Windsor Palms vs. Windsor Hills - Now, regarding Windsor Palms vs. Windsor Hills, they are two gated communities that were both built by the same builder:  Pulte homes.  Both are less than a mile apart and both are only 2-3 miles from Disney property.  They are the latest incarnation of evolution of short-term rental communities near Disney that now come complete with clubhouse & community amenities such as community pool, hot tub, movie theatre, exercise room, billiards, ping pong, tennis & basketball.  Windsor Hills is still under construction so it is a year 'newer' so it is currently receiving a great deal of attention, but each resort has it's own appeal that depends on personal taste, so neither is a stand-out winner. 

Windsor Palms - The homes in Windsor Palms were built from Pulte’s stock plans from homes where ‘real people’ live.  They are slightly larger, more aesthetically pleasing with more ornate finish work such as drywall arches, inset niches, plant shelves, etc.  All homes have at least two master suites, but the ‘main’ master suites of Windsor Palms are larger & more luxurious with large ‘soaker’ or garden tubs, more double sinks, more separate toilet enclosures, etc.  For example, both the master bedroom and the master bathroom have adequate space to set up our included massage tables.  The 'upgraded' larger pools & lanais of the pool homes in Windsor Palms are slightly larger than the 'upgraded' larger pools of Windsor Hills.  The clubhouse services a smaller number of homes (580 vs. 830 at Windsor Hills) so it is typically less crowded and the community pool is designed such that you can do some quality lap swimming (25 yards with lane lines) in the early morning if you care to.  There is a community hot tub nearby as well.

Windsor Hills - The homes of Windsor Hills were designed to be more utilitarian, to serve short term rental market.  They have simple, clean lines with few items of aesthetic appeal.  In her decorating, Holly struggled to cope with 35 foot spans of walls with nothing to break it up.  These homes frequently have more bathrooms, but each is smaller, consisting predominantly of sink, toilet & tub/shower.  No ‘soaker’ or garden tubs.  The clubhouse is slightly larger, but designed to accommodate the resort before the addition of several hundred additional homes added in the adjoining Windsor Hills Reserve.  The community pool meanders thru enhanced landscaping and includes a 2-story waterslide (with limited hours of operation) and a community hot tub in a picturesque landscaped location.  There is a lake in Windsor Hills, but only the clubhouse & about 20 homes have a true lake view (Romancing the Mouse owns 3 of those 20).  The ongoing construction, though present, has little effect on the homes in the completed sections of Windsor Hills.

In general, Windsor Palms placed more emphasis on outstanding homes with very nice amenities and Windsor Hills placed more emphasis on outstanding amenities with very nice homes. 

My Recommendation?  Since most people live in a home and (sometimes) use the amenities, for my money, the luxury & smaller crowds means I vote for Windsor Palms.  The only thing that makes the decision difficult is the lake view of our homes in Windsor Hills, but with only 6 south facing homes on the lake, only our  homes in Windsor Hills can compete... 

Had your heart set on the waterslide at Windsor Hills?  No problem!  Since we own homes in both resorts, you can be our family’s personal guests and we can give you access to the amenities of both resorts.  You can get truly enjoy the best of both worlds.