Has anyone been to visited Orange Lake North RECENTLY??

[wishing.on.a.star]

We will be @ North Village of Orange Lake end of May. We are staying here on a gift from my inlaws. We are also traveling with a family of 1st time disney guests!! (I can't imagine!!) I want to make this trip Fantastic for them!! I have read reviews and am a bit skeptical. I would like to hear from someone who has visited RECENTLY if possible. Is the pool close to the units?? We are staying in a 2bedroom villa. 4 adults, 2 children boys 6&7. I LOVE disney and want my friends to Love it too!!! I do not want a bad stay to taint their view of the most magical place on earth!! Thanks!! You guys ROCK!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wishing...

First... You STOLE my username!!!!!

And, to beat that, we will also be at North at Orange Lake the last week of May!!!!

While North will be up for a refurb soon... I am hoping that the unit will be nice enough.

I chose North because I wanted the quieter, lowrise buildings thu the grounds and golfcourse type setting.

I have been in contact with another poster who will be returning from North at OL very soon. Hopefully they will email me with their thoughts and info, etc... If they do, I will let you know what they think.

Counting down....

 

[Wishing on a star]

PS: from the maps that I have seen, you may want to request a unit at the pool.... The pool, which is called Splash Lagoon, is not centrally located. It is like at the entrance to the North section... and the section then meanders back quite a ways around the golf course. So, theoretically, if you were in one of the furthest units, it may be tempting to drive to the pool.

It can't hurt to request what would work best for you!

 

[wishing.on.a.star]

Thanks for the info!! I just read your post and WE are going on an exchange from our In-laws!! We are arriving 5/31. (we are thinking of booking directly thru Orange lake for 2 extra nights (5/29). When I booked, RCI rep said they did not entertain special requests...Maybe when we check in I can BEG! Keep me posted if you talk to the other North visitor. Thanks again...can't wait to get to Disney!!

 

[redrosesix]

Watching this conversation between the 2 of you is just too funny!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Hey again,

If you are an exchange thru RCI, then at least you (your inlaws) know which section you will be in. They actually have a separate resort number for each section. Our exchange is thru RCI, and we know that it is for the North section.

While I am sure that RCI, and the resort, offer no guarantees (other than you will receive a unit with at least the number of bedrooms that you have payed/exchanged for) I am sure that they do not completely ignore any request. What you were told is probably the RCI canned speil.... There are some resorts who will, indeed, issue you the exact unit number that was exchanged... but, I do not think that Orange Lake would be like this.

It can't hurt to contact them a few days beforehand.

 

[carlbarry]

I was at Orange Lake in December. It is a fantastic place. I would say Splash Lagoon is comparable to pool areas at Disney resorts. However, I only visited there to look, and spent all my time at River Island, which is absolutely fantastic.
Just be aware that Orange Lake is a HUGE resort, and getting from one area to another, or even from your room in one area to the pool there, can be a stretch. I stayed at West Village, right near the west entrance, and it was about a mile to North village, and 2 miles to River Island!