JohnnySharp2
No man stands as tall as when he stoops to help a
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2005
- Messages
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Part2 : accomodation, Johnny, Julie , Joshua (and Teddy).
For the last few holidays we have stayed in a villa. Find mostly it suits us just fine, we must have cooking facilities and having the extra room and privacy too.
Joshua loves playing in water so the private pool is brilliant for him.
Being an early riser there is also no inconvenience for anyone in the next room too.
However, next year's challenge was to find some variation. Really feel for part of the holiday we need to stay somewhere else, as I have said in part1 the evening's can be a bit dull if Josh doesn't want to go out anywhere so often as Julie doesn't want to drive it's a case of go out on my own or stay in.
Whilst I rarely drink it is nice to go out now and again. Naturally I cannot really do this and have a cool glass of beer as I have to drive. The Outback is useful in some respects as we can get a take out from there and it is closeby.
One of the things we will try and push Josh on is going out to a restuarant more, whether for breakfast/lunch or dinner (or breakfast, dinner and tea as we say in Lancashire)
As a last resort we could I suppose take his Portable DVD player with us when we dine out, a must for us to have on the long flight we have taken it the last few trips and find it invaluable for keeping Josh happy.
To be able to dine out together would be fabulous and would make us enjoy our villa stay so much more enjoyable. Last year he wouldn't get out of the car and go in Golden Corral so there is obviously room for improvement - strange becuase we went for breakfast at Ponderosa the previous year a couple of times. Problems with the heat perhaps, or maybe for part of the holiday he just wasn't himself?
First night is easy, has to be the Hyatt at MCO, stayed there last year , picture taken from our room last year below. It's a nice a hotel and just means we get settled down in the room much quicker meaning Josh can get changed/relaxed, watch some TV and have something to eat etc
Also means me and Julie can pop down and go to chick-fil-a in my case, or she can get a Pizza or something (probably room service!).
A runway view means we get some good photos too, and hopefully Josh can have a swim in the morning.
We then decided we would have 6 or 7 nights staying 'somewhere else' before the remainder of the holiday in the villa. Theory being that staying at Indian Creek last would be best for Josh and best for us as once we stay there he won't want to go anywhere else.
Cooking facilities are a must wherever we stay.
Last year we stayed at the Boardwalk, our first on-site experience, we liked it but had reservations (excuse the pun) as we were slightly dissapointed with the room as a lot of the furniture looked in need of replacement. However, certainly the advtantages are numerous. We also had the full tour around Saratoga Springs Resort , Josh was very patient, and we liked it there a lot though the resort was spread out over a vast area.
DVC purchase also appealed to us and perhaps we may still consider - but then we stumbled across what I hope will be one of the highlights of the holiday.
One of our early memories of Orlando holidays with Josh was when he was a baby, we used to stay at the Omni Rosen Center hotel on south I drive, I loved it there, in the days when Pointe Orlando had Fao Schwarz just across the road.
Anyway we found out about the Omni Villas at Champion's Gate, next to the large hotel they have there. Website and virtual tours look great, pool has zero depth, water fountains and slides for children, restuarants, a pool bar, lobby bar, sports bar etc - it just seemed perfect for us. We have 'facilities' there for the evening if one of or all of us want to go out, and plenty for kids at the pool too.
Expensive, $1600 for 3 nights, but I really want to stay here, so we booked it.
Images on Omni website (below) look great, and we have a full kitchen and loads of room too.
So first night Hyatt, next three nights Omni.....now what next, hmm? Looked at Universal hotels but they don't really have full kitchens, look at Vistana's and other timeshare type resorts and also Miami/Fort Lauderdale places but just couldn't really be sure they were for us, it's years since we did a beach holiday.
Umltimately we decided on DVC, and eventually bought some points off a fellow DISer in the US. 3 nights at SSR, Grandstand location requested.
Should be good for us here, plenty of things around the pool(s) for Josh, I can go out and about on my own if need be in the evening and Julie can go to DTD shopping also - should Josh not want to go.
Having had a look around we feel if we can get Grandstand, or if not Springs the location will be pretty good for us, we know about the Turf Club bar and restuarant and Artiste's Palette too. Main pool is zero depth and looks very inviting, pool at Grandstand is also good with water features for kids. Who knows we may even fall for the DVC purchase option when we stay there.
Having had a nightmare first experience at a villa rental - the home was falling to bits, how I wish I had taken photos of it as a fond reminder! - I kind of became ultra fussy in booking one for future trips.
Must have south facing pool, DVD/VCR player, fairly new - usual stuff. Suppose also the fact we like to stay in different one's each time makes it slightly harder.
Like the Formosa Gardens area in Kissimmee as we find the location ideal for everything, and being the resident driver I get the Publix trips all on my own for the grocery shopping.
I even know where the Heinz Beans are
Indian Creek we like because Joshua likes it! Believe me that's important, if we drove past IC and onto neighbouring Windsor Palms he wouldn't be best pleased at all. I suppose overall that's a good thing as we know when we stay there he will settle quickly and be happy too.
After getting a few prices we became a bit frustrated, some were £750 pounds a week. In the end and quite strangely the answer was there in front of us all time, we stayed at a lovely 5 bedroomed home on IC in 2005.
Asked the owners for a price and as previous renters they wanted lesss than £500 per week, considering it's a 5 bedroomed it was a bargain. We quickly agreed!
Villa has a lovely kitchen, private south facing pool which is fully fenced, ceiling fans in every room, TV in every bedroom , VCR/DVD in the lounge.
Most of all though it has one priceless asset, we have stayed there before - we know Joshua will be fine.
As I have said it's vital we stay at the villa last, this is where Josh feels more at home, however with the Omni/SSR we also feel there is something more for me and Julie to do as well as activities , especially around the pool, for Josh too.
I have recommended the villa to several DISers too, and I know at least 4 who have booked - I guess I will get a bargain each time I book with them now!
In theory everything is covered.....touch wood, main thing is we are going when the weather is cooler and have varied our accomodation options to make things more interesting. Staying in three different areas will mean we have more variety.
1 night MCO Hyatt
3 nights Omni villas
3 nights SSR
13 nights Indian Creek villa
Plans for the first few days? Probably go to Universal when we are at the Omni, need to collect our new Annual Passes, WDW parks can wait until we are at SSR. Don't tend to plan too much as it will only change once we are there, one thing for certain we will stay well clear of Kissimmee and Indian Creek until we are staying at the villa, it will only complicate things otherwise!
Thanks for reading.
For the last few holidays we have stayed in a villa. Find mostly it suits us just fine, we must have cooking facilities and having the extra room and privacy too.
Joshua loves playing in water so the private pool is brilliant for him.
Being an early riser there is also no inconvenience for anyone in the next room too.
However, next year's challenge was to find some variation. Really feel for part of the holiday we need to stay somewhere else, as I have said in part1 the evening's can be a bit dull if Josh doesn't want to go out anywhere so often as Julie doesn't want to drive it's a case of go out on my own or stay in.
Whilst I rarely drink it is nice to go out now and again. Naturally I cannot really do this and have a cool glass of beer as I have to drive. The Outback is useful in some respects as we can get a take out from there and it is closeby.
One of the things we will try and push Josh on is going out to a restuarant more, whether for breakfast/lunch or dinner (or breakfast, dinner and tea as we say in Lancashire)
As a last resort we could I suppose take his Portable DVD player with us when we dine out, a must for us to have on the long flight we have taken it the last few trips and find it invaluable for keeping Josh happy.
To be able to dine out together would be fabulous and would make us enjoy our villa stay so much more enjoyable. Last year he wouldn't get out of the car and go in Golden Corral so there is obviously room for improvement - strange becuase we went for breakfast at Ponderosa the previous year a couple of times. Problems with the heat perhaps, or maybe for part of the holiday he just wasn't himself?
First night is easy, has to be the Hyatt at MCO, stayed there last year , picture taken from our room last year below. It's a nice a hotel and just means we get settled down in the room much quicker meaning Josh can get changed/relaxed, watch some TV and have something to eat etc
Also means me and Julie can pop down and go to chick-fil-a in my case, or she can get a Pizza or something (probably room service!).
A runway view means we get some good photos too, and hopefully Josh can have a swim in the morning.
We then decided we would have 6 or 7 nights staying 'somewhere else' before the remainder of the holiday in the villa. Theory being that staying at Indian Creek last would be best for Josh and best for us as once we stay there he won't want to go anywhere else.
Cooking facilities are a must wherever we stay.
Last year we stayed at the Boardwalk, our first on-site experience, we liked it but had reservations (excuse the pun) as we were slightly dissapointed with the room as a lot of the furniture looked in need of replacement. However, certainly the advtantages are numerous. We also had the full tour around Saratoga Springs Resort , Josh was very patient, and we liked it there a lot though the resort was spread out over a vast area.
DVC purchase also appealed to us and perhaps we may still consider - but then we stumbled across what I hope will be one of the highlights of the holiday.
One of our early memories of Orlando holidays with Josh was when he was a baby, we used to stay at the Omni Rosen Center hotel on south I drive, I loved it there, in the days when Pointe Orlando had Fao Schwarz just across the road.
Anyway we found out about the Omni Villas at Champion's Gate, next to the large hotel they have there. Website and virtual tours look great, pool has zero depth, water fountains and slides for children, restuarants, a pool bar, lobby bar, sports bar etc - it just seemed perfect for us. We have 'facilities' there for the evening if one of or all of us want to go out, and plenty for kids at the pool too.
Expensive, $1600 for 3 nights, but I really want to stay here, so we booked it.
Images on Omni website (below) look great, and we have a full kitchen and loads of room too.
So first night Hyatt, next three nights Omni.....now what next, hmm? Looked at Universal hotels but they don't really have full kitchens, look at Vistana's and other timeshare type resorts and also Miami/Fort Lauderdale places but just couldn't really be sure they were for us, it's years since we did a beach holiday.
Umltimately we decided on DVC, and eventually bought some points off a fellow DISer in the US. 3 nights at SSR, Grandstand location requested.
Should be good for us here, plenty of things around the pool(s) for Josh, I can go out and about on my own if need be in the evening and Julie can go to DTD shopping also - should Josh not want to go.
Having had a look around we feel if we can get Grandstand, or if not Springs the location will be pretty good for us, we know about the Turf Club bar and restuarant and Artiste's Palette too. Main pool is zero depth and looks very inviting, pool at Grandstand is also good with water features for kids. Who knows we may even fall for the DVC purchase option when we stay there.
Having had a nightmare first experience at a villa rental - the home was falling to bits, how I wish I had taken photos of it as a fond reminder! - I kind of became ultra fussy in booking one for future trips.
Must have south facing pool, DVD/VCR player, fairly new - usual stuff. Suppose also the fact we like to stay in different one's each time makes it slightly harder.
Like the Formosa Gardens area in Kissimmee as we find the location ideal for everything, and being the resident driver I get the Publix trips all on my own for the grocery shopping.
I even know where the Heinz Beans are
Indian Creek we like because Joshua likes it! Believe me that's important, if we drove past IC and onto neighbouring Windsor Palms he wouldn't be best pleased at all. I suppose overall that's a good thing as we know when we stay there he will settle quickly and be happy too.
After getting a few prices we became a bit frustrated, some were £750 pounds a week. In the end and quite strangely the answer was there in front of us all time, we stayed at a lovely 5 bedroomed home on IC in 2005.
Asked the owners for a price and as previous renters they wanted lesss than £500 per week, considering it's a 5 bedroomed it was a bargain. We quickly agreed!
Villa has a lovely kitchen, private south facing pool which is fully fenced, ceiling fans in every room, TV in every bedroom , VCR/DVD in the lounge.
Most of all though it has one priceless asset, we have stayed there before - we know Joshua will be fine.
As I have said it's vital we stay at the villa last, this is where Josh feels more at home, however with the Omni/SSR we also feel there is something more for me and Julie to do as well as activities , especially around the pool, for Josh too.
I have recommended the villa to several DISers too, and I know at least 4 who have booked - I guess I will get a bargain each time I book with them now!
In theory everything is covered.....touch wood, main thing is we are going when the weather is cooler and have varied our accomodation options to make things more interesting. Staying in three different areas will mean we have more variety.
1 night MCO Hyatt
3 nights Omni villas
3 nights SSR
13 nights Indian Creek villa
Plans for the first few days? Probably go to Universal when we are at the Omni, need to collect our new Annual Passes, WDW parks can wait until we are at SSR. Don't tend to plan too much as it will only change once we are there, one thing for certain we will stay well clear of Kissimmee and Indian Creek until we are staying at the villa, it will only complicate things otherwise!
Thanks for reading.
I hope that the three of you get the holiday you deserve mate ......you seemed to have planned well and i can't wait to hear all about it 
