We've just returned from our second visit of 2012, some plans worked, some got postponed till next time but take a look at what went on this last trip.
NEW FOR AUTUMN/FALL 2012:
Beds & Headboards
The Donald queen bed was a bit creaky, so this trip we replaced it with a new box. We also replaced the headboard.
Both Simba and Nemo twin rooms also had their original beds so these have now been replaced with new pillow-top mattress, box and wheeled frames.
To finish them off, we also added metal headboards to all the twins, so they would tie-in with the Mickey and Donald headboards.
Ceiling Fans
We now have ceiling fans in all the bedrooms, adding ceiling light-fans into the Simba and Nemo rooms to help air flow. The light/fan pulls are high enough that small children will not be able to reach.
The Donald Master had a ceiling fan fitted last year, but the level of light was still poor, we thought, so this trip we added a 'light-kit' and now it's fantastic. Much brighter.
Leather Armchair
The rollaway bed/folding chair in the Mickey Master was a little low, and a little unsophisticated.
We've changed this for this comfy cream leather tub chair.
Now you can read in peace by the window, or maybe just put your socks on without falling from the bed!
The rollaway bed can now be found in the Games Room, so the kids can still have a room-to-room sleepover with our Toy Story and Princess sleeping bags, if they so wish.
Garage Storage
To tidy away some items previously in bedroom closets as well as to move the board games and puzzles to the Games Room, we bought a large wardrobe with sliding doors.
In here you will now find the dress-up clothes, Disney baby-bathrobes, spare equipment for the games room (tennis balls, darts, chalk), spare ponchos and new this trip, spare folding sunglasses for guests who have forgotten theirs! There's not an unlimited supply, but we thought it might help out a guest or two.
The baby bed-linen is now here, with two car booster seats, the stroller and travel crib. The bed linen for the sofa bed (comforter, sheets and pillows) can also be found inside.
There are also some items in here for the use by Housekeeping, such as spare comforters and bed linen, as well as supplies used for arriving guests, but we do politely request guests stay clear of those shelves that are clearly marked "Housekeeping only".
Trees & Oranges
We were amazed to find a whole batch of tangerine mandarins on the trees we planted last year. Unfortunately, they weren't ripe enough for us to pick but the next guests should do okay. Meanwhile, the lemon tree is a little on the small side, but the lime is growing well, although it has no fruit on it.
Excited by our fruit-growing achievements, we got a bit carried away and planted some more orange trees - we thought they might encourage our little lemon tree. So, we now have some Red Navel orange trees (one large and two small ones) and a fairly big Ponkan Tangerine. The large Red Navel orange already has some little oranges growing so we might get some proper oranges this year.
We tried to buy different trees that can be harvested between October and March so there is fruit for more of our guests. We await your feedback!
Disney Light Switch Plates
We've been told by guests that they love the Disneyfication (yes, we did make that word up!) of the villa. For that reason, we've introduced a few Disney light switch plates.
So far we have Simba, Nemo, the Little Mermaid and a couple of others, but we are working on fixing the rest of them! Although we did think we might skip the "posh" lounge...tell us if you have an opinion!
This trip, our travel bear Ted brought his pal, Frank, to the villa. Frank joined us in a few activities, and Ted thought it would be good to have a little tournament in the Games Room (not least because he's had way more practice than Frank!) They also took some time out to play in the pool!
We took a couple of trips out during our stay - market research for you guys, obviously, not us wanting to have a good time - so here are some ideas for things to do away from the theme parks.
We visited on a quiet Friday in September. There are about a dozen slides - family ones, tall ones & inner tube ones, open and in the dark.
You can build an inner tube raft and float a lazy river (this was temporarily closed during our visit so we didn't get to try it).
There is also a wave pool, and a kiddy pool that has animals spouting water - they are able to climb on these. LEGOLAND aims at 2-12 year olds, so older kids might find it a bit dull. We're old, we didn't!
Legoland Water Park
Note it is at the far side of the park so it's a long walk if you go there first, however that's likely when it will be quietest.
It's a small park, but likely quieter than some of the bigger ones, such as Disney, meaning you'd get on more rides, but it is likely busier in the summer months.
You have to buy a LEGOLAND Park & Water Park combi ticket but you can move between the two (multi-day tickets and passes are also available) The visitor Center near Posner offers discount tickets.
An airboat ride on Lake Tohopekaliga at the head of the Everglades. The small 6-seater boat will be private if you have a group of four or more, but could still be private if there are fewer of you.
The captain will tailor the ride to search out wildlife - where possible - although there are no guarantees - we saw a two-foot gator, a very friendly tree frog, grasshoppers, a variety of birds and more.
The boat is covered which is wonderful on a hot day.
Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Ride
Booking was straightforward and friendly, with confirmation emailed and simple directions supplied. Although we called and rode the same day, booking in advance is recommended.
Captain Andy was very friendly and took the time to take photos of our group. He even agreed to be photographed with the bears!
We had a friend staying with us so we decided to take tea in the Garden View Tea Room of the Floridian.
It does have a pretty view over the garden, and offers a huge selection of teas from around the world. There are tea sandwiches, scones, desserts as well as other drinks and wines.
You can buy one of several packages or pick and choose from the menu.
Afternoon Tea
at the Garden View Tea Room
It was a nice setting, the scones (with jam and lemon curd) were delicious although the amount of Devon clotted cream was tiny!
However, the tea sandwiches (five quarters, with shrimp, curried chicken, egg, pear and cucumber with watercress) were a little dry and curly and not very big!
The service was friendly once seated but the greeter at the door was a bit surly. Also, it was hard to find signs for the Floridian - you have to enter Magic Kingdom's parking lot.
On the 192 (W Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway), you will find a mini-fun park with shopping centre and basic snack-style restaurants.
This is where you'll find the tall light towers you can see on the drive from the airport to the villa - it's a bungee-style drop for you and a friend. There's a carousel, go karts, laser tag, bumper cars and more.
There's a variety of touristy-gift shops. On Friday and Saturday afternoon/evening they have classic car cruises.
Old Town Kissimmee
To ride the rides (for young or old) there is an armband all-day ticket, or you can buy individual tickets, with different rides requiring different numbers of said tickets.
To be honest, when we went it felt a little seedy. It was quiet (crowds-wise) and there was an entertainer who didn't seem that good. The gift shops were like you'll find all over the 192 but not inexpensive.
This one is more interesting for the kids, and probably more fun when crowded, but it could be a cheaper day out than the big theme parks!
SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR FLY-OUT
We were incredibly fortunate this trip to catch the departure of Space Shuttle Endeavour as it headed to California for it's retirement at the California Science Museum - it had been postponed two days in a row. Only trouble was it was due to leave at 7.45am! The bears were excited though!
We got into the villa - after a Wal-mart shopping stop - at about 10pm and finally got to bed at 1am (or 6am UK time - we'd been up since 5am the day before!) Alarms were set for 4am and we got up and headed west to the Kennedy Space Center. They were selling tickets at the door - we arrived just before 5.30am and found our spot to wait. It wasn't that busy, but the atmosphere was fun as we waited. We watched local TV station Bay News 9 prepare for the event.
Then it was time! We spotted the Shuttle on the back of the 747 as it flew along the path of the runway before heading out to sea. Ten minutes or so later it flew over our spot at the Rocket Garden - it was fabulous to see, especially as this was the same Shuttle we'd seen launch on it's last mission and then in the Vehicle Assembly Building (see our previous newsletters #2 and #3).
It did one last fly-past in the distance before heading off for a stopover in Houston, Texas. Despite the early hour and lack of sleep the trip was well worth it. Once it was over, Ted and Di were interviewed by the Bay News 9 reporter, but we didn't see it so no idea if they showed the piece.
We just had time to ride the simulator again, and get annual pass upgrades for just $5 before returning to our regularly scheduled programming and we headed to Home Depot, the DIY store!
DIY Corner: Repairing the Pool Screen
Most visits we have to repair the pool screen. It's a fibreglass mesh that keeps out the bugs, and some of the UV, but it gets brittle in the Florida sun and tears occasionally. We had two panels to fix this time, so we thought Ted could show you how to fix it. So simple, a furball can do it...
1. Spot the hole
2. Remove seal & screen
3. Measure new screen
4&5. Position screen & fix rubber seal with roller
6. Trim excess
7. Admire job well done
Where should you eat when staying at Villa Southern Dunes? Here’s where we tried this Autumn/Fall...
Celebration Town Tavern
In the heart of the small town of Celebration, opposite the lake, is this family-owned restaurant. It has an extensive menu of American fare, with several vegetarian choices! There is seating both outside and inside - we found it more peaceful inside.
New England seafood is their speciality, but there are plenty of alternatives of meat, pasta, burgers and salads. There are also several dessert selections but their Strawberry Shortcake is fabulous (and huge!)
They serve a good selection of wines, but also have a 99 Bottles of Beer list!
Fuddruckers
The World's Greatest Hamburgers? Well, maybe not, but they're pretty good! They offer 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 and 1lb patties, cooked and served on a scratch-baked sesame bun. You then get to choose what toppings you want on yours - selection of salad items and sauces are available and you add what you like. For the more adventurous, there are elk, bison and wild boar burgers.
Dessert options are weak but at Crossroads, on the 535 (I4 exit 68), there are plenty of other places around if you have room for dessert!
They serve beer, and purport to serve wine, which is a foil-capped plastic tub of a blush wine. Harmless, but not for the connoisseur!
D'Oro Palazzo
This is a new Italian restaurant to be found at Posner Park. They have a very long menu of appetizers, pastas, soups and salads and items from the grill. It was quiet during our visit, but can seat about 50.
They offer a selection of wine and beer and offer carry-out (takeaway) and delivery services as well as eat-in.
Their food is good, and their creme brulee was terrific, however, it was pretty quiet the evening we went so not sure they'll stay open unless they do more business during the day.
Cracker Barrel
"Honest-to-goodness homestyle meals prepared from scratch" are offered here. It's family-friendly restaurant with an all-day menu. The decor is country-50s style and very welcoming, as are the staff.
However, these meals are not small, with multiple sides and cornbread as standard with many entrees. They don't serve alcohol at Cracker Barrel, but they do offer their food to go, if that's your preference, with their regular menu items or their Country-Sized (serves 6) meals.
Alongside is their country store with local foods and Cracker Barrel brands, touristy stuff and seasonal items. They also offer their signature rocking chairs for sale if you have plenty of space in your luggage!
Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club Bar has had a makeover and a name change - it is now the Tavern On The Dunes
In addition to a Sunday breakfast buffet, breakfast and lunch, they now offer a bar menu each evening, with several sandwiches (hamburger, rueben, grilled chicken) and more available. It's not extensive, but you can now get food every night!
With Direct TV you can follow several sports at once and enjoy happy hour between 4pm and 7pm daily. The newly installed granite bar is a huge improvement in look and seating area.
< Photos copyright Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club >
Thinking about your Christmas list? Why not try a Villa Southern Dunes Gift Voucher!
This Christmas we are again offering Villa Southern Dunes Gift Vouchers. If you want your friends and family to pay for your vacation, why not tell them to buy you Villa Southern Dunes vouchers! We can send a Christmassy PDF file by email to the person who contacts us or we can email it directly to the recipient. We offer any amount, which must be paid for using Google Wallet or PayPal, including credit cards, or payments may also be made by bank transfer. Payments, other than bank transfers will incur a 2% administration charge and vouchers will not be sent until payment has cleared but we will endeavour to issue the voucher within 24 hours of receiving cleared payment. While we can accept cheque payments for Christmas vouchers, owing to the time available we will not take cheques after 1st December (for vouchers which must be delivered by Christmas). If you prefer a birthday or other voucher for any other occasion, just ask us at villasoutherndunes@gmail.com
The voucher can be used towards an existing booking (the name on the voucher must be a Named Guest), or towards a deposit, if not yet booked. The name on the voucher may be changed, but this instruction must come from the person whose name is on the voucher. If this is impossible, please contact us at villasoutherndunes@gmail.com
For more information, email villasoutherndunes@gmail.com or call 07952 408964 from the UK (011 44 7952 408964 from the US).
If you'd like to submit a short review of an attraction or restaurant you visited while staying at Villa Southern Dunes, please email it to info@villasoutherndunes.com. Please supply your name, email address, dates of stay and age (if under 18). We'll try and include it if we can.
Thinking about your Christmas list? Why not try a Villa Southern Dunes Gift Voucher!