Villas at the Disney Institute
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Reviewer's Name:
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Linda Winthurst |
Reviewer's Email Address:
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LARKwin@home.com |
Rate / Night (for your stay):
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$221.00+ tax (AP rate) |
Date(s) of Stay:
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January 3 - 8, 2001 |
Accommodation Used:
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Two Bedroom Vacation Home / Condo |
Accommodations Review:
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On our most recent visit we were in a water view 2-bedroom townhouse.
It had a queen bed in one bedroom, two twins in the other and a sleep
sofa down stairs. There was a full bath in each bedroom and 1/2 bath
downstairs. We had a full kitchen, living room and dining area. There
were six of us and although the accommodations were adequate and nice,
I prefer the Fairway Villas which have a little more room. We have
stayed in these units several times. Much larger than the two-bedroom
townhouses. These units have a queen bed in the "loft bedroom" with
a full bath, two double beds in the second bedroom with a full bath
and a sico bed (pulls down from the wall) in the living room area
which has a half bath. The downstairs area is very spacious with an
open floor plan for the living room, dining room and kitchen. These
units are very secluded, but to get to any of the other areas of the
resorts, you can catch any of the theme park buses from your bus stop
and get off at the other bus stops for a short walk to the amenities.
By the way we have stayed in every type of accommodations available
at this resort, bungalows, 1-bedroom townhouse, 2-bedroom townhouse,
treehouse villa, and fairway villa. All were wonderful and have suited
our needs for each visit. With the kitchen accommodations, I believe
we did save money by eating a few meals or snacks in our Villa. It
does have maid service, so you can make a mess for breakfast and return
in the afternoon or evening and your mess has been cleaned up. (Not
sure if it is the maids or fairies, either way it is wonderful and
be sure to leave them a nominal tip, it's worth it.) They also have
washers and dryers for your use free, so you can pack lighter and
not have to come home and do a ton of laundry before returning to
work or school. |
Why Did you Select This Resort for your Stay?
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Just a little background!! My family and I have stayed at the Villas
at the Disney Institute for the past 10 years. We have not tried any
of the other resorts because we like this one so much. Mostly because
it is quite and relaxing. After the hustle and bustle of the theme
parks it is nice to return to the resort for some true relaxation.
The resort is spread out, but this is one of the main reasons we like
it. We are within driving distance to Disney World, so we always have
our car, but rarely use it. The pools, bus stops and resort amenities
are a short walk, but nothing compared to the walking you do in the
theme parks themselves!! My children have stayed there so much (we
usually go a minimum of 2 times a year), they feel at home at this
resort. Also you can catch any of the buses that are going through
the resort (especially if you are at one of the first few bus stops)
and get off anywhere for a short walk to Downtown Disney or the Reflections
Coffee Shop on Willow Lake. |
Room # and Location Description:
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99 (I think), but the two-bedroom townhouse was on the water with
an excellent view of Downtown Disney, Pleasure Island and Disney's
Westside. You could see the fireworks at Pleasure Island from our
townhouse. It was very close to the pool and arcade. |
Room Location Pros & Cons:
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This room was great except sometimes you could here the music from
Pleasure Island. It didn't bother me, but it kept my mother-in-law
awake a couple of nights. My children loved it because a lot of ducks
and other birds would come to the room so they could feed them bread
crumbs or whatever else they could find that we had brought. Also,
the rabbits would come for the carrots we have to take down on every
trip (not for us, but for the rabbits!!) |
Check-In / Check-Out Comments:
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Check in is always wonderful, the staff is great. They have always
been very accommodating for my special requests. Since we have been
there so often, I always ask for particular areas or rooms. If they
have them, they always accommodate. As a matter of fact during one
check-in the girl was from our hometown. It's a small world after
all!! Check out is always smooth. I put it on the credit card and
our statement is put through the mail slot or hung on the door the
morning we are scheduled to leave. We have arrived early and late
on different occasions and never had to wait for the accommodations. |
WDW Transportation Comments:
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The buses are wonderful, not crowded at all. I like the Fairway
Villas because they are bus stops 2 and 3, so going to the parks you
are usually guaranteed a seat and returning you are one of the first
ones off. We have never had to wait more than 20 minutes or so for
a bus. The buses are much less crowded than at the value and moderate
resorts! |
Restaurant / Lounge Review:
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We never ate at the Seasons (which is now closed down) because the
reason we stayed there was because of the kitchen facilities. We have
had coffee and snacks at Reflections which is on Willow Lake by the
bungalows. Always wonderful and the staff has always been very pleasant. |
Pool Description / Comments:
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The pools are not themed or fancy, but my kids enjoy them because
they are not crowded. Sometimes we have had the pools to ourselves.
With six pools and hot tubs that is not hard to do. The pool in the
Townhouse area is the most crowded because most of the resorts accommodations
are there. There is not a pool in the Fairway Villa area, but it is
a short walk to the one behind the guest check-in area (very secluded).
We have never rented one of the golf carts, because we have our van
and we have driven to the pool area by the bungalows so the kids can
swim and we can enjoy a cup of coffee and dessert. |
What Suggestions Would you Give Anyone that is Considering This
Resort?
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We usually go down with family members so this is great because
you can visit and enjoy the magic of Disney World. It is great for
family reunions which we have done!! |
Other Comments:
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Always ask for a water view for the bungalows or townhouses, just
a little nicety for the money you pay. To get the best prices at this
resort, have at least one member of your party purchase an annual
(or seasonal if you are a Florida resident) so you can get the special
pricing. We are going in August 2001 again and we are getting a Fairway
Villa (approximately 1500 Square Feet) for $239.00 plus tax (254.19
a night). The rack room rate is $419.00 plus tax. A great savings
and only the person booking the room has to have the pass. I booked
two villas one visit with the Florida Resident rate (about the same
as the Annual Pass rate) and relatives from Arizona and Virginia joined
us. They just purchased the 4 day park hopper (several years ago,
Animal Kingdom was not in existence!) which was less expensive than
the annual pass. |
