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NCDragon
11-29-2011, 05:19 PM
Greetings all,

My wife and I will be visiting The Villages for one day as part of our upcoming vacation. We've been reading a multitude of threads about what to see while visiting, which makes me wish that we had 5 days to visit instead of 1!.

My question is... what should we plan for as a MUST-DO during one day? We do plan to buy the $5 map from the real estate office to at least visit/see all the neighborhoods and some of the squares. Also, being a disabled vet I plan to see where the new VA hospital is. Other than that; we'll be happy to take the advice that you can give us and hope that we can give your list a good run through. Thanks in advance for your input and your patience! :wave:

l2ridehd
11-29-2011, 05:48 PM
Arrive early and stay late. Buy a map, buy a paper, do the trolly tour mid morning, ride around both town squares during the day, have lunch at Toujays, visit 2 or 3 model homes listed in the Daily Sun, go to a town square at night, have a nice dinner at Palmer or Lopez and talk to as many people as possible.

starflyte1
11-29-2011, 06:06 PM
As l2ridehd suggested, take the trolley ride as it is very informative. It starts from the sales center at Lake Sumter Landing and travels around The Villages with a guide telling about TV. Call the sales center to get the times. It is free and no pressure. Takes about 45 minutes.

Avista
11-29-2011, 06:23 PM
I would start with the trolley ride and then talk to a sales rep. They will take you around and are NOT high pressure!

CMANN
11-29-2011, 06:27 PM
Figure out how to stay longer!

ilovetv
11-29-2011, 06:57 PM
Do the above suggestions and also book a Lifestyle Preview stay for about 5-6 days this winter.

tpop1
11-29-2011, 07:29 PM
Our first visit was one day also - we had owned in sarasota for 9 years and were not happy there.

One Sunday with nothing else planned, we decided to tak a ride up and see what people(other Sarasota people) were talking about.

We went to the LSL Sales Center and were connected with a sales rep - Susan Berman - who provided what turned out to be a guided tour.

She showed us the various neighborhoods, styles of houses, squares, rec centers and pools, etc.

Got a 50,000 foot view of the place and fell in love. Did a Lifestyle visit the next year!

She was good, kept in contact with NO pressure.....so when we were ready to buy 2 years later, she was our agent!

tippyclubb
11-29-2011, 08:16 PM
As someone else stated arrive early and leave late. We were there in September and also had a one day visit. We fell in love and do plan on returning for a LS visit.

We spent around 3-4 hours with a sales agent looking at various homes so when we do retire we at least know what type of home suits us best. We looked at new homes and resales.

The trolley tour was informative and you really get a good look at how beautiful TV is. I highly suggest this tour.

We wanted to eat at one of the restaurants so we ended up at Red Sauce and were able to talk with many residents. We were pleasantly surprised how friendly people were and everyone we talked to had nothing but good things to say about living in TV.

After dinner we headed to LS square and enjoyed the band and socialized with TV residents. We met a wonderful couple who gave us a ride to SS square in their golf cart so we were able to see both squares, and enjoyed the golf cart ride as well.

Enjoy your quick visit and talk with as many residents as possible. They are very friendly and its good to get information from the people who live there.

swimdawg
11-29-2011, 08:24 PM
Figure out how to stay longer!

Oh yes!! You won the SWIMDAWG Post of the Day Award!

The Village Girl
11-29-2011, 08:33 PM
Oh yes!! You won the SWIMDAWG Post of the Day Award!

:MOJE_whot::MOJE_whot::MOJE_whot:

Snowbirdtobe
11-29-2011, 08:46 PM
Rent a golf cart and drive around both squares.
We stayed at the Waterfront Inn in Lake Sumter Landing and walked the square at night.
We came for one day and stayed for another and then another. We went off on our vacation and returned after one day. By the end of the week we had bought a home and are now snowbirds.

ilovetv
11-29-2011, 08:51 PM
Rent a golf cart and drive around both squares.
We stayed at the Waterfront Inn in Lake Sumter Landing and walked the square at night.
We came for one day and stayed for another and then another. We went off on our vacation and returned after one day. By the end of the week we had bought a home and are now snowbirds.

LOVE IT!!!!! TV is a vacation!

Pturner
11-29-2011, 08:54 PM
Welcome, DCDragon!

I agree that the trolley tour and a visit with a sales agent, evening at one or both squares and dinner at one of the TV restaurants is an excellent choice.

By connecting with a TV Sales Agent, you will not only experience NO pressure, but you will almost certainly be invited back for an inexpensive Lifestyle Preview, which includes a golf cart, bicycles, golf and restaurant privileges.

Meal suggestions:

Breakfast: Toojays (There is one at both squares)
Lunch and Dinner: One of the country clubs and one of the restaurants at Lake Sumter Landing.

Check the newspaper for specials at the restaurant.

Have a great time and please let us know what you did and how you like it.

p.s., Have a Kool refreshing TV special drink on me. ;)

angiefox10
11-29-2011, 08:57 PM
We drove in to look around. We were just checking it out! We were on vacation in Orlando and spent every day after that driving to The Villages. We had more fun there then we would have if we had stayed in Orlando. oh.. and we didn't even rent a cart.

RichieB
11-29-2011, 09:09 PM
We drove in to look around. We were just checking it out! We were on vacation in Orlando and spent every day after that driving to The Villages. We had more fun there then we would have if we had stayed in Orlando. oh.. and we didn't even rent a cart.

I didn't realize that you could do that. I read in another post that there are some places to stay in T.V. besides the homes set aside for the Lifestyle Visits.(?)

Russ_Boston
11-29-2011, 09:12 PM
I didn't realize that you could do that. I read in another post that there are some places to stay in T.V. besides the homes set aside for the Lifestyle Visits.(?)


We stayed in two private homes outside of the Lifestyle program that we found for 1 week rental. Of course it was outside the busy months.

There are also two/three hotels to stay at.

RichieB
11-29-2011, 09:23 PM
Welcome, DCDragon!

p.s., Have a Kool refreshing TV special drink on me. ;)

If you're buying, we're coming, PT ! ((-:

Pathel
11-29-2011, 09:25 PM
We stayed in two private homes outside of the Lifestyle program that we found for 1 week rental. Of course it was outside the busy months.

There are also two/three hotels to stay at.

Seems I saw quite a few motels/motor inns around TV area during my recent galavanting.

RichieB
11-29-2011, 09:35 PM
We stayed in two private homes outside of the Lifestyle program that we found for 1 week rental. Of course it was outside the busy months.

There are also two/three hotels to stay at.

Thanks. That's good to know.

NCDragon
11-30-2011, 11:55 AM
These suggestions are great! We'll get a plan together to incorporate most, (if not all), of the ideas so that we can fully enjoy TV. Thanks again for your ideas, and if you can think of anything else please do toss'em up here! ::024:

2BNTV
11-30-2011, 01:23 PM
BTW - Don't blink because you will miss your visit. :jester:

Seriously - Tiime will go fast. Buy a map at the sales center. The trolley ride, rec centers, exploring TV in a golf cart and visiting the squares for entertainment. A nice dinner at Bonefish Grill is a good option.

After a short time, you'll probably wished you planned for more than one day. :)

Schaumburger
12-03-2011, 02:02 PM
Seems I saw quite a few motels/motor inns around TV area during my recent galavanting.

Comfort Inn and Suites just off 441 about 3 blocks from Spanish Springs. I stayed there last year during my first visit to TV.

Towne Place Suites right in Spanish Springs -- I believe it's near The Rialto movie theater and the Church on the Square if memory serves me correctly.

Waterfront Inn at Lake Sumter Landing. I stayed there in July for one night before my rental started.

Hampton Inn on 466. I stayed there for one night in October before my rental started.

Holiday Inn Express just off 441 near Spanish Springs.

John_W
12-03-2011, 03:18 PM
We arrived late June and couldn't close until July 5th, so for five days during the 4th of July weekend we stayed at the Holiday Inn on Hwy 27/441 just north of Spanish Springs. Our salesman said just mention his name 'Tony Trussler' and the rate would be $79 per day instead of the usual $95, and we got the special rate. I had called all five of the main motels around TV and they were all about $90 - $95.

Even though I received my first TV DVD in 2003 and had been logging the prices of homes since 2009, when we arrived in April of this year on our LSV I couldn't believe how vast TV was. If you're driving down from Ocala on Hwy 27, when you reach Route 42 turn east until you reach Buena Vista Blvd. Turn south on Buena Vista into TV and continue south until you reach Hwy 466A, that's about a 12 mile drive and about 35 to 40 minutes. Turn left and go east three miles on 466A and then turn left north on Morse Blvd and go until you hit Hwy 27/441 and you would have traveled most of TV and had driven over an hour and about 25 miles or more.

Mikeod
12-03-2011, 04:47 PM
One thing we didn't do on a visit here was drive through some neighborhoods. We approached a gate and thought we couldn't enter, so we turned around. You can get through any gate, manned or unmanned. The gate attendant will let you in just by asking. They cannot prohibit your passage. If the gate is unmanned, just press the button on the panel and someone at the central location will let you in. It's nice to drive through the neighborhoods to see how people live. You get a little of this on the trolley, but it's nice to explore on your own. It's interesting to see the differences between neighborhoods built recently and those built years ago.

Pturner
12-03-2011, 07:34 PM
If you're buying, we're coming, PT ! ((-:

Say when...