So you've seen it, heard of it, and like me, possibly have been wanting to experience the hype of…read moreliving tiny. After countless episodes of HGTV tiny living, I just had to try it for myself. I found Orlando Lakefront Tiny House and RV Park online and started following them on social media. They offer 12 tiny homes for rent and also have lot rentals for those who have turned tiny living into their everyday norm. We decided on "The Swan." Having two little kids I wanted to make sure I had as many comforts from home as I could. However, there is literally a tiny house to suits all needs.
The Swan has two lofts with queens beds, a pull out couch, full kitchen with a microwave, stovetop, farm style sink, pots and pans for use, and utensils for those who need them. Lots of counter space which was nice. A TV and a fireplace. Full bathroom with a regular size toilet and shower. The tiny house itself is one of their biggest at 400 sqft. They have stairs which was great for my little ones.
When we first arrived we were just so excited and found the tiny house to be super clean which I appreciated given the times. It felt spacious. The lofts served their purpose and was very exciting for my little ones. We had plenty of space for our things but knowing we were going tiny, I packed accordingly (packing cubes are the way to go). The sofa that doubled as a pull out bed sat all four of comfortably when we settled down to watch movies at night.
The park offers free use of their fire pit, canoes, corn hole, volleyball net, and fishing poles. The majority of the tiny homes face the lake so it's a really nice view to wake up too. The community Itself is quiet our kids rode their scooters, played corn hole and enjoyed sitting out by the dock. If you're looking for a nice quiet trip to relax, it definitely met that need. At night we sat by the fire and enjoyed s'mores. Now remember it is communal so all guest are welcome to come and enjoy the fire. They don't provide the firewood so keep that in mind. You will need to bring or purchase your own.
Overall we had a really nice stay and look forward to coming back and trying out some of their other tiny homes. Now, here's the reasons for the 4 stars. For one, it might be silly, but I'm super bummed that they don't recycle. There's one big trash can and no rules or procedures for recycling. They also offer free use of their fishing poles you just need to bring your bait, however, all the poles were either broken or all tangled up. I didn't prep and bring any because I figured, oh they have, we'll use the ones there. My daughter was bummed that she couldn't fish. So I would suggest you bring your own. The fire pit is a great spot to hang out once the sun goes down but during the day unless your sunbathing, there's really no where to just sit by the lake and relax. It's way too hot. The tiny house although super modern and nice, had some cracks in the stairs that needed to be fixed. The pillows were paper thin and extremely uncomfortable to sleep on. The stools were loose and wobbly, the front door was difficult to open and would get stuck due to the deck. The railing on the deck was wobbly and some tiles needed fixing. Things that need to be kept in mind with traveling with kids and could potentially be dangerous.
As stated above, these were minor things and won't prevent us from coming back. The experience was fun and totally worth it. Our kids had fun and we enjoyed the quiet. Looking forward to trying out some of their other homes.