Hotel V's Villa

[kmaccui]

Guys i am looking for some input as to whether to get a villa or a hotel for our next trip.
Area is not to much of a big deal although would like to not have to drive miles and miles to get everywhere.
Been 2 times before stayed in Main Gate East Kissemee and Howard Johnson(never again) both were hotels.
we like the idea of a private pool that comes with a villa but also the free transport to parks that comes with the hotel.
are there any villas that do not add a surcharge for less than maximum occupancy?

thanks

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Hi and welcome to the boards

If you rent a villa/condo/townhome direct from the owners you only pay for the going price - there is no surcharge for the number of people staying. So if you really want a 6 bed pool home for just 2 people you pay the going rate quoted for the home - the number of people just doesn't come into it. I think the surcharges are just if you go through a travel agent

There are loads of different sites for finding a rental direct from owners here are a few:

www.homeaway.com
www.vrbo.com
www.ownersdirect.co.uk

You will also find a lot of home owners on the boards a great source for information.

I would recommend you make a list of your 'must haves' and optional extras and go from there. Good luck with your search.

Tracey

 

[isla bonita]

Most shuttles give very poor service may I suggest a rental vehicle added to your budget. In the long run it will give you your $$ worth. Have done both and when I stayed on Disney property I also regretted not having a vehicle. JMO

Try a home you have already stayed in a hotel and see if it gives you a better vacation. If not you never have to do it again.

 

[deejay-55]

There is a huge choice of pool homes out there - if area is not much of a deal to you, then as a rule the further you are from Disney the lower the rate.

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

We did the same thing - just used the Disney transport while staying on-site one year and it just doesn't give you the same flexibility. We ended up paying for taxi's to go the outlet malls etc and a rental car would have been so much better

Tracey

 

[sympatico]

The price of the villa is per night no matter how many people stay. You can only have the maximum number of people that the villa is licensed for. If the 4 bedroom villa is licensed for 8 people no squeezing in an extra person. The villas in the Formosa Gardens / Windsor Hills area are the closest to Disney. They are located about 5 min from AK and up to 15 from the rest of the parks. Restaurants and shopping is only a couple of minutes away on 192. This area is west of maingate. If you do rent a villa you will need a car. Here are a couple of maps to show you where the subdivisions are located.
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm
http://www.orlando-maps.info/top_down_maps/kissimmee_top_down.htm
If you rent directly from the owners you will get a better price plus you will know exactly which home you're getting. You can pick a home that has the amenities, floor plan and decor that you want. Some sites are:
www.fabvillas.com www.vrbo.com www.homeaway.com
www.windsorhillsrent.com
It takes a while to sift through the hundreds of homes but you will get to compare what's available.

 

[kmaccui]

Thanks for the info guys it is much appreciated.

looking like it will be a Villa this time

1 more thing if we decide to bring kids are there any safety barriers for the pools or is that something individual to each villa or not used much ?

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Good choice Now the fun begins trying to find something

All rental villas have to comply with safety legislation and you will find that pool homes come with the safety gates - as a Mum I would by-pass any without. Coral Cay, where we are, only have hot-tubs so no need for pool gates - it is a townhome only resort. You will also find some townhomes, like Windsor Hills, that have a splash pool - but they will also have the safety features.

Happy hunting

Tracey

 

[Brian Noble]

A hotel will be provide more services---daily maid service, a concierge, room service, an onsite restaurant/bar, some transportation, etc. etc. etc.

A villa will have much more space and amenities for the money, but you're on your own.

Personally, I don't miss the maid service or the over-priced pool bar.

 

[sympatico]

The villas have to have either a fence or door alarms. I don't think they have to have both but a lot do, but make sure you ask about it.

 

[mungo]

Yes they have to have a fence or a pool alarm.

Here are a few recommendations for villa sites, that have a search facility so you can choose what you want from your villa, and if the dates you want are free. Some of the villa sites, like vrbo you have to trawl thru yourself.

www.holidaylettings.co.uk

www.holiday-rentals.co.uk

www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=93

www.orlandoexclusivevillas.com

Enjoy choosing, thats half the fun of it.

 

[kmaccui]

awesome guys and girls you are so friendly and forth coming with the advice

as for i am

 

[KayR]

Good choice Now the fun begins trying to find something

All rental villas have to comply with safety legislation and you will find that pool homes come with the safety gates - as a Mum I would by-pass any without. Coral Cay, where we are, only have hot-tubs so no need for pool gates - it is a townhome only resort. You will also find some townhomes, like Windsor Hills, that have a splash pool - but they will also have the safety features.

Happy hunting

Tracey

Just to clarify, only pool homes built after a certain date are required to have a safety feature. It can be the safety fence or a (wired?) alarm on the pool doors.

There will be older homes that don't have a safety fence, but owners may have put up pool alarms.

We have both, just in case someone forgets to close the pool fence, the pool doors have the alarms on. I know how quickly our kids can disappear - our son was out on the pool deck in a flash when we were setting up our home (we didn't have the pool alarms up yet, but at least we had the fence AND it was closed).

It sounds as though pool safety is a top priority for you, so I would make sure you confirm with the owner what safety features the pool has.

Also consider getting some life jackets for the younger ones - you can pick them up in Walmart at a reasonable price - I would rather be safe than sorry!

-Kay

 

[mungo]

awesome guys and girls you are so friendly and forth coming with the advice

as for i am

What are you worried about?

All the sites given to you on here are reputable ones. Check out the villa before you book, speak to the owner and you will be fine. There are always extra checks you can do, to check out the owner, google their name, or the villa address, chances are they advertise in a few places, these adverts cost money, you can check the villa is owned by them on the relevant county website, and their home address too. I am sure other people will tell you how they check out villas.

 

[kmaccui]

i am not worried about the sites it is just the thought of sitting in front of the computer trying to find the right 1

 

[sympatico]

Once you find the place you like and you know the owner's name you can verify that they do own the property by doing a search on the tax records site. This is the one for Osceola County ( Kissimmee area)
http://www.property-appraiser.org/
and if you stay on 27 or Davenport this is the one for Polk County
http://map.polkpa.org/map.aspx

Have fun finding a home.

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Once you find the place you like and you know the owner's name you can verify that they do own the property by doing a search on the tax records site. This is the one for Osceola County ( Kissimmee area)
http://www.property-appraiser.org/
and if you stay on 27 or Davenport this is the one for Polk County
http://map.polkpa.org/map.aspx

Have fun finding a home.

This is a great way to check the owner is who they say they are and own the property but not sure how frequently the information is updated. We are brand new owners and it is still showing as owned by Coral Cay Resort rather than ourselves

Perhaps if it is new owners of the property you could contact their Management Company to verify ownership instead

You are going to be busy finding that perfect home Godd luck.

Tracey

 

[mungo]

i am not worried about the sites it is just the thought of sitting in front of the computer trying to find the right 1

lol