Villa Owners..or anyone who knows?

[BrittnTylersMom]

We have decided to rent a Villa! I'm so glad to have found out about all the new villas that are available now, rather than the hotels we always stayed at before! I've looked at what must be 1000+ villas (online) in the last week...They're all so beautiful!! I'm having such a hard time deciding on which is "The One" for us.

My questions.. if you can, Please help me!:

What does WC mean? ...I've seen quite a few villas list a WC room..I have no idea what that is.

How established is Highway 27? ...Is it set up like Hwy 192 and International Drive..full of shops, restaurants, etc?...or are things few and far between?

Is there a certain reason why people seem to avoid going in May?? ..When checking online availability calendars, there are plenty of bookings for April and June, but May is almost always empty! What am I unaware of??.. do killer bees strike the area at that time or something?

Pool heat in May? ..Is it required/recommended?? ..or would we be okay without it?

Sorry this is so long, this is my first time making all the trip plans for our family, and it's our first time staying at a villa. I want the trip to be 'just perfect'!

 

[MalcolmC]

Hi BrittnTylersMom.

As a UK villa owner on US 27 I reckon I can answer all of your questions.

WC stands for Water Closet or toilet or lavatory - in the US of A, a bathroom or restroom etc. Often described as 1/2 a bathroom in villa-speak!

US 27 is nothing like 192 or I-Drive.

It is relatively undeveloped compared to them, although there is continuous construction of shopping centers, strip malls etc. Depending where you are on 27 there can be lots of restaurants ( Baseball City and Haines City areas) or next to nothing!

Well, April is Easter time when the schools in the UK close for two weeks, so its always pretty well booked up from the UK.

Late June, again, is usually the start of school summer holidays (in Scotland anyway) and many people pull their kids out a week or two early to try and get a cheaper holiday.

May falls in between the two and so is fairly quiet although there are half-term holidays at the end of May, but not many people go to Florida at this time.

Pool heat in May? Depends a lot on the weather and whether you like a hot pool. I know we would normally put ours on but I don't think it would be all that cold. You should be able to get heating switched on, once you are in your villa, anyway.

Hope that helps

 

[JANNYANS]

Brittntylersmom

I quite agree with all Malcolm has said and would add that highway 27 now has a Publix not far from the junction with the 192 it is not as developed as 192 or I-Drive but thats its beauty and it is well situated for access to all the parks and the coasts via the I-4.As he says May is a nothing month here in uk so people have free dates the lull after and before the storm so to speak.As for the pool if your owner has a cover on you may not need it heated as the cover will keep in any heat built up during the day .

 

[kilee]

We stayed in a a house off 27 this past Oct. It was just a quick drive to 192. Not really much of a problem at all, unless you want to be able to walk to things. In that case, most of the villas won't work for you. Mainly because they aren't usually on the main highway like the hotels. As for May-- it's a slower season in Orlando in general. Pretty much up until Memorial Day.

 

[Sarahsmom85]

I just wanted to add my two cents. Can I have them back when I'm done, I'm saving for Disney.

In May normally lots of things are happening to keep familie at home and busy, for example, dance recital, soccer, school baseball & softball teams, high school- proms, senior class events, finals, graduations. 1st communion and conformations
All the things that go on during the school yr are coming to an end.
I know for the past few yrs I had no free weekends in May without a childs activity going on.

 

[spiceycat]

May and September have something called "love bugs" - they can't hurt people but can damage your car - so just bring lots of car window wash (so you can see) and be prepared to wash your car.

May can be pretty crowded at the parks - so the early you can go the better.

here is some more information.
http://www.floridaenvironment.com/programs/fe00508.htm

if you are driving you might start to see them before you even get to Florida. they are now in the southern parts of Ga and AL

some more
http://www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/lovebugs.htm

despite these I go to WDW quite often in May and September....very nice time to visit.

 

[marybet]

We rented a villa last May 16 to 23rd. The grandchildren, ages 9 and 10 loved the pool. We did not use the heat and it was fine. It is hard to pick from all the villas. We got a great last minute deal, about five weeks before we left. Had not wanted to put down a non-refundable deposit in March because of the war in Iraq. Someone had cancelled so we got a great price and it was so much nicer than a hotel. We had 4 bedrooms and 3 baths and it worked out really well.

May is a great time to go to WDW. The weather is good and it is not crowded because the kids are still in school. We even went to the MK on a Sat., got there around 4, we had PS for 6 at Liberty Tree Tavern. Thought we would just look around but we rode Space Mountain, Buzz and the HM all before our PS. I thougt there would be crowds on a Sat. but it was great. I hope you have a wonderful time.