We just returned from our stay at the MGV (May 5-12) with our 4 and 9 year old daughters. What an amazing vacation. We were all sad to go home!

Check in - Our room was not ready when we arrived at about 1:30pm. They kept our bags for us while we went to have lunch at the Copa Loca Grill on site. I always pack our bathing suits, shorts and sunscreen in our carry-on bag so we can change as soon as we get there and hit the pool. This is exactly what we did this time. As promised our room was ready by 4:00pm (the set check-in time). The staff at the check in counter were very friendly and informative, and we did not need to wait in line, as it was not very busy at the time. We were assigned a 2-bedroom unit as requested. A bellman drove us in one of the Marriott vans with our luggage to our room because it was a bit too far to walk with all our luggage. As it turned out it was not far at all to the lobby if you don't have several suitcases to carry. The bellman was also very friendly and helpful.

Room - We were in building 83, which was not one of the newer rooms, but was still VERY nice and well appointed. As I mentioned, we did get a 2 bedroom, which was actually a 1 bedroom with a lock-off (adjoining) door to a second 1 bedroom. The first 1 bedroom suite had a full kitchen, bathroom with a large Jacuzzi tub and sink in one area and a second bathroom area with a shower, toilet and second sink. Very clean. There was also a screened in balcony, TV, and king size bed. There was a second TV in the living room, a large dining room table (seats 6) and a breakfast bar (seats another 3). The kitchen had granite counter tops and there was a stacked washer/dryer in the pantry of the kitchen (which we used a lot). There was also a pull out couch.

The second bedroom had another king size bed, a pull out couch, balcony, bathroom, mini fridge, microwave, toaster etc. It was MUCH more than we needed, but was great to have. There was another TV in this second bedroom too. Our kids loved having their "own" space!

We did not have a single problem with anything in our room. We called the front desk to request a jug so we could make our own lemonade and a brand new Rubbermaid jug was delivered shortly after we called. We even had a non-stick frying pan, which is something that we used daily. From our experience this is something that is often not provided.

Facilities - There was so much to do at the resort. We spend most mornings at the beach area where the sand was beautiful. There was a volleyball net, which we used with our beach ball and one morning we went fishing off the beach, but didn't even get a bite. We went on the paddleboats, climbed the rock wall which was free. Anybody 45-250 lbs could try it. Our 9 year old loved it and went almost every day. It is located on the beach. There were bikes that you could rent but we didn't get a chance this time. We spent everyday at one of the pools. There are about 5 different ones. The 2 we tried were heated. One of the pools has a great splash pad with water cannons that the kids loved. The water was not as warm in that pool, but the other pools were a very nice temperature. There were hot tubs in each pool area, which were nice too. There was an incredible kids climbing area (similar to the ones at MacDonald’s), which was great for the kids if they wanted to get out of the heat. This was free too. There were several children’s, adults and teens organized activities daily. Some were free and some were not. There is a schedule at the front desk that tells you what is on all week. We went to the campfire where we made smores. They provided everything for free (stick, marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers). They lit a nice bonfire and had some music. It was very nice and fun for all.

Restaurant - The Copa Loca Grill served sandwiches, burgers, fries, cocktails etc. Food was good but rather pricey. It was convenient when you were swimming and got hungry, but we usually packed lunches in our cooler to take to the pool. We shopped at Publix and bought lots of groceries so that we could make most of our meals. This saved a ton of $$$$. Nicks Grills was excellent and I highly recommend it for dinner. The food was great and so was the service. We had dinner there twice. The prime rib is fabulous and you get a large portion! Good value too, but not cheap.

Golf - My husband went every morning to the Faldo Golf institute to either play a round or 2 (9 hole course), or use the driving range/putting/chipping facilities. It is beautifully manicured and the grounds are amazing. Because we didn't have a vehicle some mornings instead of walking he would call the bellman at the front desk and they would pick him up at our room and drive him to Faldo's. He also got a ride back some days if he didn't fell like walking. He never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a ride. He also played a round of golf at Grand Pines, which is across the street from MGV. We did not have a car there so he got a ride from the bellman from our room to the golf course. He said Grand Pines was amazing too.

There was so much to do right at the resort that we didn't go to any Disney parks or SeaWorld (which is 5 minutes away). Also, it was so hot (over 90 degrees) while we were there that we proffered to be by the pool this time and our kids did not once ask to go!

Transportation - Many travellers mentioned that a car is needed. If you stay at MGV, we don't think you need a car. We took the I-ride Trolley to Publix for groceries, which was about a 5-minute ride. It stops right outside of the entrance (across the street) to MGV. You will need to get a bellman to give you a ride to the bus stop because the entrance from the rode to the buildings/lobby is too far to walk. When you return there is a phone right at the gate, which is a direct line to the front desk. We used this phone to call for a ride back to our room. The bellman never kept us waiting longer than 5 minutes. Our first trip to Publix we took a taxi ($10 each way) because we knew we were going to buy a lot of stuff - too much to take on the bus. The next time we took the I-ride Trolley. Almost across the street from Publix are the Premium Outlets, which was fantastic. We took the I-ride there a couple of times too. Lots of great shops! Next to Publix is a Walgreens too.

Service - We experienced excellent service from all staff at MGV. Everybody was very accommodating, helpful and friendly.

Overall I would rate MGV 5 out of 5 and recommend it to anybody wishing to take a vacation in Orlando.

I don’t think I missed anything, but if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.

I have posted a few photos of some of the things that I did not see photos of when reading other reviews. Enjoy.

We are already planning our next trip to MGV. Can't wait!

We came down for a confrence that my husband had to attend and had decided to extend our stay and take a vacation at the Marriott Grand Vista. Oh What A Mistake!!! We had to wait 4 hours for our room which was not at all what was advertised, it was small, dark and right under the kiddie pool which is open until 11:00 p.m. We changed rooms, telling them before we moved, that the room was somewhat better but the maids had not picked up the used tissue under the sofa, they said they would have it taken care of immediately. (Never got picked up) At least the pool was quieter but the screen door was falling off, the carpet was dirty, the front door had gaps that any and every bug came through. The maids were rude and extremely lazy. They never left pool towels and wouldn't leave extra towels for the room so we were always short on towels. The garbage and dirty linen stayed out in the walkways over night. It's a real shame because the property is beautiful the service and rooms are horrible!!!!! We were disturbed by the Marriott's people that wanted to sell us a timeshare. They should take that time and money to fix up the resort first.

Positives:
- Landscaping at entrance and roadway was spectacular
- Swan boats, fishing, surry bikes and activities well done
- Pool, fitness club, and other amenities top-notch
- Nicks Grill: great fine food, although a bit pricey for Orlando
- Room beautiful, with nice features like granite, jet tubs, and comfy plush beds, an overall general sense of luxury (lighting, curtains, linens, bedding)
- spacious balconies
- boys loved the water cannons at the Copa Loca pool

Minor negatives:
- Main pool too winding and cluttered w/vegetation for us, hard to keep an eye on exploring preschoolers. Prefer Vistana or Horizons.
- Pools could be a bit bigger
- Broken doorknob on bathroom, which seemed so out of place in such a perfect room
- DVD player not compatible with some of our DVDs.
- No stereo/music system (something to plug in an i-pod would have been nice)
- Room key cards buggy, and needed resetting a couple times.

We would definitely stay again. We have 3 & 5 year old boys, and we also like Vistana and Orange Lake's River Island, both with onsite mini-golf.

My wife and I stayed at the MGV in April of this year. We had planned a getaway without our kids to relax a little and to also check out things for a possible family trip next year. We had been told about the resort by friends of ours who had visited last year.
We rented a guest suite which was nice but we upgraded to a one bedroom later in the week. The property is beautiful and the staff are very friendly and helpful. We attended the time-share presentation which took longer than the 90 minutes that they promised but there was no pressure to buy.
If you are visiting this resort it is probably a good idea to have a car as it is off the main road a bit (although that is nice because you are away from traffic etc) but it is a bit of a drive to go to the grocery stores and Disney parks etc. It is just a lot more convenient than buses etc. But the resort is situated well in that it is close to Sea World, Disney and Universal.
The rooms were very clean as were the pools. The pool behind our building (91) was very convenient and not crowded at all. The main pool and the pool near the bar (Coco something or other) were larger and had more things for kids like water cannons etc but were obviously busier and louder. It is nice to have a choice though. Expect to have walk a bit around the resort as it is a rather large property.
I would recommend the Marriott Grande Vista for a family vacation or a more quiet getaway. The option is there for both.