Vacation rentals?

[planning]

Hi, I just found your site yesterday and it is a God-Send because I've never planned a vacation before and this site has really helped me figure out a lot of things. So, first and foremost, I want to thank everyone that participates on these forums....you are providing an invaluable service to newbies like me that are trying to plan the "perfect" vacation!

While sifting through this board someone mentioned a website for Vacation Rentals (I don't want to break the rules, so I won't post the actual website) that seemed to provide a lot more space at a cheaper rate than hotels and other types of lodging. It really looks almost too good to be true, which means it probably is, so my question is...what's the catch?

if I book a townhome for the week we'll be there (June 6-12) will we get socked with a bunch of "hidden" fees? Is this like a timeshare setup where I'll have to spend the whole week going to meetings that I'm not interested in? Is there some other trap that I'm not thinking of that could waste my time and/or money?

For those of you that have experience with this can you please let me know your thoughts on it? If I can rent a 3 BR vacation home for a week with a full kitchen and everything else for cheaper than a hotel, why wouldn't EVERYONE be doing it?

 

[shell8558]

We booked through vacation strategy last year for our 3 bedroom unit at Wyndham bonnet creek. We paid no fees when we arrived.

 

[kokomos]

Its alot cheaper to stay offsite. Many people like staying on property for conveince for the buses, some think its more magical. Some people would never dream of staying anywhere but Disney. When staying offsite add an extra 15.00 a day to the budget for theme park parking
When staying off site sometimes there is a depsosit held for any damage that maybe done that will be returned within 30 days after your stay. If not staying a whole week they may add additonal cleaning fee.
Were staying in a 2 br at Bonnet Creek in Nov. Booked it thru Vacation Strategy. 625.00 for 7 nights. The resort has since added some type of resort fee of 12.00 a night for shuttles that we have no intention of using but we still have to pay for it. We do not have to attend a timeshare pitch. No cleaning fee, and no deposit for damage.

 

[sympatico]

Hi, I just found your site yesterday and it is a God-Send because I've never planned a vacation before and this site has really helped me figure out a lot of things. So, first and foremost, I want to thank everyone that participates on these forums....you are providing an invaluable service to newbies like me that are trying to plan the "perfect" vacation!

While sifting through this board someone mentioned a website for Vacation Rentals (I don't want to break the rules, so I won't post the actual website) that seemed to provide a lot more space at a cheaper rate than hotels and other types of lodging. It really looks almost too good to be true, which means it probably is, so my question is...what's the catch?

if I book a townhome for the week we'll be there (June 6-12) will we get socked with a bunch of "hidden" fees? Is this like a timeshare setup where I'll have to spend the whole week going to meetings that I'm not interested in? Is there some other trap that I'm not thinking of that could waste my time and/or money?

For those of you that have experience with this can you please let me know your thoughts on it? If I can rent a 3 BR vacation home for a week with a full kitchen and everything else for cheaper than a hotel, why wouldn't EVERYONE be doing it?

Hi and to the DISboards. I sent you a private message explaining about vacation home rentals. It's info that has been posted on these boards many times. I don't own a vacation rental so I'm not advertising anything just giving you some info from our experiences over the last many years. If you have any specific questions you can post them and I or many others will be willing to answer them if we can.

 

[bengalfreak]

Hi and to the DISboards. I sent you a private message explaining about vacation home rentals. It's info that has been posted on these boards many times. I don't own a vacation rental so I'm not advertising anything just giving you some info from our experiences over the last many years. If you have any specific questions you can post them and I or many others will be willing to answer them if we can.

Sympatico, any chance you would pm me the same info?

 

[planning]

Sympatico...thank you so much for the PM!!! You should post that on these boards and make it a sticky! I'm sure there are a lot of people (like me) that have never had any experience with Vacation Rentals and could use a quick "FAQ" on how they work.

I had picked up some of that info just searching threads, but to have it all in one location and laid out as nicely as you did is a HUGE help. You just made my day!

 

[sympatico]

Sympatico, any chance you would pm me the same info?

Sure

 

[planning]

So here's the question I keep coming back to...If this is as good as I think it is; a lot of space and much more comfort for about the same price (and in some cases even cheaper!) as a traditional 1-room hotel, why isn't everyone doing this?

 

[sympatico]

To check out ownership: Once you have the name of an owner you can check out ownership by visiting the county tax records sites, clerk of the courts sites and some of the real estate sites like zillow to make sure the person owns the property, whether it's for sale or has any liens against it etc.
Each county has a different site. Osceola County where Kissimmee is located is http://ira.property-appraiser.org/PropertySearch/

 

[sympatico]

So here's the question I keep coming back to...If this is as good as I think it is; a lot of space and much more comfort for about the same price (and in some cases even cheaper!) as a traditional 1-room hotel, why isn't everyone doing this?

Don't know. Some perhaps like the fact that they can make a hotel reservation and cancel it usually without penalty. It takes more effort to check things out for a vacation home unless you go through an agency. Some figure they just use the hotel to sleep in and won't be there all the time so any place will do. In a vacation rental you have no room service, maid service and you have to look after your own laundry (towels) and garbage. ( you live like you do at home) Some people don't like that and prefer to have the services that you get at a hotel. I'm sure there are more reasons but someone else will have to answer.
Even when there's only DH and myself we still stay in vacation homes. We're planning to go in 3 weeks and have a 4 bedroom pool home all to ourselves. We went in Nov with the kids and grandkids and had a 7 bedroom home then which was great too.
So basically I guess it comes down to "To each his own".

 

[Ametista]

why wouldn't EVERYONE be doing it?

Good question. We always rent through homeaway dot com or tripadvisor dot com or vacation rentals dot com and have never had a problem. Then of course there are vacation home agencies like florida scandinavian and global resort homes that cost more but make people feel safer because its an established company.

I would never, ever stay in a hotel or onsite unless it was just for one night and we had no better option (most vaca rental homes have a min stay of 3-7 days). Also don't overlook the condos and townhomes available at resort style places, those are the best in my opinion. Very affordable and spacious.

 

[bengalfreak]

So here's the question I keep coming back to...If this is as good as I think it is; a lot of space and much more comfort for about the same price (and in some cases even cheaper!) as a traditional 1-room hotel, why isn't everyone doing this?

That's an easy question to answer. Many people are looking for the absolute least amount of hassle possible in their vacation planning. No stress is more important than getting a great deal.

 

[hollypoast]

We've done it both ways… stayed on-site (we are DVC members) and have stayed offsite too. The convenience of the buses (to and from airport & parks… no need for a rental car) is nice. I love the theme-ing of the resorts and all there is to do at them.

We usually decide where to stay based on what we plan to do while there. For our next trip we plan to also visit Universal for two days, Splitsville & Downtown Disney and spend some time at the house doing family stuff (playing games and hanging out) so we rented a house with a game room and pool.

It's really more about the kind of experience you want. Good luck choosing. You can't go wrong either way, IMO.

 

[lablady]

I've done both, renting a home and staying on property and it really depends on how you vacation as to which is best! When just my girls and I go, most often we stay on property. It's close and we're at the parks more often than not. When my husband goes with, we like to get a house! The prices are much lower, and you get soooooo much more room with a home rental. When it's all of us we spend much more time at the house, enjoying the pool and since my DH doesn't like crowds it's a nice escape from the parks.

We've been very lucky with our rentals, but I look around ALOT! We started out using a property managed site which worked well. As I gained experience with the resort that we prefer (Highlands Reserve) I started checking into just renting from the owners directly. I like knowing exactly which home I'm getting, and sometimes with a property managed site you are just assigned a type (3 bed/2 bath, etc). VRBO.com is helpful, as is just googling "Orlando villa rental". Read reviews and any contracts carefully, or course, but it is a real deal and can really make the difference in the evenings when you aren't stacked together in a single hotel room. When you can get a 5 bed/3 bath, with a private screened-in pool, on a golf course for under $200 per night you might decide that staying offsite is worth it!

 

[Lewisc]

So here's the question I keep coming back to...If this is as good as I think it is; a lot of space and much more comfort for about the same price (and in some cases even cheaper!) as a traditional 1-room hotel, why isn't everyone doing this?

Some people are looking for a hotel experience including daily maid service, room service, attractive lobby, onsite signature restaurant......

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Read some of the posts. People who want to sneak 5 and sometimes 6 in one room at a Value Resort. Fill the tub with ice so they can use it to keep stuff cold. Cook in a crook pot. Maybe even bring a burner. Those people should be renting a condo of vacation home.

 

[hsmamainva]

So here's the question I keep coming back to...If this is as good as I think it is; a lot of space and much more comfort for about the same price (and in some cases even cheaper!) as a traditional 1-room hotel, why isn't everyone doing this?

What I hear the most on these boards is "I want to be immersed in the magic 24/7" and "It won't feel as magical if I don't stay on-site."



I still haven't figured out what "magic" they're referring to and how one will "miss it" by staying off-site.

 

[planning]

You're comparing apples and oranges.

I guess, with Vacation homes being new to me, I wasn't thinking about all the differences. Staying on-site is really not an option for us...it might be nice, but I would rather drive a few minutes to/from the parks in the hopes that when I leave them I can actually get away from all the hustle and bustle.

There's so much to do in Orlando that I realize this is not going to be a "relaxing" trip; we're going to pack about 7 days worth of stuff into 5 days time, but even the little bit that we'll be at our hotel/rental home I would like it to be as peaceful and serene as possible.

My wife understands that crowds are a "necessary evil"...she doesn't like them and after a while she starts getting irritated, and we're not much for fancy restaurants and such, so this vacation rental deal is sounding more and more like us every day.

Thank you all for all of you input, you've really helped me not only make up my mind but also feel more at ease with the decision.

 

[icecreamforbreakfast]

Hi and to the DISboards. I sent you a private message explaining about vacation home rentals. It's info that has been posted on these boards many times. I don't own a vacation rental so I'm not advertising anything just giving you some info from our experiences over the last many years. If you have any specific questions you can post them and I or many others will be willing to answer them if we can.

Just wondering if their is any chance you are still looking at this post and able to please send me the same info sympatico,

 

[mguedes]

So here's the question I keep coming back to...If this is as good as I think it is; a lot of space and much more comfort for about the same price (and in some cases even cheaper!) as a traditional 1-room hotel, why isn't everyone doing this?

Many are afraid to try something they don´t know.
Many think it is too good to be true and don´t go for it.
Many prefer not to make their own beds during a vacation
And many more reasons.

I booked a really new home 2 months ago that was less than one year old. Large LED Smart TVS, free hi speed internet.
Gated Community, huge pool, and many other amenities.


Let me know if you need more info.

 

[Hasil72]

Like everyone else has said, it's personal preference. We used to only stay onsite but then, one year we decided to bring the grandmothers who then invited the aunts and uncles and the only option was to rent a house. That was over 8 years ago and, unless we go with our DVC friends, we rent. It's so much more relaxing for us when everyone has their own space. We have more dining options or we can cook and sitting outside while the kids swim at night is great.

This past trip was Easter week. We split the time between a 3 BR/3 BA townhouse and a moderate Disney resort. Paid $100/nt for the 1400 sq ft townhouse and $230/nt for a 315 sq ft hotel room. The town home won hands down. Yes, you have to take the tram to the parking lot but you also don't need to wait for an already overcrowded bus and can pull right up to your front step. We avoid EMH parks for the most part so that's no big deal. Many homes have Disney themed rooms and provide strollers, etc.

If you stay in the areas off 192 like Windsor Hills, Emerald Island, Windsor Palms, Orange Lake, etc., make sure you find out about the Sherberth Road shortcut! It saves a bunch of time and traffic headaches.

Have a great time!