ALL STAR Vacation Homes Review -- PassPorter.com

ALL STAR Vacation Homes Near Walt Disney World: A Review

Do you love Walt Disney World but miss the comforts and space of your home? With our growing family, we prefer to stay in more than just one room when we travel. We can book suites or connecting rooms, but it gets expensive fast! So when we wanted to have a mini-reunion with Dave's brother's family, we tried out a vacation home (by ALL STAR Vacation Homes) near Walt Disney World.

Basic Information:
ALL STAR Vacation Homes
Address: 7822 W. Irlo Bronson Hwy., Kissimmee, FL 34747
Phone: 888-306-1756
Check-in time: 4:00 pm Check-out time: 11:00 am
allstarvacationhomes.com

Now, if you have a copy of PassPorter Walt Disney World, you'll know that ALL STAR Vacation Homes is mentioned in there. Because we want to offer our readers only the best, this visit was used to familiarize ourselves with the company's vacation homes and service. ALL STAR staff was aware of our identity. So while this report was prompted by the business relationship, we made it clear that we would call things as we see them. Note that while this article was first written in February 2005, we refreshed it and updated some information in February 2007 after our most recent visit.

How We Booked
We began by visiting ALL STAR Vacation Homes web site at http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com. This is a web site after our own heart -- it's very detailed! We found descriptions and photos of all the vacation homes, plus the dates they were available. We had a ball looking at the various houses available -- they come in four categories: condos & town homes (2-3 bedrooms), luxury homes (3-6 bedrooms), resort homes (3-7 bedrooms), and estate homes (4-7 bedrooms). Based on the number of people joining us, we calculated that a seven-bedroom estate home would work best. And -- wow -- what a steal... the price for our stay during the Martin Luther King holiday weekend was about $450/night (that includes taxes and the mandatory fees, like cleaning and processing). The one-bedroom, on-Disney-property villa we'd booked during MouseFest cost more than this. Two-bedroom vacation homes through ALL STAR Vacation Homes start at about $199/night. We opted for pool heat (a January necessity) and a crib rental, which added a bit more to the total. Unlike booking a Disney hotel room or villa, you are able to reserve the exact vacation home you want. There's a $200 non-refundable deposit required at the time of booking. Payment is due 30 days before arrival, and it's non-refundable at that point (you may want to opt for travel insurance, which is reasonably priced). Once our vacation home was reserved, we received an e-mail confirmation form along with arrival directions.

Tip: PassPorter readers can get one of two special deals -- either a free standard-size Enterprise car rental with a 7-night reservation of a private pool home or $125 off a 7-night reservation at a Condo or Town Home during low, mid, and high season. Just go to our deal page at ALL STAR Vacation Homes, type "passporter" as the promotional code or mention "PassPorter" when reserving over the phone. You can only use one promotional code or special for a reservation (and they aren't available during holiday season), so do check the web site for other deals -- for example, there may be seasonal specials that offer even better savings.

First Impressions
After arriving at Orlando International Airport and picking up our rental car, we followed the directions to the ALL STAR Vacation Homes office on US 192 in Kissimmee, just south of Walt Disney World. We'd arrived close to midnight and the office was closed, but easy instructions were provided to open their lock box and retrieve an envelope with the house keys. It took all of 5 minutes. The next thing we knew we were pulling into "our" neighborhood, where we entered a security code to open the security gate. Pulling into "our" home's driveway at 8015 Acadia Estates, we were quite impressed. The house was grand yet inviting, with gas-lamps flickering on either side of the garage and the foyer light on.

Vacation Home
8015 Acadia Estates

A Look Inside
We were really floored when we saw the inside of the house (no pun intended). It was just gorgeous... and huge! We immediately checked out the seven bedrooms - we had to stake out our territory before the rest of the family arrived. Our house had three master bedrooms (each with a bathroom) on the ground floor, and four more bedrooms upstairs (two more masters and two kid-styled rooms each with two twin beds, that shared a bathroom). We laid claim to the best master bedroom on the first floor-it also happened to be the one with the crib in it (this was a very nice wooden crib, not a Pack 'n' Play). Our room had French doors leading out to the patio and pool and a very large bathroom with an oversized tub. Of course, all the rooms had TVs and combination phone/clock/radios.

Our master bedroom (with crib!)

Lots of Space... and a Pool!
Once we'd deposited our luggage in our respective rooms (Allie chose a room with two twin beds decorated with a princess theme and hosting the PlayStation 2), we checked out the rest of the house's 3354 square feet: A big 52" screen TV in the living room, fully-equipped upscale kitchen, dining room with a table already set for six, Dell computer with high speed Internet access, game room with pool table and foosball... the list goes on and on. Words do not do this house justice. Jennifer took a break to feed Alexander while Dave snapped many photos of the home.

Our favorite part was just outside the sliding glass doors (which had child safety locks, by the way) -- a large, screen-enclosed pool deck with a kid's wading pool (it looks like Mickey with huge ears!), good-size swimming pool, round hot-tub, and patio table with chairs. A small cascade of water poured into the pool from the elevated hot tub (see photo) whenever the jets were turned off - a nice added touch. The pool area also had a child safety fence, which was secured upon our arrival. As soon as Alexander was asleep, we snuck out to the pool for a late-night swim. It was absolute heaven. We did have a bit of a challenge finding the hot tub controls-they were all the way across the deck, on the wall near the pool's shower. Brrrr! on a chilly evening! We sure were glad we had pool heat! (You need it for the hot tub, too, or you'll have a cold tub!)

Kitchen and Dining Room
A bird's-eye view of the kitchen and living room

Our Pool
Our private pool and hot tub

ALL STAR Vacation Homes Office
The next morning we left Alexander and Allie with Jennifer's mom and visited the ALL STAR Vacation Homes office. We must admit we were expecting a small outfit, and we were pleasantly surprised to find a relatively large suite of offices with more than seven employees present (at our count). They were very organized, professional, and welcoming. Here we picked up some PlayStation games for Allie (no charge). DVDs were also available to check out. The receptionist was available to answer questions, give directions, and make arrangements to purchase Disney park tickets (they get delivered to your vacation home, so you can do this over the phone, too). There were also free Internet terminals here for those guests who don't have Internet in their vacation home.

Dave and Sara Moore at the All Star Offices

Other Vacation Homes
The friendly folks at ALL STAR Vacation Homes also gave us a tour of some other homes so we could pass along our thoughts to our readers.

The homes in the All Star "inventory" are all investment properties, intended to be rented full-time. All Star provides all management, cleaning, and maintenance services, and holds all owners to strict standards of quality. Owners are free to participate in the furnishing and decorating of their properties, leading to some very distinctive choices between homes. There's clearly some competition between the various owners, both to express their own taste and personality, and to attract more business. The homes are scattered throughout a variety of community developments just south of US 192 in Kissimmee, although as the company has grown All Star has begun to develop entire communities for its own needs. In the near future the company plans to open a central community and recreation center to serve all its properties.

Every home we saw was impressive. We saw both smaller and larger homes. All were decorated nicely and had excellent layouts. We saw one home with an enormous pool deck-you could host a wedding reception there! And the some of the town homes have adorable, private "splash pools" which look like very large hot tubs -- and guests in those homes still have access to a large community pool. The condos feel the most like Disney's on-property villas. The condos are located in large buildings and are part of a larger resort community, with a clubhouse that features a fitness center, arcade, movie theater, playground, and small store.

All Star Offices
A large living room in an estate home

Hangin' Out at the House
Once the rest of the family arrived later that day, we set out to put the home through its paces. The kids had a little pool party of their own one evening. We spent the better part of another day hanging out in the game room, shooting pool and chatting. We made breakfast in the kitchen and ate in the dining room. We watched some movies on the big screen TV. We used the Internet to check our message boards and search Google for a nearby restaurant. We used the phones to call the office. We used the washer and dryer to clean some of Alexander's baby clothes. We had a couple of late night sessions in the hot tub. Every bedroom was slept in, every bathroom was used. The only problem reported was with the hot/cold faucet in one of the bathrooms -- Dave's niece Melanie thought it was labeled wrong, but on inspection it was fine, just a bit different than what she had at home. Everyone raved about the house and we had a great time!

Jennifer's mom uses the computer

Was It Worth It?
We have to be honest -- we hadn't tried a vacation home before. Why? We were concerned about transportation to the parks. We were concerned about quality. Mostly, we were concerned about losing the "magic" of a Disney vacation. Our fears were (mostly) unfounded. With the rental car, getting to the parks was actually faster in some cases than waiting for Disney transportation (we were literally five minutes from Disney's Animal Kingdom). The home was well furnished, clean, and attractive -- very upscale. And it didn't feel like someone else's home either -- it was decorated like a hotel suite. Oh, and there was no selling going on here -- no one tried to get us to buy a vacation home or timeshare. And thanks to all those extra private amenities we don't normally get when we stay on Disney property, we still felt the magic, even if it wasn't Disney magic. At the end of the stay, we all agreed that it had been delightful! We even day-dreamed a bit about returning with for another reunion in a couple of years.

Dave and Alexander enjoy the big screen TV

Now, don't get us wrong -- we don't think a vacation home is right for everyone, nor right for every visit to Walt Disney World. So here are the pros and cons of a vacation home stay that might help you decide if it's right for you:

PROS:

Much, much more space for the price, including entertaining space

Amenities, amenities, amenities

Kitchen facilities

Private pool and hot tub with luxury, resort, and estate homes

Ease of transportation in many cases

Ideal for large families and groups

CONS:

Not "on-property" so you need to rent a car
You need to stay at least four nights
Not for those who want to spend under $100/night
Deposit not refundable; entire payment must be made 30 days before arrival and it's not refundable after that point.

We're now believers in the vacation home concept... and we highly recommend ALL STAR Vacation Homes! And we'd love to hear from you and get your comments and experiences. Please write to us at jenniferanddave@passporter.com so we can include your comments here for others to learn from.

Some Thoughts About Staying Off Property

No matter what, an extended stay at a Walt Disney World resort provides a unique atmosphere that can't be duplicated outside of Disney property. It's like visiting a tropical isle. Once you're on the "island" the cares and honky-tonk of the world outside disappears, and your focus shifts to enjoying the parks and other pleasures of Walt Disney World.

However, not every vacation benefits from this "all parks, all the time" focus. Sometimes you want to concentrate on your family and/or friends, rather than be distracted by the goings-on around you--to make Disney the "spice" rather than the entire meal. When you're off-property the pull of Disney's parks become less irresistible, opening the way for more one-on-one quality time with your loved ones. A vacation home delivers added living spaces that make it easier to socialize as a group, space that you don't have to share with strangers. And you definitely get more bang for the buck.

Still, not all the differences are positive. Dinner "at home" is a matter of cook-in, take-out, or hop-in-the-car, and the choice of restaurants on US 192 is a bit spotty. A couple of big, everyone-pitches-in meals will be fun, but cooking every meal "at home" or dining at the same old chain restaurants is nobody's idea of a vacation. We still prefer to have at least half our meals at Disney's distinctive restaurants. In the absence of Disney's on-property transportation system it's harder for various parts of the group to split-up and go their own way--if you haven't driven down to Orlando, you may need several rental cars to give everyone the freedom they desire. And whether you're leaving the magic of your vacation home or the magic of Disney's parks, the special feelings are going to deflate a bit when you hit the highways. But when we compare this downside to the wonderful times we had with our extended family... we'll take family any day!

Comments from PassPorter Readers:

"I recommend ALL STAR Vacation Homes. We rented a beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1400 square foot condo over the Christmas holidays a couple of years ago for around $1000 for the week. It was in a gated community called Windsor Palms which was located just three miles from the entrance to WDW. They also have townhouses and houses for rent as well. There was a pool, basketball courts, clubhouse with gameroom, snackbar, movies to rent etc. The condo itself was gorgeous with a full kitchen, dining area and living room. There was also a screened in porch off the living room. It was nice because we could breakfast at our condo before we hit the parks. The only downside is that there isn't a shuttle, but if there are six or seven of you; you could maybe split the cost of a rental car for the week which really isn't that bad especially if you are saving a lot of money on your accommadations. Good luck!" -- from Vicky (stretch2864)

"We've stayed with All Star several times (in fact we're renting from them again this summer). The service is great, very nice to work with. The homes are exactly like you see on the virtual tours. We love having our own pool and relaxing a bit out of the parks. It is also great to eat breakfast before heading for the parks. The homes Allstar offers are really about as close to Disney as you can get....it only takes a few minutes." from Linda (MickeyMAC)

"A good friend of mine stayed in an All Star Vacation Home last year and just loved it. There was plenty of space for her group of 9, a pool, full kitchen - all of the comforts of home." -- from Wendy Bell

"I'll just put my vote in for AllStar Vacation homes. I've actually never stayed in one, because I usually go to WDW solo, but I do know a few people who have stayed in them and were very pleased. I have stayed in 2-BR condos, however, which are not quite the same as a vacation home but do have some of the same advantages. Staying off-site is not the terrible burden that some people make it out to be. More than half of my trips have been off-site, either at cheap hotels in the lake Buena Vista area, or staying with friends in Kissimmee, but the off-site trips were just as Magical as those on-site.

Best bennefits of a vacation home over a hotel will be:

No noisy neighbors running past your room like a herd of buffalo at 2am.

Full kitchen available for snacks or even whole meals (great for breakfast)

ACRES of extra space

Private parking, so no haveing to park 2 miles away when you get back to the house exhausted from a long day in the parks

Multiple bathrooms, essential for any group over 3 people

Many vacation homes have their own pools"
-- from WillCad
"We rented a 5 bedroom home in December 2003. It was gorgeous! My whole family went (11 total) Until then, we were always Disney Resort Hotel people--BUT--when you are able to walk into a huge house and relax in your own hot tub at the end of a wonderful Disney Day, it's worth it!Our living room had a big screen TV, DVD, and Playstation. We also had a washer/dryer and a game room in what was the garage. We cooked several meals at home to save $$$-in fact our house even had a BBQ grill. Everything in the house was picture perfect. I would highly recommend it !!! " -- from PrincessInTraining
"A friend of mine at work had a vacation home reserved through another company, and I told him about the ALL STAR Vacation Homes and gave him the website. He checked into it and found a nice 4-bedroom home about 2 miles from the park. He said it was very well kept, very roomy, very convenient, and his whole family loved it. And, it was cheaper than the house had had reserved previously. His wife had injured her back and couldn't take much time in the parks, so they would tour for awhile, then come back and take it easy at the house, let their son swim in the pool, and she would make up an easy dinner and have it ready when the rest of the family got back from the parks. They have already recommended the homes to other co-workers planning a Disney trip." -- Jitterjet

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Updated 04/06/07

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