I'm renting a townhouse at Windsor Palms for my next trip!

[Robinrs]

These MUST be new!

My son and I have always wanted to stay at Windsor Palms since we toured it last year. I wanted a house but there are only 3 three bedroom houses in the whole resort and they were all booked for my week...

The condos were a choice but I really wanted my OWN pool. This is, IMHO, the best part of renting a vacation home.

While doing a search I found the townhomes. Like the condos they are attached but they have their own "splasher pool" in the back! It's private and screened like the houses but much smaller which is great for us because we're not swimmers.

The townhouses have three bedrooms, one down and two up and THREE bathrooms. My sister is joining us for a few days and it will be great for all of us to have our own bathroom.

I'll post a review when I get back!

 

[FLeisure]

My commiserations !

 

[UKDEB]

I've seen a couple of photos of these during my many internet searches - they look great. Like you, we were keen to stay at WP, but couldn't find anything available that fitted our requirements. I'll be very interested to hear how you find it.

 

[FLeisure]

I'm sorry ...I still don't get it !

Why on Earth do you folks love this place so much ? I really want to understand what is so attractive to you all !

For me, when I'm on vacation, I want to get away from it all and have some peace and quiet. Windsor Palms has so many condo's (= people) it's unbelieveable and whilst the club house may seem an attraction because of the cinema, fitness room and games room, I just don't understand why everyone raves on about it. The swimming pool is nice but everytime I've been on site (about once per week) it's nearly always been busy.

The homes are obviously much better but the townhomes/condo's ? Please convince me.

 

[Robinrs]

FL, I actually agree with you!

I like the silence and serenity of a vacation home, that's what I call a vacation!

But my 10 yo son loves being around kids his own age. With the basketball court, the cinema and the "friends" he makes in a second, the vacation becomes more fun than just hanging out with Mommy!

I actually called your company and was about to book a house in Sunset Lakes, GORGEOUS, on the lake the whole nine yards, #8438, until my son convinced me to try that "cool" place... I prefer the private pool so this was an alternative we could live with.

Next time, I promise, #8438 will be MINE!

 

[FLeisure]

Thanks !
Not too sure whether that makes it worse !!
Seriously 8438 is very popular and the owner does a great job of getting bookings. Hope your successful getting it next time ! Still can't believe you're picking a condo over a house though

Hope you all have a great time..especially your son.

 

[BonnieA]

I just got back last week from Windsor Palms. We had a 2 bedroom/2bath condo. It had everything we needed and the price was great $55/night. I have rented houses in the past but for only 2 people it didn't make sense. Windsor Palms was not crowded with people and most of the time it was very quiet (one night there were people walking by talking at 1am but that was fleeting).
I'm anxious to hear from Robin when she gets back from the townhome.

 

[Robinrs]

Thanks, Bonnie!

I agree, this time is mostly just me and my 10yo son so the house would be too much.

Questions:

Did you see or use their shuttle service?

Did you see any of the movies at the cinema? My son is particularly interested in that?

Do they offer any other kinds of things for kids?

Thanks in advance!

Robinrs

 

[BonnieA]

Sorry I can't really answer your questions. We checked out the club house and the movie room (they do take movie requests)but we didn't watch any. And since we didn't have any children with us we didn't pay much attention to activities. They do have a small store, fitness center, tennis courts, playground, basketball court, pool tables and volleyball court.
We didn't use the shuttle service, I didn't even know they had one. The drive to disney, as you know, is short and quick using the sherbeth rd entrance.

 

[Robinrs]

Thanks, Bonnie.

My son is a movie fanatic and the cinema is a big pull for him. It's good to know you can make requests.

I did a tour last year so I saw all of the amenities. I remember they had a shuttle schedule in the convenience store. I intend to go to Disney one day while I'm there, SeaWorld and USF the rest and I'll love to NOT drive!

 

[tmli]

We just stayed there in Jan. this year in a 3br condo. It was very quiet, the condo was great, pool was an okay size not anything special. I didn't know they had a shuttle either.

We asked on numerous occasions about the cinema and nobody who worked there seemed to know what we were talking about. Apparently others on the boards have had the same experience.

I would stay there again for sure, good location and great value. $64/nt--can't beat that!

 

[FLeisure]

Thanks folks...yes, I would expect January to be quiet and it seems it's all about price....nuff said

 

[kazzie]

FLeisure,

My first experience of staying in a villa with it's own pool was in Sunset Lakes in 2001.I hated the experience so much we wanted to leave and see if we could book into Cypress Pointe where we stayed the trip before,but we had paid for two weeks and couldn't afford to rebook and pay again somewhere else.I have three teens and we were so isolated there.The boating lake the owners all advertise ( and still insist on saying there is a boating lake)who have villas on Sunset Lakes is a con,the boats are all broken.The onsite pool was the size of a postage stamp,the photographer who takes a photo of this pool on the internet sites for Sunset Lakes I've seen should work in the movies,how can you make that tiny thing look so big?

The mixture of a villa with pool AND amenities is what makes Windsor palms a BIG winner.We stayed there last October and booked with the owner as soon as we were home for this October.It isn't about price for us this villa cost more than Sunset Lakes,my number one concern is to look for a swimming pool that has privacy.

 

[BonnieA]

FLeisure:
Yes, to me it is about price. I have paid no more than $80/night for any home I've rented. If I wanted to pay big bucks I would stay on disney property. The reason I pick a condo/home is for the separate bedrooms and quiet location. As long as these are provided, then why shouldn't I get them in the least expensive way I can? Any other amenities are just icing on the cake. I'm there to visit WDW, not to sit around in the house all day admiring it. And I've never had a major complaint about any of the homes I've rented. They've all been beautifully decorated, clean and comfortable. But even if they were sparsely decorated as long as they were clean and convenient I would still stay there if the price was right.

 

[Robinrs]

Price is always a consideration but I NEVER settle for less based on price.

I have stayed at some of the most amazing hotels in Orlando using pricing deals I've found on these boards and at some wonderful villas. I research alot and don't stop till I get the best for my money. After all, as a single mom who loves Orlando, it's the only way I can go.

As my son gets older and has opinions, I include him in on the decisions. My son and I have been through a HORRIBLE year and he deserves to have a say in what he wants and likes. I wanted a private pool and alot of space, he wanted a place with other kids and amenities. Windsor offered that to us and the rate was phenomenal! This way we're both happy!

On the other hand, every person has a preference to what they choose to do on vacation and your attitude about our choices is not a good reflection on you. I am clueless at times why people choose to stay certain places but I would NEVER berate them about it. It's not attractive at all.

 

[FLeisure]

Hells Bells ! Sorry if I offended anyone..it wasn't my intention.

Kazzie,
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience but please don't brand all Sunset Lakes homes as the same. Yes, some homes have small pools but not all. A lot of people pick homes on Sunset Lakes because of the calm and serene nature of the community. The paddle boats have now been removed for good and will not be replaced.....please bear in mind that when the owners were advertising, the boats were there and did work. Due to the previous HOA Board, no maintenance was done and the whole community suffered. If you go by today, you will see a different community with many improvements.

By the way, did you use the large community pool at Sunset Lakes ? Also, what amenities would you like to see there to improve things ?

BonnieA,
I honestly wasn't knocking you and I don't blame you for getting the best deal for your money. My comment was just a flippant one based on things I see on this board everyday...it seems everyone is out to getthe lowest price possible on everything !

I have just one final comment in regard to $80/night as I know the cost of running the home. If these people have no mortgage then fine, they can probably afford it. Most owners aren't in this position however and these low rates negatively affect all the other owners who offer their homes at reasonable rates. In this world, there will always be people who undercut others but at some point it has to end. $ 80 for a 2 or even 3 bed home at certain times of year is absolutely fine but if these people are offering these rates throughout the year, then something has to give. Usually, they end up selling the home or it goes into foreclosure.

Robinrs,
Have to say I'm not happy about your final paragraph. I certainly wasn't berating anyone and if you think I'm knocking anyone's choice in life, then you have me wrong. This board is a place to share experiences and offer opinions. I come here to do exactly that and have no other agenda. I enjoy reading other people's thoughts and learning from them. I also hope that I offer a different insight that may help others from time to time. Maybe my comment about price was a little out of order but it's honestly what I sometimes feel after trawling through the board !

 

[tmli]

FLeisure--I can understand where you are coming from, I own my own business and get upset with those who undercut pricing, and cheapening the value of the product.

That being said, for those of us who like to frequent disney world, the only way to get there for some of us is to be value conscience. There are things like park tickets and airfare that are somewhat fixed, but if I can find a 3 br condo for $64/nt when there are 6 of us, I'd be silly to pass that up. There are some trips where I spend more than others, but this year I took my parents and other family members as an xmas gift.

It is never my goal to get the cheapest available but to get the most value for my money. I'm Canadian that $64us is like $300 for us (joking) but the exchange is high.

I completely understand your point of view and believe you know where we are coming from as well.

 

[BonnieA]

Except for my recent April trip, I usually go in early December or January. So the $80/night is probably a fair price for that time of year.

 

[kazzie]

FLeisure,

I think this is a case for horses for courses,not sure if that is a saying in the US!( What suits one may not suit another ).

I agree Sunset Lakes was calm and serene,which would be absolutely perfect for some.For me having three teens it was not a bonus but a negative.Teens need company and not in a forced way, so sports like basketball court or even just net,community swimming pool ,even a small shop would have been so helpful,etc. these things mean they are not caged up with their parents.

BTW the pool that was small was the community not the villa pool.I only drove past it though perhaps we should have looked at it properly.

The misleading references to a boating lake were in the UK in villa magazines etc. I'm glad to hear this has improved.

 

[sln88]

BonnieA
How did you get your rate of $55 per night?
Thanks