djkeenan
<font color=red>Long Time Lurker<br><font color=bl
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2002
- Messages
- 422
We don't own or have any intrest in a pool home or vacation rental unit, but we certainly are big fans. Since we have been asked a few times here in this forum, here's our long winded reply as to why were so excited about our pool home vacation.
Lets put this in the proper perspective: this past summer we met my sister and her family (husband and two boys ages 8 and 9) at Niagara Falls for a long weekend of sightseeing. We had a blast! They are fun to be with and the boys are at an age where they can enjoy and appreciate the new experiences. So while the sightseeing was great, being in hotel rooms was anything but fun.
Parking: find a spot and then be charged to park there!
Check-in: 20 minutes wasted.
Wait for the elevator.
Haul your bags and cooler down long halls to your small room.
Two of us with one king size bad was fine, but there is only one chair, so someone has to sit on the bed. Their family of four shared a room with 2 doubles. The boys hate sharing a bed, so one slept on the floor. The grown-ups shared a double; they are used to a king.
Family of four in one hotel room means several pieces of luggage, snacks, cooler, game boys, etc.
Treks to the ice machine twice daily to refresh the coolers.
We had dinner one night at a nice Italian restaurant. Realizing the kids really only wanted chicken fingers, we spent the rest of the week at the Dennys Restaurant in the hotel. So much easier to coordinate without having to drive, find a place to park, and wait in line to eat. We dropped about $300 a day for meals for the six of us.
When someone wanted to take a nap or needed some time alone, the rest of us piled into the other room and sat on the bed. Not comfortable.
I need to keep in touch with the office and my clients. Every day I had to disconnect my laptop and hide it in the car trunk for safe keeping while we were out.
When one of the boys was ready for sleep, all had to go to sleep. When one woke up, all were awakened. Just the way it goes in a hotel room.
One of us goes down to the restaurant each morning to retrieve coffee.
Check out: another long line, and for two rooms we paid about $250 a night.
Once again, were going on vacation with the same folks, this time to Orlando in January. Now lets look at why the pool home is a better vacation for us.
We paid the same amount for 1 week in Orlando as we did for 3 nights in Niagara Falls.
Parking: pull into the driveway, walk up to the front door and bring your bags inside.
No check-in, no waits for elevator, no long halls.
Each couple has a master suite! The boys have their own bedroom and bath.
We can make ourselves at home, putting clothes away in dressers and real closets.
Full kitchen! Were going to save a ton of money on meals!
Two sitting areas, five TVs, six bedrooms, four baths and a game room!
Breakfast nook and dining room!
Our own heated pool! Now going for a swim doesnt become a big production. The adults move to the lanai to supervise or jump in the pool with the boys. When they are done, no hanging wet bathing suits in the bathroom, we have a full size washer and dryer!
With high speed wireless internet access. I can find a spot to set up my laptop and leave it there all week.
Were within 4 miles of Disney. Im willing to bet we can get there in less time than if we were on-site, had to walk to the lobby, wait for the bus and take the route to the parks.
Meals become our choice. If we want to go out we can, if we want to send out for pizza we can. Most meals well prepare ourselves. Theres a gas grill out by the pool. I think we can eat 2 meals a day all week on what it cost us for a day at Dennys. One trip to Sams Club and one to Winn Dixie and we should be all set. Were planning on one meal a day at a restaurant. We will have saved so much money that if we want to do something extra we can.
If you want early morning coffee, head to the kitchen in your pjs. Snack time? Help yourself.
If the others want to hit the park early, have at it. Well sleep in and have lunch ready when they get back. Later well all head back to the parks for the evening.
Send the kids to bed and the adults can stay up if they like.
We plan to take a day or two and just sit, relax, and visit. Between the game room, PS2 and the pool the kids will have plenty to do.
What excites us the most are the comfortable surroundings, providing the opportunity to visit without cramming into a hotel room, sitting on the beds. We dont have to listen to people in the next room or worry that he kids voices are too loud.
So well take turns cooking, loading the dishwasher, and we have to make our own beds. Not a big deal for us. There will be plenty of time for fun and relaxation and enjoying the time we spend with people we love. We cant imagine anything better for a vacation!
Feel free to add your thoughts, pro or con.
Lets put this in the proper perspective: this past summer we met my sister and her family (husband and two boys ages 8 and 9) at Niagara Falls for a long weekend of sightseeing. We had a blast! They are fun to be with and the boys are at an age where they can enjoy and appreciate the new experiences. So while the sightseeing was great, being in hotel rooms was anything but fun.
Parking: find a spot and then be charged to park there!
Check-in: 20 minutes wasted.
Wait for the elevator.
Haul your bags and cooler down long halls to your small room.
Two of us with one king size bad was fine, but there is only one chair, so someone has to sit on the bed. Their family of four shared a room with 2 doubles. The boys hate sharing a bed, so one slept on the floor. The grown-ups shared a double; they are used to a king.
Family of four in one hotel room means several pieces of luggage, snacks, cooler, game boys, etc.
Treks to the ice machine twice daily to refresh the coolers.
We had dinner one night at a nice Italian restaurant. Realizing the kids really only wanted chicken fingers, we spent the rest of the week at the Dennys Restaurant in the hotel. So much easier to coordinate without having to drive, find a place to park, and wait in line to eat. We dropped about $300 a day for meals for the six of us.
When someone wanted to take a nap or needed some time alone, the rest of us piled into the other room and sat on the bed. Not comfortable.
I need to keep in touch with the office and my clients. Every day I had to disconnect my laptop and hide it in the car trunk for safe keeping while we were out.
When one of the boys was ready for sleep, all had to go to sleep. When one woke up, all were awakened. Just the way it goes in a hotel room.
One of us goes down to the restaurant each morning to retrieve coffee.
Check out: another long line, and for two rooms we paid about $250 a night.
Once again, were going on vacation with the same folks, this time to Orlando in January. Now lets look at why the pool home is a better vacation for us.
We paid the same amount for 1 week in Orlando as we did for 3 nights in Niagara Falls.
Parking: pull into the driveway, walk up to the front door and bring your bags inside.
No check-in, no waits for elevator, no long halls.
Each couple has a master suite! The boys have their own bedroom and bath.
We can make ourselves at home, putting clothes away in dressers and real closets.
Full kitchen! Were going to save a ton of money on meals!
Two sitting areas, five TVs, six bedrooms, four baths and a game room!
Breakfast nook and dining room!
Our own heated pool! Now going for a swim doesnt become a big production. The adults move to the lanai to supervise or jump in the pool with the boys. When they are done, no hanging wet bathing suits in the bathroom, we have a full size washer and dryer!
With high speed wireless internet access. I can find a spot to set up my laptop and leave it there all week.
Were within 4 miles of Disney. Im willing to bet we can get there in less time than if we were on-site, had to walk to the lobby, wait for the bus and take the route to the parks.
Meals become our choice. If we want to go out we can, if we want to send out for pizza we can. Most meals well prepare ourselves. Theres a gas grill out by the pool. I think we can eat 2 meals a day all week on what it cost us for a day at Dennys. One trip to Sams Club and one to Winn Dixie and we should be all set. Were planning on one meal a day at a restaurant. We will have saved so much money that if we want to do something extra we can.
If you want early morning coffee, head to the kitchen in your pjs. Snack time? Help yourself.
If the others want to hit the park early, have at it. Well sleep in and have lunch ready when they get back. Later well all head back to the parks for the evening.
Send the kids to bed and the adults can stay up if they like.
We plan to take a day or two and just sit, relax, and visit. Between the game room, PS2 and the pool the kids will have plenty to do.
What excites us the most are the comfortable surroundings, providing the opportunity to visit without cramming into a hotel room, sitting on the beds. We dont have to listen to people in the next room or worry that he kids voices are too loud.
So well take turns cooking, loading the dishwasher, and we have to make our own beds. Not a big deal for us. There will be plenty of time for fun and relaxation and enjoying the time we spend with people we love. We cant imagine anything better for a vacation!
Feel free to add your thoughts, pro or con.
I wish we had known about the pool homes before we bought our timeshare. We have been spoiled by our timeshare for the same reasons as the pool homes, we just have to still put up w/ check-in, maintainance fees and "maintainance meetings". 
