Vacation home rental-- 1st time

[Woodland1]

This will be our first time renting a "vacation home" and we don't really know anyone personally who has done this-- would love to hear some feedback! We are a faily with 5 children (young!) and every resort we contacted wanted to put us up in 2 separate rooms, and the ones I called could not 100% guarantee they would be adjoining rooms until the day of check-in! That is absurd!! Plus the cost of not only driving down there (fuel) but then to get TWO hotel rooms, was too $$$. The vacation home seems ideal. We are almost looking fwd to staying outside the busy-ness of "the World" and having several rooms, and a kitchen to save $.... and a small pool just to ourselves. I know the drive to and from the parks is going to be the biggest downfall.... we're prepared for traffic and even though it is a "10-minute drive" we do expect it to be longer .
However, for those who have chosen this option before, did it add to or take away from the whole vacation experience? Other advice?! Thanks!

 

[Canadamom]

We just came back from our first family trip to WDW and stayed offsite in a vacation home, so we can't compare to the on-site experience. However, we didn't feel short-changed in any way. Due to being there during peak season, we'd go early in the morning to the parks before the crowds hit, and then when they became grid-locked with people, we'd escape to our own place with a pool where we didn't have to worry about not getting a place to sit by the pool, etc. We brought some small diving toys from home and bought a $1.99 blow-up beach ball for the pool. Our kids each had their own room (and were thrilled with the TV's in them as we don't have that at home!), we ate breakfast at our home each morning, packed lunches/snacks to take into the parks, and cooked some simples suppers as well in order to save some money. There was also a washer/dryer so we didn't have to pack so many clothes...just ran the laundry when we were at home swimming. Our location was such that we were closer to some of the parks than some of the onsite properties...literally to Animal Kingdom in 5 minutes using a shortcut so the driving didn't even factor in (though we did budget the $11/day for parking). I know you'll get probably get lots of opinions from those that have done it both ways, but in our experience and for our family, it was a great choice!

 

[farhana]

can you tell me where you rented your home from and how much it cost, im looking for somethign similar (private pool would be so nice)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We've stayed on and off site. We love off site for houses/condos and space for everyone. I don't need to be immersed in everything Disney. I like having our own bedroom, bathroom w/Jacuzzi, and tv to unwind at the end of the day.
I especially love having a regular coffeemaker so I can sit in my jammies and drink coffee while my kids sleep.
There's no magic (or romance either) in cramming 4 of us into 1 room with 1 bathroom. That's the only drawback to cruising for us but that's another story.

 

[maps]

I took the plunge and rented our first vacation home about 5yrs ago and wouldn't think of staying on site again. At first, it can be a little overwhelming reseraching homes since there are so many. I started out renting from a property management co and then as I got more comfortable, directly with owners, who are mostly from the UK.

We started renting in Indian Creek which was a new development then and the final 2 years we went we stayed at Emerald Island. We really like the location of these rental homes since they are so close to AK (5min away).

The prices were really reasonable then compared to a hotel room. We paid as little as $800 and as much as $1200 for the week for a 4 BR with private pool/spa, but this was a few years ago.

Here's what we loved. The kids each had their own room so there was no fighting like in a hotel room where they shared a double bed ("she's on my side of the bed" "he's hogging the blanket"--you get the idea). When they went to bed, my husband and I would share a drink under the stars in our private spa.

In the morning everyone got up at their leisure, we ate a great breakfast, packed a lunch for the park and off we went. About mid afternooon we would head home, swim in our private pool, shower, have dinner and head back to the park.

We would pack light since we had a washer/dryer right there. Most homes had playstations, pool tables, air hockey, fooozball tables.

It really was the most relaxing way for us to go to Disney World and I think more economical and it no more lacked any "magic" than any other trips.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[sympatico]

We've rented homes for the last 15 years or so and love it. Of course we've been to Disney many times and now it's not the most important part of our vacation, maybe just a day or two. That being said we did a Disney marathon in Nov for 2 weeks when my husband and I with our 2 sons, wives and 4 grandkids ( ages 2 - 4) stayed in a 6 bedroom home in Windsor Hills and everyone loved it. The kids liked having their own rooms, which were Disney themed and liked having their own pool. There's a big clubhouse pool also but we only used it once, the kids wanted to go back to their pool. There was so much room for them and us that we didn't feel cooped up at all. There's also a nice big castle playground there and many other amenities. The house also had a games room.
We were only 5 min from Disney's Animal Kingdom. We hit the parks in the morning when they opened and came back noon or so for naps and a swim and then went back late afternoon. No problems doing this at all.
I just can't imagine staying in a room with kids, trying to get them to sleep at night etc. for your whole vacation.The kids were put to bed, same as home and we watched tv or sat out by the pool. Made sure we took monitors with us.
This is the home we stayed in :http://www.vrbo.com/82681
Here are a few others that have gotten good reviews:
http://www.mickeyscondo.com/clubhouse/ 5 bedroom home Windsor Hills
http://www.vrbo.com/122340 4 br WH
http://www.arranvillaflorida.com/ 4br WH
http://www.5mins2disney.com/ 3 bedroom townhouses at WH
http://www.vrbo.com/global/siteFram....storytimeorlandorental.com/&returnurl=/74994
there's a 6 bedroom home or 3 bedroom townhouses in WH

For more info and listings for Windsor Hills go to www.windsorhillsrent.com
You can also find WH listings on VRBO.com for Kissimmee
Here's a map to show locations:http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa-map.php

 

[7165red]

We just loved it. It is so nice to have room to move about in and the pool is the cherry on the cake. We can't go back to a hotel room if we can help it. We had very good experience with orlandovillas.com. The owners were very helpful no problems at all.

 

[SherryG]

We rented our first (but definately not last) vacation home last November. It was great having all the space and the kids LOVED the pool!! It was located in the Lindfields subdivision - less then 10 minutes to AK and approx. 15 minutes to the rest of the parks and downtown Disney. If you want the link or have any questions please PM me.

 

[Canadamom]

Farhana, we rented from JuSt Investment Enterprises, a small management company. The house we rented was located in Oak Island Cove (3 bedroom) and we paid under $1000 for 8 nights including pool heat and taxes over the Easter break (peak season). They were very pleasant to deal with and everything went fine.

 

[farhana]

thanks for your response!

 

[isla bonita]

The first time was 8 years ago. My mother took all of us to Florida. There were 14 of us. Range of age was 61-3. I thought it was going to be a nightmare. 10 nights with 14 people in the same home.

Turned out to be our best vacation ever. We have been doing it ever since. We had so much fun and we all had our own space and we have a lot of common space to hang out with each other. The kids had a blast in the pool with their cousins.

 

[patita71]

We rented our first vacation home for this past New Year's Eve and it was WONDERFUL!! There were 17 of us, we rented a 7bdrm in Emerald Isles, and like the pp, very close to AK, 5 min using the back way. We have stayed on site, my DH would have never even thought of staying off site, but since it was a family gathering and prices onsite were outrageous...we paid $1300 for 5 nights new years eve week for 4 families...not bad! He loved the house so much he cant wait until we rent again.

we too had the private pool w/spa, screened porch, converted garage w/ pool table and foosball, which was great. Also incld was a playstation with karoke (good times). It was overwhelming trying to pinpoint a home but the disboards really helped in informing on what to look for and where to look. I found this home in the vrbo.com website.

I still enjoy onsite for the buses and ambience (full disney experience) but we really had a good time at the house as well. Kids enjoyed having their space and I would stay at one of these rental homes again.

Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[deejay-55]

Once you have enjoyed all the space and comfort of your 'own' home with your 'own' pool and spa, you will wonder why you ever chose to stay in a hotel!

 

[FoggyToad]

We have rented a vacation home in both Chatham Park and Eagle Pointe communities. Both were well under $1000 for ten-day stays. Each had its own pool, a lake in the backyard, three or four bedrooms, and all the comforts of home. Neither one had a game room as that was not important to us. Each had cable TV, stereo systems, clock radios, hair dryers, etc. All the extra space not found in hotel rooms (on property or off) was a true joy! The quiet of the house without noises from the hallway, next door, the a/c unit, etc. was a delightful pleasure to experience! We didn't even consider staying in a hotel when we visit next in June. We are in the process of renting a home in Sunridge Woods this time. We have stayed in resorts on property and off property but very very very much prefer a vacation home.

 

[jen54321]

We rented a house for the first time last year. Previously we have stayed on site. Both have their pros and cons. This year though we are leaning towards renting a house again because we loved having our own pool and loved having a quiet breakfast with a full coffee pot in the mornings. The driving was fine - no park was further than 10 minutes.

It is mostly the pool that makes us want to return...One time when we stayed on site we went back to the hotel to go for a swim. It was very hot that day. When we got to the pool it was so packed we could barely get in. Decided to cool off in the room - no fun at all. With a pool home you never have to worry about that.

The house we stayed in was gorgeous - PM me if you want the name...
Jen

 

[Frothy]

We rented a home after staying onsite a few times and there really is no comparison IMO. The first time we were on Sunset Lakes...a really lovely community ...nice and peaceful. After that we stayed on Cumbrian Lakes and we found a fantastic 6 bed home with a big pool and deck.

I love spending my evenings in Florida watching the sun go down, with a good book and a glass of wine. We're going back again soon and I believe the owners have improved it by putting in a 57" TV and a pool table. I can't wait to be back there again.