Orlando Vacation Homes Rentals

posted by orlandovacationhome on Jul 20

Recently we had a comment about the wide ranging fees and deposits for vacation rentals in Orlando. Since this is an important element of any reservation or booking, we decided to do a little research.

We will assess the typical amounts of vacation home deposits and fees including the range of days allowable for cancellation without a penalty. The purpose of this is to give one a realistic range for funds needed especially those related to fees. Fees and deposits may include a reservation deposit, security deposit and a booking or reservation fee. Special fees for pets are also applicable when you desire a pet friendly vacation home in Orlando.

Although these vacation rental fees and deposits are referred to by various names, the forementioned are the main types of actual booking charges. Moreover, please keep in mind that deposits are different from actual fees, although deposits can lose their status and become a fee if certain contractual provisions are not met by the renter.

• Reservation Deposit – To effectively hold your reservation, prospective renters will be responsible for a deposit at the time of booking. This will typically range from a low of $100 to a high of $350. The monetary value of this deposit may be based on a total percentage of your estimated vacation rental tab or a set number of nights (i.e. first night only). As importantly, the cancellation period ranges from 0 days up to 45 days. Some rental sites even clearly indicate that a reservation deposit is totally lost if it is cancelled at any time regardless of advance notice. Always consult the rental company fine print for specifics in this area.
• Security Deposit- This deposit is typically charged at the time of booking or closer to the actual vacation date (within 30 days) for potential damages to the vacation home. It may be an actual amount placed on your credit card or simply an authorization for this amount. This deposit fluctuates widely as well. A sampling indicated a low of $200 to a high of $500. The purpose of this deposit serves to protect the homeowner in case of damages, and is a reasonable request of any rental guest. These are fully refundable if no damage to the home occurs. Some vacation companies may also push you to purchase short term rental insurance which covers losses you may suffer while in the home and damage that may have incurred to the vacation rental.

The next area are straight fees for prospective rentals and are billed as such:

• Administrative or Booking Fees – Our search indicated that these typically run anywhere from $25 to $35 regardless of length of stay. These fees defray operating costs and go directly to the management company or homeowner.
• Pet Fees – Some vacation homes are marketed as pet friendly accommodations. Although this is a great convenience, it will typically cost you between $100 to $200 depending upon length of stay. Note that damages caused by a pet will result in a full or partial forfeiture of the security deposit mentioned above.
• Cancellation Fee- Because it is very difficult for a vacation home owner/manager to re-rent a vacation home if you cancel at the last moment, most companies will charge for the entire stay for a late cancellation.

Other Fees

• Pool Heat - Pool heat is expensive to the owner and will typically cost an extra $25 – $35 dollars per day.
• Cleaning Fees- If your stay is less than 4 nights, expect to pay an additional cleaning fee of $25 to $75 dollars per stay. If requesting additional housekeeping during your stay, expect to pay $75 + for additional full house cleaning. Cleaning is typically included if your stay is more than 4 nights and no additional services are required.

Again, always consult the reservation listing or any prospective agreement. If the admin or booking fees are not properly and openly advertised, consider this a huge red flag. For additional information and details on vacation home communities in the Orlando area, consult the community reviews on our main page. Vacation home rentals offer prospective guests with great value and luxurious amenities.

Orlando Vacation Homes Fees and Deposits

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jun 22

Davenport Florida villas are often referred to as “underrated” or more correctly termed underpublicized by our account. Davenport Fl tends to get much less press than its bigger neighbor, Kissimmee. However, in a recent post on Davenport vacation rentals, we summarized some of our favorite reasons for selecting a villa in Davenport. Among other reasons these included:

• Golf – There are some excellent courses in Davenport for the money especially compared to the premium greens fees that many Kissimmee courses charge. Your Davenport vacation would not be complete without playing a game of golf on one of the area’s challenging but fun courses.
• Location – Close proximity to Disney World is a big plus. The 429 Toll road that runs west of Disney and adjacent to Davenport/Kissimmee is a well kept secret. Even during the summer, the back gates of Disney are reachable within minutes of most Davenport villas with little traffic.
• Privacy/Security – In addition to the great selection of various gated resort communities in Davenport, the city is typically a little less harried and busy than Kissimmee. Most parts of Davenport are very residential and less commercial which gives the town a more neighborly feel. Your family will love the private residential options in the Davenport area.

Why are Davenport vacation rentals typically underpublicized? Davenport Fl is part of the larger Polk County area. Davenport vacation attractions are mostly marketed in conjunction with Polk County’s efforts, rather than as a distinct segment.

In contrast, Kissimmee vacation rentals are known widely as a distinct lodging niche in Central Florida. Many communities in Kissimmee have also been around for awhile, and conversely new Davenport communities are just becoming known to guests. Over time, as Davenport grows and more and more visitors enjoy the city and its amenities, Davenport villas will become a preferred option for any Disney vacation.

Although we have covered some of our favorite Davenport resort communities in previous posts, a synopsis of excellent Davenport resorts includes:

• Aviana Resort
• Hampton Lakes
• Highlands Reserve Resort Golf Community
• Solana Resort
• Watersong Resort

Although this is not a complete list of our Four and Five Star rated communities, this is a great start. Most Davenport communities feature private pools, family friendly community amenities such as clubhouses, arcades and recreation rooms, along with high quality luxurious villas. Check-out our ratings on most of the communities in Davenport located on our main page. These are constantly updated with reviews and fresh content for the top vacation options Davenport has to offer.

Davenport Villas

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jun 15

Disney area villas have a lot in common with other tourist markets across the globe, but there is one aspect that makes the regional market unique.

The unique characteristic is the vast number of villa options in or near Walt Disney World® which places the local rental market in a class of its own.

As a testament to the sheer size and variety of the area  vacation homes market, we recently wrote a blog piece about the economic impact of vacation rentals on Central Florida. It is estimated that over 7% of all vacation rentals in the United States are located right here in Central Florida!

Why is this important for the average vacationer to Orlando and Central Florida? Vacation lodging options are the name of the game. Disney vacationers may be especially attracted by hotel discounts and packages, but may never consider the benefits of luxurious villas near Animal Kingdom® and/or the Magic Kingdom®.

• Disney villas located within the park include the Boardwalk villas along the 25 acre Crescent Lake. These villas will put you in the middle of it all, but these do go for a price premium for this convenience.
• Villas at Wilderness Lodge are also premier Disney villas for any family.

Additional Disney area villa options are mostly situated outside the theme park with the closest rentals within 3 to 5 miles. This website typically focuses on these communities which are just outside the gates of Disney World.

Consumers will often find incomplete information for these rental options on many other websites. However, this website focuses on the entirety of the Central Florida vacation rentals market with reviews on over 80 resort communities to give you a full perspective.

Numerous choices does lead to some confusion. Travellers are sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer number of individual rental home listings and the vast array of resort communities in Orlando, Kissimmee and Davenport, Florida market. Moreover, we hope that the reviews and profiles section of our website helps provide you some insight on location, opinions and details on each resort villa community.

The vast number of villa options do make the local market unique, and do provide a great opportunity to find some wonderful vacation deals inside and outside the gates of Walt Disney World®.

Disney Area Villas

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posted by orlandovacationhome on May 25

Pulte Homes® has established a track record in Orlando as a quality vacation home builder. In a recent post, we also blogged about another developer, Park Square Homes and their impact on vacation rentals in Orlando.

The most popular vacation home style resorts are highly influenced by the initial developer. Some of the highly rated vacation home resort communities Pulte has developed include:

• Windsor Hills -  Less than 6 miles from Disney’s Magic Kingdom®. This is a top choice for vacation rentals. Windsor Hills offers an array of resort amenities to resort guests including theatre, game room, exercise area, water slide, spa and large zero entry swimming pool. In addition to a variety of single family homes, this community also offers townhomes and condominiums.
• Windsor Palms – Another popular vacation home rental choice as this community also offers many of the resort style amenities one would expect. This resort is also close to the Magic Kingdom. In addition to a vaiety of single family homes, this communty offers townhome and condominium accommodations.
• Vista Cay Resort – These villas are near Universal Studios®and Sea World next to the Orange County Convention Center again with extensive amenities. This is a townhome/condo resort, as opposed to the mix of traditional single family homes located in Windsor Hills and Windsor Palms.

Why is this important to vacation rental guests? Any prospective renter can be assured that these quality vacation home communities have extensive resort style amenities. These vacation home communities are some of the most highly rated in Central Florida.

For more details on vacation home communities in the Orlando area, consult the community reviews section of our main page.

Windsor Palms Pool

Windsor Hills Pool

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posted by orlandovacationhome on May 24

There are over 90 vacation home communities spread throughout the Orlando area with numerous types of homes and facilities available. It is estimated that there are literally tens of thousands of Orlando vacation homes to choose from. If you do not have a comprehensive knowledge of Orlando, picking where and what type of vacation home to rent can be difficult and even overwhelming.  

We recommend you take three basic steps before you begin your search process:

1.  Decide what to visit while in the Orlando area

If you are only visiting Disney, this may determine what vacation home community locations are more suited to your needs. Similarly, if you are only visiting the Orange County Convention Center , you may want to consider other vacation home communities that are closer to this attraction. Your selected itinerary will strongly influence which vacation home communities are most convenient for you.

2.  Decide what type of home best suits your needs

If you are visiting Orlando with a large family, you may need to rent a single family home. However, if you are travelling as a couple, then renting a vacation condo or townhome may be more suitable.

3.  Decide what type of community amenities you desire

If you are looking for a resort vacation home with plenty of community facilities and amenities, certain communities will be more appropriate for your needs. Similarly, if you are coming mostly to play golf, then other communities may be better suited for you. As we have also mentioned before, if privacy is important to you and your family, select a community that is gated and/or guarded.

Once you have made these basic decisions, you can begin to decide where to stay and what type of vacation home to book. Consult our Orlando vacation home community reviews to get a better idea of locations, amenities and style of homes before you make a reservation. Our community reiews can be the basis of your search and make the whole process less time consuming and stress-free.

Orlando Vacation Homes

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Apr 28

We get questions often regarding the closest villas near Disney World, and more specifically, ones nearest Disney’s Magic Kingdom® theme park. Although we post full reviews on over 80 resort communities, location is certainly one of the most important criteria for Orlando travellers. We did a community sort for resort communities within 8 miles of Disney World (Magic Kingdom)* and ones that scored 3 Stars or higher on our resort review.

This resulted in a sample listing of 8 quality resort subdivisions with short comments on each:

• Acadia Estates – Small community in Kissimmee, large luxury villas
• Emerald Island – One of our top resort choices in Kissimmee
• Formosa Gardens Estates – Premium rental homes located on large spacious lots
• Regal Oaks - Well located resort townhome community adjacent to Old Town Kissimmee
• Terra Verde - Outstanding Florida villa community amenities such as pool, baskeball court and tennis courts
• Sunrise Lakes - Gated Disney villas with conservation area and lake
• Windsor Hills – Our favorite resort community, but individual rental homes in high demand
• Windsor Palms - Excellent vacation villas near Disney World with full resort amenities 

These Disney World villas make excellent choices for any traveller to the area. Villa vary anywhere from 3 bedrooms, 4 bedrooms and often up to 7 bedrooms in size. Details and reviews on over 80 vacation home subdivisions are posted on our main page. As we indicate, the quality of individual homes will vary within each resort community.

* Keep in mind that we did select locational mid-points within each community for these Disney villas to derive mileage. Our best efforts were made to be as accurate as possible here. Please review the disclaimer on our main page for more disclosure details.

Villas Near Disney

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Apr 21

3 bedroom Orlando vacation rentals provide great comfort for any visitor to the area. In this 3 bedroom size range, available rentals are often condominiums or townhomes. The question you need to consider is this: Is my best value 2 hotel rooms or the luxuries of a 3 bedroom vacation rental in Orlando for roughly the same nightly or weekly rate?

Vacation rentals make the grade under any scenario. As many Central Florida attractions get in high gear, you’ll want to check-out the awesome advantages three bedroom vacation rentals in Orlando, Florida provide.  Consider the advantages vacation rentals have to offer:

• Luxurious Options - 3 bedroom vacation home rentals in Orlando have amenities that might seem too good to believe. These luxuries can include residential kitchens, home theatres, BBQ grills, wireless internet and private bathrooms. As an example, consider having 2-3 full private bathrooms for your family rather than sharing 2 hotel sized bathrooms. Always scrutinize rental listings closely for specific amenities you might want to book before actually making a reservation.
• Gross Square Footage Size – 3 bedroom vacation rentals tend to run approximately 1,200 to 1,700 square feet. Many hotel rooms often have only 400 to 500 square feet of living space.
• Nightly or Weekly Rates - Vacation home rental rates for 3 bedroom vacation rentals start at around $79 per night, of course dependent on holdays, seasonality and specific time of the year. Full week 3 bedroom deals are more affordable than you might think. 
• Maximum Occupancy- Most 3 bedroom rentals in Orlando have an occupancy between 6 and 8 people. This is roughly the same occupancy as 2-3 full size hotel rooms with sleeper sofas.
• Quality Accommodations - Although three bedroom townhomes and condos are on the smaller side for vacation home communities, there are some good resort community options available. These choices include great resorts such as Bahama Bay Resort, Vista Cay Orlando, and Windsor Palms Resort Kissimmee among others.

Visit our home page for graded community reviews of virtually every short term rental subdivision in Orlando, Kissimmee and Davenport. There are plenty of options for almost every budget and for almost any group or family vacation accommodation needs.

3 bedroom vacation home rental in Orlando

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Apr 5

4 bedroom Orlando vacation homes are a fantastic value for any traveller. They are at the “sweet spot” for both consumer choice, and the many conveniences they provide for any family or group on vacation. Would you rather reserve 2 hotel rooms or have a luxury villa of a 4 bedroom Orlando vacation rental for roughly the same cost?

As Orlando adds exciting attractions including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Legoland® and the Walt Disney World® expansion, you’ll want to take notice of the great things four bedroom vacation rentals in Orlando, Florida have to offer:

• Size in Square footage – Most vacation homes of this size are a minimum of 1,800 to 2,000 square feet. Compare this size to average hotel rooms of roughly 400 to 500 square feet.
• Size in Sleeping Accommodations – Most 4 bedroom vacation villas sleep between 8 to 10 persons. This is the equivalent of at least 2 full size hotel rooms using a pull-out sofas.
• Price/Nightly Rates - Vacation home rental rates for 4 bedroom vacation homes start at around $165 nightly depending upon specific home, season and time of year. Full week rates can often run less than this which is quite a deal. 
• Quality and Selection – Most resort communities have plenty of selection for four bedroom vacation homes and condos. This allows you tons of choices for which community you can stay in. This includes availability in such exclusive subdivisions as Windsor Hills and Emerald Island among others!
• Luxury and Amenities – Vacation home rentals of this size offer many amenities that you never dreamed you could afford while on vacation. This includes individual pools, self-catering kitchens, game rooms, wireless internet, and private bathrooms. For example, imagine having 3-4 private bathrooms for your family rather than sharing 2 hotel sized bathrooms if you stayed in a hotel. Consult individual home listings for specifics on these vacation home luxuries. 

4 bedroom Orlando vacation rentals

Orlando is unique for the number of vacation home resorts and communities near the major parks and attractions. This website is one of the largest sources of information for these vacation home subdivisions. More than 80 vacation reviews are posted on this website along with detailed information, videos and photos of each community. These profiles are provided to empower you with the travel planning tools you need to have a great vacation!

4 bedroom Orlando vacation homes

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jan 21

What are the closest homes to SeaWorld? This is a question we often get asked. The closest vacation “community” to SeaWorld© is Vista Cay and The Isle at Cay Commons. These communities offer condominiums and townhomes and are not typical single family homes.

These resort complexes are next to each other, and share extensive amenities. The bulk of the amenities are actually located in Vista Cay.

These communities are also close to Universal Studios ® and next to the Orange County Convention Center. Interstate 4 can easily be reached from these condo and townhome communities including convenient access to the Walt Disney World Resort ® theme parks.

To learn more about these vacation rentals near Sea World, visit our reviews on the right hand side of our main page.

Vacation Homes Near Sea World

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jan 5

We often get asked how many bedrooms will we need when renting an Orlando vacation home? The answer is simple: How many people are in your party and how friendly are they? One of the most popular accommodations is 4 bedroom vacation homes.

Lets say you have two families of four travelling together with a total of four adults and four children. You most likely want to rent a home with two master bedrooms and two additional bedrooms (with two beds each). A four bedroom Orlando vacation home would, in most cases, easily take care of such a party.

Some Orlando vacation homes have as many as eight bedrooms and can sleep as many as 16 people or seventeen if you include a pull out couch in the living room or an extra rollaway bed. Try doing that in a hotel room!

No matter how many people are in your party, an Orlando vacation home can offer 2,3,4,5,6,7 and even eight bedrooms comfortably sleeping from 2 to 17 people.

Four Bedroom Orlando Vacation Home Rentals

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