just back from a 1 week stay at windsor hills resort

[newsliner1]

we just got back from a 1 week stay in a 2 bedroom townhome at windsor hills. the resort was very nice and our townhome was awesome. i was a little worried because we got such a great deal on it but it is a great new place to stay. if any one has any questions please ask i will do my best to answer them.

 

[dizneefamily5]

Wow - what great timing! We are trying to decide between a 3 bedroom townhome and a 4 bedroom home in Windsor Hills. The cost difference for a 14 night stay is $741. We have 3 kids - ages 11, 10, and 4. We love the price for the townhome but the "splash pool" looks so small. What would you suggest????

 

[loveysbydesign]

Hi, We're planning to stay at WH in May...I got a condo for $540 for the week...is that a good price? How did you like it there? Was it easy to get back and forth to WDW? Any tips!!!

 

[newsliner1]

the splash pool with the townhome is very small we did not use it. ( it was too cold by the time we got home at night and the kids were very tired. ) the pool and waterslide at the resort was about 50 yards from our townhome nice and close and we did swim in the big pool the first day we got there it was great. my daughter really liked the waterslide and my 2 year old could walk into the water. this pool was heated and very warm.


there is also a movie theater that was also nice you can pick what movie you want to see if you stop by the little gift shop and ask at the beginning of the week.

it took us about 5-10 minutes to get to mgm, magic kingdom and epcot. animal kingdom was even closer. when you drive to the parks there is a back way to go and it is pretty quick. you go to 192 make a left and at the next light make a right follow that road to the light and make a right and there are signs for all the disney areas.

it took about 15 minutes to get to universal studios.

the resort is beautiful everything is new. we stayed in the 3 bedroom townhome (we paid $500 + tax for the week) everything was first class. 57 inch tv in the living room. beautiful furnishings , tons of towels. very nice. gated community. i was a little nervous not really knowing anything about the resort and renting off of a actual private owner but everything worked out great.

 

[tinkerbell6]

We're heading to Windsor Hills in 3 weeks! We're staying in a 3-bedroom TH also. Do you remember which is the best way to the MK, Epcot, DTD, etc? And are there any grocery stores close by? So many questions!

We're hoping we can use the splash pool a bit...we like to go back in the middle of the day to unwind...hoping it's warm enough to do so! DD just likes to splash around sometimes, but we think we will use the big pool also if the weather cooperates!

 

[newsliner1]

there is publix supermarket (pretty good prices) about a mile down 192 when you leave windsor hills turn left go to the light turn left again the publix is about a mile down the road on your right. there are also tons of restaurants and suvenier shops up and down 192.

to get to the parks go up to 192 turn left and at the next light turn right follow this road you will see a sign on your left that says disney parks turn right. turn right at the next light and there are signs for all parks.


if any one has any other questions i will do my best to answer them.

 

[umaangel00]

Where did you all get your prices from? I have stayed in Windsor Hills before but the guy I rented from before is not getting back to me and we need to book ASAP!

 

[Brian Noble]

Submit a general request via http://www.windsorhillsrent.com/. We got perhaps a dozen or more responses for our week, and that was only about six weeks in advance, or maybe even a bit less.

The prices I was seeing were higher than those reported here, but that could be because (a) I'm going in March or (b) the lower-priced inventory was already gone.

 

[momof2mouses]

So glad to see someone who stayed at Windsor Hills. We are planning to stay there in DEC. Hoping it will be great.
Glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

[newsliner1]

we rented directly from an owner on the windsorhillsrent webside. he had originally wanted more money for the week but worked with us and gave us a great deal. we also booked sort of last minute so i think that also helped. as i said earlier the place is very nice new and clean. it is convenient to disney and close to many restaurants and shops however you definatly need a car if you are staying here.

 

[drgnfly30]

newsliner1 - did you see people with dogs there? Apparently I can't bring my Bo if I rent a home in the community
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1034102

 

[flagdaytwins]

We rented a 3BR townhome last year at WH -- it was awesome. It had a hot tub. I have toddlers who don't know how to swim (but I LOVE to swim!)....so.......

We swam only once in the clubhouse pool -- lovely, but far from the townhome (had to drive to it, too hot to walk). Just found we simply didn't have the time or energy to swim and we weren't at disney all day long either!

I loved the hot tub -- after kids were put to bed, it was great to unwind in!

IF you want more info on the home I rented, PM me. We had the best time at WH and would stay again. No issues driving to Disney at all.

From what I saw, the splashpools are awfully small (not sure your 3 kids would fit in it?!).

 

[newsliner1]

im not sure about dogs. i do think that i saw a man walking his dog while we were there. by the way your dog is very cute.

 

[C.Ann]

Okay - these reviews got me interested for our early December trip.. Originally we were planning on staying at Pop, but because my son-in-law will be coming along too we would need two rooms and he's still in love with the Tropical Palms Fun Resort where we stayed in 2001.. LOL.. Besides all of the spaciousness of not being cramped in a hotel room, he (and I) absolutely LOVED the deck where we would sit and chat late into the night.. However, TPF's prices have gone up considerably and from what I saw at WH, we can get a whole lot more for less money..

I filled out the general request and received quite a few responses.. The only problem is, how do I know who is legit - who is a pain in the butt - and which one would be best?

For those of you who have already stayed, would you mind sending me a PM in regards to who you rented from - what your experiences were - and how I could contact those particular people?

It will be me, DD, her DH, my DGD (she'll be 8 then) and possibly my sister for a few days..

Thanks!

 

[FayeW]

Okay - these reviews got me interested for our early December trip.. Originally we were planning on staying at Pop, but because my son-in-law will be coming along too we would need two rooms and he's still in love with the Tropical Palms Fun Resort where we stayed in 2001.. LOL.. Besides all of the spaciousness of not being cramped in a hotel room, he (and I) absolutely LOVED the deck where we would sit and chat late into the night.. However, TPF's prices have gone up considerably and from what I saw at WH, we can get a whole lot more for less money..

I filled out the general request and received quite a few responses.. The only problem is, how do I know who is legit - who is a pain in the butt - and which one would be best?

For those of you who have already stayed, would you mind sending me a PM in regards to who you rented from - what your experiences were - and how I could contact those particular people?

It will be me, DD, her DH, my DGD (she'll be 8 then) and possibly my sister for a few days..

Thanks!

C.Ann, I have the same questions. I followed the link Brian posted, and I had more than a dozen responses within 5 minutes! I must have gotten 30 or more today, and I have narrowed in down to a couple based on price, but I am still concerned with how to determine if they are legit. ( I guess they have to worry about ME also!). Is there anyway of finding out feedback on these renters?

 

[crjack]

C.Ann and FayeW, there are several previous posts where people provided links that allowed you to verify information on a property you were interested in renting. I'm terrible with links but if the search is working you should be able to find it. Another option is to just scroll through some past pages because it's a fairly common question here for most people thinking about renting.

Several posters here who are homeowners have been very helpful in offering advice and guidance for the rest of us. Our personal experience has been wonderful with three different owners. Two were located in the UK, which is very common, but there is no reason to let the distance concern you. It really doesnt impact the situation in any way.

Windsor Hills is still a relatively new development so many of the homes are starting to market themselves and I also received dozens of replies to my request on the windsorhillsrent site.

Most homes use a contract and although each may be unique it typically covers info on deposits, check-in/check-out times, cancelation policy, etc. A large number of homeowners utilize local management companies to help oversee the home and deal with any issues. Often times that may be where the keys or security keycodes are picked up or dropped off.

For this upcoming trip, I have spoken to the owner on the phone. I was familiar with the process but she did not know that so she called to introduce herself and offer any assistance needed. We have paid a deposit for the villa and received our rental agreement.

We have used the internet tour of the home and know exactly what we are getting with this villa. There is definitely a risk for both owners and renters as they are trusting people to treat these beautiful homes with care as well.

Lots of posts and posters can recommend specific villas for you. We are going in July to Windsor Hills but we have a rented a large house since we are sharing it with another family.

Both owners from previous trips followed up with us after our visits to see if we enjoyed ourselves and had what we needed in their homes. It was a very nice, personal touch and one that we obviously dont get with most hotel stays.

Post any questions you have and I'm sure you will get all the info you need here. Best of luck.

 

[traciedee]

When you narrow down your choice ask about that specific unit or owner on this forum, the dibb and tripadvisor. If anyone has had a bad experience you will hear about it! Best assurance for me.

 

[FayeW]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have narrowed it down to one rental from Regal Palms, (owner was referred to me by someone here who had rented from him) and one owner at Windsor Hills. There is about $230. difference in the price in total, so now I have to decide if I want a townhome in Regal Palms with lazy river, poolslide, onsite restaurant/bar (that I already have restaurant.com certificates for), but is 10-15 mins further than the WH. or the WH property which is an upper unit condo, nice pool/slide, movie theatre, and closer to WDW/US.

I'm leaning towards Regal Palms, although it is further away and more expensive. I think the lazy river, although small, will be more enticing for the kids than the movie theatre. I really like having a restaurant on site (just because I CAN cook, doesn't mean I want to cook all the time )

On the other hand, $230. buys a lot of takeout! I better decide soon or they will both be gone!

 

[bamaslp]

We are going to Windsor Hills in 3 weeks and counting. We got an awesome deal on a 5 bedroom home.

NEWSLINER---Did you use the shuttle? Do you know how much it cost? Thanks!

 

[newsliner1]

hi,
no we did not use the shuttle we drove down and had our car. i think the shuttle is pretty expensive i think it was $10 or $12 per person round trip per day. if you have a lot of people going you might be better off renting a car. parking is $9.00 a day at disney and universal theme parks.