Encore Resort at Reunion is an award-winning resort that’s re-defining how people vacation. For couples and large families alike, it offers comfort with a dash of luxury. Everything that we all deserve when vacationing. From expansive luxury homes, to on-site amenities and restaurants, Encore offers a unique all-in-one vacation experience that will leave you breathless with joy and planning your next visit before you even arrive home.
Location
Just five miles from Disney, Encore Resort offers a central location to nearly everything attraction related in Orlando, FL. You are so close to Magic Kingdom that you can catch a glimpse of the nightly firework from the upper floor of your vacation home. Yet, the property is nestled off the beaten path providing a quieter scene. The perfect place to rest after a day exploring everything the town has to offer.
The Luxury Vacation Home
Larger families like ours will find the spacious vacation home to be more than enough room to relax. You no longer worry about being on top of each other. After our many years traveling, we have come to realize that few properties offer adequate space for a family of six. We often find ourselves booking multiple suites that split our family. Sometimes this even puts us on different floors. For us, this is just not how we want to spend our downtown. Plus, it can be a pain as we usually place all of our personal care items and medicines in a single bag. Having everything in the same home is a convenience that I desire even on vacation.
With Encore Resort, we don’t have to worry about not being ourselves or having to go out of our way to roam freely. In fact, it is no different than being in your own home. You have privacy that you miss out on when staying in a hotel. You can dance in the living room in your birthday suit if you want. Well, not when the kids are around but you get the point. There is a bit of security in knowing that you don’t have to worry about the maid or a confused hotel guest banging on your door when you are sleeping or in the shower. It is almost a freeing feeling that we have grown to love when traveling.
We stayed five nights in an Elite 6 bedroom, 6.5 bathroom home. This property has a starting rate of $389 a night. Considering the location, that is a steal of a deal for a quality short-term rental. Encore Resort does sport a large number of luxury vacation homes ranging from 3 to 13 bedrooms. You can book a standard or elite property, overnight rates do vary. Note that the Elite units have either a game room or theater, a larger pool and backyard as well as larger common area space making it the better choice for larger families like ours.
Other than the size and privacy of the homes that Encore Resort offers, you have a punch of luxury from the moment you walk in the door. The front door contains a keypad entry. This unit is programmed to lock itself after a short period of time. For me, this made me feel more secure in the new space. In a rush, we have been known to forget to lock-up and the keypad feature took away this concern.
Upon entering, we were greeted with clean lines, luxury furnishings and an open floor plan that made me want to take in all of its glory. The luxury vacation home was decorated in modern white leather and wood furniture that flowed seamless throughout the first floor. The second played well off the first continuing the bright and airy theme. The decor was tasteful, light and added dimension to each space. If I had my way, we would never leave it was so stunning.
Tech was thoroughly provided with TVs and cable in the living room, theater and in all of the bedrooms. For those of you who have children who like to watch a show before bedtime, I will tell you this was amazing. No more fighting over who got to pick. No more headaches from mom and dad having to watch another cartoon. We could all relax and have things exactly the way we wanted them each to be.
As I mention with the Encore Resort elite home, we had more common area space. Our theater had seating for six and the leather sectional in the living was more than enough space for us all to lounge while discussing plans for the day. No one had to sit on the floor or on a bed. It is a different vacation style all together.
Another feature that we never really gave a lot of thought to but quickly realized was a godsend, the 6.5 bathrooms. Every bedroom has it’s own bathroom. I will warn you though, they were all shower based, no tub. So if you are travel with a young child, you may want to request a home with a tub. They do have them.
When you have six people all getting ready to head out for the day, it is very nice to be able to brush your teeth without someone in the shower. Take the moment you realize, you do not have to wait to get dressed or use the bathroom. It is like a breath of fresh air. These are things I take for granted when home and never expected to find them while on vacation. Well, not anymore. My travel eyes have been opened to the need for real space when traveling as a family.
All of the bedrooms were decent in size. Enough space to make guests feel welcomed and at home in their personal space. It seemed as through we had one master on the first floor that lead to the pool area and a second on the top floor. Both sported king sized beds, a dresser, closet and nightstands. The mattresses and bedding were just like home, soft and plentiful. The joy of having six pillows! Laugh all you want, I love to just melt in plushness after a long day and Encore Resort delivered.
Another bedroom sported a bunk bed and the other three were queens I believe. Each also had a dresser and closet space. That is ideal for extended stays or when you are one those travelers that like to unpack when you stay. Some of us don’t want to live out of the suitcase. This allowed the luxury of doing so for all us.
The kitchen was another matter altogether. Stainless steel appliances and furnished with everything you need in the space. From pots and pans to wine glasses, nothing was left out except the lids for the pots but a glass plate does the trick. Seriously, there was a pantry large enough for a family twice my size. Now, all you need to do is head to the local grocer and fill it. We liked being able to store a gallon of milk and two liter pop. This kept us from spending way too much on individual sizes when at home. How about the ability to store our leftovers from the night before. This is something you just can’t do with those tiny fridges provided in a typical hotel room.
Each Encore Resort home has your very own private pool and hot tub. You can lounge at your own pace. Wade in the waters as long as you want without concern for closing time. Watch the kids play marco polo without bumping into other guests. Take a midnight swim after the young ones have gone to bed. Wake up refreshed and ready for the day after relaxing in the hot tub. Where else can you find this luxury in Orlando?
The AquaPark
If the luxury home pool is not enough excitement for your family, take visit to Encore Resort’s very own waterpark, The AquaPark. Here they will bask in the excitement of water slides. Are you brave enough to take on the huge drop slide? Perhaps take a turn racing a friend down the dual drop slides. You will have so much fun, you will feel like a kid again.
Our youngest loved playing in the Surfin’ Safari children’s splash area. Enjoying the rainshowers, small slides perfect for little ones and of course, the famed drop bucket. At eight years old, this was a great place for him to let go and just have a great time. Watching his face light up and his laugh brought me so much joy. He made memories that will last him all through the year until we visit again.
By the large pool, you will find cabana rentals to keep you cool while the kids enjoy the AquaPark. They offer posh outdoor furniture, a safe to store your valuables while you explore, a mini fridge and TV for those who don’t want to miss the game. These can be rented for a few hours or an entire day. Encore Resort’s waterpark is vast and surrounded by lush tropical landscaping. It is as beautiful to see as it is fun to experience.
Kid-friendly
The Hang Ten Hideaway is the official kid’s play zone at Encore Resort. This area offers a ton of fun for kids including gaming systems, activities, crafts, and more. We visited during one of the daily scheduled activities to make sandy candy. It is amazing that the property hosts a series of daily crafts and adventures throughout the entire year to keep the younger guests just as happy as mom and day. These include video game nights, water balloon toss, scavenger hunts, giant Jenga, Kids vs. Dad cannon ball contests, ping pong tournaments, pool parties and wine tastings for adults!
Amenities
For those who honor their fitness routine even while on vacation, you will find a good sized fitness center with quality equiptment. They also offer personal training and fitness classes. These can be booked at the front desk.
Enjoy taking a little sport when traveling? Book one of Encore Resort’s fabulous outdoor facilities including soccer fields, tennis, basketball or sand volleyball courts. This is the perfect solution when traveling for reunions, couples and even competitive families!
Take a ride around the neighborhood in one of the resort’s bikes. These are available in 1 hour and 4 hour increments. You will find adult men’s, adult women’s and children bikes. Like to journey together? Try out a surrey bike with single and double benches. This is something we have come to enjoy on our family adventures.
On-site Restaurants
Finns is the perfect place for a family gathering with great food that’s sure to please everyone. Including breakfast, lunch and dinner that my extremely picky children gobbled with glee. They offer a selection of delicious flatbreads, juicy burgers, tasty sandwiches, grilled fish, stirfry, salads, and mouthwatering desserts. In addition to the good eats, Finns offers home delivery. This came in handy when the kids wanted to spend their evenings in the pool. Simply call in an order and they bring it right to your door. Hot and yummy!
The Bis Grill serves grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and much more at the sundeck area of the AquaPark. All the great quick foods. You can grab a bite to eat and get re-energized to go back in the water. This is great for those fun-filled days when your kids refuse to leave the pool area.
For the adult crew, you can relax and catch up on the day’s news and sports scores at The Shark Lounge. Our bartenders serve up refreshing beverages as well as amazing appetizers such as coconut shrimp, edamame and other tempting finger foods. This is the perfect place for a night out.
In-Home Services
At Encore Resort there is no need to leave the comfort of your own home to experience a new level of relaxation. Book a spa treatment for one of the areas professionals and just breathe!
The Chef Experience is a one-of-a-kind lunch or dinner that every guest should indulge in at least once during your visit. Chef Greene, one of Encore’s best chef’s took on my family with precision in the kitchen creating a drool-worthy fajita selection that included both chicken and steak, all the fixens and freshly made guacamole.
We chatted about the cooking process and Chef was amazing with all of the kids. Especially the boys who grilled him on online games while he chopped away. This was one member of the Encore team that made our vacation one that will go down in the top ten records for years to come.
Concierge
There is no need to call around when looking for the best deals on Orlando’s attractions. The Encore Resort concierge offers ticketing and transportation services for guests. They were able to take care of our Disney wishes and booked us a morning bus to get us there before the crowds rushed the park. This was a lifesaver for this nervous driver.
If I had to tally up all the things that made Encore Resort a place we would visit again and again, we would be here for another ten thousand words. We were cared for and listened to as if we were the most important guests on the property. And I know we were not as there were some pretty famous folks there the same time we were. That was service that will be remembered and with a property that is gorgeous and luxurious, it would be hard to deny the magnificence of the experience we had.
In the words of my teenage son, “Encore is the bomb!”
