A Week at Vistana Resort Orlando

Best Things Nearby:
Truly you are in the central of all of Orlando's main attractions. One of Disney main entrances is about 1 mile away. Disney is so close you can see the fireworks every night at midnight from Pleasure Island where New Year's happens every night.

Vistana also has a lot of amenities. Most pools are close by the unit, as well as an activity center for each area.

Best Things About the Resort:
The timeshare unit that we stayed in was in the fountain section of Vistana. The units did show some wear and tear, but they were great. The outdoor amenities were plentiful. There are plenty of pools and whirlpools some just a short distance from your unit. We did not stay too long in our unit or in Vistana, but I wish I had time to enjoy the Zero-depth pool. We were close to the Super pool, which had a mini-golf course, tennis courts, bar and grill. Pizza Hut is also located in Vistana, but since we eat out most of the time we did not choose to eat here, but if you have kids it is good to have one around.

Resort Experience:
The resort is so large that I got lost looking for the Zero-Depth pool. I did find the Super Pool, though, because it was just one block away from my unit. The tennis courts were also nearby.

You are given a package at check-in which gives you a list of activities during the week. Most activities are held by the Super Pool or by the Zero-Depth Pool. Most activities have a fee, such as tie-dyeing tee shirts, bingo, BBQ, kids’ night out, etc.

I love this resort because it was a short drive to get to where I needed to go. The Disney main entrance is just a mile away. Orlando and SeaWorld were about 5-10 miles away and easy to get to.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We tried the famous wood-fried oven pizza. I had the spicy grilled chicken and my fiance had the four cheese pizza. They both were delicious and brillant. We were there in late January and the weather was cool, but they use some type of heat-type tower everywhere and eating outdoors was excellent. It was well worth the trip.

This was a very nice Thai restaurant. I selected this restaurant because I am a member of i-dine and it was in the book. Also my fiance is Thai and we wanted to try some Thai food. To me, the decor was very nice. The employees there are from varies parts of Asia and not solely Thai, but most of the cooks are Thai. This is not a typical Thai restaurant, but good. The food was very mild and sweet, where as traditional Thai food is very spicy. If you never tried this type of food, this is a good start.

This was another i-dine recommendation. It is situated in a hotel, I believe the Quality Inn, or some other brand name hotel along the 92 strip. This restaurant was not very busy, but moderate because of the location and competiton between all the other seafood buffet restaurants in Orlando. I believe it could hang in there. The lobster was plentiful even through you are limited to one lobster at a time. Also crab legs, roast beef, pizza, and other favorites. I would go again.

This is one of the best ice cream places on WDW property. It is near Pleasure Island. We just made it in before they closed the door. The service was very good - you did not see any grumpy employees complain because of our late arrival. I had a banana split and my fiance had a sundae with nuts. The ice cream was very good and it is highly recommended, especially on a hot day. Oh, we brought some chocolate too! The total about $20 because of the heart-shaped chocolate. It would have been about 14 without.

We spend a good time at Animal Kingdom. We spent most of our time on the Kilimanjaro Safaris. I believe my girlfriend and I went on it at least 5 or 6 times and each time was just a little different. It all depends on who is the driver on the safari. Kali River Rapids is a very wet ride. I skipped it this trip because I had a video camera and I just did not want to put it down in the locker. Dinosaurs was a excellent ride. It is very fast and bumpy.

Do not forget to walk all the trails. It is very interesting and an often forgotten attraction because most people just want to do the rides and not view the animals.

The best time to go is during the morning. If you go to Disney World in the summer when the temperatures are in the 90s, take a break in the afternoon and head to the waterparks or go back to the resort/hotel and spent time by the pool. Go back to the Disney World after 6pm and finish or re-ride your favorite rides. Then watch your fireworks at night.

When we when during the off-peak season, the crowds were very small. Most rides had a wait time of 15 minutes or less. Since the park closed early every night, we stayed until we completed our favorite rides, enjoyed dinner at one our favorite restaurants in one of the hotels, and returned to the park to see the fireworks and SpectroMagic Parade (one of my favorites).

This is Disney answer to an adult theme park. Most of Disney thrill rides are located at this park -- Tower of Terror, Rock and Roller Coaster, Star Tours. The shows are also mostly not for young children. Fastasmic was wonderful, as was Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show, but the explosion will make any young child scream. If the weather is hot, a must is Voyage of the Little Mermaid. If you can make the first show, go then . . . if not, forgo the parade and go then because the line is the shortest then. If you want the best seat for Fastasmic, go at least 30-60 minutes early and stake your claim. Other rides to do early are Tower of Terror and Rock and Roller Coaster. Do not forget to take advantage of get the fast pass.

Try and go counter clockwise and visit England, France, Canada (forgot the order). If you'd like to have some delicious ice cream, leave the park and go to Beach and Cream at the Beach Club. It is a short walk away. If you'd like to take a different way back, take the boat at the pier. It will take you back to the park. Continue on and go the USA, Japan, China, Mexico, and Norway. I might have left a couple out. As the time goes by and if it gets late, relax near Mexico and watch Illuminations. I think it's the best fireworks display that Disney has to offer.