Encore Rose Bay

 TL/DR:*My review is primarily for families with children*

- ANYONE WITH MINOR CHILDREN– AVOID AT ALL COSTS

- THINKING ABOUT BECOMING AN ANNUAL MEMBER- RECONSIDER, HAVE A BACKUP PLAN AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.

- TRAVELERS- STAY AT YOUR OWN RISK– LOCK UP EVERYTHING! 

My personal experience with Rose Bay RV Park dates from May 2020 to January 2024 with Jeannie Magill as the office manager.

**As of this posting, I have NOT been refunded for the prepaid days that I was not a resident. 

Top things to know if considering Rose Bay RV Park:

-Advertised as an“all ages, family-friendly park” but that is NOT true. This was previously a 55+ park and that mentality remains. Children are NOT welcome and that is made obvious by the additional charges for them, the ever-growing restrictions on them, and the overall treatment by a large portion of the residents and staff.

-Children are charged an additional $5 per day, per child over the age of 11(as of the date of this posting).

-Children are not allowed in the clubhouse, to ride bikes, or to do much of anything without expecting a follow-up complaint. Their solution is to“take your children to a local park”, which is certainly not in line with being a family-friendly park. I will say again, THEY DO NOT WANT CHILDREN LIVING IN THIS PARK.

-NEVER use their address for your mail through USPS. You CAN NOT forward your mail to another address and Jeannie and Jenny personally go through every piece of mail and will use their discretion to decide if you will receive your mail, if they want to return it to sender, or if it just vanishes. They will claim that it is not allowed for mail to be delivered for someone who isn’t on the lease(ex: my children’s father provides health insurance and other needs and those papers come in his name even though I explained they are for the children). Still, several other people receive mail for individuals who are not on their lease. USPS is aware of this issue but cannot correct it since Rose Bay is considered a campground, even though it is primarily for permanent residents.

-Make sure you document everything that occurs there for your protection.

-The office staff will rarely correct any issue that you are having, whether it be a nuisance dog, safety concern, or any other issue. They will always reply with“Call the police”. I would use caution when doing so since that can be used against you and lead to your removal from the park.

-Know that you will be stripped of your freedom of speech in this park. Residents tolerate a lot of things that they shouldn’t simply because they are afraid of an eviction. Park rules are not there to help you but rather they are used as something for her to hide behind if she wants to use them against you.

-LOCK UP EVERYTHING. Your things will get stolen, especially if you are traveling and have the dates of your stay advertised in your front window.

-Be aware that rules are subjective and that Jeannie will make demands or tell you to do something that she doesn’t enforce with other residents. Examples: subletting, all residents must be on lease, visitors must check-in, speeding is punishable by removal from the park, and no conducting business. The list goes on and on but if you choose to live here, you will quickly understand what I am talking about.

-If you do decide to try to move in, background/credit checks seem to be impossible to pass. There is a rather large portion of applicants who pay the fee for a background check but are suspiciously denied.

-Don’t expect the park to take care of the lot that you are residing on. Concrete pads are broken and are a tripping hazard and most lots turn to mud pits.

-BE CAREFUL WITH THE ELECTRIC and use a surge protector.

-The water is randomly shut off.

-Trash is almost always overflowing

-Be aware of your legal rights as a resident of a campground in the state of Florida. Most residents are from other areas or new to the RV lifestyle. I strongly encourage you to educate yourself and to be aware that Florida is not a tenant-friendly state, especially for those in campgrounds. 

My list was much longer but I am limited to how much I can type. Stay elsewhere and you'll be much happier! Trust the other reviews that also say to not stay at Rose Bay.

Located in the heart of Daytona and just a stone’s throw to, ahem, Rose Bay, this RV outpost is a curious bird to say the least. First, it’s location plants you directly smack dab in the middle of a completely residential community and there’s not much in the way of shrubbery or forests to give that feeling of being out in the midst of nature. Nope, it’s just an RV park that is thrown right in the middle of a suburbia. While there are a number of open spots, which may be good for an overnighting RV camper or trailer, this place is more for the folks that haven’t quite fully committed to the semi-permanent living lifestyle. It’s not one of those places that masquerades as an RV park, but it’s definitely chock full of folks who don’t seem to be leaving anytime soon and haven’t chosen the RV life out of affinity with nature, that’s for sure. 

From an amenities standpoint, water and electric (30 and 50 amp) hook-ups are available and restroom/ showers (not terribly clean BTW), but not much else. Picnic tables? Only a few scattered are available. Grills, nowhere to be found. Clubhouse? Sure, in the main office, but it’s more of just an open living room with not much. Basically, you need to bring whatever you want / need. I will say that there is a pretty decent pool – that was the major highlight of our stay – in fact, we did nothing else, but make Mai Tais and hang out in our inflatables poolside! Apart from the pool, this place should most certainly NOT be called a resort.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) As you’re a stone’s throw away from Daytona Beach, arguably, one of the best beaches in the state, if not the country, you’ll want to hit one of these ‘drive-on’ white sand beach destinations – but get there early as spots fill up fast;(2) If you get tired of living off what’s in your cooler or cooking over an open fire and just want to venture out to try something local, I highly recommend Hidden Treasures Restaurant, just a 7 minute drive from Rose Bay, where I would suggest the Seafood Boil – simply amazing; (3) There’s pretty amazing go-karting and miniature golf right next to Rose Bay Resort; and (4) Learn how to make a wicked Mai Tai, find some inflatables and hang out at the pool to otherwise numb the reality of where you are at. 

Happy Camping!