Attention all UK vacation home users!

[SimonV]

My travel-writing colleague Paul Wade is looking to get a few recent quotes from people who have used vacation homes in Florida, and I'm thinking this is the best place for him to get them! Could I ask anyone who has stayed in a typical holiday home and found them good value to post a few comments here, with their permission for Paul to use them in any article he is writing? I will then direct him to this thread and I'm sure he will get all the responses he needs!!

Many thanks,

Simon

 

[snookhams]

We have used vacation homes now for 3 trips to Florida with a 4th this year, we love the freedom and space that we get,the fact that the kids can go to bed and we can relax in the family room or by the pool with a glass of wine etc. We also have a child who at the best of times is a difficult eater, so the option of me preparing at least some of the food and therefore making for less battles over food is certainly a plus for us. We have always stayed in the Indian Point area and love the seclusion but the fact that we can easily get to all the local ammenities and 2hr Walmart - nothing in the UK compares to it. We have never had a problem with cleanliness, linen etc the only 2 incidents that we had were both out of the owners control - the first we found 2 cockroaches in the family room, which the bug busting man came and dealt with immediatly and we have never seen another one, but as this was not a cleanliness issue its a climat issue and they were dealt with effectively and quickly, the 2nd problem was hurricane 'charley' last year, although the villa suffered no damage we did go with out power for 5 days and on this occasion the management company were of no help to us and we did not see them, infact could not even contact them directly on the phone, alwasy reached an answer phone and had to phone the owners in the UK, and then the management co. got in contact with us but still not helpful, now I know that this was unusual circumstances but they are there to be of assistance to us and we never saw him, needless to say we will not be using this villa again unless they change there management company.

 

[SEVANS2208]

Paul is welcome to use any of my comments, if he finds them useful!

We have stayed in a villa twice, both times through Virgin holidays. We have booked again next year but have done this independently as we wanted to be able to choose our location and also to make sure that the villa was a little more secluded than the one we had on our last trip.

Prior to using a villa it had only been myself and my husband going on holiday so it had been more cost effective for the 2 of us to stay in a hotel. However, once we had to start taking the kids (!!) a villa was a definite consideration. What finally convinced us was when my mother and my mother-in-law decided to come with us. This is when a villa really comes into its own. If there are a few of you going it is ideal - you each get seperate rooms so you can escape easily for a bit of peace and quiet away from the family - not always easy to do in a hotel unless you all have seperate rooms. It's also great that the kids can use the pool when they want to without having to fight for space, as can sometimes happen with hotel pools. As well as being cost effective accommodation for a group of people it can also bring the food cost down - we tended to eat one meal a day at the parks, or at a restaurant and the rest of the time we would eat at the house. We have always had accommocation that caters for catering!! Although I don't want to spend ages in the kitchen while I'm on holiday it's great (& cheap) to be able to do your own breakfasts, lunches, pizzas etc.

My one bit of advice would be to do your research on the type of accomodation you want (e.g. have all 3 bedrooms got double beds or do some have twins?, is the pool overlooked by neighbours?) and also the location (how far are you prepared to travel to get to the parks?).

We like the villas so much that we have booked another one for next year even though it's only 4 of us going then. We may spend a bit more on accommodation than we would if we stayed at a hotel but it's well worth it imho. btw - we have booked through Alexander holiday homes, as recommended in the Brits Guide.

Hope this helps!

 

[TraceyL]

We've stayed in a villa as part of an extended family group for the past two visits. Once booked through Expedia (never again as the management company moved offices without Expedia telling us and we were left stranded after a transatlantic flight and a long drive up from Miami) and last year booked through a private owner following a personal recommendation (we are booked to stay there again next year). We will never stay in a hotel again!

Seperate bedrooms, room to breath and most importantly - the pool! Ask my 8 & 4 year old daughters what the best bit about Florida was? The pool! get up in the morning - what do you want to do today girls? - Answer - the pool! Stay and watch the Disney parade or go back to the pool girls ? The pool!!

In a villa we feel more relaxed - always snacks to hand, get a takeout if the little one is tired, asleep or in the pool, cold beer/wine in the fridge with no worries how to open the bottle and we can go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes - no laundry mountain to face on our return

 

[allie5]

Since having our children, we have always used Vacation Homes in and around the WDW area.

Many people maybe "put off" staying in a house for their holidays, thinking that it will not feel so much like a restful stay, as it would in a hotel. Let me tell you that after one stay in any of the beautiful homes available will put you off even the glitziest hotel that Disney have to offer!

All the homes are huge (compared to an average UK house!), are bright, clean and airy. They come with every comfort of home and more! You can expect your own pool, often complete with hot tub, pool tables, BBQs, plus a master bedroom with a bed big enough to sleep the entire family! Kids are always excited about picking their own rooms when we arrive...many owners decorate some of the smaller bedrooms with Disney or Sea World themes.

My advice about choosing the right home for your stay, would be research, research, research. Most villa complexes are close to WDW, and you can find maps of all the complexes on the net. It is advisable to check that the home you choose comes complete with the items you need - for instance if you have babies or toddlers, check your home is supplied with a cot, high chair and stairgates. For families with older children, you may want a PS2, internet access or a pool table as high priorities!

From personal experience, we prefer to book direct with the owners, and all of the homes we have rented have been UK owned. We ask for references from previous guests and like to see a well made website or brochure.

The freedom of staying in a villa, for us, simply cant be beaten. The children can be put to bed whilst the adults stay up and watch TV or swim without disturbing them. Due to the size of the houses, you can share the costs with other members of your family or friends. This makes them far, far cheaper than most hotels you will find. For larger families, then I really dont see why you would want to stay for two weeks, cramped in a poky hotel room, when you can live in a luxury house for less!

When you factor in the savings you can make on food as well, then a Villa is a superb option for anyone looking to stay in the WDW area. We stock up with bottled water for the parks, plus beer, wine, kids cereal, milk, bread...none of which are pracitcal to keep in a tiny hotel fridge! We like to be able to fix a quick breakfast before going to the parks for an early start. Also, its nice to be able to prepare the children something other than "Chicken strips and fries" for their dinner!

The ONLY thing against the villas, is that you can be a 45 minute drive from the outer attractions on I-Drive like Universal and Wet & Wild. This doesnt bother our family, but it is the only critisism I have heard about staying in a villa.

 

[wicket2005]

I have stayed in two villas one in Kissimmee and the other in Orange County just off H 192. Both were good value for money, though the Orange County one was better situated because it was only 10 minutes from Disney.

The best thing about this type of accommodation is that you are living in a home from home which is far more relaxing than being cooked up in one room. The last villa we stayed in, in Orange County was beautiful with standard open planning living with two spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Normally it takes me a while to settle into a new bedroom but in this one I was straight to sleep as if it were my own bed. It was so peaceful. Mind you the night the tornado of February 1998 struck was anything but peaceful, I had not seen a storm like it before.

Villas definitely offer a luxurious standard of accommodation with plenty of space and tranquility. We found it was cheaper for us (2Ad 2 Ch) to just book flights and arrange our own private accommodation than to book into a hotel.

 

[martina857]

I have been travelling to Florida now for 15 years, at first we stayed in Disney hotels then offsite hotels. 5 years ago we discovered Condos and Villas and now with 2 children would not stay in hotels again albeit for for a short stay. Put simply a Villa or condo has everything we need for a self sufficient holiday with acres of space it really is as they say over the pond a "no brainer" My last 5 stays I have booked homes on www.daystarvillas.com and received invaluable advise about vacation homes from Elle at www.floridahomesandtravel.com

Martina Booth

 

[UKDEB]

The first couple of times we visited Orlando we booked package deals staying in hotels on International Drive. As our girls got older and we found that we didn't particularly relish the thought of spending 2 or 3 weeks with them in one hotel room, we progressed to villas. Since then we have stayed in 10 different homes in Kissimmee and the available facilities have become increasingly amazing - huge flat screen tvs, homes with two or more master suites (avoids conflict over who gets the best room when travelling with more than one family), hot tub jacuzzis, poolside tvs and bars, stereo systems which can be piped throughout the home (including outside) and even home cinemas rooms! As I type, I am sitting in the games room (pool table, foosball, PS2) of the villa we are currently renting, taking advantage of the free internet access.

For me, the benefits of staying in a villa are space, privacy, our own pool, not having to eat out at every meal, cost:quality ratio and the ability to do a daily wash (meaning we can pack light and take home a suitcase full of clean clothes). There is nothing I look forward to more after the flight from the UK than relaxing in the jacuzzi with a glass of wine. We usually stay around west US192 which is as close to the Walt Disney World parks as some of its onsite hotels.

Of course, there are a few downsides - we love the whole hotel experience and, in Orlando, there is the added benefit to be gained from staying onsite at Disney or Universal. There is a lot to be said for being able to stroll down to the bar for a drink and then on to dinner without needing to worry about driving or taxis. Getting a taxi from the parks to your villa isn't a problem as you can direct the driver, but we've been late for dinner several times when we've tried to do it the other way around. We've found that the best bet is to find a local private hire firm (the prices are about the same).

We like to stay in brand new properties - everything is immaculate and the facilities tend to be better. However, development on each sub-division can carry on for several years, so you can find yourself living on a building site. The development we are currently staying at is almost complete, but there is a property being built next door but one and the builders have been hammering from 7am - 7pm .

We like to book directly with the property owners: that way we can choose the precise home and see photos/ask questions. It's also cheaper than booking through an agent. With each visit our requirements become more specific. My list currently includes an unoverlooked pool, a pool deck which gets the sun most of the day, two (or more) master suites, games room, PC with internet access, top of the range furninshings, and a hot tub. By sheer chance, all those I have used are UK owned. I have never come across any which are not managed locally, but you do need to ask the question. Needless to say, some management companies are better than others, but we have never had any issues which haven't been resolved quickly. In our experience, the biggest single problem has been with pool pumps and heat - I think we've probably had some sort of hiccough in at least half the homes we've rented. Clearly you need to be willing to accept the inherent risks of a private transaction, but I actually derive more comfort from dealing with an individual, who invariably is renting you their cherished dream vacation home, than with a business. There is a website where you can check the registered owner of any given property, but I'm not sure what kind of protection it gives you.