Guest Comments
On this page we have included copies of comments we have received directly from guests either by mail or email and also transcripts of the comments written in our guest book in the villa. Some of the comments are quite long because they are transcripts of the full entry in our villa guest book, including those about our villa, places to eat (or not) and places our guests found most enjoyable. We feel these comments may be helpful to future guests when planning their own holiday in Florida. We have omitted surnames to protect the privacy of our guests.
Our comments in return are in bold italics
Visited October 26th to November 5th 2008
We had very specific criteria when looking for a villa for our first family trip to Florida. After looking at literally hundreds on the internet, we finally settled on Angela and Stuarts as it had everything we wanted and we were given confidence by the comprehensive and honest details given on the villa website.
We found the villa clean, quiet and very comfortable and our 5 year old daughter spent the first three days telling everyone she met that she had her very own swimming pool which she thoroughly enjoyed using.
Being our first visit we have spent the majority of our time visiting “the parks“ which are all in easy reach. Magic Kingdom truly is a special place (for all ages) and Epcot exceeded our expectations. The Simpsons ride at Universal is fantastic even if you're not a fan of the show and Shamu Rocks, the night time version of Believe at Seaworld is a real highlight with a terrific atmosphere.
If you don't mind an early start (6.00 am at Crabby Bills on H192) then we would definitely recommend a hot air balloon trip with Thompson Air (details enclosed in the black folder at the villa). A thoroughly professional outfit (State champions 2007 and 2008) and an awesome experience even with Captain Jeff Thompsons bad jokes!
We ate at numerous places, mostly good including Carrabbas and Outback Steakhouse on H192 and Applebees north on H27. The local Chinese takeaway by Publix on H27 is good but portions are huge!
I'm writing this on the last day of our holiday and we are all very sad to be leaving Florida and this villa in its wonderful setting. Hopefully one day we will be back. Thanks for everything Stuart and Angela, for a fantastiv villa and the base for a memorable holiday.
Family D (Blyth, England)
Visited August 4th to 21st 2008
Our 2nd time at the villa too - and again we had a swell time.
The recent upgrades to the villa simply improved your already ace-place!
Thanks,
Family M (Doncaster, England)
PS We found a quick way to Disney. Head north on US27 and east on 192 as usual but take a left onto the new 429 signed to Apopka, just stay on for 1 junction - its a toll road but no traffic at all: it misses out all the busy restaurant bit of the 192 near Formosa Gdns.
And from Kate:
Thanks for letting us stay at your villa it was ace! I loved diving in the pool and learning new water acrobatics. E.g. hand stands and backwards roly polys. As well as that I really enjoyed the rocking sofa in the living room - Rock on!! The games room was awesome. Totally sweet. I played pool/snooker, whatever you call it, darts and also air hockey. Unfortunately there was no ball for the foosball table. Where did it go?
The balls were all inside the tubes within the table. We have now made a little adjustment to the table so they should all pop out as expected every time!
Also from Josie:
Thank you for letting us stay at your villa - it was ace.
Future guests have got to check out the cheese cake factory at Mall at Millennia, their puddings are heaven!! Make sure you don’t miss the new Simpsons ride at Universal and Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios. For people who love coasters make sure you go on Hulk and Duelling Dragons (ride Fire and Ice as they're 2 totally different rides) at Islands of Adventure and Rockin Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith at Hollywood Studios as well as Sheikra and Montu at Busch Gardens.
A good place to eat is Hard Rock cafe at City Walk (near universal), TGI Fridays (lovely steak) And Rain Forest Cafe (Downtown Disney).
The rocky chairs in the games room are ace but make sure you don't trap your finger underneath - been there done that!
Aquatica is great, make sure you get there early - full capacity every day - water slides are ace - check out all.
A quick tip for first time Disney People: At Magic Kingdom, while everyone is gawping at the castle, hop on the train to Frontierland to miss queues!
Thanks once again! Rock on!
Visited July 14th to 28th 2008
Second time at the villa. Found everything to be excellent and totally to our satisfaction.
Had a fabulous holiday and hope to return again.
Family D (Loanhead, Scotland)
Visited June 22nd to 27th 2008
Thank you so much!!!
The pool was very refreshing and relaxing!
The accommodations were just perfect!
We loved every minute of our stay!!!
We hope one day to return.
Family R (Toronto, Canada)
Visited 5th to 20th June 2008
We have been here 3 times now but we still love it.
Pool was nice after a big day out, the games room, well we didn't go in there much but when we did I won against Dad every time!
Busch Gardens, well only go if you like roller coasters or have older children but a great day!
Seaworld, I love it there. This year was the best though because Seaworld have after dark show, Clyde and Seamore show, funny but you need to watch the daytime show first to understand it. Shamu show, well I thought it was amazing in the day but at night its fab, amazing, wonderful all the words you could think of. Discovery Cove is a must if you're an animal lover and can swim (if you can't swim they have life jackets).
Thankyou, Kimberley age 14 (and parents, Dorset, England)
Visited May 23rd to June 6th 2008
Enjoyed staying in this villa -
Weather was fab, Pool was fab, Snakes were fab, Love bugs were fab, Frogs were fab, Racoons were punctual, persistent and pesky, BBQ was fab.
Many nights we enjoyed clearing out the pool, its very relaxing at the end of the day.
Lizards were fab - George our 10 year old loved them.
Elliot the pool man was wonderful.
Overall - great holiday, great location for all attractions especially the launch of Discovery on May 31st.
Thank you very much for a wonderful holiday.
Left some pool toys for other visitors to use - please do as we had great fun with them.
Family S
Had lots of fun in the villa especially the games room - George aged 10.
Visited 23rd April to 21st May 2008 - Owners annual spring clean!
We only get to read the comments in our guest book on our bi-annual visits and as we had to forgo our year end visit last year due to work committments in the UK it is almost a whole year since we have been able to update our comments page on the website.
Every time we visit we not only do the bi-annual spring clean and painting and decorating, we also make improvements to our home and it is so lovely to read appreciative comments from our guests. We also welcome any constructive criticism and do our best to improve anything that is suggested - provided we agree that it is an improvement of course!
This visit our management company arranged for the whole villa exterior to be repainted before we arrived and it was lovely to have this hot and tiring job done in advance. We have noticed that some guests are nervous of the conservation area while others love to go out and see the wildlife close up, even fishing in the ponds while keeping a watchful eye on the local gator lazily sunning himself on the far bank, so we decided to redesign the end of the pool deck.
We removed the rocks and stones from each side of the spa, concreted and painted the area and we now have a cast iron bench/love seat at one side and a bistro table and two chairs at the other. Relaxing at either side provides a lovely view of the two ponds and conservation area while remaining safely inside the newly rescreened pool/lanai area, allowing one to enjoy the morning and evening breezes free from any biting insects. We hope that future guests will enjoy the views!
For the benefit of our winter guests we have replaced the electric heat exchanger for the pool and spa with a new gas heater. It was very frustrating getting it sorted out so that it worked correctly with the solar heating but by the time we left it was perfect.
We know that time always runs away very quickly when in sunny Florida so if you don't have time to write comments in the book please do drop us an email letting us, and future guests, know what you enjoyed - or didn't.
Wishing everyone a Happy Florida Villa Holiday - Stuart and Angela Gordon.
Visited 8th to 22nd April 2008
We had a fabulous time in Florida - the villa was great and my girls really enjoyed the pool and the Disney Channel! My Dad and I enjoyed sneaking up to the pond and watching the alligator! I'd recommend your place to anyone - the outlook is so peaceful and the local wildlife was entertaining too!
A great facility in an excellent location where we had a wonderful holiday. Especially enjoyed stalking and shooting (digitally!) the alligator on the far bank of the pond. Although one incident when it roamed on the near bank showed its not so timid as we thought!
Final score in the “Regional Dustbin/Trash Can Playoff” - BRITS NIL Raccoons 2!!
Would recommend Ponderosa for buffet breakfast and Outback for dinner. Really enjoyed Busch Gardens and Boggy Creek Airboats and lots of shopping.
Families S and W (Berkshire, England)
The raccoons are lovely creatures to watch even as they climb into your dustbin/trashcan. They are very crafty and make their way into even the most secure of bins to eat anything edible and strew the wrappers, etc around outside the bins. Personally, we wrap and refrigerate all edible leftovers until bin collection day when out they go about 7am. The early start has the added benefit that we get to see the hot air balloons as they fly over and land in the large empty field at the far end of Montana Avenue!
Visited 22nd to 29th March 2008
We had a wonderful time in your vacation villa! The kids really enjoyed the pool and we all enjoyed the homelike atmosphere.
The large gator in the pond in the backyard provided lots of amuzement for everyone. There were 8 of us (4 adults and 4 kids) and the house was a perfect size.
If you go to Universal Studios go early! We learned that is the best time to go to avoid the crowds. We went early 3 days and came home in the afternoon to enjoy the pool.
Thanks for a great time.
Family S (Ohio, USA)
Visited 16th to 22nd March 2008
This was our 2nd visit to Florida but 1st time in this villa. You have a wonderful villa - more than met our expectations! We spent many hours by the pond watching the alligators and took many pictures. Having the wildlife right out in the backyard, spending peaceful nights lounging on the patio, being secluded from the parks and shops yet having them minutes away was wonderful. Our girls loved the games room - big bonus!!
The Weather - (2 words) Simply Wonderful!! Considering we left Wisconsin and had 4 1/2 ft of snow with highs in the 20s F! What a huge difference. We only had one day it rained a little in the morning but then was sunny and in the 80s! We simply DO NOT want to leave :)
Places to eat: Ruby Tuesdays - wonderful salad bar! Unos - great pizza, pasta, stuffed chicken! Boston Lobster Feast - did not really like it! High prices and food not very warm. We all didn not feel very good after eating there. Maybe just a bad night!!
The only suggestion I have is getting better pool cleaners as I spent many nights cleaning the pool. We never saw he pool man come but we were not here all the time either.
Overall we will definitely be back again and hope to get the same great weather.
Thank you!
Family E (Wisconsin, USA)
Owner comment re pool:
We are sorry the pool kept getting dirty during your stay. Our pool is cleaned, tested and chemically balanced once a week by a very reliable guy, in fact he is the 27 year old son of our management company. He really is a lovely chap and if you had met him on his weekly visit, or called the management company they would have explained and we have now added a note in our villa guide as follows:
At certain times of the year the pool gets a daily residue in the bottom due to pollen blowing from the blooming flowers along the privacy hedge - this is most noticeable when the water has been standing overnight. Between the weekly cleans by our pool personnel you will find the pool more enjoyable if you spend a few minutes just cleaning the residue away.
Please use the brush, which is located on hooks at the far end of the screen to gently sweep the debris down to the outlet filter in the deep end. Skimming the surface before entering the water also helps keep the pool clean.
Visited 2nd to 16th March 2008
Once again we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at your Florida villa. This was an exceptional visit since we had our 6 1/2 year old grandson with us - he now wants his parents to move to Florida.
Of course the parks were a big hit with him but so was seeing the palm trees, the warmth of the pool and he referred to Champions Gate area as “our neighbourhood”.
To experience it all again through the eyes of a 6 year old was very special for us!
Best wishes to you, Angela and Stuart!
Family K (Pennsylvania, USA)
Visited 1st February to 1st March 2008
Your villa is the best we have stayed in.
Swimming every day when its so cold at home! February has been lovely, the warmest in years.
Enjoyed the games room! And the golf!
Family S (Toronto, Canada)
Visited 19th to 31st January 2008
Our third visit but the first time so early in the year. This time we came with Diane’s Mum and Dad.
The parks are a lot less crowded this time of year, no queues! The weather has been good with the hottest day on our final day!
Went to Celebration Town, Wow, what a beautiful place. We recommend a visit.
Places to eat: Longhorn Steakhouse (192 marker 10), Perkins (US27 near I4), Cheesecake Factory (Millenia Mall), Celebration Town.
Thanks for a great time, back soon.
Family F and A (Nottinghamshire, England)
Visited 25th December 2007 to 8th January 2008
We have stayed in many villas before but this has to be the best. The outlook from the pool is fantastic.
Colin and Daniel spent ages in the mornings fishing in the ponds, keeping a watchful eye out for the gators of course. One morning they were joined by two otters competing for the fish!!
We will definitely look at booking this villa again when we return.
Thank you.
Family B (Northants, England)
Visited 1st to 8th December 2007
Emailed comments:
Yesterday we came home from a wonderful trip to Florida. it was very nice to stay at your beautiful villa. You were right, the situation was lovely near to the forest. We saw a lot wildlife. The alligator and turtle in the swan, the many special big birds, strange for us and of course the wolf who passes us two times in the early morning.
The weather was beautiful. We swim almost every day.
It was so nice to see our son back and to be just with the family. That happens not so often. The week was too short!
I hope we have left the villa in proper condition. The luxury of the house and all the equipment has pleased us very much. We felt very at ease and comfortably.
Family T (Austerlitz, Germany)
Visited 7th to 22nd November 2007
We had a great time in this villa. We have been to Florida several times and this villa had a great pool and a unique position compared to other villas we have used before.
If you like a relaxing day out the Cyprus Gardens and Silver Springs are great places to visit (we have done Disney, Universal, Seaworld and Busch Gardens already).
If you are into golf then Greenleaf and Diamond Back are great golf courses (South 27 then turn at Greenleaf sign 20-25 min). These courses are opposite each other.
Good places to eat are Longhorn and Houlihans both on 192.
We will return to Florida in the future.
Family C (Northamptonshire, England)
Visited 10th to 25th October 2007
We have had a really brilliant time here, the only problem is we have to go home.
The villa is lovely and the view from the pool is spectacular. We never ventured down to the pond though, I don’t like alligators!!
We have been to this area many times before and never had such stunning views.
The pool was lovely and was very enjoyable after a day of theme park. It was dark and warm at the same time, kids loved it.
Thanks for allowing us the use of your villa.
Family P (Fife, Scotland)
Visited 23rd September to 7th October 2007
Had another fantastic holiday here. Every time we come its harder to leave.
Can’t wait till next year!
Ros & Darren (Devon, England)
Had a great time! Villa really nice and comfy, shame to be going.
Shaun (England)
Fantastic! Hope to return.
Gail (S. Wales)
Great villa, great holiday, great place, great pool! What more is there to say!
Avril (Devon, England)
Visited 15th August to 4th September 2007
What a great villa!!! :)
Thanks to Lesley we got in nice and early and we went straight in the pool, which we all enjoyed and for the next three weeks we went to theme parks but we only went to Busch Gardens once. :(
We all enjoyed Island of Adventure the most. We all enjoyed the big coasters (except Mom hehe).
We only went down to the pond once thankfully and think we saw an alligator. While we were in the pool we saw racoons - awww. Oh and the pool, its gorgeous.
All in all we had a brilliant time. Thanks Angela for letting us stay.
Family C (West Midlands, England)
Guest book comments written by Natasha age 11 yrs.
Visited 31st July to 15th August 2007
We have had a great time in this villa. It has been one of our best holidays ever.
Our favourite parks were Busch Gardens and Epcot. Our worst park was none of them!
It was a bit rainy some days but others were good.
We really enjoyed the swimming pool. We had a walk to the pond in the gardens and saw 2 alligators and 1 turtle. We all got bitten by nats but we are ok.
We will recommend this to friends and family. We definitely will miss this villa lots and we may visit again! We enjoyed the games room lots.
Thank you for letting us borrow your house (villa).
Many thanks!
Family S (Kent, England)
Guest book comments written by Emily, aged 10.
Visited 15th to 31st July 2007
We had a wonderful time there in Orlando, we learnt a lot.
The people are very friendly and the parks ware amazing, especially Universal Studios.
The villa was also magnificent...
Yeah, we had a great time!
This was our first trip to the USA and everything wasn’t going right from the first time on. But once we arrived here in the villa we were pleased to have such a big and great villa.
The first thing we did was buy an Orlando Flex Ticket and visited all 5 parks that are included - we liked Universal Studios most. In between we also visited Kennedy Space Centre and we did the long trip (505 miles) to the Everglades but that wasn’t worth it. Such a long trip only to see 3 or 4 alligators, 2 birds and almost a turtle. Pff! But the ride on the airboat was good.
Dixie Stampede was fun and a good meal. Yeeha!
When we get home and someone wants to go to Florida we will recommend this villa - no complaints about that.
Families D and Van de C (Belgium)
Visited 28th June to 12th July 2007
E-mailed on arrival:
It's absolutely gorgeous all the extras will definitely keep the kids amused.
Looking forward to spending the next two weeks here.
And comments in the guest book:
The villa ticked all the boxes for us. Having stayed in a few villas in this area we found the location first class. Sitting by the pool side after hard days at the parks was excellent.
Some of the home comforts such as the games room, BBQ and not forgetting the “techie” side like the plasma and the wifi make that little bit of difference.
All in all the villa contributed to our magnificent holiday - full credit to the Gordons for the finishing touches and standard of their home.
We are looking to return to Florida next year and I will be in touch when we can confirm flights as we would love to be able to stay in your villa again.
Thanks again
Family D (Midlothian, Scotland)
Visited 19th to 26th May 2007
Second time for all of us at the villa. Once again a great time was had by all. The villa situated right on the edge of the forest is excellent.
Day two, alligator seen sunning itself by the pond.
Day three, a large otter by the pond.
Kids loved the pool and the games room.
Thanks to the Gordons for allowing us the use of their vacation villa.
Families S and F (Mansfield & Ravenshead, England)
Visited 21st to 28th April 2007
A wonderful second visit to your lovely villa. 3 busy days at Disney and 3 very relaxing days in and around the villa.
Many hours spent watching the local wildlife, including one gator sneaking up on me while I watched 3 or 4 others swim.
The kids enjoyed the games room of course. Maybe our third visit will be without children!
Thanks,
Family S (Ontario, Canada)
Visited 11th to 17th April 2007
This vacation was amazing! We have been coming to Florida for years but this vacation has been by far one we will always remember. The weather was terrific considering the day we left Wisconsin they had 10 inches of snow!!
This house is wonderful and really felt like home. Best things about the house were the pool and the games room.
Thank you so much for opening your house to us, we really appreciated it and hope to be back soon.
Family D (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Visited 5th to 11th April 2007
We had a wonderful time at the vacation home. Thanks so much for working with us to make our vacation enjoyable. It was a pleasure doing business with you. We look forward to our next vacation at Disney and definitely plan to use your home again.
Family I (Maryland, USA)
Visited 8th to 22nd March 2007
First visit to USA, villa fantastic with beautiful settings. We enjoyed the pool.
Universal Studios and SeaWorld were a favourite for us. Places to eat - Hard Rock Cafe is a must.
Enjoy relaxing in the villa with all the comfort of our own home, after a busy day at the parks.
We will recommend to family and friends and we will return again.
Family K (Kent, England)
Visited 7th to 13th February 2007
My entire family and I had a fabulous time and your home was a perfect fit for us. And, Ron was great. He has quite a sense of humor and he and my husband chatted about good cups of tea!
My daughter told me she'd like to return to Orlando in a year or two, and if that happens, we will definitely remember your home as a possible rental.
Family B (Oregon, USA)
Visited 2nd to 8th December 2006
We really, really have had a wonderful time here in your villa, we really enjoyed it.
We went to Disney, Universal etc and really had fun!!
Thank you for the games and all the beautiful things that were here. We hope to come back here to this lovely and peaceful villa. Now we have to leave - we love it very much.
Family S (Guatemala)
Visited 25th November to 2nd December 2006
Thank you again so much for renting your lovely home in Davenport to us. It was very nice to spend the week there.
Mr & Mrs E (Minnesota, USA)
Visited 24th September to 8th October 2006
Our first surprise was getting through Sanford airport in 30 minutes! Our second getting a free upgrade on our hire car. The third and best was this excellent villa. It was perfectly presented without missing a single homely detail.
Within an hour we were in the pool winding down after the long flight - perfect!
The location is excellent, close enough to all the attractions but still far enough away to eb a quiet relaxing place. Most of our time has been spent in the pool, but we have also enjoyed the games room and the big TV!
We will definitely come back next year and even if we don't visit any attractions, we know we are guaranteed a fantastic time here at the villa.
This time we have visited lots of attractions!
Seaworld - Sea lion show, try and get there early to catch the mime artist, very funny. Also Shamu's Believe is not to be missed.
Kennedy Space Centre - EXCELLENT. Sit on the right of the tour bus to get the best views and if you want to return the following day, remember to get your tickets stamped as you leave.
Busch Gardens - So good we went twice! Excellent rides combined with lots of animals. For interaction try Lory Landing where the birds will come and land on your arms! Don't miss Rhino Rally - the guides are hilarious.
Universal Studios and Island of Adventure - We squeezed both parks into one day. An excellent assortment of rides in both and some very talented caricaturists.
Disney's Blizzard Beach. Very good fun, swim/surf shoes are recommended as the ground is very rough on bare feet. Lots of people wearing shorts and t-shirts on rides so clothing rules seem to be very relaxed.
Everglades and Miami Beach - A very long day! 200 miles to Coopertown for our airboat ride. Took 4 hours to get there but worth it! The diner next door is also very good. We didn't stay long in Miami, it was a far cry from the peacefulness back here!
Golden Corral - A fantastic place to eat, open all day and caters for all tastes. Its an all-you-can-eat buffet so keep filling your plate! Check out speciality nights - I liked Mexican Wednesday!
The Florida Mall - Okay if you like large department stores. We went looking for bargains but didn't find many. The food court is big but not a burger and chips in sight!
Gatorland - We paid an extra $10 here to feed the alligators - they were BIG and hungry! Don't miss the Jumparoo show and alligator wrestling.
Walmart - Excellent shopping! Not looking forward to Tesco after seeing prices in here. All under one roof - Fab!
Police Hall of Fame Titusville - We spotted this opposite the Astronaut Hall of Fame outside Kennedy SC. For $25 we got entry to the museum pls 50 9mm rounds to fire at their public shooting range. A very interesting and unique place to visit.
We've had so much fun it's a shame we have to leave, but we'll be back next year to enjoy more of the same! Many thanks to Stuart and Angela.
Ros, Darren and Sue (Devon, England and Wales)
Visited 27th to 31st August 2006
We liked, actually Loved your villa!
Thanks to Ron and Lesley for all their help.
S Family (New Jersey, USA)
Visited 11th to 24th August 2006
A real jewel of a place. The secluded lanai and pool area was quite superb enabling the relaxation I so desperately needed.
Martin
A wonderful home to relax and enjoy after hectic days spent in busy theme parks. A refreshing dip at the end of hot --- hot days.
Loved the privacy but loved the shopping more!!! Girls get out there and spend!
We have spent several holidays in villas in Florida and we would return here in a heartbeat!
Val
I had a great time, Sea World was fabulous! Loved Islands of Adventure. That Shamu is BIG!
Phoebe
Awesome holiday which couldn't have been any better. We all enjoyed shopping, theme parking, swimming, chilling and lots of sleeping!! Out of the 5 parks we visited (with the 5 park flexi-ticket) I have to say Busch Gardens is the best park. Montu was by far the best ride there but I have to say some of the animals we saw were just amazing. Sea World - see the Shamu show. IOA Hulk is amazing, Spiderman terrific. Universal Mummy just spectacular, Wet and Wild - Disco H2O. Also we spent a few evenings at a restaurant named Chilis. All I have to say is "Delicious eat there"!
Thanks for a great, exciting yet relaxing holiday. The pool is wonderful!
Olivia
In Summary:
"We came . . .
We saw. . .
We spent. . .
We went . . . !!
Thanks.
C Family (Lincolnshire, England)
Visited 25th July to 8th August 2006
We had a wonderful two weeks staying in this villa. This is our second visit so we have been able to make good use of the superb pool and lanai.
This is a most peaceful and welcome retreat from the hectic parts!
We have also enjoyed evenings in the games room attempting to improve our skills at pool and darts.
Thanks for a great holiday.
W family (Berkshire, England)
Visited 17th to 24th July 2006
My family and I would like to thank you for a wonderful stay in your house. Our vacation was quiet and relaxing and our visit to Disney World was really fabulous. The kids enjoyed it very much.
This is a most peaceful and welcome retreat from the hectic parts!
D Family (Massachusetts, USA)
Visited 23rd to 30th June 2006
We were ready to trip but here in your home we have stayed. Part of our lives will have special images in our minds because our holidays were wonderful in this lovely place.
We hope to come back soon.
Family C R (Columbia)
Visited 20th to 27th May 2006
Your home is lovely and has lots of room for all of us. It's so much more relaxing staying in a home especially for our kids (9, 11, 14 and15). Your new games room was soon a hit. We'd wake up in the morning to find 1 or 2 of them already playing. We all enjoyed the pool and the area behind the house. The alligator gave us a good show the very first day and we enjoyed watching the fish, birds, dragon flies and butterflies.
Our favourite outing was to Glades adventure for an airboat ride. We also enjoyed a couple of days at Universal which is always fun. We did a little shopping but tried to relax most of our stay.
Unfortunately our van spent the entire week in the shop but, thanks to Leslie and Ron and their friend Dawn we managed to get a rental on our second day and out for our groceries on our first day.
Thanks again.
The S family (Canada)
Visited 7th to 18th May 2006
Just had a chance to sit down and write a little note to you to express our sincere gratitude for allowing us rent your vacation home in Orlando for the last week and half. It exceeded our best expectations and my family and I look forward to staying there again soon.
Alex R
Visited 1st to 15th April 2006
The villa is wonderful and more than exceeded our expectations! It is spacious and well equipped. It was very homely and we all felt at ease. The children were especially pleased with the teddies on their beds - thanks!
The setting is peaceful and full of wildlife. We enjoyed watching the alligators and the lizards.
We all had a lot of fun in the pool and enjoyed having a swim after long days out! The towels in the villa made our packing a lot easier.
Orlando has a lot to offer and we have had a very fun filled holiday, even if we are now going home for a rest. Disney was great and we found the people very friendly and helpful. Seaworld was amazing and the fireworks were worth staying for.
The Orlando premium outlet is great for designer gear, but if you want just a regular mall try the Florida Mall.
We had the villa recommended by the H family and we would certainly do the same for anybody else!
Thanks for a super holiday villa in Florida. If we ever come back we will be giving you a call!
The H family.
Visited 8th to 15th October 2005
This is our first visit to America. The villa is in a fantastic location. We have been pleasantly surprised at how much Orlando has to offer outside of the parks. If you have time, take a days visit to Wekiwa Springs - we had a fantastic day there, relaxing and canoeing on the river.
The wildlife was amazing. Most days we saw quite a large alligator by the back pool. Two days, we were lucky enough to see him walk between the back pool and the pool closest to the villa.
We're off to Naples in the Gulf for our second week - how lucky is that?! Thank you to Angela & Stuart for sharing their home with us.
P.S. The American people were fantastic, upbeat and happy - it was infectious.
P.P.S We spent half of the first week in the hospital of Florida - all is now okay - what a wonderful hospital and people, so don't worry if you need it which hopefully you won't!
Love from
The C family.
Visited 18th August to 1st September 2005
Our 2nd visit in 2 years: what a delightfully peaceful location with an abundance of wildlife: spotted a gator in the lake (nr bench) plus a raccoon (they do trash your garbage bins.) Also several lizards, butterflies and more butterflies - oh and a snake plus sand cranes dipping for their lunch.
Bug catchers in house unnerved me at first but didn't see anything scurrying so they must work!
Beautiful sight early one morning to see 4 floating air balloons ascending behind the trees.
The villa is well equipped and spacious enough for all your holiday paraphernalia. Our eight year old twin daughters especially enjoyed the pool/pool toys - thanks for putting teddies on the beds - nice touch! They also enjoyed the games set and making drinks with the ice maker.
Try hanging your clothes on hangers from the ladder in the garage if you don't want to use the tumbler.
Days out: Busch Gardens is a must if you've got coaster maniacs (over 54") like our two - especially now with Shiekra. Also front row of Montu and Duelling Dragons are great. Don't miss feeding dolphins at Seaworld. Check out Planet Hollywood &/or Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney if you've not tried 'em before.
Spectromagic (over 3 nights a week) + Wishes fireworks at Magic K really capture that Disney Magic.
Universal Studios lots of 3D/Simulator rides, IOA better for coasters. You really do get drenched on water rides so wear your cosi! Don't miss Seuss Landing too.
Hope everyone who reads this has a "swell" or (sweltering!) time like us,
Jill, Jake, Josie & Kate M.
Visited 2nd to 9th August 2005
I would just like to thank you for the use of your villa for our first week. It really was a wonderful villa. We looked for accommodation that had decent views from the pool and your outlook was just a picture. We wanted to feel as though we were not in a town and this view did just that. It was so relaxing. The pool was lovely too and a decent size.
The villa had everything you could possibly have needed.
Your management company were also extremely efficient, helpful and friendly. Ron came and sorted out all our little queries very promptly. We also came back one day to find floaties for the children to have fun in the pool with. So please pass on our thanks for their efforts too.
If we decide to stay in Florida again then obviously we would very seriously consider your villa as I cannot think of anywhere better to stay. We originally went for four weeks so that only one trip would be necessary due to the exorbitant cost of the flights in August (currently the only time we can take our holidays).
However we would not completely rule out never going again as we had such a great time and there were still things we didn't do and other things we could quite happily do again. I will therefore keep a record of your villa/email address etc just in case we can afford to go again.
Once again thanks again for the use of your lovely villa.
Janet H (England)
At first it took a while to get settled but after a while I got used to it, there were a few problems such as the Jacuzzi not working but that soon got fixed thanks to Ron, the villa is lovely especially the pool.
I really don't want to leave I felt so comfortable here and had such a fab time.
Mandy (England)
It was a really nice stay we enjoyed the pool and the Jacuzzi. I liked the water fall. I liked my bedroom it had a nice view. I wish we could come again, I don't think we are ever going to find a better villa than this one, I really liked it.
I also liked the ice machine.
Emma (England)
Wow, what can I say except that this villa is like my dream home! I love everything about it! I especially love the fact that I had my own double bed and en-suite all to myself! We had fun in the pool, on the Playstation and on your really cool black chair things. Also the fact that I didn't find one spider in the place made it seem extra special. I can't describe the view it is so beautiful!
I also liked the ice machine.
Unfortunately we did not see any snakes, armadillos, alligators or raccoons, but the butterflies were beautiful! The largest animals in our wildlife at London are pigeons! Basically this is the best holiday I've ever had and it was mostly due to the beautiful villa and the wonderful hospitality of Ron and Lesley.
I also liked the ice machine.
Sarah H (England)
I also liked the ice machine.
Can't really add much more as the villa was very comfortable. If you have a problem contact Ron and Lesley - see the villa's folder. If you eat out, many places accept discount coupons which can be found in supermarkets etc.
What lovely comments from all family members, its so lovely to hear that everyone enjoyed themselves.
Visited 23rd to 30th July 2005
We really enjoyed our stay in your home. We visited many spots but these were our favourite: Old Towne (192), Universal Studios (Everyone must see!), Cocoa Beach, and of course Disney World! We enjoyed the pool and spent most of our vacation in it. We were disappointed the Jacuzzi didn't work.
Everyone enjoyed and loved the location and closeness to food! We got lost in the Complex Daily and enjoyed lots of laughs at each drive as they found a new street with every trip in and out of the complex.
Thanks again for such a memorable vacation. We hope to see you again next year. :)
The J and G families (OH)
Thank you for lending us your home. It was beautiful and we had a wonderful time! It was great!!!!!!!!!!!
Heather J (USA)
I'm not sure what was wrong with the Jacuzzi but it was all quickly tested and fixed by a call from our next guests (see next comment) and is working fine now. A call to the management company would have sorted this out within 24 hours, whatever it was. Anyone visiting who has a problem please do call them - they are very happy to be of help with any little problem.
Visited 30th June to 14th July 2005
4th visit to Orlando, this one much more relaxing especially by the pool watching the different animals, for example squirrels, raccoons and huge butterflies. Kids loved the pool and privacy. Went to Universal, Seaworld, must try the Hulk, Duelling Dragons, Kracken. Must try Bamboo Wok for Chinese - very cheap, the small portion is not that small, Mia Pizza also lovely both situated at Publix 2 mile down road. 4.3 mile up road is Cracker Barrel - also good.
Thankyou to Angela and Stuart; we had a very enjoyable stay!
Amanda, Darren, Sophie, Chloe, Steve and Rhiannon G (England)
Visited 28th May to 4th June 2005
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write this note, things have been so busy since we returned from Florida. I just wanted to say a really big thank you for letting us use your villa during our stay in Florida. We had a lovely time, the villa is fantastic, and we can't wait to come back again!
Unfortunately the week we were in Orlando it rained almost constantly, so we didn't get as much chance to make the most of the villa's outdoor facilities, but the whole stay was fabulous.
I've been telling all my friends of this fantastic place to stay, and hope to return very soon.
Thank you again
Jacquie S (England)
Visited 16th to 22nd April 2005
We had a marvellous family vacation (both our adult children and grand-children). We really enjoyed ourselves.
Your villa was very accommodating. There were plenty of dishes and silverware to use. There were also plenty of towels. We especially loved the use of the pool almost every day. And of course the weather was perfect. The location was ideal for Disney, Sea World and the Kennedy Space Centre. We'd like to thank you for letting us stay in your wonderful place.
Sincerely
John and Elaine R (USA)
Visited 25th March to 11th April 2005
The villa was in a beautiful setting for watching wildlife and enjoying peaceful privacy - perfect.
We've had a brilliant time using our flextickets at Universal Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens, Sea World and Wet and Wild. However, the best ride to be had at a water park is the Crush-Gusher (new!) at Typhoon Lagoon - a must if you love thrilling water rides. Busch Gardens was great but very busy. We used the shuttle bus which is great if you don't want to drive but it shortens the time in the park considerably - it's a very easy drive down the I4.
Clearwater beach was fabulous and the ride on the 'Sea-Screamer' boat - very good value for money. We had a superb exhibition put on by the wild dolphins as they followed the boat's wake. (Sit at the back of the boat for the best view!)
The villa is perfect - we appreciated the supply of pool towels - thanks. All facilities were thoughtfully provided and hence, it's very homely. Our one negative comment is that we struggled to open the patio doors and the children couldn't close them easily before the alarm sounded which got very annoying!! It's best to use the side door.
Thanks again for a super holiday villa - as you know, we've already recommended the villa to another family for next Easter ('06) - I shall be very envious.
The H families (England)
P.S. Look out for the red-headed woodpecker
One of the patio doors had slipped off its runners. It has been re-tracked, cleaned and oiled and now glides along almost too quickly.
Visited 25th February to 4th March 2005
If there is one thing missing in this house it's the chance to meet such wonderful hosts.
Thank you for offering a beautiful, comfortable, elegant yet warm house.
If you ever decide to make a 'DVD greeting' from you, I think all would enjoy.
This stay was fabulous, coming 'home' after exhausting Disney days was great!
The kids loved this house as much as we did and Orlando was great, exciting and too short!
I hope we can come back one day, we will all recommend 'The Gordon's' as a place to stay.
Maybe we'll meet one day, if you ever want to visit Canada, we'll be more than happy to help arrange it if you need a hand.
Thank you very, very much, every penny (or pound!) was well worth it.
Sonia T (Canada)
Visited 4th to 18th January 2005
Third visit to Florida in 3 years - this was by far the best holiday with a 1st class villa.
All amenities to hand including some nice touches that were unexpected.
Really quiet and relaxing area with nice walks to the rear of the villa.
Thanks to Angela and Stuart - 1st class villa in 1st class location.
Recommend Carrabba's for excellent Italian food - go early or book a table as its always busy!
Spencer, Gail and Amy (Scotland)
Visited 23rd December 2004 to 3rd January 2005
The house was exceptional, all the comforts of home. We particularly appreciated the laundry room, given that we're a family of five. My children particularly enjoyed the black rocking chairs!
We spent most of our time at Disney World and Universal Studios. These are the main attractions and reason for coming to Orlando. We all had a wonderful time there, although they were eight exhausting days! Our last day was spent reading, relaxing and doing a bit of shopping at Mall at the Millenia.
I particularly loved sitting out on the patio by the pool doing some reading and soaking up some sun.
The house is situated close to all our needs; grocery, pharmacy, major attractions and shopping.
Thank you so much for a wonderful stay.
Carol, Neil, Jonathan, Michael and Rachel D (Canada)
Visited from 26th October to 8th November 2004
Many thanks for a great stay. We have all enjoyed everything. The girls love the pool even if it was a bit cold!!
We've done all the usual Disney stuff, but would recommend starting with Busch Gardens before Disney, ending with Magic Kingdom - nothing can match the magic. We all agree Splash Mountain is the ride, Disney Magic and a wet roller coaster all in one. However, Space Mountain has my 8 year old hooked on big rides!
We started our holiday at Kennedy, Daddy's choice, but we all agree (mum + 5 and 8 year old girls) it was a very good day out.
Also check out the web sites, Sea World was doing a special - (not advertised at the gate) - free unlimited re-admittance for 7 days. We loved Sea World, loads of animals, especially the Shamu shows - brilliant, even Disney struggles to match up to the power of nature!!
Many thanks
Jo, David, Eleanor and Lydia
Visited 10th to 14th October 2004
Perfect accommodation. Much needed relaxing rest. Awesome area, I love the privacy of your patio.
Thank you so much for meeting my needs. I will be making plans for my family to come with me. I will definitely check with you to see if there are openings on your calendar.
Lori I
Oh, the only negative thing I ran into was that there is no cell reception.
Sometimes the lack of cell reception is a blessing - everyone that needs to know calls the home phone. As of October 2005 the cell reception is perfect so there must be a new mast somewhere on the horizon.
Visited from 9th to 24th September 2004
When can we book again?!! We have had a fantastic time. The villa, the pool, the location just couldn't be better. The children have enjoyed it so much they don't want to go home but then again we don't either.
We would really recommend Discovery Cove and the dolphin swim, this was a dream! Amazing!! You swim with giant sting rays and tropical fish. The meal you get there is so good also.
Fireworks at Epcot will make you cry it is breathtaking. Honey I shrunk the audience at Epcot is really good.
Sea World with Shamu is also good. The animals at Sea World show called Pets Ahoy is quite incredible. How do they get those animals to do that?!!
Animal Kingdom Safari ride and water ride is really good. All the carnivals at all the parks are good. But at Animal Kingdom the Tarzan show was really good. Visit Dinoland and go on the Dinocoaster - it will scare you!! MGM Studios the history of the movies, Indiana Jones and Star Wars are all a must!!
Blizzard Beach has the biggest, steepest and fastest ride in the world and believe us it is!
To eat out Sizzler was the best value. Not to be missed are all the shops at Orlando Premium Outlets - off I4, Vineland Avenue. They have every brand and its unbelievable prices.
Thank you for such a wonderful home to stay in.
Gary, Alison, Daniel Yasmin and Reece H (England)
Visited from 20th August to 3rd September 2004 (extended to 8th September due to hurricane Frances)
We're back safe and sound! Thanks for your kindness in offering to let us stay on during the hurricane.
Although the storm turned out less powerful than feared, it was unnerving to know that for a while there were no emergency services and not knowing whether you were going to retain power or when you were going to fly out. I must say Virgin were very good at laying on extra flights and phoning to let us know.
I put all the pool furniture (and the refuse bins) in the garage. In fact the pool enclosure was remarkably robust, with no more than a slight breeze inside. And the rain came down so heavily, the pool didn't need filling up! It's a lovely house in a wonderful setting so I was pleased that, as far as I could tell, it survived unscathed, though I gather one of the neighbours spotted that some tiling had lifted.
Thank you also for getting the air conditioning fixed. It was quite a problem for the first week when it never quite cooled the house enough and kept going off in the night. It was lovely and cool for last part of our holiday.
Thanks again
Paul L (England)
We do have a very good management team in Florida who get things repaired as soon as they know there is a problem. Anything faulty should be reported to them immediately and they can quickly have it sorted out for you. August and September are very hot times of the year and air conditioning is a wonderful welcome when you walk through the front door.
We have been through a hurricane ourselves (Jeanne) since Paul was caught by Frances and we have been pleasantly surprised how robust our villa is. Through all 3 hurricanes we were lucky to have only a ridge tile blown from the roof. We only lost power for about 18 hours in total and everything was fine.
Visited from 22nd July to 12th August 2004
We have had a very relaxing time and especially enjoyed using the pool and lanai. The peaceful location and outlook make this villa special.
Disney was magic as always particularly the fireworks and Fantasmic.
For a special meal we would recommend the California Grill at Disney's contemporary resort, as a bonus you get a great view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks (a bit pricey and booking recommended, but worth it).
Thanks.
Keith W and family (England)
Visited from 17th to 22nd July 2004
We had a wonderful time. The house was great. We really enjoyed the pool and it was a big relaxation for the kids. Disney was great as usual - plenty hot - rain did not play a big factor. We will keep you in mind for our next Florida vacation.
Radonna and Kevin H (USA)
Visited from 3rd to 16th July 2004
Thank you for letting us stay. The house and setting was wonderful. We have had a memorable time watching racoons, alligator and snakes.
The A1 Chinese at Champions Gate and Carrabbas Italian on 192 that you recommended were well worth trying.
Thank you.
Jane H (England)
Visited from 25th June to 2nd July 2004
We had a wonderful time here in your house. Everything was perfect and we loved it very much. Now we have to leave. But good things are every time too short. It is a really nice house. Thank you very much.
Petra H (Germany)
Visited from 12th to 24th April 2004
Dear Angela,
Thank you for letting us use your villa in Florida, we have had a brilliant time. As we are now packing up ready to leave there are a couple of things I wanted to mention.
On Wednesday you had a phone call from Robert about the pool. He said he was returning your call and if you were to contact us then to let you know. A few hours later some men came along to clean it, so I assume Robert got in contact with you in England, but wanted to mention it just in case.
When we arrived back yesterday, the pool alarm was going off. Tony discovered that one of the sensors was on the floor. He has put it back on but says that it needs re-sticking to the door. This is at the door from the lounge, (not the family room).
Thank you again
Ruth, Tony, Timothy and Matthew P (England)
The call from the pool man was about the solar pool heating that we have now had installed and which warms up the water beautifully. The pool door alarms are essential to ensure safety for guests with children. The high humidity in Florida causes them to fall off occasionally. They have all been reattached with extra strong adhesive patches and we will check and replace them every time we visit (currently twice a year).
Visited from 25th February to 3rd March 2004
Dear Angela, I am writing to inform you that we received your check for our security deposit several days ago. Sandra and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay at your villa and found everything to be as good as advertised.
The only areas that I would consider as future improvements would be to somehow add some dresser storage in the 2nd bedroom (not that we needed it), and replacement of the corner shower in the master bathroom (I found it difficult getting into and out of because the entry is so high; with wet, slippery feet this exit is quite tricky). Neither of these situations detracted from the overall quality and excellent location of your villa.
We especially liked the pool area and the pool visibility from almost everywhere in the house. Having a "quiet living room" separate from the family room was also a nice feature. We couldn't have been more pleased with your villa, and furthermore, it was most refreshing to deal with you and Katherine instead of a management or realty company. I commend you on your professional handling of our rental. We are so impressed that we have decided to be in touch with you the next time we plan on being in the Orlando area. Thanks again for sharing your home with us--it was wonderful!
Chris K (England)
There is a large storage shelf in the built in wardrobe and generous bedside cabinets with 3 drawers in each at either side of the queen size bed. We will definitely look at adding further shelving in the built in cupboard. The large corner bath and shower in the master bedroom is a feature that we love. It is rather a high step into and out of the bath and we have put a non-slip bath mat outside the door. We will keep a lookout for a suitable, safe step to aid access to the bath.
Visited from 13th to 27th November 2003
You are very lucky to have such a fantastic place. We love it!
Hope you enjoy your stay as much as we have.
Sharon, Mark, Mikey, Jordan, Shauna, Vivienne and Roy R (England)
We arrived at the villa on the 27th November after Sharon, Mark and family had left and we did indeed enjoy our visit, although much of our time was spent on improvements.
Visited from 7th to 18th October 2003
We LOVED your house, and it was just great for our family.
You may want to add into your "users manual" (very helpful, by the way) how to operate the Jacuzzi by the pool, cause that took us a long time to figure out.
We had a slight problem figuring out the TV's - or is it just so, that there are a lot more channels on the TV in the bedroom than there are in the living room? Also we had trouble getting the DVD to work (yes, I know, we are stupid foreigners and probably just don't know which buttons to push - but there is another little addition to make in your users manual - since we were so happy, we may be back - or refer others......:-)
All together we had a wonderful time. The house was very accommodating for our crowd, and the location is just wonderful. We wish you a great stay when you leave in a few days, and wish it was us!
Thanks again and best regards
Mai-Britt B (Germany)
We have included detailed instructions for turning on the Jacuzzi together with some little pictures. The TV's in both living room and bedroom have exactly the same channels. However, we now have comprehensive instructions for using the TV's, DVD player and Sony Playstation 2.
Details Useful Info Surrounding Area Availability & Pricing Terms & Conditions Video Tour Contact us