FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How does the damage deposit work?
Can I smoke in the home?
What happens if a hurricane comes?
How close is the home to Disney?
Is there a local property manager?
Can I make local or long distance telephone calls?
Can I bring my laptop and access the Internet?
Can we stay an extra day or do you only rent by the week?
Can you arrange to have some groceries in the home when we arrive?
What do I need to know about pool heat?

How does the damage deposit work?

The damage deposit is $250.00 and is fully refundable within two weeks of your departure, assuming no damage has occurred. The damage deposit serves two purposes. First, it guarantees your reservation. Second, it affords us some protection as homeowners in the unlikely event that some damage occurs during your stay. Examples of things that can cause all or part of the damage deposit to not be returned include smoking inside the home, damage to the pool table, broken windows, stained carpet, etc.

Can I smoke in the home?

There is absolutely no smoking in the home. Failure to comply will result in the damage deposit being held and used to clean the carpets and any other steps necessary to remove the smell from the home. Outside the home you should feel free to smoke on the pool deck or the front porch. Both areas have nice seating and shade. The garage/game room is considered part of the house and is considered to be a non-smoking area. We are very serious about the non-smoking rule and the house will be checked just after you leave. This policy is for the comfort of the majority of our guests who appreciate a non-smoking home. (Top of Page)

What happens if a hurricane comes?

This is Florida and from time to time there will be severe weather. My number one concern is for the safety of my guests. Under no circumstances do I want or expect you to stay in the home if you believe you are in the slightest danger from severe weather. My policy is very simple: I will either refund any unused days if you evacuate the home, or will work with you to rebook the home for a future date. If you have any questions about this policy please call me directly at 630-553-9094 and I will be happy to speak with you about this. This policy also applies if you have booked the home and are about to leave when severe weather hits the area. Stay home if the authorities advise you not to travel to Orlando! Call me and we’ll either refund your money or reschedule for a different time. As you consider possibly renting another home, I advise that you inquire about their severe weather policy and compare it to mine. (Top of Page)

How close is the home to Disney?

This home is very close to the Disney property but I hesitate to advertise driving times. You can click on this link and ask Google to estimate the driving time from the home to any given theme park in Disney. Be wary of other homes that advertise they are “five minutes from Disney.” The truth is that the Disney property is huge and it can easily take 20 minutes to get from one end to the other. We provide our guests with a little known route into the park that we use. This route bypasses all traffic and puts you in the park by the Animal Kingdom. From there it is very easy to get to any of the Disney attractions. (Top of Page)

Is there a local property manager?

We do have a property manager to care for the home, make it ready for guests, clean after they leave, and deal with any problems while they are in the house. I, however, as the homeowner, handle all bookings myself. (Top of Page)

Can I make local or long distance telephone calls?

Unlimited use of the home phone for local and long distance telephone calls within the continental United States is included free of charge. Calls to outside the United States have been blocked. If you need to make calls outside the United States please plan to either use a cell phone properly setup for this purpose. (Top of Page)

Can I bring my laptop and access the Internet?

High speed Internet access is provided free of charge. You must bring your own laptop. I have an Ethernet plug you can use or if your laptop is equipped with WiFi, I have an open wireless router you should be able to connect to. Be advised that there are security risks associated with connecting your laptop to an open WiFi connection. If you are concerned about this you can plug in using the Ethernet cable. (Top of Page)

Can we stay an extra day or do you only rent by the week?

Ideally, we prefer that our guests stay from Saturday to Saturday. We realize, however, that vacation plans depend upon your personal schedule, so we try to be as flexible as we can. As a rule, we will allow you to arrive and leave on days other than Saturday and will usually allow you to extend your stay if you wish. You do not have to stay in blocks of 7 nights. (Top of Page)

We’re arriving very late. Can you arrange to have some groceries when we arrive?

Yes. We offer a welcome pack for our guests to get you through the first evening and following morning for a $35.00 additional charge. We will arrange to have the following items waiting for you to arrive:

Teabags
Coffee
Milk
Sugar
Cookies
Cornflakes
Bread
Butter
Marmalade
Coke
Orange juice
Bottled water

Another option is to provide us with a list of groceries you would like to get you through the first evening and the following morning. We will ensure they are in the home when you arrive. The cost of this service is $15.00 plus the cost of the groceries. (Top of Page)

What do I need to know about pool heat?

Pool heat is optional an usually not necessary except during the winter months of November, December, and January. Both the pool and spa are heated by the same natural gas heater. Spa heat and pool heat are independent, however, and spa heat is included with your rental at no additional charge. Pool heat, on the other hand, costs $35.00 per day in addition to the nightly or weekly rental rate.

If you have paid for pool heat, the management company will have turned the pool heat on prior to your arrival. The pool heater thermostat is adjusted to raise the water temperature to approximately 86 degrees. The pool heater will only function while the filter system is operational since the filter system is used to circulate heated water in the pool. The filter system operates on a timer to automatically turn the system on in the morning and off again in the evening. During the winter, this system normally operates about 8 hours per day. If the air temperature drops during the night, the pool water will loose much of its heat and feel cooler first thing in the morning. It may take the system one or two hours in the morning to bring the pool water back to 86 degrees depending upon air temperature and many other factors.

Please be advised that winter temperatures in Florida can be quite cool. The following table shows the average high, low, and record low for November through January:

	November	December	January
Average High	79	73	72
Average Low	59	53	50
Record Low	29	20	19

Even with the pool heated to 86 degrees, if the air temperature is in the low 70’s or 60’s, it will not be fun to swim in the pool. The amount you paid for pool heat is enough to offset what I pay for the natural gas to heat the pool. There is no profit margin built into the pool heat charge. If you are experiencing temperatures on the low side during your stay, you may choose to call the management company and ask them to turn off the pool heat. I will be happy to refund any unused portion of the pool heating cost along with your damage deposit refund.

The hot tub thermostat is set to heat the water to approximately 98 degrees and is independent of the pool heat. This is hot enough that most adults find they can enjoy the hot tub longer than if the temperature were set hotter, yet is safer for small children and older adults. If you do not have a hot tub at home, you may not realize that small children have a much smaller body mass than an adult, and will therefore be affected quicker by the hot water temperature than a full grown adult. Please keep a careful eye on your small children to be sure they do not spend too much time in the hot tub.

People with certain medical conditions should avoid the hot tub. If you or someone in your family has a medical condition, check with your doctor prior to your arrival to be sure it is safe to use the hot tub. (Top of Page)