Offsite rentals to avoid?

[stefplus3]

I've been looking on vrbo and there are so many different neighborhoods. Are there any that are better or worse than others? Both quality wise and location.

 

[stefplus3]

Anyone

 

[Ametista]

Every resort/community is a little different. There are vacation resorts with a ton of amenities and manned/gated 24/7 (Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Paradise Palms) and there are resorts with no security or resort amenities because they were built as residential communities (Indian Creek and Rolling Hills). Then there are communities in between. For me, the biggest thing to AVOID is any place too far away from Disney. Every place I listed is very close, within 10 minutes. All are acceptable as far as safety and rental rates vary depending on where you look (VRBO, Homeaway, FlipKey). I personally like to be in a "resort" with a clubhouse, restaurant/bar, swimming pools, etc because it feels like I am on vacation.

There are 5 entrances to WDW, so you don't have to be right at the main one (Western Way, World Drive, Osceola Parkway, Epcot Center Drive, and Buena Vista Dr/Hotel Plaza Blvd).

Encantada, Oakwater and Emerald Island are also close in and worth looking at.

 

[stefplus3]

Thanks! That's helpful. There are literally endless properties so to have a small list to look at is great.

 

[Ametista]

You're welcome. If you tell us how many people and what amenities you want that will narrow it down.

 

[stefplus3]

We're a family of 5, 2 adults, 3 kids ages 9, 15 and 18. We'd like a private pool (regular size, not splash), good area as far as restaurants, etc go, not far from disney, I'd prefer gated for safety.

what else.........

 

[Ametista]

Then you need a house as opposed to a townhouse so you get a full sized pool. So scratch off Encantada and Oakwater.

So gated community with houses with full size pools would leave Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Paradise Palms, Sunset Lakes, Emerald Island, and Formosa Gardens (I just remembered 2 more )

 

[stefplus3]

Thanks!! Are they all pretty equal in terms of location?

 

[staceyrhood]

Championsgate and Reunion Resort are also nice and close by. Reunion has 2 nice water parks.

 

[i12go2wdw]

Sorry to make your list of great restorst longer but take a look at Acadia Estates also, they are a bit closer to 192 where the restaurants and shopping are (you can walk to Red Lobster, Taco Bell, Wild Wings and some others along with a grocery store called The Market) It is a gated community but doesn't have a community pool, but the pools at the homes are big and the pool decks are much bigger than Windsor Hills. This community is very, very quiet which we love after a long day at the parks and it feels more upscale than a lot of the other communities.
We stayed in a 6 bedroom, it was amazing!
http://www.vrbo.com/571182
It is our new go to place.

 

[Ametista]

One of the trip advisor contributors made this interactive Google map of communities by WDW

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTo...f_Villa_rental_locations-Orlando_Florida.html