? about renting a townhouse

[dgr1973]

Hello all it's been awhile since I have been on here but we are finally planning a trip back after 2 long years! We are going down in June and my parents will be with us this time so we would like to rent a townhouse for the extra space and to be able to have some of our meals there. Anyways I am having a heck of a time sorting thru what seems like a million different rentals and we have it narrowed down to a few, one in Windsor Hills, one in Windsor Palms and one in Encantada. We like those resorts because they are very close to Disney but also they offer private pools as well. My question is how far ahead should we book? We have never rented a private home so this is all new. I know if we see something we like at a good deal we should jump on it but I am nervous about having to give money upfront even if it is only a percentage. So I am looking for what others have done and if we should wait it out a bit more just to see what else is out there? I'm soooo confused!!

 

[sympatico]

If I have specific homes picked out like for a family trip then I usually reserve them well in advance but if it's just DH and me then I wait till the last minute (less than a month out) and try to get a last-minute deal. We're not fussy.

 

[dgr1973]

Thanks and we are not fussy either just want it to be clean and close to Disney. I think from what I can tell Windsor Hills is the closest but there is a townhouse in Encantada that we like the best so I am debating if another couple miles is a big deal or not. Since we are going in June we plan to be at the parks everyday at rope drop and come back for a break in the afternoon before going back in the evening so I suppose another 2 miles can make a big difference at that busy time of year? We have only been to Disney in May and November so we dont know what to expect as far as amount of street traffic!

 

[sympatico]

I don't think Encantada is too far. You can jump on Blacklake Rd on your left just past Target and bypass 192 if it's busy. Blacklake Rd ends on Sherberth Rd. so just turn left onto Sherberth and follow it in to Disney.

 

[BOTL76]

Hello,

My family and I rented a 3BR condo at Windsor Hills for our stay the first week of December. Our previous times (4 in total) we have always stayed at a Disney Resort, so rest assured we were quite worried booking off-site and how to pick the best place to stay.
I can't comment on your other options you are looking at, but we had a great time at WH and with my daughter 16 months old right now we expect to stay off-site for the next few years.
At first it was overwhelming with the options alone at Windsor Hills as when you fill out your preferences on the windsor hills website about 20 responses come back from the owners/agencies for our specific search. We opted for a management company Florida Sun Vacations and they were great to deal with and everything that was posted on the website was followed through with. While yes it is a bit nerve-wracking to have to pay up front, check-in was easy and our expectations were met.
WH is a close drive to all the Parks and Magic Kingdom, the furthest away from WH, was a 15 minute drive to the parking lot. Coming back to WH for a mid-day nap was no problem at all. Lots of options for food and grocery within 5-10 minutes of WH.
We really liked the pool and main area as well.
Anything else I would be happy to comment on.

 

[dgr1973]

I don't think Encantada is too far. You can jump on Blacklake Rd on your left just past Target and bypass 192 if it's busy. Blacklake Rd ends on Sherberth Rd. so just turn left onto Sherberth and follow it in to Disney.

Thanks that is good to know, I love little shortcuts!!!

 

[dgr1973]

Hello,

My family and I rented a 3BR condo at Windsor Hills for our stay the first week of December. Our previous times (4 in total) we have always stayed at a Disney Resort, so rest assured we were quite worried booking off-site and how to pick the best place to stay.
I can't comment on your other options you are looking at, but we had a great time at WH and with my daughter 16 months old right now we expect to stay off-site for the next few years.
At first it was overwhelming with the options alone at Windsor Hills as when you fill out your preferences on the windsor hills website about 20 responses come back from the owners/agencies for our specific search. We opted for a management company Florida Sun Vacations and they were great to deal with and everything that was posted on the website was followed through with. While yes it is a bit nerve-wracking to have to pay up front, check-in was easy and our expectations were met.
WH is a close drive to all the Parks and Magic Kingdom, the furthest away from WH, was a 15 minute drive to the parking lot. Coming back to WH for a mid-day nap was no problem at all. Lots of options for food and grocery within 5-10 minutes of WH.
We really liked the pool and main area as well.
Anything else I would be happy to comment on.

Thanks for your reply! How close to the pool was the condo? If we rent a condo over a townhouse we want it to be in a building close to the pool since its June and my girls will want to swim for sure! If I think of any other questions I will be sure to ask!

 

[BOTL76]

For the possible options to rent through Florida Sun Vacations they have listed the distance from the unit to the pool area. Ours was listed at 75 yards and this was as advertised. I would be sure to confirm the distance if you do choose a WH unit as for us it was nice to be able to walk from our unit (under 2 minutes) to the pool area. WH is a huge property so while there is lots of parking outside the pool area I am sure you would prefer to be able to walk over. Hope that helps.

 

[dgr1973]

Yes it helps very much thank you! I will be sure to check out that site