rewrite this title Reunion Resort and Golf Club Review: Great For Group Trips To Disney – NerdWallet

A stay at Reunion Resort and Golf Club isn’t your typical vacation rental experience. At 2,300 acres, this property in Kissimmee, Florida, is a sprawling resort with golf courses, pools, restaurants and tennis courts.

The range in size and scale of vacation homes is what makes Reunion so fascinating. You can book a standard condo with a kitchen or you can stay in a literal 22,000-square-foot mansion with a bowling alley.

And the prices are reasonable for what you get (at least for the more conventional homes). Depending on when you go, you could easily find a four-bedroom vacation rental for about $400 per night. That makes Reunion a budget-friendly option if you’re looking for ways to take a multigenerational trip to Disney.

You could also use points to book Reunion Resort and Golf Club if you’re book through Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. That multi-bedroom home goes for only about 70,000 Marriott points per night.

Reunion Resort invited me for a two-night, hosted stay in a two-bedroom villa at its 11-story Grande Tower, but the opinions in this article are all my own. They also gave me a tour of a handful of other vacation rentals, so I could see first-hand what they look like. Here’s what you need to know.

The suites in the Grande Tower

The Grande Tower is as close as Reunion gets to a traditional hotel, but even here, the rooms are oversized suites. My two-bedroom Grand Villa had a full kitchen, living room, soaking tub, laundry machines and a private balcony. It’s the kind of setup where you can wake up, fry eggs in your pajamas and head to Epcot already fueled — without standing in line for a $14 breakfast sandwich.

I didn’t have time to use that giant tub, but I did sip my coffee on the balcony overlooking the golf course, which felt like a vacation moment in itself.

The real benefits were more practical. That kitchen ended up being one of the resort’s most valuable amenities. I packed a PB&J before hitting the parks and skipped both the sticker shock and the 30-minute lines for quick-service meals. If you’re doing Disney on a budget, the ability to cook (or at least prep your own snacks) is a game changer.

The in-unit laundry was another bonus. My stay fell in the middle of a two-week trip, and packing light only worked because I could throw in a load. Families especially will appreciate not having to overpack, and the hotel even provides detergent.

Though Reunion covered the cost of my stay, the two-bedroom villa would have run less than $300 per night after taxes and fees, which feels like a deal for a 1,500-square-foot suite.

Reunion’s location makes it a great place to stay if you’re visiting Walt Disney World, but it also offers plenty to do on days you never step foot in a park.

Golfers have three championship courses to choose from, designed by golf legends Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus.

Families can float the lazy river or try the slides at the five-acre “water park.” It’s more of a pool complex with one main slide, but it’s still a fun way to spend the day.

Active types can hit the tennis courts, fitness center or even mini golf.

Relaxers can snag a hammock or a cabana near the pool.

When you don’t feel like cooking in your villa, Reunion has six on-site restaurants. I only had time for Traditions, which struck a nice balance — elevated enough to feel like a night out, but not so fancy that my workout shorts felt out of place.

I had a steak salad, which was less than $20. My fiance ordered the BBQ ribs which were pricier at about $35. It was definitely worth it, considering the quality of the ingredients and the huge portion size. We took home leftovers.

If you want an elegant dining experience, there are places for you, including the rooftop restaurant Eleven or the 7593 Chophouse which stands out for its seafood and steaks.

The vacation homes: Choose your adventure

Beyond the Grande Tower, Reunion is a patchwork of villas, condos and private homes that you can book through Airbnb, Vrbo or Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. You can also book directly through Reunion.

I toured a handful of them, and the variety was staggering. Here were a few highlights:

I started with a three-bedroom condo called Villas South Whispering Pine that felt like a good place to stay with friends. At $1,500 for a week in the off-season or $3,600 in peak season, it was definitely a place I would book for myself and five friends. Nightly costs would come out to between $35 and $85 per person when split across six people.

For a price point that low, I was impressed that it still had quartz countertops, soaking tubs and a balcony overlooking a preserve. It even had some nice Disney touches, like art from the theme parks on the walls, but it wasn’t anything over-the-top. Some Disney extravagance showed up in some of the other suites I toured.

The rental home called Fairway Prosperity knocked my socks off. The first room I saw here was a wacky game room with air hockey, pool and tons of video games. Other family-friendly aspects included a forest-themed bedroom, complete with a slide from the top bunk of the bunk bed.

Plus, a private pool backing onto the golf course made the Fairway Prosperity vacation rental feel upscale. This home accommodates 14 and ranges in price from $3,300 per week in the off-season to $6,500 peak.

If you filled up the whole house, the prices (about $34 to $66 per person per night) seemed very reasonable.

The most lavish rental home on the property is called Legends Palace. This jaw-dropping, 22,000-square-foot mega-mansion has 13 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a bowling alley, golf simulator, movie theater, gym, arcade and a Harry Potter suite. It sleeps up to 32 people.

Price tag? $25,000 to $37,000 for a week. It was much pricier than the others, but it would be a memorable splurge.

Reunion’s biggest drawback is that you don’t get Disney’s on-site perks. That means no early entry, no free theme park parking and no Lightning Lane booking advantage.

Factor in the daily cost of parking at Disney parks ($30+), and your “affordable” stay may not be quite as affordable as it looks.

For me, the lack of early entry stings most. That first hour before the parks open to the public is my favorite. That’s when you can take photos without a crowd in the background or hop on a top ride with almost no wait. This is the one perk Disney fans will miss most here.

Is Reunion Resort worth it?

For groups that want hotel suites with common areas, laundry units and kitchens, Reunion Resort and Golf Club is hard to beat. Its inventory ranges from practical to palatial, which makes it possible to spread out in a villa, cook breakfast in your own kitchen, and still be at Magic Kingdom’s gates in under 20 minutes.

It’s not for die-hard Disney fans who want immersive theming and early access. But for multi-generational families, golf groups or anyone who thinks “vacation” should mean having a balcony, kitchen, laundry and a lazy river, then Reunion is a flexible, affordable and surprisingly luxurious alternative.

And if you’ve got $37,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Well, there’s always that mansion with the bowling alley.