ORLANDO'S SHERATON VISTANA--A HOTEL & MORE

There's no doubt Rob and I are Time Share fans. We like the nicely appointed suites where we can settle in comfortably without feeling cramped. We like the kitchen facilities that allow us to prepare whatever meals we feel like. (Almost 3 weeks away from home can turn eating in restaurants into a chore.) We like the resort facilities, and we make use of many of them. So in deciding to spend some time in Orlando before coming back to New York, it is a no brainer to take advantage of the Sheraton Vistana, only minutes from Walt Disney World. Sheraton Vistana is also a regular hotel available as any other hotel might be.

Orlando is time share crazy. There probably isn't a company not represented here. Rob and I actually own here with Vacation Village, but Sheraton made us an offer we couldn't refuse, and we do find it interesting to listen to what new things are out there.

Sheraton and every other hotel chain is in the time share and/or vacation club business. It makes a vacation much more affordable. Business must be bustling because the building going on down here is phenomenal. Makes sense to me. The attractions in this area can bring you back for years if you choose to use your timeshare rather than exchange it!

But let me tell you about this resort, and it works well whether you're an owner, traded to come here, or a prospective buyer. You can also come as a regular hotel guest, so this post is for everyone. The suites are very nice—immaculate, spacious, nicely appointed, well stocked, and very comfortable. We have a stacked Whirlpool washer/dryer, and having already been away for more than two weeks, I take advantage of it. Our screened-in patio overlooks a small pond where waterfowl congregate, and around which we see rabbits. It's really very pretty, very private, and very tempting to simply sit here with a good book or a laptop computer and enjoy spring temperatures.

If we don’t want to leave the resort often, there's a market and several restaurants. There's sit-down, take-out, and delivery. There are several swimming pools, and Sheraton has done an interesting thing; one pool near us closes at 10:00 P.M. but the other closes at 1:00 A.M. for late night swimmers. One area calms down while there is still reveling opportunity for others. I like that. There are the usual resort amenities: spa, exercise room, massages, game rooms, assorted activities. There are plenty of places to walk, and Rob and I did that. A nice way we spend one afternoon is to walk and stop to look at fish and birds in the different ponds. Peaceful. Relaxing. This definitely works. This is vacation.

Chances are if you vacation in Orlando, you're off to the theme parks, and there are plenty of choices. On our brief 4-day stay, we specifically plan for Epcot. We plan for one day with the option to add a second day to our ticket. We did fine in one day, but it was a long day, and another park on the following day would not have been fun.

We thought we might go to Seaworld. There was also a shuttle launching but at 2 A.M.; that was tempting but proved resistible. On our next to last day we realized we should have driven over to the Space Center, but thought of it too late in the day; at this time of year, the Space Center closes at 5:00 P.M. There is no end to the possibilities.

A Sheraton Vistana type of resort is particularly appealing in Orlando where tickets for Disney, Epcot, Seaworld, Universal, etc. are generally multi-day, and parking at those sites includes the ability to leave and return. It's nice to get a respite from the hustle and bustle, rest up, and then head back for more.

If you're interested, we can arrange for you to visit Vacation Village in the Berkshires where Rob and I own a Time share, and you can see what we are enjoying. Just email me and I'll make arrangements.

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