linzjane88
Closet Disneyphile
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2014
- Messages
- 1,427
I thought I would share my home rental experience (you know, since I already wrote an essay on my rental car with Dollar and my Thanksgiving Dinner with Cracker Barrel 
). Because it is a newer development there aren't many reviews or any information on it. Heck, even Google Maps still shows the area as a razed pile of dirt!
We booked a 5 bedroom/5 bath through Executive Villas Florida for 12 nights. The total cost including pool heat was about $2600 and since we were splitting it 3 ways it worked out to be $875 per family. We had 3 kids in our group and 6 adults (if you count my 19yo sister as an adult but that's a discussion for another time
). The development itself is very very new. Parts are still under construction but not enough to cause any disturbance. The development is broken up into separately gated communities off the main road- there is one for permanent residents, one for town homes, one for vacation rental homes (The Hideaway Club-where we stayed) and it looks like one with condos is currently being built. The Hideaway Club is where the little water park is located. It is not as visually stunning as say, Reunion or Wyndham Bonnet Creek but it looks nice enough, just very simple looking and cookie cutter.
Pros:
-The waterpark: It was nice and empty (unlike the Disney parks!): plenty of chairs and loungers available. It was small enough that you didn't have to hunt for the kids. I remember the water park at Reunion was pretty large and you could go for some time without seeing the little ones. That may or may not be a good thing
. At 5, 9, and 10 we were all glad we could keep eyes on the kiddos. The water slide is only available if a lifeguard is there which limits the hours. I think it didn't open until 1pm on one of the days we were there. There is no additional cost to use the water park. Outside food and drinks are prohibited (I certainly didn't smuggle some adult drinks and snacks in my bag 
). The staff is incredibly friendly. Even though it is new and not really a hopping place like the other resorts we've stayed they are definitely trying to get it there. The service was A+ by all the staff.
-Fairly close to parks: The development is off of Osceolla. Each park was about a 15 minute drive.
-Plenty of parking: I think they are aiming for multi-family vacation stays and have designed the driveways to accommodate for the extra vehicles. We had 2 in the driveway and 2 in the alcove on the street in front of the house and it fit just fine. Many other homes appeared to have large groups like we did.
Close to Publix/Walmart/Target: We were about 5 minutes from Publix which was great. In fact there is a 'secret' road directly across from the development that takes you on a straight path to it. The road doesn't look like it goes anywhere so it is confusing but then bam! there you are at Publix. Wal-Mart and Target are about 8 minutes away.
Two master bedrooms: Both were nice and spacious and had comfortable beds and plenty of extra bedding.
Heated pool!: Pay the extra money for the pool heat. Just do it. It was like bathwater and we used it almost every day. The kids were asking to NOT go to the Disney parks and instead swim at home or go to the resort water park.
Cons:
Open layout: it seems good until you get there and realize there is no where you can send the kids to play(Okay, to send them to stop annoying the adults
) that you can't hear them. The loft area with an additional TV upstairs is open to the main living/kitchen/dining. We sent the kids away only to yell at them a few minutes later "You guys! We told you to go upstairs and play!!!". They all popped their heads over the railing and hollered back "WE ARE!". We actually heard them more loudly upstairs!
Along with this, the second master bedroom (where we were) is directly off of the main living area and shares 2 walls with the pool right outside. Everything, and I mean everything, that is done in the main areas of the house is heard even with the door shut. It is annoying if you aren't an early riser and the rest of your party is. We were up at 0700 the first few days listening to the children run like a stampede of elephants around, getting cereal, and swimming in the pool. We had to put out brutal threats to the next person swimming before 8am. And if we can hear them so well from our side of the door...well it's is a little unnerving and not that private for *ahem*...stuff
.
Homes are *very* close: Not much privacy to be had here. Then again, how much time do you spend at the house?
WORST GATE IN THE HISTORY OF GATES: So, first and foremost, it IS a gated community. The gates are open during the daytime but close at 7pm I think. After this time you must scan in a parking pass that you get from a security booth that looks like it belongs to en entirely different community in the development (first right when coming in from the main rd). Every car must have one and go separately to get it with a copy of the rental agreement and a drivers license. Then, once you get this magical parking pass, good luck getting it to properly scan at the gate. The scanner is TERRIBLE. you basically have to hop on one foot, spin 3 times, say a chant, and hope for the best. Even then, it probably won't work. What ends up happening is a lineup of cars develops and the one car will try and fail, then let someone else have a go. Finally when someone with the magic touch gets it right all of the other cars rush in as fast as possible before the gates close again (NOTE: they won't stay open even if a car is in them! We almost had a very expensive rental car situation on our hands
). Even if the company you rent the house from tells you a parking permit is not required and that it is not a gated community, they are wrong (I am looking at you Andy from Executive Villas who I asked specifically about this before I left so I wouldn't have troubles on my night of arrival....)
So, that's my story of Storey Lake (ha!). Maybe some can avoid the troubles we did. I think I am still a onsite/Bonnet Creek girl but for the size of the group we had this time it suited us well. The price was right also--we certainly can't stay on property for $72 per family per night.
). Because it is a newer development there aren't many reviews or any information on it. Heck, even Google Maps still shows the area as a razed pile of dirt!We booked a 5 bedroom/5 bath through Executive Villas Florida for 12 nights. The total cost including pool heat was about $2600 and since we were splitting it 3 ways it worked out to be $875 per family. We had 3 kids in our group and 6 adults (if you count my 19yo sister as an adult but that's a discussion for another time
). The development itself is very very new. Parts are still under construction but not enough to cause any disturbance. The development is broken up into separately gated communities off the main road- there is one for permanent residents, one for town homes, one for vacation rental homes (The Hideaway Club-where we stayed) and it looks like one with condos is currently being built. The Hideaway Club is where the little water park is located. It is not as visually stunning as say, Reunion or Wyndham Bonnet Creek but it looks nice enough, just very simple looking and cookie cutter. Pros:
-The waterpark: It was nice and empty (unlike the Disney parks!): plenty of chairs and loungers available. It was small enough that you didn't have to hunt for the kids. I remember the water park at Reunion was pretty large and you could go for some time without seeing the little ones. That may or may not be a good thing
. At 5, 9, and 10 we were all glad we could keep eyes on the kiddos. The water slide is only available if a lifeguard is there which limits the hours. I think it didn't open until 1pm on one of the days we were there. There is no additional cost to use the water park. Outside food and drinks are prohibited (I certainly didn't smuggle some adult drinks and snacks in my bag ). The staff is incredibly friendly. Even though it is new and not really a hopping place like the other resorts we've stayed they are definitely trying to get it there. The service was A+ by all the staff.-Fairly close to parks: The development is off of Osceolla. Each park was about a 15 minute drive.
-Plenty of parking: I think they are aiming for multi-family vacation stays and have designed the driveways to accommodate for the extra vehicles. We had 2 in the driveway and 2 in the alcove on the street in front of the house and it fit just fine. Many other homes appeared to have large groups like we did.
Close to Publix/Walmart/Target: We were about 5 minutes from Publix which was great. In fact there is a 'secret' road directly across from the development that takes you on a straight path to it. The road doesn't look like it goes anywhere so it is confusing but then bam! there you are at Publix. Wal-Mart and Target are about 8 minutes away.
Two master bedrooms: Both were nice and spacious and had comfortable beds and plenty of extra bedding.
Heated pool!: Pay the extra money for the pool heat. Just do it. It was like bathwater and we used it almost every day. The kids were asking to NOT go to the Disney parks and instead swim at home or go to the resort water park.
Cons:
Open layout: it seems good until you get there and realize there is no where you can send the kids to play(Okay, to send them to stop annoying the adults
) that you can't hear them. The loft area with an additional TV upstairs is open to the main living/kitchen/dining. We sent the kids away only to yell at them a few minutes later "You guys! We told you to go upstairs and play!!!". They all popped their heads over the railing and hollered back "WE ARE!". We actually heard them more loudly upstairs!Along with this, the second master bedroom (where we were) is directly off of the main living area and shares 2 walls with the pool right outside. Everything, and I mean everything, that is done in the main areas of the house is heard even with the door shut. It is annoying if you aren't an early riser and the rest of your party is. We were up at 0700 the first few days listening to the children run like a stampede of elephants around, getting cereal, and swimming in the pool. We had to put out brutal threats to the next person swimming before 8am. And if we can hear them so well from our side of the door...well it's is a little unnerving and not that private for *ahem*...stuff
. Homes are *very* close: Not much privacy to be had here. Then again, how much time do you spend at the house?
WORST GATE IN THE HISTORY OF GATES: So, first and foremost, it IS a gated community. The gates are open during the daytime but close at 7pm I think. After this time you must scan in a parking pass that you get from a security booth that looks like it belongs to en entirely different community in the development (first right when coming in from the main rd). Every car must have one and go separately to get it with a copy of the rental agreement and a drivers license. Then, once you get this magical parking pass, good luck getting it to properly scan at the gate. The scanner is TERRIBLE. you basically have to hop on one foot, spin 3 times, say a chant, and hope for the best. Even then, it probably won't work. What ends up happening is a lineup of cars develops and the one car will try and fail, then let someone else have a go. Finally when someone with the magic touch gets it right all of the other cars rush in as fast as possible before the gates close again (NOTE: they won't stay open even if a car is in them! We almost had a very expensive rental car situation on our hands
). Even if the company you rent the house from tells you a parking permit is not required and that it is not a gated community, they are wrong (I am looking at you Andy from Executive Villas who I asked specifically about this before I left so I wouldn't have troubles on my night of arrival....)So, that's my story of Storey Lake (ha!). Maybe some can avoid the troubles we did. I think I am still a onsite/Bonnet Creek girl but for the size of the group we had this time it suited us well. The price was right also--we certainly can't stay on property for $72 per family per night.
