Any advice for a home rental for 17 people?

[okstate_angel]

In the beginning of planning a 4 family trip (8 adults 9 kids) to Orlando for Oct 2013... thinking we've never stayed offsite and we're thinking of renting a large home with a pool... any advice on where to start?

Also when do you have to book by? 4 families trying to figure out vacation and school schedules makes for fun planning. We're a family of 3 so this is a bit more than the last 3 trips

 

[Alison]

We stayed at Windsor Hills last year and will stay there again this year. I would start by seeing if any of the larger homes there would meet your needs, but with that many people you may need to look for 2 homes side by side or nearby. 17 people is a lot even for a 6 bedroom home. www.windsorhillsrent.com is a good site for doing research / contacting owners.

I'd book as soon as you figure out the week you need - the sooner the better.

Good Luck!

 

[KateDinVA]

Check out VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner). We have used them for trips all across the country, from family reunion beach houses to mountain getaways for two. We used them to find the property we're staying at on our next Disney trip!

 

[powellrj]

We have use homeaway.com several times and have had good luck!

 

[Loveallthingsdisney]

There are some very large homes in Formosa Gardens, a few more lights down from Old Lake Wilson Rd. Check those out on vrbo or homeaway.

 

[Christine]

I almost exclusively use www.vrbo.com. Once you get the hang of the website, you can sort using various filters for # of bedrooms and the availability you are looking for. I know that when I was looking last month, I ran across some homes that had up to 15 bedrooms!!!

Seeing as you need such a large home (or you could do two smaller homes adjacent to each other), you will want to give yourself enough time to ensure that the house is not already rented. I would imagine that the larger homes that you will be needing aren't as plentiful.

I just did a spur of the moment trip. I got a house with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms with 1-week notice.

So start on VRBO and just get familiar with how the site works and see if you see anything you like.

Look for neighborhoods such as:
Windsor Hills
Windsor Palms
Indian Creek
Emerald Island
Terre Verde

There's more but I just can't think of them all.

 

[Loveallthingsdisney]

I agree with Christine--I've always had a good experience with vrbo, and I would suggest you book early as well.

 

[tednvon]

Good morning...first of all, I think you will have a great time renting a large home for the week. Second, we owned a 7 bedroom home in Emerald Island and rented it for several years before selling in 07, so we have a feel for both sides of the rental experience.
In all honesty, max occupancy BY LAW is 16 in a 7 bedroom. You can try to do the 17 but if a owner or management company finds out, the fine print on your contract allows immediate eviction with no refund. No different than trying to put too many people into a hotel room. You can probably get away with it, but there is a risk.

That said, there are a few 8 bedrooms around and you can find them on vrbo or through private companies like All Star. By owner us usually a better deal. 8 bedrooms should probably be locked up as soon as you are absolutely sure of the dates and folks going. It is very interesting that the homes that rent the quickest and have very high occupancy rates are the least expensive and the most expensive. One 9 bedroom in Formosa is booked almost solid and is 5-6K/week!

For that big a home and this huge a vacation I am assuming this is a very special trip for all of you and that the rental costs will be shared between families. If indeed this is a special trip and costs are shared, I would look for high end 8-9 bedroom home. Here a few I found quickly from both Management companies and owners. I have no financial interest in any of these. They are sure fun to look at cuz they are really nice!! I would try to get at least 6 baths so most of the adults have private ensuite baths...to me this is most important for a week of sanity together. Stay away from the 7 or 8 bedrooms with 4 baths...These are original 6 bedroom homes that have converted small area into bedrooms.

One other suggestion is to do side by side 4 bedroom homes...two pools, two kitchens...In October, slower season, You might find a good deal from a management company homes next to each other:
http://www.disney4villas.com/disney-villas-side-by-side/index.htm
http://www.orlando4villas.com/sidebyside.php

Have fun shopping!!! FYI the same home may pop up on different sites as owners may adverstise on many different sites as well as have a management company renting the home....Ted


http://www.discountvacationrentalsonline.com/orlando-private-homes/8-bedroom-fg8pw23/

http://www.discountvacationrentalsonline.com/orlando-private-homes/8-bedroom-fg8pw24/

http://www.vrbo.com/43286 (this is the 5-6K/week home...check out the availabiltity calendar!!)

http://www.vrbo.com/93876

http://www.vrbo.com/4733

http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com/res/estate-vacation-rentals.asp

 

[KayR]

Most 7 bedroom homes can accommodate 16 guests plus a couple of infants (defined as children aged 2 and under).

7 bedroom homes are limited to a few resort communities only. Emerald Island, Formosa Gardens, Terra Verde and Crescent Lakes are some of them (I am sure there are a couple of other communities, but I can't remember the names of them at the moment).

The two closes communities to WDW are Formosa Gardens and Emerald Island.

Formosa Gardens has some beautiful 7 bedroom homes, but they also are typically the most expensive 7 bedroom homes. Emerald Island has more 7 bedroom homes. There are 3 different 7 bedroom home models and for a large group, I would recommend the larger homes on the Enclave - they have more bathrooms and more space for large family groups.

Terra Verde is a bit further out, but by the same builders as Emerald Island.

Crescent Lakes is even further out. Not my personal choice of location (too far away from WDW for my liking), but some guests like it there. Homes are likely to be cheaper at Crescent Lakes.

Definitely book early.

-Kay