Best Pool Home Neighborhood

[shonadamson]

This will be our first time looking for a pool home and we are quite frankly overwhelmed. We have looked at www.vrbo.com and www.orlandovillas.com. Their are a lot of choices. My question to everyone is what do you think the best pool home neighborhood is and give me the reason why (security, location, value etc.) I appreciate all of your help. The Dis is awesome.

 

[crjack]

My top three choices (not in any particular order of preference) would be:

Emerald Island
Windsor Hills
Windsor Palms

We haven't stayed in all three yet but we are working on it! We have a home rented in Windsor Hills in 2006 and have stayed in two different homes in Windsor Palms.

I prefer the close location of these developments and the community ammenities that go along with what your rental home has to offer. All three are gated communities as well.

There are many other choices and if you dont mind driving a little the list increases in size.

 

[mbb]

*directly from an owner..
*24 hour gated security(at least night time) - my mom prefers this
*Self check in, ie, the owner supplies you with a key code, so no running around looking for a strip mall/management company to get a key/code, and then driving around to find your resort...
*Better yet, the security guard is able to check you in, managment office on site
*Davenport and Clermont developments are a little "further out", but rental costs tend to be a little lower


Here's how we decide on a house...
1) Room/Bedding arrangements - what do we need for everyone to sleep comfortably
2) No leather furniture - we just don't find it comfy, JMHO, YMMV
3) South facing pool and deck area with spa - either freestanding or attached, and a pool blanket
4) Cable TV in all bdr, DVD players
5) One level living - last year our house was two floors, but we had a mstr suite dwnstrs (this year, we need only 4 bdr - lots of one level choices)
6) Gas/Electric barbeque at the house (I was surprised at how many houses don't have them - most will say the mgmt company will supply one for a fee, $20-$50/week)
Those are our "must haves"

"Nice to have" is internet access, a PC is great (don't have to bring the laptop), PS2 /Gamecube, and a gamesroom.

So we do a General Inquiry through www.orlandovillas.com , www.onlinefloridavillas.com , www.villasflorida.com Put all the above, with our dates, in our comment section, and wait to see what happens.

Villas that don't fit the budget are out, and then the process of elimination begins

HTH!!

 

[isla bonita]

shonadamson
ours of course, only kidding we own in Emerald Island resort and love it. Just so you know it is not the only or even the best choice for every one. We bought because of location and amenities. Here is a map so you can look at locations and decide for your selfs what would work best for your family.
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm
There are many wonderful communities. What exactly are you looking for and what are you willing to do with out. Some are closer and for the location seem to be a little more expensive. Ours is gated, clubhouse, and located close by to the short cut of sherberth rd. If you are not going to use the amenities maybe a community close by but more of a neighborhood would be best for your family. It is all what you decide is important to make your vaca the best it could be. I have some wonderful pics of EIR and if you are interested take a look.
http://disneyvacahome.com/
Our home is great but generally not for many because of the size. There are many in EI to choose from and I have a great site that you can check out if it is a location you are looking for.
http://www.emeraldislandvillarentals.com/
On the dis there are some great homes dis owners rent out. I am sure they can answer about their communities and have great pics of there areas. Good luck in your search. Have a great vaca. isla bonita

 

[JANNYANS]

I would say that all the communities are as safe as each other whether gated or not.I have just come back from a visit to my home and drove around most of the communities on the 192 /27 area and never once saw a gated community where the gate was closed .
None of the developments are generally more than 20 mins drive from Disney property so it really ends with you deciding what you want from a home in the way of facilites Games room ,pc,all free phone calls, baby package,grill.
Make a list and ask for recommendations .

 

[shonadamson]

Thank you for all of your help so far. We will have 8 people total. So we are looking for at least 4 bedrooms. I am going to get my list of ameneties together and see what is out there.

 

[aquaticmom]

We just recently stayed in a 5 bedroom Windsor Hills Villa. The community pool with the water slide was a nice getaway from the house. It was very easy to get to and from the parks. There are many other amenities but being the Disney addict that I am we spent 6 of our 7 days at the parks so we did not get to enjoy the amenities too much.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Our top choices would be Indian Creek and Cumbrian Lakes.

We always book a villa that has a fully fenced pool that is south facing, as it gets the sun all day.

Quality of pools vary from home to home though.

try:
www.villas2000.com
www.holiday-rentals.com

 

[torismom]

Our first stay in a vacation home neighborhood was Windosr Palms. We enjoyed the stay so much we bought a home. Second stay Sunset Lakes (ours). I love this small quaint , quiet neighborhood. We have also stayed in Formosa Gardens. Very beautiful large homes. We enjoyed our stay here , also.

We have also stayed in Orange Tree and Glenbrook resort on HWY 27.

 

[grammynelliebelle]

We just got back from a wonderful stay in Emerald Island. We found the home through VRBO and it was a long search but well worth it. I agree with the other posters. Figure out what you need and want and put it into priority order. I also had a phone conversation and serveral email communications with the owner before we went and felt very comfortable with the arrangement. I wish we had the time when there to visit other areas. Our trip was for our whole family including grandchildren and we all agreeded that it was so nice not being in a hotel even one on property. The home we stayed in had two Disney themed kids rooms and other touches in the home that gave it the "magical" feeling. The pool was great and required no work on our part. While we were there the man who does the pool came by and did his thing. It was tough to come home!

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

Whatever you do, don't stay at Camsun Villas. They are horrible!

 

[HeatherC]

I would like to suggest Regal Palms Resort. It is a bit further out than the other ones mentioned, but the pool area is incredible. Much nicer than the ones at either Windsor Palms or Wyndham Palms. If you do a google search for Regal Palms Orlando, you will be able to click on pictures to see what it looks like.

They offer 3 and 4 bedroom townhouses as well as private pool homes at Highlands Reserve. If you rent a house with a pool, you can still use the community pool which is really beautiful. We stayed in a 4 bedroom townhouse this past June and will be there again for 11 days in February through the same owner. The unit itself is very beige and unassuming. It was, however, spotless and well equipped. The pool area, however, is really fantastic. Since my kids voted for this resort, we are staying here again.

Just another one to add to your list to check out.

Hope this helps.

Happy planning!
HeatherC

 

[DisneyNutzy]

We have rented Pool Homes in Greater Grove on Rt. 27, Indian Creek and Formosa Gardens off 192. We have loved all of the qualities that each home has had but every time we book our next trip we look for a few extra amenities.

Proximity to the Parks - This is especially important if you are going at a busy time of year. If it is off season you can save some money and go a little further away. The homes off Rt 27 are not as close to the parks as the ones off Rt 192. Orlando Villas has a nice map showing the community locations. I don't have enough posts to allow me to put up the link so maybe somebody else has it. If not PM me and I will send it.

Spa Hot tub - Nice to soak in after long days at the park, South facing pool, privacy - not backed up to other homes, games for kids - PS2 etc, Kids DVD's, pool Toys, Strollers, cribs, high chairs, Game rooms for teens, BBQ, Covered Lanai, 2 master suites if sharing with another family are some things you may want to look for. All of the reasons listed are why we love staying off site and having the comforts of home.

As a previous poster mentioned I would bounce around the home listings and make notes of things that are important to you, look at the map and narrow your choices from there. Good Luck.

 

[surfgirl]

Mbb had some great points... I think there are many nice resorts that are all comparable.

We stayed in Windsor Palms and loved it!

For me, some important things:
- south facing pool
- upgraded/larger pool (the 'basic' one is relatively small)
- hot tub
- floor plan (some of them with master down and kids rooms up are inconvenient if have small children - this tends to be an issue with the larger homes that sleep 12+)
- deal directly with the owner + how nice/kind/friendly they are
- key code, so no need to arrive at a management office before a certain time

After being there are seeing friends' house, I also appreciated:
- large living space. They had a house that slept 14 and the living room/kitchen was way too crowded with 'big' furniture. My kids play on the floor constantly, so I liked our 'open' feeling.
- master bedroom configuration. The master bathroom opened onto the pool area directly, so when little kids needed bathroom + shower, they could go into the tiled floor of the bathroom without going across carpet. Again, a friends' house required a walk across the entire master bedroom with dripping kids to get to the bathroom.
- playroom. They had a playroom upstairs with bins of toys that was nice. We didn't require it since we were outside or sleeping most of the time, but nice for downtime so don't have to lug things.

- proximity to common area. This was a biggy for me!!!! If we decided to use the community pool or playground on-site, I didn't want to have to load everyone into the car. We found a place that was out the back door into the community building in 2 minutes. Also wanted an on-site playground.

Good luck!!!

 

[Time4Orlando]

There is not much difference between the neighborhoods. They are all basically the same and so are the homes. Not one management company in Orlando solely owns each house in a given neighborhood. There could be 10 different management companies that own houses in a given neighborhood. And unless any of these people have stayed in every neighborhood full of vacation homes, how can they say which is the best? Don't be oversold on a vacation home......if they are within 4-7 minutes of Disney...THEY ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

There is not much difference between the neighborhoods. They are all basically the same and so are the homes. Not one management company in Orlando solely owns each house in a given neighborhood. There could be 10 different management companies that own houses in a given neighborhood. And unless any of these people have stayed in every neighborhood full of vacation homes, how can they say which is the best? Don't be oversold on a vacation home......if they are within 4-7 minutes of Disney...THEY ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not agree - we have stayed at many homes and they have all been different.
They all face the same way do they? and have the same number of bedrooms also? internal layout/decor?

You only have to drive around one of the developments (we have driven around many) to see the different homes/types available.

I have never stayed at a home which is within 4-7 minutes of Disney.

What has been said before on this thread for example people like south facing private pools - which I fully agree with and do not rent a home that has not got these features.

The villas also differ in age, the newer the property the better, not all the homes that are older are maintained to a high standard.

 

[JANNYANS]

Time 4 Orlando -Just one point ther man co's do not ow the homes -theyare all privately owned and the man co's are paid to look after them-that is why they are all different no two owners will have the same thing in mind when they decorate their home or add personal things to them.

I agree that not all the older homes are well cared for but if the owner deals direct and not through a man co then they will have the funds to keep upgrading as by the time the owner gets paid via the agency -there could well have been 3 people ahead of them in the queue to be paid so they get around 40% of what the guest pays. My home is 7 1/2 years old but it certainly doesn't look it as every cent I make goes back into the house for up grades .With the more established communities you can get bigger homes on larger plots as well .You go with what you feel comfotable with .

 

[JohnnySharp2]

My home is 7 1/2 years old but it certainly doesn't look it as every cent I make goes back into the house for up grades .With the more established communities you can get bigger homes on larger plots as well .You go with what you feel comfotable with .

Hi Jan - my post did not intend to read that older homes are not cared for, just mainly to point out that not all homes are the same, which quite obviously is the case location/decor/age etc

I am sure you do look after yours, unfortunatley our first venture at renting a villa was a disaster and the 10 year old property just had been totally neglected. It was actually a disgrace, which is why we personally try and rent a newish property.
Just playing safe I guess.

 

[JANNYANS]

I wasn't getting at you Johnny - but there are those who equate older with uncared for but generally as I say they may well be the homes which have owners who do not take an active part in renting them out and receive poor rates.The newer homes -if their owners go down the same route- will be in the same boat before long as the costs of up keep is ever increasing and the rates given by agencies going down .If you ever want to try an older one .....-mind you I ' m on the 27

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I wasn't getting at you Johnny - but there are those who equate older with uncared for but generally as I say they may well be the homes which have owners who do not take an active part in renting them out and receive poor rates.The newer homes -if their owners go down the same route- will be in the same boat before long as the costs of up keep is ever increasing and the rates given by agencies going down .If you ever want to try an older one .....-mind you I ' m on the 27

I know Jan - no problem.