Orlando Florida

We really loved Cirque du Soleil. Our group ranged in age from 6 to 66. We all thought it was absolutely fabulous! It was colorful, fascinating, and beautiful. There is so much going on that you really don't know what to watch! We spent 3 days at Universal and loved every moment. There is something for every one here, from exciting rides to great shows. Spiderman seemed to be everyone in our group's favorite. It really is unlike any other ride we have been on. It may a little too intense for very young children and people who suffer from motion sickness.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is really necessary to get around this resort. They do offer a shuttle, but it really isn't convenient. It is a beautiful resort to walk around, but sidewalks could really benefit the clientele, as the cars do not follow the 23 mph speed limit. There is a lot of local wildlife to see on the grounds.

Best Things Nearby:
Disney, Universal, Cirque du Soleil, Sea World, Cape Canaveral (45 minutes away), and Busch Gardens Tampa (1 hour away)

Best Things About the Resort:
The pools

Resort Experience:
What can I say about Orlando?! If you have never been, go! My family and I go there almost every year, and there is always something to see and do. Our favorite part of the trip this year was Cirque du Soleil. It was enchanting and awe inspiring! Orange Lake is nice, but not our favorite (that would be HGVC).

The unit was clean but very small. We had a two-bedroom for six, but I wouldn't recommend it for more than four people. There were no closets in the second bedroom and the galley-sized kitchen also housed the washer and dryer, which were in front of the fridge. This was extremely noisy with the layout of the unit. The appliances were ancient. I was surprised by the lack of a screened-in porch-every other Gold Crown Resort we have been to in this area has had one. We were eaten alive by bugs in the evening. The pools were in abundance and nice, but there was a lot of "stuff" floating in them and the chlorine content was STRONG! My kids loved the waterslide. You must have a car to get around this resort, as it is rather large and everything is spaced far apart. They offer a shuttle, but we were never able to catch it. The restaurants were okay. The food was so-so and priced rather high. We preferred to leave the resort for our meals. All in all, the resort was okay, but not a Gold Crown Resort in our book.

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

My husband and I had our first visit to this resort back in 1995, before we had children. At that time it was under different ownership. We found it to be just lovely. It was clean and well kept.

This resort is now owned by Starwood. It has gone down hill. We went with our two children, ages 8 and 9. The complex is huge and is made up of several different phases going back to the 1980s. The phase we stayed in this time was called "The Fountains I." They were one of the most recent phases to be built but I'm not sure when that was. I do know that "The Lakes, The Fountains II and The Cascades" are the newest phases.

Our unit was clean but it did show signs of aging. My biggest pet peeve with this resort was the lack of fitted sheets. Each bed was made with only flat sheets which never stayed on the bed properly so we always awoke on the mattress. Housekeeping explained to me that fitted sheets were a fire hazard when cleaned at the laundry. The toilet didn't flush properly. Our jet tub was like taking a bath in bleach. The coffee maker wouldn't work properly and took a lot of gerry rigging. So many areas of the unit seemed to be caulked, patched and replaced that it just gave a very run down feeling. Both the front door and back door wouldn't open or close properly. We had to throw our bodies into them to get them to budge. The bridge outside our room was peeling so badly that I was afraid to walk barefoot on it or touch the railings for fear of splinters. When we arrived there was corn at the bottom of the dishwasher. A Starwood representative explained that the poor state of our unit was due to the fact that the "condo owners" own this phase and Starwood can only maintain as the owners instruct them to. Whatever?!

There is a lot to do at this resort and you will pay for about 75% of the activities. On this trip we chose to rent a Surrey bike but we were only allowed to stay in our specific phase. This was unfortunate as we had hoped to check out more of the resort this way. My kids had fun playing water games with an activities director in our pool. This was actually free. We also spent time at the arcade($), playing billiards($), and playing at their tiny minature golf course($). There were other activities available on a daily basis for both children and adults but often they required an additional fee.

The breakfast buffet was good and a decent value but the food that room service supplied was expensive and horrible.

We will not go back to Vistana with so many other wonderful resorts available in Orlando.

It was wonderful! There were six of us ranging from ages 6 to 66. We all loved it. The menu offers favorites and new and exciting dishes. I had the pumpkin ravioli, which was delightful! Others in my party had the roasted chicken stuffed with goat cheese-yummy! My husband had the best ribs he has ever tasted and he is a rib lover! My kids loved their dishes as well. The atmosphere is fun and colorful. We had a wonderful view of the lake as well. The service was the best ever. The waiter encouraged us to try something new, and if we weren't happy, he would replace it with something else off of the menu. That wasn't necessary as we were all more than pleased with our meals. It was a wonderful experience that we will surely do again.

This is the place to go if you are vacationing with children. It is very family friendly. We found breakfast to be the best meal at this restaurant, but lunch and dinner were good too. They have a very extensive children's menu with very reasonable prices. My kids loved this place! The service was excellent. Our waitresses were always pleasant and happy to serve. The food always arrived quickly and hot. They offer specials as well. I was happy I tried the raspberry-stuffed french toast for breakfast. It was a real treat and something I wouldn't find back home.

This was a wonderful little restaurant located across the street from our resort when we stayed at Vistana.

The staff members are quite friendly and full of enthusiasm. Our waiter was very helpful and suggested a new shrimp appetizer that they had just put on the menu. It was a hit just as promised.

The menu consists of the usual steakhouse fare but it is really quite reasonable. Fresh bread is served with a wonderful sweet cinnamon butter. My husband and I each chose a steak dish. He chose to try their signature "lettuce wedge" which was a massive chunk of iceberg lettuce covered with blue cheese crumbles and I believe a dressing. His steak was accompanied by a huge baked sweet potato served with butter and a sugar/cinnamon combo. The sweet potato was a meal in itself. The steaks were seasoned to perfection. My children each chose chicken dishes and were very happy with their choices.

The atmosphere is very Western, right down to the country music piped into the dining room. The food was great, the service was excellent and the prices couldn't be beat. I just wish we had a restaurant like this closer to home.

I do not really know how to describe this show. It was truly awe inspiring. It was like no other show I have ever seen. It was colorful, magical, and a real treat for the eyes and ears. My group ranged in age from 6 to 66, and we all thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Your eyes are always darting from one corner to the next, as there is so much going on that you don't know what to watch. I would say pretty much every seat in the house would be a good seat, as the show not only takes place on stage but also in the air and in the aisles. This show was entitle La Nouba. After seeing this, we are very excited about the prospect of seeing the other Cirque du Soleil presentations around the country, as we were told that they are all quite different and just as spectacular.

There are 2 parks at Universal Studios, "The Islands of Adventure" and "Universal Studios Florida." We were fortunate to get a deal with RCI online. We bought 2-day passes for each person and received a week's unlimited admission for both parks. I don't know the exact admission price but I believe the 1 day, 2 parks was about $75 for adults and $65 for children. There is so much to see and do I would recommend a 2-day visit. It is a lot of fun for all ages. The rides can be intense and lifelike. I wouldn't recommend many of them to people who are prone to motion sickness, or who scare easily. It is an incredible experience into the "make believe" world of motion pictures and my family loved it!