Windsor Palms vs Windsor Hills

[mommy2paris]

I am in the process of trying to narrow down our vacation rental for December. I have gotten great offers at Both Palms & Hills, and just can not decide which one to go with!!
We are traveling in december... We have 2 small dd's, who will be almost 2 & 4 when we travel. Both of the pools look nice, but I was thinking that the zero entry pool would be nice for the little one, so we don't have to hold her all the time... But, it may not be warm enough to swim while we are there...
The playground at Hills looks awesome!!

Has anyone stayed at both, or made a decision between the two?

I'm really trying to decide if it is worth the extra $100+ for the same size / type of unit, at Windsor Hills, vs Windsor Palms...

I have even made a spread sheet, with 40+ properties listed, with location, miles to disney, # of room / bathrooms, hot tub, pool, parking type, building, price, deposit,disney themed room, etc... and just can not make a decision.

Thanks for any opinions / help!!

 

[jjjmranch]

We liked Windsor Palms a lot. We were there in May 2008. The grounds were beautiful, the pool was great fr the boys (6 & 4) and it was five minutes away from AK. I like the fact that you didn't have to mess with renting a card for the pool. The sundry shop was well stocked. The boys liked the playground. It was nice and quiet.

Our condo was beautiful. Well taken care of, plenty of towels, pool toys, and a great guide to the area including directions to all the grocery stores.

Personal choice for you, I'd rather spend less than more!

 

[Tissa]

I've only stayed at Windsor Palms but it's a very nice place. I'd stay there again in a heart beat.

 

[KayR]

Windsor Palms does have a toddler pool which is separated from the main pool by a fence - I found it quite relaxing to be able to let my toddler play in there without having to worry about deeper water in the main pool.

The play area there is also is well shaded by trees.

Windsor Palms is also a smaller community and every home is walkable to the clubhouse.

Difference in distance/time from the two communities to the parks is minimal.


-Kay

 

[mncherokee]

My advice would be to go with who you are comfortable with. When we went in June, we chose a property because the owner was from Minnesota (where we live). I had a great comfort level knowing that I could make a local call to talk to them about any details for the trip. I would definately use them again because of the comfort level. Some owners have homes in both WH and WP so you would be able to choose different locations.

Another piece of advice... you sound a lot like me (gathering lots of info, creating spreadsheets)... set yourself a deadline of when you need to choose your property... choose it and stop looking at options! I know I drive myself crazy until I finalize something. (And there are many more fun details for your trip... like planning what you want to see at the parks). Get this piece behind you so you can focus on Disney

Lisa

 

[mommy2paris]

Thanks everyone!! I appreciate the input.

And you're right... It is driving me INSANE!!! I can not stay off the computer, and I feel like as soon as I make my decision, something better will pop up!!

 

[mncherokee]

Deals come and go... I know the best 'deal' might not be what you bargain for.

I hope you choose a place soon. Then you can go back to the listing and look forward to being there (that's what I did).

Good-luck! I'm cheering for you to find the perfect place!

Lisa

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We stayed at a single home in WP in 2005 and loved it. Since then a freeway has been built right along the neighborhood. I haven't stayed there since (we bought a TS in Kiss.) They had to move the original entrace to make room for the highway. This may add a little traffic noise. Maybe a recent traveler there can elaborate.

I've also read on the boards others who have had a strong sewage odor at WP. Apparently there is a pump station or some kind of sewage equipment nearby and just depends where you are and which way the wind is blowing. We did not have any issues with this when we stayed there and truthfully were really surprised to hear it since it seemed like a really nice place to us. We didn't go to the clubhouse or community pool since we had our own at the house.

We've never stayed at WH since we got a TS around the time WH was being built. I personally would pick WH just b/c it's newer.

 

[mncherokee]

Just wondering if you have made any decisions... I'm curious to know where you have decided to stay.

 

[deejay-55]

Both were built by the same developer, Windsor Hills is the newest and has a water slide and zero entry pool. You will enjoy either of them!

 

[bzlitme]

Have stayed at both and they are very nice. We enjoyed WP a little more because both times we were there, (Condo and house)we were close to the community clubhouse/pool and could walk easily. WH was bigger and when we stayed in a condo it was a haul to the pool area.

 

[cgb091234]

Just got back from WP (8-3/8-10/2008). Traveled with my son's baseball team, so we rented a lot of units. We rented from Villa Direct, and every single unit we rented was dirty when we arrived. The pools were dirty, the A/C didn't work in two of the units, there were bugs, one bed had been urinated on (and was still wet on arrival), some of the furniture and linens looked like they had been dragged out of the dump. Wondered why you couldn't find out the address for the unit you were renting, but turns out it's because you don't necessarily get the unit you were looking at when you booked on the internet. Management was not helpful and only agreed to refund the cleaning fee.

Now, the amenities and clubhouse were in perfect condition, so I think it might be possible to stay at Windsor Palms, but just through another management company. However, our experience was so bad that I'm not likely to forgive and forget. Whatever you do, stay away from Villa Direct.

 

[KayR]

Just got back from WP (8-3/8-10/2008). Traveled with my son's baseball team, so we rented a lot of units. We rented from Villa Direct, and every single unit we rented was dirty when we arrived. The pools were dirty, the A/C didn't work in two of the units, there were bugs, one bed had been urinated on (and was still wet on arrival), some of the furniture and linens looked like they had been dragged out of the dump. Wondered why you couldn't find out the address for the unit you were renting, but turns out it's because you don't necessarily get the unit you were looking at when you booked on the internet. Management was not helpful and only agreed to refund the cleaning fee.

Now, the amenities and clubhouse were in perfect condition, so I think it might be possible to stay at Windsor Palms, but just through another management company. However, our experience was so bad that I'm not likely to forgive and forget. Whatever you do, stay away from Villa Direct.

I am sorry to hear that you had problems with your management company. The problems you had were not a Windsor Palms issue but a management company issue. It IS possible to stay at Windsor Palms and have a great stay. Not all management companies are created equal!!!

-Kay

 

[mncherokee]

Just got back from WP (8-3/8-10/2008). Traveled with my son's baseball team, so we rented a lot of units. We rented from Villa Direct, and every single unit we rented was dirty when we arrived. The pools were dirty, the A/C didn't work in two of the units, there were bugs, one bed had been urinated on (and was still wet on arrival), some of the furniture and linens looked like they had been dragged out of the dump. Wondered why you couldn't find out the address for the unit you were renting, but turns out it's because you don't necessarily get the unit you were looking at when you booked on the internet. Management was not helpful and only agreed to refund the cleaning fee.

Now, the amenities and clubhouse were in perfect condition, so I think it might be possible to stay at Windsor Palms, but just through another management company. However, our experience was so bad that I'm not likely to forgive and forget. Whatever you do, stay away from Villa Direct.

Definitely a management issue... if you can go on VRBO and find the units you stayed in, you might want to contact the owners directly and let them know what happened. We booked direct from the owner at WP... and we did have a couple of issues on the property... which the management company (All Star Vacation Homes) did come out and address within 24 hours each time. However I also told the owners what was going on as well (we had an issue with a clothes dryer overheating) so that they could decide if they needed to replace it.

The dirty rooms are completely unacceptable... yuck! Ours were clean upon arrival and in the kitchen, they had set the table. It was so welcoming .

As for bugs, it depends upon if it is an infestation or simply a few that sneak in. Bugs are common in Orlando. Our property owner told us that they pay to spray weekly for bugs (someone else was complaining about the bugs in their unit while we were there, so I talked to our owner about it - we only had a few that I thought came in from outside)... again if there were bugs, you might want to let the owner know in case there is an issue of the management company not spraying.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Just got back from WP (8-3/8-10/2008). Traveled with my son's baseball team, so we rented a lot of units. We rented from Villa Direct, and every single unit we rented was dirty when we arrived. The pools were dirty, the A/C didn't work in two of the units, there were bugs, one bed had been urinated on (and was still wet on arrival), some of the furniture and linens looked like they had been dragged out of the dump. Wondered why you couldn't find out the address for the unit you were renting, but turns out it's because you don't necessarily get the unit you were looking at when you booked on the internet. Management was not helpful and only agreed to refund the cleaning fee.

Now, the amenities and clubhouse were in perfect condition, so I think it might be possible to stay at Windsor Palms, but just through another management company. However, our experience was so bad that I'm not likely to forgive and forget. Whatever you do, stay away from Villa Direct.

I have been hearing a lot of negatives about Villadirect on the dis. We haven't used them since 4/05. They were great back then and that last trip was actually the 4th time we used them. (We bought a timeshare in Kissimmee.)
Back then you could choose the specific home. All 4 times the home was exactly as pictured online. (We loved the one house so much, we stayed there 3x. mmmmmm....Palm Palace!) I think last time I looked at their website, they made many changes and also offer 2 tiers of pricing with higher price to pick your own and cheaper if you let them place you.

Either way the place should be clean and I would def. try to find a way to inform the owners. I'm sure they'd like to hear feedback and want their renters to be happy.

 

[KayR]

cgb091234

If you can PM or email me the addresses of the homes that you stayed at, I should be able to locate the owners and pass on your comments so that the owners know the status of their homes.

I have already notified the WP owners who keep in touch via a WP Owners forum, but not all WP owners read that (and the ones that do are not likely to be the ones that have Villa Direct as their ManCo!)


-Kay

 

[mncherokee]

I am in the process of trying to narrow down our vacation rental for December. I have gotten great offers at Both Palms & Hills, and just can not decide which one to go with!!


Mommy2Paris.... Hello, wondering if you have made a selection... (curious... and wishing I was in the position to be going again!)

 

[mommy2paris]

No I haven't!!!
Dh isn't being any help either!! He just keeps telling me they all look the same, lol! (his way of getting out of making a decison!)

I'll keep you updated! I need to set myself a time limit, and get to work!

 

[mncherokee]

Actually, they might really look the same to DH... most are built around the same time and when you get there... they do look alike!

Here's an idea... narrow the choices down to 2-3 and show your kids the virtual tour and see if they have some input. Even a toddler can tell you if they would like to sleep in an animal themed room or a Mickey themed room.

Good luck! Still rooting for you!

 

[anabella]

We are traveling in december... We have 2 small dd's, who will be almost 2 & 4 when we travel. !

show the kids the WH payground and they will decide ver fast!

http://windsorhillsresort.blogspot.com/