As deliveries are often late NOR do we assume responsibility for any deliveries, we DO NOT RECOMMEND MAILING ANYTHING TO THE HOMES. Further, as these properties are vacation rentals full-time, and to avoid receiving junk mail, we have blocked United States Postal Service (USPS) deliveries entirely. Only United Parcel Service (UPS) or FedEx will delivery to the properties. Amazon typically ships via USPS, so you're order WILL NOT ARRIVE TO YOU, it will likely be returned to sender by the Postmaster.
We often hear that the best memories are created at our vacation homes, so be sure to plan some "down" time for kids to play, adults to talk, and maybe a fun group activity!
* Costume contest (Yes, there are costumes for adults, too!). We have wigs, helmets, weapons, shoes, and accessories for most of the costumes! Each participant wins a small treat with a unique honor (" most creative / authentic / cutest / scariest / prettiest / manliest, etc.)
* Swimming/Pool games like "Marco Polo", lap swimming / belly flops / rescuing diving sticks / "Sharks & Minnows", etc.
* Wildlife tour around the villa or to the neighborhood pond on Star Lake View Road, watching for wild bunnies, ducks, 4ft tall sand crane birds, geckos, frogs, turtles
* Disney breakfast with all the Mickey, Star Wars, Princessd wafflemakers & Star Wars toaster on Disney kids' plastic dinnerware
* Family Christmas card photo, with everyone in the family dressed to a specific theme in that room (ie., Star Wars, Cinderella, Harry Potter, etc.)
* Put the kids to bed, and have an adult soak in the hot tub with your favorite drinks and no interruptions!
* Play video games that everyone can join in on (Singstar Karaoke, Just Dance, Disney Infinity, etc.)
* Family board games tournament (Risk, Clue, Monopoly, Memory, Chess, puzzles)
There are not many good options for most travellers to Disney parks. Guests who live in Europe or abroad may find better pricing by buying in your home country; Military discounts may be for active or retired personnel through Disney directly; Florida residents can save by showing their Florida ID or proof of residency; www.undercovertourist.com may save you a few bucks by purchasing in advance online, and has a 365 day guarantee. Sea World often has KILLER deals by buying in advance online, especially for Black Friday. Certainly, the more days purchased on a pass to any of the parks, the cheaper each day's entrance fee is (a 10 day pass is only about $60 more than a 5 day pass to Disney!). Passess allow travellers to avoid what we call "marathon days" at the parks: 14-16 hour days at the parks for 5 days in a row is not enjoyable for most people! Several hours a day for 10 separate days at Disney, with time at the villa to play and swim or head to the beach, might be preferable. Sometimes, warehouse stores like Sam's Club or Costco offer a discount for purchasing Disney gift cards.
Most likely you will want to reserve the villa long before airplane availability shows up online. If your dates are fixed and exact, we recommend reserving more than a year in advance, especially for busier seasons like holidays and summer, and/or stays that are longer than one week. Also, larger groups typically need more time to coordinate work and school schedules. A smaller group or those reserving a shorter stay (2-4 nights) with flexible dates may be able to snag a deal by booking last minute available gaps between other set reservations in our calendars. Contact us directly for these deals.
That depends on the age of your kids, how many parks you want to see, whether this is a one-time trip, how much it costs you to arrive in Orlando, theme park crowding during your travel dates, etc, etc. See a detailed answer for this in our "Insider Tips" link!
Drive times:
*Disney Maingate West Entrance: 2 miles/5 minutes
*Disney Parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood, Animal Kingdom): 10 minutes
*Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney): 15 minutes
*Sea World: 20+ minutes
*Universal Studios: 30+ minutes
*Legoland: 50+ minutes
*NASA: 1hr 15+ minutes
*Beaches: 1 hr 10+ minutes minimum (see "Insider Tips" for specific beaches)
If you take the 417 toll road, it's about 25 min drive. While the 417 toll drive is a snap, airport TSA at MCO can take an hour or MORE!!! Plan on AT LEAST 30 minutes through TSA if you don't have CLEAR. From Sanford Airport, plan for at least 1 hr 15 min drive.
To/from the Orlando Airport (MCO), we strongly recommend 417 toll Road, to avoid unpredictable traffic on I-4. Be sure to bring about $16 cash for a round-trip drive to the villa from the airport. We recommend 417 Toll South, then I-4 West, exit at the [Disney] World Drive exit, Left on Griffen Rd, Left on Irlo Bronson Highway 192, and use a driving app for directions from there~!
See our "Insider Tips" for helpful advice!
Yes, the pools are always heated to a comfortable temperature (typically 87 degree F in the summer, and as high as 90-92 F in the winter). If you want the temperature changed, please contact the owners first, as sometimes there is a particular reason temperature cannot be raised. Altering temps without owner instruction and permission may break the automated systems, and will become your financial responsibility.
You will receive an informational check-in email the day you are scheduled to check-in. It will include a digital code for your entry through a keypad lock at the front door. You will check yourselves in at the villa.
In almost all cases, the damage deposit is refunded within two weeks. Rare exceptions are required when some or all of the damage deposit must be withheld until damages are fixed and paid, so that the dollar amount to be withheld is known.
Yes, but we are constantly replacing as they are used very frequently. We try to provide at least two at each property: light single and one heavy duty double. The double will have canopy umbrellas with storage underneath.
Yes!
*Each bathroom has a hairdryer
*An ironing board and iron is provided
*Pool towels may be used at the beach or water parks, but bring them back to the villa and wash them!
*Five or more beach chairs are available to pack with you for relaxing on the sand (please rinse and put them away after use)
*Pool toys, baby floats, and small life jackets for very young children are stored by the pool for your use
Check-in is after 4 PM, and check-out is by 10 AM. If you want to be certain you can check-in early or later, reserve the night before or after your stay, to ensure it's yours when you need it. Otherwise, we always offer FREE early check-in or late check-out IF IT'S AVAILABLE. Most times it is not. If we are turning over the villa for another guest on the same day, we cannot ever offer later or earlier time changes, as the housekeeping crew and management will need the full six hours between guests to make the house sparkle again. Frequently, although the property is not changing the same day, we use the available time for handyman projects, carpet cleans, painting, maintenance issues, etc., and the property won't be ready to receive guests early or late. To request a late chekc-out or early check-in, please message the owner as the time nears for your stay (a week or so in advance).
If you only have an hour or two, perhaps gathering your groceries before check-in makes good use of time. A longer day is well spent at the beach or at Disney Springs, both of which are FREE, so you need not feel that an expensive day at the parks was only partially used. With children at Disney Springs, spend time at the "marketplace" section (Lime parking), where there a fun themed reastaurants, Disney toys/merchandise/crafts/arts shops, Lego store, and more. Disney Springs is a 15 minute drive.
Absolutely, at your own expense. Our housekeepers will want to clean the property on a day you are away, however, so please schedule for when you will be gone for 8 or more hours from the villa. A full clean is the same price as your departure cleaning fee, and of includes laundering sheets and towels, making up beds, and scrubbing bathrooms/kitchen/floors. A partial clean does not include laundering any linens (sheets and towels), and costs $75 less than the full. Message us to arrange for these services.
Yes, before the stay. You may not ever bring more than an absolute maximum of 20 guests total. Yes, babies count! NIghtly pricing is for 16 or fewer guests; each additional guest beyond 16 is an extra $20 per person, per night. If you're uncertain whether a guest might be coming, please include them on the rental agreement, so that the rental agreement won't require future modifications. Guests named on the rental agreement who do not come to the villa do not need to be deleted.
The closest shopping is at Wal-Mart on Old Lake Wilson Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34747, at less than a mile away! It is the BUSIEST WAL-MART IN THE WORLD, so consider taking advantage of their curbside pickup, delivery, and 7AM grocery shopping, LOL. You will pass it heading to Disney or the theme parks, and that's the good reason it's always so busy. Within 10 minutes drive, you will find Super Target, and two Publix stores. Sam's Club is about 20 minutes drive in Kissimmee, and Costco is about 45 minutes away in Orlando. Amazon Prime NOW is a great service for grocery or odd items delivered within two hours of order! Must have an Amazon Prime account to use this service. PLEASE ENSURE ANY DELIVERIES ARE SCHEDULED FOR AFTER YOUR SCHEDULED ARRIVAL AT THE VILLA. We do not assume responsibility for any deliveries.
Damage that is excessive of normal wear and tear, or theft. Excessive filth, breaking appliances, furniture, stained linens, or broken or missing valuables. We expect the villa to be left in broom-clean condition (mopping and scrubbing are not necessary). Toys and dress-ups need to be put away, dishes cleaned and stocked in cabinets, garbage taken out, and we always appreciate if you start a load of laundry before you leave. It is expected that housekeeping may take up to six hours to clean the entire home after your stay, but required cleaning in excess of this standard time will be retained from the damage deposit.