Rental Homes

[Bichon Barb]

Hello all. My husband and I are in the initial discussion phase of "Can we pull off a Disney vacation this February?". We'd love to stay in a Wilderness Home, but there are no deals for February. So I've started to look at vacation homes around the area. They look like a great deal. Has anyone ever stayed in one of these homes (or condos)? I'd love any advice on this subject.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

We recently spent the first two nights of our trip at holiday villas and we thought it was great. We got a rate of 84.00 per night plus tax. It was about 10 mins. from Disney.
We booked through www.lodging.com for that rate. Take a look at www.vacationvillas.com, but check with www.lodging.com before you book, assuming you like them.
We also got upgraded from a two to a three bedroom. I wish I had had more people with us. LOL

 

[marn913]

Hi! On my trip in 1999 we stayed in a rental home in Kissimmee. We were traveling with a friend and his brother who has cerebral palsy, so we needed the space and ammenities of a home. It was truely a great deal. The price was about $800/week for a three bedroom home with two full baths, washer/dryer, pool and all of the basic kitchen essentials. It was wonderful! If I ever travel with a group of friends or later on when we have a family, I will definitely condider a rental home. It was wonderful to be able to come "home" and not feel like you were in a rental. Also, it saved us a lot as opposed to getting three hotel rooms! Good luck!

 

[disneysteve]

We've rented single houses in Kissimmee, in a development called Lindfields on 192 West, 4 or 5 times in the past few years. I highly recommend it. The houses are beautiful, spacious and well equipped. There is no comparison to staying in a hotel and staying in a private home, especially if there are a bunch of you. Don't even think twice - if you are considering it, do it!

Steve

 

[Lucky4me]

You will love vacation homes. Try and find a newer house, less than two years old. They are the nicest. The older ones are nice too but we've heard some are well worn by use. We stayed in a neighborhood called Esprit. It was about 15 minutes from Disney down 192 and off 27. We loved it. We went with another couple and their two kids and our daughter. We all had our own rooms, it had a full kitchen, dining room, family room, a laundry room, and an enclosed pool. The best thing for me was the jacuzzi tub in our bath. I loved coming home from the parks and soaking away sore muscles. We went in off season and paid less that $100 a night.

My daughters also cracked up seeing a school bus pick up the kids next door. It was kind of strange with us being on vacation and all.

 

[BonnieA]

I've stayed in 3 different vacation homes. All were beautiful and convenient. You have room, privacy and quiet. I would rent one each time I go but when I go alone it doesn't make much sense.

 

[Debbie in Townsville]

I'm glad to hear everyone's positive comments. We booked one in February so we could take our elderly dog with us. We were going to rent an RV and stay at Ft Wilderness, but when DH's name made the list to go to Kuwait, I chickened out of doing the RV thing alone. I was thrilled to find a home that would let us take the dog.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Thanks for your great replies. I can't wait to go "house hunting" now. Usually when we go to Disney, it's only for a couple of nights. This time we'd like to do it right and stay a week. Our boys are at perfect ages. If we stay in a home, we can take our time and do one park a day, come home, take a dip in the pool, and have a nice leisurely dinner. We'll also have a rental car so we'll make my 9 year old happy and take him to Universal.

Now, I'll have to keep a lookout for cheap plane tickets.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Hi Gail. I just went on to lodging.com. All I see there are hotels. Am I missing something. Help :0)

There are nice homes on vacationvillas.com. Looks like $125 a night for a three bedroom with a pool.

Barb

 

[momto4obkids]

You might want to try looking on this website. There are TONS of homes! This is were we found the one we are renting this february. 4br 3ba for $664 total!!

http://www.vrbo.com/vrbo/flcentral.htm


HTH!
Amanda

 

[dwfanatic]

We have stayed at a vacation home and LOVE it!! We found this great home that we have now been to twice. It is so close to the parks- literally 5 minutes away!!! The web site is www.mickeyspahome.com . Kim and Bob, the owners, seem like family now, although I have never met them!!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Hi Barb,
Go to this link, http://orlando.lodging.com then go part way down the page until you see "exclusive rates", under that is a drop down menu click on it, and scroll down to holiday villas.
It is not the most user friendly site out there, but, the rates are pretty good and you don't get the cleaning fee if you book through lodging. The pool is a community pool, but, it was lovely. We stayed at Laguna Park.

 

[Tom'sdad]

The people I stayed with last June in a 3 bedroom Townhouse at Emerald Island Resort are offering February for $80 per night, (we asked but cannot now go) this is a really good rate for this place!!
Ben

 

[fredonna]

Bichon Barb,

Have you considered renting points from a DVC member? Although I don't disagree with the conveniences and luxuries a full home provides, DVC accomodations would probably provide all the luxuries you'd need and more. You wouldn't even need to drive to the parks -- just use Disney's free transportation!

See http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=29 for details!

 

[Bichon Barb]

Thanks for all the links! I'm looking forward to checking them out. So far, of all the places that have gotten back to me, we like Value Vacation Villas. For seven nights in a three bedroom villa, with own pool (and heat) and tax, I came up with about $800. They don't charge your credit card until you are there. If you don't show up, you are charged only one night.

Re: DVC points, I'm lost! I know different nights are worth different numbers of points. I also know that the going rate is $10 per point. When I used the calculator and plugged in 2/15 to 2/22, it came out to, I believe, 158 points for a wilderness home! If I could get a wilderness home for a reasonable rate, or even a one bedroom villa somewhere, I'd love it. We'd really like a home away from home so that we don't have to eat out three meals a day. I originally wanted to go this month 'cause Wilderness Homes were $139 a night. I'd love to learn how to get good deals with the DVC if you could explain it to me. I LOVE staying on property!

Thanks, Barb - debaunde@juno.com

 

[Bichon Barb]

Ben, I just checked out Emerald Isle. That IS a good deal. That would be $560 after tax. Although it would be nice to have your "own" pool, it costs about $25 a day extra to heat them. And it was very close to Disney?

1989 - Motorhome at FW
1990 - GF
1991 - Buena Vista Palace
1992 - PO
1993 - DL
1995 - CBR
1996 - DL
1998 - Motorhome at FW

UGH! It's been four years. I need a Disney fix!

 

[Tom'sdad]

Bichon Barb,
It is very close to Disney, the closest I have ever stayed apart from on-site, Animal Kingdom was a 3-4 minute drive. The pool is approx 75yds away from the home we stayed in, we have done pool homes and prefer a really nice community pool, we find it is nice to sit and chat to people around the pool with a beer, also the kids get to make freinds while we are there.
Ben

 

[Bichon Barb]

Ben, showed the site to hubby last night. He was gung ho. Loved the price too.

I think that is what is nice about a home away from home. You can come home from the parks, go for a swim, get in your comfies and have a nice cold beer or glass of wine before dinner. You can't really do that when you go to a restaurant with impatient kids. Now, if it were just my husband and myself, it would be a different story.

Barb

 

[MichelleC]

We're renting 2 homes from 1stfororlando.com at the end of the month (for 13 of us). So far the service has been super. The homes look nice and clean from the photos. Each 3br/2ba is about $600 for 7 nights (pool heat is extra). We'll report back on how things turn out.

 

[MichelleC]

Oh, yeah...each home has a screened in pool/patio, w/patio furniture. Also, the works as far as appliances. Washer and dryer are nice, since I have 3 small kids. I know nobody likes to do laundry on vacation, but it's good to have it if needed and I can pack less (yeah, right!!! LOL!!)