We are just back from our stay at a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo (Fireworks View, 402). I know that when I was looking into renting for our trip, I loved reading reviews- though there seemed not to be any that were very recent. So, I decided to do my own.
Location-
I had read varying things about how long it could take to get to the main gates of WDW. Realistically, it felt no longer to me than staying at some of the actual Disney properties. Generally, we would plan on leaving the condo at 8am to be at the front of the line for the 9am open. Mind you, we stopped along the way to get me coffee and were wrangling 2 small kids (and all the comes with them). I would estimate it is about a 10 or 15 minute drive from parking lot to parking lot.
Windsor Hills-
I like the fact that it is a gated community. Security was pleasant and helpful. The pool and the hot tub were clean, albeit smaller than what I thought it would be. Yes, there is a playground, but it was far enough (and hot enough) from our actual condo that we just never checked it out.) The water slide was perfectly sized for my 7 year old. The grounds themselves were impeccable- never once did I see a piece of trash anywhere.
Vacation Central Florida Condo-
I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the condo was. It did have a slight smell to it- but I think that was more of a Florida musty smell than related to the condo. The pictures of the website depicting the condo were accurate & all the amenities that were listed as being there, were. I will say that the master bedroom bed was VERY hard- but you run that risk anywhere you stay. My kids had no complaints about their room. The only hiccups were as follows (and realistically, if this is all I can find fault with, it really is not that bad):
A/c- Being from New England we are SO not used to the FL heat and humidity. Realistically if given a choice we would have had the condo be cooler. But, there was a sign over the thermostat telling you not to set below 75 as you may "freeze" the unit. I know nothing about central a/c, so maybe that is the case- but for us, 75 was not cool enough. Also, one of the ceiling fans in the bedrooms made a horrific squeak so using it at night was not an option.
Towels-
There were some that were very old and faded looking. They could stand to replace some of them.
Management Company-
There is a company that VCF uses as a go to within their condos (the name escapes me at this moment). I did not have to have any contact with them thankfully, but what I will say is that the literature that they supplied in the condo (ie: welcome book, instructions) was riddled with spelling errors and written unprofessionally. Also, I would have liked to have known ahead of time that it was the expectation that all towels needed to be washed prior to us leaving. It was never told to us (and I stumbled upon a note above the washing machine stating such). It really just made us get up earlier on our day of departure so that we could shower and still have time to get the laundry done.
The end result...
IF we stay off property again I am fairly certain that it will be in one of VCF units. I appreciate that what I thought I was getting...I got...and it was clean. Really, that was the main point of concern for me prior to leaving. I enjoyed not having to eat out every meal, and being able to have the extra space was an added bonus. It was WONDERFUL to not have people running up and down the corridors screaming.
I think when all is said and done we did save a fair amount of money as opposed to staying on property ( we originally had a value booked with free dining upgraded to the regular plan). We basically did breakfast in the condo, packed snacks/lunch for the park, and did dinner out every night. With that said, I did miss the vibe of staying on property. Yes, the condo is Disney themed- but it is not DISNEY, lol. I did miss EMH, and now with FP+ and Magic Bands my fear is that there will be so many perks to staying on property that when you stay off you will be missing out. Though, the AAA Diamond parking feature is wonderful!
Hope this helps!
Location-
I had read varying things about how long it could take to get to the main gates of WDW. Realistically, it felt no longer to me than staying at some of the actual Disney properties. Generally, we would plan on leaving the condo at 8am to be at the front of the line for the 9am open. Mind you, we stopped along the way to get me coffee and were wrangling 2 small kids (and all the comes with them). I would estimate it is about a 10 or 15 minute drive from parking lot to parking lot.
Windsor Hills-
I like the fact that it is a gated community. Security was pleasant and helpful. The pool and the hot tub were clean, albeit smaller than what I thought it would be. Yes, there is a playground, but it was far enough (and hot enough) from our actual condo that we just never checked it out.) The water slide was perfectly sized for my 7 year old. The grounds themselves were impeccable- never once did I see a piece of trash anywhere.
Vacation Central Florida Condo-
I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the condo was. It did have a slight smell to it- but I think that was more of a Florida musty smell than related to the condo. The pictures of the website depicting the condo were accurate & all the amenities that were listed as being there, were. I will say that the master bedroom bed was VERY hard- but you run that risk anywhere you stay. My kids had no complaints about their room. The only hiccups were as follows (and realistically, if this is all I can find fault with, it really is not that bad):
A/c- Being from New England we are SO not used to the FL heat and humidity. Realistically if given a choice we would have had the condo be cooler. But, there was a sign over the thermostat telling you not to set below 75 as you may "freeze" the unit. I know nothing about central a/c, so maybe that is the case- but for us, 75 was not cool enough. Also, one of the ceiling fans in the bedrooms made a horrific squeak so using it at night was not an option.
Towels-
There were some that were very old and faded looking. They could stand to replace some of them.
Management Company-
There is a company that VCF uses as a go to within their condos (the name escapes me at this moment). I did not have to have any contact with them thankfully, but what I will say is that the literature that they supplied in the condo (ie: welcome book, instructions) was riddled with spelling errors and written unprofessionally. Also, I would have liked to have known ahead of time that it was the expectation that all towels needed to be washed prior to us leaving. It was never told to us (and I stumbled upon a note above the washing machine stating such). It really just made us get up earlier on our day of departure so that we could shower and still have time to get the laundry done.
The end result...
IF we stay off property again I am fairly certain that it will be in one of VCF units. I appreciate that what I thought I was getting...I got...and it was clean. Really, that was the main point of concern for me prior to leaving. I enjoyed not having to eat out every meal, and being able to have the extra space was an added bonus. It was WONDERFUL to not have people running up and down the corridors screaming.
I think when all is said and done we did save a fair amount of money as opposed to staying on property ( we originally had a value booked with free dining upgraded to the regular plan). We basically did breakfast in the condo, packed snacks/lunch for the park, and did dinner out every night. With that said, I did miss the vibe of staying on property. Yes, the condo is Disney themed- but it is not DISNEY, lol. I did miss EMH, and now with FP+ and Magic Bands my fear is that there will be so many perks to staying on property that when you stay off you will be missing out. Though, the AAA Diamond parking feature is wonderful!
Hope this helps!
