Tell me about Windsor Hills

[ilovefh]

A friend has recently asked me to help him plan a trip for him and his family. There will be 9 total people. It will be friend and his girlfriend, his dad and his girlfriend, sister and her daughter and sister and her 2 kids.

We always have either stayed on property or we have lived there so I don't have too much experience with offsite accommodations.

I know one sister won't be able to contribute much so I think they want to try and keep prices down. I found some nice looking Windsor Hills homes for around $1000 for the week. Disney would be more for just one value room! (at rack rate because there aren't any discounts for their time period right now)

So why do you like Windsor Hills? Is it proximity? I know where it is because we used to drive past it going to 192 all the time. Is there any sort of community pool that would appeal to kids 15, 13 and 6? What makes Windsor Hills superior in your opinion?

 

[Breezy91257]

I’ve been to Florida 4 times now at different times of the year – We always stay in the same house because we had such a great experience from booking right through the entire stay, we’ve never really felt the need to change.


Windsor Hills itself is great – if not the closest, one of the closest to the parks (Animal Kingdom is just marginally closer) but you’re looking at less than 10 minutes to Magic Kingdom. The surroundings are just beautiful. So well maintained and totally idyllic. It’s a gated community with 24/7 security which always nice to have!

The house we stay in has a private pool & hot tub overlooking the lake which is gorgeous – (this is the link to the house) https://www.facebook.com/OrlandoLakefrontVilla?fref=ts , but the complex also has a community pool just across the way. They have a slide for kids and it’s a really good size. They also sometimes have entertainment at the weekends in that area which is fun. We’ve only seen that in the summer months. There is also a cinema on site and gym (I must admit we’ve never used them). I’m an avid runner and have jogged around the streets which are really nice. There is a basketball or tennis court area that I’ve seen and possibly badminton or volleyball! Again, I’ve never used them so can’t be sure that’s exactly the sports they cater to.


The 192 is really close too – there are SO many places to eat and shop near there which is a benefit. You’re never far from anything at Windsor Hills but still far enough that you are out of the hustle and bustle of the surrounding areas.

Let me know if you want any more info about anything specific and I’ll try to help – as a general overview – these are the reasons we keep going back.

 

[100AcreWood]

I'm staying in Windsor Hills again this Fall. It will be our 2nd visit there. I like the location not only to the parks but to grocery stores and restaurants too.

 

[Dave1234]

Hi - Windsor Hills is probably the most popular short term rental resort i Orlando. This is due to it being the closest to Disney at only 2 miles. Its also relatively compact, its secure gated and has a fantastic clubhouse pool area. A large sprawling community pool with zero entry for toddlers. Most of the homes are rented to holidaymaker/vacationers so it has a real resort feel. It also has a great home owners association so is well run and well looked after. Hope that helps. Some useful info on here about the resort and a good selection of properties:

http://www.windsorhillsprivaterentals.com/windsor-hills-resort/

Would highly recommend, we've stayed o many occasions.

Dave

 

[ilovefh]

Thanks all. I'm not sure what their budget will be and there are some places in Davenport that are about half of the Windsor Hills price and they're not that much farther out.

I'm just trying to see if Windsor Hills offers anything more, besides proximity, than these others neighborhood offer.

 

[Breezy91257]

I guess the biggest/most important thing it offers for us is security. A dear friend of ours was robbed a few years back staying in a cheaper resort and the whole ordeal left us a little nervous the first couple of times we visited. Windsor Hills is the only place they are now comfortable staying because of the security.

The proximity is also a huge bonus, not just to the parks but to everything! Food establishments, grocery stores, malls etc. We felt central to everything.

 

[Dave1234]

Thanks all. I'm not sure what their budget will be and there are some places in Davenport that are about half of the Windsor Hills price and they're not that much farther out.

I'm just trying to see if Windsor Hills offers anything more, besides proximity, than these others neighborhood offer.

Like OP says Windsor Hills is a gated community so very secure entry through manned gate. Communities in Davenport are not gated and are more residential. Windsor Hills is so close to Disney and it also has a fantastic pool area. Hope that helps. If you just want a villa and intend to spend your time at the villa in the pool and at Disney and not too bothered about on site facilities could try Highlands Reserve. Here's the same site I sent you above but for that resort:

http://www.highlandsreserveprivaterentals.com/

Highlands will be a lot cheaper than WH and no less quality accomodation but it's further out. A lot depends on your preferences. Hope that helps.

 

[ilovefh]

Thanks all! I don't know yet what their priorities will be. They may surprise me and say they want to splurge on onsite rooms. We always stay onsite because we are DVC. If this was us looking for a house we would go for cheaper only because we go in February and it's cool then and park hours are short so we don't come back to the room during the day nor do we have any "rest days." So basically we need a place to sleep, make and eat breakfast and a living room to relax in after the kids go to bed.

They may want to work in some down time and some amenities to enjoy. I'm not worried about security. Like I said, we lived in Davenport for 3.5 years so we know which areas are not safe. We've driven by Windsor Hills thousands of time because we used Old Lake Wilson to get to DAK and BB and home again, sometimes just to get to 192 and DH used to drive it 5 days each week to get to work. We have just never been inside! That's why I wasn't sure if proximity was it's only draw. If their money is tight and they are not looking for amenities, saving $400 and adding a few minutes to the drive is worth it. But, if they want amenities outside their house spending the $400 and getting a place with amenities is worth it.

 

[quagmire0]

When it comes to price and proximity, I haven't found a better deal than Windsor Hills. It's a pretty straight shot to the parks, you can find a lot of good deals on properties, and the resort is well kept.