Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, Lake Buena Vista/Orlando

We keep returning, and this was our third stay. The two-bedroom villa has a roomy layout, with lots of seating in the living and dining rooms. Our big family could all sit together for an anniversary dinner. The kitchen was well stocked and the rooms were clean. There are several pools, with a bar and restaurant by the main one, and the pizza was delicious. The location is a favorite too, right across the street from Disney Springs, a short drive from the Disney properties and parks, and close to grocery stores and restaurants. We’ll definitely stay again.

We chose a king villa with a full kitchen for four nights while in town for a soccer tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Being able to cook, keep leftovers, and skip restaurant meals made a busy tournament trip much easier. The drive to the parks and ESPN was short and simple, and the gated entry gave us an extra sense of security. The villa was spotless, felt new and well cared for, and the grounds were pristine. It was remarkably quiet too, with no outside or neighboring-room noise. For the price, the quality was far better than at more expensive hotels we’ve tried. There were a few annoyances: they push vacation packages pretty hard, and being asked to strip the bed and take out trash before leaving felt odd for a hotel. We were also told to pick up a “departure gift” at the front desk, waited several minutes, and got a discount card for a photo book, which was underwhelming. Still, it was a fantastic stay, and we’d gladly come back and recommend it, especially for families or longer Orlando visits and events.

The property has a lot going for it, and overall we’d come back, probably with the family. We liked the kind staff, strong hot water pressure, heated pools that weren’t too cold, hot tubs, sauna, restaurants, and activities like basketball, volleyball, and mini golf. There’s a small arcade and pool table area too. Nearby are McDonald's, Chick fil a, Target, Walmart, Dollar Tree, shops, and other places to eat. The room had darkening curtains, a closet, a small washer and dryer with soap, and a nice jacuzzi tub. We were happy we attended the 90-minute meeting after all: Bruno was knowledgeable, showed us interesting travel options for our family, and it wasn’t pushy. We got a $150 gift card usable anywhere and guaranteed noon late checkout. Before booking, I’d looked for details on the one-bedroom king villa since there wasn’t much online. The resort is huge, with about four gates, and we had trouble getting to the right entrance. My phone maps first sent us to the sister property, which they said happens often. Then we reached a back gate, where a guard directed us to the front gate and welcome center for a map and keys. There’s a parking fee, and at check-in they asked us to attend a timeshare-style meeting for 90 minutes. We initially said no, then changed our minds for the offer. Finding the room was frustrating. Signs only show building numbers, and we had to search through 11 buildings and four floors. There were no accessible parking spots and few spaces overall, so we parked a building away both nights. The single elevator was extremely slow and hot, with no air conditioning, so we took the stairs when we could. Inside, the one-bedroom room had a king bed, small kitchen and living area, and just one nightstand. The door opened right into the bed, and we banged our knees on its wooden platform a few times. There was very little room to get past the dresser and bed, and the AC vents rattled loudly when it came on.

The location was perfect for visiting Universal and Disney, and we stayed in a two-bedroom “villa.” But the walls were so thin that the upstairs neighbors sounded like elephants, shaking the whole place as if they were moving furniture all vacation. We also weren’t expecting to clean the room ourselves at a resort. The kitchen had no frying pans or baking sheets, and the washer-dryer combo was tiny. For a family load of laundry, expect three or four cycles. The shower had virtually no water pressure, the TV was unreliable, and there was just one ceiling fan, in the living room, which made a Florida stay rough. Maintenance showed up one evening to measure cabinets, saying we’d been notified, but we absolutely hadn’t. A family member covered our stay, but I wouldn’t choose this place again.