Booked flights - help with villas please.

[Hemelman]

Hi, after lurking alot & contributing a little since our trip in 2001 I'm now back in planning mode after booking flights for Aug 2003 with Travelcity Direct.

This time we're looking at a villa holiday & thinking of staying in one of these areas:

Lindfields
Sunset Lakes
Oak Island
Formosa Gdns
Rolling Hills

has any one any experience of staying at these locations?

What shops & restaurants are there nearby that you would recommend. Also what is the car journey to WDW like?

Any info would be most appreciated.

Cheers
Mick

 

[UKDEB]

Hi Mick,

We've stayed at Sunset Lakes and are about to stay at Formosa Gardens for the third time. I'm also fairly familiar with the other sub-divisions you mention and, as I'm sure you know, they're all close together around marker 4 of the US192 in the region of Splendid China, just to the south of the bottom left-hand corner of WDW (Animal Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Lodge, All Star Resorts and Coronado Springs). Phew! Confused yet?

The closest shops are at the Formosa Gardens Center where there is a 24 hour supermarket (used to be Goodings, but I think it's now a Winn Dixie), Outback Steakhouse, TGI Fridays, World of Denim, Taco Bell, Eckerd's, Subway, Dairy Queen, to name the most well known. There is also a CentraCare (the closest thing to a GPs surgery). Just a bit further west along the 192 and on the other side of the road is a Publix which we usually use. Check out this interactive map of the immediate area, which details virtually every business and landmark, and click on the links at the top and bottom to move east and west along the 192.

The villa we had at Sunset Lakes was beautiful with two almost identical and huge master suites. Formosa Gardens is a bit newer and (as you might guess) we are pretty taken with it at the moment. It is just about the closest community to WDW property (although all those you mention are within spitting distance of one another). The villa we're staying in also has 2 master suites, which is really nice when there are 2 families sharing - no squabbling! It also has a jacuzzi which is heatable independently of the pool (the pool can be heated to approximately 85 degrees and the jacuzzi to around 105).

You will find that most of the villas on Lindfields are older than the other communities you mention, although not all of them, and many will have been refurbished. Have you got the villas magazines available from WH Smith? And have you searched the internet? I've got hundreds of links by this method.

From any of these locations you are about a 5-10 minute journey from WDW property, although your total journey time will depend upon your final destination within WDW. There is a shortcut - I'll post the route if you're interested.

If you have any more questions, please ask.

 

[Sue F UK]

Hi Mick,

I have sent you a PM regarding Sunset Lakes.

 

[lisag1]

For me, without a doubt it'd be Formosa Gardens, the houses are awesome!!!. Unfortunately this year we didn't have the "gang" we normally holiday with so we didn't need the extra 3 bedrooms so we're plumped for Windsor Palms which is the opposite development. This is a private gated community with it's own gym, 68 seater cinema, small supermarket and a Starbucks. We've also holidayed at Rolling Hills, Chatham Park and Hampton Lakes. We prefer to be by Splendid China because of the Formosa Garden Mall. Other developments on the same road are:- Windsor (Wyndham) Palms, Formosa Gardens, Rolling Hills, Oak Island Cove & Indian Creek. If there are any more please let me know!

Lisa

 

[UKDEB]

Lisa,

Emerald Island is also off Formosa Gardens Boulevard. I think this is possibly the newest development in that area - ?

I've got some links - I'll post them when I've sorted them out. It looks like a beautiful community. We'll have to check it out when we're there!

 

[lisag1]

Hi Deb,

I new it was a newbie, but didn't realise it was in the same area. Oooh excited, how I love to stay at new developments!! We originally booked for a villa in Oak Island Cove, we would've been the first guests but unfortunately it was cancelled the other week as the builders have been mucking the owners about and it won't be finished in time, or rather I think they want to be their first so they can do their snagging list. We touched lucky though with a villa company and got Windsor Palms at a fantastic price of £350 per week. I think we'll be having a look this year with a view to buying next year, fingers crossed

Lisa

 

[madmouse]

Hi there,
I have stayed at a villa in Lindfields before and I would agree that they are older villas there.Although the villa was ok I would rather stay at one of the newer developments this time around.
Sarah.

 

[neilybealy]

we got back on sunday from staying in a villa in rolling hills and i can confirm everything deb said

we loved the villa and it's location 10/15 mins from WDW and 30 mins to universal

just very sad to be back

 

[DisneyDes]

Having just seen this topic I wondered if anyone knew anything about Eagle Point re the Villas, as the outlaws are having one built there and wondered what this area is like.

Des

 

[UKDEB]

Des,

This link shows you where they are. American Heritage Homes are currently building at Eagle Pointe and their villas are fabulous (check out some of the virtual tours), but not sure whether they're the only ones.

 

[DisneyDes]

Thanks for the links Debbie, apparantly it is American Heritage that are building it and from the floor plans it looks like the Huntington

Getting excited about visiting it already.

Des