Need Vacation Home Rental Help..PLEASE

[Jonell]

We're trying to find an nice reasonably price vacation home to rent for Easter Week 2012. This will be my family's first time to stay off-property. I found a nice looking home on Homeaway.com in the Sunset Lakes area. I'm nervous about renting from and owner. Has anyone used this website and how was your experience? Also, how is the Sunset Lakes area and how far from Disney? Thanks

 

[sympatico]

We stayed in Sunset Lakes in March. The subdivision is smaller than some of the rest but was nice and quiet. The have a coded gate, the owner will give you the code just before you go. It will take you less than 10 minutes to get to the AK parking lot and 15- 20 minutes to get to the rest of Disney.
We usually use Homeaway or one of its other sites like VRBO. These are basically listing sites for owners although Homeaway does have a fraud guarantee that you can buy. Homeaway with all of its relative sites is one of the biggest rental listing sites in the world.
You can also check the ownership of the property by doing a tax record search using the owner's name: http://ira.property-appraiser.org/PropertySearch/

This map will give you an idea of the area. Sunset Lakes is #16. On the map you can turn right out of Sunset Lakes and follow Funie Steed Rd to the intersection and take either the green line or blue line to the red line (turn left onto the red line ) and follow that to AK and also to the rest of Disney.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...8.272032,-81.608849&spn=0.068335,0.11055&z=13

 

[mbb]

Wanda gave you some awesome advice

Sunset Lakes is great - we love it

Close, easy drive, and nice development.
Send the owner an email, and see what they say.
If you're not comfortable with their response, ask some more questions, or move on to another home.

And have fun! Your first rental is the hardest to book, but after that, you'll be a pro

Let us know!

 

[bcinohio]

Another vote for Sunset Lakes. We rented a house for the first time there last summer and it was great. Very quiet. Close to all the parks. Use the Sherbeth Rd short cut. It worked great.

We found it on VRBO.com.

Have fun.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm nervous about renting from and owner.

Don't be. We've rented from owners many times - just last month at Windsor Palms most recently. We've even done it elsewhere - a 4BR ski chalet in Stowe, VT a few years ago. We have uniformly found vacation home owners to be the nicest people around. These people understand that they are in the customer service business. If they don't make their guests happy, they're out of business. It is so much nicer than dealing with an impersonal hotel corporation and a desk clerk who really doesn't particularly care if you are happy or not. Dealing directly with the owner is a whole different experience.

 

[mikkiwikki]

We stayed at Sunset Lakes back in 2007 and were very happy..even with family of VERY loud kids next store that were up late into the night swimming... the AC in the home totally drowned them out.

Pool/house was gorgeous..I never wrote a trip report from that trip but I often go back to my pictures and remember how great it was having all that space.

We are booked at Windsor hills for this upcoming holiday season. I hope it can hold a candle to Sunset lakes.

We had two learning experiences I will share.

First - our washing machine ran all night long...cycle never stopped. But we called the management service and they fixed it the next day.

Second - Don't leave your garbage outside overnight without strapping on the lid TIGHT!...We had a Racoon come visit us and tip over our garbage can...and made a big mess. Not something you think about when you are on vacay so thought I would share....leave your garbage in the garage and bring out in the morning on the date you are certain they will pick up!

Other than that...have a blast! Location is very convenient...no hopes of getting lost...you would really have to work at it.