Florida's rental vacation homes....

[hollyb]

Thanks being from NJ we are use to traffic and traffic back ups. This sounds like a dream for us. LOL

 

[Brian Noble]

Our first stay was in Glenbrook. Perfectly pleasant place, and (except for one large accident on 192 that delayed us *significantly*), an easy drive. It wasn't as short as it can be though. I'd say 10-15 minutes (depending) to Sherbeth Rd, and another 5-10 to most destinations within the World. Our second stay was in Windsor Hills. More expensive, smaller, but closer---no parking lot was more than 12 minutes away, and most were under 10.

Now I tend to focus my search to the arc from Lindfields to Indian Ridge. We come back for breaks mid-day, so an extra 10 minutes matters to us. If you don't come and go, staying farther out can save you quite a bit. It all depends on what you are looking for.

 

[RachaelRol]

We're renting one for the first time. Its [www.villaprincessflorida.com. We paid 1175 for seven nights. There are 12 of us going. I'm excited and a little nervous. Its our fourth trip for DH and I, but our first offsite and with the my family...

The couple is very nice too.

Edited to correct URL.

 

[daystar]

Last time my family went to disney we stayed on property, now my family wants to experience the outside of disney but still keep disney in our vacation plans..After checking out some of these web sites that were suggested i think i'm pretty much sold..
I was talking to my sister about these vacation houses now her family would like to go..Has anyone ever shared a vacation home with relatives???Is the price fixed on family or just the week..Most of the rates i have looked at have been rated for the week..My sister thought if we rent a large house we could all stay together..
Also she is a clean freak how clean are these places..She hates staying at hotels because she finds them dirty or something to complain about..Has anyone ever stayed at one at Christmas???Thanks for all your help

 

[chip91]

"I was talking to my sister about these vacation houses now her family would like to go..Has anyone ever shared a vacation home with relatives???Is the price fixed on family or just the week..Most of the rates i have looked at have been rated for the week..My sister thought if we rent a large house we could all stay together..
Also she is a clean freak how clean are these places..She hates staying at hotels because she finds them dirty or something to complain about"

I have stayed in a rental home with family..My parents, sister, bil, dn, & grandma stayed with my family.. We had a 5 br 3.5 ba, and it was GREAT to have my own room to "get-away" from them, but also great to have others help with my kids, sit by the pool with, etc.. And couldn't go wrong on the cost, it cost my dh & I 325.00 for a week, included our share of pool heat & bbq grill..Couldn't go wrong on eating quick breakfasts there (cheap too) we made eggs & pancackes most days.. mid day break for us was hectic so we only did it 1x, stayed in the Sunset Lakes community and the longest it took us was about 30 minutes to get to the ticket gates of MK, 10 minutes to AK ticket gate, probably 15-20 for Epcot & MGM, this was 1st week of October & to me traffic was nuts, but I come from Po-dunk town, USA. population about 500 with no stop and go lights in my town!

Good luck!
Chip

 

[Time4Orlando]

You can also try this website:

www.DoOrlando.com

They have vacation homes on sale currently.

 

[minnie29uk]

You can also try this website:

www.DoOrlando.com

They have vacation homes on sale currently.

For sale or for rent?

Lynn

 

[crjack]

Last time my family went to disney we stayed on property, now my family wants to experience the outside of disney but still keep disney in our vacation plans..After checking out some of these web sites that were suggested i think i'm pretty much sold..
I was talking to my sister about these vacation houses now her family would like to go..Has anyone ever shared a vacation home with relatives???Is the price fixed on family or just the week..Most of the rates i have looked at have been rated for the week..My sister thought if we rent a large house we could all stay together..
Also she is a clean freak how clean are these places..She hates staying at hotels because she finds them dirty or something to complain about..Has anyone ever stayed at one at Christmas???Thanks for all your help

Every time we have rented a pool home we have shared it with family members. We're only a family of four so typically for just us we rent a condo.

The price per week is the total price - not per family so they truly are a terrific value when you share the cost.

For us the key points when sharing a home is the size and bed configuration. We make sure we have plenty of king/queen/twin beds to accomodate everyone. We have only shared with one other family at a time so typically we get two master suites and then bedrooms for the kids, which is never difficult to find. Our kids actually like sharing a room with friends or cousins so that part is easy. As long as the adults all have their own bed & bath to retreat to we're good.

The two homes we have rented previously were very clean when we arrived. Most homes are cleaned prior to your arrival and again when you leave.

We really like sharing a pool home. Our kids enjoy having other children there and the extra space keeps us from getting on top of each other. You have to gauge your compatibility though with the family and traveling habits of course but financially you can't go wrong.

Good luck.

 

[MickeyP]

We are renting for the first time too. I happen to think our family of 6 will be happier in a whole house with a pool, hottub, gameroom, big-screen tv, motor-scooters, etc. I feel like Disney brainwashed me into thinking staying onsite is the only way to enjoy Disney. I couldn't fit 6 people into one of their rooms, even if 2 are babies. PLUS, try this on for size......130.00 /night!!!
And, now we can go to Universal, Seaworld, Capone's, Dixie Stampede, Outtacontrol Wonderworks, Chocolate Night, etc. Can't wait!!!!

 

[daystar]

Is there a security fee that you pay on top of your weekly rate??Also the screen rooms in the backyards are they for the bugs, i don't want to sound dumb but i've notice them in all the Florida's houses and where i come from we don't have them..Thanks again

 

[isla bonita]

Daystar

The screened in enclosure is for bugs and any other creepy crwleys. We have a pool in our rental home and we can enjoy our pool 24-7. Our pool in RI does not have this feture and when dusk rolls around it rots being out side watching the kids.

I am also hoping it keeps big creepy crawlers out such as gator. They have said there is one in EI and I am sure there is were there is water there is potential for gators. Just hoping not in my pool area. So far so good. LOL

 

[Hasil72]

Good morning!

I would definitely recommend renting a home in the I-192 area around MM4-5. It was only a ten minute drive to Disney. We had themed kids rooms, spa tubs, game rooms, the list goes on, for less than most WDW hotel rooms. If you look at some of the maps, you are about the same distance as the AKL or ASR.

There are some really great rental companies but you will find that they charge a little more than booking directly from the owner. The tradeoff is that they don't charge the refundable $500 security deposit when you make your final payment and they ask for final payment 30 days prior rather than 60 or 90 days. One company, www.allstarvacationhomes.com runs specials that include spa heat and a rental car. They also offer a lot of information about that area of homes. Most agencies offer virtual tours of the specific property that you want. A great individual site is www.VRBO.com. Enter Kissimmee as the city you're looking for and it will sort the homes by development.

We have stayed in several in several homes in that area. Some developments are Oak Island Cove, Oak Island Harbour, Formosa Gardens, Windsor Hills & Windsor Palms, Rolling Hills, and Emerald Island. One thing to warn you about is that with the exception of Formosa Gardens, there's not much space in between properties.

It was fabulous to be able to have the room to move, let the kids run around and play, swim, etc. We could relax at night out on the lanai while the kids were in bed because the home had baby monitors and all sorts of gear that we didn't need to pack. They have both Super Target and Super Walmart to save on snacks & meals. We froze juice boxes and water bottles for the parks.

We traveled last year with the grandparents as well as my younger brother and his girlfriend. Having the house worked out well. Everyone had their own space (and bathroom,TV, etc) and could come and go as they pleased. I used to stay on site only until we began renting homes. Now we're planning our next trip and I'm really torn.

If you need any info, email me and I'll be happy to share. DH says I'm full of obscure planning knowledge.

Have a great time!

 

[MickeyP]

This is where I'm staying............someday.

www.vrbo.com/37077

 

[Hasil72]

This is where I'm staying............someday.

www.vrbo.com/37077

Isn't that the best!! So far, it's a little out of my budget but I keep hoping. Just be make sure to check out the owner's site, they have the prices listed for the next three years and they're a little different than what's listed on VRBO.

 

[daystar]

This is where I'm staying............someday.

www.vrbo.com/37077

That's house is beautiful...I would love to rent that house but i don't think my sister would go for the price...

 

[llchart]

My husband's family lives in Orlando. For 17 years we've been going to Orlando. It wasn't so bad when it was just he and I, but now that we have three kids. Our requirements changed... Let me paint a picture...

First Child... We would stay in a hotel. We typically ended up hiding in the bathroom because our son would not go to sleep when he could see us... Doesn't that sound like fun? UGH!

Second Child... We stayed in suites. Hey, at least there were two room and we had a sofa. The problem was that my husband and I did not get to share a bed, as we had to separate the two children. Each of us took one child. Of course, I had the one that wiggled the entire night. UGH!

Third Child... Rented a Condo. Still not enough beds for all, but at least there was a sofa for the one acting up. I absolutely HATED going to pool though. It would take the kids 15 minutes to get ready, another 15 minutes to get to the pool, rarely ever found a free lounge chair, then another 15 minutes back to the unit. I use to dread, "Mommy, can we go swimming."

No forth, but older and wiser... About 5 years ago, we rented a home. This was paradise compared to everything else. Full Kitchens, pool just a few feet away, garage, toys and more...

In google, type "Disney Homes Online" and you will get a bunch of sites that home rentals.

The one thing I do suggest is making sure that there are comments in their guestbooks. I wouldn't trust a home that doesn't have any comments.

I have also found that not all homes are created equal. If a home is giving you a "great deal", I would be leary. I would also rent straight from a homeowner and not the rental company. I've had friends that have "booked" one home through a management company only to arrive and be given the keys to another.

A 4 Bedroom should run between $100-$120 on average.

Oh, the other bit of information... Most rental homes "advertise" the distance or drive time to Disney World... Just to set things straight. Most of the vacation rentals are 5-15 minutes to the Disney exit off of Hwy 192 and most of the homes are near the intersection of Hwy 27/Hwy 192.

Keep in mind that reguardless of where you are staying (even onsite) that it could take another 1-15 minutes to get to the parks. 3 of the 4 Disney parks are close to Hwy 192 which is perfect for all the vacation rentals. Magic Kingdom is the furthest away and Downtown Disney is sort of in the middle. So pick the home that best suites your families interests, needs and price.

Enjoy!

 

[sames1]

I've stayed in several vacation homes before I bought one myself.

After being in cramped hotel rooms with my family, a home is a breath of fresh air There is so much room, and private bedrooms, and most important, more than one bathroom.

It's worth staying at a Disney resort a few times. They are really themed well and it's an experience. Once that wears off however, there is nothing like going back to a real home.

When I was renting I found the most frustrating thing is in booking the home. You have to find a vacation site, then find the home that fits, and fire off messages to various owners to find availability. Each owner has a different set of rules too.

It's not like booking the Marriott where you simply can get a room anytime because they have hundreds of them. Even if you have a favorite home and have used it several times, it might be booked the next time you want to go there.

Other than that, staying in a vacation home is so much superior to a hotel I don't know why everyone doesn't do it. It can also be cheaper. A Disney Luxury resort is $300 to $500 a night. A vacation home is $100 to $200 a night and can sleep more guests with lots more room and a private pool.

Try it out. I think you'll like it.

 

[sames1]

Oh, the other bit of information... Most rental homes "advertise" the distance or drive time to Disney World... Just to set things straight. Most of the vacation rentals are 5-15 minutes to the Disney exit off of Hwy 192 and most of the homes are near the intersection of Hwy 27/Hwy 192.

Keep in mind that reguardless of where you are staying (even onsite) that it could take another 1-15 minutes to get to the parks. 3 of the 4 Disney parks are close to Hwy 192 which is perfect for all the vacation rentals. Magic Kingdom is the furthest away and Downtown Disney is sort of in the middle. So pick the home that best suites your families interests, needs and price.

Enjoy!

True. I advertise 4 miles to Disney, which is true, sort of. It's 4 miles to Disney property, but depending on the park , Magic Kingdom, MGM, EPCOT, or Animal Kingdom, or the water parks it could be several more miles. Disney is huge.

Another thing that people don't consider is the after parade and after fireworks traffic. It might be 10 minutes to the home normally, but when everyone is leaving Disney World and 192 jams up it could be 45 minute to an hour to get home.

 

[daystar]

All the surrounding houses around the house rental are they rentals as well??? Most of these houses are in a gated community, is that correct??How far in advance do you put a deposit down for a house???Where is ST.Clouds is that close to wdw???THanks

 

[JANNYANS]

Some communities are a mixture of residential and str homes a lot of the new communities are nearly all str where as some of the more esatblished ones have residents.Most of the communities are not gated but all are equally safe .As for the timing of a deposit it depends -if you rent direct from an owner they will require the deposit when you book to secure the dates for you .An agency may allow full payment on arrival .
St Cloud is not exactly on WDW doorstep I would think you will need a car .