The Florida Classic college game is held annually at the Florida Citrus Bowl near downtown Orlando. The Citrus Bowl events venue has limited parking facilities so a shuttle bus may be the most convenient transportation to the stadium. Over 60,000 fans attended last year’s game so this college classic is always well attended.

The Florida Classic 2011 game date is November 19^th (Saturday), and the kick-off time is 2:30 P.M. EST at the Citrus Bowl Stadium.  The battle of the bands competition will be held at the Amway Center on Friday, November 18th. The Saturday day game tailgate events begin at 9:00 A.M. Saturday morning. It is a Florida Classic tradition for fans to arrive early and get plenty of delicious food and drink.

Orlando vacation home rentals are the lodging accommodations of choice. They allow fans and regular folks to gather in a luxurious and private setting. Home amenities such as full kitchens, pools, large home barbecue areas and game rooms are often available. Larger vacation homes comfortably sleep five persons up to as many as seventeen people (in the larger 8 bedroom homes).

Stay and play in Central Florida before and after this classic college football game. Also, check-out why well known stars and celebrities stay in vacation homes during their vacation.  Enjoy Orlando and the tailgatin’ fun!

2011 Florida Classic Final Score:

Bethune-Cookman 26   Florida A & M 16

New York City and Orlando have been competing for years for the title of the “most visited travel destination” in the United States. Orlando currently has a 3 million visitor advantage or at least based upon the city’s own counting methodology.

At issue is the fact that Orlando counts visitors traveling as far away as Kissimmee and Davenport in Polk, Lake and Osceola counties and New York City only counts travellers in a much narrower geographic area.

Vacation Rentals in Central Florida

Polk, Lake and Osceola counties are huge vacation home rental destination markets in Central Florida.

The biggest difference when comparing New York and Orlando is the fact that vacation rentals are a fraction of NYC’s lodging accomodations.  The Central Florida lodging market is significantly different. The economic impact of vacation homes in Osceola County alone was over $1 billion with over 1.24 million visitors staying in rental homes. This study was conducted a few years ago, so these numbers could be much higher now.

The number of vacation rentals in Central Florida provide a unique option for travellers that most destinations cannot offer in terms of market size and scope. Vacation rentals help keep Orlando in the top spot. The number and variety of theme parks and attraction guests in the region simply could not be served without the capabilities and conveniences that vacation home rentals offer the Central Florida area.

Moreover, if you add in the tourists staying in vacation rentals in Lake and Polk County, this would potentially account for over 3 million extra tourists. Thus, vacation home rentals potentially provide the edge for Orlando or more technically Central Florida, as America’s top vacation destination.

ArkeFly is a subsidiary of TUI who also operates Thomson Airways which already operates international flights from the Sanford airport. The new airline flight service operated by ArkeFly from Sanford to Amsterdam Schiphol will run twice each week on Mondays and Fridays.  A Boeing 767 will provide the service to over 280 travellers when the plane is at full capacity. According to ArkeFly, this marks the first non-stop service between Orlando-Sanford and Amsterdam. 

Cheap Airfare to Orlando Just Got Cheaper

The second recent airlines service announcement was hailed by new Florida Governor Rick Scott. With great media fanfare, Governor Scott used the opportunity to emphasize that Florida is “open for business”. Vision Airlines, a domestic carrier based in Suwanee, Georgia will begin air service from Destin/Fort Walton Beach Florida to Orlando four times a week. Vision air currently offers commercial service to over 23 destinations. The new service to Destin from Orlando will also allow travellers to continue on to other mid-tier southern cities including Baton Rouge and Shreveport (LA), Little Rock (AR), and Columbia (SC). 

Signs of Travel Rebounding 

• The importance of these announcements is to signify that travel to Florida is beginning to grow again. As both domestic and international consumers begin to loosen up travel spencing, airline carriers will begin to scramble to ascertain first mover advantage for these new or expanded airline routes.
• Second, mid-tier cities have been left behind in terms of choice and price for many airline service routes. This specific news helps build more competition and bargain airfare options for those persons travelling to Orlando from the forementioned locations.

As travel volume continues to rebound to Central Florida, many smart travellers are selecting Orlando vacation rentals as the lodging accommodation of choice. Central Florida is unque in terms of the number of resort communities available along with a myriad of home sizes for rental. Consult our home page for ratings-reviews on over 80 communities in Orlando, Davenport, Clermont and Kissimmee Florida.

Orlando Fl Golf Resorts

There are some great traditional resort style courses to play including the Marriott Resorts, Orange Lake, Hyatt Grand Cypress and the Waldorf-Astoria courses in Orlando, Fl. However, if you want the convenience of a vacation home close to the parks along with an adjacent high quality course, we recommend these Orlando resorts for all levels of play:

• Windsor Palms - These villas are located next door to the Mystic Dunes Golf Course. One can literally be on the course if you stay in this resort community. Mystic Dunes is roughly 7,000 yards and is a Par 71 course. The slope rating is 137 for this Bermuda grass course.
• Highlands Reserve Villas – The Highlands Reserve resort community is located in Davenport, Fl just off Highway 27. Holiday homes and villas line this public Par 72 – 6,600 yards + from the back tees. The slope rating is 118 for Highlands Reserve. The community is one of the few in the area that is located on rolling hills reminiscent of the old country (as the resort community name implies).
• Reunion Resort – 3 private championship courses ranging from 7,000 to 7,200+ yards are located within the Reunion Resort complex. The vacation villas are actually located in Carriage Pointe, a phase within the overall sprawling resort. The Reunion golf program has been featured in a reality series on the Golf Channel. Click here for a video of the course.

Other good championship public/private courses in the area include Falcons Fire, Orange County National, Bay Hill Course Orlando, and the Orlando Disney Resorts. Bay Hill and Orange County National both have villa accommodations, but not in proximity to Walt Disney World®.

However, if you are looking for the privacy and full home amenities of a Disney area vacation villa, you can make reservations in one of the resort communities mentioned above. These golf communities near Orlando are all quite enjoyable to play while on vacation. For additional ideas on resorts in Orlando and Kissimmee, consult our community reviews on the main page of our site.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of a vacation rental in Central Florida is the convenience of location. The cities of Kissimmee and Davenport, the home for many rental home communities in the Orlando area are within easy driving distance to all the major theme parks and many Florida recreational landmarks around the state. This includes the many freshwater lakes and state parks.

What makes the fall/winter weather in the area unique is the fact that the region  only gets a gentle touch of the autumn and winter seasons. Fall temperatures in the area tend to run highs in the 70′s and lows in the 50′s, but temps do dip into the 30′s at times at night. This is enough winter for most Floridians, but delightful for visitors!

Winter Rentals in Florida

The pleasant weather and central location help boost attendance to the many world class attractions and activities in the area. This includes Walt Disney World® and Epcot, Univeral Studios, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the soon to debut Legoland. For sports fans, don’t forget about major league baseball beginning in late February. The Grapefruit League features 15 major league teams, 3 of which play within 1 hour of Orlando (Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers). During January-March, the weather is typically perfect to enjoy these activities.

Since the weather does occasionally reach the lower 80′s in mid-March, it can be a good time to travel to the beach. The closest beach to Orlando is Cocoa Beach near Cape Canaveral which is usually within an hour. In the same general direction, Daytona Beach is roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes away and New Smyrna Beach is about 2 hours away. South of Orlando and less than 2 hours away, beach locations include Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg.

In terms of vacation home rental options, Central Florida boasts a plentiful supply of homes for rental. Kissimmee vacation homes along with Clermont and Davenport FL vacation rentals offer many choices in location, amenities and privacy. On this website alone, there are over 80 reviews of individual vacation home communities. No other area or region in the country offers this type of selection and choice. Orlando area vacation rentals in the fall/autumn months are the perfect option for any Florida visitor.

• World class theme parks
• A plethora of kids educational and entertainment options
• A bevy of restaurants
• A multitude of vacation rental lodging options

Orlando is unique. Unfortunately, many travellers do not consider family friendly vacation rentals as a viable lodging option.

Family vacations in Orlando are made even better by staying in an area vacation rental. Typical rentals range from 3 bedrooms up to 7 bedrooms sleeping a maximum of 17 persons. Villas are an especially good lodging option for larger families with private bathrooms/bedrooms and large living spaces. Just like hotels, there are many rental choices available for every family.

Let’s look in depth at a few reasons why vacation home rentals are such a popular selection for families:

• Security and Privacy – Many gated and guarded communities offer the ultimate in security and privacy for your family. Every Mum will be pleased with the safe and secure environment vacation home communities have to offer.
• Location and Convenience- Most rental homes are located in Davenport, Clermont, Orlando and Kissimmee. Many of these neighborhoods and subdivisions are located just minutes from popular Disney and Universal Studios attractions which saves valuable transit time for your family. This will keep any Dad from losing his wits while otherwise driving in traffic.
• Space and Size – Instead of staying in a shoebox, why not enjoy the luxury of multiple bedrooms and baths? Large living areas allow your family to spread out and relax. This will keep the siblings from fighting and otherwise jangling the parents’ nerves.
• Sun and Fun – Comfy amenities such as private individual pools, home movie theatres and game rooms provide the recreational opportunities that every family will enjoy. Instead of fighting over lounge chairs at a crowded hotel pool, why not enjoy your very own private accommodations?
• Resort Amenities- Family oriented playground areas and public area amenities such as tennis, ping pong, arcade games, billiards and more are often available in resort style club communities. This will keep the kids occupied while enjoying good clean fun.
• Quality and Value – Rental rates for Orlando vacation home reservations can vary quite a bit. However, doing your own research can provide you peace of mind and instill confidence in your rental options. We rate most of the existing vacation home communities from 2 Stars to 5 Stars so you can make your own “value” based reservation decision. This is good for Mom and Dad’s overall satisfaction.

Our site is designed to provide you do the tools and details necessary to accomplish just this. Over 80 Orlando resort reviews are exclusively posted on our main page with detailed profiles. Each review includes photos, pictures and video to help you visualize each resort community. We professionally and carefully rate each resort community on attributes and criteria that are important for families. These critiques are designed to give every family a better sense of expectations. You’ll be glad you stayed in an area vacation rental!

Family Friendly Vacation Rentals Orlando

Such groups can be sports teams, church affiliations, musical groups, or more commonly family reunions. Vacation villas in Orlando can be a perfect choice for these groups from both a functional and value perspective.

Most vacation home communities are a short drive from Walt Disney World® and Universal Studios®. Team sports or cheerleading groups can stay in the comfort of a vacation rental and be at Disney’s Wide World of Sports® in 10-20 minutes. Large families or extended family reunions will enjoy the home comforts of a vacation villa.

As we recently looked at daily and weekly rates for Orlando rentals, let’s sample a few rates for larger vacation homes. This time we polled rates from “Orlando vacation rental by owner” websites. The accommodations we evaluated were 6 bedroom villas and 7 bedroom vacation rental reservationss sleeping a range up to 16 persons.

An average range of rental rates in the off season for larger vacation homes in Orlando, Kissimmee or Davenport with a private pool:

• 6 bedroom/4 bath rental -   $270 to $290 nightly/$1890 to $2030 weekly
• 7 bedroom/4 bath rental -   $300 to $320 nightly/$2100 to $2240 weekly

These accommodations were in highly rated 4 and five Star resort communities such as Emerald Island or Windsor Hills with full amenities.

Orlando vacation home rental rates are quite dynamic, so changes from these averages will occur. Moreover, homeowners with large homes may often place some great deals on the web, although we always recommend renting from a professional management company to reduce the risk of any potential problems.

Large rentals in Windsor Hills are esepcially attractive due to the community amenities most family members enjoy. Consult our photos and review of Windsor Hills to see why the resort is so acclaimed. Additionally, over 80 community reviews are posted on our main page. We do the research for you!

Large Orlando Vacation Home Rentals

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We did a quick sample of daily and weekly rates for premium vacation rentals for non-peak periods in 2010-2011. This was designed to help spot bargains on Orlando vacation homes  during this time period.

The estimated ranges are from posted rates on reputable management company websites. Moreover, we have only included rates on vacation homes located in our top rated Four or Five Star rated communities.

The ranges are only used as a general rule of thumb and to provide rough estimates only for reference. Keep in mind that fees and deposits for Orlando vacation home rentals vary as well. If you have a specific vacation home community or date in mind, call a professional company to discuss quotes. Rates will vary and are quite dynamic.

The following average mid-point ranges were derived for the various sizes of vacation home rental accommodations with a private pool in non-peak periods:

• 3 bedroom/2 bath – $150 to $175 nightly rates/$1050 to $1225 weekly rates
• 4 bedroom/3 bath – $280 to $300 nightly rates/$1960 to $2100 weekly rates
• 5 bedroom/4 bath – $325 to $350 nightly rates/$2275 to $2450 weekly rates

Once again, these are “typical” posted current average rates from management company websites in top rated communities with the listed attributes. All sample rates included rentals with private pools.

Always consult each reservation listing for specific amenities on the rental you are interested in. Amenity choices can also include wireless internet, game rooms, home theatres and more. Rates on homes in good communities without private pools can dip considerably. The choice of amenity and rate options as a consumer is fully in your hands.

We also consulted several “rental by owner” websites and the rates varied widely. Due to the fact that cleaning and maintenance standards vary significantly from owner to owner, we always recommend renting from a good professional management company to ensure quality. Professional management companies may also run specials and discounts on Orlando vacation rentals, so check back with their websites.

Consult the main page of our website for reviews on vacation homes in Orlando, Kissimmee, Davenport and Clermont. In addition to quality reviews for each community, we have video, photos and pictures for many resort communities in Central Florida.

Rental Homes in Orlando

Why is this good to know? Well if you are on vacation here in Orlando, you will be glad to know the concert is in downtown Orlando and FREE. Thus, you can turn this into a fun day out. First visit Downtown Orlando, go to the park, have dinner, and then show up to the City Hall Plaza (actual downtown location may change) which you can find on our map HERE.

This is part of radio station WMMO’s free concert series which has the show scheduled to start at 4.00 PM with various vendors, events, activities an other bands. The main act Tears For Fears does not start till 8.00PM. We recommend you check the WMMO Orlando web site to ensure the location and start time are correct, as they appear subject to change. This should be a great Orlando event.

The nearest Orlando area vacation homes to the Downtown Orlando area are Vista Cay and the Isle at Cay Commons (condominiums and townhome style complexes) located on Universal Boulevard (just off International Drive near Sea World.

Our top choices for a lakefront water view vacation in Florida include:

• Sunset Lakes – Our favorite lakeside community with paddle boats, dock and excellent family fishing in the community lake. Sunrise over the lake is the “signature” of this resort community.
• Emerald Island Resort – Nice common areas including lake and pond views.
• Windsor Hills Resort – Award winning resort with limited number of lakefront water view villas.
• Cumbrian Lakes – Another 4-star community with well-maintained and family friendly community amenities.
• Seasons Villas – A small resort with nice lake rentals adjacent to a conservation area.

Keep in mind that this is just a sampling of lakefront water view vacation communities in Central Florida. Moreover, always double check the attributes of any vacation rental listing before making a reservation. Since the vacation homes in these resort communities typically have private pools, some lakes and ponds are not advisable for swimming. However, your family will most certainly enjoy fishing, picnicking and watching the wildlife from a lakeside screened porch area .

Lake Front Vacation Homes Near Disney

If you are looking for a lakefront or water view vacation rental while visiting the Orlando area, consider any of these resort communities. Many readers are often surprised by the affordable luxuries that rental homes have to offer. These available amenities include wireless internet, private pools, home theatres and self-catering kitchens. Consult our “Resort Reviews” on our main page for additional community details and profile information on over 80 resort communities.