Review of Wyndham Cypress Palms with Pictures

[robinb]

I booked a 1 bedroom villa at Wyndham Cypress Palms with a "full kitchen" on SkyAuction less than one week prior to my trip and paid a mere $222 with all taxes and fees for a full week from 6/26/2016 - 7/3/2016. If you have a cancelable backup plan and the intestinal fortitude to bid on SkyAuction at the last minute you can get a real bargain.

For $222 our villa was a fantastic bargain! We were assigned a Deluxe 1 Bedroom with a full kitchen in building 3. Check-in was a little slow because I booked the villa so late that my reservation was not in their system. The front desk clerk had to go in back and get the paper copy of the reservation but that only took a few minutes. We had to go see the timeshare sales desk for our parking pass (I was prepared for this) and it didn't take long for us to say "no" enough times to a sales pitch. I think he knew he was beat when we told him that we owned DVC and we were not interested in another timeshare.

I was nervous that we would get one of the add-on studio-type 1 BRs and I was VERY happy to have received the deluxe with the lanai. I spent time relaxing out there and it was a real plus for me. The couch was very comfortable for a nap as was the bed. I did not open up the couch to test it. The kitchen had everything we needed and there was a large table that seated 6 people. There was a closed door to the lock-off side so that table would be for everyone in the 2BR villa. There were also 2 stools at the kitchen counter and that's were we had breakfast. Only one person can really fit in the kitchen at one time, but that was OK with us. If you have a crew that's in and out of the fridge while someone is trying to cook it could get annoying. There were 2 tiny things wrong with our villa: the door stop on one of the bathroom doors was broken off and the middle drawer in the dresser would not stay closed. Otherwise, the villa was beautiful and clean!

I had read that people had problems parking but we did not. It was very easy to get a spot and then into our villa. I do have to comment on the landscaping. If you're looking for a lush, tropical get-away with beautiful winding paths and kick-butt pools, this isn't it. All the villas have outside entrances and our villa faced into a grassy courtyard that no one seemed to use. The Wyndham Cypress Palms reminded me a lot of a condo development but that was a-OK with me. We didn't need or want lush landscaping, a lazy river or a pool slide.

We only went to WDW and it was easy-peasy! The "Purple Gates" were only 5-6 minutes from the moment we turned on our car and no park was more than 15 minutes away. We used the Waze app on our phone to give us directions. It usually had us drive right down 192 to World Drive, but sometimes we were routed along Osceola Parkway or Hwy 536 if 192 was backed up. We had "toll roads" turned off so we didn't accidentally get on one (BTDT, it was a PITB). When we stay on property we usually drive everywhere except the MK so the additional 6 minutes to WDW property was NOT an inconvenience AT ALL.

I would definitely stay at Wyndham Cypress Palms again even at the "regular" SkyAuction price, although I would probably not be willing to pay too much of a weekly upcharge. I would certainly spend $350-$450 per week for the same villa and still consider it a bargain.

Pictures to follow!

 

[robinb]

Sorry that some of these photos are so dark and yellow. I took them with my 3-year old iPhone.

Our entrance. The lock-off unit that connects is to the left.



Inside the front door.

There is a mini washer/dryer directly to the right of where I am standing. The kitchen area is to the right, the large table to the left. The door to the lock off is right before the table. You can see the door into the bedroom past the table and the living room is past the kitchen. There was just enough plates/cups/etc for 4 people so we used the dishwasher almost every day. We asked for more dishwasher detergent and it was delivered to our villa promptly.

The living room had a very comfortable couch and a number of armchairs. You can see the stool (ok, tall chair) that sits at the breakfast bar on the right.

The living room had a dresser for people who have the pleasure of staying on the couch in the living room. I thought it was a really nice touch.

 

[robinb]

The lanai was off the living room. It was completely screened in so no bugs got into the villa. I admit that I left the door open to cool the lanai a bit while I sat on it.

The view from the lanai. The lamps were lit at night.

 

[robinb]

Sorry for the state of the bedroom and bathroom area. I didn't take the photos until we have lived there for a couple of days.

King sized bed with dresser and TV. There was a safe in the closet.

Another brighter view.

Tub area connected to the bedroom. I basically turned 180-degrees from the previous one and took this photo. I like how the paintings matched each other.

Close up of the tub. Sadly, I never used it . Frankly, it was too hot to even consider dunking myself in hot water.

Bathroom with toilet and large shower.

The door opens to the bedroom area. There is another door behind me that opens to the living room area.

 

[ziravan]

I own at cypress palms. We booked 2 nights in a 1 BR and got a room with such a weird config that we couldn't use the couch bed without blocking the front door on one side and the kitchen on the other.

Plus, the connecting door was a central feature of the room. Every sound we made was being transmitted through the door.

It was so bad that we booked a spur of the moment AKV night for 2nd night and didn't go back.

But then. We mainly use our points for Bonnet Creek and non-WDW trips.

 

[robinb]

Last photos are of the grounds.

Here is a map of the property. We were in the building marked 5307 attached to 5305.

This is the pathway to the parking lot. There was an elevator very close to our villa but since we were on the 2nd floor we just took the stairs.

Fountain area at the end of our building chain near pool 1. You can see 192 off in the distance but I did not hear any road noise.

They had a gas grill for use. I wish we had set aside time to grill out.

There is Pool #1. The kids seemed to have a good time. The water was very warm.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thank you Robin......an excellent review. I officially feel much better about staying there this October.

One question: did you happen to notice if they had many activities going on around the resort? For kids or adults?

 

[robinb]

Thank you Robin......an excellent review. I officially feel much better about staying there this October.

One question: did you happen to notice if they had many activities going on around the resort? For kids or adults?

They did have some activities. They left daily messages on our phone with a list of what was planned for the next day. It wasn't on our radar, so I didn't pay attention to what was offered and we deleted the messages without listening to them. There was an activity building that I visited in the late afternoon. They had movies and board games available as well as arts and crafts for the younger set. My take on the resort is that it's a place to "camp out" while you do other things rather a destination in and of itself ... which was perfect for us. We are the kind of family who leaves early for WDW rope drop, leaves at or after lunch back to the resort for a rest/nap and shower and then back out into the fray a few hours later to close the park. We would not use the activities.

ETA: This is the trip with the girlfriend, right? I think the 2BR will be perfect for your family and you will be sure to plan your vacation where there will be no down time to resort-led activites LOL.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

They did have some activities. They left daily messages on our phone with a list of what was planned for the next day. It wasn't on our radar, so I didn't pay attention to what was offered and we deleted the messages without listening to them. There was an activity building that I visited in the late afternoon. They had movies and board games available as well as arts and crafts for the younger set. My take on the resort is that it's a place to "camp out" while you do other things rather a destination in and of itself ... which was perfect for us. We are the kind of family who leaves early for WDW rope drop, leaves at or after lunch back to the resort for a rest/nap and shower and then back out into the fray a few hours later to close the park. We would not use the activities.

ETA: This is the trip with the girlfriend, right? I think the 2BR will be perfect for your family and you will be sure to plan your vacation where there will be no down time to resort-led activites LOL.

Thanks robin. This trip is actually just myself and DH.....no son, no GF (yes, we still booked a 2 bedroom because we love all the space of home, even for just the two of us). But, my BIL and SIL and their three little ones (ages 4-9) are planning to spend a week there in October as well, and I know their budget will not allow for park tickets for every day of their trip. I am sure they will be looking to take part in at least some of the various family-friendly activities that are offered during their stay.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'll echo Robin's review. During our early June trip we stayed in a 2 BR, which was basically the 1 BR Robin stayed in plus a 1 BR lock-off, and enjoyed our stay there. We had 2 glitches: the "newly renovated" (according to our check-in guy) unit had about a 1" hole and 2" crack in the outer panel of the tub. The tub worked fine, but they never came up to fix the crack or replace the panel. Also, they unlocked the door between the 1 BR and lock-out but left the dead bolt sticking out so the doors would not close. We asked them twice to remedy that but they never did, and it was a little annoying. But those were small negatives in an otherwise excellent stay, and we'd definitely return.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

It looks like a nice place. If a 1-2 bedroom would ever work for us, I would definitely consider it.

 

[HopperFan]

Great info to have on the resort ... been hard to find anything. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Awesome review, I love reviews of offsite villas Thanks for sharing!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Thanks for the review, all I can say is WOW! You got an outstanding deal for $222!!! If you don't mind sharing, what was the breakdown of that price? Looks like a terrific place that is close to the "world!"

 

[robinb]

Thanks for the review, all I can say is WOW! You got an outstanding deal for $222!!! If you don't mind sharing, what was the breakdown of that price? Looks like a terrific place that is close to the "world!"

I won the villa by bidding on SkyAuction (thread here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/wo...ion-was-skyauction-bidding-extensions.3520051) . SkyAuction had some last minute availability at a few resorts in Orlando for specific dates and I bid on a week at Silver Lake (lost that one) and Cypress Palms which I won for $202 + $20 processing fee. Search the DIS for buying through SkyAuction because you need to real ALL the fine print before your bid or purchase. For instance, some dates have an additional surcharge over your bid and the processing fee. For instance, there was an auction for a 1BR at Cypress Point that started out at $1 but the surcharge was $299 and then the $20 processing fee. So, if you won that auction for $1, you'd really pay $320 for it.

 

[BeerMe]

We've stayed here a few times and really liked it - through RCI points. We're staying again in September.

 

[haPevraftr]

Thanks so much for this review and the pics. We have usually pay for an extra vacation through my MIL's RCI account. We have stayed at WBC and SVR for great prices so we are spoiled and often hesitant to try something else for fear it won't be as nice. This looks like a great option at a lower price point that tends to be more available. Thanks again!

 

[haPevraftr]

Thanks robin. This trip is actually just myself and DH.....no son, no GF (yes, we still booked a 2 bedroom because we love all the space of home, even for just the two of us). But, my BIL and SIL and their three little ones (ages 4-9) are planning to spend a week there in October as well, and I know their budget will not allow for park tickets for every day of their trip. I am sure they will be looking to take part in at least some of the various family-friendly activities that are offered during their stay.

I would love to hear your thoughts on how this compares to SVR. I would like to have a "back up plan" for trips when SVR is not available or when I am on a tighter budget. SVR and WBC have us a bit spoiled and have our expectations high. LOL!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I would love to hear your thoughts on how this compares to SVR. I would like to have a "back up plan" for trips when SVR is not available or when I am on a tighter budget. SVR and WBC have us a bit spoiled and have our expectations high. LOL!

Absolutely . I will be sure to report back with a full review and lots of photos.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

@robinb ... can you tell me what style of coffee makers are in the rooms? I am trying to determine what form I need to bring our Tim Hortons coffee in: grounds or Keurig cups. The Vistana still has the older-style 10 cup coffee makers (so we need the grounds and filters for that week) but I thought I should check to see if Cypress Palms is different. Thanks! This girl needs her morning cup of sunshine, and much as I adore the USA, I can't bring myself to learn to love Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks coffee .