In July 2019, we made our third visit to Pluto’s Pad in the Kissimmee region of Florida and given the amazing time that we had, I thought that it would make a very fitting blog post. Even if Pluto’s Pad isn’t right for you for your trip to Florida, then hopefully it will give you some ideas as to what to look for.
Location
Pluto’s Pad is located about 10-15 minutes away from Walt Disney World and as such, it is an easy drive to the parks. This is ideal if you have a small child as you don’t want to waste time on the road, and you don’t want them falling asleep on the way back!
Pluto’s Pad is in an “ordinary” housing community and as such, you are in “real” America. Some people may not want this, but allowing Heidi to see what the country is really like, talk to the locals and play in American playgrounds was a real perk for us. Being out of the Disney bubble is such a good thing, especially when you’re in the parks every day!
However, we weren’t in the wilderness by any means. You’re only 5 minutes drive from US-192, which is the main East-West road in the area. Here are all the restaurants and tourist shops that you could dream of. The Wal-mart here is absolutely huge, with queues similarly sized, therefore midnight shopping is encouraged!
Unless you’re staying on the Disney site, a car is a must, but getting used to driving in the US is easy!
To see what the villa is like, check out Heidi’s YouTube video:
Villa Facilities
What we like about Pluto’s Pad is that there are a few little perks, which you don’t normally get from other villas. Yes, it has a pool and a huge TV, which most villas have.
However, it has free international landline calls, which was vital for us, especially having elderly relatives back at home. There was also the games room which had a pool table, basketball game, air hockey and darts. In truth, we were too tired from the parks to make best use of these, but on the lazy days, we did use them a little.
There were also a few toys in the games room that Heidi loved to play with and having them made the villa feel more like a home. It also meant that we didn’t have to pack all her toys and teddies!! Also, there were a few board games for us to play in the evening and we had varying success in teaching Heidi how to play Monopoly and Scrabble!!
Service
The service that the villa owners/management company provide really makes a difference. As such, this is where reading (unpaid, unbiased) reviews is a must.
There are a couple of things which highlight what a good service the owners of Pluto’s Pad provide. -Once, an email was replied to in 9 minutes. Yes, that is the exception rather than the norm, but it just highlights how much they care about your booking and their property. Also, when they knew that Heidi was staying, because of her age, they made sure Disney bed coverings were put on. A couple of teddies were added on the bed, just to make it feel extra special.
This is where the booking process is so important and if it takes 2 weeks to get a reply to an initial enquiry, it may be a sign of problems to come. Also, feedback on websites/word of mouth is so important.
Also, the welcome pack was such a nice little touch, with enough snacks/drinks to get you through the first leg-lag induced evening!!
How to Find Pluto’s Pad
I am somewhat loathed to link Pluto’s Pad, in case it becomes too popular and we can’t to stay again!! However, that is somewhat selfish, so you can find them on the following links:
https://www.homeaway.co.uk/p8009347
For complete disclosure, there has been absolutely no input into this blog post and there has been no payment etc for it.
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