What do you need to bring to a rental home?

We put this on our website FAQs for guests, your mileage may vary from home-home but this is very typical of what most rental homes provide:

Is there anything that is not provided?
There are a few things you'll want to either pack or pick up locally upon your arrival. We provide only a "starter" quantity of hand soap and toilet tissue. Personal items like toothpaste, bath soaps, shampoo, etc. are not provided, for hygiene reasons. Also, smaller consumable items like dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, paper towels, trash bags, etc. are also not provided. We also do not provide items like coffee, tea, or any type of consumables or food, as people's taste vary from person-person, you should expect to find the refrigerator empty and clean upon arrival. The cleaning company removes any such items left behind as each guest leaves the units (this is the common practice in Florida). When we first booked a townhome we wondered why certain items such as these were not left behind, then we learned that this is the common practice, so want our guests to know what to expect to provide themselves in advance.

What is provided in the home?

Our home is fully furnished and equipped for your vacation enjoyment. There are two sets of sheets for each bedroom and two sets of towels for each bath. Pillows, blankets and other necessities are provided. Both master suites are also equipped with a hairdryer and alarm clock/radios. We do also provide 8 pool towels, these need to be returned to the unit if you take them to the clubhouse pool. All kitchen utensils are provided including plates, cups, bowls, glasses, silverware, toaster, blender, teapot, coffee maker, and pots and pans. There is a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave and a stove/oven. For your laundry/cleaning needs a washer and dryer are provided along with an ironing board and iron. The house is equipped with small hotel soaps and 1 roll of toilet tissue in each bath. If you are staying more than a couple of days, you will want to purchase additional supplies.

Where can I pick up any extra sundry items I need?

Our home is located just minutes from US 192 where numerous supermarkets and superstores are found. There is a Publix supermarket located 2 miles West of Old Lake Wilson Road on highway 192 and a Winn-Dixie at Formosa Gardens Plaza, just West of Old Lake Wilson Road on highway 192. There are also 3 Wal-Marts and a Super Target within a short driving distance, well as numerous convenience stores located on US 192. Also nearby are stores such as Walgreen's (drug store), and many others, so obtaining nearly anything you should need while vacationing should be quite easy, and a whole lot less expensive than staying on the Disney properties and eating out all the time with no kitchen!

Here is a map of US-192 and all the stores on it:
http://www.kissimmee-us192.com/map/ushwy192mapindex.htm

Windsor Hills Resort is on section 2, the "shortcut" road to WDW is on this map also, Sherberth.

Here's another great idea...don't feel like spending time at the grocery store when you arrive? Pre-order it all and have it delivered right to your vacation home from http://www.gardengrocer.com/ !! This company is like what we call "Peapod" here in Chicago. You can pre-order all of your groceries online and have them delivered anywhere in the Disney Resort area whenever you would like!! The groceries cost the same as going to the store yourself, and are of high quality, and they charge you only $10 for delivery... if you spend over $200 then delivery is free! It's so convenient to do all of your shopping online before you ever even leave home so you're not wasting time at the store when you arrive! (They even bring them into the home for you!)
 
Yeah, I forgot DVD's. Another is video game if the house you're renting has a system. The house we're renting has XBox and PS2, so I've picked up a few games when Burger King had them, and gotten a few more for a couple dollars at garage sales and used ones at GameStop. With 3 boys 12-15, I'm sure we'll get some use out of them, and will just leave them at the house since we don't have those consoles at home. We don't plan to have them spend a lot of time playing video games, but for relaxing in the evenings, and just in case someone gets sick, I want to be prepared!

Some of you mention Publix. Is Walmart cheaper and easier to get to from Emerald Island? That's what I was planning on. Would Publix be more for quick runs?

You may want to check and see if they have these items? We have 2 different game systems in our home and an assortment of games, we add every time we go down. Also we have a library of movies and add every time we go down for our guests. Might be lighter packing in some cases. Ask about the extras in the home. Towels and such take up so much room. A guest of our reduced her packing by a suitcase because the last home she rented had no pool towels. We owners love to chat about our homes so leave no question unanswered.
 
I used wegoshop for my groceries..LOVED IT!! The first year I went I wandered my way through Publix looking for this and that. It took alot of time. Last year I ordered from wegoshop and the kids were able to play in the pool while I awaited delivery.

We ordered mostly perishable stuff from them...but the most important things were the gallon jugs of water!! I hate the tap water in the Orlando area!!

We brought paper products and laundry products with us. Also personal hygiene stuff. A good thing to have is a container of the clorax wipes. They came in handy. Don't forget a first aid kit...very good to have on hand. We always keep one in my truck. The first house we rented didn't have one the second one had one. So you could always ask.

Oh-Nightlights!! I always get up to check on the kids so I really liked having a bunch of nightlights to put throughout the house. Saved me from stubbing toes!!

Kimba
 
Thanks for all the help! Has anyone used Garden Grocer? I just went through and easily came up with over $200 (okay, over $300 :rotfl: ) for our 2 week stay. Are they reliable? Do you tip them? How much? Would an adult have to be there or would they deliver to a teen? How do their prices compare to normal Florida prices (say at the Walmart)? They seem high to me, but probably anything would. Are they unusually high? Thanks!
 

I don't know about garden grocer, but wegoshop needed an adult there. I was given the actual receipt they received at the store so I knew nothing was marked up. I did tip them...$20 I think. The prices I got were comparable to where I live in NJ so I wasn't too shocked.

Kimba
 
Thanks for all the help! Has anyone used Garden Grocer? I just went through and easily came up with over $200 (okay, over $300 :rotfl: ) for our 2 week stay. Are they reliable? Do you tip them? How much? Would an adult have to be there or would they deliver to a teen? How do their prices compare to normal Florida prices (say at the Walmart)? They seem high to me, but probably anything would. Are they unusually high? Thanks!


If you are a member of Sams club you can order on there click and pull website, call make sure they have received your order and go pick it up all pulled off shelves and ready to be put in your car.

I read you are staying 2 weeks this is what we do and it works out great. We purchase a lot of cases of water.
 








Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE


New Posts





DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top Bottom