Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo

The Resort & Setting

Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo sits on River Ranch Blvd in River Ranch, a rural pocket of Polk County, Florida, roughly between Orlando and Lake Okeechobee. True to its name, the resort leans fully into a Western theme: accommodation ranges from cottages and lodge-style rooms to genuine teepees, and the grounds include an outdoor pool. With a 4.3/5 rating from well over 4,600 Google reviews, it's clearly a resort that delivers on its theme — guests consistently mention the ranch atmosphere and the novelty of the teepee stays. This isn't a high-rise condo resort; it's a working ranch property built around horses, campfires and wide-open Florida scrubland.

The Area & Things to Do

River Ranch is a genuine ranch community, and the resort itself is the main draw — its weekly rodeo is a well-known fixture, along with horseback riding, airboat rides on the surrounding waterways, and other countryside activities typical of inland central Florida. The setting is quiet and rural compared with the theme-park corridor further north, which suits owners and renters looking for a change of pace rather than a base for day trips to Orlando's attractions (though Orlando and its parks are within driving distance for those who want to combine both). Fishing, airboating and simply enjoying the ranch's open space are the main pastimes here.

Selling or Renting a Week Here

If you own a week at Westgate River Ranch and are ready to sell it on, BidMyTimeshare.com lets you list it as a private, owner-to-owner resale or rental: you set your own asking price, buyers and renters contact you directly through the platform, and we charge a one-time listing fee with 0% commission on the sale — unlike broker-assisted resales, there's no cut taken out of your price.

Before you list, it helps to understand how Westgate handles resales. According to Westgate, a transfer typically costs around $500 and takes 12 weeks or more to complete through a broker, so build that timeline into your plans if you're mid-sale. Westgate also holds a right of first refusal, meaning it can step in and match a resale deal before it's finalised — owners report this is used only occasionally, so it shouldn't normally stop a sale, but it's worth disclosing to a prospective buyer.

Resale buyers should also know that owners report a 60-day booking window for reservations on resale-acquired weeks (30 days on some deeds), compared with a longer window for original buyers, and an internal exchange fee of around $700 for resale owners against $169 for direct buyers. These are points worth being upfront about in your listing description, since they affect how a new owner will actually use the week. On the plus side, the resort's weeks are linked to both RCI and Interval International, so a resale buyer can still pursue an exchange, just potentially at the higher internal fee noted above.

Practical Notes

Anyone buying or renting should confirm current annual maintenance fees directly with Westgate or the seller before agreeing on a price, since these can change year to year and aren't fixed by the resale market. It's also worth asking the seller to confirm which unit type (teepee, cottage or lodge room) and which season or week number is attached to the deed, as this affects both value and how the week can be exchanged or rebooked.

Who Rents This Resort

Renters tend to be drawn to Westgate River Ranch specifically for its theme — families wanting a teepee stay, groups booking around the rodeo schedule, or couples looking for a short countryside break that's still within reach of Florida's main attractions. Clear, honest details on unit type, week dates and what's included (pool access, rodeo tickets, etc.) will help your listing stand out to the right renter.