Villa Southern Dunes

Almost 2000 square feet of Disney-themed vacation home with 4 bedrooms (2 ensuite & 1 shared bathroom) can be found in a quiet cul-de-sac location and will comfortably sleep up to eight so is perfect for multi-generational families or maybe two families sharing and all this can be yours for a fraction of the cost of multiple hotel rooms.

The large Castle Room has seating for everyone on large leather sofas (one can converts to a double sofa bed). There is a 65" smart ROKU digital cable TV with soundbar, alongside a DVD player. A ceiling fan is overhead which can assist the air conditioning to reduce temperatures in warm weather. The dining area has a large, extendable wooden table, providing seating for the entire party all together!

The second lounge is a little less formal, with a 48" ROKU TV, DVD player, extensive DVDs collection for all members of the family. The bookshelves offer a range of novels for all ages and tastes, travel guides. In the table drawer you'll find a number of activity and colouring books with crayons. This room overlooks the pool deck which can be accessed via an alarmed (for child-safety) sliding door. Overhead there is a ceiling fan.

Our west-facing private pool is 26 feet x 12 feet in size. The pool is screened to keep out the bugs and block some UV light. The large pool deck has a covered lanai for shade, with dining table and eight chairs so everyone can sit and eat outside if they wish. We also have four loungers. The pool can be heated for an additional fee. The pool deck and pool are lit for an evening swim after a hard day at the parks. A security fence is supplied to protect young children from accessing the pool without supervision and all door and windows that access the pool from the villa are alarmed. The pool area is surrounded on all three sides by a privacy hedge. We are now using a liquid pool cover so there's no longer a need to fit the pool blanket.

We also supply a charcoal grill/barbeque for your use, free of charge, during your stay (guests need to supply their own fuel). All we ask is you clean it before you leave or there is a charge.

Our fully equipped kitchen has all the stainless steel appliances you need to feel at home. We have a large electric stove with ceramic hob, a microwave, dishwasher, side-by-side American-style fridge-freezer with ice and iced water dispenser, regular coffee maker, Aeropress coffee maker, manual and electric burr grinders, 4-slice toaster, Mickey Mouse pancake/waffle iron, electric kettle, electric can-opener and blender. We supply a range of good quality multiclad aluminum pans to feed a family. We also supply enough crockery, cutlery and glassware for all members of the party. For eating and drinking out on the pool deck, we supply melamine plates, dishes, cups, as required by Florida law. There is a further breakfast area alongside the kitchen which will seat 6 to 8 comfortably. A radio can be found here, with facility to charge your iPhone gizmos and this can be used to play your own music too. There's an international multi-outlet/socket for charging all those devices including USB chargers.

In the garage, we have our Disney Cars games room. There is an 8-foot slate pool table, with balls for billiards/pool and snooker, pool cues of 3 lengths. The ESPN 5.5 foot air hockey table is glow in the dark, although we're not sure we'd recommend it! The foosball/table football table has 'real' players rather than the robots you seem to get more and more these days. We have a dartboard with soft-tip darts, for safety. For toddlers there's a Toy Story rocking horse and a road layout driving mat with cars.

If outdoor play is more your thing, we have tennis rackets and balls and a fishing rod. When it's not your turn, we have a table and chairs and have now added a ROKU TV to keep up on your sports (or soaps). For our younger guests, we've provided a toy box, crammed full of cars, dolls and stuffed toys. There's even a Disney Cars table and chairs (which can be taken out to the pool deck if you wish). In the closet you'll find more jigsaws and board games than you'll have time to play. Our vast selection of dress-up clothes for boys and girls now comprises more than 50 outfits, including several Disney ones.

We have our laundry facility in the garage/games room, with US-style top-loading washer/washing machine and tumble dryer. A washing basket, clothes airer, iron and ironing board are also available for your use.

Our driveway is wide enough for two cars to be parked off the road.

We also provide a mailbox, which may be of use to longer stay guests and snowbirds.

Bedrooms

The first of two master suites, the Mickey Master, has a king-size bed with pillow-top mattress, 48" ROKU television and DVD player, cordless telephone, a table and two chairs, one-cup Mickey Mouse coffee machine, alarm clock radio with USB charger, additional power outlets/sockets and plenty of storage in bedside tables and a large chest of drawers. This bedroom also has a ceiling fan. The bedroom has an alarmed sliding door which allows access to the pool deck. Accessed from the bedroom is the large ensuite bathroom with shower, two-person bath, vanity sink with mirror over, separate WC and large walk-in closet.

The second master suite is the Donald Master. This has a queen-size bed with pillow-top mattress, 32” cable television smart ROKU TV and dvd player, chests of drawers, double closet, dressing table and chair, Mickey Mouse one-cup coffee machine, alarm clock and cordless telephone. The lamps on the bedside table each have a USB port and there are additional ones on the wall. Accessed from the bedroom is a full bath with shower over, mirrored vanity sink and WC.

Our third and fourth bedrooms have two twin beds each and are decorated with a Disney-theme. The Simba Room overlooks the swimming pool and has a 19” ROKU television, large closet, chest of drawers and alarm clock. The Nemo room looks out to the side of the villa and has a 19” ROKU television, large closet and chest of drawers. Both rooms now have additional power outlets/sockets with USB for more device charging. If required, either or both of the twin rooms can be converted to king-size beds on request. The twin rooms share the Little Mermaid-themed family bathroom, which has full bath with shower over, mirrored vanity sink and WC. There is a closet in this bathroom which contains extra towels and pool towels.

Southern Dunes and Beyond

The Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club community is a secure gated community (manned 24-hours) in the Haines City area south of Orlando on US-27. From Orlando Airport it’s a straightforward journey on just three highways.

The award-winning Southern Dunes Golf Course offers a challenging round on the undulating, fast course. Golf pros are available for lessons, or you can check out the driving range. A golf shop can also be found at the club house. There are five tees at each hole for different skill levels. Tee times can be booked online and discounts are offered on their website. Ask for details if you want more information. The club house has a restaurant serving breakfast and lunch daily. The community also has public swimming pools, tennis courts, childrens play area, a gym (open daily 6am-2pm) and small library.

At the entrance to the community is a huge Super Walmart which is open 24-7, except for Christmas Day. You can get almost anything here! Walmart also has a gas station. There is also a Dollar Tree (everything’s a dollar), Winn-Dixie, Taco Bell, a Chinese restaurant and a bank. Across the US-27, you’ll find a couple of family restaurants (Dora's Pizza, La Fiesta Mexicana, Manny's Chophouse, Beef O’Brady’s, Papa Johns, Sonny's BBQ, Denny's), fast food chains (McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Dairy Queen, Wendy's) and more.

Just 10 minutes north of Southern Dunes on the US-27 (just before the I-4 entrance) is Posner Park Mall. This has stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond, JC Penney, Ross, Best Buy, Michaels, Dicks Sporting Goods, Marshalls, Home Goods, Bealls and more with tons of free parking. These stores are generally open into the evening. The IMAX and regular movie theater offers gourmet food and drinks, including alcohol. There is a Japanese restaurant here, an Italian and the Davenport Ale House. Across the US-27 from here is a Chinese restaurant, Perkins restaurant and more. There is also another gas station, a western outfitters and also a Visitor Center with free guidebooks and discount vouchers. The Ovation Bistro just before you get to Posner Park (on the right, going North) is a place not to be missed.

A further 10 minutes north-east on the I-4 will take you to the 192 (W Irlo Johnson Highway) and International Drive. Here you’ll find dozens of restaurants and malls to suit all tastes and pockets.

The Disney, Universal and SeaWorld parks can all be reached via easy-to-drive and well-signposted multi-lane highways. South of the villa you will find Legoland Florida, with many rides, gardens, water-ski show and displays of Lego cities. A variety of smaller attractions (Gatorland, Old Town Kissimmee, air boat rides, museums, parks, lakes) are also available locally.

If you’re a golfer and Southern Dunes Golf Course is not enough for you, Orlando hosts over a hundred courses in the surrounding area within an easy drive.