Florida Vacation Rentals

Vacation homes in Orlando - I am so overwhelmed by choice where do I start? This is something that I hear time and time again from people.

You start out thinking that renting a home for your Orlando vacation is a great idea (it is) but then you start looking and wish you had never started! I think I only truly realised this when I looked for a rental home for my last vacation in California. There the choice is small compared to Orlando. Even though I spend my life on the internet I felt like tearing my hair out after the first hour of searching for a vacation home.
Most people start their search for a vacation home, whether in Orlando or anywhere else in the world by looking on the internet. This is of course the best place to find one - I would say that wouldn’t I? But perhaps this isn’t the place to start. So what should you do to find the right Orlando vacation home for your family?

Start off with a wish list. Then search.

You will have narrowed down your search for a vacation home even before you sit down at the computer. Start with basic questions about what you want from your Orlando vacation home.

The obvious question is how close to you want to be to Disney World. Most vacation homes are pretty close but some are almost on Mickeys doorstep ( Windsor Hills and Windsor Palms are 2 of the closest). How many bedrooms? Don’t forget how many bathrooms you need either - you don’t want to waste time in the morning waiting for a slot in the shower! Do you want a home on a resort, a home with a view, a newer home, one with things for the kids, internet access, free calls. All of these things are available in some homes.

If you have it in your mind what you would like from a home even before you switch on the computer then you will cut down your search time. And frustration.

If you are looking to book a great holiday this year then Orlando has to be on your list of great choices. With the pound so strong against the dollar Orlando makes such a great choice - and if you are looking for really great deals then a holiday villa in Kissimmee can be a good deal for your family. So much more space, amazing luxury homes with swimming pools - nothing can be better for a fabulous Disney World holiday.

You really can have the best of everything with an Orlando holiday villa.  I am British but spend most of my time in the US.  At the moment I am on holiday in the UK - and noticing how expensive everything is here!  Food in particular seems much more expensive than when I was here the last time. People tell me that this is because prices have risen a lot here recently - well if you want to escape that then Orlando is perfect!  Eating out is so much cheaper in Orlando than the UK, and there is a lot more choice. Orlando is the perfect holiday destination and you can get some great deals on Orlando holiday villas.

I am offering specials at the moment for all bookings before the end of April - so if you want to cash in on the great prices for Orlando holiday homes then book now!

Who would you like to dine with on your Walt Disney World vacation? Mickey Mouse, a Disney Princess or perhaps Alice in Wonderland? Disney World character dining is a very popular choice. But is it for you?

A Walt Disney World character meal is a unique experience for you and your family. There is simply no other place to dine with Cinderella and Mickey Mouse! It is a great chance for you to get plenty of time with your favorite Disney World characters and it is an experience that all the family, whatever their age, will remember for a long time as one of the highlights of their Disney World vacation

There is a great variety of Disney World character dining choices. From breakfast to brunch, dinner to lunch. Disney character meals are buffet, menu or family style ( where all you can eat choices are brought to your table). The quality of the food is generally high. It is often more expensive to dine in a Disney World character restaurant than elsewhere in the theme park for comparable food - but you are paying for the unique experience too. After all it isn’t every day you get to dine with a Disney Princess.

Decide which Disney characters you would like to see. A very popular choice is the Disney Princess dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Here you will get to dine in Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. An amazing experience but remember to book as early as you can as it is very popular. Another way to see your favorite Disney Princess is to go to the Akershus Princess Royal Dining in the EPCOT theme park. Here you will usually find at least four or five of your favorite Disney Princesses at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Perhaps Mickey Mouse is more your style. A great place to find him is Chef Mickey’s in the Disney World Contemporary Resort on your way to Magic Kingdom.

If your want to see a particular character always check before you go to see that they are appearing that particular time - a lot of the restaurants do have a fixed schedule of characters, but they do sometimes change. Try not to make a promise to your child that they will see a particular Disney character as they may be disappointed if it is Cinderella’s day off!

Remember that sometimes actually meeting a Disney character can be a little overwhelming for your child. All the Disney characters are excellent at winning over a nervous child and also knowing when it is time to leave, but be sensitive to your child’s feelings about this. Meeting a life size Winnie The Pooh for the first time can be too much for your toddler!

To go ahead and book a Disney World character dining experience it is advisable to book ahead by calling 407 WDW DINE to make an Advance Dining Reservation. You can call up to 180 days ahead and for some experiences such as Cinderella’s Royal Table it really is advisable to call as far ahead as you possibly can. Disney World character dining is a great experience and it is very popular!

For more information including menus and pricing go to Disney World Character Dining.

You may have looked at so many Orlando short term vacation rental websites that you really don’t want to look at another. Well perhaps I can tempt you to look at just one more after seeing this video that I put together. It shows my Orlando vacation rental homes and some great views of Disney World too. So sit back and enjoy.

Want to know more about my Orlando short term rental homes?

If you are looking for luxury Orlando villa homes to rent then you have found some of the very best available. Resort homes on Windsor Palms and Windsor Hills - close to the magic with resort facilities second to none. Upgraded luxury Orlando homes with everything you need to make your stay very special - at a price that may surprise you.

These homes are so close to all the Orlando theme parks that you can almost touch them! There is even one home where you can watch the Disney fireworks from the house. Imagine all the luxury and value of a Windsor Palms or Windsor Hills home - go ahead and upgrade for a fraction of the cost of an hotel room.Find out more .

Are you looking for an Orlando vacation rental home to book for April or May? If you are looking for Orlando villa last minute offers then I have some available for my Solana resort vacation home.

If you are looking for a new resort close to Disney World and all the other Orlando attractions then Solana is a great choice. A newer resort community with facilities including spectacular clubhouse, community pool with cabanas, internet cafe, fitness room with great gym equipment, and even a putting green! All located in the Solana resort gated community.

This Orlando vacation home is my newest rental villa - with a lot of upgrades including luxury furnishings, 2 King master bedrooms, the largest pool deck and swimming pool on the resort with feature water fountains, themed rooms, toys for the children. If your little Princess loves Disney then she will love the Disney Princess themed room in the house. Or if Disney Cars is your favorite then Lightning McQueen is here too.

This home is just what you and your family need for your next Orlando vacation. There is plenty of room for everyone to relax in this luxury rental home. Come home from the Disney World parks and relax in the pool and spa.  You can easily walk to the resort clubhouse from the house if you want to enjoy your own private cabana or even play a round on the putting green.

Contact me for more details of these great late availability specials for my 5 bed 4 bath Orlando vacation home.

I am happy to announce that I have now added Windsor Hills homes to my collection of vacation homes available for rental to my guests. I have a brand new 4 bed and a 6 bed home to offer on Windsor Hills.

If you are looking for the ultimate Orlando vacation home close to Disney then you have to check out these beautiful new homes on Windsor Hills resort.

For those of you not familiar with the Windsor Hills resort it is one of the most sought after in the Orlando area - it is as close to Disney World as you can be, less than 2 miles. Windsor Hills has great resort facilities including a community pool with water slide and interactive fountains, a gym, movie theater, concierge, playgrounds. It simply has everything that you need.

As you can see from the pictures these Windsor Hills houses themselves are brand new and beautifully upgraded. They simply have everything that you could wish for in a vacation home - absolute luxury close to Disney World.

The houses are located on some of the best lots in Windsor Hills - with great privacy around the pool. The 6 bed home is simply on one of the best locations on the Windsor Hills resort - overlooking a lake with fountain.

Book A Windsor Hills Home

Contact me for more information about the ultimate Disney vacation homes.

How do you find the perfect Orlando holiday home rental? There are many homes out there and you may already be overwhelmed by the choices that you have to make. There are many advantages of an Orlando home rental for your next Florida holiday. Why stay in an hotel room when you could have your own private swimming pool and jacuzzi just like this one at my Windsor Palms home?

So what are the secrets to finding the perfect Orlando holiday home for your family?

1. Before you even start looking on the internet work out what you want from an Orlando holiday home and write down a ‘wish list’. How many bedrooms and bathrooms? That is usually the easy question! How important is location to you? Many homes are close to Disney World like mine on Windsor Palms and Solana resorts. What extra features would you like? Most Orlando homes have a private swimming pool, but do you want a jacuzzi spa as well? A one storey or a two storey home?

2. Once you have your holiday home wish list then start looking on the internet. Don’t spread your search too wide at this point as you will get very very confused. I talk to guests every day who tell me how much time they have spent looking for a rental home - it gets confusing and just like any search on the internet it can be overwhelming. So if you are sending out enquiries to Orlando home owners just send out a maximum of 2 or 3 at first. You can always send more later on if those rental homes don’t work out for you.

3. Once you have some Orlando rental homes on your short list then look at the websites carefully. Do they have good pictures on the site? Ask the home owner when the pictures were taken - they may be years out of date. Has care been taken over the photos? If an owner takes care of their website this could be a good sign that they take good care of their home too!

4. If you find a home that you are thinking of booking then talk to the owner as much as you need to either by phone or email - whichever you think is best. You need to be comfortable with booking a home with that person. There are a great many honest helfpul owners, but some are more helpful than others! It can be a great advantage to be in contact with an owner who knows the Disney World area and is willing to help you in planning your holiday - particularly if this is your first trip to Orlando.

With a little time and careful research you will find your perfect Orolando

One of the most difficult decisions a new vacation home owner has to make it to how to advertise their property to attract renters. You will soon find that there are many vacation home listing sites out there all competing for your advertising dollars. A presence on the internet is pretty much essential these days to attract renters to your vacation home. So which one do I find actually works? The market has changed very much over the years but the one that I have found to bring consistent results is the Home Away Network which is a collection of 4 different sites - Home Away, CyberRentals, GreatRentals and A1 Vacations.

You don’t have to take my word for it - you can sign up with a money back guarantee. So what do you have to lose?

Are you looking for an Orlando holiday rental home for your trip to Florida? Confused as to where to start looking? You probably already know that a holiday home in Orlando makes sense but there are a lot to choose from and it can be confusing. So how do you find the perfect rental for your family?

First decide which features are important to you. How many bedrooms,what size of bed, how many bathrooms do you need? Most Orlando rentals have a private swimming pool, but would you like a jacuzzi spa too? Would you like a home on a resort like Solana or Windsor Palms - both have homes on great resorts very close to all the Orlando theme parks. These resort homes are similar to 4 and 5 star resort hotels with large resort pool, spa, playgrounds, tennis,basketball, shops, internet cafes, park shuttles, even cinemas! So if you are looking for the best available, close to Disney World but for a very affordable price then look no further than Windsor Palms or Solana resort. Yes, I am biased as I have homes on these resorts! But I bought them for a reason. They are the best!

Once you have decided your location and yor ‘wish list’ for your Orlando holiday rental it is time to start looking. Many people these days rent directly from a home owner by searching on the internet. Some also rent from agencies but this tends to be much more expensive and you do not always know which house you will end up staying in - this can be a big mistake as you may end up somewhere you would never have chosen.

So the ideal way to find your holiday rental in Orlando is to search on the internet for a home direct from an owner. If you like a particular resort or location then start to send emails to owners about their homes if you like the look of their website. A picture tells a thousand words. If the pictures look great then this usually means that the owner has taken time and trouble - and will more than likely care about their home and customer service. If the website looks tired and old then so may the home!

Once you have found a house that you really like, ask as many questions as you need to of the owner. It is important that you choose the right Orlando rental home for your family. Once you have stayed in a rental home you will never want to go back to a cramped hotel room! Why stay in such a small space when you can have a luxury Orlando villa with a swimming pool for the same price of less?

I spend a lot of my time writing about the advantages of staying in an Orlando vacation home. I know that I am biased as I have been in this vacation rental home business in Orlando for a long time. So how was it when I stayed in an hotel instead of my own home?

My homes were booked and I had a very narrow window of time to visit Orlando. So I decided to stay in a Disney World hotel - the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe Disney World hotel. The very top of the range of the hotels for a Disney World holiday.

So what was great about the Animal Kingdom Lodge? I have always liked this hotel and spend a lot of time in it’s restaurants, Boma and Jiko. They are amongst my favorite restaurants in the whole of Disney World. It is a beautiful and original hotel - where else in North America can you look out from your balcony and see giraffe and zebra. It was a wonderful experience to do that. But I could just visit the hotel and see the giraffe from the savanna when I have finished my Boma breakfast - this is what I usually do! Did I need to spend $300 plus a night for a very small room to do that? Would I do it again?

The answer is no I would not do it again. I would wait for my Windsor Palms or Solana vacation homes to be empty and stay there. To manage in a small space when I could have 10 times the space in my vacation homes just is not something that I want to do again. Disney World hotels really are amongst the best in the world, but I have been spoiled by my luxury Orlando vacation homes. I genuinely couldn’t wait to get out of the hotel and back ‘home’!

So, yes, I enjoyed the novelty of the Animal Kingdom Lodge but the small room with just one bathroom between the 5 of us (!) just didn’t work out.

Am I even more convinced of the advantages of renting a vacation home? You bet I am! I love all things Disney but I can get my fix in other ways than staying in a deluxe resort!