Ginn Reunion resort anyone been ?

[elkvideo]

Hi all,

Hope someone can help me. I usually stay at the disney yacht club or beach club and fancy staying somewhere else. I am looking at Ginn Reunion Resort in a villa, has anyone been here and can give me advice. I would like to know how far it is to disney, where i book and if anyone has stayed in a particular villa and might have some pictures, sorry so many questions but i am eager to know so can tell husband and hopefully get it booked up.
:dance3:

[ScottishDisMam]

I'm sure that's where Katie & Peter (Andre) stayed and filmed it on their reality show. It looked really lovely - it was also featured with them in OK magazine, and I'm sure it had some details in there too..

Lisa x

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Yes they did stay there - UKDeb has stayed here & I am sure will reply when she sees it!

It is an upscale reort - if you look on VRBO there are a few rentals on there so you can get an idea - also it is advertised with Virgin. I stayed at Windsor Hills and it is a little further out - perhaps another 10 or 15 minutes drive.

[UKDEB]

Yes, we've stayed at Reunion 4 times now and there really is nothing else to compare with it. It's truly exclusive. You can't just wander in and take a look around. You can't book a restaurant, or a round of golf, unless you're a resort guest. It's a cross between a gated villa community and an upscale resort, although that doesn't really define it properly. It has three golf courses (Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus designed), a water park, several other community pools, and tennis courts. It spans both sides of the I-4, with the development on the east now well-established and that on the west still very much under construction.

It's a cashless, tipless resort (your room key is the only means of paying for anything on site). A 20% service charge is added to all bar and restaurant checks and everything else is included. That does make for a very relaxing stay - no dipping your hand in your pocket every two minutes.

The Reunion Grande condo-hotel was completed last year and houses the roof-top pool and Eleven bar/restaurant, as well as Forte steakhouse and a very swanky lobby bar. The golf clubhouse next door has a well-stocked golf shop, a bar and dining room (which extends onto an outdoor terrace). A further casual dining option is available at the Seven Eagles pavilion, but we've never made it over there.

We've stayed in a 2 bed condo at the Grande, with a further 3 stays in villas. There are quite a few categories of accommodation. 1, 2 and 3 bed condos are available with those in the Grande at the top of the price range. However, those in other locations are of a comparable standard and many are close to the Grande and all its facilities. The newest are near the water park. As far as villas are concerned, there are several different options from the clapboard style at Patriot's Landing through to the $2M plus estate homes at Homestead on the east and the new development on the west. There are also the award-winning and very cleverly designed split properties, but I've never managed to find one for rent privately.

Renting through Ginn itself is expensive, but all the homes entered into the rental programme have to meet very exacting standards. Strictly speaking, owners are not permitted to rent privately, but they are allowed to make their homes available to family and friends. Needless to say, this is largely abused and, historically, Ginn has turned a blind eye, but I believe they may have made it increasingly difficult by restricting access to member privileges. If you choose to rent privately, you should ask for very specific information on precisely what will (or, more importantly, what won't) be included. I wouldn't be happy if I got there and found I couldn't use the restaurants or golf courses, for example. If you rent directly from Ginn, you will register a credit card at check-in just like any other hotel. This is compulsory as your room key is the only means of paying for anything whilst onsite. No exceptions. If you rent privately, you will receive your resort key card at check-in in just the same way, but it will be registered against the owner's credit card so you'll find that your rental deposit will generally be a lot higher than for normal villa rentals.

It is a bit further out than some of the rental communities, but it's due south of WDW and access is quick and easy. It straddles the I-4 and its main entrance is a short hop from exit 58. From there, you literally drive up the I-4 and straight onto World Drive. If you want a change of pace, you can take the scenic route up Old Lake Wilson Road and then onto WDW property via the Sherberth Road.

Photos of the Reunion Grande (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26458568&postcount=8) and the 2 bed condo (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26459259&postcount=12) we stayed in are posted in the Hotel Photos sticky at the top of the forum. I'll upload some photos of the villas and post back later.

[UKDEB]

This site (http://***********************/villas/) offers several properties for rent. Villas 3, 4 and 5 are estate homes on Homestead (on the established east side of the development). I'm familiar with them all. Villa 3 was one of the very first to be built. It has views over the golf course from the front of the property and backs onto other villas. It's a stone's throw from the Grande and the clubhouse. Villa 4 is a stunning property with a great pool backing onto the golf course, but I happen to know it's in the Reunion Rental program, hence the extortionate cost. Crazy money! Villa 5 is fundamentally the same as one we've rented, albeit they've obviously made one or two different choices in the interior layout. Villa 6 is one of the split properties I mentioned in my earlier post. Villa 7 is a condo in the Grande.

[UKDEB]

We've stayed here (http://www.vr360floridavillas.co.uk/propertydets.asp?id=749#) (the 360 tour gives the best overview) and here (http://www.windsorpalmsflorida.com/description.html) (again, check out the virtual tour). Phew! That's saved me some time. :goodvibes

Here (http://www.vr360floridavillas.co.uk/propertydets.asp?id=617#) is an example of one of the clapboard style properties.

[jdybnsn]

We stayed here in February and it was truly fabulous in every way - the main problem is that it will make staying anywhere else in Orlando really difficult !

The whole place totally knocks the spots off any deluxe property Disney may have in terms of both facilitites and service..... I can seriously see that Disney will have to totally up their game plan, if resorts like these continue to be built, within what is only a short (and easy) 15 minute car journey to WDW.
Don't get me wrong I am not anti Disney, but even the closer proximity to WDW, and the few extra Park perks, would not off set what you are getting for your bucks here !

We rented privately too ...a fantastic high spec., 5 bedroom, massive villa with a pool...for probably the same if not less money than a mod/deluxe stay at Disney.
As has already been mentioned the Reunion Resort are getting tough on rental owners renting out to non family & friends so you MUST check your resort passes will be included , or available to purchase (around $25 per 4 people)...nice as it is, your stay would be an expensive & very poor value one, if you could not access all the wonderful things the resort has on offer.

You really need a car to get around to & from, & around, this vast resort so location on the resort is really not that important IMO - even if you are close to the waterpark for example ,you are likely to take the car, as everything is so spread out and the pavements have little shade..its not really all that conducive to walking even short distance...especially in the Florida heat !

A couple of other things that are also worth mentioning is that, for resort pass holders, there's also free internet access (communal) and gym facility.

The resort is close to the shopping facilities at Championsgate (quick 5 min ride) where you find a Publix, ATMs, gas stations, chemist, McDonalds, Subway, Chillis, etc..small development but growing all the time.

PS we also stayed at the Omni hotel (also in the Championsgate area) - I believe that they do villas on site too ...it is about the only place that compares well with Reunion Resort ,facility & service wise, and is definitely also worth a look/stay - and there are often good deals to be had on room only websites.

[UKDEB]

Wwe also stayed at the Omni hotel (also in the Championsgate area) - I believe that they do villas on site too ...it is about the only place that compares well with Reunion Resort ,facility & service wise, and is definitely also worth a look/stay - and there are often good deals to be had on room only websites.
The Omni Championsgate offers condo style rooms along the lines of the ones at the Reunion Grande (i.e. what are basically one, two and three bed hotel suites), often at very good rates. The Omni is very impressive (we particularly like David's Club), but, just to clarify, it's an upscale resort hotel in the same vein as the Ritz-Carlton at Grande Lakes and the Rosen Shingle Creek (to mention just two). Reunion is a resort community which includes a hotel, and it's unique in the Orlando area.

Nice to find a fellow Reunion devotee on the boards. :thumbsup2

[jdybnsn]

Nice to find a fellow Reunion devotee on the boards. :thumbsup2

Thanks ......I was an avid reader of your reports on the place before we went ....and it did not disappoint ! :goodvibes