Anyone ever stayed here and have any input about this place? It looks wonderful from their website and we will be spending a week here soon.
Thanks,
Ricky
Thanks,
Ricky
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Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Seaworld
- Thread starter epcotisbest
- Start date
Hi,
We got back last Sunday. Here is an edited review I wrote for the RCI Community Journal. You might want to check out the website for other reviews of this place, it helped me.
RCI Journals
Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Ricky
This was a good trip taken May 25 - June 1, 2003. The weather was perfect with no rain, a couple of overcast days, and low humidity due to a cold front passing through. Summertime crowds have yet to materilize and the lines at the parks were managable, with the exception of Memorial Day. Later in the summer, this place gets really crowded.
HGV at Seaworld is located directly off of I-4 at Seaworld. The location is also convient to Disney and Universal Studios. This time of year, Disney is having the International Flower and Garden Show at Epcot, and it is amazing. The flowers and topiaries are incredible. Everyone who has the opportunity should go during this special time. We made this trip a leisurely one and did not try to rush to do everything. Strolling around Epcot and looking at the different floral displays is a great way to spend the day.
HGV at Seaworld is also an easy drive to Univeral Studios. This is a good alternative to Disney and judging from the crowds, I am not the only one to think so. The rides at Islands of Adventure are very intense, and I could not do some of them due to an old back injury, but everything else is good. Take the time to go through Citywalk, Universal's answer to Disney's Pleasure Island, to see the Hard Rock Cafe, Hard Rock Live, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritiville, and many other restaurants and shops.
Shopping at the outlets is another good way to spend an afternoon. There are too many outlets to list, but our favorite is The Premium Outlets on Vineland Ave. It has a Disney and a Universal outlet where you can find some really good prices compared to what you would pay at the parks. They don't have the newest or biggest selections, but they do have some bargains.
One thing I would avoid is taking the tour of the new Hilton resort being built just a few miles from the old one. They try to get you to go there by offering you a small gift and some ticket discounts. We wanted to see a model of the place as the pictures looked very impressive. We drove over one morning and had a small contential breakfast then had to sit through a sales pitch and watch a movie. Then, come to find out, there is no model to tour yet. The preview center has no model, but offers you a virtual tour on computer. The animated graphics are nice, but show me the real thing please. When I asked to see a real model they told me that one of the units at the HGV at Seaworld was redecorated as a new model and we could drive over there to see it. Well, I just came from over there, why did they not just show it to me there? Instead they want you to take the sales tour I guess. This was a little frustrating, and we never did ask to see the model where we were staying, as they could have showed it to us in the first place. Since we are planning to buy another week in this area, this little stunt cost them a sale. We will probably buy at Vistana, or one of the Marriots.
My expectations for a unit with the Hilton name must have been set too high. I must admit to being a little disappointed here. The one-bedroom unit was roomy and nicely decorated but had some problems. There was veneer peeling from the cabinets in both the kitchen and the bathroom. The unit showed its age in the sagging chairs and sofa in the living area. The bathrooms had little bugs crawling all over the sink, but we called and they sent an exterminator right over. The unit we stayed in was on the sixth floor, and the parking was a long way away. We could not find a luggage cart and had to make several trips to unload.
There are good points too. The unit had a large screen TV in the living room and a good sized TV in the bedroom also. It had a stereo/boombox and VCR in the living area, and nice screened in balcony. The bed was firm. The overall appearance, except for the little bugs in the bath, was clean. The kitchen had what you needed to prepare meals, and the washer/dryer came in handy too.
Decorated in bright cheery colors, the unit had a feel of summer, tastefully done but not too gaudy. We liked the size of this one-bedroom except for the big Jacuzzi tub in the bedroom that just takes up way too much space. Give me a regular tub in the bathroom and more room and closet space in the bedroom.
Activities were not very good. Wednesday mornings water aerobics just did not happen. Monday and Fridays were good though. They charge for just about everything. A family could drop a few bucks if they had several children.
The fireworks at Seaworld were fun to watch from the pool area every evening.
We got back last Sunday. Here is an edited review I wrote for the RCI Community Journal. You might want to check out the website for other reviews of this place, it helped me.
RCI Journals
Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Ricky
This was a good trip taken May 25 - June 1, 2003. The weather was perfect with no rain, a couple of overcast days, and low humidity due to a cold front passing through. Summertime crowds have yet to materilize and the lines at the parks were managable, with the exception of Memorial Day. Later in the summer, this place gets really crowded.
HGV at Seaworld is located directly off of I-4 at Seaworld. The location is also convient to Disney and Universal Studios. This time of year, Disney is having the International Flower and Garden Show at Epcot, and it is amazing. The flowers and topiaries are incredible. Everyone who has the opportunity should go during this special time. We made this trip a leisurely one and did not try to rush to do everything. Strolling around Epcot and looking at the different floral displays is a great way to spend the day.
HGV at Seaworld is also an easy drive to Univeral Studios. This is a good alternative to Disney and judging from the crowds, I am not the only one to think so. The rides at Islands of Adventure are very intense, and I could not do some of them due to an old back injury, but everything else is good. Take the time to go through Citywalk, Universal's answer to Disney's Pleasure Island, to see the Hard Rock Cafe, Hard Rock Live, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritiville, and many other restaurants and shops.
Shopping at the outlets is another good way to spend an afternoon. There are too many outlets to list, but our favorite is The Premium Outlets on Vineland Ave. It has a Disney and a Universal outlet where you can find some really good prices compared to what you would pay at the parks. They don't have the newest or biggest selections, but they do have some bargains.
One thing I would avoid is taking the tour of the new Hilton resort being built just a few miles from the old one. They try to get you to go there by offering you a small gift and some ticket discounts. We wanted to see a model of the place as the pictures looked very impressive. We drove over one morning and had a small contential breakfast then had to sit through a sales pitch and watch a movie. Then, come to find out, there is no model to tour yet. The preview center has no model, but offers you a virtual tour on computer. The animated graphics are nice, but show me the real thing please. When I asked to see a real model they told me that one of the units at the HGV at Seaworld was redecorated as a new model and we could drive over there to see it. Well, I just came from over there, why did they not just show it to me there? Instead they want you to take the sales tour I guess. This was a little frustrating, and we never did ask to see the model where we were staying, as they could have showed it to us in the first place. Since we are planning to buy another week in this area, this little stunt cost them a sale. We will probably buy at Vistana, or one of the Marriots.
My expectations for a unit with the Hilton name must have been set too high. I must admit to being a little disappointed here. The one-bedroom unit was roomy and nicely decorated but had some problems. There was veneer peeling from the cabinets in both the kitchen and the bathroom. The unit showed its age in the sagging chairs and sofa in the living area. The bathrooms had little bugs crawling all over the sink, but we called and they sent an exterminator right over. The unit we stayed in was on the sixth floor, and the parking was a long way away. We could not find a luggage cart and had to make several trips to unload.
There are good points too. The unit had a large screen TV in the living room and a good sized TV in the bedroom also. It had a stereo/boombox and VCR in the living area, and nice screened in balcony. The bed was firm. The overall appearance, except for the little bugs in the bath, was clean. The kitchen had what you needed to prepare meals, and the washer/dryer came in handy too.
Decorated in bright cheery colors, the unit had a feel of summer, tastefully done but not too gaudy. We liked the size of this one-bedroom except for the big Jacuzzi tub in the bedroom that just takes up way too much space. Give me a regular tub in the bathroom and more room and closet space in the bedroom.
Activities were not very good. Wednesday mornings water aerobics just did not happen. Monday and Fridays were good though. They charge for just about everything. A family could drop a few bucks if they had several children.
The fireworks at Seaworld were fun to watch from the pool area every evening.
Sorry, we were too busy to even try the VCR to notice. Honestly, it may have been just a video player instead of recorder, I just don't know. They do have movie rentals in the lobby, but I never checked on the price.
Yes, take advantage of the free pic. A photographer will take you around to several different places and do many different shots to get some good pics. Later, they will offer you an "opportunity to purchase a package" of pics to go along with your free one. The prices are ok, and if you like them, go ahead and buy a package. It makes for good memories.
The guy who scheduled the tours is located near the fountan pool behind the little building where you can buy suntan lotions etc...(by the way, the pools are the best part about this place, especially the waterfalls pool, which is unheated). The gift was a really plush towel with the Hilton logo embroidered on it, along with a couple of water bottles and a small battery operated fan that would fit in your pocket or pack to cool you off while waiting in hot lines. We were not really interested in ticket discounts as we already had ours, so they just gave us $50.00 cash after the tour. Hey, it paid for a meal and after the tour you can go to the Premium outlets right next door to the preview center. In fact, if it wasn't for a fence, you could just walk over there from the preview center. This is about a 3 or 4 mile drive from the HGV at Seaworld. So, you have to decide if a towel, some small gifts and 50bucks is worth your time. It takes a couple of hours. I don't think I would do it again.
Let me give you my biggest tip and one that I feel would make the very best of your stay here. Buy the Seaworld Silver Passport tickets for $84.95 adults, $74.95 kids and walk over to Seaworld several times during your stay. It is a great park, the shows and landscaping are wonderful, and they have just opened a new section called the Waterfront with resturants, shops, and shows. Even if you only have time to go for a couple of evenings, the silver passport is good for 12 months. We would take a walk over there, spend the morning, then hit other parks, or leave other parks early and spend the evening at Seaworld. If you have any free days, have a leisurly day at Seaworld then walk back to your room, hit the pool and cool off, then go back. Now, mind you it is a pretty long walk, but that is OK, afterall how many miles a day do we put in at MK or Epcot? At that price, you can't go wrong if you have any interest in Seaworld. And, if you return within a year, you already have tickets. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for Seaworld, we just enjoyed it so much and the ability to come and go as we pleased and to just walk to the park and room was really nice.
Have a good trip,
Ricky
Yes, take advantage of the free pic. A photographer will take you around to several different places and do many different shots to get some good pics. Later, they will offer you an "opportunity to purchase a package" of pics to go along with your free one. The prices are ok, and if you like them, go ahead and buy a package. It makes for good memories.
The guy who scheduled the tours is located near the fountan pool behind the little building where you can buy suntan lotions etc...(by the way, the pools are the best part about this place, especially the waterfalls pool, which is unheated). The gift was a really plush towel with the Hilton logo embroidered on it, along with a couple of water bottles and a small battery operated fan that would fit in your pocket or pack to cool you off while waiting in hot lines. We were not really interested in ticket discounts as we already had ours, so they just gave us $50.00 cash after the tour. Hey, it paid for a meal and after the tour you can go to the Premium outlets right next door to the preview center. In fact, if it wasn't for a fence, you could just walk over there from the preview center. This is about a 3 or 4 mile drive from the HGV at Seaworld. So, you have to decide if a towel, some small gifts and 50bucks is worth your time. It takes a couple of hours. I don't think I would do it again.
Let me give you my biggest tip and one that I feel would make the very best of your stay here. Buy the Seaworld Silver Passport tickets for $84.95 adults, $74.95 kids and walk over to Seaworld several times during your stay. It is a great park, the shows and landscaping are wonderful, and they have just opened a new section called the Waterfront with resturants, shops, and shows. Even if you only have time to go for a couple of evenings, the silver passport is good for 12 months. We would take a walk over there, spend the morning, then hit other parks, or leave other parks early and spend the evening at Seaworld. If you have any free days, have a leisurly day at Seaworld then walk back to your room, hit the pool and cool off, then go back. Now, mind you it is a pretty long walk, but that is OK, afterall how many miles a day do we put in at MK or Epcot? At that price, you can't go wrong if you have any interest in Seaworld. And, if you return within a year, you already have tickets. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for Seaworld, we just enjoyed it so much and the ability to come and go as we pleased and to just walk to the park and room was really nice.
Have a good trip,
Ricky