The staff is very friendly and versatile. There are so many activities that we don't see the older children until late in the evening. There are many, many attractions nearby that all ages thoroughly enjoy! I highly recommend this resort.

WE HAVE OWNED HERE at VISTANA SINCE "1982", AND USE IT EVERY YEAR. WE HAVE TAKEN ALL OF OUR CHILDREN DOWN ALONG WITH THEIR FRIENDS, NOW WE ENJOY IT W/OUR GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR FRIENDS, ALONG W/FAMILY. IF THERE IS EVER A PROBLEM THEY FIX IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS RESORT. THEY KEEP UP W/THE UNITS AND THE GROUNDS. THEY ARE IMMACULATE. IT IS VERY CLOSE TO DISNEY, SHOPPING ETC. IT IS ALSO A GATED COMMUNITY, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE CHILDREN. THEY HAVE SOMETHING GOING FOR EVERYONE, EVERY DAY IF YOU WANT. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO INTO TO THE PARKS TO ENJOY YOURSELF. TRY IT--YOU WILL LIKE IT! DESANTO39

We have just returned from a week at the SHERATON VISTANA RESORT . The hotel is magnificent and we have never experienced such incredible service before. It was so lovely that it was hard to drag ourselves away from the hotel to go to the theme parks at all. In fact we didn't bother with Disney , having been before and just did a few trips to Universal. It was so hot and busy there, we couldn't wait to get back to the peace and tranquility of the hotel.WE STAYED IN A 2 BED ROOM THEY MUST HAVE REDONE THEM AS OF LATE THEY WERE LIKE NEW FLAT SCREEN TV AND DVDS WOW WHAT A NICE PLACE TO STAY .The pools are lovely, AND BIG Our kids are 11 and 13 and they enjoyed it. The pool attendants were wonderful .Overall I would say this is probably the best hotel we have ever stayed in on holiday and I am extremely fussy! Perhaps not the most convenient if all you want to do is theme parks, but if you want to mix a little luxury with the odd trip to the parks then this is an absolute must. PS-Restaurants are great.

My husband, myself and another couple along with their daughter stayed the week of July 27th - August 3rd. We stayed in the Cascades area which I was thankful for after walking around and seeing how old looking that the other areas were. But you could start seeing the wear and tear even in the Cascades. But overall it was ok.

That was the good side. My husband and I have stayed at other resorts and have never had to pay for the amenities. Here, you have to pay for everything that you want to do except swim. If you are an owner you have to pay $4.00 each to play miniature golf in a really tired looking course. Your money is much better spent somewhere else.

That is not even the worst of it. All week we had someone above us that was up all night yelling, running, and just being rude. We called Security every night for the week that we were there. Nothing stopped. We even would call during the day and were told that management would get back with us and no one ever did. The last night we were there I called it did not stop, I called an hour later and this person put me through to Security and they said that the first person never contacted them. So it makes me wonder if they had ever been contacted the other times that week. My husband and the other gentleman that we were with had 2 hours of sleep before making a 14 1/2 hour drive home. All we got was a sorry and our exchange fee back.

I would never stay here again. While the grounds are nice, there are much nicer places to stay that will take care of their guests.

Stayed here the last week of June. Great Resort. Kids loved the pools. Staff was very helpful. Very quiet and peaceful. Room was very clean. Everything was very close and easy to get to. If you are coming to Orlando, this is a great place to stay.

This is a hidden Gem! The location is central, convenient to everything, I 4, International Drive, Outlet malls, Disney, etc. The resort is clean family oriented, everything you could want is in the resort, great variety of pools, rec centres, restaurants, tennis, mini golf, etc.

We have stayed here the last two years (March 06 & Feb. 07) and have been totally pleased with the service and aminities!

We own two units in the Lakes and Falls section of this resort. One July 4th week and one Columbus Day week. We love it here. Less than a mile from Disney entrance. We can sit on our balcony and watch the fireworks nightly at Disney. Our units are two bedroom, two full bathroom, spacious, beautifully decorated 1100+ sq ft units that sleep 8 comfortably. Trading power for these units are incredible. We have traded to ski at Beavercreek in Colorado and Tahoe, and scuba dive in Maui, Cancun and Cozumel. The renovations are spectacular and we can't wait to go back there this July 4th. The staff is awesome and always ready to help with any need you may have. The pools are beautiful and with teenage children, they stay busy all day at the resort. We love it here.

We had a mini family reunion in Orlando and rented 3 units in the Cascades section at Sheraton Vistana Resort. We had a total of 6 children ages 2 - 14 in tow. I was a little concerned because of some of the previous reviews I read but decided to go anyway. We were very pleasantly surprised! Check in was a breeze. A very nice young man walked us to our units(all in same building across from the pool) and made sure we were satisfied. The units were spacious, clean and nicely furnished. The pool was spectacular and we had a hard time getting the little ones out of the kiddie pool section which was huge. The location of this property in relation to Disney was a big plus--we were only a 5 minute drive to Disney and there was plenty of shopping and restaurants in the vicinity. The staff was extremely polite and eager to please. As a result, we are now looking to buy a resale in the Cascades section of the Vistana resort!

I have just returned home from this resort and I do have to say our room in the Lakes section was gorgeous. They have just been completely redone and they make the Cascades sections of this resort look totally run down. I am also a Cascades owner and have just been informed that they are going to be refurbishing them once the other areas of the resort have been done (Fountains I &II, Springs and Falls. The Courts section is also going to be done in 2010 by then this resort will be a gold star resort and every part of it except (Palms) will be brand new and no one will have a reason to complain about the villas. In previous readings it has been said that some amenities you have to pay for well many resorts that offer what this one does you will have a $$ expensive to pay for your fun. If you don't like the golfing-minu putt then don't golf! If you have ever been to Orange Lake you have to pay for everything there its all in the "holiday fun package of family travel". This resort is so central to everything, restaurants, Prime outlet mall, Disney , grocery store, pharmace and liquor store right next door. It has several restaurants some with pool side service and some without if you want drinks or food at one of the pools then go to the one that offers it. Personally we love the Fountains pool its quiet and not hardly any kids especially when our children are teenagers and they don't want to be around alot of noise. The Cascades pool is FULL of children so if you want kids then thats the pool to go to. I am an owner of 5 Timeshares and have stayed at many in Orlando and for what you get and location you WILL not find a better resort, The pools are open until 1:00 am all Hiltons close at 11:00 so that doesn't work for our family also it does not offer more than a few simple activities and its really no fun for teenagers as nothing to do there. We love the Sheraton Resort and go there 4 times per year and now our oldest goes on her own . So do your homework before you travel and check out the websites as its unfair to complain about anything when you have the option of knowing about it before you go. Its funny people will spend hundreds of dollars on Disney parks and food there but when it comes to a $5 golf mini putt game it's like its a million dollars to golf.. so enjoy this resort to the fullest and forget about the small extras that go with it. Its all in the memory of a great vacation.So if you want to pick the nicest areas now it goes like this- Lakes-gorgeous-Fountains I- beautiful (no M/B Whirlpool)-Fountains II- Gorgeous (whirlpool in M/B)- Springs and Falls are next by the end of 2009 then Cascades and Courts 2010. So instead of asking for Cascades try the others you will be happy with 3 Digital tv's while eating breakfast at the marble top counter sitting on bar stools listening to the Bose Stereo sytem! You will truly love it . I guarantee you won't stay in Cascades again once you have been in these new units.

I had 3 units week before x-mas 2006. resort is great. Very well maintained. Units very clean and not run down.

Anyone who reads this must know this, all 3 partys we traveled with called before we went down there to verify a shuddel service to get to the parks and was told yes. But when we got there is was only for hotel guest. Forgot to tell us that part. I thought if you offer it and was going there anyway who cares where you are on the property. Also when we called up front for a taxi to goto downtown disney, they told us in 15 min., we waited a hour and no show. So we complainted to the front desk and they kept hanging up on us as soon as they knew it was us calling again to find out where out taxi was.

Staff a little pushy on check in for there free breakfast(sell you a unit breakfast). Kept calling room and leaving messages.

Other than those small issues, everything was great. if returning to florida again withfamily would go back to this resort.

One great thing is a few of the pools are open to 1 a.m. Pools and pool area very clean. they use alot of clorine. so if this bothers you, don't get in.

travel times. disney is very close. you can get to almost all disney parks within 5 min. universal is about 10 min. away. also close to kissimmee under 5 min away.

Dec 06--2 weeks before and after Christmas in 2 different 2 bedroom,2 bath condos.

The resort is very beautiful--many gorgeous heated pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, and many activities, especially for children.

First week was in the Fountains, first floor just in front of a huge pool. We asked for first floor because there are no elevators in the older sections--just in the Cascades and the Lakes (Starwood owned). Some of the buildings have three floors and we don't do stairs well.

The condo was clean and well decorated. Jacuzzi in master bath with separate walk in shower. The bed was hard and the sofa and overstuffed chair in the living room were broken down so that you sank to the bottom when you sat. The kitchen had adequate dishes to eat out of, but was very sparse on cooking utensils and no mid size microwavable bowls.

Second week was first floor in the falls. Redecorated, clean, and pretty, with a good mattress, and comfortable sofa and chair in living room. The kitchen utensils were even sparser--had to cook veggies for two in a spaghetti for 10 size pot. Master bath had a nice dressing area with lav, but shower was inside the jacuzzi with sliding doors which made it difficult to access (we are in our seventies) and the shower in second bath was also inside the regular size tub--no problem getting in and out of this.

The two newer sections of the resort--Cascades and Lakes are the only two owned by Starwood, and they are realy nice. We were supposed to get the Cascades the first week, but were told not enough owners turned in their weeks for us to get there.

The Fountains, Falls, and other sectiions of the resort are owed and operated by owner's associations. This explains the disparities mentioned here in various ratings.

We took the tour, and were not pressured at all. We already own enough resort points so we declined.

I would rate the resort a four star, and I am sure the Starwood parts are five star.

We stayed in the Cascades section of Vistana and couldn't have been happier. It was very spacious, clean and a perfect location for both Disney and MGM. We visited all the areas of the resort and liked the Lakes section as well. I see that many who stayed in the older sections of the resort weren't as happy. If you have a choice ask for Cascades or Lakes.

I have teenagers so I was a little worried they would be bored when they weren't in the parks. There was so much to do they were happy to have 4 days in the resort.

I would definately go again.

Visited 8/20-8/27 and was given a 2bd (sleeps 8) in the Falls section. I was informed by the front desk that the room was recently refurbished. Well here goes, -

THE BAD: the sheets had stains, the blankets had holes (no kidding) and I told my kids not to use the comforters (only god knows). The doors on the showers were broken and the shower heads were coming off the walls IN BOTH BATHROOMS. I washed the linens prior to using and the stains did not come off. In the kitchen there were 8 DISHES, a few bowls, 1 frying pan, 1 pot 1 baking dish, 6 ash trays - you get the picture here. the room was clean but quite dated with pink walls, and heavy, heavy, floral drapes not curtains. on Wednesday, we were given a complementary cleaning. ok, the kitchen floors appeared clean, but were STICKY, and the stained sheets were still on the bed. NUFF SAID. I attended their timeshare and they tried to sell me a 2 bed. in the new Vistana Villages for $23K, however, since I was staying in the Sheraton Vistana, I was NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE NEW CLEAN POOLS AT THE VISTANA VILLAGES. I also, found out that RCI is considered 3rd class on the Sheraton Vistana list of guests. I was told 2x in one week by the staff. We did not use the facilities on the property .. thank god the weather was working on our side. I WOULD NOT RETURN. WENT TO ORANGE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB TO ENJOY THEIR FACILITIES.

I exchanged from a Gold Crown 2 week in Cyprus (which is highest demand by RCI standards), to a 25 year old 2 bedroom apartment in the Courts area of the resort.

The resort itself was all I could ask for, but the standard of accommodation I was given was a big disappointment. I also feel the way the manager promised me an upgrade (at my expense) then never got back in touch was lousy customer service. On top of that the pressure as soon as you check in to go to a presentation on Starwood Vacations was terrible. I told the gentleman that I was not interested in another timeshare but I had to walk away from the representative as he could not take no for an answer.

If you are exchanging like I did, ensure through your exchange company you get accommodation in the Cascades or the Falls. Not in the Courts or you will be hugely disappointed!!!

We love this resort. We visit Orlando evey year for the month of April and have visited lots of RCI resorts. This by far is one of the nicest ones we have been to.

The activites staff ( lacking clear english) are wonderful with the kids. They are very friendly and my kids loved them.

We stayed in one of the older units the Springs. Other than the mauve tile in the master bathroom it was all updated. THE master bed was sooooooo comfortable. The unit itself is a little smaller than most two bedrooms we have stayed at but still large enough. I liked how the second bedroom and the living room are far enough away from the master bedroom.

If you can stay here jump at the chance. They have so much to do for kids of all ages. Our clan ranged from 19-5. ENJOY hope you have as much fun as we did.

Can't wait to return next year.

Hey, this is by far the choice place to stay for anyone who wants it all. I own there for over 20 yrs. and have had great exchange powers because of it's location and of it's Gold Crown Rating. I have been given 3bd/rms in kaui, on a golf course, with a wraparound deck for my week. I have even been offered 2 and 3 weeks at other places for my week. They simply don't come any better.

Our group of 14 stayed in two units in the courts. The layout is so spacious and this section was quiet yet close to everything you could want. It is an easy walking distance to the grocery store, Zimmie's Restaurant, the Karaoke pool, Putt Putt, Rec. Center.

We were looking for a particular item at the grocery store and they didn't have exactly what we needed but we told them that if we just had a cheese grater we could work it out with what they had. The guest service person was standing at our door with a cheese grater when we got back to our unit. GREAT SERVICE !!!

The staff was wonderful everywhere we went in the resort. You could have a great vacation without leaving the resort. This is one of the older units (the Courts) which means it is much more spacious than the newer ones. Units are in great shape.

My husband 2 yr old Son and I just returned from our 4 day stay in the fountains section of the resort. This is an older section of the resort. The furnishings are not quite as plush as the cascades section which is the new section that Starwood actually built. The other sections are the ones that Starwood acquired and it is quite obvious. Some of the other older sections looked quite dumpy.

We were in a 2 BR unit. Very spacious. Had everything you could possibly want. Downside of the fountains section is that it is right next to the highway. So there is a lot of highway noise. I think they have the fountains to mask the noise.

We were there on a free stay for a timeshare sale of the Vistana Villages. They were not pushy at all. After touring the Vistana Villages it made this place look like a dump.

We thought that going to Disney in January would be less busy. Boy were we wrong. It was freezing and tons of people and traffic. I don't think there is a good time to visit Disney anymore.

Upon checking in we waited in line while two employees at the desk checked guests in and out. We waited about twenty minutes which was not bad considering how well they do explaining everything about the resort.What upset me was across from the check in desk was the Starwood timeshare sales desk with 9 employees trying to sell you a timeshare(so now I know where the focus is) The room was in the Fountain section which is older. Was just ok, the bathrooms were dirty and the Master bed had no sheets,what was completely disgusting was our blanket with black hair all over it and a stain of feces on it. We called the front desk and told them our problem, they said they would send someone up as soon as possible although they were very busy. Again back to the 9 behind the sales desk and two helping the guests. We had to call again two hours later and finally they showed up. We never heard from a manager or received any kind of apology until we went on the timeshare tour and told them. Overall the property is gorgeous. The pools are great and the activities staff were excellent.We never complain nor do I ever take the time to write reviews. Needless to say we will not return.

We own week 12 and 36, and LOVE this resort.

Our unit in the Fountains has just been renovated (they are working their way through the whole resort) and is beautiful. Any problems we may have had in the unit had been promptly fixed. The pool was a little crowded but it was Easter week and when we go other times it isn't bad. The Kids/teens LOVE it because there is lots to do and lots of other kids their age there. Great family vacation. They even turned down Disney a couple of days so they could stay back and enjoy the activities and pool, which was fine with me, I had margaritas at poolside!!!

Just returned from the 4th of July week at the Sheraton Vistana-Cascades. We rented a time share unit and were very satisfied with the resort. The 2BR villa was more than adequate, had everything we needed, washer/dryer,ironing board and iron, hair dryers....full kitchen w/ all utensils, spacious and seemed very new. Everything worked fine, no problems. Resort is very nice, safe and the staff is friendly. Many pools to enjoy, however, very tired after disney parks. Very close to disney parks,restaurants, malls etc. Can't wait to return!

Our 18th year at Vistana. Just spent two weeks in the Lakes section. 1st floor unit near both the Lakes pool and the Fountains pool. What a great time we had. Our three children had tons to do on property. And of course the resort is close to all the major attractions.

Absolutely gorgous grounds. Mature trees and lanscaping everywhere. Although Vistana is a fairly large property it still feels very intimate. We have stayed at other top notch resorts and Vistana is our favorite by far.

As an owner since 1982,my family has never had an unsatisfying vacation at Vistana!The grounds (135 acres of ponds,foliage,etc.)alone make this resort an oasis! Their 7 swimming pools,and 6 recreation rooms guarantee that family & friends will NEVER be bored! From sun up to after dark,this resort is a paradise for vacationers of ALL ages!

The best thing about this resort is its location. Without having to get on a major roadway, you can be in Disney.

That said, we just finished a week in a Cascades unit. During that week, it took 6 hours to resolve an electronic door lock malfunction, our diswasher leaked, our washing machine stopped running, and the toilet backed up. Luckily, we spent most of our time out of the unit. This was especially true since the few times we wanted to go to the pool, the deck was completely full.

If you are looking for a convenient place to park while visiting Disney, this will work, but if you hope to enjoy the facilities, I'd suggest looking somewhere else.

We stayed in the Springs section last summer. While not as new as the Cascades section, they are directly next to them and in great condition. The Springs has a great location since they are very close to the large Cascades pool, but also have their own recreation center and pool.

Our top-floor, 2 BR unit in the Springs was large and very nice. Vaulted ceilings, a huge back screened-in porch, and full kitchen with everything you could possibly want. Each unit in the Springs also has a back entrance from the porch which adds to the spacious feel.

Given the amenities of the resort and the location of the Vistana, I don't think you will find a better off-property resort when planning a WaltDisneyWorld vacation.

Truly a beautiful resort with all the bells & whistles. Kids too will enjoy this place. Only minutes to drive to all the big attractions. Try it, you will love it....

Our extended family just stayed in two units, each sleeping eight, the week between Christmas and New Years. The units were extremely comfortable, and we had plenty of room to spread out, which was important since we had five young children with us. It was only a short drive to the WDW parks, and there were grocery stores and restaurants very close by. One thing I want to caution about - don't even think about trying to stay at the resort without a car. They do offer minimal transportation to and from the parks, but only a few times a day, and it would be very difficult to try to adhere to their transportation schedule. You REALLY NEED YOUR OWN CAR if you are planning to go to the parks. I cannot emphasize enough, however, how comfortable the units were. Without going into detail, lets just say you'll be very happy.

We just came back from a great week at the Cascades. Great pool, wonderful location that is close to everything. We were very, very pleased. We plan on returning in March.

My family and I stayed at the Vistana Resort in May of 2004. We are owners at the Vistana Village and decided to give the resort a try. We were very pleased with the resort accomodations and found the service to be fine with the exception of housekeeping. The resort has many more amenities than the Vistana Village has to offer and with the many separate sections, we tried a different pool almost daily. The location was certainly very convenient to Disney which we enjoyed immensely. As to whether I would return there, we just booked another vacation in March to the resort in hopes of finding warm weather and an opportunity to catch a Yankee pre-season game.

We own 2 wks. at the SVR and stayed the last two weeks of Aug. Plenty of room for the 7 of us...kids from ages 11 to 19, something to do for all. Within miles of Disney Parks, close to everything. Pools are great especially the super pool. Our unit in the Fountains Section was very clean and kept up...no disappointments here. Great family resort with friendly, courteous employees. We really loved going on the "Casino Cruise!".

I recently spent a week at the Vistana at the end of August. My family and I had a great time. We stayed in the Palms section this time around. It's an older unit but still had all the amentities of the newer sections and talk about spacious. It's the most relaxed I've ever been on vacation. I loved it so much that I just purchased a 2BR in the Fountains Section. I look forward to spending vacations at this resort.

Wow! The Vistana is a wonderful place to stay! As a single parent I felt very safe at the Vistana, with plenty of security and wonderful amenitites for the children. We stayed on the Fountains area of the resort, with the pool at the end of the road. Our wonderful 2 bed villa was spacious, clean and very well appointed, it felt very much like home! The dive-in movies at the pool were a great hit with the kids. The staff at the Sheraton were wonderful, and although we had only a small problem with our VCR, they were there in 10 mins to collect it and replace it. What service!

As a Brit, I am thoroughly impressed with the Vistana, and cannot wait to return there next year, for me there is no where else in Orlando that I would stay!

we LOVE it here. The pools are plentiful, beautiful grounds and the BEST location. So close to both Disney and the Universal parks. Our unit was nice and roomy with 3 tvs for the kids! We also had a beautiful view of the lake and fountains. Staff very friendly and nice.

Overall, this is the place for us when we come down to Orlando

We stayed here twice, in summer 1998 for two weeks and again in fall 2002. I loved everything about this resort.

For our first stay, we were in an older 2 BR unit along the lagoons and loved the location so much that I requested it again when we returned in 2002. I much prefer a ground floor location with easy access to the street or paths along the lagoons, than to be in a high rise. We had ducks at our back door which the kids enjoyed a lot and were able to walk along the lagoons and see herons and other water birds very close up.

The resort does have everything you could want, including a store for food, sundries, souvenirs, and also has a couple of restaurants and a Pizza Hut on premises. One would not have to leave the complex if you didn't want to as everything could be found there.

The location is a great one for the parks, as well as Downtown disney. It's also a quick hop to Crossroads shopping center which has some good restaurants, a supermarket, and ice cream store (as well as other shops).

The unit itself was well maintained, decorated very nicely, is huge and very comfortable. It was well stocked with everything we could need and is a place I would love to return to the next time we go to WDW.

There are many pools to choose from, each with its own 'specialty' (ie, some type of slide, or just a big super pool, etc) and the kids enjoyed a down day at the resort just trying all the pools.

We did not take advantage of most of the resort's many amenities because we were there primarily for the parks. The unit and the resort looked as great in 1002 as it did in 1998. It's a big resort, quite sprawling, but it is easy enough to walk among various pools if you are in the right area.

I loved the Vistana!

The management co and it's employees here were very friendly and playful. The snackbar serves very good food The rooms and pools are very clean and well maintained.

We just returned from renting at the Vistana (Springs) for a week. It was fabulous! Close to the parks (we rented a car), but there is so much to do at the resort, you can simply stay there all week long if desired.

Going to the different pools for a change of scenery was great. The unit we rented was on the older side, and could have used an update, but it was clean and was plentiful with amenities. I would rent here again in a minute.

We did agree to attend the timesharing presentation for a great discount on park tickets, and I had read they could be a bit pushy. We made it clear that we weren't interested after an hour and walked away, still getting the discount. I am wondering if our room would have be inundated with calls asking us to attend the sales pitch had we not agreed to it.

We stayed here with our 4 kids in March of 2004. The Complex itself is very nice, but our unit was very old. It really needed to be updated. The beds were old, and all the decorations were too. We were on the main level in a Fountains unit. The pool is great, food at the resturant was okay. We stayed at the Marriott last year and it was much nicer than this.

Wasn't terribly impressed. It's a nice facility, but it shows it's age. The shower door woud not close, there were basic cooking items missing from the room, no room amenities other than small soaps (no shampoo, ect). The Cascades has a nice pool, but for those with toddlers - be warned that (at least when I was there) there are no bouy's separating the toddler part of the pool from the drop-off to 5-7" feet of water, we found out the hard way.

It's a great location close to the parks, and is chock-full of activites for the kids (all day, every day) but they are scattered all over this enormous resort so be prepared to either drop off your kids with radios or let them walk with radios.

The other issue I was was with security. I had oodles of stuff in my dash (parkig passes from the parks, ect) all week long - covering my Vistana parking pass, yet only once was I stopped and verified by security. Normally this is no big deal, but with having my kids needing to travel to the other side of the resort (sometimes in the dark), I'd like to know that only verified guests are there.

Other than that, I gave it 4 stars because overall the resort shows it's age.

Stayed at the Fountains, Lovely, spacious clean units. Wonderful staff, lots to do. Great Location. Maggie

Our biggest complaint is the size of the guest bedroom - twin beds with barely enough room to maneuver around them.

The master bedroom was large & beautiful, however both bathrooms were plain - the first resort that did not furnish basic shampoo, conditioner, or shower cap.

The screened-in porch with an exit door to the walkway around the lake, with several connecting bridges to cross the lake, was the most impressive item on our visit.

We were also displeased with the number of calls to "take a tour" even though we precisely informed Marketing at check-in that our week was too compressed with medical treatments and family visits in Orlando.

We stayed in the Fountains units, lovely!

Great things to do for the whole family, had a wonderful time and think it is a fantastic resort.

The staff were friendly and helpful.

Christine from St Maarten

Absolutely the best! Great staff, Great resort. Lots to do and you don't even have to leave the resort if you don't want to! Totally relaxing!

We just completed a week stay (mid August 2003) in a two bedroom Lakes unit in the back of the resort complex. We overlooked a small lake (very pretty) and in the distance, the Marriott. We are very impressed with the unit itself. It was clean, spaceous, comfortable for 8 with an in-room safe. The master bedroom was huge, even with the very comfortable kingsized bed and in-room jucuzzi. The other bedroom had two double beds. The kitchen was well supplied. The dining area had a very large table, totally suitable for 8 people. For the upscale appearance of everything else, however, the bath was surprisingly plain. We are also surprised at how unfresh the fresh linen smelled, like our pillowcases, which we had replaced with the same smell. For eating out, our favorite was going to the Golden Corral, which offered the best buffet for the money I've seen there, all for $9.99. It is just down the street right next to the interstate.

Amenities included 7 swimming pools. We enjoyed the Fountain's pool complex the best. It was also the largest. They were 12 well maintained tennis courts. The location is perfect for everything in the area. We enjoyed the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure package better than last year's Disney World experience. The rides and things to do were really fun. I would also suggest for those not familiar with this area of the state of Florida to consider three free outings, a rarity in Florida. One is to go swimming and canoeing at Wekiva State Park and swimming and tubing at Rock Springs (Kelly County Park). Both are very close to Apopka, which is about a 45 minute drive. We loved the tubing experience and would choose Rock Springs (Kelly County Park) over Wekiva if I had to choose only one. Both are crystal clear springs that bubble out of the ground starting rivers. They are classic old Florida. Tubing Rock Springs is like tubing through what looks like Jurassic Park without the scary dinasaurs. It is totally safe even for small kids. If you go a bit further, canoeing Juniper Springs is the best canoe run in Florida. The current is strong enough that you hardly have to do anything but steer the canoe. You rent a canoe from a concessionaire who then picks you up at the end of the run. Don't miss Rocks Springs and Juniper Springs if you have time. They are nice breaks from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks.

Overall, I don't think you will find a better timeshare complex in the Orlando area, especially if you are in the Lakes or Cascades areas. They were replacing all the living room area sofas the day we left in our complex. I have heard far less positive comments from some staying in older areas of the this very large timeshare complex.

This is a great place for the whole family and centrally located. We had my parents 50th anniversary their and guest stayed at there sister resort the vistana villages where we own.

I really liked this resort. It was very classy and had a great view of a lake. Beware of the Love Bug. They are these little bugs that are all over Orland during certain months. We were there in September and they were everywhere.

We stayed in the resort in 2001 with friends of ours who own a unit & it was probably the nicest resort catered to children. They are many pools to choose from so the kids have a variety.

The kids had a wonderful time and so did the adults.

George

Nice clean resort with plenty to do - close to everything.

Service at the pool bar, restaurant & general store were understaffed causing longer than normal wait times.

We only visited 3 of the 7 pools, but they were very nice - but get there early for chairs.

Would stay here again.

We own a unit here and love it. Kids don' t even want to leave the grounds there is so much to do. Clean and safe.

I stayed here in 1995 and I really enjoyed it.

fantastic!

We have stayed here a couple of times in the past few years....it is a wonderful resort....lots of conveniences, like the onsite pizza hut, restaurant, beautiful pool areas....the newer units are beautifully decorated....the close access to all the Disney parks is great....you will really enjoy this resort!

This is a beautiful and very friendly resort to stay at. I own two timeshares here and always look forward to coming back to visit.

very nice resort, my children love staying here. We do not own a timeshare, we always rent from someone else. The resort is everything you would want in a vacation. You don't have to worry about your children walking around because it's all secured. Maybe someday we will own a timeshare to this resort. Karen Ritter Escanaba,Mi.

Everything was just great, one remark though: Don't use your phone to make a phonecalls, esp. abroad. You would be in for a very unpleasant surprise

Stayed in Cascades in July 2002 and loved it. I own in Springs week 47 but havent stayed there. Cascades are newer units so must have been lucky. Beautiful 2 bedroom sleeps 8 with jacuzzi and loads of activities for all ages if you get tired of Disney attractions. Had another family with us and the 7 of us had plenty of room and our own space when necessary.

Must be one of the best apartments I've stayed in, its was one of the older units on the site, but was large, clean and had all mod/cons washer, dryer, dishwasher, 2 T.V's and airconditioning. The disney shuttle bus stopped outside, but you would need tranpsort to go further a field. Excellant.

Stayed in nearly new unit in Cascades area, Feb. 2001 fabulously large 2 bdrm. Most convenient location to all attractions.. So much to do on site, with all the great pools, some with great waterfalls, islands, and poolside cafes, one would be hard pressed to find a place that can top this! Would go back in a flash..and we dont even have kids. Old Town in Kissimmee nearby too, and shopping on I. Drive.

Everything is exceptional. There are large, beautiful pools. The rooms are very nice, too. I'm looking into going back there again.

I've stayed here 3 times in the last year and half. Everything is always outstanding. Close to all Disney, Univeral and Seaworld parks or just enjoy a day of relaxation at the Vistana with plenty of activities for the kids.