Orlando Vacation Homes Rentals

posted by orlandovacationhome on Mar 7

With the recent announcement of Legoland® Orlando as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, Central Florida adds another quality attraction to the region. The new park will be located in Winter Haven, Florida which is located about 30-40 minutes south of most Kissimmee and Davenport vacation home communities. So when will Legoland Orlando open? Although more information about Legoland® Florida will emerge as we get closer to the opening date, a few key details are clear:

• Legoland is owned and managed by Merlin Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Blackstone Group which owns SeaWorld
• The park was purchased for $22 million with new upgrades and rides for the park reportedly costing Merlin Entertainment at least 5 times that amount
• The new site for Legoland is on the historic Cypress Gardens attraction and gardens and should be ready by late 2011. Some signature landmarks from the historic park will remain such as Splash Waterpark
• The park will be oriented to children ages 3 to 12 years old
• Legoland Orlando’s sister park in Carlsbad, CA attracts about 6,000 visitors daily
• The attraction will feature roughly 40-50 mini cities, whimsical animals and Americana constructed of LEGO® blocks

Most Orlando area vacation homes are in proximity to Legoland® Florida, Universal Studios® and the Walt Disney World® theme parks. Consult our freshly updated Orlando resort reviews of over 80 communities in Central Florida and Four Corners area for detailed profiles and ratings. These reviews pinpoint location, amenities and other important information for planning your Central Florida vacation.

View Larger Map of Legolando Orlando Florida in Winter Haven FL

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Mar 1

Finding a 7 bedroom vacation home in Orlando is not hard, but only certain communities have homes of this size and maximum occupancy.

Seven bedroom vacation homes in Orlando can typically comfortably sleep 14 to 17 persons depending on the number of beds and pull-out couches. These expansive homes are great for family reunions and large families.

Highly rated resort communties that include such large homes include: Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Emerald Island, Reunion Resort and Formosa Gardens. Refer to our reviews of all of these luxury resort communities along with many others in the area on our main page.

Typically these 7 bedroom vacation homes offer as many as 7 bathrooms along with private pools and televisions in numerous rooms. Game rooms often placed in the garage are often featured in these premium homes as well. Be sure to check the home amenities offered when making any reservation.

7 bedroom vacation homes in Orlando

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Feb 16

Fun family travel in Orlando, Florida is something all families must do on at least one occasion. Furthermore, staying in a vacation rental provides any family the opportunity to relax and fully enjoy this time together.

As we have discussed with many travel friends over the years, we are reminded why vacation homes are such a great family travel idea.

In the spirit of this, our top 5 reasons for taking a family vacation in Orlando are:

• Culture - Orlando is truly a multi-cultural place. Travelling in the parks gives any family the ability to meet people from across the globe. Beyond the great entertainment, enabling your kids the capability to interact with children of all nationalities is a great learning opportunity.
• Friends - My husband and I still have friends from family vacationing over 20 years ago. Even though we are separated by thousands of miles, we have made lifelong friends from family vacations.
• Adventure - Family vacations bestow kids the ability to meet others, and to take on adventure they would not otherwise experience. A good example locally is the Florida Eco Safaris attraction.
• Togetherness - We often talk about all the activities, attractions and events on vacation, but miss the priceless aspect - family togetherness.
• Fun - Family vacations hopefully provide us plenty of this. Smile, life is good on vacation!

What does this have to do with staying in a vacation rental and why in Orlando? Orlando is unique in its variety of family activities and attractions which foster all the attributes mentioned above. Choices for area vacation rentals are also abundant.

Vacation homes comfortably sustain families on vacation with privacy, ample space and luxury. Compare what vacation homes have to offer with any other type of accommodation. Moreover, if you are looking for great tips on family travelling, click here to consult this helpful travel tips website or Peter Greenberg’s travel news.

Our website for reviews on over 80+ vacation home communities including the best resorts near Walt Disney World. Our profiles contain valuable information along with videos from each of the reviewed resorts. Find out why thousands of travellers to Orlando consider vacation rentals to be the best family travel idea.

Orlando Family Vacation

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Feb 15

Daytona Bike Week 2010 is February 26^th – March 7^th 2010.

Daytona Bike Week has been a tradition since January 24^th, 1937. This year will be 73 years since it first started. Bike Week started as a race course on 3.2 miles of beach otherwise known as the Daytona 200 or “Handlebar Derby” by locals. Daytona’s Bike Week has gone through many changes since its origins and has now turned into a 10 day festival that spreads well into Orlando.

Daytona Beach expects approximately 500,000 bikers to attend this year’s bike week. Many bikers take in many of the Orlando attractions while visiting and touring. Some even elect to stay in Orlando and ride to Daytona (typically 45 minutes) for the large amount of activities.

If you are visiting Orlando for bike week, be sure to rent an Orlando vacation home with a private garage. Such garages will provide much needed overnight protection for your ride away from jealous prying eyes at night. To learn which vacation home communities may best serve your needs and their relative locations, visit our Orlando vacation homes community reviews on the right hand side of our main page.

Daytona Bike Week 2010

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Feb 1

The Florida Classic 2010 will be the 31st year of the national rivalry between Bethune Cookman College (BCC) and Florida A&M University (FAMU).

The Florida Classic football game is held at the Florida Citrus Bowl close to Downtown Orlando. Available parking is always an issue at this event, as the classic tends to attract between 60,000 to 75,000 fans. The stadium offers limited parking at best, so for those not willing to fight the traffic, a shuttle bus can always provide much needed convenient transportation.

The Florida Classic 2010 game date is anticipated to be November 20^th (Saturday), but this date is not official and is subject to finalization by the Citrus Bowl. We do not advise booking any travel arrangements until the Florida Classic 2010 has been confirmed by the Citrus Bowl and BOTH colleges.

The BCC Wildcats versus the FAMU Rattlers at the Orlando Citrus Bowl provides a superb venue for fans to visit all the Orlando area attractions. It’s also a great opportunity to catch-up with old friends and watch one of the biggest rivalries in college football.

It has been a classic tradition for fans to tailgate at the various accommodations to enjoy pre-game festivities. Orlando area vacation homes allow a unique perspective, as they allow fans to gather in a relaxed setting. Rental homes offer optional amenities such as fully equipped kitchens, private garages and pools, and home barbecue areas to add to the festive atmosphere. If you are visiting friends in Orlando, area vacation homes can comfortably sleep between five persons and as many as seventeen people (in the larger 8 bedroom homes).

Whether you’re a BCC Wildcat or a Florida A&M Rattler fan, Orlando area vacation homes can make for a great stay while enjoying all that Orlando has to offer.

Florida Classic

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jan 26

The 2010 Celebration Fl Exotic Car Festival is scheduled for Thursday, April 15th to Sunday, April 18th. As we have indicated before, this is one of our favorite charity events during the year. This year’s activities benefit Special Olympics. For a full calendar of car show festivities and information, please click here.

The Celebration Florida special event calendar in 2010 includes:

• Thursday, April 15th Track Day in Sebring, Florida Plus Party and Dinner
• Friday, April 16th Track Day and Challenge Race in Sebring, Florida; Jetport Evening Food & Wine Soiree at the Kissimmee Airport
• Saturday, April 17th Concours Parade of Exotic Cars in Downtown Celebration Fl; Celebrity Dinner and Party at Hard Rock Live, Universal Orlando 7:15 p.m.
• Sunday, April 18th Exotic Car Rally and Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando

The main event on Saturday, April 17th is in fact Celebration Florida’s largest commercial event during the year. The town’s quaint retail shops and restaurants teem with car enthusiasts. The additional Waldorf Astoria Orlando golf event should be an opportunity to raise funds for a great charity. For photos from the 2009 festival, please click here.

Celebration, Florida also makes a great day trip for any vacation rental guests in the Four Corners area. The shopping is excellent and the restaurant choices are plentiful. The upscale town is minutes away from Disney World and most vacation home communities. Consult our reviews of most vacation resorts near this outstanding destination.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 27

On a recent post, we enumerated what we believe to be some important tips for booking Orlando villa rentals.

One of the more interesting elements of the post has turned out to be our recommendation for using a professional vacation home management company over a “vacation rental by owner”. There are some great Orlando villa rentals by owner out there, but renting a professionally managed property can remove much of the guesswork.

It has been our experience that the standards of cleanliness and maintenance can be more consistent with a profesionally managed operation. Again, although we are aware of numerous positive vacation rental by owner experiences, we are familiar with many unpleasant stories as well.

It can be more difficult for owners to be objective about the condition of their villa when compared to professional operators, as they can sometimes become emotionally attached. Good professional operators set measurable standards of cleanliness and maintenance that tend to be objective.

Most Orlando villa rental management companies are keenly aware of their reputation. They recognize that a dissatisfied guest tells on average 20+ friends, and an experience with subpar cleaning or maintenance can quickly impact a good reputation.

A reputable management company will quickly remove vacation homes from their portfolio due to quality issues. Most importantly, referrals are the backbone of the Orlando villa rental business. Positive word-of-mouth is paramount for expanding this referral business. The best professional vacation home managers can fix any problems immediately as they tend to have a full time operational staff in place. Contrast that with a national vacation rentals by owner website that sells insurance if you have a bad experience.

Frankly, as the consumer, you shouldn’t have to pay for an insurance policy due to lack of consistency and poor cleanliness or maintenance standards. Again, a good professionally managed operation will make it right on the spot. Stick with good professionally managed Orlando villa rentals, you’ll be happy you did.

Stop by the main page and check-out our reviews of over 80+ Orlando short-term villa rental communities. The reviews contain detailed information and high-definition video of most communities. Have a great time while you are in Orlando!

Orlando Vacation Homes By Owner

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 17

At a recent Florida economic summit in Polk County and as reported by TheLedger.com, a top economist made some enlightening predictions for 2010.

Although much of the analysis centered on local conditions for Polk County, much of the presentation dealt with the Florida economy out to 2011. However, Polk County economic information is significant because many vacation homes are located in the county (Davenport).

Some of the Polk County information and Florida conclusions included:

• Florida’s economy will lag behind the national economy in terms of employment and strength of recovery
• Mortgage delinquency rates are still rising and more foreclosures are expected in 2010
• Area unemployment is expected to peak in the 12-13% range
• Although the rapid economic decline appears to be slowing, actual job growth will not take place until 2011.

Over a year ago we blogged about what we felt were opportunities for vacation rentals in the Orlando area. In light of these Florida economic conditions, vacation villa rentals now offer an even greater value over traditional accommodations such as hotels rooms.

Self-catering homes present a great opportunity to save big money on vacation as they can offer 3 to 7 bedrooms, multiple living spaces such as bathrooms and living rooms, your own private pool and garage as well as fully equipped kitchens all for the price of a decent hotel room.

If you are looking for value in a tough Florida economy, check-out vacation home rentals as a viable value-oriented option.

Vacation Homes in Polk County

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 3

Self Catering Holidays in Orlando

The easiest way to go self catering on an Orlando holiday is to rent an Orlando villa.

Orlando holiday villas provide a full service, fully functional holiday home often with multiple bedrooms, private pool, fully equipped kitchen and multiple bathrooms.

Orlando villas make a self catering Orlando holiday very affordable and typically more spacious and relaxing than a cramped hotel room. To learn more about which communities tailor to self catering Orlando holiday homes, see our reviews guide on the right hand side of our main page.

Self Catering Holidays Orlando

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 1

Guy Fawkes Night November 5th, 2009 in Orlando/Kissimmee from 6.30PM to 9.30 PM. 

This year Osceola Heritage Park (T - 321) 697-3333 will host the annual Guy Fawkes Night celebration in Kissimmee Florida.

British visitors in and around their Orlando vacation homes  will not want to miss this important culturally significant event.

Guy Fawkes Night Orlando celebrates the historical date of November 5th, 1605 when a man named Guy Fawkes was stopped in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament. He had in his possession barrels of gunpowder with the intention of blowing up the British landmark.

Guy Fawkes and his eight co-conspirators were subsequently sentenced to death. In celebration of saving the Houses of Parliament and the safety of the King, bonfires were set to commemorate the day. Some 400 years later, this tradition is still typically celebrated with a spectacular fireworks display.

It is also common for kids to make a Guy Fawkes dummy out of old clothing. They stuff the dummy with paper and straw which they then put on the bonfire.

With thousands of British tourists staying in area vacation homes and a huge local expat population in and around the Orlando/Kissimmee area, Guy Fawkes Night is a great way to catch up on what is a much anticipated and celebrated British tradition.

View Larger Map of Osceola Heritage Park

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