caseyd
13-04-2004, 00:04
I have been active on this board and planned a trip to Orlando that would have been very different and now nearly as nice without the advice I got here. We stayed at Greater Groves on Hwy 27, 2 miles north of 192, last week. First villa stay. Chose the house because we wanted a cable TV in three bedrooms (and we rented a 4 bedroom to get cable TV in 3 of them), and at least a 30 ft rectangular pool. Knew nothing about the neighborhodd except that I could see from the pics that the pool area was surrounded by privacy trees and flowering plants.
First, the house. It was nice enough, not spectacular but comfortable. Liked the one story, as we have two sets of stairs to run up and down at home adn one story was much more relaxing for vacation. Liked the house layout- master bedroom on one side, and kid's rooms on the other side, w/two living areas and kitchen in btwn. Also liked 3 baths, we each had our own, no fighting btwn the kids on using the bathroom, and one was off the pool which was convenient. Liked having a second living area right inside the front door- this is where we put down all our stuff when we cam back in from the parks, etc. and I read in there. Things we did not like: TV in daughter's room was NOT cable, it had only 11 channels whereas the others had about 100. She felt slighted and I notified the owners that they should not advertise cable in all bedrooms. We would not rent this house again unless they make good on that offering. And the house had no DVD, only video player. We had to bring our own DVD player- we brought out PS2 which doubles as a DVD player. And the lamps were poor, cheap short ones, hard to read by.
We got the pool heat and couldn't have swum without it. I wonder if you can even swim in Dec.- Feb. even with heat?
LOVED the neighborhood! Greater Groves is way out west, at least by standards of the villas around Splendid China area (we drove through all of those and also ones around Poinciana). But the location is very quiet and peaceful, and the lots are larger than many other areas, combined w/the privacy paltings and trees we had total privacy and QUIET. One morning I was in the pool, it was totally quiet, not a sound, and all of a sudden there were 12 hot air balloons that went right over out pool at about 75 ft. up- it was just amazing. We didn't use the community tennis or baskeball, although my son is a baseball pitcher and he and his Dad pitched and caught in the street in front of the house for a half hour every day. We couldn't have done that in the more crowded and congested neighborhoods. Most owners live in their homes full-time in Greater Groves, which we liked, rather than everyone being renters and coming and going alot.
We stayed at the house 3 1/2 days out of the 7, playing by and in the pool (for 3 days we never even went anywhere). Sunday night reservations at Emeril's Tchoup Chop at Royal Pacific Hotel at Universal. Long drive, but I wanted to go as we had such a great meal at Emeril's at City Walk last year. Tchoup Chop had nice atmsophere and great service, but food was not as good as it could/should have been for the price (yes, hold onto your wallet- w/tip it was $250 for 3 adult meals and one kid, w/a bottle of $48 wine and one dessert, two appetizers. Food was uneven and my son's dish was just plain werid- it is the signature dish, a Hawaiian Pork recipe, but it looked like a plate of fried noodles, and we could barely find the pork. My grouper was just plain, and my husband's grouper had a nice presentation in a bamboo basket but was also nothing to rave about. The best meal was my daughter's $16 kids meal w/a small filet. Dessert was a cold cake, like out of the ice box cold. And it was my birthday meal- my husband had called earlier and told them and they did nothing for it. Won't go back there.
Went to Animal Kingdom for first time on Monday and really liked it. 15 min. door to door using the shortcut on this site. Got there at 9 a.m, went straight to Safari and were in line 40 min. but wante
First, the house. It was nice enough, not spectacular but comfortable. Liked the one story, as we have two sets of stairs to run up and down at home adn one story was much more relaxing for vacation. Liked the house layout- master bedroom on one side, and kid's rooms on the other side, w/two living areas and kitchen in btwn. Also liked 3 baths, we each had our own, no fighting btwn the kids on using the bathroom, and one was off the pool which was convenient. Liked having a second living area right inside the front door- this is where we put down all our stuff when we cam back in from the parks, etc. and I read in there. Things we did not like: TV in daughter's room was NOT cable, it had only 11 channels whereas the others had about 100. She felt slighted and I notified the owners that they should not advertise cable in all bedrooms. We would not rent this house again unless they make good on that offering. And the house had no DVD, only video player. We had to bring our own DVD player- we brought out PS2 which doubles as a DVD player. And the lamps were poor, cheap short ones, hard to read by.
We got the pool heat and couldn't have swum without it. I wonder if you can even swim in Dec.- Feb. even with heat?
LOVED the neighborhood! Greater Groves is way out west, at least by standards of the villas around Splendid China area (we drove through all of those and also ones around Poinciana). But the location is very quiet and peaceful, and the lots are larger than many other areas, combined w/the privacy paltings and trees we had total privacy and QUIET. One morning I was in the pool, it was totally quiet, not a sound, and all of a sudden there were 12 hot air balloons that went right over out pool at about 75 ft. up- it was just amazing. We didn't use the community tennis or baskeball, although my son is a baseball pitcher and he and his Dad pitched and caught in the street in front of the house for a half hour every day. We couldn't have done that in the more crowded and congested neighborhoods. Most owners live in their homes full-time in Greater Groves, which we liked, rather than everyone being renters and coming and going alot.
We stayed at the house 3 1/2 days out of the 7, playing by and in the pool (for 3 days we never even went anywhere). Sunday night reservations at Emeril's Tchoup Chop at Royal Pacific Hotel at Universal. Long drive, but I wanted to go as we had such a great meal at Emeril's at City Walk last year. Tchoup Chop had nice atmsophere and great service, but food was not as good as it could/should have been for the price (yes, hold onto your wallet- w/tip it was $250 for 3 adult meals and one kid, w/a bottle of $48 wine and one dessert, two appetizers. Food was uneven and my son's dish was just plain werid- it is the signature dish, a Hawaiian Pork recipe, but it looked like a plate of fried noodles, and we could barely find the pork. My grouper was just plain, and my husband's grouper had a nice presentation in a bamboo basket but was also nothing to rave about. The best meal was my daughter's $16 kids meal w/a small filet. Dessert was a cold cake, like out of the ice box cold. And it was my birthday meal- my husband had called earlier and told them and they did nothing for it. Won't go back there.
Went to Animal Kingdom for first time on Monday and really liked it. 15 min. door to door using the shortcut on this site. Got there at 9 a.m, went straight to Safari and were in line 40 min. but wante