When you are planning a Disney Vacation, there are SO many decisions to make!  It is very expensive to take your family on a Disney Vacation ... for many folks, it is the trip of a lifetime!  So ... where do your start?  There are tons of books on the subject ... but to be honest with you, most of them don't address the most important decision you will make ...

Where will you call "home" when you are on vacation? 

Our family fell in love with Walt Disney World the first time we took our oldest daughter, Caitlin, in September 1995 (she had just turned 2)!  Soon after that first trip, we joined the Disney Vacation Club and became even more addicted to Disney World and all it has to offer.  Over the past 12+ years, our family has spent an average of 4 weeks per year at Disney ... and have stayed in nearly all of the resorts on property.  We always enjoyed our vacations in Disney resorts, but felt that we wanted more than a hotel room, or even a timeshare has to offer.  With that in mind, the decision to purchase a vacation home in Windsor Hills Resort was a simple one - we love Disney, vacation, and Orlando! 

As soon as we began renting "Pooh's Palace", we started recieving questions from potential guests asking for comparisions between our vacation home and accommodations on Disney property.  In our opinion, there is no comparsion.  While Disney Resorts are wonderful, magical and incredible, they are still simply hotel rooms. Quinn's Vacation Homes offers so much more to our guests than one hotel room.  We offer a vacation home for about the same cost as one "moderate" resort room on property - and if you have more than 4 guests, Quinn's Vacation Homes are actually less expensive than staying on property! 

First, let's compare the amenities of Disney Properties with what you will find at Quinn's Vacation Homes and Windsor Hills Resort:

Feature	Disney Properties	Windsor Hills Resort & Quinn's Vacation Homes
Complimentary transportation from airport to resort	yes	no - to be honest, we recommend that you rent a car when staying off property
Extra Magic Hours - certain parks open early/stay open late for guests staying on property	yes	no - we avoided these even when we used to stay on property!  They tend to be VERY crowded!
Disney Transportation (buses to theme parks)	yes - while convenient, often takes 30+ minutes to get to theme park - getting home when parks close can take even longer.	no - but time to theme parks less than 15 minutes - once on property, all guests may use boats, monorails and buses between theme parks
Onsite Restaurants	yes	no
Onsite gift shop	yes	limited - there is a small sundry shop at the clubhouse
Arcade	yes	yes, and private professional pool table at home!
Fitness Center / Spa	Yes additional daily fee	Yes - no cost
Tennis Courts	Yes - but limited to Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and Deluxe Resorts	Yes
Volleyball/Basketball	Yes - but limited to Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and Deluxe Resorts	Yes
Kitchen or Kitchenette	Only at DVC Resorts.	Fully equipped, gourmet kitchen
Multi-Bedroom Units	Only in DVC resorts	Yes - 5 bedrooms - each with it's own bathroom!
Playgrounds	yes - most resorts have small play areas near the pools.	Yes - Windsor Hills has 1 large themed playground, and several small playgrounds throughout the community.  Both of Quinn's Vacation Homes are a short walk from the large Castle Playground, and Pooh's Palace is right across the street from a small playground!
Waterslide / large pool	yes - all resorts have themed pools - not all have a waterslide.	Yes - and on our 9 year-old's authority -- it is one of the biggest, fastest and BEST she has ever been on!
Whirlpools	Yes - but not at Value Resorts	Yes - at the community pool and in your backyard!
High Speed Internet	Yes, but at a  cost of $10/day.   Only wired access.	Yes - free secure network for our guests - wired and wireless!
Laundry Facilities	Yes - all resorts have laundry facilities for additional cost, though not in your room. DVC Resorts have washer/dryers in multi-room units.	Yes - Full sized washer and dryer in your home
TV/DVD	Yes - each room has 1 - DVC multi-room units have 1/bedroom and DVD	Large Screen HDTV in Family room.  TV/DVD in evey bedroom.  TV in garage.
Grill	Limited - some resorts have charcoal grills in common areas	Yes - Gas BBQ grill and propane included in your rental fee

If we still haven't convinced you that Quinn's Vacation Homes and Windsor Hills Resort is a magical vacation destination, then keep reading! Below, we have described the types of resorts offered on Disney property.  Through the years, we have stayed nearly all of the resorts on property, and always enjoyed our vacations there... no one does hotel resorts like Disney!  The summaries below outline the amenities you will find in each "level" of resort as well as our personal opinions and experiences staying there. 

Disney's Value Resorts:  Disney's Value Resorts are just what the name implies.  They are huge themed complexes that cater to those on a strict budget and large groups (such as those at Disney for sports tournaments and cheerleading competitions).  The themed rooms are small, but functional with very few frills.  All rooms open to the outside (no indoor access to rooms), so your "view" really defines what you see when you open your door.  Since all rooms "face" the common cooridor, there is no privacy in the rooms if the curtain is open.   The rooms are decorated to match the theme of the resort, and include 2 double beds, and bathroom with one sink, tub and shower.  Amenities include in-room wall safe, voice mail and data port on phone. Hairdryer, iron, ironing board and refrigerator (extra fee) are available upon request. You may choose a "preferred" room located nearer to the main pool, food court, transportation, playground and laundry facilities. A "standard" room can be quite a hike from the parking lot, laundry facilities pool or other amenities.  As a result, you will need a car or Disney Buses to get to the front of the complex where the dining areas and gift shop are located. Due to the value pricing, do not be surprised if you wake to the sounds of cheerleaders practicing for a competition or ball teams running down the hall!

Disney's Moderate Resorts: Disney's Moderate Resorts are a step above the Value resorts.  The Moderate Resorts (Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans) cater mostly to families of 2-4 and some business travelers (Coronado Springs has a convention center).  The themed resorts usually have multiple pools, at least one waterslide, and more attractive views.  All rooms open to the outside, so your  "view" really defines what you see when you open your door.  Since all rooms "face" the common cooridor, there is no privacy if your curtains are open. The themed rooms are slightly larger than the value resort rooms, and often include a small table and chair set as well as a small fridge.    These complexes are huge - with multiple buildings - each 2-3 floors.  All rooms have two double beds, table and chairs, ceiling fan, vanity area with two sinks, and bathroom. Preferred Location offers a view of water, garden, courtyard. Amenities include in-room wall safe, voice mail, and coffeemaker. Hairdryer and iron and ironing board are available upon request. Due to the size of the resorts, the walk to your room, the pool, or the dining area can be very long!  You may even need a car or the Disney Buses to get to the front of the resort.

Disney's Deluxe Resorts: Disney's Deluxe Resorts are everything you would expect in an expensive, five-star deluxe hotel.  They are beautifully themed and decorated with incredible pools and landscaping.  The Deluxe resorts are located adjacent to the theme parks, and offer neat amentities such as monorail service directly to Magic Kingdom, or boat service to EPCOT and Disney's Hollwood Studios.  The deluxe resorts have multiple resturants, shops and even spa services.  These rooms are wonderful and the service is incredible.  Although the resorts are large (yes the walk to your room can be long!) all rooms are entered from an inside hall, and all amenities are within walking distance (inside:) from your room. Most of the rooms include a private balcony or sitting area, so your view is truely a VIEW and not simply where your door opens.

The Grand Flordian Resort and Spa is one of the most elegant resorts we have ever stayed in -- anywhere!  All rooms have two queen-size beds or one king-size bed, table and chairs, ceiling fans, vanity area with two sinks, and bath. Most rooms offer day bed and private balcony. Amenities include in-room wall safe, voice mail, phone in bath area, robes, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and mini-bar. Coffeemaker, microwave and refrigerator are available upon request. Garden View Rooms offer views of a courtyard, garden, or pool area.  Another favorite of our family is the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  The rooms are fantastic, and for an extra fee you can get a view of the "savannah".  We will NEVER forget the morning our youngest daughter, Cayley (then about 2 1/2) woke up screaming "daddy, daddy ... there are giraff-ies staring in our window!"

Disney's Deluxe Villa Resorts (Disney Vacation Clubs): The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney's version of a timeshare, but villas are rented to non-DVC members on a cash basis. Disney Vacation Club Resorts are deluxe vacation villa resorts that  offer studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units.  There are limited 3-bedroom villas, but they are usually only offered to DVC members.   All DVC Villas include a private balcony or sitting area with a view of grasslands, pools, water, woodlands or golf courses.  The resorts all have one large themed pool with a waterslide, several smaller pools, restaurants, gift shops and activities for children.  Old Key West, Saratoga Springs,  Boardwalk and Beach Club all have small boats and bikes for rent.   We have spent numerous family vacations at "home" in a DVC Villa, and have many wonderful memories of our time there.  The villas are spacious, quiet, clean and beautifully decorated.  Old Key West and Saratoga Springs are designed to be similar to an apartment complex - there is parking fairly near the building you are assigned, and buses run throughout the resort. In most cases, staying at a DVC resort means long walks or bus rides to get to the large themed pools as the resorts are very large.  There are 3 types of villas available for guests to rent:

• The Deluxe Studios have one queen-size bed and one double sleeper sofa, table and chairs, and private balcony. Studio amenities include microwave, refrigerator, coffeemaker, and wet bar.
• The one-bedroom, one-bath Villa has a fully-equipped kitchen, dining area, stacked washer and dryer, and private patio. The master bedroom suite includes a king-size bed and whirlpool tub. The living room has a queen-size sleeper sofa.
• The two-bedroom, two-bath Villa has a fully-equipped kitchen, dining area, full-size washer and dryer, and private patio. The master bedroom suite includes a king-size bed and whirlpool tub. The second bedroom area has two queen-size beds. The living area has a queen-size sleeper sofa.

So...now that you have learned about what is available on property, the question is ...

"Can you find accomodations for your Disney Vacation that are as magical as the Disney Resorts described above?" 

The answer is YES!  Your family can make magical memories in a luxury vacation home rented directly from the owner - you can stay near Disney, and have all of the amenities of a 5 star resort! Simply choose one of the Quinn's Vacation Homes in Windsor Hills Resort near Disney!

Pooh's Palace is a luxury vacation rental home near Disney.  Pooh's Palace offers views of a beautiful sunrise from the pool area, and the Magic Kingdom Fireworks from the backyard (turn and look north!). The home is directly across the street from a large recreation area with a small playground, and is less the 1/2 mile from all of the amenities at the Windsor Hills Clubhouse. Pooh's Palace is a 5-bedroom 5-bathroom vacation villa which comes with a fully equipped gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and stainless appliances, a large family room with a big screen HDTV, 2 dining areas, a covered lanai, private pool and spa, private game room with TV, 2 king beds, 1 queen bed, 4 twin beds, and 1 queen sleeper sofa.  Each bedroom is tastefully decorated, including  Winnie the Pooh and Baseball themed rooms for the kids.  All bedrooms include a  ceiling fan, TV and DVD player .  Amenities include iron and ironing board, coffee pot, PS2 with 20+ games, books, toys, pool toys, gas BBQ grill (propane included), pack-n-play style crib, highchair, luxury linens, pool towels, plenty of dishes and cookware for even a large meal, free secure wireless internet, and a laser printer for use during your Disney vacation.

Lilo's Paradise is the Quinn's second luxury vacation rental home near Disney.  Lilo's Paradise offers a view of Disney and the Magic Kingdom Fireworks from the pool area.  The pool at Lilo's Paradise receives full sun most of the day, while lanai stays shaded.  This luxury vacation home is located about 6/10 mile from all of the amenities at the Windsor Hills Clubhouse on a very quiet street with very little traffic.  Lilo's Paradise is a 5-bedroom 5-bathroom vacation villa which comes with a fully equipped gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and stainless appliances, a large family room with a 50-inch plasma HDTV, 2 dining areas, a covered lanai, private pool and spa, private game room with TV, 3 king beds,  2 twin beds, 1 set of bunk beds (twin over full) and 1 queen sleeper sofa.  Each bedroom is tastefully decorated, including "Lilo and Stitch" and "Finding Nemo" themed rooms for the kids.  Four bedrooms include a ceiling fan, TV and DVD player.  The master bedroom features a ceiling fan and 30-inch flat screenTV, walk-in closet, and double sinks in the bathroom.  Amenities include iron and ironing board, coffee pot, PS2 with 20+ games, books, toys, pool toys, gas BBQ grill (propane included), pack-n-play style crib, highchair, stroller, luxury linens, pool towels, plenty of dishes and cookware for even a large meal, free secure high speed  wireless internet, and a laser printer for use during your Disney vacation.

Finally - we will now "show you the money"!  The bottom line is that for approximately the same cost as one room in a Disney "moderate" resort, you can rent a brand new, tastefully furnished vacation home!  Yes -- you really can save money while vacationing in spacious luxury at Quinn's Vacation Homes in Windsor Hills Resort!

	Value Season	Regular Season	Summer Season	Peak Season
Value Resort:
Disney's All-Star Movies	$744	$878	$980	$1,138
Moderate Resort :
Disney's Caribbean Beach	$1,300	$1,457	$1,590	$1,834
Deluxe Resorts:
Grand Floridian Resort and Spa	$3,032	$3,426	$4,052	$5,874
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Savannah View	$2,521	$2,717	$2,914	$3,788
Pool View	$2,009	$2,267	$2,363	$3,237
Villa Resorts - Saratoga Springs
Studio	$2,245	$2,482	$2,482	$3,230
1 Bedroom	$2,993	$3,387	$3,387	$4,529
2 Bedroom	$4,174	$4,962	$4,962	$6,892
Quinn's Vacation Homes:
Pooh's Palace	$1,526	$1,639	$1,808	$2,254
Lilo's Paradise	$1,526	$1,639	$1,808	$2,254
2008 Prices shown are for 1 week (Saturday - Saturday) including tax.

Quinn's Vacation Homes in Windsor Hills Resort will give you that "home" away from home that you need while on vacation!  We treat our guests like family - we will not be satisfied unless your Disney vacation is truly magical!