I think I"ve narrowed it down to two resorts

[twoanddone]

Reunion or Regal Palms... Well, Southern Dunes is still in the running. DH decided that my dad and he would like to play golf one day. But he loves the water park (?) in Reunion and REgal Palms.... (um, we are going to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach....... Somehow I don't think the resorts will compare but anywho......

Anyone love these? Tell me good, tell me bad.............Tell me what you would do again Thanks!

 

[5mins2disney]

I looked at the Regal Palms website which, oddly enough, claims to be 5 minutes from WDW (no way!)...LOL. But, neither is Reunion...they're both more like 15-20 mins away, not that big a deal though. Reunion is probably the much higher end of the 2 resorts, it also probably costs quite a bit more to stay there. Reunion is pool homes / villas, but with amenities like you might find in a hotel, including daily maid service, and of course, 2 18-hole championship golf courses you can't play unless you stay there.

I know almost zero about Regal Palms, and just a bit about Reunion, but we have friends that own a place at Reunion and we'd LOVE to go stay there, even though we own a place at Windsor Hills, Reunion looks gorgeous!

Regal Palms is on the map right by Highlands Reserve, just so you know:
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm

Reunion is right near Westhaven.

 

[5mins2disney]

I looked at the Regal Palms website which, oddly enough, claims to be 5 minutes from WDW (no way!)...LOL. But, neither is Reunion...they're both more like 15-20 mins away, not that big a deal though. Reunion is probably the much higher end of the 2 resorts, it also probably costs quite a bit more to stay there. Reunion is pool homes / villas, but with amenities like you might find in a hotel, including daily maid service, and of course, 2 18-hole championship golf courses you can't play unless you stay there.

I know almost zero about Regal Palms, and just a bit about Reunion, but we have friends that own a place at Reunion and we'd LOVE to go stay there, even though we own a place at Windsor Hills, Reunion looks gorgeous!

Regal Palms is on the map right by Highlands Reserve, just so you know:
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm

Reunion is right near Westhaven.

 

[dougsmom98]

We stayed at Regal Palms this past February and had a really good time. We enjoyed the pool complex a lot, it was great for families with children. I am not sure teens would appreciate it as much as we did because the water was pretty shallow. My kids are 8,6,6 and 1. It was perfect for us and we spent 4 out of 6 days at the pool. I wrote a review of Regal Palms and you will see it up above on the review board. We got a 4 bedroom townhouse for $600 including taxes. Since then, the owners have increased their price $100 for the week and the resort now charges $10/night per unit. I am not sure if I would stay there again given the additional $170 it would cost. We were very happy with it, but we stayed at Windsor Palms the year before in a 4 BDRM pool home that had high end furnishings, so everything pales a bit in comparison. If you are looking for high end then you might be disappointed. If you are looking for nice accommodations and a great pool then this might be the place for you.
As for the distance to Disney, it took us 10 minutes to get from Regal Palms to the Sherbeth Road shortcut. From there, it took another 5 or so minutes depending on which park we were going to. We didn't mind the commute at all.

 

[twoanddone]

really Windsor Palms was great? Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh LOL Too many choices! Time is running out for me .

 

[5mins2disney]

If you want an awesome resort similar to Windsor Palms, same builder, but newer even, don't forget to checkout Windsor Hills too!

Lots of gorgeous homes there, and it's right next to Mystic Dunes golf course, and much closer to WDW than either Regal or Reunion.

www.windsorhillsrent.com

I kind of thought you might be looking for a "money is no object" type of golf resort since you mentioned Reunion...

 

[mungo]

Regal Palms is really nice, it is next to Highlands Reserve, that is where I would prefer to stay myself, just because I prefer a house with a pool rather that a townhouse with a plunge pool there are many to choose from though and I would have thought there would be ones with high end furnishings as well if that is what you wanted. Regal Palms is right next door to a publix, chinese take away, pizza and other fast food outlets. You would be on H27 and between the 192 and the junction with the I4 at Champions Gate (antoher place to play golf!!!) we prefer to travel to disney this way.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

Kind of an apples to oranges comparison. Regal Palms will be much less expensive than Ginn Reunuion - probably 1/2 the price. Highlands Reserve golf course is a decent daily fee course but in no way compares to the Reunion courses or nearby Mystic Dunes(adjacent to Windsor Hills).

We stayed at Regal A few years ago and it was good for the money. The main pool is shallow but nice. Be aware that there is no high speed internet available in most of the townhomes/condos if that is an issue and the land line phones tend to be a source of complaints in the Davenport area for some reason.

 

[mungo]

Not being a golfer I wouldn't know. But do golfers just play on one course all holiday?? Reunion is mega expensive imho, beautiful but expensive.

 

[5mins2disney]

Regal Palms is really nice, it is next to Highlands Reserve, that is where I would prefer to stay myself, just because I prefer a house with a pool rather that a townhouse with a plunge pool there are many to choose from though and I would have thought there would be ones with high end furnishings as well if that is what you wanted. Regal Palms is right next door to a publix, chinese take away, pizza and other fast food outlets. You would be on H27 and between the 192 and the junction with the I4 at Champions Gate (antoher place to play golf!!!) we prefer to travel to disney this way.

If you mean Windsor Hills...Windsor Hills has 1001 homes in a resort style community with a huge clubhouse pool with waterslide. There are 2/3 bedroom condos, 3 bed/3 bath townhomes with splash pools, and gorgeous 4/5/6 bedroom pool homes with full size pools / spas. You can find just about any kind of home there that suits your taste, budget, size! Just thought I'd point that out, they're not all townhomes (although that's what I own, but if you're looking for a full size gorgeous pool home / villa, there's lots of those too!).

Oh..by the way...I just learned last month that if you're staying in Windsor Hills the Mystic Dunes golf course will give you a huge discount on greens fees...pick up a discount voucher in the Windsor Hills Clubhouse / Welcome Center...the fee goes from roughly $165 per person (fees and cart) down to $108. Mystic Dunes is ranked the #2 course in Orlando (Bay Hill is consistently ranked #1, but it's a private country club, so you can't play there unless you know someone!).

 

[mungo]

No i meant Regal palms versus Highlands Reserve. Regal palms are town homes and highlands reserve are villas but share the facilities

There is much choice in and around the Disney area, not just WH

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

Not being a golfer I wouldn't know. But do golfers just play on one course all holiday?? Reunion is mega expensive imho, beautiful but expensive.

Well, even being an avid golfer I have chosen NOT to play over our upcoming trip June 6 - 13. One, we only have 6 full days and want to visit all 4 WDW parks and TL and BB and have some home resort time(Windsor Hills). This is a family vacation I keep reminding myself - not a golf outing. I'll have all summer to play. Two, not that I'm anti-social, but playing as a walk-on single isn't as much fun as having a foursome of known friends. Three, checking my clubs through from MHT (NH) to MCO with a connection is a pain(and a risk) and we will have no other checked luggage. Four, FL courses are more "in season" in winter and early spring. Course conditions (and heat) aren't all that favorable during summer months.

If I'm going on a "golf holiday" I like to book two rounds per day and play different courses. Every other year or so a few of my golf buddies and I do this for a four day clubhouse-fever winter weekend getaway. No wives, no kids, just 36 holes of golf each day plus that 19th hole every evening = men behaving badly.

Reunion is normally mega-expensive at rack rates, but there are discounts and packages that can be had that make it more affordable. Even Ginn has to compete for the golfer's dollars.

The big golf adventure will be a trip to UK/Scotland in 2009. Trying to get a foursome for an eight to ten day golf tour including all the Open venues.

 

[mungo]

Well, even being an avid golfer I have chosen NOT to play over our upcoming trip June 6 - 13. One, we only have 6 full days and want to visit all 4 WDW parks and TL and BB and have some home resort time(Windsor Hills). This is a family vacation I keep reminding myself - not a golf outing. I'll have all summer to play. Two, not that I'm anti-social, but playing as a walk-on single isn't as much fun as having a foursome of known friends. Three, checking my clubs through from MHT (NH) to MCO with a connection is a pain(and a risk) and we will have no other checked luggage. Four, FL courses are more "in season" in winter and early spring. Course conditions (and heat) aren't all that favorable during summer months.

If I'm going on a "golf holiday" I like to book two rounds per day and play different courses. Every other year or so a few of my golf buddies and I do this for a four day clubhouse-fever winter weekend getaway. No wives, no kids, just 36 holes of golf each day plus that 19th hole every evening = men behaving badly.


Reunion is normally mega-expensive at rack rates, but there are discounts and packages that can be had that make it more affordable. Even Ginn has to compete for the golfer's dollars.

The big golf adventure will be a trip to UK/Scotland in 2009. Trying to get a foursome for an eight to ten day golf tour including all the Open venues.

Now I have been to Carnoustie and played badly, my cousin used to live up there.

 

[HeatherC]

We have stayed several times at Regal Palms and think it is a terrific value. But...that being said, there are a few things you should know before you go so as not to be disappointed.

The pool area is awesome. My kids (10, 8 and 6) could stay there all day. There is a restaurant/bar right at the pool which is pretty good and pretty fairly priced.

The things you should be aware of are:

1. The townhomes are self catering...means no maid service, no room service, need to buy your own supplies like shampoo, dishsoap, toilet paper, etc.

2. The staff has always been friendly but totally useless. I have always rented from a private owner and have not had any problems. But have heard horror stories from people who book direct with the resort.

3. The townhomes are pretty spacious and it is terrific for families. We usually book a 4bdrm which has 3 1/2 baths. That is wonderful for getting ready in the mornings.
They are however furnished sparsely and not with what I would consider top of the line...but basic, neat and clean.

4. Pool area closes pretty early 8pm I think?

5. It is about 15-20 minutes to the parks...not 5 like their website says.

6. They now charge a $10 a day resort fee per rental which I think is ridiculous but what can you do.

7. Some of the homes don't even have phone service if the owner didn't install or pay for it. Again...ridiculous to me. But I use my cell anyway. And some don't even have a clock in them...seriously....very strange.

I've never stayed at Reunion, but have heard really good things. If you are looking for clean, basic with plenty of room, I'd recommend Regal Palms. But if you want to splurge and go upscale a little more I'd probably say Reunion.

Just as an example of pricing, we are renting a 4bedroom for 10 days in June for $690 total. Can't beat that. It's like $80 a night! I found the owner on vrbo.com or cyberrentals.com...can't remember. I have rented from one owner several times and am using a new one for June since the first rates were double this price. But the payoff is that I am farther from the pool area.

Check out the reviews on tripadvisor. You will see what I mean about renting direct from an owner vs the resort itself.

Hope this helps you. Whatever you decide, have an awesome trip!!!

HeatherC

 

[mrsgus06]

We stayed at Regal Palms in April. It was 4br 3 1/2 bath, which was wonderful. However, I need to warn you that if you choose to head to the parks anywhere from 10 am till noon, the traffic on 192 is horrible. It took way longer than 20 minutes to reach Sherberth Road when we left during those hours. I enjoyed the condo and the kids loved the pool. We were thinking about purchasing a condo for when we do not take the camper, but just the drive alone has me looking elsewhere. There may be a different route that I don't know about, so if anyone else knows a quicker way, please let me know. We are a large family (6 kids) so the condo in itself was great!

 

[mungo]

I have just been told that you can go down Florence villas grove (which is opposite Legacy park) From regal palms turn left onto H27 come up to Legacy and turn right onto Florence villas rd. Follow that onto Westside Blvd and then onto 192

 

[cey]

My DH, myself and two DS stayed at Regal Palms in December 2005 in a four bedroom townhouse. I agree that the ths are very basic, small living room, no furniture on the patio, and very poor cell and land line phone service. On the positive side the pool was great, warm temperatures and the lazy river was a blast! I agree with the OP that the staff are not very interested or motivated to help guests with their problems. I rented through Expedia and RP wouldn't even give me a statement when I checked out, confirming that I had no outstanding charges. The staff kept trying to say I had to get that from Expedia as they couldn't print out statements??? I don't know if they still place a $200 hold on your credit card for potential damages, but there were lots of guests complaining that they hadn't been notified of that policy. I complained to Expedia about the rating they gave the resort and they still haven't reclassified Regal Palms on their site. Just don't expect a four star resort and be willing to deal with spending lots of time in your car in traffic!

 

[mungo]

as previously said, i much prefer renting direct with the owner, not a management company. Never stayed at regal palms so can't comment on the staff at the resort, much prefer villas anyhow.

We have stayed though many times around the 27 area and the only time we have had lots of traffic was Christmas ( I guess Easter would also be bad) and the traffic was bad EVERYWHERE.

However we don't spend each and everyday in WDW we look at what else Florida has to offer. When we do go to WDW so we spend 15 minutes in the car instead of 5, no problem

 

[Isaac1]

Mungo

I much prefer to stay in villas as apposed to townhouses - much more room. We have stayed at Highgate Park and Southern Dunes. Southern Dunes was to far out. But at Highgate Park it is only 10 minutes away.

 

[klynch]

Not really sure where Regal Palms is but Reuion is definately 5-6 miles to World Drive. Now depending on which Disney site you go do or what traffic is like, either can significently impact the time it will take to get there. Old Lake Wilson road, which divides Reunion, is never congested like I-4 can be.