Booked WH Townhouse - Now What?????

[Minnie]

Okay we finally took the plunge and sent in the rental agreement/deposit on a WH Townhouse

Still a bit worried about missing Mickey but we plan to go back to Florida in Dec so we can always stay onsite then if we are unhappy.

So in order to make this a good positive experience any tips????

Any ideas on what we should bring? How do you off-siters handle park tourning without EMH We really like to take the hot afternoons out of the park will this still work?

Any tips for this first off-site trip would be appreciated

 

[5mins2disney]

Hmm...you can check out my tips / FAQs page on what's provided (at least in our homes) vs yours...just so you're well informed.

www.5mins2disney.com/faq.htm

I have a bunch of fairly generic information there, like what supplies to bring, how garbage pickup works in WHR, etc. Also when you arrive there's a Windsor Hills Resort cable channel 22, which will air more info.

When you arrive you'll want to get a pool pass card in the WHR clubhouse welcome center, it's a refundable $6 charge when you leave / return the pass.

Anything else you can think of or have questions on, just ask!

I'm sure there's something I'm not thinking of to tell you but it's outlined pretty well on that webpage.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

Okay we finally took the plunge and sent in the rental agreement/deposit on a WH Townhouse

Still a bit worried about missing Mickey but we plan to go back to Florida in Dec so we can always stay onsite then if we are unhappy.

So in order to make this a good positive experience any tips????

Any ideas on what we should bring? How do you off-siters handle park tourning without EMH We really like to take the hot afternoons out of the park will this still work?

Any tips for this first off-site trip would be appreciated

Assume that except for perhaps a few starter supplies of TP, DW soap, etc you will need to supply everything from salt and pepper to toilet paper. We buy everything after we arrive as we fly in and don't want to check bags. If we have enough to warrant bringng the leftovers home(usually we buy small quantities and don't) we'll check a duffle coming home.

Our plan: Eat breakfast at townhouse. Go early(goes without saying) and AVOID the park with morning EMH. Go back to WH in the afternoon, have late lunch and/or early diner and frozen blender drinks by pool, return to park or hop to park that doesn't have evening EMH. Sometimes we have lunch at WDW, sometimes we return for dinner, we just play the afternoons and evenings by ear other than for a few ADR's and nighttime shows. We've found that in the past that one Character Dinner during our stay will usually give us a Mickey and friends fix.

 

[bscs]

We buy everything after we arrive as we fly in and don't want to check bags. .

how do you do it?
How do you bring your clothes if you don't check in anybags? Can you fit everything in a carry on? How about now that we can't carry on barely anything. No shampoo, no toothpaste ect. do you buy Everything there?
Please give me your packing tips.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

how do you do it?
How do you bring your clothes if you don't check in anybags? Can you fit everything in a carry on? How about now that we can't carry on barely anything. No shampoo, no toothpaste ect. do you buy Everything there?
Please give me your packing tips.

http://www.onebag.com/ has some great tips. I travel a lot on business, and tend to carry more than the minimalists described, but do get all I need in a 7x14x21 bag.

You can carry on 3 oz sizes of your favorite toiletries in the 3-1-1 baggie. http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#4

As to clothing for our upcoming trip:

Worn, 1 pr casual dress slacks, 1 dress shirt, walking shoes, hat, light jacket(microfiber water-resistant, note - on business trips I may wear a sport coat if a jacket/tie is needed. Usually I am on field jobs and casual clothing suffices).

In carry-on bag and boarding bag(note - while on business trips my notebook bag can hold a lot of extra stuff, and when travelling as a family we usually only bring one 'puter meaning there are lots of other "boarding bags" available for use): 1 pair light slacks, 3 pair shorts, 1 sleep shorts, 2 swim trunks(double as shorts), 6 short sleeve shirts, 6 pr socks, 6 pr underwear, 1 pair sneakers, 1 pair tevas, extra hat, hotel-size soap bar, 3 oz shampoo, toothbrush, 3 oz toothpaste, floss, 3 oz deoderant, 2 disposable razors, small shave oil, small cologne, cell phone charger, camera, download cable, batteries and charger. That's it for a summer week for me and I usually have extra room in my carry-on or boarding bag and my 3-1-1 baggie for any of DW's overflow. In cooler weather I might adjust the slacks/shorts and go with a few long sleeve shirts - but I'll still get it all in my carry-on bag. I use the Dumbo method when necessary. Compression straps work great and properly rolled or folded clothing looks fine after being hung out for a day.

The ladies in our family pack similarly light, wear one casual outfit, pack one additional nice dress or skirt for a night out, no excess or expensive jewelry, minimal makeup supplies, minimal hair-care products, etc.

Personal items that get used in large quantities by me and DS and/or DW and our two DD's such as hair conditioner, sunscreen, liquid body wash, etc, all get purchased locally after arrival. If I throw away(leave for the MC or next guest) $20 worth of unused stuff at the end of the week I still think it's worth it to avoid checking bags. Note that I am an avid golfer and if bringing my clubs have to check them - but I still rarely carry more than than what is above.

Without grossing anyone out, I usually try to get a full day out of a pair of slacks or shorts, but go through two shirts, two pair underwear, and two pair of socks on a hot Florida day with a change after a midday swim.

Approximately midweek we usually throw up a couple loads of wash one evening. You have to wash/dry towels when you stay in a condo anyway - usually we just throw up loads whenever there is enough to wash one load. Having a washer/dryer is great, just don't let the laundry build up to the point where you have a "laundry day." Try to pack easily cared for clothing that doesn't require special laundering - stuff you can just wash with anything else. Same thing goes for the dishes. Just run the DW after every meal even if its only half full. Soap is cheap compared to vacation time.

 

[PlutoPup]

You will love windsor hills! We are going back this November! You are so close to the park that you wont feel like you are missing out at all!!!!

The only suggestion I may make is to do the shopping online. There are a few grocery websites that deliver.

Have a great trip!

 

[neonurse]

You will love WH. We rented a condo last year. Once you try staying off site I would think it would be hard to go back to a hotel room with nothing else. Our beautiful condo had 3 bed, 2 bath, full kitchen, washer/dryer. It was the best. No way I am going back to just a hotel room with the 4 of us. WH pool is beautiful. You will have a blast.

 

[Minnie]

Thanks everyone

George - your site is a real gem Can't wait until the virtual tour of our townhouse is up in June

buzzard - I always planned my days around morning EMH at Disney but now I see offsite that staying away from those parks is probably the right way to go! Thanks!

With just the 3 of us we won't need a lot of supplies but we want to be prepared. Our flight lands at 10am and the agreement stats 4pm as the check in time. So I figured we'd find a Super Target (anyone know of one near WH coming from the airport?) and pick up what we think we might need. I'm definitely not into cooking on vacation but some snacks and probably breakfast foods might not be a bad idea.

Oh and frozen pool drinks?????? Yummmm I may just like WH after all

BTW - Thinking of trying Universal this trip with their $89 passes. Is there a quick way there from WH?

 

[snowbunny]

The only suggestion I may make is to do the shopping online. There are a few grocery websites that deliver.

I was under the impression most of the delivery places serve only onsite WDW hotels (DVC)...is that not the case?

 

[5mins2disney]

I was under the impression most of the delivery places serve only onsite WDW hotels (DVC)...is that not the case?

I know gardengrocer.com delivers to Windsor Hils!

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

Thanks everyone

George - your site is a real gem Can't wait until the virtual tour of our townhouse is up in June

buzzard - I always planned my days around morning EMH at Disney but now I see offsite that staying away from those parks is probably the right way to go! Thanks!

With just the 3 of us we won't need a lot of supplies but we want to be prepared. Our flight lands at 10am and the agreement stats 4pm as the check in time. So I figured we'd find a Super Target (anyone know of one near WH coming from the airport?) and pick up what we think we might need. I'm definitely not into cooking on vacation but some snacks and probably breakfast foods might not be a bad idea.

Oh and frozen pool drinks?????? Yummmm I may just like WH after all

BTW - Thinking of trying Universal this trip with their $89 passes. Is there a quick way there from WH?

Thanks for the thanks,

Just wanted to say I hope I didn't get ahead of myself with the frozen drink recommendation(we're partial to mango or strawberry margueritas, though daquiris, beer, wine, etc are all good substitutes) as I don't know if your unit has a blender - though most do. Oh, we also usually stop and get a slurpie or soft drink on our way from the airport. That way we get a good plastic drink cup with lid and we grab a few extra straws. Usually it'll all last through the trip so we can have our drinks by the pool and obey the common sense no glass rules.

 

[PlutoPup]

I recall seeing a target on the way to windsor hills, however I know there is a Walmart about 20 mins past the development. There is a publix supermarket and I thought they were so overpriced! We obviously found the walmart a different night..lol However, this time we are gonna try gardengrocer.com and see how that goes.

 

[nala-h]

hi minnie

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

I recall seeing a target on the way to windsor hills, however I know there is a Walmart about 20 mins past the development. There is a publix supermarket and I thought they were so overpriced! We obviously found the walmart a different night..lol However, this time we are gonna try gardengrocer.com and see how that goes.

Garden Grocer is certainly convenient, but if Publix prices made you cringe, I don't think Garden grocer will be easier on your wallet, especially figuring in a tip.

I've never had groceries delivered so I'm up in the air as to how much to tip if I did. You would tip the delivery guy, of course, right.



Sorry, I'm evil, couldn't resist throwing the tip thing in...

 

[PlutoPup]

I havent checked out the prices on gardengrocer.com yet, but at least I know this time I will be sharing the food with my SIL staying accross the street for this trip. If it's really outrageous then next time I will probably go to walmart. When I stayed at westgate there was a superwalmart that had food packaged for the short term traveller. I was really impressed with that.

Of course I would tip the delivery person... I am frugual not "cheap"! lol

 

[nala-h]

hi minnie

ive tried to send you a link to our website,but i dont have enough posts anyway go to the windsor hills site and view the 4 bedded section ours is the first one arran villa and have a look at our 360 virtual tour, scroll right down and see some amazing shot of the community pool and clubhouse you will love it.

nala.

 

[sympatico]

Minnie,
There's a SuperTarget between mile markers 11 and 12 on 192. There's also a SuperWalmart just on 535 which is between markers 11 and 12. It's off to your left less than a mile up there.
The other SuperWalmart is at the western end of 192 and the north exit of 27. Just after you get on 27 it's off to your right in back of LongJohnSilvers. It would take you 10 min to get to that one from WH. There's also a Publix about half way there on your right.
The quickest way to Universal from WH is to go on I - 4. It's probably 15 min or so depending on traffic. Any other way that doesn't include I-4 will take you much longer.

 

[5mins2disney]

Assume that except for perhaps a few starter supplies of TP, DW soap, etc you will need to supply everything from salt and pepper to toilet paper. We buy everything after we arrive as we fly in and don't want to check bags. If we have enough to warrant bringng the leftovers home(usually we buy small quantities and don't) we'll check a duffle coming home.

Our plan: Eat breakfast at townhouse. Go early(goes without saying) and AVOID the park with morning EMH. Go back to WH in the afternoon, have late lunch and/or early diner and frozen blender drinks by pool, return to park or hop to park that doesn't have evening EMH. Sometimes we have lunch at WDW, sometimes we return for dinner, we just play the afternoons and evenings by ear other than for a few ADR's and nighttime shows. We've found that in the past that one Character Dinner during our stay will usually give us a Mickey and friends fix.

Good advice, we follow the exact same strategy. We also subsribe to tourguidmike.com and another touring website and go the least busy / optimal parks for each calendar date, and use the suggested touring plans to reduce line waits.

We vary slightly in that we have little kids, and kind of eat lunch and snacks in the park usually, but we pack soft sided coolers with drinks and "kid" food. Freeze a few water bottles to act as ice in your cooler, they'll melt throughout the day and keep the rest cool. String cheese, crackers, yogurts, lunchables, cookies, chips, etc, keeps the kids happy and from having to eat at WDW counter service places as we go from place-place.


Another night we have pool and movie night (tip: bring a few DVDs of your own, there's no movie store anywhere nearby, strange!). Order a pizza for delivery from Giordano's and swim in your pool! We'll do this after a long day at AK.

WH is close enough to easily come home and take a break. We did this last month, instead of going commando through every park non stop. You know, the one day we did do this (stayed at MGM all day and night), it really killed us. Another odd thing we learned last trip...if you leave MK at 1pm...walk down to the boat to get back across the lake, it's closed. Then you have to go back in through security to get on the TTC monorail, only to find it's easier to go up and take the resort monorail. Point being, if we knew this we would have gone straight to the resort monorail or TTC monorail, there were no signs saying "boat is closed" by the exit. (Tired family + hot day + cranky kids = we wish there was a sign! LOL)

WDW is a marathon not a sprint, slow down, relax, enjoy! Head home, swim, relax. But...get to the parks early each day, then take a break. Also, if you're out till 11pm watching "wishes" the night before (MUST do!) don't plan a 9am arrival at AK the next morning. Allow extra time to get to MK, getting into the MK from the lot is a pain. If you're that energetic still and everyone else is still sleeping go workout in the WHR clubhouse gym! hehe

Garbage pickup is 6 days a week in the mornings early...Mon-Sat, not on major holidays. If it's not in a garbage bag, nothing loose, etc, they will not take it, and I mean NOTHING not in a regulation bag! hehe There's a front bench by the doors and that's where they take it from, make sure the door closes or critters get into the garbage and will make a nice big mess for you! There's also a dumpster by the right side of the clubhouse if you need something bigger or more or Sundays.

Oh..we found some hard liquor stores closed on Sunday that thwarted our pool blender drinks strategy on Day 1 last trip, so this trip we were much smarter and bought it on Sat! Don't forget plastic cups or something for the poolside, esp if you want to take something to the clubhouse!

Do you have the directions? Shortcut directions?

 

[dameodie]

WH is close enough to easily come home and take a break. We did this last month, instead of going commando through every park non stop.

That's good to hear. We're staying at Windsor Hills on our trip, and on the other parts of this board all you hear is "You simply can't stay off-site and take a break!!! It's too haaaaaaaaaaard!"

I'm glad to hear that most people seem to give the place positive reviews, espically since as I said, the prevaliling opinion elsewhere is "Disney Good, Offsite Evil". Working around EMH is really the only disadvantage I've run into, we can live without the dining plan.

 

[5mins2disney]

That's good to hear. We're staying at Windsor Hills on our trip, and on the other parts of this board all you hear is "You simply can't stay off-site and take a break!!! It's too haaaaaaaaaaard!"

I timed it from the Epcot parking lot to our door in WHR at 7 minutes..forgot park tickets there...woops. Of course, I caught the 2 traffic lights green on the way! hehe The longest part is walking all around the parks and even out to the exit!