Help with Rental Homes!!

[TravelinGal]

As a TRAVEL AGENT, I can confidently recommend AWARD POOL HOMES . (<--click on name to link to their website) I have worked with them for the past 8 years and never had a bad stay myself - or for a client. I do NOT make anything by referring them this way (I'd appreciate a name drop if you do book, but I don't earn anything - Robin @ Aurora Prestige Travel Service). My point is that, from a Travel Professional standpoint, they are a safe and reliable company to rent a private pool home through. You can't beat it!

Their homes are all within 9 miles of WDW main gate. EASY access and there is a large grocery store nearby. (a Publix, if I remember correctly)

I was wavering back and forth between staying onsite or offsite for our May trip, and I know once we got in a small hotel room I'd be wishing for the nice spacious home. Especially with a baby (18 month old at time of travel) - He needs quite to sleep well - and we need to be able to do things (not be stuck in one room anyway) when he's napping.

 

[minnie29uk]

any have shuttles to the parks
maria

Yes,there are several vacation villa communities that have shuttles ...my community ,Glenbrook,also Windsor Palms,Orange lake country Club and I know more do.


Going through travel agent will always cost more than direct with owner as they will be taking their cut too.

Last minute villas is one of the sites I advertise on and the owner verifies that all those advertising are genuine owners.

Hope this helps,
Lynn

 

[doccath]

We just got back last month from Disney and stayed off site for the first time. We rented in Davenport, a beautiful house 4b/3b. Loved the house, so much nicer than any hotel room or timeshare and I am DVC. Davenport was not bad on travel but I-4 has construction at nite and coming home late from the parks was horrible. Davenport is 10 miles and the one nite of Mickey Very Merry it took us 1.5 hours to get home. We got the house off of ebay and would highly recommend it. Go to www.mydisneyhouse.com
have fun

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Davenport is further south than I prefer, we stayed there the first time we rented a villa, to be honest we much prefer being just off the 192 at either the Formosa Gardens area or Poinciana Boulevard.
Easy access to restaurants, supermarkets, Disney and the I4.

We have stayed in the past also at Chatham Park, Indian Point, Cumbrian Lakes and our favourite Indian Creek (where we are staying in August).

The only problem with Poinciana is it is a very long busy road, and depending on where you are staying it can take at least 10 minutes to get to the junction of the 192.

The main issues for us with pool homes is location, age of the villa, south facing pool that must be fully fenced.
The first one we rented in Davenport was 10 years old and in need of serious renovation, hence the newer the better.

 

[ujpest_doza]

Davenport is further south than I prefer, we stayed there the first time we rented a villa,
The first one we rented in Davenport was 10 years old and in need of serious renovation, hence the newer the better.

Was this at Loma Vista, off CR54??

We stayed here and the house was a fair bit older and (admitted by the management company rep) needed a fair bit of work including anew front door and a new roof!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Was this at Loma Vista, off CR54??

We stayed here and the house was a fair bit older and (admitted by the management company rep) needed a fair bit of work including anew front door and a new roof!

It was either Loma Vista or Loma Linda - cannot remember which.

We actually booked the home direct off the owner's website, when we arrived we were devestated.
It was a disgrace, the exterior was filthy and need of painting.
The pool area had fallen plaster all over the place and litter in the pool, we couldn't use it for 2 days until it was properly cleaned.
The pool furniture was just plain revolting also.

Interior was not much better, basically the home needed a lot of money spent on it.

We complained to the Management Company, and basically it turns out the owners were not making any funds available so the villa was just not being maintained at all, we moved to another villa after a week.
The owner's website looked perfectly fine, just that the pictures on there were about 10 years out of date.

So since this nightmare I have always been over fussy on homes we stay at and whilst we have never stayed in the same home twice (mainly because we have liked to stay in different one's) but we have had no further problems.
I have driven around many of the developments though so I have a pretty good idea of the best places to sray, where we will get a relatively new home.

 

[kimbac3]

We are planning to stay at the Abbey at Westhaven in Davenport. Hopefully this is a nicer, newer development. We stayed at Chatham Park last time, home was older and in need of TLC.
Hoping this time is better!!
Kimba

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

We stayed at Windsor Palms. It depends on what you're looking for, some of the others do have similar type homes but Windsor Palms also has a community pool, (plus your own private pool), a community gym, store, and a movie theatre, it was just wonderful! I believe there were other things like courts to play on, etc. So make sure when you go that if you want that to look for a place that has other amenities if thats what you want, but it was just a fabulous place. Other places are just homes, some may have a community pool but this place was like a resort.

 

[dylansmom1]

If this is Green orange villas run by Roger Colby PLEASE go to the bbb site for orlando and take a look.
http://www.orlando.bbb.org/

I have helped people who are not happy with this company so if you want to pm me I can tell you what I know .

I agree, I know several people who rented from this guy. Very sleazy business practices. I wouldn't let my dog stay in one of his places.

Go to tripadvisor forums under Orlando. Many people have been duped by this guy.

Jane

 

[corie161]

We stated at a pool home a couple years back in Indian Ridge Oaks and it was very easy to access Disney. The home was through Loyaltyusa.com and were great to work with. The photos of the homes on the site are what you get. They show also show availabilty calendars on the the site so you can see what's available right away for the dates you are requesting. If staying off site again I would definately not hesitate to use them.

 

[DaveCN]

As an owner of a vaction villa in Kissimmee, I can say that your best bet for a well kept and affordable rental is to rent from the owner, not one of these package or management firms.

The companies with super cheap rates are with owners who are on contracts with guaranteed bookings - they get much less $$ for the bookings and hence spend much less on upkeep.

The more "normally" priced are with management companies who take 40% just as commission.

Direct from the owner you will pay less than the management company rates typically. As the owner pockets a little more, the place is more likely to be maintained well.