View Full Version : Advice on Villas
Hi
I am planning to visit Orlando next March with my family. I am currently looking for a 3/4 bed villa (which of course is reasonably priced!) but I am starting to get confused. There seems to be hundreds of sites with villas on and I could really do with some advice about which communities are the best to stay in.
We want to be relatively close to Disney but not on top of it.
Any advice would be gratefully received - also if anyone has any villa recommendations that would be great as well. I am looking to travel from 25/03 until 08/04.
Thanks
berni_richards
03-09-2005, 12:04
Hello Please go to the top of the page and send an enquiry to the sites listed. Put in dates and any other requirements you desire villa owners will then contact you who have availability for your dates and match your requirements.
Good luck, hope you find a villa you like and then ask the owner how far it is from disney.
Berni
Andy and Wendy
03-09-2005, 12:12
Katie,
Why don't you put out a general enquiry for your dates using the 3 links at the top of this page - simply click on the links that say -"Orlando Villas", "Florida Villas", and "Orlando Vacation Homes".
All villas on these sites are verified for ownership - you deal directly with a private owner rather than a faceless tour operator.
Owners can only respond to you via an enquiry, rather than through the forum. This will also give you a good idea of the features you might want - you can then shortlist those you must have through to those you would like and start to home in on the villa that best suits your needs.
All of the villas are usually within a 15 minute drive of Dienyworld, so it's probably best to go for a villa that matches your needs and start from there.
Have fun selecting!
Andy
LiesaAnna
03-09-2005, 12:29
happy villa hunting, so many lovely ones to choose!!
try and put in order of importance to yourself and your family, whether you want a pool, games room, how many bedrooms etc..........
enjoy!![msnwink]
pieman790
03-09-2005, 13:22
Hello Friz , There are many villas for hire in and around the Orlando/Kissimmee area and three sites listed above offer many to choose from. Some offer differant things ie , Games room, lake view, internet, 2 master suites etc, so as others have said you have to make your mind up as to what you want for your stay. Most villas are within 15 minutes of Disney and other attractions.
Have fun choosing.
dawn burley
03-09-2005, 13:57
All the websites mentioned above have a section on their home page called Orlando villa communities. You can get information from this as to what each community has to offer etc. Hope this helps.
Dawn
E. Cosgrove
03-09-2005, 14:16
Katie, you need to sit down with your family and draw up a wish list of the things you would like.
Do you want a games room, a spa, TV's in every room, baby equipment etc etc. You can put your list of requests down on your enquiry and hopefully that will narrow down the number of replies you receive as only those who can meet your requirements should reply.
Take a look at the community map and read the descriptions of each community, does any one particularly take your fancy? Do you want one with a clubhouse and community facilities? You can put in an enquiry to a specific community if you wish.
Most of the communities are within 15 - 20 mins drive from Disney and some as little as 10 mins, I wouldn't describe any as being "right on top of Disney" after all wdw IS 45 SQ miles and even once you enter WDW property you are still several minutes drive to your chosen theme park.
Whatever you decide you will have great fun planning, and the forum is a wealth of information. Somebody will have the answers, except to the question "which villa?" Thats up to you[msnwink]
ShirleyCottam
03-09-2005, 21:09
Hi Katie,
Have fun looking for your perfect villa, and this forum is a great place for asking all the questions regarding planning your trip, getting park tickets etc.
They have helped me so much, always ready to answer any questions I may have!
Shirley
Looking I find cheers me up when we are planning our next trip. You have come to the right place to find a great villa. There are so many on here all offering so much.
Most of the villas are near to Disney and I would say all are easily within 20 minutes of the front gate.
If you need help I am sure all the guys on here would be only to willing to help you.
Happy hunting:)
If you've got kids then my honest suggestion would be to go for the actual resort communities. That way if you decide to have a day at the villa the kids can occupy themselves at a clubhouse or community pool or in the resort areas. Our children always preferred that. So if I was going to give actual names, I'd have to say Glenbrook, Windsor Palms, Emerald Island and Solana would be your best bets. You won't feel like going to theme parks every day because it's exhausting and a day inbetween rushing around is much needed.
S&VEdwards
04-09-2005, 00:01
Hi Katie,
Is this your first visit to Florida or just your first visit to a private villa, if so we think you will be pleasantly surprised when we first arrived at our rental villa, it was so big and luxurious. Our son said he was having a double bedroom and we asked what he thought he was playing at as that was obviously our room, he then asked what about the other double room and when we saw it WOW, very impressive. In fact so impressed that we decided to buy our own. Have a brilliant holiday and we are sure with this forums help you will find the perfect villa.
Regards
Sandra and Victor
http://onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/2251.aspx
Friz it is overwhelming....I've been faced with the same dilema, as so many villas and so many GORGEOUS properties (have to say the villas and their owners, are just delightful here).
Anyway I would say look up the communities and the map, and see what grabs you. Do you want to be near restaurants/shops, do you want facilities on your community (eg clubhouse, activites for kids) or are you happy to stay within your villa and relax, after days out? Be guided by the community and your family needs, and then enjoy looking at the houses in that area. If you are after a specific style of villa then be guided by a villa.
Of course saying all this, we are still deciding...its a s-l-o-w process!
CarolAnn
04-09-2005, 03:02
I really do not think you will go wrong with any property you might select from the websites at the top of this page:)
All the villas are verified regularly, many owners play an active part in this forum, sharing advice, experiences as well as the tips they share with the forums. Try not to be daunted by the choice available, rather delighted at the quality & choice available to you, happy shopping [msnsmile2]
Hi Friz
Have a great time choosing from the fabulous homes available on this site.
Not only will your villa be one of the best in the US, but more importantly, you will be renting from people who really care about their homes and the people who are renting from them.
I don't think you can beat personal service and that's what you will get from owners like ourselves on this forum. Just look at all the ways in which owners here are looking to make their villa better and better and better by getting advice and support from other members.
A Florida villa holiday is the best you'll ever take and we are all here to help. Just ask!
Nick Sayer
06-09-2005, 22:13
Hi Friz
I remember when i first booked a villa via the internet and was very overwhelmed.
We only recently purchased our one last Novemeber and have stayed at probably 8 different villas over the last 6 or so years and have to say using one of the three sites connected with this forum we have never been even remotly dissapointed. The only time we were slightly dissapointed was when we booked one through Virgin. Not because the house wasn't nice but we didn't know where we would be until we arrived which for me part of the Florida holiday is the planning and looking at the pictures of where you will be staying.
Study the different ones available and i would try and get one south facing with a pool and preferably a spa. Also i always find that i don't like being overlooked at the back as when you are using the pool i like some privacy, this is why i like a lakeside plot or conservation area, but that is personal taste.
Any of the villas on the linked websites will only be a short drive from the theme parks, shops and restaurants.
Happy hunting and try and make the searching part an exciting part of your holiday.
Most importantly have fun.
Thanks everyone for the advice - it has been really useful.
I have rented private villas before but only in Europe - the quality of villas in Florida looks much better for the same price!
I am hoping to book very soon and am already looking forward to it.
Thanks again
Hiya
You will certainly get a fabulous villa in Florida.
With regard to renting a villa, it can be daunting to say the least. We once spent two weeks seeking, comparing and finally booking one to find we booked the wrong one. It ended up being fine but with the choice you have, you need to set your priorities of what is important to YOU!
Some villas provide multiple master bedrooms (king, queen or double beds) Decide what you would enjoy most.
Some villas provide free baby equipment - some rent it out
Some villas have extended pool decks with pool fences, while others have standard pool decks, and older villas may have door alarms in place of pool safety fences.
Some include tax while others exclude it. Check on the price of pool or spa heating too!
Check how long it takes to drive to Disney, although most will be within a 15 minute drive.
If children are involved, see what child friendly amenities they provide such as a PS2, books, pool table, and community facilities.
Once you know what you want, it'll be easy to book the right villa.
Good Luck!
Olga
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
18-09-2005, 18:06
Not quite true - some owners choose to have door alarms as an extra precaution against children wandering into the pool area un-upervised. It also stops guests leaving doors open and thus air-conditioning Florida, which costs owners a fortune in wasted electricity.
Having door alarms is by no means an indication of an "older villa".
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by J & O
older villas may have door alarms in place of pool safety fences.
[/quote]
luckylady
18-09-2005, 18:38
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridadreamvilla.co.uk
Not quite true - some owners choose to have door alarms as an extra precaution against children wandering into the pool area un-upervised. It also stops guests leaving doors open and thus air-conditioning Florida, which costs owners a fortune in wasted electricity.
Having door alarms is by no means an indication of an "older villa".
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by J & O
older villas may have door alarms in place of pool safety fences.
[/quote]
[/quote]
Both my homes have pool alarms neither are more than 3 years old
I personally wouldn't dream of renting to young families without pool alarms what ever age my villas were
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridadreamvilla.co.uk
Not quite true - some owners choose to have door alarms as an extra precaution against children wandering into the pool area un-upervised. It also stops guests leaving doors open and thus air-conditioning Florida, which costs owners a fortune in wasted electricity.
Having door alarms is by no means an indication of an "older villa".
[/quote]
Absolutely true. Our villa is brand new, as of August 30th this year and we have alarms.
We could all tell you what to look out for but, ultimately, your choice should be what suits your needs. Do you need a single storey home or would a two storey suit your needs better? Some people prefer one, some two. Will your party have more than one car? If so, you will need one with a double garage or parking for two cars off the road. If you make a list of what you want - before starting to look, as that will only get you confused - then you can find one you like by a process of elimination.
Good hunting - enjoy.
Ours is only a year old and has both pool alarms and safety fence. This was by personal choice as I have a young child and felt better with both.
As has been said already, a list of must-haves will help you short-list villas and also ensure that your final choice is exactly what you want and possible more. You can't go wrong with the above links. Good luck searching :)
neild292
25-11-2005, 02:57
Just send out a general enquiry stating your requirements - yo will get plenty of lovely villas to choose from