airbnb

[jluffman]

My family of 11 is planning a trip for March 2020. We are paying for everyone so we want budget friendly. We already have park tickets and plan to rent a 5 bedroom house with a pool. I have looked at many travel sites (vrbo, redweek, expedia, etc.) But the best deals I am seeing is on airbnb. I am only considering those with at least 5 good reviews. I almost booked one but then worried that I haven't seen many people on this board recommend Airbnb and wondered if there was a reason why. I know sometimes Airbnb is illegal (The French Quarter in New Orleans is an example) and just wanted to get your thoughts. If any of you have stayed at a 5 bedroom with a pool using Airbnb and could make a recommendation please do.

 

[lorenae]

No specific recommendations - but airbnb is legal, and if you're going in March it seems a long way away, but many places will already be booked as it's spring break/peak season. I own a home in FL, and many of my friends rent their places and March is their biggest month.

A few of us have places on the Gulf, so we also have a good season in August for scallop season, but not like March!

If you find something affordable that fits your family and dates, check the cancellation policies and consider booking something.

 

[ParkHopperFan]

The negative aspect of AirBNB and VRBO is that they tack on ridiculous fees which are counterintuitive to being budget friendly. If you find a spot that you like, try to contact the owner and book direct to bypass the fees. We always stay at Windsor Hills and book directly with owners. They have an owner run site at www.welcometowindsorhills.com. I would think that many of the communities have something like this.

 

[jluffman]

I actually looked at the welcometowindsorhills.com website last week but was afraid to use it because there don't seem to be anyway for people to leave reviews. You just hear so much about scams nowadays that it makes me not trust many things out there.

 

[2Gma]

I have used airbnb twice and VRBO-too many times to count. At least 6 times in Orlando alone but all over the US for vacations. All of our experiences have been positive with rental process, paying & deposit refunds, house condition, etc. but we are careful who we book with. We look for a place that has good pictures, quality reviews, good communication from owner. If any of these is missing we don't book. Sometimes we also try to cross reference the residence/area with a google search of the housing complex or other internet sources. We love staying offsite for the extra space and being able to cook some meals. The thing you have to consider when comparing sites is the extra fees, make sure you do a price quote instead of just looking at straight per night fee.

What is your price range? March is definitely pricer than other times in Orlando but if you start looking now you will probably find something that meets you needs/budget.

 

[jluffman]

We would like to keep it below $2200 if possible

 

[MarcIsMe]

I generally use AirBnB for city stays of 3 nights or longer and have never had an issue. As a previous member posted, read reviews carefully, study pictures, read the bed descriptions, know the host's cancellation policy and factor the additional costs tab in to the total price. Many stays also allow you to pay half up front and half later.

 

[mjhtvchick]

I haven't used airbnb, but have used VRBO/Homeaway several times with no issues.

 

[lorenae]

I’ve used all of them, and have friends that rent on those sites. Everything is spelled out with the costs, access, etc with the owners, and it’s been a safe way to us to rent both short term and long term (like 3+ months!).

 

[takemethere]

We have used airbnb and vrbo at least dozen times (never for Disney though) never had a bad experience, except that the host in Paris left me a bad review and we couldn't figure out why? if you are on facebook, there's a group called "women who travel" and lots of airbnb travel reports. Main thing is to look for a superhost with great reviews.

 

[EveDallas]

I booked a house with airbnb for out December trip. Never used them before but I reviewed houses like crazy and kept coming back to this one. A 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a pool for a week couldn't be beat.

 

[katherine52478]

Have you looked at the Reunion Resort website? My friend has a large family (18-20 people) and they always rent a house through them. I went to the site and they have gorgeous properties with pools for under $2000 for a week in March plus all the amenities of the resort itself. Might be worth a look!

 

[bearzabout]

Owners will sometimes use more than one site to list their properties. I have noticed that the total cost in the listing on Airbnb is usually a bit cheaper than VRBO or home away for the same property.

I book Airbnb often. The biggest problem I have had is because of my pet allergy. Some listings do not make it obvious that pets have been in the property. Ask the homeowner any questions you may have first before booking. The cleaning fees, taxes, weekend surcharges and 13% Airbnb fees add up fast, so review all details of the listing thoroughly.

Also look closely at the cancellation policy for each property. They can be flexible to very strict, meaning you loose 100% of the cost if your plans change and you don’t show. I tend to stay away from places with a strict cancellation policy.

 

[jluffman]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Feberin]

I trust Airbnb. We used them recently and showed up to find a funky smell to the hot tub and the water looked gross. There were a few other minor issues but overall the place was nice. After the owner didn't respond to multiple messages my husband called them and they offered to move us to a new listing however we didn't think that was necessary. In thr end they got us in touch with the owner by phone and the hot tub was drained and cleaned. I'm sure if you showed up and the place was horrible they would move you somewhere else.

 

[mamaofsix]

I think more important for you right now is to decide which resort community you want to rent your house in. Once you've narrowed that down, then think about what vacation rental site to use. As a poster above, we always stay at Windsor Hills. It is so close to Disney and has amazing (large) pool homes. Not to mention incredible resort ammenities. We have always used "HomeAway" for renting there with zero issues (Euro version of VRBO).

 

[shocker]

The thing you have to consider when comparing sites is the extra fees, make sure you do a price quote instead of just looking at straight per night fee.

Could you explain this a bit more? I've never booked ABNB but have looked at 2 recently in small towns that don't have hotels. I travel for work, this is not my bill & I'm not on a budget. When I look at a listing it shows the price per night then it showed 2 more line items for fees & such for a total per night. Are you saying there are more fees beyond those?

 

[Penmac]

We booked a 4 bedroom home for our last Disney vacation. Rather than book through Airbnb or VRBO, I went directly through the official rental site for the community we stayed in. The added fees were not as steep, and it gave me peace of mind to book through the official rental site. Don't get me wrong, we have successfully used Airbnb and VRBO many times, but I loved saving a few bucks on the fees in this particular situation.

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

I've used a company called "Closest To Disney". Their office is located on 192 in Kissimmee and feature multiple properties in the Windsor HIlls area and other surrounding neighborhoods. I found a 3 bedroom unit that I was able to rent out for the week for $715 after taxes. This was hundreds less than what Airbnb was charging for the same unit because not only were they charging the the service fees but they were also charging a cleaning fee. The owners of the condo waived the cleaning fee since we were staying 7 nights or more. Highly recommend them. Not sure if it was just the particular unit I was in or if all the owners who have properties listed on the "Closest To Disney" site waive the cleaning fee if staying 7 nights or longer.

 

[DkCreative]

There are many travel websites out there and each can offer great deals if you look hard enough. Our two favorites for big family trips are Airbnb or VRBO.

The main difference is VRBO can only offer full home rentals (no homeowners living in part of the property) which makes it more expensive and fewer options since not everyone can afford to own two properties. Airbnb, on the other hand, offers entire places, private rooms, and shared rooms.

My wife and I have traveled using both. Don't get me wrong, both platforms are amazing for certain aspects. We found VRBO was great for secluded or more expensive locations where Airbnb is not. Airbnb is also everywhere.