Excellent Vacation
A few days before leaving for this vacation, I started reading reviews and was almost ready to cancel the whole vacation. Fortunately, we did not. We had an amazing time. I'm not sure where the negative reviews came from but we did not encounter one negative issue during our 5 night stay.
Upon check in- we were given a room on the 2nd floor of the West Tower. Yes, the room is certainly average but VERY CLEAN. Remember, you are not paying for a luxurious room (although you may want to book the Cove, where it is supposed to be over the top); you are paying for the luxury of being inside the resort. We went back to the reception and asked if there was a room available on a higher floor so that we could have a better view. They tried for well over 15 minutes and finally found an available room on the 5th floor.
Yes, the restaurants in the hotel are more expensive than average and yes, the 15% gratuity on a 1.5 liter bottle of $6 water is outrageous, but again, you are paying for the access to the resort and all of the activities. There are, however, ways to manage expenses.
In the Marina Village (which is still part of the resort), there is a quite good pizza place, a Johnny Rockets, Starbucks and a Jamba Juice. All a little more expensive than average, but definitely more affordable than inside the hotel. But if you walk across the street (outside of the resort), there is a small grocery store (I use the term loosely) where I was able to buy a gallon of water of $2.95.
The resort itself is unbelievable. We have traveled all over the world and would rank this right up there with great vacations.
All employees were very nice. If you approach with a smile, you certainly get a smile in return. Never had any of the negative experiences others cited.
We would certainly go back again.