Doing the Lifestyle
 

Well we booked the Lifestyle preview for May 9-13. We are really looking forward to our visit. I have read reviews and the Leisureville book and watched a lot of YouTube videos. And it looks like this trip will be more a vacation than retirement location search. We have a red-eye out of LAX on Friday May 8 arriving in Orlando at 6am. I figure we will arrive at TV around nine or so. We need to "check-in" and start looking around right away as I am told these few days will fly by. So if you wouldn't mind give me your best "first weekend" plan if you could do it now knowing what you know now. Sort of a "top five-ish things to do" at the Villages. Thanks.

I would recommend staying at a hotel this visit if it is only 3 days. Get a look around then book a Lifestyle visit for a week. They only let you use the Lifestyle visit one time and using it for a week makes more sense because you will be able to look around more with the use of the golf cart. This place is so big you will not get to see most of it in 3 days time. You really need a week or more for a tour of the entire place. Just my thoughts. Best thing we ever did was move here!

When we go on our Lifestyle visit, will the villa have linens (towels, washcloths, sheets), pillows, toilet paper, pots/pans, dishes, cups and utensils? Forgot to ask the reservation lady. Don't want any surprises!

A version of this question comes up quite a bit. I think it depends on your wants and needs.
For me I wanted to see what the free golf courses looked like. I was thrilled that I can get to 15 newer free courses in 10 minutes. I hardly go to the squares.

For my brother he wanted to see where he could live that was 1 mile away from the Lake Sumter Restaurant named the Lighthouse. He takes a 1 mile walk after dinner everyday and thinks it's a great place to hang out. He doesn't golf at all.

Try to figure out what you are looking for. Everything is here but some things take a bit of traveling.

I noticed today (3-17-15) that there is (now) a fee per night for the Lifestyle Preview. I would swear that before today it was free. Am I wrong about the fee being new? Thanks so much in advance.

Send me the link for the fee per night charge you saw.
What did you think was free? room, board, golf?

I sent you a PM, tomwed. I am so new to the forum that I can not post a link. We were told by my MIL that the LP was free for either 3 or 7 days. I also have read many posts here that would lead someone to think the accommodations were free. In fact, today is the first time that I have ever seen any reference to any fees for the LP.
Thanks

yes, they have all of these things....if you are staying at creekside it's only a five minute cart ride to the grocery store

Five years ago the LP was $100 per night. I think now it is $200 per night. Contact the Villages sales office to get the exact details and a list of what it includes. Even at $200 per night, it is well worth it, and a great way to check out The Villages. And keep in mind, any decent hotel anywhere these days usually start at $125-$150 per night and up.

When we stayed it was $120 a night. That was 3 years ago I think. Of course The Villages will be happy to sell you a home but they don't need to give away very much because it sells itself.
At first I thought it was like timeshare and there would be all kinds of comps, poor value and high pressure to buy. It was just the opposite.
Read up on The Villages. There is a lot online.

We booked the Lifestyle visit for the end of April and the cost is $200/night. It includes staying in a villa with golf cart and bicycles, free golf, tennis, rec & fitness centers, movie tickets, trolley and boat tours, and discounts at stores. That sounds like a decent price for all that for 2 people.

I was told that the price goes down starting May 1, but she didn't tell me what the cheaper price is. Unfortunately I couldn't arrange my work schedule for May.