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

We’ve decided to make St. Patrick’s Day a whole weekend of corned beef, cabbage and green beer March 18th – 20th. And we’ll end March with a Hawaiian Luau.

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When Miriam and Walter Sumpter told their four children they were planning to buy an RV and travel the country as work-campers, their adult children, Beth, Michelle, Sean, and Megan thought they were crazy. They don’t anymore.

The Sumpters took off less than twenty-four hours after Walter retired from his job managing the Academic Computer Department at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where they couple made there home. Miriam, who had worked in a doctor’s office, had already left her job in a doctor’s office.

The odyssey that eventually brought them to Tropical Palms began with a trip to Yellowstone Park, where they worked in Guest Services during the Park’s six month season. The couple quickly fell in love with the RV lifestyle.

They’d always loved the ocean so Sumpters next made their way to Camp Hatteras National Seashore and stayed for year, again working in Guest Services before returning to Yellowstone, where this time at the front desk of a hotel just outside the park. Their next stop was Apache Junction, Arizona, where they spent the winter. At each of these stops, their children would visit. Slowly the wisdom of their parents decision became apparent.

At a job fair in Apache Junction, the Sumpters applied for work at Disney World(R), where Miriam had always had a fantasy of playing a character. They were told to report for the following winter season, and so they headed back to Camp Hatteras from Apache Junction for the summer. But before the season started at Disney, the economy crashed and the Sumpters were told there wouldn’t be work at the Park after all. They decided to come to Florida anyway.

While in Camp Hatteras a friend told them about Tropical Palms and they came here to look it over, liked what they saw and stayed through the winter as work-campers, Miriam in the front office, greeting guests and checking them in, Walter assisting folks who’d arrived in their RVs get set up, and introducing them to the Resort’s amenities. It’s work he loves. “I want people to feel at home here. A lot of people show up stressed out from their time on the road – they’ve just had a long trip from Michigan or Ohio – and if I can make them feel good, I feel good,” Walter explains.

In fact, Walter and Miriam enjoy Tropical so much they’ve purchased a cottage in Sandcastles, which they occasionally rent – unless one of the children comes for a visit. And all of them visit, happy with the lifestyle their parents have chosen. The Sumpter plan for the future is to keep the RV until they can’t RV anymore, sell it and split their time between North Caroline and their Sandcastle cottage, One and all the kids agree that getting the RV was one of the smartest things Walter and Miriam have ever did.

With so much to do at Disney World®, you might miss Crazy Bob Jackson at the Port Orleans Hotel in Disney. Don’t! Entertainer, comedian, and pianist, Crazy Bob is a terrific Disney delight. There’s no charge to see the show, it’s family-friendly, and they serve drinks and appetizers. More abut Bob at http://www.facebook.com/yehaabob.

Valentine’s Day will be a weekend long event, starting with a sweetheart breakfast at the Toucan Cafe and continuing on Sunday with a “Sickey Sweet” Valentine Confection Contest. We top it off with a Italian Valentine dinner event poolside with live entertainment. Bring your sweetie and win her heart!

Getting on a diet and a treadmill, cleaning out the garage or attic, spending more time with family and friends: we all make New Year’s resolutions. That’s why we thought it might be fun to see what some Tropical Palms families and team members have resolved to do this coming season.

Janet and Bill Eastman
Though this is only the second season that Janet and Bill Eastman have spent at Tropical Palms, but they’ve very much become a part of the Resort’s life. And they’ve made a New Years resolution to continue to be.

The couple, from Nashville, Michigan, does a lot of the cooking at the poolside Toucan Cafe. It’s a natural spot for them since they owned an Italian restaurant that featured pizza in their hometown. And Janet, who loves to bake, has been making more and more pies and cakes for the cafe, special events, and those families that have had the good fortune to sample her special culinary skills. Janet is also a whiz around a sewing machine and is planning to do more costumes for special events like last year’s Flintstone Weekend, when she made many of the costumes.

In addition to working the kitchen at the cafe, Bill has been upgrading our electrical systems and redoing lampposts around the pool. It’s work he’s familiar with from his days as an electrical linesman with CMS Energy in Michigan. It’s a lot of work for a couple that’s supposed to be retired.

That’s why this year they’ve signed up for a cruise through the Caribbean that will take them to the Grand Caymans, Cozumel, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula. But perhaps their most important resolution for the coming year is to return next season.

Jill and Roger Urban
Jill and Roger travel with their dog, Max, and their cat, Kit Carson. There’s nothing unusual about that and there’s nothing unusual about the fact that the two get along just fine. What is remarkable is that Kit Carson has six toes and it makes her paw look like the couple’s home state of Michigan. The Urbans are a couple with a great sense of humor.

Their first year at Tropical Palms the couple rented a cottage. They enjoyed their stay so much, Roger, who’d always had pop-ups and trailers, decided to fulfill a life-long dream and purchase a thirty-four foot RV. The following year the Urbans drove down in their new thirty-four foot motor home and stayed for three months. This year, they’ve extended their time here to six months.

They enjoy going out for lunch with a group of friends they’ve made here and exploring new restaurants. Jill can’t pick a favorite, there are just too many she’s enjoyed and the couple plans to keep exploring. They also enjoy joining other long-termers and homeowners at Tropical’s monthly dinners.

They’ve gotten out to see lots of the local attractions like Disney World, where they visited the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House – Jill tells us it didn’t scare her a bit – and they enjoyed visits to Sea World, Gatorland and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal.

Roger has resolved to get out and about and explore more of Florida in the family’s new RV this year. He and Jill are hoping to make a visit Sarasota and our sister resort, Sun-N-Fun. They’re also talking about a possible trip to Miami and perhaps even to the Florida Keys. Wherever the Four Winds – and Kit Carson’s six toes – take them.

Pam and Alan Kelly
Newlyweds Pam and Alan Kelly call their just-purchased vacation cottage at Tropical Palms their “love shack”.  The new couple’s New Years resolution is to spend a lot of time during their planned one-year honeymoon enjoying it.

“The cottage is just four hundred square feet of perfection. And it’s all done in fun colors. It’s like Tropical Palms, when you’re there, you just feel good about everything,” is how Pam explains it. “It’s all fun.”

She should know. She’s been coming here for eighteen years and can’t wait to introduce Alan to the Resort and all her favorite nearby places. And, they’ve made a resolution to discover new ones they can call “their own,”  like Celebration, where they recently spent a day strolling hand-in-hand, stopping in shops and just soaking up the atmosphere, romance and charm of the small town. They also have plans to visit Universal and Epcot, and to explore local restaurants like Medieval Times and Macaroni Grill.

Getting around is no problem for the couple. Both are motorcycle enthusiasts – they have an Ultra-classic Harley Davidson as well as a three-wheeler Ultra-classic Roadsmith – and plan to spend a lot of time shuttling back between here and their home in Port St. Lucie.

When asked what their most important resolutions were, Pam told us that she wanted her and her new husband “to stay healthy, be active, and keep their love strong.” Alan said “I want to be the one guy in the whole world more in love with his wife than any other guy in the whole world.”

When Pam heard that, she sighed and said the interview was over. She and her new husband had to hurry back to their Tropical Palms “love shack.”

Jetty Park
Jekyll Island and Bubba’s Barbeque are just two of Sandcastle owner, Joe Rossi’s hidden gem discoveries. This month he turns up another, nearby Jetty Park, where you can watch the large cruise ships sail by, then enjoy lunch at any of a half dozen wonderful seafood restaurants. Learn more at Jettypark.com

We hope your holidays were happy and that you got to spend time with family and friends. We’re excited about the New Year and all of our preparations for a great 2011 season. So here’s a big welcome to all our returning homeowners, long time RVers, and new friends visiting for the first time.

Ask Tropical Palms General Manager Christine Wasilewski about plans for the holiday season and she lights up like a kid about to unwrap all her presents.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make everyone feel like they’re at home and they’re celebrating the season with family and friends,” she says. “And they will be!”

For Chris and the team at Tropical, the season really starts with helping others, so the annual food bank and Toys for Tots drives are under way. “We’re encouraging everyone to bring either some canned and/or dry food items, or a toy to the front lobby and put it under the tree to benefit deserving families in the community. The Toys for Tots collection is being done in conjunction with the Daytona Beach Campaign and the food drive is with the Osceola Co. Fire Department.

“Anyone who brings in a donation will be eligible for a weekly drawing we’re doing for a 2-night free stay here they can use themselves or give to a friend or family member. It’s our way of thanking everyone for their kindness and thoughtfulness.

“Of course, we have a month filled with special events for our guests. Santa and his elves will be taking folks for hayrides on his ’sleigh.’ We’ll do caroling on the ride, visit all the decorated vacation cottages, and serve cocoa and cider.” Chris says with a twinkle in her eye. “Every Friday and Saturday night, our dive-in movies at the pool will have a holiday theme, like Fred Claus and Christmas Vacation. Sundays will feature Sunday Night Football tailgate parties. Folks are encouraged to come out, watch the game with friends and enjoy tailgate themed foods like nachos platters, subs, chili, and beer and drink specials.”

Of course, the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without great food – lots and lots of great food. “We’ll have two seatings for Christmas at noon and 1:30 and we’ve got a mouthwatering menu planned with glazed ham, au gratin potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole, garden salad and home made dinner rolls. Don’t worry, if you’ve still got room, we’ve got dessert.”

The Toucan Cafe will extend its normal hours of operation and be open for all through the holidays with big hearty breakfasts on Saturday mornings from 9AM to 1PM and on Monday nights from 5 to 7 for holiday comfort food dinners.

“We’ll also be having our annual New Year’s Eve party. It will start at 8:30PM and there will be dancing, big screen TVs to watch the ball drop in Times Square, and a complimentary champagne toast at the stroke of midnight. It’s going to be a great party to ring in the New Year!”

Chris suggests getting your tickets for Christmas dinner and the New Year’s Eve party now, before these popular events are sold out.

In addition to all of these special events, we’ll be doing something every night of the week in December: Mondays it’s Open Game Night in the newly renovated Cypress Room; Tuesday’s are Tropical Palms Community Residents BYO Hot Dog Roast poolside at the fire pits; Wednesday it’s BINGO in the Cypress Room; and Thursday nights it’s Wii bowling poolside on the big screen. Chris is hoping everyone will join in and help to make the spirits bright.

When we asked Tropical Palm’s Santa what she’ll be doing if she gets a spare moment in this busy month, she gave us a ho, ho, ho and said, “wrapping gifts for my 2-year old grandson Anthony Edward.”

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