Tropical Palms Blog: RV Resort, Cottages, Vacation Home Rentals in Orlando, Florida near Disney

Now that the champagne is finished and the confetti cleared away, Tropical Palms General Manager Chris Wasilewski sat down with us to discuss the resolutions everyone at Tropical has made to make 2012 the best, most exciting season in the resort’s history.

“It all begins with some of the new lifestyle activities we’re going to be adding, while expanding some of the more popular things we’ve already got underway,” Chris explains.

“Lots of people are coming back and bringing fresh ideas for activities – interests of theirs – they want to introduce to their friends and fellow guests. We’re going to do all we can to facilitate that,” Chris says.

“Last year Petanque started to become popular here. This year we’re introducing a variation of the Bean Bag toss called the Corn Hole Toss.  We’ll have a contest every Monday on the Bocce Ball/Petanque course and the game is so much fun we’re sure it’s going to really take off just as Petanque has.

“We’ve also updated some perennial favorites like Bingo with a new software program that will project the numbers one of our favorite team members, Bill Eastman, calls onto our giant 72” big screen TV at the Veranda.

“Our Wednesday stained glass class with Nancy Nizzardini has become so popular we’ve expanded studio time. Of course, people can still make private appointments if they have special projects they want to do. It’s a great opportunity to express your creatively.

“We’re also doing more planned activities. Wednesday nights we’ll be taking advantage of our great location and doing organized strolls over to Old Town to see the Do Wops and listen to Golden Oldies, something everyone here loves. And we’ll be organizing local excursions and supplying transportation to both Port Richey for the Casino Sun Cruise and to Tampa for the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. After all, if you’re lucky enough to stay with us…” Chris chuckles.

“It seems everybody wants to get healthy and be in shape, so attendance at all of our different fitness programs is really high. One of the things we’re really excited about is a new series of videos we have for our indoor walkers. They’ll no longer have to stare at the walls in the Bamboo Room when they walk – not with these great new videos projected onto the 72” big screen TV guiding them through their workouts. And of course, we’ll still be doing Aquafit fitness classes at the pool every morning.

“And while we’re talking about the pool, we’ve got a new inflatable Hippo Slide for weekends and holidays. Kids, and adults with the hearts of kids, love it. And we’ve given the area around the heart of Tropical, our pool a bit of a facelift. It’s just one of a number of improvements we’re making to the physical plan we believe will improve everyone’s experience here,” Chris says.

There are many others. “We’ve got 13 new cottages; 5 for vacation cottage rentals and 8 for vacation cottage sales in the Sandcastle homeowners area of the resort. We’ve diversified the floor plans with one & two-bedroom vacation homes, converter floor plans that transform the living room into an extra bedroom. And even a handicapped friendly model.

“We’ve also spruced up the RV area, converting 25 spaces to full service cement pads. We’re happy to be welcoming two rallies in January: the Monaco and Jupiter Light groups and we’re sure they’ll appreciate them. The rallies always bring a lot of fun with them,” the GM says.

“”We’ve upgraded the electrical systems around the pool and the Gator Pond so you can see what’s about to bite you,” Chris says with a laugh. “Seriously, it will make picnicking there lots more fun – the systems are so good, people can now bring croc pots and televisions, plug them in, tailgate and watch the football playoffs.

“It’s quite a list, but the team has resolved to accomplish it all. And we’re all hoping you’ll make a resolution to spend more time with us and have more fun when you do,” says Chris. “Be sure to make that a New Year’s resolution you keep!”

A conversation with new Sandcastle owner Vic Clark is like taking a tour through rock n’ roll history. The one-time drummer from Birmingham – the other one was from Liverpool – has backed up or played shows with many of rock’s giants. Start with Carl Perkins, the man who wrote and first recorded Blue Suede Shoes. Then add names like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. And yes, the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones.

“We went everywhere: France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland. But it was hard work and it took it toll. One night after a show with Carl Perkins I was sent to hospital. That’s when I decided to give up touring.”

But not the business. The Shouts got back together and managed by Don Arden, Sharon Osborne’s father and later Ozzie’s manager, formed a recording company and released the hit She Was My Baby.

“We were sponsored by Radio Caroline, a boat that broadcast rock n’ roll from offshore in England because the BBC was the only outlet for music back then and they didn’t play our kind of music. Everybody listened to Radio Caroline until the government managed to shut it down. They made a movie about it called Pirate Radio with Phillip Seymour Hoffman. When them gone, I decided it was time to move on.”

But you can never quite take the rocker out of rock n’ roll. Soon after arriving in Canada, Vic was asked to audition for Alice Cooper and got an offer to go back out on tour. He thought about it, but family won out and Vic hung up his sticks, settled in Ontario, met his wife Kimberly and worked as an engineer and then as a computer programmer before retiring about seven years ago.

Soon Vic was back on the road again, touring the states. However, this time it was with Kimberly and they toured in a motor home, not a bus. After six years on the road, the couple discovered Tropical Palms in 2010. They liked it so much they spent the winter here, decided to buy a Sandcastle vacation cottage and sold their RV on Craig’s list. This coming year they’re hoping to be at the Resort from October through April.

The couple likes hanging out at the pool, enjoying the entertainment – as opposed to being the entertainment – walking over to Old Town for the antique car shows, and going to the Universal and Disney. And now that they have the Sandcastle, they hope for visits from their 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

When Chuck Berry sang “Just give me that rock n’ roll music, any ole way you choose it, it got a back beat you can’t lose it” it might have been singing about the backbeat Vic pounded out on his drums. We sure know Vic hasn’t lost it.

We sat down with some of the dogs here at Tropical Palms to get their point of view on what life is like for them at the Resort. We had to bribe them with some biscuits and belly rubs to get them to talk, but once they got started they had plenty to say, starting with Lee and Helen Gelderman’s eldest, Kokomo.

Kokomo & Morgan Gelderman

“I’m almost nine and my brother Morgan is a year younger, though he acts like a pup. He’s always showing off, rolling onto his back and getting rubs from everyone. But we get along real well; we even share our bones. Life is good when you’ve got a bone to jaw on.

“Pop takes us for rides in his golf cart all the time. Every morning, we jump in the cart and wait for him to take us down to the Bark Park so we can run around and hang with our buds for a while.

“Then it’s over to the office where we get cookies and loving from Karen who works there. She’s a total pushover. Can’t resist us. Of course, when you’re retired show dogs and as good looking as we are, you get used to people making a fuss. And we love it when they do.

“Now, I wouldn’t want you to think it’s all fun and games for us. We have a serious side. Both Morgan and I are certified to visit nursing homes, hospices and hospitals. It makes the people we visit feel better and that’s what we’re all about – making people feel good.

“Morgan’s half-brother, River, lives at Tropical with the Biales, but I’ll let him tell you about himself and his kid brother Piper.”

River & Piper Biale

“We love it here,” River told us. “There’s so much to do, there’s hardly enough time in the day to do it all. We go out every morning with our Dad, Richard Biale, to get the paper and then it’s out to feed the ducks. Watching them is a real kick because they let us get up real close. I guess they know they’re going to get treats.

“The best part of the day for me and Piper is having Dad chauffer us around in the golf cart. We love going to the dog bath station and getting groomed afterwards. Mom used to be the President of the Garden State Golden Retriever Club and ran lots of shows, so she knows all about grooming. I think it’s because we look so good that everyone loves making a fuss over us. In fact Piper’s birth Mom, Smooch, was the number one Golden in the country.

“Piper on the other hand, was voted the worst behaved dog out of three thousand in the show. I don’t even want to tell you what he did, but there’s one judge who never, ever wants to see him again. Here, we can all go down to the Bark Park and run around and work off some of that energy playing together and chasing balls. Then we like to head over to the office because they keep a big bowl of biscuits and, like my buddy Kokomo said, Karen’s always ready to give us one.

“But the highlight of our time at Tropical is getting dressed up for the golf cart parades. What a blast! We’ve worn blinking lights at Halloween, Santa hats at Christmas and red, white and blue bandanas on the Fourth of July. And, of course, it’s a chance to ride in the golf cart, show off and make new friends, like that cute little Muttigree, Chloe.”

Chloe Fitzgerald

“Thanks for the compliment, River. Now I don’t want to disappoint you guys cause I like you all a lot, but Buster’s my boyfriend. He went home for the summer, but I’m just counting the days ’til he gets back. Until then, I guess I’ll just content myself with chasing you all over the Bark Park and showing you who’s boss. I might only weigh seventeen pounds but I got a big dog attitude.

“Just like all you fellas, I like riding in golf carts with my Mom, Sasha Fitzgerald. But I like walking around the resort more and I’m lucky because my Mom takes me for, like, six walks a day. We go over to the lake together and check out the gator. That’s the first thing I do everyday. And I like feeding the ducks; that’s always fun. Then, when Mom goes to work in the office, I like to visit ’cause so many people come in and pet me – I feel like I’m the official mascot of Tropical Palms. In fact, I’m thinking of asking for the job.

“What I really like best about Tropical Palms is that it gives me a safe, comfortable lifestyle, with lots of love from everybody here. Isn’t it great how many people stop everyday to give us some love, whether it’s petting, or biscuits or a belly rub? That’s what makes Tropical such a special place for all of us.”

When Chloe said that, there was lots of yelping and tail wagging in agreement.

Kissimmee Main Street Farmer’s Market
localharvest.org

Bite into some of the best fresh-from-the-farm fruits and vegetables that will ever tickle your taste buds at the Kissimmee Main Street Farmer’s Market every Thursday from 7AM till 1PM. While you’re there, take a stroll through time and explore historic downtown Kissimmee. August 11^th the Market hosts a Special Kid’s Day. Learn more at www.localharvest.org

It’s hands across the sea this summer at Tropical Palms when we once again play host to groups of visiting French students staying here while they take English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and visit many of the great nearby attractions that help define America, like the space lab, our local state parks, Disney and the water parks.

Playing poolside, hanging out with friends, going to the theme parks: schools out, the kids are back – along with their parents – and they’re all planning to have some fun in the sun this summer. We talked to the Cote family to get an idea of their plans.

The Cote Family
Mike and Michelle Cote have five terrific children – Matthew, 19; Emily, 17; Molly, 13; Evan, 12; and Mason, 9. Matthew’s studying to be an electrician at Sheridan College; Emily’s going into the twelfth grade at Christ the King; Molly, who is thinking about being a pediatrician, is in eighth at St. Francis of Assisi; next is fifth grader Evan who dreams about being a first responder one day; and finally Mason, who is in third grade and visualizes a future building things.
We were able to round up the three youngest for a conversation about what they like to do at Tropical Palms.

“I always like the pool,” Molly tells us. And I like to play putt-putt with my girlfriend Anna.” When asked which of her siblings was the best mini-putt player in the family, Molly answered without hesitation, “I am. But Mason will probably claim he is.” When we asked, Mason he did indeed say he was the best. We thought it best to stay out of it and let them work it out.

While at the Resort, Molly likes to play in the park with friends. Her favorite is Grounders, a game like Tag, but played with your eyes closed. She has pool toys she and her siblings sink, and then dive for. She loves it when the inflatable water slide is up. And all the kids bring snorkels for diving and noodles for floating. Molly tells us that she hooks her noodle up to the jets in pool so she and her siblings can squirt one another.

Evan can be found down at the pool or on his rib stick riding around the Resort. “The smooth roads are great for the rib stick,” he tells us. He also enjoys getting together with his friends, Justin and James, and playing Grounders or Nerf Guns. Mason’s thing is riding around on his Green Machine, playing Grounders and darts with his friends in the park.

For the Cotes, time at Tropical Palms also means time at Disney World. And while each of the Cotes kids we spoke with has a different favorite, Disney has enough parks to accommodate them all.

Young Mason’s favorite is the Magic Kingdom and his favorite ride is the roller coaster, Space Mountain. He admits he’s scared when it’s time to get on, but he’s proud to say he does it anyway. And while he says he screams during the ride, we wondered who doesn’t.

Older Brother Evan tells us that, “going on rides is my thing. Taking pictures with the characters is Mom’s.” Evan is partial to the Disney Water Parks, particularly the Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. However, the ride that’s gets his vote for the most thrilling is the Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He likes it because “It takes you through a story about a haunted elevator. And just as you getting more and more into the story, the elevator reaches the top and suddenly drops you to the bottom.”

No hesitation from big sister Molly when she’s asked about her favorites. “I love the Animal Kingdom and my favorite ride is the Everest Roller.”

Of course, the kids aren’t the only ones who love it here. According to Mike he and Michelle enjoy Disney as well and Michelle likes shopping in nearby Kissimmee while he enjoys sitting by the pool with a cold one. With five kids to round up we think he and Michelle deserve whatever free time they can find.

The family, natives of Georgetown, Ontario, were searching the Internet for places near Disney they could bring their trailer. They found Tropical Palms and fell in love it. They’ve sold the trailer, bought a Sandcastle vacation cottage and having been coming for two and a half weeks at Christmas, over the Canadian Thanksgiving for a week and then three weeks every summer. Look out Disney, here they come.