Advice for Renting for a Summer Stay (Tampa, Orlando: 2015, apartments)

[DanaA]

I am trying to begin planning a summer stay in Orlando for next year. I am a teacher and have summers off and my dream is to live in the Disney area one day so hat better opportunity than to actually live there one summer. I would love some guidance on safe, homey communities where I can rent a 2-3 bedroom condo with nice amenities like a pool and close to shopping. I would like to be very close to drive to Disney at any time.

I also need help on how to purchase tickets for a reasonable price for the Disney and Universal parks. Now I am not planning to go daily but I would like to go a few times a week. Is there any way to buy passes for a longer period of time at some kind of discounted price?

I have been looking at some communities like Oakwater that claims to be 1.5 miles to Disney-any feedback on this place?

I thank you in advance for all feedback ~

[bmw335xi]

Oakwater is really in the middle of nowhere, unless you spend every day and night in Disney I would definitely not recommend it for a month. I would look into Windermere. There are a lot of nee apartments and condos and it's next to Disney and still has infastructure such as grocery stores etc. If you want to go to Disney a few times a week, you need to buy an annual pass.

[DanaA]

Thank you for the info about Oakwater-however I cannot find a condo/place in Windermere. Any other communities that I could look into?

[BrokerHarry]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Oakwater is really in the middle of nowhere, unless you spend every day and night in Disney I would definitely not recommend it for a month.

Baloney.

Oakwater is a security gated resort style condominium / townhouse community off Old Lake Wilson Rd near the junction of Irlo Bronson Hwy (192). It's very centrally located for a vacationer.

There's tons of restaurants around the corner on 192, golfing in Reunion just to the south, & all kinds of shopping nearby, & it's literally minutes to Disney, & a short straight shot over to I4 for travelling north to Universal & downtown Orlando, or over to Tampa to the SW, or east to the Kissimmee tourist spots like Old Town, Shingle Creek, or Celebration.

I've performed numerous BPO bank valuation inspections on townhouse properties in Oakwater. A lot of them sold for upwards of $300K before the crash, & they've only rebounded to approx the $170K area. Many of them were purchased specifically as vacation homes.

There are definitely homes in there that remain underwater on their mortgages, so I get assigned to perform valuations in that community often.

If the OP can rent one for a decent price for a summer vacation stay...I think the community would be a very good choice.

It's very clean & secure, it's actually quite difficult to get in past the gate unless you live or have business there.

[DanaA]

Originally Posted by BrokerHarry

Baloney.

Oakwater is a security gated resort style condominium / townhouse community off Old Lake Wilson Rd near the junction of Irlo Bronson Hwy (192). It's very centrally located for a vacationer.

There's tons of restaurants around the corner on 192, golfing in Reunion just to the south, & all kinds of shopping nearby, & it's literally minutes to Disney, & a short straight shot over to I4 for travelling north to Universal & downtown Orlando, or over to Tampa to the SW, or east to the Kissimmee tourist spots like Old Town, Shingle Creek, or Celebration.

I've performed numerous BPO bank valuation inspections on townhouse properties in Oakwater. A lot of them sold for upwards of $300K before the crash, & they've only rebounded to approx the $170K area. Many of them were purchased specifically as vacation homes.

There are definitely homes in there that remain underwater on their mortgages, so I get assigned to perform valuations in that community often.

If the OP can rent one for a decent price for a summer vacation stay...I think the community would be a very good choice.

It's very clean & secure, it's actually quite difficult to get in past the gate unless you live or have business there.

So then there are places to eat and shop very close to the community? A supermarket , Target, etc would be ideal. It sounds like its super close to Disney and other parks which is what we are looking for. We would like to live somewhere where we could jump in the car one night and run to Disney Springs or mini golf, etc. I appreciate your guidance!

[BrokerHarry]

Originally Posted by DanaA

So then there are places to eat and shop very close to the community? A supermarket , Target, etc would be ideal. It sounds like its super close to Disney and other parks which is what we are looking for. We would like to live somewhere where we could jump in the car one night and run to Disney Springs or mini golf, etc. I appreciate your guidance!

The entrance to the Oakwater condo / townhomes is just a block off Irlo Bronson Hwy (192) which is the main east-west business artery at the southern border of Disney.

Everything a vacationer might need can be found along that main road.

Virtually every national chain restaurant that does business in Florida has a presence on 192. There's plenty of big shopping centers & grocery stores, & crazy (but fun) tourist shops, along with several huge miniature golf venues & other tourist attractions, all within 15 minutes distance, or less.

Zoom in on Google maps. It will confirm everything I'm telling you.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by BrokerHarry

The entrance to the Oakwater condo / townhomes is just a block off Irlo Bronson Hwy (192) which is the main east-west business artery at the southern border of Disney.

Everything a vacationer might need can be found along that main road.

Virtually every national chain restaurant that does business in Florida has a presence on 192. There's plenty of big shopping centers & grocery stores, & crazy (but fun) tourist shops, along with several huge miniature golf venues & other tourist attractions, all within 15 minutes distance, or less.

Zoom in on Google maps. It will confirm everything I'm telling you.

In other words, it's a land of grimey tourist traps (like the amazing ball of mud) that are decades past their prime with McDonald and Dennys galore. A week there is okay if you are on a tight budget, but a summer would be awful.

To the OP, I live in Dr. Phillips and go to Disney Springs quite often, just a short 15 minute drive on local roads too. You could look into the Seaworld Area. It's pretty close to Disney, but still not in the middle of nowhere. You might want to look on Airbnb as well around Lake Burna Vista, Windermere.

[BrokerHarry]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

In other words, it's a land of grimey tourist traps (like the amazing ball of mud) that are decades past their prime with McDonald and Dennys galore. A week there is okay if you are on a tight budget, but a summer would be awful.

That's a ridiculous, inaccurate generalization.

There are plenty of very exclusive communities in the area that are served by the better establishments along 192.

I assure you the residents of Celebration, Championsgate, & Reunion (which are all near the rental community put into question by the OP) also frequent many of these same businesses, & they not all "grimey & decades past their prime".

The new Margaritaville Resort is under construction as we speak, right around the corner from where the OP is considering renting. A major project like this wouldn't be built in an area that wasn't desirable or worthwhile.

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/a...g-to-kissimmee

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by BrokerHarry

That's a ridiculous, inaccurate generalization.

There are plenty of very exclusive communities in the area that are served by the better establishments along 192.

I assure you the residents of Celebration, Championsgate, & Reunion (which are all near the rental community put into question by the OP) also frequent many of these same businesses, & they not all "grimey & decades past their prime".

The new Margaritaville Resort is under construction as we speak, right around the corner from where the OP is considering renting. A major project like this wouldn't be built in an area that wasn't desirable or worthwhile.

Details released on Kissimmee's $750 million MargaritaVillage | Blogs | Orlando Weekly

I'm exaggerating of course in case you haven't noticed, but am still serious about it not being a good location for an entire summer. A week, sure no problem, but 3 months? I don't know. There are better locations unless the budget is tight.