Calling all Summer Bay Experts!

[mickeymousefan]

Thank you very much. The resort was really very lovely and having a fully equiped condo was great!! We usually stay at ASMo but now that we have had a condo, I dont know if we could ever switch back to a regular hotel room!!!!

 

[hellorobbo]

We were at Summar Bay the last week of August in a 2 bedroom condo in bldg 406. The unit was quite nice as was the resort. No more bugs/lizrds/snakes then any other Florida resort. You are in a tropical climate and there will be bugs and lizards. I did see, almost daily, pest control vans so they do attempt to keep them under control.

We were at Vistana Villages for the three nights prior to this week (we fled Ft Lauderdale three days earlier then planned due to hurricane Katrina) and it had a different feel then Summer Bay. VV was much more refined or higher end and much quieter/not as lively particularly around the main pool. Not necessarily better, that all depends on your preferences. I would not hesitate on returning to either one and we had a great time at each.

 

[SammieG]

glad you had a great time!!

I can imagine that if youve never stayed in a condo before it was a REAL treat!!! I could never ever stay in just a hotel room again now!

I have to disagree with hellorobbo about the bugs... You were lucky or they have drastically improved since we were there in April.. we have stayed in lots and lots of apartments around Orlando.. but I have never seen bugs like it.. and for that reason I would never go back to Summer Bay.. I got eaten alive every night I was there.. and Ive never been bitten at all at any other resort.

Maybe we were just unlucky.. but on trip advisor lots of people mention the bugs.
It sounds like Summer Bay might finally be taking notice!

Sammie x

 

[hellorobbo]

glad you had a great time!!

I can imagine that if youve never stayed in a condo before it was a REAL treat!!! I could never ever stay in just a hotel room again now!

I have to disagree with hellorobbo about the bugs... You were lucky or they have drastically improved since we were there in April.. we have stayed in lots and lots of apartments around Orlando.. but I have never seen bugs like it.. and for that reason I would never go back to Summer Bay.. I got eaten alive every night I was there.. and Ive never been bitten at all at any other resort.

Maybe we were just unlucky.. but on trip advisor lots of people mention the bugs.
It sounds like Summer Bay might finally be taking notice!

Sammie x

We have to agree that we will never stay in a hotel room again if we can avoid it.

About bugs, my parents have had a vacation home in Florida for many years and on all our visits I have noticed the prevalence of bugs and particularly lizards - it is just a fact of life in Florida. Unfortunately Sammie may have been at SB during a bad week or they hadn't sprayed recently, who knows. However, I did notice many pest control trucks at SB when we were there and I can't say I've ever noticed pest control trucks anywhere else we've stayed. So either they have a big problem at SB and are trying to rectify it or they're taking a proactive approach towards the issue

 

[SammieG]

our apartment was only a week old - we were only the 2nd family in there and the problem was because there was no screen on the patio. We didnt open the outside doors to the patio at all, day or night.. but there were gaps around them, so lots of mosquitos, and smallish flying insects were in the apartment. We also saw several spiders in the apartment.

If the porches had been screened there would not have been this problem at all. Of course, its a hot climate.. we all expect bugs.. but I dont want them in my room - BITING me in the night!!!!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Thank you very much. The resort was really very lovely and having a fully equiped condo was great!! We usually stay at ASMo but now that we have had a condo, I dont know if we could ever switch back to a regular hotel room!!!!

Mickeymousefan.........that is just how we feel!

Thank you for the great report! And I LOVE seeing pictures. They were great! We would have to have a 2 bedroom though, since there are 5 of us. Anyone have pictures of those??

Oh, and do all of the buildings have elevators??
Thanks.

 

[crjack]

Yes, I believe that every building has an elevator. We stayed in 2-bedroom villa through skyauction in July of this year and we had a very nice stay. The villas are a little smaller in size than the condos and they do not have a balcony. After reading some "bug" posts before our trip I was actually glad not to have one.

My kids and I have quite a phobia of bugs, which can make my DH nuts at times! I know you have to expect them in Florida but I still dont enjoy dealing with them on vacation.

Suprisingly, it was a quiet week at Summer Bay when we were there and we never noticed any pest control vehicles. I'm sure they could have been there and we just never paid attention to it.

When we arrived in our villa, which was very clean and well kept, I checked both bathroom vanities and the under sink cabinets for "visitors" and fortunately did not find a thing all week! We saw a few small lizards along the paths outside and once in a while one would be in the hallways but we have seen that everywhere in Florida.

Ironically, our one and only bad experience with bugs was our first family trip to Disney. We stayed in the cabins of FW and the bug problem was overwhelming.

For me, the issue isn't really whether or not a place has them because truly it happens everywhere in that climate. How it is handled by the resort is really what matters.

We found the service and staff to be excellent at SB. We're a pretty low maintenance family I think....we make our plans for the day, like to swim and then relax in our villa or condo. The people we encountered when we were using the pools, etc. were very friendly and we were asked several times if we needed anything or were enjoying our stay. I realize it's a timeshare resort but not every place has been like that.

The villas are still a good size, even though they are smaller than the condos. Our two bedroom had 2 full baths, washer/dryer and kitchen. Our master bedroom had a king size bed, the second has either two twins or a queen and then there is a sleep sofa. Each bedroom has a t.v. as well as the living room.

I wish Summer Bay was a little closer. We don't mind 192 and we use the back roads but it is a little further out than other places. Other than that, no complaints at all. If people can get it on Skyauction for a good price I would definitely recommend it as a good value.

 

[surfer_ed]

Thnaks for all of the great info we are checking in on Sunday October 2nd. The distance from the parks is not a big thing for us since we are not going to do allot of park hopping this trip. just looking for a relaxing week by a pool and a few days on the beach. of course I will try to slip in a few hours at the parks.

 

[riu girl]

All I can say is WOW!!! Thanks you so much for posting the pictures. This place looks amazing!!!

Does anyone have pictures of a 2 bedrm to post?
Also, through skyauction, when winning a two bedroom is it usually a condo or a villa and which one offers a balcony???
Thank you
Suzy V

 

[crjack]

Hi...I can only speak of my Skyauction win at Summer Bay but we were in the villas. I do think that the majority of skyauction bids are for the villas from what I have seen. I dont recall seeing the condos on there but its always possible.

The villas do not have a balcony. Overall, they are fully equipped but smaller in size and square footage and no balcony. After reading the posts on the bugs I am actually glad we had a villa. I could not enjoy a stay with bugs even if it's the norm for the area.

Our villa was 2-bedroom/2bath with washer dryer and a full kitchen. The living area was on the smaller size but we had a king bed in the master and 3 t.v's all together so plenty big for our family of four. We had an elevator and the staff was friendly and the grounds very well kept. The kitchen was fully stocked with dishes, appliances, etc. They give you starter kits of laundry detergent, dishwashing tablets, etc. We also had plenty of towels.

Check the heading on your auction but I think you will find that most say the "villas of Summer Bay". They can be a great value if you dont mind a little commute to the parks. We had a rental car and were prepared for it so for us it was fine. Good luck.

I

 

[riu girl]

Thank you so much for all of the information. I haven't actually bid yet, just trying to figure out it SB would be suitable for us.
Thanks again
Suzy V.

 

[mickeymousefan]

I dont have any pictures of the two bedroom, but the unit next to us was a two bedroom. As we were leaving, it was being cleaned and we took a peek inside. It had a huge round table in the dining area and a very large living area. It was decorated similarly to our unit. The kitchen was larger than ours. For my family, DH and I and DD's 4 and 3, the one bedroom was plenty of space. (especially since we have always stayed at ASMo). For a larger family or group (that is close knit), I think a two bedroom would have plenty of room.
Have fun....

 

[Aliki]

Here are two photos from inside a 2-bedroom condo that I took. We just got back from our Oct 16-23 vacation:

Living room and dining room, with full-amenity kitchen

Master bedroom with attached bathroom (includes separated toilet, shower and jacuzzi)

 

[riu girl]

Thanks for the pictures. It looks like a very nice place.
Suzy V