About Windermere Trails Neighborhood
Windermere Trails sits at the intersection of Reams Road and Silver Lake Drive in the southwest portion of the 34786 ZIP code, positioned along the eastern shore of Lake Reams. The community was developed across multiple phases between 2012 and 2018 and consists of approximately 743 homes built by three nationally recognized builders: Meritage Homes, Mattamy Homes, and Beazer Homes. The mix includes single-family residences and townhomes, with single-family floor plans typically ranging from roughly 1,750 to nearly 5,000 square feet and townhomes in the 1,600 to 1,900 square foot range.
Architectural styles trend toward Mediterranean and contemporary, with paver driveways, two- and three-car garages, front porches, and outdoor living spaces appearing across the inventory. Premium homesites back to Lake Reams, Lake Sharp, Lake Spar, or conservation areas, and a portion of homes include private pools. The defining characteristic of Windermere Trails is the on-site placement of Bay Lake Elementary School, which opened in 2016 specifically to serve this corridor of master-planned communities. Walking-distance school access is unusual at this scale in the Windermere/Horizon West border area.
Community amenities are concentrated around a central recreation hub and include a resort-style pool with splash pad, a dog park with wash station, a children's playground, an outdoor exercise station, and an internal trail network that gives the neighborhood its name. The combination of mature landscaping (now eight to fourteen years old depending on phase), conservation buffers, and three small lakes inside the community creates a more established feel than newer Horizon West communities still in the build-out phase.
📊 Quick Facts
🏊 Internal Community Amenities
- Resort-style community pool with splash pad
- Dog park with dog-wash station
- Children's playground
- Outdoor exercise station
- Internal walking and biking trail network
- Three internal lakes (Lake Reams western boundary, plus Lake Sharp and Lake Spar)
- Conservation-area buffers along multiple homesite ranges
- Bay Lake Elementary School located inside the community at 12005 Silverlake Park Drive
↑ Back to Top | View Available Homes →
Windermere Trails Location & Connections
Windermere Trails occupies the southwest corner of the Windermere 34786 ZIP code, sitting at the practical boundary with the Horizon West master-planned area. Lake Reams forms the western edge of the community, and the SR-429 Western Beltway is the primary toll road artery connecting the area to the Walt Disney World resort to the south, the Florida Turnpike to the north, and Apopka and Mount Dora beyond. The backstage entrance to Magic Kingdom sits roughly two miles south, and the conservation lands of the Tibet-Butler Preserve are within the broader CR 535 corridor that defines southwest Windermere's natural character.
🏘️ Adjacent Neighborhoods & Areas
- North: Lake Reams Townhomes and the Lakeside Village shopping center on Reams Road, anchored by Publix
- East: Lakeside Village and Lakes of Windermere
- South / Southwest: Horizon West communities along the Lookout Pointe Drive corridor
- West: Lake Reams (forming the community's western waterfront boundary), with conservation areas continuing toward the SR-429 corridor
- Inside the community: Bay Lake Elementary School and Lake Sharp / Lake Spar (two smaller internal lakes)
🚗 Detailed Commute Times
- Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (backstage entrance): Approximately 5 minutes (~2 miles south)
- Disney Springs: Approximately 15 minutes (~9 miles)
- Universal Orlando: Approximately 20 minutes (~12 miles)
- SeaWorld Orlando: Approximately 18 minutes (~11 miles)
- Downtown Orlando: Approximately 25–30 minutes (~17 miles)
- UCF Campus: Approximately 35–40 minutes (~26 miles)
- Lake Nona Medical City: Approximately 30 minutes (~22 miles)
- Cocoa Beach: Approximately 1 hour (~63 miles via SR-528)
✈️ Airport Access
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): Approximately 25–30 minutes (~17 miles via SR-417/SR-528)
- Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB): Approximately 50–55 minutes (~38 miles via SR-429 north)
- Orlando Executive Airport (ORL): Approximately 30 minutes (~20 miles) for general aviation
↑ Back to Top | View Available Homes →
Windermere Trails Amenities & Lifestyle
The lifestyle pitch for Windermere Trails is straightforward: a fully amenitized master-planned community with on-site elementary school, walking-distance grocery, two-mile drive to Disney, and access to two of the region's primary north-south arteries (SR-429 to the west and CR 535 / Winter Garden Vineland to the east). Residents who want suburban master-planned conveniences without sacrificing theme-park access or the broader Windermere identity tend to land here.
The community's positioning between Lake Reams and the conservation lands extending toward SR-429 means a meaningful share of homes back to water or natural buffers rather than other rooftops, which is increasingly rare in Horizon West-adjacent product built in the 2010s.
🏊 Neighborhood Amenities
Amenities found within Windermere Trails:
- Resort-style community pool with splash pad
- Dog park with dog-wash station
- Children's playground
- Outdoor exercise station
- Internal walking and biking trail network
- Lake Reams shoreline access (western boundary)
- Lake Sharp and Lake Spar (two smaller internal lakes with views from premium homesites)
- Bay Lake Elementary School inside the community (12005 Silverlake Park Drive)
🛍️ Shopping & Services
The Lakeside Village shopping center on Reams Road sits less than a mile north of the community, anchored by a Publix supermarket and including a fitness center, gas station, walk-in clinic, and casual restaurants — covering everyday errands within a short drive or comfortable bike ride. The Cornerstone at Summerport center on CR 535 is the next tier up for everyday family shopping, and grocery options across the 34786 ZIP code include three Publix locations plus ALDI.
For comprehensive shopping information: View our Windermere Shopping Guide →
🍽️ Restaurants
Casual and family dining at the Lakeside Village center on Reams Road and the Cornerstone at Summerport center on CR 535 covers the neighborhood-center tier. Sand Lake Road's Restaurant Row is roughly 15 minutes via Conroy-Windermere Road for higher-end dining. Casual and family dining at The Grove, Lakeside Village, and Summerport covers the immediate options residents use most often.
For comprehensive restaurant information: View our Windermere Restaurants Guide →
🎭 Arts & Culture
Cultural programming closest to Windermere Trails includes the historic core of downtown Windermere (Town Square events, the 1890 Schoolhouse, Main Street boutiques) about 10 minutes north, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando for major touring productions and Broadway series.
For comprehensive arts & culture information: View our Windermere Arts & Culture Guide →
🏃 Health & Wellness
The closest multispecialty medical hub is Orlando Health Medical Pavilion Summerport on CR 535 (imaging, labs, primary care). The closest full-service hospital with ER and inpatient services is Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital, with Dr. P. Phillips Hospital as a slightly farther alternative for specialty care.
For comprehensive health & wellness information: View our Windermere Health & Wellness Guide →
🌳 Parks & Recreation
The internal trail network and three lakes (Lake Reams, Lake Sharp, Lake Spar) provide everyday outdoor recreation inside the gates. The Tibet-Butler Preserve on CR 535 offers 3.6 miles of nature trails through pine flatwoods and cypress wetlands. R.D. Keene Park provides Butler Chain of Lakes boat ramp access for residents who want lake recreation beyond the community's own lakes.
For comprehensive parks & recreation information: View our Windermere Parks & Recreation Guide →
⚽ Sports & Athletics
The community's pool, dog park, exercise station, and trail network handle most everyday fitness. Tennis and pickleball are available through Town of Windermere courts and private clubs across the 34786 area, and gyms in the broader Windermere area include LA Fitness Signature on Conroy-Windermere Road and several boutique studios.
For comprehensive sports & athletics information: View our Windermere Sports & Athletics Guide →
🎉 Fun Things to Do
The defining lifestyle perk of Windermere Trails is Disney access — the Magic Kingdom backstage entrance is approximately two miles south, and a meaningful number of homes have line-of-sight to the nightly Magic Kingdom and EPCOT fireworks. Downtown Windermere's Town Square events (food truck nights, Halloween parade, Light Up Windermere) are the closest community-scale entertainment, with theme park access via SR-429 covering the rest.
For comprehensive events & activities information: View our Windermere Events & Things To Do Guide →
🎓 Schools
Windermere Trails is served by:
- Elementary: Bay Lake Elementary (located inside the community at 12005 Silverlake Park Drive — opened 2016 to relieve Sunset Park and Independence)
- Middle: Bridgewater Middle School
- High: Windermere High School (opened 2017, Cambridge AICE and AP programs)
Private school options include Windermere Preparatory School on Winter Garden Vineland Road, Central Florida's only IB Diploma Programme private school, roughly 5–10 minutes from the community.
Note: School assignments are subject to change. Always verify current zoning with the OCPS School Locator before making a purchase decision.
For comprehensive school information: View our Windermere Schools Guide →
↑ Back to Top | View Available Homes →
How Windermere Trails Compares
Buyers shopping the Windermere/Horizon West border typically weigh Windermere Trails against newer Horizon West master plans (Encore at Ovation, Hamlin-area communities) and the older Lakes of Windermere master plan. The comparison below frames the trade-offs.
| Feature | Windermere Trails | Lakes of Windermere | Encore at Ovation (Horizon West) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year Built | 2012–2018 | Mid-2000s | Late 2010s–2020s |
| On-Site Elementary | Yes (Bay Lake) | No | No |
| Internal Lakes | 3 (Reams, Sharp, Spar) | Multiple neighborhood lakes | Limited |
| Distance to Disney Backstage | ~2 miles | ~3 miles | ~3–4 miles |
| Tree / Landscape Maturity | Established (8–14 years) | Mature (20+ years) | Newer / still maturing |
| School Zone (High) | Windermere High | Windermere High | Windermere High / Horizon |
💡 Value Proposition: Windermere Trails is the rare master plan in this corridor where the elementary school is physically inside the community gates. Combined with two-mile Disney proximity, eight-to-fourteen-year-old established landscaping, and three internal lakes, the package is differentiated from both older (Lakes of Windermere) and newer (Encore at Ovation) alternatives along the same Reams Road / SR-429 corridor.
↑ Back to Top | View Available Homes →
Windermere Trails HOA & CDD Information
Windermere Trails has an active homeowners association covering the master plan's amenities, common areas, and architectural standards. Buyers should be aware that fee structures, management companies, and any CDD assessments in southwest Windermere can change over time, and current details should always be confirmed before closing.
💰 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
- Maintenance of the community pool, splash pad, and pool deck
- Dog park, playground, and outdoor exercise station upkeep
- Common-area landscaping along internal streets and entry features
- Trail network maintenance and lighting
- Conservation buffer and shoreline maintenance
- HOA management, accounting, and reserve funding
- Architectural review and standards enforcement
🏷️ CDD Status
CDD assessments in southwest Windermere and Horizon West vary by community and phase. Please contact us to verify the current CDD status and any associated annual assessment for the specific home you are considering in Windermere Trails.
↑ Back to Top | View Available Homes →
David Myers
