What's New at Windsor Palms?

It has been way to long since I put up a new post and thought it was about time, so here I am.  Things are moving along well down in the land of sunshine.  Since my last update we've made a few more improvements.  We have replace the child safety fence by the pool,  the blinds going out to the pool and purchased some additional pool cues for family fun.  Not big changes but every little bit helps.
Some big changes have arrived at Windsor Palms thought.  Just this month the new Tiki Bar has opened by the pool at the clubhouse.  The sundry shop has also been enlarged and totally renovated, it looks amazing. 

 

The sundry shop has basic food items, souvenir items and even popcorn for the movies.  Right now the Tiki Bar is serving food and non-alcoholic beverages. The liquor license should be in place anytime now. Check out the menu below, pretty reasonable and some nice options for a nice snack or meal by the pool. 

 

 

 

I think that this is a great addition to the community and we can't wait to check it out on our next visit!  What do you think, is this a good addition to the resort? Would you take advantage of it if you were vacationing? Thanks for stopping by. 



Time Flies When You're Having Fun...Right?

Whew! 2weeks in Florida can certainly fly by when you're busy.  With 5 sets of guests already having stayed in the house since we took possession it was our turn to head down to sunny Florida and attempt to make some of the changes we were planning a reality.  It was certainly an eye opening experience, one that I'm glad we won't have to tackle again any time soon.  At one point our kids had dubbed it one of the worst vacations ever!

Prior to our arrival we had arranged for some contractors to come in our first full day to quote for us the big kitchen reno. That went as planned and by the second day we had made our decision and moved forward with other tasks.  What we hadn't anticipated was the amount of clearing out we had to do.  The previous owners had kept all the old TVs, damaged linens and even personal items from the owners prior to them. We threw out a lot of stuff. The carpets had been cleaned prior to our arrival and next the tile floors had to be tackled.  We are happy to report that the floors are very clean and look great.

It is amazing how little tasks can take up so much time and energy. We truly wanted to have the house feel comfortable and welcoming to anyone renting it. This way everyone can enjoy their vacation in their own home away from home. For the benefit of our kids we had to squeeze in some fun activities, this trip was not the usual busy take the theme parks by storm vacation that they are used to.  As reported before we went to LEGOLAND, we tackled a mini golf course (that also had some gators the kids could feed, lots of fun!), Downtown Disney and on our last day after checking out of the house we went to Disney. 

We left the house in the capable hands of our property managers, who are great people and crossed our fingers that the guests arriving later that day would appreciate our efforts.  The kitchen looks so much different than it did before.  In addition to changing the counters and adding a back splash we have new dishes and cutlery, glassware and small appliances. We hope if someone needs something it will be in a drawer or a cupboard.

In other areas of the house we put all new linens and towels, 3 bedrooms got new paint and the hallways which have seen a lot of traffic got a new coat of paint as well.  Outside we cleaned and scrubbed the pool deck, cleaned the sides of the house and scrubbed the tile on the pool.  It was like spring cleaning in July.  We replaced the front door which had been badly mistreated over the years and installed a new deadbolt, handle and event a matching door bell.

It is hard to believe that all of those things took up so much of our time. I'm sure there was other things we did that I am missing in my list, but this will have to do for now.  Next post I think I will focus on the fun stuff we managed to squeeze in while in the Sunny South!

When one Door Closes, Another Opens

We have become experts in extremes.  If you follow us on here, Facebook, Twitter or Pintrest you may have noticed that I've changed some pictures.  We put an offer in on another house last week and the offer was accepted.  While outwardly I don't think I appear excited about this but, both my husband and I are happier with this house than the previous.  It's a nice home that is decorated nicely and really only requires some TLC that is a result of normal wear and tear.

After waiting patiently for the other house to close, almost 16 months it was extremely disappointing to have it end in the way it did. So when we put the offer in on this house so soon after the first, we were prepared to move quickly...our closing date is this Friday. Yup, Friday. It has been a flurry of activity getting everything ready.  It's amazing how quickly a traditional sale can move. The ongoing joke is that if the other house was a short sale, this must be the long one. LOL, crazy isn't it.

Over the coming months we will be trying to make the house a welcoming place for our guests to create vacation memories to last a lifetime. Whether you're visiting Walt Disney World, hoping to catch a glimpse of The Boy who Lived, at Universal Orlando, catching a game of golf at one of Florida's many golf courses, or taking day trip to the beach; Mickey's Garden Villa will be a relaxing place to come home to at the end of the day.

It feels good to be moving in a positive direction. Although this undertaking will require lots of work on our part, we are looking forward to the journey! Have a great day!

Can we Get on with This!

Well I am seriously getting a little bored with this process. The offers we put on those other 2 houses was not much more than a diversion.  I think that everyone is feeling a little frustrated. The seller: she has been paying bills and fixing things (fine by me) for over a year more than she wanted and has been paying lawyers to help navigate this process.  Our Realtor: well he and his team have been working away on a deal that may come to nothing, which means they get....nothing.  Us: frustrated buyers who like to be done with this, and me a Mickey loving blogger who would really like her Disney World fix. Soon, well about now would be good.

I'm trying to look on the bright side.  2 things are on the horizon at the happiest place on earth. Starting on March 6th through May 19 is the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. We've been to this and I find it amazing. All the amazing topiaries are a sight to see. And this year they have an Oz themed play ground. (Next to my love of Mickey Mouse, The Wizard of Oz is my other Fav). I would be happy to take a trip around the world (showcase that is) and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the Festival.

If we didn't make it to this then next on my to do list is still Star Wars Weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios (May 17 - June 9).  Our kids were actually watching something on TV and it was showcasing this event. They were practically jumping around at the idea of riding Star Tours (a not to be missed ride) with some Storm Troopers. I didn't have the heart to tell them that the Storm Troopers were probably on the ride for publicity photos. 

Either of these events would be amazing to attend. The Flower and Garden Festival as a favourite and Star Wars Weekends as a new experience.  If the house falls through I plan to go to Florida anyway (so I told my husband, lol), a little fun in the sun is defiantly in order.

Have a great week and May the Force be with you! (I am such a geek).

How do you Sleep?

I think I might be driving my husband a bit crazy. I'm a little obsessed with mattresses.  I've been looking at options for the house in Florida.  Of course we have to check out what's already there, have a good sleep on all of them.  I personally am not the pickiest when it comes to firmness of the mattress, BUT I do really dislike saggy mattresses. I love my husband but I do not want to be forced into sleeping wedged into the middle of a bed with him. A girls gotta have some space to herself!

So I want to know what YOU like in a mattress!  Firm, medium, pillow top, plush.  I think I'm pickier about my pillow, and I travel with my own so it's not a big issue.  I put a poll up on the right of this post, pick more than one option if it fits your needs. I want some opinions! If the poll doesn't help you describe what you would want to sleep on, leave me a comment!

I am hoping that we are in the home stretch with this purchase. I am itching to go and get things moving. I want to start renting the house, I want to take the kids to a Theme Park, any one of them. We have Canada's Wonderland but it's closed right now and it's just not the same!  For our first visit this year, which will be both business and pleasure I think Legoland will be our goal. We've not been yet and I have a 6 year old who is saving every penny he finds towards his Lego fund! (He's doing pretty amazing, and I've been impressed with both kids saving since last January). 

So as we move towards the one year mark, I'm starting to get down to details.  Mattresses, furniture, paint and even getting my information package ready! But that's for another post.  Enjoy the rest of your week and thanks for stopping by!

The Planning Continues!

Now that the Christmas rush has passed, we've been busy with our preparations and planning for our "could be" purchase. Still no guarantees about anything, so I won't get to excited just yet.  I've had the insurance re-quoted and have talked with some other homeowners to get some advise and suggestions to get things going as smoothly as possible once we have the property.

I've had a lot of fun in this process, getting to know how to use social media. I feel like one of the cool kids who's all connected;)  Some people that I've connected with through twitter and during our property management search have been very helpful in preparing us for renting out our property.  You can read all the information on line in various forums and such, but talking to a real person either in person on via e-mail is so much better.

Hopefully this will progress smoothly (and quickly) and we'll be visiting Florida by February.  I cannot wait to be able to share our home with people. I can't wait to share all that fun with everyone. Whether it's a special picture of you or your children with Tinkerbell or having one of your kids recognised as the "kid who was using his magic wand to make people sweat" the previous day, there is enough  magic for everyone.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and thanks for reading and making this process a lot of fun despite the frustration and set backs.

If I Can't Plan my Own Trip....

I have no news to report on the house. After our annoying news from last week I don't know if I want to hear any more. That being said, I was at a conference with a friend this week and she told me that she was going on a big family trip in February. They're going on a Disney Cruise and she was thinking that maybe they'd head up to Walt Disney World (WDW) afterwards. Could I help her with planning some things for WDW? One of my favourite places to go, sure, if I can't plan a trip to Disney for us I'm more than happy to occupy myself with someone else's.

Now we've never been on a cruise so I can't help a ton there but I can help with Magic Kingdom Planning. Woo Hoo!  One thing that I know their kids can have fun with, wherever they are in the Disney Universe, is Autograph books and Pin Trading.

I never knew that Mickey and friends gave autographs when we took our kids to WDW back in 2009 but we learned soon enough and have 2 autograph books and a well signed Duffy from Epcot as proof.  As a teen I never saw this or at least I don't remember it and when we took our daughter to Disneyland in 2005 she was too young, it was a spur of the moment trip and we were just overwhelmed by the experience and all that was to see. I will saw that my friend is frugal, so buying autograph books is probably not in the cards for then so I think I'll enlist my own kids to help me make some for their friends.  A princess for one and a cool Car for the other.  A fun project for us.

Pin Trading is something that I never thought my kids would like.  I had read about it before our first trip and disregarded it as something they wouldn't be interested in or were to young for. My daughter found a pin that a cast member dropped and returned it only to be rewarded by being able to keep the pin. And that's how it started! Next the kids commented on someones huge pin collection while on the bus back to our hotel and were again rewarded by each being given another pin. Our son who was not even 3 at the time had great fun with this, they got something new every time.  The problem I have with this past time I have is how expensive it is.  We had a lot of luck the first visit but we did break down and buy some on our next visit. I learned and since then I've been an avid pin buyer on eBay.  Watch the auctions and don't pay more than $1.50/pin.  Who cares if they're new, you are trading them away!  I have a stash right now for our next trip so I think I'll pass on a couple to our young friends before they depart on their magical cruise.

This is where I've gotten in my mere days of entertaining this task for my friend.  I hope you've gotten an idea or two for your next trip.  As I add to my list of information to pass on, I'll update it here in between my house updates and hope it helps someone else!

If I was in Orlando, I'd be crying in my Butterbeer!

Can you sense from the title of my post that I'm starting to get frustrated?  I mean come on, it's not like we've been sitting around waiting for this house sale to go through for months. Oh, wait a minute that's exactly what we've been doing.

It's funny how a seemingly innocent e-mail, meant to keep us informed has got me so irritated. This afternoon,  I happened to be thinking that we should get our usual update today or tomorrow. When I saw the ping of new e-mail on my phone I took a peak at the subject lines appearing at the top of the screen and saw the house address attached to an e-mail from our Realtor's assistant. Yippee! Not so it seems.  I started to read and actually put my phone down and decided I needed to read this on the computer so I could make sure I was reading the e-mail correctly.

I like to think we've been pretty patient up to this point. A lot patient for that matter. I think that's changing.  The e-mail was just to let us know that the bank requested information from the lawyer and listing agent on a Friday evening with the deadline for response being Sunday morning. How many lawyers do you know that work on the weekend?  Anyway, I assume the deadline was missed and the lawyer had to call the bank and ask them to extend the deadline as it had been unreasonable. The bank agreed and here we are waiting for the listing agent to update the house listing and then for the lawyer to upload it to this Equator system. All the while things are delayed once again.

I think that I should just forget about planning what I'd like to do with the kids when we go down, because every time I start thinking about it things seem to go awry.  So chances of us getting to see Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, The Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights or even Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure are pretty slim. Maybe I'll plan on seeing Transformers the ride! For those not in the know, it's Universal Orlando's new dark ride coming Summer 2013. Ha! for that matter why don't I just say we'll go down when the Harry Potter expansion is finished and that date hasn't even been announced!

Putting this all down on virtual paper actually makes me feel better.  Since I'm not a beer drinker I can't cry in any, and I'm not in Orlando so there's no Butterbeer here either. So that kind of moping is out. I'm thinking of a quote one of my favourite Princesses "A dream is a wish your heart makes", but even that's not helping my outlook today.  I think what we have to look forward to at this point is paperwork. Fingers crossed that once they upload the listing we'll be back on track...maybe...hopefully.....

A Book Review for Disney Trip Planning (and Saving!)

Are you or someone you know planning a once in a lifetime trip to Disney?  Going to Disney is one of my favourite things, but it is not an inexpensive undertaking.  I had the pleasure of reviewing a book for Natalie Henley. It is called Strategies for Paying for Disney which can be found on amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Paying-Disney-Natalie-Henley/dp/1477496424) or visit Natalie's website www.meetthemagic.com . I will share the review with you below.

I have had the pleasure of reading this book from Natalie Henley.  I really like how it breaks down visiting the parks and the ways to save money along the way. I think that the family that is planning their Once in A Lifetime visit to Walt Disney World or Disneyland (something I think everyone should do at least once, with or without kids!) and don't know where to start planning or saving should read this book. 
You will be able to look at everything Disney has to offer and how to save doing it.  What is also wonderful, is the advise on how to save to get there in the first place.  Disney is a wonderful place to visit, but is not inexpensive.  Give this book a read and see the possibilities for your vacation and how to make the most of it.
Also included are many links to websites and services that will help you make the most of your vacation! Happy Planning!


Thanks for stopping by to read my review and check out the book! I've also put the link to Meet the Magic at the bottom of the blog!
Have a great weekend everyone!

My New "List"!

It's just a quite Sunday morning here. It's been raining and we have lots of work going on outside that isn't getting done because of it! I thought I'd take the opportunity to make a new "list".  For those of you that don't know me I have for as long as I can remember been a big Mickey Mouse fan. I still wear a t-shirt I got on my first visit to Walt Disney World circa 1986.  Since then I've managed to take my husband and 2 kids and converted them into Disney lovers (not that that is hard).  This whole journey we are on to buy the vacation home in Kissimmee will just enable us to visit Disney World just a little more often and hopefully help others do the same.

Now onto my new "list".  I thought I would make a list of things that I want to do at Disney World.  Truth be told I would love to visit all the Disney parks around the world but that is a loftier goal. We have been to Disneyland (minus our youngest who wasn't born yet), but their is still Paris and Tokyo and a few Cruise ships left to discover. Okay enough rambling and back to the list.  This list is by no means exhaustive.   My list is in no particular order.

• See Wishes fireworks display at Magic Kingdom (MK)
• Main Street Electric Parade (MK)
• Have the kids join the Pirates League (MK)
• Have a Dole Whip
• Attend Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party (MK)
• Attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MK)
• Star Wars weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS)
• Osbourne Spectacle of Lights (DHS)
• See all the stage shows in the parks (So far The Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom is my favourite)
• Visit a Disney Water Park for the day
• Go on the Tower of Terror (DHS)
• Go on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (DHS)
• Attend the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot (E)
• Play Agent P's world showcase adventure (E)
• Dinner theatre somewhere in The World
• Stay in a Deluxe resort (we visited all of them but never stayed)
• Have one of the fantastic cupcakes I see pictures of everywhere
• Take my daughter to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique one more time before she decides she's "too old" for it.

I could go on and I know that I've missed many things that I would love to do. This is my list. I am a bit of a crazy researcher before I head off on vacation and learn more information than I ever need on a given trip. It does come in handy though. I don't like being over scheduled, which if you have kids you know never works anyway.  So if you are heading to Disney and have any questions please ask me and I'd be happy to help. And if I can't give you the answer, chances are I;ll know where to go to find the answer or someone else who can give it to you.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my "list". I'm going to see what work I can get accomplished today. I might even take a trip the the Halloween store, one kid is taken care of but still have one more costume to go. Take care!

Travel Planning

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that everyone had a nice weekend and that anyone celebrating a holiday was able to do so with family or friends. 

I've not posted anything in awhile so I had to think about what I should share with everyone.  We're still waiting on the final bank decision and I'm hoping it's soon. Plans are still moving along though and you can find us at www.mickeysgardenvilla.com as well.

Whenever I start thinking about travelling to Florida I get into planning mode. I'm not a rigid traveller once I'm at my destination but I like to know what I can do or want to do when I get there. Over the years I've used a few sources quite a bit. It's amazing what you can find on the Internet these days and I'm often searching for new sources of information. I'll break down my favourites for you below.

Books

For Disney my favourite is The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World

If you'd like a souvenir when you're done PassPorter has the following:

PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2012: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! by Jennifer Marx, Dave Marx and Allison Cerel Marx (Spiral-bound - Dec 13 2011)

Frommer's also has an excellent guide to Florida that we have purchased and it shows all the different areas in the state and where to go, see, do in each place.

Web

I personally love having a book to flip through when planning but using the Internet to do your research is amazing. The information you can find is great.  From dedicated websites of the place you are visiting, to discussion boards and blogs you can find professional opinions and feedback from travellers just like yourself. I've listed some of my favourites below.

www.mousesavers.com  (you'll find some info about other attractions as well, but mostly about Disney)

www.undercovertourist.com (Great prices on tickets, even better if you sign up for the mousesavers newsletter. And I think their apps for iPhone and android, and on facebook are great planning tools)

www.orlandoinformer.com (this one if for Universal Orlando and they also have a crowd calender to help with planning, as well as great information on the parks)

www.chipandco.com (for park news, planning and more)

www.allears.net

www.visitkissimmee.com

These are just some. We follow some great resources on twitter, so look us up (@mickeygrdnvilla). And we follow some amazing pages on Facebook (so check us out and LIKE our page).  We would love to answer any vacation questions or point you in the right direction.  Thanks again for taking the time to read.

So What will you find at Windsor Palms?

Two months have passed since our offer has been accepted on the vacation home.  We are patiently waiting to hear the final word from the banks.  The offer has made it past bank number one and now we wait for the final word from the second bank.  Hopefully we will hear in the next few weeks!

While we are waiting I thought I tell you all a little about the community where the house is located.  The house will be located in the resort community of Windsor Palms (formerly Wyndham Palms). It is a gated community, the gate is manned 24 hours a day. There is only one entrance and this is definitely a plus on the security side of things.  Before arriving at the house you will be drive by the 7500 sq ft. clubhouse.

Inside the clubhouse you will find a convenience store(with domino's pizza and Starbucks coffee), games room, fitness centre and a 58 seat movie theatre.  Outside you'll find even more to do. There is an Olympic sized swimming pool that is heated in the colder months, a hot tub and toddler pool.  If you are feeling energetic you can make use of the lit tennis or basketball courts. There is also a beach volleyball court.  A kids playground and BBQ area are also available.  You'll find walking trails in the community as well.

Our vacation home is located within easy walking distance to the clubhouse ( it is at the end of the street which is 8 house away). This is one of the many reasons we picked this particular house.  If you are a golfer the Mystic Dunes golf course is just a short walk or drive away(guests get preferential fees). There are a large number of other golf courses withing easy driving distance that are also great. Shopping and restaurants are close-by.  If you are heading to Disney we are only about 4km away, one of the closest communities to the parks.  All of the other theme parks are about 20-25 minutes away and you can be at the beach in 90 minutes (Atlantic or Gulf side).

As for what the house itself offers here's it is... 

The house is a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house.  Outside you will find your own private pool with attached waterfall spa.  There are no rear neighbours and privacy hedging between houses.  The backyard is south facing so you will enjoy sun all day long. There is also a covered lanai and the entire area is screened in, so no pesky mosquitoes! There will be no need to pack beach towels we will provide those for you.  Inside the house you will find a fully equipped kitchen with seating for at least 7. You'll find seating for an additional 6 in the dining room.  Off the kitchen there is full sized laundry. No need to go home with dirty laundry and no cleaning kids dirty clothes in the hotel sink or bathtub!  In the living room you'll have access to TV, movies, computer and Internet access.

The first Master bedroom has a king sized bed with walk in closet and full en-suite. The en suite has a jacuzzi tub and separate shower, double sinks and a separate water closet that also opens out the the lanai so no one has to walk through the house to use the facilities.   The second master bedroom also has a king sized bed and it's own en-suite. The bathroom as a walk in shower, toilet and sink. The additional two bedrooms share a full bathroom (tub/shower, toilet and sink). One of the bedrooms will have 2 twin beds and the other will have have twin beds or bunk beds (we still haven't decided!)  The garage has been converted to a games room for your enjoyment. 

Whew!  The resort and the house have a lot to offer.  Windsor Palms is considered one of the best resort communities in the Disney area.  We hope that the offer will be accepted soon and we can start welcoming people to this great vacation getaway!  There is a you tube link at the bottom of the blog and the Official Windsor Palms is one of the videos displayed. Take a look if you are interested. Thanks again for reading, please leave any questions or comments.

Windsor Palms on Dwellable

When is the best time to go to Disney?

This is a question that everyone asks when they make the decision to go to Florida.  It is a much discussed question. We've been during a few different times of the year and I must admit that I really didn't like going in the summer.  We went last year in July and while we still has a ton of fun it was 2 things... really hot and humid and busy.  Now I think it's fair to say that Disney World is always busy but there are definitely times of the year that are worse.

My favourite resources for picking times of the year (and more specifically which days of your vacation to attend each park) are The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (by Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa ) and it's website touringplans.com; and undercovertourist.com. Undercover tourist has an excellent app for both Disney and Universal (available on both iphone and android operating systems). You can also find Undercover Tourist on Facebook.

I had the 2009 Unofficial Guide and it was well used up until this summer and I just recently replaced it with the 2012 edition.  (Our local Costco has it right now for a good price).  Before this summer we had gone in the spring, both times after Easter break in the U.S. was over and the crowns were manageable as was the heat! My only complaint with early April was that at night the temperatures we only in the low 20s, which for me is to cold to jump in a pool and go swimming once the sun is down (my kids on the other hand had no problem with this!).  The biggest problem we had with going in July was the Brazilian tourists. Now I'm not talking about a few, I'm talking groups of over a hundred and they seemed to follow us where ever we went.  I think a staff member took pity on us at Universal Studios and let us go in the express pass lane when we arrived at the Men in Black ride just after a hundred or so of them.

My personal opinions aside, I'm going to give you the quick list of best and worst times to go according to The Unofficial Guide!  These guys have done an amazing job making trips to Disney easier and it's well worth the money to pick up the book. So here it goes!

Busiest times at Disney:
1. Christmas through to New Years (although from what I've seen and heard the decorations are amazing, so you need to know what you want to see/do)
2. US thanksgiving weekend, week of President's day and 1st full week of November
3. Spring Breaks for Colleges and late March until about the 3rd week of April (other sources say this depends somewhat on when Easter falls)

Least Busy times:
1. Labour day until the beginning of October (keep in mind Hurricane season, if that is an issue for you)
2. Second full week of November until the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the week after Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas
3. Early January until the beginning of February also looks good but be aware of any special events or holidays as it will affect crowds.

I would think that a lot of the same logic would apply to crowd levels at Universal Orlando as well!  The other thing to consider is the weather and what your preference is.  I hope this helps everyone with their planning, feel free to ask a question or leave a comment. Have a great day!