Long Distance Moves

I have read the ebook "no nonsense guide to cross country moving" by K.C. Roads, available online for free at http://www.mymove.com/content/dam/mymove/documents/Cross-Country-Move-eBook.pdf

The book talks about a move from the west coast to the east coast, but the information is the same for a long distance move to the Orlando area.

The book is filled will many tips and hints. I particularly liked the list of places that will need your new address. Also, information about moving pets was interesting (but could have been more in depth). 

The best part of the book, however, was how to preserve your relationship with your mate during the move. A move can be very stressful for everyone. Recognizing that, preparing for it, and giving time for it is the best answer. The best advice? Laugh. Laugh at the silly things instead of letting them add stress to an already stressful move.

If you are planning a move, I recommend grabbing this quick read.

Measles Outbreak at DisneyLand

You have probably heard the news: Measles outbreak at Disneyland. I predicted this in my recent post here:
http://relocatingtodisney.blogspot.com/2014/07/buckets-of-hand-sanitizer.html
It is no surprise to me that a disease outbreak is being traced back to a Disney park.

Packing the Van

Packing a van for a 1200 mile trip to a Florida takes skill and planning. Getting everything to fit is like putting together a puzzle. Luckily I have photographic templates to follow from past trips.

When we unload the van, will fill two and a half hotel luggage carts. It takes 60-90 minutes to carefully pack the van with everything.

First, I pack the stow and go area under our Dodge Caravan mid-row seats. Sand toys, video games, sandals, and other items that won't be needed until we arrive at our final destination.

Then, the back seat. Two tubs stuffed full with food, kitchen items, and anything else. Computer bags, boxes, pillows, jackets, blankets. 

Then the back end gets filled. Luggage on the bottom. Overnight bags, medicine bags, cable bags (for all of the electronics).

Then the cockpit. I use an inverter with a power strip to power all the kids games during the trip. Then backpacks for their trip toys, bags with snacks and water, and bags with my wife's purse and maps and everything she needs to navigate us.

Somehow, I make it all fit.

Why stay off property?

For full disclosure: I own no rental property, nor do I want to, nor do I have any interests in rental property.

Every trip to Disney was on property for a decade and a half. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans Riverside every time. These locations got cramped as our family grew to three children, but we used the bunky bed and made the best of it.

Then in 2013 I rented a Villa for a long stay (4 weeks) to experience living near Disney. We have now resented three different villas and I can share my experience to help with your decision.

There are two options to staying off property: you can rent a house or apartment, known as a villa. Or, you can stay in an off property hotel. Off property hotels are often larger and cheaper than on property, but not always. For this article, I will focus on villas.

If you don't have a car, are coming for a short stay, or have a small family, staying on property may be the best answer. You'll be able to immerse yourself into a Disney experience.

If you have a large family, want to save money, staying for a long time, or just want some space? Renting a villa might be a better option. 

The Disney bus system is a nice option and is often seen as the benefit of staying on property. But honestly, the bus system can have long lines, long waits, and long delays. After waiting for all the motorized carts to load, you are often left with standing room only for a long crowded ride to your destination. Alternatively to the bus system, you can get a villa within driving range that is comparable to the Disney bus system. Parking fees can be very expensive, but are free with some passes.

If you stay on property you get the Extra Magic Hours. The park will open early or stay open late on certain nights for resort guests only. The crowd levels are at their lowest and you can ride the most.  That can be a great perk if you are an early riser or a night owl. 

There is a huge benefit to staying at a monorail resort when you are attending the Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Unlike the buses, the monorail quickly delivers you to your destination. However, the monorail resorts are some of the most expensive resorts in the area. 

Some villas are a long distance from the parks requiring an hour drive! Traffic is often terrible, bumper to bumper, and slow going. However, if you select a villa in the West Gate area off 192 (near Famosa Gardins) there is a back road that takes one past the employee casting. You can go from driveway to walking through the Animal Kingdom gates in only 15 minutes.

I will often hear guests say they like staying on property so they can head back to the resort in the afternoon for a nap or a swim. While that may be true, in the time it takes to ride the buses you could make it back to a villa. You will have your own private pool if you are renting a pool house villa.

Food is one of the most expensive parts of a Disney vacation. An adult hamburger meal will run $9- $10. Staying off property gives you greater dinning options. I could have a steak at The Texas Roadhouse for the cost of a quick service meal on property. Or, making a quick meal in the villa's kitchen is the most affordable alternative.

As you can see, there is no perfect answer to the debate. You should pick the option that works best for your family. Which ever you pick: staying on property or off, you are going to have a great time!    

Emerald Island: 8410 Blue Lagoon, Alamo Vacation Homes, Review

This is the third vacation villa we have rented. If you read any villa review that says everything was perfect? Don't believe it. There is always something to point out. As a result, I will be as honest and critical as I can. Even so, let me tell you: this was a fine condo, we had a great time, and I would have no problem renting this again.

 The condo has two stories. The first story includes the kitchen, eating area, living room, bathroom, and laundry. The second floor has three bedrooms and two baths.

The first floor is an open floor plan where the living room and eating area are one large area and the kitchen is separated by a counter.

The condo is less than 100 yards from a four lane highway, thus you hear cars all the time. We live on a busy road, so, this was no problem for me. But if you aren't used to traffic noise this could be a problem for you.

The house is sparse on pots and pans.  If you plan on cooking big meals? Bring more. 

The house is good with bath towels but not wash cloths. You may want to bring those as well.

The furniture is lightly warn. There are stains on the ceiling, but those are only visible in sunlight. The bathrooms have signs above the toilet paper rolls that appear to warn against putting soiled toilet paper into the toilet. We found the message ridiculous and ignored it.

The beds were very comfortable and were newer Beauty Rest mattresses. There is a large flat screen TV in the living room, but small tube TV's in the bedrooms.

The condo has three bedrooms that can sleep six, plus a large pull out couch in the living room. The first floor is all tile. The stairs and second floor is plush carpet that is in good shape.

There is a patio just off the living room. Overtop the patio is a second floor balcony, connected to the master bedroom. The balcony sits two chairs comfortably and overlooks a court yard, of sorts. I walked the neighborhood. The neighborhood is very quite and we rarely saw any neighbors. The landscaping in the neighborhood is well kept, although there was a lot of small scraps of trash in the yards and gardens.

There is a pool and a park about a block away. We didn't have time to use it. There is a very nice club house several blocks away. And tennis courts and basket ball courts two blocks away.

There is a large coffee brewer in the kitchen, requiring filters and ground coffee. The appliances were in good condition and good working order. The washer and dryer worked well except the dryer struggled to get cloths dry and often needed to be ran several times.

No pest problem. I saw several dead worms in the corners, but that is minor. There was a tree frog on the kitchen counter when we arrived, which I quickly evicted.

Garbage collection was unique. Simply drop the garbage into a buried canister outside near the front door and someone comes by every day and takes care of it.

The condo area is gates with a wire fence around the perimeter. This would block cars but not people on foot. To get your car into te neighborhood you will need a gate pass. A gate pass requires a refundable $10 deposit, obtained at the club house.

So there it is. An honest review of the condo. As I already mentioned, I would have no problem renting this again. 

Renting a Villa: Expectations

We have now rented three different houses off property near Disney. We like renting villas because we get to experience what it might be like to live near Disney someday. Villa rental can be a great experience so long as you properly set your expectations.

You need to understand that there is an owner and a management company. The owner typically only has one or two vacation villas. They probably bought it because they like to have a place to stay when they come to Florida, but would like to make some money when not here. The management company cares for the villa because the owners are often out of state or out of country. The management company cleans the villa and takes care of the guests, and they often take care of a great number of villas.

First, there are rip off artists in the Villa world. You should only work with people that have many reviews, good reputation, can be verified, allows you to call and ask questions, and takes credit cards for payment. Be very careful!

Second, you are renting a house, not a hotel room. You are paying considerably less than a hotel for something considerably larger. The house is going to be warn. It should be clean, but expect some wear and tare.

Third, pay attention to the location. If you stay in the Famosa Gardens area off 192, or the Neighboring Four Corners area, you will be 15-30 minute drive to any park. If your condo is someplace else? You'll probably have a further drive.

Fourth, don't trust reviews that say everything was great. Those reviews were probably written by the owners or the management company. No villa is perfect, they all have something that is noteworthy and wrong.

Fifth, when you arrive at the condo, before bringing in your luggage, record everything that is wrong: stains on the carpet, anything broken, etc. You don't want to accidentally get charged for that damage. If you see anything significantly wrong, notify the management company immediately and give them time to correct it.

Sixth,  most places restrict your use of the air conditioner to 75 or 74 degrees. Mix in humidity and 75 is still very warm. 

Seventh, Villas will require that you clean before you leave. That usually means: run the vacuum, run the dishwasher, and put dirty linens in the laundry room.

Eight, you will be responsible for taking out the garbage

Ninth, they will all tell you: this is Florida, expect bugs. But other than an occasional ant, there should be no bugs inside the villa if it is professionally pest controlled.

Tenth, you should expect to find bed linens, towels, plates, silverware, and basic cookery. If you require anything else? Inquire about it.

Disney's Osborne Family Lights

We went to Hollywood Studios to experience the Osborne Family Specticle of Dancing Lights presented by Siemens. 

Normally this section of Hollywood Studios is a dull movie set of a city street. It was created back when Hollywood Studios (then MGM Studios) purpose was to take people inside the movie making experience. Why would Disney want to do this? Because Universal Studios just opened and that's what they were doing. Disney unsuccessfully attempted to fight off the competition.

 Fast forward many years. While this section if the park is interesting, it really serves no purpose. Until... The Osborne lights come to town. Then, all of the buildings are covered in Christmas lights. The lights are timed to Christmas music, so, they flash and blink in coordinated ways. The entire street becomes a light show!

But wait, there is more: Snow! It snows. OK, it is cold soap bubbles, so, for dont want to catch these flakes on your tongue. But it looks like real snow flakes.

The event is ongoing from dusk until the park closes. There are no lines - just walk through the area of park in front of the Lights Motor Action attraction. Intentionally, there isn't anywhere to sit, although we made use of the curbs on the street. 

We had a great time and I hope to see the lights again some day.