About Tildens Grove Neighborhood
Tildens Grove sits on the west side of Lake Butler in Windermere's 34786 ZIP code, with its single guarded entrance on the south side of West Lake Butler Road — directly across from McKinnon Road and roughly three-quarters of a mile east of Winter Garden Vineland Road (CR 535). The community is set back from the road behind a manned gatehouse, with Tildens Grove Boulevard running south to the back of the development and Bonica Way branching west to the recreation area.
Development began in 2001, with most homes built between 2002 and 2007 and the final closeouts in 2008. Eight Central Florida custom builders contributed homes, producing variety within a coherent Mediterranean architectural language: barrel-tile roofs, brick paver driveways, stucco exteriors, courtyard entries, and tropical landscaping that has now matured into 20-plus-year canopies.
Lots are half-acre minimum, with many homes positioned on five internal ponds and twelve homes set on Lake William Davis itself. Floor plans range from roughly 3,100 square feet on the smaller end to over 7,400 square feet, with most homes between 4,000 and 6,000 square feet and four to seven bedrooms. The HOA-maintained recreation area on Bonica Way includes a tennis court, sport court, and playground, and the gated entrance provides controlled access to all 140 residences.
📊 Quick Facts
🏡 What Makes Tildens Grove Distinct
- Eight-builder custom variety on a single street pattern — most luxury enclaves of this size were built by one or two production luxury builders. Tildens Grove's eight-builder origin produces meaningfully different floor plans, elevations, and finish details from house to house, even within the same Mediterranean visual vocabulary.
- Manned guard-gated entry — distinct from the more common card-reader gates in newer Windermere subdivisions.
- Lake William Davis access — a private 40-acre lake on the Butler / Windermere chain with no public boat ramp, giving the community quieter water than the larger Butler Chain destinations.
- Half-acre minimum lots — significantly larger than the ~6,000–10,000 sqft lots typical of newer Horizon West luxury production.
- Mature 20+ year landscaping — palm canopies and tropical understory that newer construction can't replicate.
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Tildens Grove Location & Connections
Tildens Grove occupies a quiet pocket of western Windermere, sandwiched between the Butler Chain shoreline to the east and the Tibet-Butler Preserve / CR 535 corridor to the west. The community sits within the unincorporated 34786 area outside the Town of Windermere proper, which keeps the address recognizable without the in-town traffic patterns of Main Street and Town Square.
Access works in two directions: Winter Garden Vineland Road (CR 535) three-quarters of a mile west connects north to Winter Garden Village and south to Disney's Western Way / Flamingo Crossings, while SR 429 (Western Beltway) a few miles further west provides the fastest connection to the Florida Turnpike and points beyond. Downtown Orlando is roughly 25 minutes east via Conroy-Windermere Road or the 429 / Turnpike combination.
🏘️ Adjacent Neighborhoods & Areas
- North (across W Lake Butler Rd): Casabella
- East: West Lake Butler Estates
- South / West: Tibet-Butler Preserve and the CR 535 corridor (largely undeveloped buffer; no FNR neighborhood pages currently published for this border)
- Nearby Lake: The Butler Chain of Lakes (Lake Butler, immediately east)
- Nearby Shopping: Winter Garden Village (~2.7 miles north via CR 535)
🚗 Detailed Commute Times
- Downtown Orlando: ~25 minutes (~14 miles) via Conroy-Windermere Rd or 429/Turnpike
- UCF Campus: ~35 minutes (~25 miles) via 408
- Walt Disney World: ~15 minutes (~8 miles) via CR 535 / Western Way
- Universal Orlando: ~20 minutes (~13 miles) via Conroy-Windermere Rd / I-4
- SeaWorld Orlando: ~20 minutes (~12 miles) via Sand Lake Rd
- Disney Springs: ~15 minutes (~9 miles)
- Cocoa Beach: ~75 minutes (~65 miles) via 528 East
- Lake Nona Medical City: ~35 minutes (~22 miles) via 417
✈️ Airport Access
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): ~30 minutes (~18 miles) via 528
- Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB): ~50 minutes (~38 miles) via 429 / 417
- Orlando Executive Airport: ~30 minutes (~17 miles) — useful for general aviation and charter
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Tildens Grove Amenities & Lifestyle
Tildens Grove draws buyers who want the privacy and space of an estate community without the country-club initiation fees of Isleworth or the production-builder repetition of newer luxury subdivisions. The gated entry, half-acre lots, and 20-plus-year landscape canopy create a quiet, established feel that's hard to find on newer master-planned land.
Within the gates, residents have a tennis court, sport court, and playground on Bonica Way; outside the gates, the community sits within a few minutes of Tibet-Butler Preserve, R.D. Keene Park's boat ramp, the dining and grocery cluster at Winter Garden Village, and the championship golf concentration of west Orlando.
🏊 Neighborhood Amenities
Amenities found within Tildens Grove:
- Manned / guard-gated entry on West Lake Butler Road
- Tennis court
- Sport court
- Children's playground
- Common-area landscaping and maintained streetscape
- Lake William Davis frontage for lakefront homes (12 lakefront lots)
- Five internal ponds providing water-view lots throughout the community
🛍️ Shopping & Services
The closest full retail node is Winter Garden Village roughly 2.7 miles north up CR 535, with a full Publix-anchored grocery, big-box retail, and casual dining. Cornerstone at Summerport is a few minutes south on CR 535 for closer-in grocery and services, and The Grove at Isleworth on Conroy-Windermere Road covers upscale boutique shopping and restaurants. The Mall at Millenia is roughly 11 miles east for luxury department-store shopping.
For comprehensive shopping information: View our Windermere Shopping Guide →
🍽️ Restaurants
Dining options cluster in three directions: The Grove at Isleworth on Conroy-Windermere Road for upscale and casual restaurants, Winter Garden Village to the north for casual chains and family dining, and Sand Lake Road's Restaurant Row about 10 minutes east for the higher-end Dr. Phillips dining concentration. Downtown Winter Garden's historic Main Street offers The Crooked Can Brewery and a rotating roster of local restaurants in the Plant Street Market and surrounding blocks.
For comprehensive restaurant information: View our Windermere Restaurants Guide →
🎭 Arts & Culture
Windermere's arts and culture scene centers on the historic Town Square — the 1890 Schoolhouse, Town Hall, and seasonal Fine Art Show — plus the Isleworth public sculpture collection with works by Henry Moore, Salvador Dalí, and Philip Jackson. The broader Orlando arts scene — Leu Gardens, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and the Orlando Museum of Art — is a 20-to-25 minute drive east.
For comprehensive arts & culture information: View our Windermere Arts & Culture Guide →
🏃 Health & Wellness
Orlando Health Medical Pavilion Summerport on CR 535 is the closest multispecialty clinic, while Dr. P. Phillips Hospital on Sand Lake Road and Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital cover full inpatient and emergency services within a 15-to-20 minute drive. Lake Nona Medical City — including Nemours Children's Hospital, the VA Medical Center, and UF Health Cancer Center — is roughly 35 minutes east via 417 for specialist and research-level care.
For comprehensive health & wellness information: View our Windermere Hospitals Guide →
🌳 Parks & Recreation
Tibet-Butler Preserve on CR 535 is a few minutes from the gate, with 3.6 miles of nature trails, a nature center, and free public access. R.D. Keene Park is the area's flagship community park — 52 acres of soccer fields, playgrounds, and the public boat ramp onto the Butler Chain. The Butler Chain of Lakes itself is the region's signature recreational asset for boating, water skiing, and fishing.
For comprehensive parks & recreation information: View our Windermere Parks & Recreation Guide →
⚽ Sports & Athletics
Golf is the standout: Isleworth Golf & Country Club's Arnold Palmer–designed course anchors the area's private-club tier, with the Golden Bear Club at Keene's Pointe and Bay Hill Club & Lodge in nearby Dr. Phillips rounding out the championship-course concentration. Within Tildens Grove, residents have a private tennis court and sport court. The Butler Chain of Lakes is the area's primary watersports venue for skiing, wakeboarding, and bass fishing.
For comprehensive sports & athletics information: View our Windermere Sports & Athletics Guide →
🎉 Fun Things to Do
The location puts Walt Disney World at roughly 15 minutes, Disney Springs at the same distance, and Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando within 20. Closer to home, Downtown Winter Garden hosts the Saturday farmers market, Plant Street Market, and a year-round events calendar, and the West Orange Trail runs through it for cycling and running.
For comprehensive events & activities information: View our Windermere Events & Things To Do Guide →
🎓 Schools
Tildens Grove is served by Orange County Public Schools (OCPS):
- Elementary: Windermere Elementary School
- Middle: Bridgewater Middle School
- High: Windermere High School
Families also have access to nearby private school options including Windermere Preparatory School (the area's only IB Diploma Programme private school, K–12) and Foundation Academy.
Note: OCPS school assignments are subject to change. Always verify current zoning with OCPS School Locator before making purchase decisions.
For comprehensive school information: View our Windermere Schools Guide →
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How Tildens Grove Compares
Tildens Grove competes for buyers in a specific niche: established custom-built luxury on large lots inside guard-gated security. The most useful comparisons are with newer Horizon West / Hamlin luxury production communities (which offer modern construction but smaller lots and CDD fees) and with neighboring Windermere gated communities at higher and lower price tiers.
| Feature | Tildens Grove | Newer Horizon West Luxury | Isleworth (premium tier) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Lot Size | 0.5+ acre | 0.15 – 0.25 acre | 0.5 – 1+ acre |
| Home Age | 2001 – 2008 | 2018 – present | 1985 – present (mixed) |
| Construction | Eight custom builders | Production luxury | Custom estates |
| Gated Type | Manned guard gate | Card-reader gate (most) | 24/7 staffed guardhouse |
| CDD Fee | No | Often $2,000 – $5,000+ / yr | No |
| Country Club Required | No | No | Yes (initiation fee + dues) |
| Lake Access | Lake William Davis (private) | Varies (community lakes mostly) | Butler Chain frontage |
💡 Value Proposition: Tildens Grove's specific niche is established custom-builder variety on half-acre lots with a manned guard gate and no CDD — a combination newer Horizon West luxury can't replicate (smaller lots, CDD assessments) and Isleworth tops only at significantly higher entry costs (country-club membership required). The trade-off is older mechanicals and finishes that may want updating compared to new construction.
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Tildens Grove HOA & CDD Information
Tildens Grove is governed by a homeowners association that maintains the manned gatehouse, common-area landscaping, the tennis and sport courts on Bonica Way, the playground, and the streetscape within the gates. The community is HOA-only — there is no Community Development District (CDD) assessment layered on top, which is a meaningful cost difference compared to many newer master-planned luxury communities in nearby Horizon West.
HOA fees and management company contacts can change. Rather than publish a stale figure, we keep current details on file and pass them along on request.
💰 HOA Fees & Management Contact
HOA fees and management company information often change. Please contact us and we will be happy to provide you with the current HOA fee, payment schedule, and direct contact information for the HOA management company. We can also check for you to see if there are any current or upcoming special assessments.
📋 What HOA Fees Cover
- Manned gatehouse staffing and access control
- Common-area landscaping and irrigation
- Tennis court, sport court, and playground maintenance on Bonica Way
- Entrance feature and streetscape upkeep
- Street lighting and signage within the gates
- HOA management and administration
- Reserve funding for major repairs and replacements
- Architectural review and standards enforcement
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David Myers
