This was a great property that is in a great area if you're looking for plenty of options. Close to Disney and Universal, a lot of different dining options, and several shopping locations nearby. The property listing is spot on--photos are true to form (no 'realtor' tricks to make spaces look bigger or different), and the space was great for our family of four. But, in full transparency, there were some things that weren't great:
- If you pay for the heated pool and spa like we did, note that the heat only works between 9am and 9pm, and you have to turn on the spa (on a 60-minute timer) multiple times to heat the spa (and have some heated water trickle into the pool). That wasn't good. After a long day at the parks, all we could do was stare at a cold pool and cold spa wishing the timer could be set later.
- The pool level fell below the minimum, so we had a day when the system had shut down. We had to run a cold hose into the pool to get the water level up and have the maintenance crew reset the system.
- Speaking of maintenance, the crews will come by unannounced and let themselves into the yard and pool/spa area, so be aware of that. This freaked out my pre-teen son a few times.
- There is no instruction manual in the house like it says in the email. There is a list of instructions on the refrigerator.
- The surrounding houses are VERY close together, and all the backyards butt up against each other. This was a little problematic when the neighbors were outside smoking cigarettes and weed, which quickly stunk up the outside.
- The vents and fans in the house were covered with dust, and the bathrooms had mildew or black mold. The vacuum cleaner didn't work at all--it was old and seemed to have a clog in the hose.
- We recommend taking your own pillows. The ones provided seemed old and very flat, and who knows the last time they were cleaned.
- If you go in the winter and there is a cold snap, be prepared to freeze inside. The heat was set to 61 most times, and turning up the heat was only temporary. We had two very cold nights where we could see our breath in the bedrooms.
Overall, the house was good and the location was great. This was a decent stay for us, and certainly much cheaper than staying at a hotel, but we probably won't rent this property again for our next Christmas week vacation. With the restrictions on the heat/air and pool heating, this is better for a spring, summer, or fall rental.