Considering renting a house

[debbie655]

We've been to Disney many many times but have always stayed in hotels or timeshares. We were planning a stay at the Royal Pacific Resort but it looks like their rates have skyrocketed this year and we are a large family needing two rooms. It looks like a rental house may be the way to go for us. I was wondering if those that have rented before could recommend a few nice communities that are fairly close to Disney. I have checked out some websites- vbro.com, closesttodisney.com., etc., but it is still so confusing with all the different communites available. Thanks!

 

[abbysmom]

You can try allstarvacationhomes.com, have never personally used them ,but they say they have homes within 3 miles of disney.

Hope that helps!

 

[kilee]

we rented off orlandovillas.com they have a large selections. Picking the house can be very time consuming, but a lot of fun as well. When we went w/ family 10/03 we rented one and really enjoyed the comfort and ease of it. It was great to have that much space and our own pool.

 

[JANNYANS]

Most of the communities will be within 15-20 mins of the park as that is the area they need to be to rent successfully .Don't dismiss those that may seem too far away as you can wait for a Disney bus for 20 mins plus so you can be at your chosen home in an almost equal time.

 

[debden]

We also used to stay in hotels on site but just last year my sister and her family wanted to come with us but could not afford the prices for an onsite hotel..So we decided to rent a big 5 bed/4 bath home in Hampton Lakes last December and we loved it!
We will never go back to staying in a hotel room again! We had a big pool and jacuzzi all to our selves! It was great.You will really be happy about choosing a vacation home! And it's fun looking at all the different homes to choose from too!
Good Luck,Debbie

 

[Tinkerbrooks]

Florida Villa
Hey guys, don't know if this is the right place to post this, but, here it goes: In 2003 , i had put a $250.00 security deposit down on a 4- Bdrm, 3- Bath house, we had to cancel, so i called the guy and explained why, of course there is no refunds on this, so he e-mailed me back and said my deposit would still be good for the near future if i still wanted to stay, and if not i could let Friends or Family use the deposit for their stay. Well we are going to WDW in Dec., but we have always stayed at resort, too much of a hassle driving, especially w/ 2- families, so we are not going to use the house.
I think it was only like $700.00 FOR SEVEN NIGHT STAY, IT MAY DEPEND ON WHAT MONTH THOUGH. Our date was for end of May, i think, (it has been awhile since Ressies), anyway if anyone is interested in this, I will let you have my deposit, all you will have to do is be the first to e-mail me, and i will give you rest of the info.I do not want anything in return, so hate to see that money go down the drain.Just enjoy, and have tons of fun.
You can get info about the house by going to this site:

www.amazingdays.org


This is a post from earlier this month that my Mom put up under the heading Florida Villa by nana2tots. From what we understand this house is very nice but we have decided to stay onsite at POP this year. Last year we made the ressies and were unable to make the trip. Take a look and if you are interested let her know.

 

[kaylajr]

We did the time share thing the first trip and it was okay

the second trip we rented ahouse and eventhough we hada few problems with the management company it was still the way to go it was GREAT having our own bedrooms and a full kitchen but best of all was the POOL not having to share was great for the kids

so we decided that is the way to do WDW is a house

this year we are going back the begining of Oct and are renting a house form a very nice person right here on the boards and we can't wait

my MIL and nephew are joining us so a 5 bedroom house will give us all the space we need

when i am house hunting vrbo is normally my fave site but this year i got lucky and didn't have to hunt for the perfect one

and even if the house you pick is 15 or 20 minutes from WDW you still have most on prperty transportation beat

Have a great time

 

[JANNYANS]

kayla so pleased you're


:happy2:

 

[disneysteve]

Renting a house is definitely a great way to do Disney. We've done it numerous times and it is far better than any hotel on or offsite.

As for location, we have personally stayed in Windsor Palms and in Lindfields. The former is closer and newer and more of a resort feel as it is a gated community with a clubhouse, community pool (in addition to the private pool the houses have). Lindfields is older and a bit farther down 192 though still only a short drive from Disney. It has more of a residential feel as quite a few of the homes are owner occupied year round.

Plenty of other great developments along 192 and Formosa Gardens Road.

 

[Lisa AF]

We always rent from VRBO but here is a map that helps with locations. http://www.orlandovillas.com/map.asp

 

[UKDEB]

We have stayed in rental homes many times and I can't imagine wanting to do it any other way. A pool and jacuzzi to ourselves, washing facilities so we don't have to bring too many clothes or spend hours of our vacation time waiting at the hotel laundry, a kitchen (although we love eating out, it's nice to be able to have some 'time off' ), we don't have to share a room with our teens...you get the picture! In fact, we get the best of both worlds by renting a home for the duration of our stay and then taking a couple of nights out to stay onsite, which these days tends to mean Universal rather than Disney. We've managed to get good Annual Passholder discounts again for PBH this year.

We have stayed in the area around Splendid China which is the closest to Disney property (about 5 minutes to AK using the Sherberth Road shortcut), east US192 at Poinciana Blvd (which, although a bit further, we didn't feel it made a great deal of difference) and out on the US27. Communities here stretch north and south of the 192 and vary considerably in distance from Disney. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again if I found the perfect villa, but if being close to Disney is a priority for you, then you should probably discount it. The Disney Transportation point is a valid one. And they tend to be cheaper.

As you have discovered, there are a huge number of communities, with more springing up all the time. What are your requirements? Clean, functional and low cost? Upscale and new? Pool? Jacuzzi? Closest to Disney?

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Winsdor Palms! Its incredible there, they have a club house with a pool, movie theatre, you have your own pool and the homes are GORGEOUS. We did go there when we came down with a lot of family (had 13 people) and rented a 6 bedroom but they do have smaller homes. The place is phenomenal! Highly recommend it. Its also close to everything.

 

[brich]

We have no desire to stay on Disney property after renting a house. We always stayed on the property and wouldn't have it any other way until our last trip when the number of people going grew to 6 adults and 2 kids. We stayed in Formosa Gardens which, I kid you not, is no more than 5 minutes from AK. The home was immaculate, the management company beyond helpful. I have recommended this house to everyone and anyone. Every couple had their own rooms and bathrooms. The kitchen was a joy for breakfast BEFORE heading out for the day. Left overs from dinner made great snacks. Cold drinks and snacks at grocery store prices. Hey, with a washer and dryer, we packed half as much stuff, did a mid week load of wash and cut back on what we had to bring. With a 2yr old and a 5yr old, the washer and dryer was a huge bonus. Our own pool (no poo problems), Our own hot tub. No crowds. Just a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. We had tons more energy for the parks each day. We're going back again in December. No hesitation, staying in a different (bigger, why not) house but same owners. I cannot recommend this house highly enough. Ultra clean. Ultra convenient. Ultra affordable. We split the cost by 3 couples, about $55 a couple a night for all this? No question, we'll continue doing this... Highly recommend.
http://www.vrbo.com/6012

 

[debbie655]

Well this is truly mind boggling! I have been searching for days through all the different websites and it seems like every time I find a home that I like, it is booked for our week (Aug 13-21). I have been looking at Windsor Palms because I know that it is fairly new (I think),close to Disney and has lots of ammenities, but I have also looked at Formasa Gardens, Indian Creek and Emerald Isle. I don't have any problem driving a bit more and neither does my husband so if anyone has any recommendations a bit further from Disney, I will take them. We are looking for a newer community, doesn't have to be luxurious though. I would appreciate any help, this is a lot tougher than I thought..LOL.

 

[UKDEB]

brich,

We've stayed at that villa too! Are you staying at #6993 next time? We've stayed there too and it's even better - the pool is probably the best of all the villas we've rented. Have you got more photos than those on the VRBO website? If not, I can email you some. This time we're staying in an identical one on FG owned by different people - Diamond Villa. In January we a stayed at their Emerald Villa (same website/owners).

Debbie,

We had a nose around a couple of the newer developments on the US27 when we were there in January. We liked Tuscan Ridge and Vista Park. Check out FRbVO for an idea of what's available.

 

[kilee]

The biggest drawback to renting the pool homes is-- you REALLY, REALLY won't want to go home!!! I didn't want to leave that gorgeous home to come back to my mere 1500 sq ft in the middle of remodeling house!! LOL .

 

[Tinkerbrooks]

Just a note to let everyone know that the offer for the rental deposit has been taken.

 

[brich]

Hey UKDeb,
I had a hunch someone would say they stayed there. We had such a pefect experience we decided to go with the same owners. We're trying the bigger house this go around just...because. Why not. The pool does look great. I have a couple more pics that they sent us. If you have some you want to share, would love to see them. We also decided to add a few more days to the trip so we can enjoy the house and pool. I don't think I could ever enjoy another Disney trip without having my own pool and jacuzzi to relax in at the end of a long day.
~Brian
brich

 

[Doodlebug939]

My sisters family and mine are renting a home in Windsor Palms in November this year. I was really worried because the owner was from the UK. Ok nobody take offence !!!! I just wasnt sure about the money issues and transfering money and such. But let me tell you the owners that we chose are wonderful and are real professionals. They have done an excellent job of walking us through the process in a way that we are all comfortable.

Now I just cant wait to stay there. It looks like a wonderful home and wonderful community.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Doodlebug939
My sisters family and mine are renting a home in Windsor Palms in November this year. I was really worried because the owner was from the UK.

For various reasons which our UK friends can explain better than I, a large percentage of WDW area rental homes are owned by UK residents. They are generally wonderful to deal with. Payment issues are no problem. So have no worries and enjoy your stay. We stayed in Windsor Palms in November and it was terrific.