Orlando - Help me pick a nice resort

[Marti Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Marti]

Something Really Nice and Clean

[Marti Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Marti]

Orlando - RCI

Any suggestions on a nice 2-3 Bedroom at a resort that would
have 2-3-4 weeks available in - Dec 2006 - Jan/Feb 2007

Orange Lake - 3 Bedroom - or - Sheraton Vistana - 2 Bedroom
Don`t want to exchange into an Older Unit at OLCC or Vistana

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I stayed at Summer Bay last year and thought it was quite nice. Without any special requests, I got a 3br very close to the pool clubhouse area and a little pond on the front right.

[suekap Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close suekap]

We justed returned from vistana villages and loved it. The pool area is just the best.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

The Cypress Pointe Resorts 3 bedrooms are awesome and very close to the mouse. Close to every chain restaurant you can imagine too.

The configuration is two masters with HUGE whirlpool tubs and a very small bedroom with a trundle bed. The second master is actually a studio lockoff.

The only caveat is the buildings are 3 stories with no elevators. Building 3 is far enough from the volcano pool that it is quiet but close enough to go there easily.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

I like Cypress Pointe, too. However, the bathroom set-up in the lock-offs is very strange. We stayed in the "one bedroom" in Cypress Pointe Phase I, and the bathroom was just part of the bedroom, with no privacy. (I'd say that the "one bedroom" lock-offs in Phase 1 are hotel units, not even studios.) But if you can get a two or three bedroom, it shouldn't be a problem.

Vistana Villages was also very nice. Unlike the original Sheraton Vistana, it has no old sections.

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Try Fairfield Bonnett Creek, Cypress Palms, or Star Island.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

This is Marti who is asking this question, guys! Marti is the "queen of clean." She is like me! Except I never check the furnace and AC filters. That is why our advice has to include the cleanest of clean units.

Star Island is too iffy for a "squeaky clean" exchange. Marti, you would not be happy with the unit we were assigned a few years ago. Cypress Palms was pretty nice, we had a studio there that was great for a studio.

I like Vacation Village at Parkway. Unlike OLCC, they put exchangers into the NEWEST parts of the resort. I appreciated both of our stays, we had the units that were brand new, I even think we were the to ever stay in one unit. The decor is gorgeous. I also loved Cypress Pointe and the Grandevillas, both are very nice and never deserved the lower ratings. I have started judging all units in Orlando by our OLCC experience and CP and CPG were NEVER in the condition that the infamous West Village, Magnolia Ct units were in, and OLCC is ALL GC? Go figure.

Vistana Villages are great, pretty clean. I like Marriott Cypress Harbour which is available through RCI as well as II. The pink furniture was slightly stained, it is getting old, but there were no other cleaning issues there, during any of our many stays. Ask for a refurbished unit. We are going there again in January.

Marriott Grande Vista is pretty great, if you get the new units, as you already know, Marti. We had an older unit initially and had black,cornflake-sized flakes (some pretty large), coming out of the jets into the bathtub. We got out immediately and took showers. It was so gross! Where is their regular whirlpool maintenance? That would never happen if they cleaned the jets as the manufacturer recommends. Anyway, they supposedly purged the tubs TWICE, the second time was after another call, both times we were sure the problem was gone. Finally, a wonderful woman named Dee, I believe, who is an engineer for Marriott, came to the unit, saw the bacteria, which was her diagnosis of the problem, not mine, and moved us to a new unit. That was also funny because they originally moved us into a unit already occupied. The people were at the pool, we walked in and saw keys on the counter and other evidence that someone else was there, so we backed out, just in time for them to arrive back after their visit at the pool. We were so embarrassed, but it was not our fault. Well, of course their key no longer worked, so back they went to get another key. They were perturbed with us, you could tell. Anyway, Marriott gave us two free meals at Faldo's restaurant. It was made right.

Summer Bay is very nice, we really loved our unit. Also very clean and nice, plus the staff could not have been more helpful. They allow smoking in the units, I think. The lockoff portion of our three bedroom was stale with smoke, so we aired it out a few days by leaving the door open. Josh is a smoker, so he didn't care at all and absolutely loved his own private apartment. I was glad our unit did not smell like smoke. He argued that it was not smoky at all. We didn't complain because he didn't care, but I insisted that we air it out for the next group.

There are so many others that are nice, but these are all exceptional, in my opinion.

Forget OLCC unless it is a three bedroom. I have been so permanently turned off by the plethora of OLCC arguments on TUG about the resort. It has gotten absolutely ridiculous, no one is allowed to say anything negative about that place. It seems that you will get banned. I have been editted and warned twice now, it is not worth it to argue anymore. Yes, I realize that some of you think I have gone overboard with the complaining, but I was belittled long ago on the following thread:

http://www.tug1.net/tugbbs1/Forum11/HTML/005445-2.html

Read it and tell me if you think the tone has changed a lot since this thread, my very first post on TUG is on page 2.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Marriott Grande Vista is pretty great, if you get the new units, as you already know, Marti. We had an older unit initially and had black,cornflake-sized flakes (some pretty large), coming out of the jets into the bathtub. We got out immediately and took showers. It was so gross! Where is their regular whirlpool maintenance? That would never happen if they cleaned the jets as the manufacturer recommends. Anyway, they supposedly purged the tubs TWICE, the second time was after another call, both times we were sure the problem was gone. Finally, a wonderful woman named Dee, I believe, who is an engineer for Marriott, came to the unit, saw the bacteria, which was her diagnosis of the problem, not mine, and moved us to a new unit. That was also funny because they originally moved us into a unit already occupied. The people were at the pool, we walked in and saw keys on the counter and other evidence that someone else was there, so we backed out, just in time for them to arrive back after their visit at the pool. We were so embarrassed, but it was not our fault. Well, of course their key no longer worked, so back they went to get another key. They were perturbed with us, you could tell. Anyway, Marriott gave us two free meals at Faldo's restaurant. It was made right.

Cindy, reading this post reminded me that I was going to send you a private message with the following link but was going to do it the next day and forgot it completely.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4770146.stm

I had to think of you when I read it first and now again as you are commenting about it here.

After reading this article, we would never use jets in a bathtub again but it still may not be safe 100% according to this story. Thank goodness, a whirlpool tub or a Jacuzzi has never been important to us as a panoramic ocean or mountain view is what we prefer. We all value different things and the resorts will have to figure out what they will come up with.

When we looked at the latest Marriott timeshare model, they had replaced a whirlpool tub with an oversized aromatherapy spa tub. That smells so much better and will not breed bacteria!

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

Emmy, what an eye-opening article. I don't know what to think about whirlpools now.

Oh My Gosh!

Rick and I decided a few years ago that we need to buy a bottle of Clorox and run it through the jets at least twice, with powdered dishwashing detergent, every time we use a timeshare whirlpool tub. That is the recommendations for our own whirlpool tub. We have been doing that, but with the Marriott whirlpool, even their purging the tub twice did not get rid of the black flakes. So you never know. You would think clorox and dishwashing powder would clean well enough.

OLCC had much smaller flakes in their whirlpool tubs. It was also pretty gross but no need to complain to them, I had already complained about the light on our patio and they were dismissive. I decided not to risk it.

We will continue to clean the tubs before using them. I just wish we could count on the resort doing it as well, every week. When do you ever see this information, that the whirlpools are safe and are purged every week?

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

We and our two grandchildren liked Cypress Pinte Resort & Grand Villas, Marriott's Grande Vista, and Sheraton Vistana. Plus a non Orlando resort called Ron Jon at Cape Caribe about 35 miles from Orlando, FL.

www.ronjonresort.com

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Marti,

I would recommend The Fountains as a potential option. Here's why. The Fountains units are brand new. Granite countertops. Nice and Clean. Modern furnishings. Building 5 would be the best since it has great lake views. And, it is probably possible to get into the same unit for 3 or 4 weeks if you get it from a single owner with enough points. Only issue is it'll be a lot cheaper just to exchange into other resorts.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

....I have been so permanently turned off by the plethora of OLCC arguments on TUG about the resort. It has gotten absolutely ridiculous, no one is allowed to say anything negative about that place. It seems that you will get banned. I have been editted and warned twice now, it is not worth it to argue anymore. Yes, I realize that some of you think I have gone overboard with the complaining, but I was belittled long ago on the following thread:

http://www.tug1.net/tugbbs1/Forum11/HTML/005445-2.html

Read it and tell me if you think the tone has changed a lot since this thread, my very first post on TUG is on page 2.

I read this thread and was really quite shocked by the reaction to what you wrote. It is one thing to criticize a resort, which is what you did. It is quite another thing to criticize another forum member, which is what one of the other posters on that thread was doing. I'm really surprised that the TUG moderators didn't remove those comments.

I own a resort in New Mexico where the units are very, very large but are very basic. Some people love it, some people hate it. I don't take criticism of this resort personally. If someone criticizes one of my home resorts, it's not like they insulted my mother!

One of the complaints that you had about OLCC was that the elevator was taken down for routine maintenance right at check-out time and you had to drag your luggage down from the 5th floor. You were told that this was no big deal. Too bad I wasn't the one complaining -- I could have come back and pointed out that I also own at an Orlando resort with 5 floors (Disney's Boardwalk.) And yeah, it wouldn't be a big deal for me if the elevators there were out when I was checking out -- but that's only because Boardwalk's bell hops carry my luggage for me!

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

I am surprise that no one have recommended any Disney Resorts.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

Marti stayed at Old Key West recently. That was why I did not recommend Disneys.

Judy, I posted that thread to show the marked difference between the way we have to tread lightly now compared to then. My very first post and that was her reaction, so I almost quit TUG after the one post. I stayed because of several people: JLB, Vodo (Cindy), Tony Smith (ajsmithx), Tonyg (Super Moderator), a few others, and even Dave M himself. They all emailed me to say that OLCC is a touchy subject with Vickie and that I should be careful what I say. Some even suggested that Vickie may be an employee or relative of the Wilson family because she is so defensive. I had no idea about the rules of TUG, I was just relating my own experience. Dave M advised me after a few posts to tread lightly, that I might be banned from TUG. I don't know if Vickie was warned as I was, but by the history over the past 14 months, give or take, I would say she has not been concerned about being banned.

I turned her in when she made a comment about those of us who are not the "barbecue types." I turned her in recently, she was just editted and the other user, who was not as abrasive as she, was banned. That was my fault and I apologized to that user, who is a member of these forums. No, it wasn't JLB this time.

I am hoping to not get in trouble here for this post. I should have started a new thread. I would have gotten a lot more attention with the name, something like, "Members are being editted more than ever on TUG," or "Hide the Salinger books in the library, Dave M is coming." That is just a joke. I know Dave wants everyone to be nice, but some people have to be MUCH nicer than others.

I may have to leave TUG and all of those nice people because I cannot understand why things have gotten so bad over there. It is only one subject that many of us have to avoid, OLCC. How is that for fair? Maybe they should get rid of the one person who causes the problems. But that would just make too much sense.

What did you think of the hippo comment. I am not skinny but am not a hippo, either!