First Time Vacation Home Rental

[Redwitch]

I've decided to take the plunge...

DD and I always stay on-site at a value. This trip (Dec '07) we are taking my parents (in their 70s.) I really think they will be more comfortable with real furniture to sit on, a full kitchen for breakfast and a quiet area away from the crowds. Not to mention the cost will be comparable to two value rooms!!!

So, I'm looking at All Star Vacation Homes. Deb at Allears has a link on her site and Frommers also gives them a positive rating. I searched and scanned this board - I found some of the communites listed and discussed, mostly favorable. Anyone have any thing to say about the company itself or about their communities before I book??

TIA

[MYDISNEYHOUSES]

I would recommend going with a site like VRBO, where you deal with the owner rather than a company that has to take their cut.

[CoralCayTownhome]

I would agree with MyDisneyHouses aswell - if you deal direct with the owner you know exactly which property you are getting.

Another site to try is www.homeaway.com

Tracey :goodvibes

[5mins2disney]

All Star is a very reputable company, and specialized in homes in the area / neighborhood most people recommend the most on this board, known as "Formosa Gardens". This includes the resort communities of Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Emerald Island, Formosa Gardens, and Indian Creek. These are the closest and most popular resort communities to stay in.

You can rent in these areas direct from the owners in addition to going through a mgmt company, generally for slightly less $$.

Here's a map to give you an idea of where we're talking about:

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm

If you go with All Star the question you will still have is which resort to stay in, they are a very well run and reputable MC though!

We are owners in Windsor Hills Resort and loved it there so much we bought a home there, you can see some pics of the resort and homes there on
www.windsorhillsrent.com (http://www.windsorhillsrent.com/cgi-bin/in.cgi?id=256) Or..as other posters have suggested, sites like VRBO, Homeaway, and others have listings on many of these same homes / communities in the area, good luck! The hardest part is picking the resort and the home you want to stay in, but you're absoutely right, all are going to be a MUCH better value for the $$ than a traditional hotel room, and much nicer.

[mungo]

I agree with this, All stars is a very reputable company, we have not used them, but we have friends that have.

You will pay more though for renting through a management company.

However if you are brave enough, book direct using a few reputable listing sites.

we always use one of the following

www.holidaylettings.co.uk

www.orlandoexclusivevillas.com

www.cyberrentals.com

www.thedibb.co.uk

[FLParadisevilla]

www.indiancreekflorida.com

[Sunrisedream]

Try www.orlandovillas.com - the owners of the site require homeowners to verify ownership every 6 months

[KayR]

I haven't used All Star, but he has a good reputation in the area. If you decide to go through a management company, you have chosen one of the good ones IMHO.

The resorts are all in the same Formosa area and all of them are good and have their own merits. Decide what you want from a home and a community and take it from there.

If you wanted to consider direct by owner here are other communities in the Formosa area (the same area covered by All Star);

Windsor Palms www.windsor-palms-florida-net
Emerald Island www.StayAtEmeraldIsland.com

[ClanHarrison]

Well we rented through All Star for our first (& only) trip Aug. 2005 (see my signature for the link to the home we stayed in...FABULOUS!). They were easy to work with and I liked the fact that they don't require a deposit to rent from them. Yes, they were expensive, but given the fact that we had NEVER been to the area we wanted to use a company, & not an individual, in case there were problems. Let me tell ya...it was worth every penny. The home was absolutely gorgeous...and CLEAN. I've been searching for another home, since that trip, to come close, with the same bed configuration, game room games & separate theatre room and I haven't YET. In fact, NOTHING I am seeing is pulling me away from THIS particular home, so we're renting it again for our next trip (Disney this time :woohoo: ) Aug. 2008.

We stayed in one of the newest communities in the Formosa area called Acadia Estates. In fact, there was still construction going on. Even the house next door to us was under construction, but we hear NO noise. I'm thinking those owners only had men work on their pool/spa that week we were there because there were renters (us) and didn't want to give us a bad experience. No other construction took place on that home for the week we were there. It was MUCH appreciate. Acadia Estates must be new because I don't EVER see anyone mention it on here.

All Star, while expensive, was worth EVERY penny. I KNOW we still paid much less than trying to stay on site at comparable accomodations @ Disney...& I haven't seen anything @ Disney that was comparable to these homes. I guess it's in a matter of how you look at & justify spending your money and what's important to you. Enjoy your vacation.

[Redwitch]

Thanks for all the information. I looked at VRBO - I guess it kind of scares me to rent without knowing who I am dealing with!!! What would you do if you get down there and NO HOUSE???? That is why I was leaning towards a reputable MC.

I guess I could search and try and find homes others here on the boards have rented. We could go with a two bedroom condo or three bedroom townhome. Obviously we want to be close to WDW. Other than that - internet would be nice - we have no major needs.

We are looking 12/14 - 22, so it just before the Christmas rush. If anyone has stayed in a smaller rental and been pleased with the service - please post a link. I figure a DIS reference is the best reference!

[Minnie]

Sent you a PM.

[CoralCayTownhome]

Taking the plunge and renting direct from an owner is very daunting I know. Before we bought our townhome on Coral Cay we rented direct and there is always that little question in the back of your mind until you set foot in the home.

If you do find a private rental you like just make sure you ask lots of questions and if you find out who their management company is you could always give them a call to confirm the owners are who they say they are.

Obviously I would be recommending Coral Cay but you will find lots of recommendations on the boards (along with lots of owners) so lets hope you find something :thumbsup2

Tracey :goodvibes

[Redwitch]

Thank you all for all your help! I've been looking at different sites and trying to find reviews on this board. Still overwhelmed!!!!

Anyone stay in a smaller place? Most of the reviews are for big homes. We need either a two or three bedroom. Anyone have a recommendation?? (Owners ;) feel free to post a link from someone that stayed at your place!) Searching is hard - I can't seem to find the right key words to use to pull up what I want.

Also, anyone know of any places that might have a walk-in shower with a bench? My mom cannot stand for long; she'll use her scooter for the parks.

[theparsons]

Thank you all for all your help! I've been looking at different sites and trying to find reviews on this board. Still overwhelmed!!!!

Anyone stay in a smaller place? Most of the reviews are for big homes. We need either a two or three bedroom. Anyone have a recommendation?? (Owners ;) feel free to post a link from someone that stayed at your place!) Searching is hard - I can't seem to find the right key words to use to pull up what I want.

Also, anyone know of any places that might have a walk-in shower with a bench? My mom cannot stand for long; she'll use her scooter for the parks.


I'm interested in a 2-3 bedroom as well, if anyone has recommendations, or if they own one, PM please! Thanks.
Jan

[Minnie]

Thank you all for all your help! I've been looking at different sites and trying to find reviews on this board. Still overwhelmed!!!!

Anyone stay in a smaller place? Most of the reviews are for big homes. We need either a two or three bedroom. Anyone have a recommendation?? (Owners ;) feel free to post a link from someone that stayed at your place!) Searching is hard - I can't seem to find the right key words to use to pull up what I want.

Also, anyone know of any places that might have a walk-in shower with a bench? My mom cannot stand for long; she'll use her scooter for the parks.

Just FYI - the PM I sent you earlier was for (2) 3bed/3bath townhouses. The owner uses the MC that is used by owners here on the Dis. Also, the downstair bath has a shower only. My mom used that bed/bath and enjoyed it. (I don't think it had a bench though).

Good luck with your search.

[Lisa BC]

Just FYI - the PM I sent you earlier was for (2) 3bed/3bath townhouses. The owner uses the MC that is used by owners here on the Dis. Also, the downstair bath has a shower only. My mom used that bed/bath and enjoyed it. (I don't think it had a bench though).

Good luck with your search.

I know that All Star has a home that is fully accessible, and may have a bench in the shower. But I think you may be hard pressed to find something like that in a single owner rental. You can check to see if you can rent one from a local medical equipment company in the area... like Walker Mobility. The other option is to go with a timeshare oriented development that is more likely to have accessible units.

As an fyi, my folks had an accessible studio at OKW, and it had a lovely roll-in shower, but no bench. If your mom doens't "plunk" as she sits down, you could just purchase one of the inexpensive plastic yard chairs and set it in the shower. They usually cost $5-8 and you could just toss it before you leave. Not every walk in shower will have a hand held unit in it....so pack one from home if you have one.

Good luck!

Lisa

[CoralCayTownhome]

Thank you all for all your help! I've been looking at different sites and trying to find reviews on this board. Still overwhelmed!!!!

Anyone stay in a smaller place? Most of the reviews are for big homes. We need either a two or three bedroom. Anyone have a recommendation?? (Owners ;) feel free to post a link from someone that stayed at your place!) Searching is hard - I can't seem to find the right key words to use to pull up what I want.

Also, anyone know of any places that might have a walk-in shower with a bench? My mom cannot stand for long; she'll use her scooter for the parks.


Coral Cay is all townhomes - either 3 or 4 bedrooms :goodvibes

[Atotty]

I was nervous about renting a house our first time offsite. We rented from romancingthemouse.com in June and it was wonderful. Holly and Mark treat you like guests and not just "rentors".

The house was gorgeous with lots of extras. Feel free to ask me any particlars. Their website shows very detailed pictures.

:)

[Donald789]

Hello Redwitch,

As i can suggest u to check the website springvacationrentals.com, which list many properties displayed from which u can choose and as on our previous visit we have been booked a condo through this site and we had a good time during our stay and i would like to suggest u to check the website hope that would think about. Have a pleasent stay...:banana:

[deejay-55]

If you want to stay at Windsor Hills and book direct with owner then check out the owners' site at www.windsorhillsrent.com
If you prefer the "comfort factor" of booking thru an agent - many folks do - then AllStar is a reputable company, another one in the area is Global.

[lisaland]

I need a 6br house for 14 people (or two adjacent condos). How far in advance do I need to book them?

Lisa

[7165red]

We rented last yr. and are doing so again this year. We went to orlandovillas.com. The villa was exactly like the photos and we loved the room and the pvt. pool.The owners were very nice caled uswhen we arrived and before departure.

[KayR]

I need a 6br house for 14 people (or two adjacent condos). How far in advance do I need to book them?

Lisa

It really depends if you have any specific wants or needs or what time of year you are planning to visit.

If you are flexible in what you want/need and your travel dates ( or you are traveling at a quieter time of year), you can afford to wait. If you know you want something specific or what peak dates, you may want to reserve as soon as you can. Then you can relax a bit :-)

Kay