Mickey and Minnie's Pad

I don't "advertise" on here very often, but we had such a positive experience at the condo we rented near Disney World, I just have to share. This is totally unsolicited, and I am getting no compensation for it. Just wanted to be upfront. :)

When we decided to go to Disney World (fairly last minute), I immediately checked out the Disney resorts. It didn't take long to realize that most things were booked, that Disney does not really cater to larger families (though I realize we are small by some standards...I mean more than four people), and that it would be QUITE pricey for us to reserve something. After I got over that disappointment, I expanded my search.

I did look at hotels but again, a family of six usually involves renting two rooms. Then I started checking out condos. I usually make a list (I just google for rentals) of available places and highlight any "pros" about them and e-mail the list to Mark. Then he narrows it down. I do all of the legwork I guess, and he makes the final decision. I have to say, he has yet to fail us. :)

The place we found...Minnie and Mickey's Pad. It is a condo in Davenport, FL, which is about ten minutes from the gates of Disney World. The area is fairly quiet and away from the busyness, which we really liked. Yet there was a grocery store just down the road, and numerous food places within ten minutes.

One of the selling points of the condo was that it was ground floor. With four little people running around, we need ground floor. People above me don't bother me at all (though I never really heard much from anyone). And the way the condo is situated, you have window views from all bedrooms and the dining room (with a little patio even). There was nothing behind the condo except a field area which was nice.

Another selling point was the size. It was a three bedroom, two bath condo, which is a huge plus with our crew. Mark was impressed with the size of the kitchen (which I forgot to take a picture of but you might see on the website). It also had a full size washer and dryer (which we used often) It was just nice and spacious. Not that we need a lot of space, but again, with four little people, it is nice to be able to move around and have a little space.

When I e-mailed Audrey who owns the condo, I was impressed with the price. I love that it included the cleaning fee and taxes already. That took out alot of the guesswork. If it had been warmer, I am sure we would have enjoyed the pool/recreation area. We also had free Internet. (It wasn't wireless but it was high speed)

The next week, we filled out the rental agreement and sent in the fees. During that time period, Audrey, who lives in England, called us to introduce herself. She wanted to put us at ease since we were renting via Internet. (I had seen this condo listed on several rental sites so I wasn't too concerned, but you cannot help but wonder when you "shop" online :) It was nice to talk to her, ask any questions, and find out more about where we were staying. She also assured me she was just an e-mail away. And she was. (She also called us our first day there to make sure everything was to our liking.)

Overall, it was a positive experience. And though I know staying on Disney premises has benefits (like the meal plan or "magic hours", I honestly am not sure we wouldn't just stay at Minnie and Mickey's Pad again. It was comfortable, "homey", reasonably priced, and a nice size. We also enjoyed the location. Here are a few pictures:

The room the girl's stayed in (two twin beds)

Another view of the girl's room...it was so fun!

A view of the living room and the dining area

The room the boys stayed in. We took our pack and play because of our stop in Mississippi, but there was actually one there we could have used.

I wish I had gotten pics of our room and the kitchen. Anyway, you get the idea. :) If you ever are interested in staying there, feel free to ask me about it (or you can e-mail Audrey...she is quick to answer!).

More later,
Reba