Vacation / Pool Homes: The only way to go!

[djkeenan]

This is only our 2nd day here, but we've already decided never to come to FL again and stay in a hotel or time share if there is a vacation home available.

DW and I are here with my 2 sisters and their families. We've already decided that this place would be a great deal at 3 times the price. The pool is great, the rooms are big, the beds are comfy, everything is clean and the place is every bit as lovely as the photos on their web site. We couldn't be happier!

Got to throw some steaks on the grill... more later!

 

[isla bonita]

Not surprised that you are having the time of your life at the pool home. We also stayed in one and decided that it would be a great investment. We have not been sorry. We now vacation with family and friends and have memories that will last all our lives and that is priceless.

 

[mbb]

This is only our 2nd day here, but we've already decided never to come to FL again and stay in a hotel or time share if there is a vacation home available.

DW and I are here with my 2 sisters and their families. We've already decided that this place would be a great deal at 3 times the price. The pool is great, the rooms are big, the beds are comfy, everything is clean and the place is every bit as lovely as the photos on their web site. We couldn't be happier!

Got to throw some steaks on the grill... more later!

So glad you're having a wonderful time!!

*sigh*...only how many more days?
It's snowing here tonight!

Enjoy the steaks!!

 

[Mainebound]

I am so glad you are enjoying yourselves. You are describing exactly how we felt when we rented our first pool home. It was like "My gosh! We can go to WDW and have a relaxing vacation and not spend $8,000.00"! Hope the rest of your trip is just as great.

 

[Maria395712]

I want to try one
maria

 

[isla bonita]

DJKeenan
I have a question if you care to answer?
What magic do you miss?
What I am asking is when you stay on site what do you really enjoy that in a pool home you do not get?
This information could help future guests if it is possible. So try to be specific if you would.
thanks Deb
If you would rather PM me that would be fine.

 

[Zip-a-dee-dude-da]

It might be me but I dont want to stay in someones house and cook dinner. I want to look out the window at a beutiful local. I want to come back to a clean room at the end of the day. I want to swim in a large pool and get a drink at a poolside bar. Vacation is not about cooking my own mwals or making my bed. Its about paying someone else to do these things for me.

Enjoy your pool home...I want a hotel.

 

[Hillbeans]

We stayed at a pool home for our "Grand Gathering" this past July. I had not thought we'd have as good of a time being off-site, however with the large group we were, hotel rooms would not have allowed the group of us to spend as much time together.

We stayed at Emerald Island, and had a pool home. I wasn't too keen on cooking my own dinners, but after getting traveler's tummy (and I was 7 mos pregnant) it was nice to cook a meal every so often.

Don't get me wrong, next year DH and I are staying at the Beach Club, but I was surprised that I still had the "magic" on that trip - probably because we went with DH's family - all of whom had never been to Florida let alone WDW. Unfortunately my Father in law just passed away last week so the trip holds a lot of wonderful memories for us.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

It might be me but I dont want to stay in someones house and cook dinner. I want to look out the window at a beutiful local. I want to come back to a clean room at the end of the day. I want to swim in a large pool and get a drink at a poolside bar. Vacation is not about cooking my own mwals or making my bed. Its about paying someone else to do these things for me.

Enjoy your pool home...I want a hotel.

Well stay in a hotel!! for some of us, myself speaking ,vacationing means time away from the everyday norm. We would still be waiting to visit Disney if I had to pay on site 2 room rate. But because of the option to rent condo, villas, pool home it makes for us to beable to have a vacation. No, I dont feel like a slave or any less than I am on vacation because we cook or I am in someone elses home, I feel like I am on vacation when we enter the theme park and my kids jump up and down and get soo excited to be their. That is the beauty of having choices, there is always so many options.

We feel like this in a hote but this in a condo/home

 

[BonnieA]

I don't cook when I'm in a pool home or a condo. I eat out, I bring food in or just fix a quick breakfast of cereal, or a microwave meal.
Making a bed? What's the big deal. You throw the covers back into position or close the bedroom door.
I'm there for the extra space and convenience.

 

[minnie29uk]

all the extras you get in a vacation home - free phonecalls,Internet,games Room,your own bedrooms with TVs in each room etc....surely are such a treat.For 4 or more people,you are making a saving.So yu could put that towards a few extra cleans during your stay by all means.
But everybody is different - what i would hope - is that people wouldnt comment on a vacation home till theyve stayed in one...Id find it hard anyone could be disappointed in one of our vacation homes for rent

Lynn

 

[disneysteve]

What magic do you miss?
What I am asking is when you stay on site what do you really enjoy that in a pool home you do not get?

I'll give my answer to this.

In a pool home, we miss absolutely nothing compared to staying onsite. As far as we are concerned, all of the compromises come with staying onsite. Offsite, we get far nicer accomodations, way more space, multiple bedrooms, tvs, vcr, kitchen with full fridge for snacks and water bottles (we don't usually cook either), somewhere for DW and I to hang out other than the bedroom after DD goes to sleep, somewhere for DD to hang out without disturbing us if she wakes before us, private pool with no kids running, screaming, and splashing, no noise from the room next door or the room above us, our own washer and dryer, etc.

Staying onsite means being crammed into one room, sharing one bathoom, one tv, no fridge (or maybe a little cube one), no washer and dryer, no private pool or hot tub, no space to relax after a long day in the parks or on an off day. And being in one room, it means less sleep since either we disturb DD or she disturbs us. Hey, we don't sleep together at home. Why should we do it on vacation?

Oh, I forgot to add, in a pool home we don't have to deal with a maid coming in and cleaning and moving stuff around. We can unpack on arrival, spread out and relax. The place doesn't get that dirty in a week's time. We don't clean our house every day. We certainly don't need our room cleaned every day.

 

[JANNYANS]

Good answer Steve !
Staying in a pool home doesn't have to mean hours of cleaning and cooking but each to their own - the choice is ours to make .

 

[LauraAnn630]

We have a 5 bdrm villa with a gameroom including a pooltable, private pool and hot tub! Everyone had there own bathroom! For 11 nights!

We wont be cooking to much. Only what we want to do. We will be there for Christmas and New Years. Ill reserve a ham for Christmas.

They will come in a clean if we want them to. I dont think that will be nessesary tho.

Last year I was sitting out at the pool all alone waiting for the clothes to
finish. This year I will be at home!

We can bring our own adult beverages!! WooooHOOOO!

 

[chip91]

they are a great way to spend your vacation!!!

Cost wise? We lucked out & split it 3 ways because we had 3 different families, so for my family of 5, we spent 325.00 for 7 nights! Which I could not compare too staying onsite..NOT to say, I don't want to try onsite because I do at least 1x! But, it was great to have our own pool, our fridge for snacks, washer & dryer were worth their weight in gold, I would just throw in 1 load a night & it would be dry in the morning, I would fold it that night when we came back..Would we have used EMH? Yes, but LEH? No way, we were too exhausted from the heat (early Oct 2005, HOT & HUMID!) the longest it took us to get to/fro our rental home was 25 minutes at night (that was from the time we got in our vehicle in the parking lot to the rental) I don't think that is too bad..1st morning, we had ADR's at CRT, we made it their in 15 minutes b/c we left so early worried about traffic, there really wasn't any.. We were able to access the Sherberth Road exit (thanks to some wonderful DIS'ers who gave me that tip!) and it helped immensely!!

I guess it's different strokes for different folks, and what you want out of your vacation experience!

Chip

 

[jeff968]

I'm spoiled by the room as well but make mine a nice timeshare location like a Marriott Villa. i enjoy the scheduled events for all members of the family if we choose to participate and all the resort amenities. My wife and I play tennis so you'll find us on the court. My son likes the remote control cars races, my youngest daughter likes the craft and activity center and my oldest daughter hangs by the pools and reads. We all have fun at the parties and BBQs or enjoy the entertainment poolside that is provided. Or you can just stroll or bike the beautiful, secure resort. To me it's the best. IMHO.

 

[kilee]

We've always enjoyed our pool home stays a lot too. I can say I didn't cook for any of them though. I think my mom made breakfast during our 1 stay- but I can't be sure. We always do breakfast in our hotel room or pool home-- so this is way easier in a pool home rental.

My favorite things were: The washer/dryer, the extra space and bathrooms, and the private pool.
Things I missed: Maid service-- it costs too much to pay extra for this. That is about it.
The prices are so comparable. I think it's a great way to go.

 

[rijaka]

We are looking into the pool home right now for 2 families, 9 altogether. Did it make any difference to you if the pool home is a 5 minutes or 10-15 minutes?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

We are looking into the pool home right now for 2 families, 9 altogether. Did it make any difference to you if the pool home is a 5 minutes or 10-15 minutes?

Hi we are from the UK and visit Florida every year, we always rent a private villa.
I think if you stay just off the 192 in Kissimmee you will be fine.

Personally I think providing it doesn't take more than 15 minutes or so to get to Disney and Universal that's okay.

We love the extra room/freedom/private pool and cooking facilities - and would never go back to a hotel.

The only downside is you have to drive everywhere, even if you want to go out for a drink in the evening.
However, other than that they are perfect.

 

[JANNYANS]

Most of the communities are 15-20 mins maximum drive from the Park area so look for a home that offers you what you need for your family rather than where it is. All areas are good .