Reunion

[castanea1985]

Hi
Just wondering if anyone has stayed at Reunion?
What are the facilities/ homes like?
Thanks
Tracy

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I haven't stayed there but I know a little about the development, one of the best (if not THE best) in Central Florida. Very nice homes with excellent facilities too, quite an exclusive resort , not many on the DIS have stayed there but I think UKDEB has.

Only problem I have is the price and the fact we don't share our holiday with another family - there are just the 3 of us , that's not being negative - the homes are fantastic but for just a couple of weeks stay we would prefer not to pay the high prices.
You can get a lovely villa at the likes of Windsor Palms for half the cost, especially when you consider you won't always be relaxing around the resort.

You certainly won't go wrong if you decide to stay there though.

I think this is the link:

http://www.reunionresort.com/

 

[UKDEB]

Tracy, we absolutely adore Reunion and I can't imagine a trip to Orlando without spending at least some of our time there. It's uber-exclusive, and I mean that quite literally. You can't just turn up and take a look around, and neither can you book a tee-time at one of the golf courses, nor eat at one of the restaurants unless you're either a resort guest, or own a home there.

Your options are staying at the new Reunion Grande hotel, renting a condo or home through Reunion, or renting from an owner. Whilst there are literally hundreds of homes there, not many are available for private rental. You'll find some on FRbVO, VRBO and 360 Homes. Renting through Reunion itself is prohibitively expensive. It's a cashless resort and, regardless of whether you book directly with Reunion or not, it operates like a hotel, with your 'room' key card being used to charge all purchases. It's also a tipless resort. A 20% service charge is automatically added to restaurant and bar checks and everything else is included, so you don't have to worry about always having your hand in your pocket and making sure it's constantly stocked with $1 bills!

The entire place is immaculate - there are people out tending the grounds and golf courses at all hours of the day and night. Up until the opening of the hotel, the eating options were limited to the golf clubhouse (bar, dining room and patio - all offering the same menu). I can't wait to try the new restaurants, including the rooftop pool bar.

There are several pools, as well as a superb water park complete with lazy river and an adults only area. There's also a spa. It was housed in a temporary (albeit very nice) facility, but I imagine its now in its permanent location as part of the hotel.

Much of the development to the east of the I-4 is completed. It looks finished and includes the Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer golf courses. Development has started west of the I-4 and that's more of a building site, but that wouldn't stop me from staying there. I'm not sure when the Jack Nicklaus course is due to open.

The stables have been finished for a long time, but they keep putting back the date for opening. They're currently saying 2008.

Just don't tell too many people.

 

[castanea1985]

Deb,
Have pm'd you.
Thanks
Tracy

 

[Boo Boo Too]

I have stayed there too and it was great - a real haven. To be honest, I think it is ideal for people who want to "get away from it". If you like "hussle and bustle", then it probably isn;t for you...

Despite being close to Disney, it always seemed to take us about 20/30 minutes door to door (not sure if we were going the long way or something...). We went there in October,stayed in a proivate villa and the resort was very quiet (at least where we were) - it certainly appealed to us. We booked direct through an owner - http://www.reunionresort.us.com/ . Although he is probably looking to sell that house this year, he has another house in Reunion very close to completion - am sure it will be at least as nice, if not even better.

I agree with everything that Deb has said. Many of the homes seems a notch above the other villas you see for rental. Some of the condos look very nice too.

We are looking to book Reunion, for a week again, this year (we cruise out of Miami for a week first).

Boo

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Having looked once again I can fully understand why Deb and Boo love the resort, it is fabulous and like no other villa development I have stayed at or seen, and I have been around loads.

However, with prices starting at £1600 per week, low season, it needs to be

It is almost 'too nice' as daft as it sounds, wouldn't want to let Josh run free for too long - it's bad enough here at our lovely home in Lancashire!

Anyone staying there make the most of it!

 

[UKDEB]

I wouldn't pay "Reunion" prices, Johnny. We've been able to rent here for the same price we've paid at other communities, so I'm now at the point where I couldn't bring myself to pay the prices at the others. In comparison, it's a bargain. I'm guessing there's a ceiling to the rates private renters feel they can command, and that's undoubtedly true. We found a home we wanted to rent last year, but they were asking silly money, so we had to decline. Reunion itself is in a tricky position because they have to price the "Estate" homes significantly higher than the condos. I'm guessing most Americans don't stay for the length of time we do, so they can justify their prices.

As far as Josh is concerned, I think you'd actually find it would suit him. You can be there and hardly know anyone else exists. The water park, for example, is beautiful, yet tranquil. There's certainly no need to feel intimidated by it being "too nice".

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I wouldn't pay "Reunion" prices, Johnny. We've been able to rent here for the same price we've paid at other communities, so I'm now at the point where I couldn't bring myself to pay the prices at the others. In comparison, it's a bargain. I'm guessing there's a ceiling to the rates private renters feel they can command, and that's undoubtedly true. We found a home we wanted to rent last year, but they were asking silly money, so we had to decline. Reunion itself is in a tricky position because they have to price the "Estate" homes significantly higher than the condos. I'm guessing most Americans don't stay for the length of time we do, so they can justify their prices.

As far as Josh is concerned, I think you'd actually find it would suit him. You can be there and hardly know anyone else exists. The water park, for example, is beautiful, yet tranquil. There's certainly no need to feel intimidated by it being "too nice".

Fair enough Deb, please don't read me wrong here I am not anti-Reunion (I realise we know each other better than that), as I say earlier it looks wonderful , just that we have had a couple of experiences with Josh in the past, he broke a candle on a tiled floor once - and despite us paying for a new one etc the owner was very 'snotty' with us.
We sometimes have to do slight amendments to furniture lay-out, he likes sitting on coffee tables and cushion's are banned in our home as he 'chucks' them around from time to time!
All part of his Autism, bless him.

Just little things that make us wary really, have always found the Indian Creek's and Windsor Palms of this world, nice(ish) but not toooooo nice if you get what I mean.

The prices on the link above would frighten people off especially in our case as there are just the 3 of us but I realise now you have explained

I understand what you mean about the facilities, a water park is a big plus and so many of the villa communities do not have any 'on site' activities/entertainment as such - something I really craved for last year when we were at IC, having said that we do sometimes struggle getting Josh out of the villa pool he enjoys it so much.

Apologies Tracy if this in anyway has leaned away from your question, think Deb is the ideal person to answer any on this subject!

 

[SimonV]

Having just toured the new Reunion Grande, had lunch at their Forte restaurant (with its amazing wine cellar - not sampled, sadly!) and been up to their rooftop pool/bar/patio (the week before it opened - rats!), we can certainly attest this adds a real extra luxury element to an already luxurious resort. The extra dining options are truly 5-star and the view from the rooftop terrace is just magnificent. Imagine having cocktails by the poolside and being able to watch ALL the fireworks shows in the distance!!

The only question in my mind is if they will be able to maintain such quality with such a relatively small customer base. At times, there can still only be a few hundred people staying at Reunion and, when you consider the majority are probably off around Orlando and the parks for much of the time, that doesn't leave many people to keep these facilities busy. My feeling is, if they don't get a lot of use for the restaurants and bars from their own guests, they may well open it up in some way to non-residents. In many ways it is tragic that more people don't get to see Reunion and the amazing quality on offer, and to have restaurants like these which cater only to a relative handful seems a shameful waste (unless you are the relative handful, in which case you probably feel you've paid for the exclusivity!).

 

[UKDEB]

I wonder whether the original concept had a much better balance of permanent residents to investment properties than is the reality. I can no longer find any mention on the website of the planned town center. I guess the hotel is essential if Reunion hopes to retain the LPGA event beyond the initial 4 year agreement, and if it's to attract similar events on the tennis tour.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

I wonder whether the original concept had a much better balance of permanent residents to investment properties than is the reality. I can no longer find any mention on the website of the planned town center. I guess the hotel is essential if Reunion hopes to retain the LPGA event beyond the initial 4 year agreement, and if it's to attract similar events on the tennis tour.

I don't know, I get the impression that it is very much a "second home" lifestyle (real estate wise).

I know that the HOA are very high at Reunion (about $3k a month for a private home) - so maybe some of that goes into subsidising the "exclusivity" of the resort (i.e. paying for empty restaurants etc) - in addition to paying for the upkeep of the grounds, pools, waterpark etc.

Things may change - it doesn't SEEM like a business model that would continue for the long term (since all companies are "profit, profit, profit" - and there must be room for more profit in Reunion...). But for the moment, at least, they seem to be going for exclusivity.

Some of the condos at Reunion are VERY nice and quite reasonably priced on VRBO - http://www.vrbo.com/117845 and http://www.vrbo.com/90651 for insatnce look REALLY nice (but they have more condos, townhomes and private houses - http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/region/usa/florida/central-disney-orlando/kissimmee#5859). $200 a night for a really nice 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo doesn't seem that exceissive (especially if compared with a good hotel room).

Boo