Since there are over eighty resort communities catering to villa rentals in the “Four Corners” area, this site also provides guidance and reviews for most luxury villas specifically in Kissimmee. Kissimmee villas vary greatly in size, location and quality.

The city of Kissimmee, Florida was incorporated in 1883 and has a population of over 60,000 persons. The city’s land area is roughly 17 square miles, and is located south of downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport. The city has an active central core area with most Kissimmee villas located west of the downtown commercial area, and adjacent to Highway 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway).

The westernmost parts of Kissimmee are bounded by the Osceola-Polk County line and the city of Davenport, Florida which is also a popular vacation rental destination. Click here to connetct to the City of Kissimmee, Florida website.

Some of the more popular villa communities in Kissimmee include Emerald Island, Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, and Terra Verde Resort. Additional high quality Kissimmee villas include Acadia Estates and Bella Vida Resort, although this is only a small sampling of neighborhoods. Any of these communities in Kissimmee provide outstanding accommodations with plenty of amenities to choose from.

The key for any Kissimmee traveler is to do your homework. There are some excellent values and packages available, but one does need to review infomediary websites like this one for resort quality ratings and community reviews.

Specific location and distances to the theme parks should be closely scrutinized as well. A distance differential of 2 to 3 miles, which may not sound like much, may be the difference in driving an extra 30-45 minutes daily during the high season. Consult the community reviews section of our main page for this information and more.

Kissimmee Villas

We continuously re-evaluate our reviews and ratings. In the case of Encantada Resort, our initial evaluation resulted in a rating of Good/Premium for these villa townhome rentals. We would  like to Reiterate our resort rating for Encantada Resort townhomes in Kissimmee. Less than 20% of our 80+ reviewed resorts reach this prestigious designation.

Encantada Resort is well manicured with lots of aesthetic color and seasonal exterior landscaping. More specifically, our review of Encantada Resort is also a result of several sub-areas which impact the resort’s Overall Rating:

* Cleanliness of Resort Grounds

* Overall Appearance of Resort

* Overall Quality of Resort

The Encantada Resort community has outstanding amenities including dual outdoor pools and spas, a refurbished fitness area, internet room, and gameroom for the kids. For all of these reasons, this resort is a very desirable location for any townhome rental in Kissimmee.

Encantada Resort

Encantada Resort Kissimmee

As we promise on our home page, we constantly re-evaluate our individual community reviews / opinions. In the case of Cumbrian Lakes, our initial evaluation resulted in a rating of Average-Good for these holiday rentals. We would now like to upgrade our Overall Community Rating to Good for Cumbrian Lakes Villas in Kissimmee. Less than 20% of our 80+ rated vacation home communities reach this distinction.

Although the economy has been tough on a few vacation home subdivisions in the area, it is obvious that the Cumbrian Lakes association has worked very hard to maintain the quality of the common and recreational amenities. Specifically, the upgrade comes in several areas that impact the Overall Rating:

* Cleanliness of Subdivision

* Overall Appearance of Community

* Overall Quality of Subdivision

Cumbrian Lakes does not maintain a community pool or clubhouse, but the ample outdoor recreational areas and quality of homes does make this community very desirable for any vacation rental in Kissimmee.

Cumbrian Lakes

Old Town Kissimmee is our favorite inexpensive attraction for the Orlando-Kissimmee area. What makes Old Town great is it’s proximity to many of the vacation home communities we write about.

If you are looking for a way to spend a fun day, evening or afternoon out with your family, Old Town Kissimmee is a great place to start.

Old Town puts on some great events, and is well know for its evening car cruises. In addition, Old Town Kissimmee is full of great shops, restaurants, pubs and has a full amusement park. It makes for a great place to take the family in a fun and intimate setting. Old Town Kissimmee is popular with both locals and tourists.

Friday Night is Friday Nite Cruise night for 1975-1987 vehicles. The Cruise through Old Town starts at 9.00 PM. Bands play on the main stage starting around 7.30 PM.

Saturday is the Saturday Nite Cruise ® This is a classic car cruise through the streets of Old Town. Cars arrive in the afternoon with the main cruise starting around 8.30 PM. There is live 50s & 60s music on the main stage starting around 7.00 PM

Wednesday Night is Wednesday Nite Cruise-In night for cars 1987 and older.

Thursday night is Thursday Bike Nite – see over 700 motor cycles parked along old towns brick lined streets. Great for bikers and none bikers alike if you really want to see some amazing bikes in a relaxed family atmosphere.

Many of our international and local friends alike really enjoy these events, as it gives them a real slice of classic Americana and best of all admission is free.

To view some of the vacation home communities we write about, visit them on the right hand side of your screen.

So if you looking for some fun amusements, great shops and some great vehicles, Old Town is on our recommended list. For groups, call them directly at 407-396-4888 or for a calendar of events visit HERE.

Old Town is located at 5770 W 192 Kissimmee, FL 34746, and can be viewed on our interactive map below. Also, check out some of the video posts.

View Larger Map

Villas at Seven Dwarfs Lane Vacation Homes – Orlando Kissimmee

The Villas at Seven Dwarfs Lane Kissimmee is located a little further away (approximately 7.5 miles) from the Walt Disney World ® property than some communities, but is still within a short drive of restaurant and shops.

The Villas at Seven Dwarfs provides for a great resort type community in a clean, well maintained and pleasant setting.

Review the location on our interactive map below. Also review the video of the Villas at Seven Dwarfs Lane below.

View Larger Map

Data for Orlando vacation home occupancy and rate is difficult to collect, as the industry is very fragmented. However, as market indicators, we are inclined to consider hotel data trends to help as a mirror to the vacation home industry.

Recently SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH, a provider of hotel industry data, reported that revenue per available room tumbled 13.2 percent nationally during the week Nov. 9-15, 2008 compared to a year earlier. Revenue per available room, or RevPar as it is termed, is a key gauge of a hotel’s revenue performance.

At the local level, metro Orlando has begun to see the largest drops in both rate and occupancy across the board for the hotel industry since 2001. For the week ending November 15^th, 2008 hotel Rev PAR dropped by a whopping 27.3 % according to the ORLANDO CVB records .

So what are the ramifications for the Orlando vacation home market? Hotel data now tells us that a short term combination of rate and occupancy are in a state of significant decline. Not a surprise given the current economic environment, but the level and rate of the decline is much more devastating than what is being reported on some media outlets. It remains to be seen if these short term indicators become longer term trends for the Orlando market and can provide some basis for an Orlando tourism forecast.

Possible ramifications in the vacation home industry could include:

1. Rev PAH (Revenue per available home), is going to most likely drop significantly, as occupancies decline and some owners and home managers alike, quickly drop their rental rates.

2. This could impact vacation home prices due to the fact that vacation homes would have a lessened ability to generate income, which would logically be reflected in the underlying home sales prices.

3. Like any business, those homeowners that are best positioned to “hunker down” will be the ones that survive. Such factors could include: limited levels of debt, high rental occupancies, good locations and marketing strategies, excellent maintenance, and the overall experience of a good vacation home management company.

The good news for families, and even some event type groups seeking economic alternatives to hotel rooms, is that they may now logically consider the benefit of vacation homes. This helps the vacation home option become more mainstream. Please see our other posts detailing the economic viability of renting Orlando vacation homes and the value they provide to consumers. In addition, the best run vacation home management companies will most likely survive and the services they provide will become more essential.

In conclusion, there is no sugar coating the data. The drop in both rate and occupancy appears to have come so quickly and deeply that major media, and even many in the tourism industry, do not yet recognize. Expect possible systemic failures in Orlando’s tourism industry if these trends continue. Unfortunately, no one can preidict the future including us.

As always, our blog tries to inform you objectively, so subscribe. Check the ORLANDO CVB data here.

Vacation home rentals in Kissimmee have stabilized the area along the US 192 corridor. It has been no secret that the southern arm of the Orlando Florida metropolitan area tourism market (otherwise known as Kissimmee) has struggled over the years to increase its share of the transient hotel market. One lone spot has been the increase in vacation home accomodations in the area.

Bankrupt hotels have been commonplace, and now more shockwaves are moving through the hotel industry in the US 192 corridor. The Orlando CVB recently reported that hotel revenue on the west side of US 192 was down as much as 52%+/-  in November 2008 compared to last year. On the bright side, some of the better performing hotels are off much less, but still down roughly 15% according to our inquiries.

The one bright spot for Kissimmee (Osceola and Polk counties) over the years has been the explosion in popularity of the vacation home market over the last decade. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, Orange County (“Orlando Proper”) has been slow to embrace the vacation home concept, and there are relatively few vacation complexes in this county.

Kissimmee vacation rentals offer an economically viable alternative to hotels for about the price of a typical hotel room with your own private pool in most instances. Such homes are suitable for many families, and even some groups visiting the Orlando area. Larger vacation homes can offer as many as seven bedrooms and can sleep as many as 16 +/- people. This has allowed many of the US 192 restaurants and businesses adjacent to the larger vacation home communities to stay afloat. For Kissimmee community reviews and ratings, please consult our blog posts area.

Cheap Orlando Vacation Homes

Expect the Orlando vacation home rental rates to drop further for the following reasons:

1. Many current owners are now cash strapped and are willing to rent their homes for less
2. As the recession sets in, less people are visiting driving demand down to rent these homes for their Orlando vacation. Please see our POST on this topic.
3. There are large amounts of these vacation villas entering foreclosure and are being picked up for a fraction of their original price, thus the new owners can rent them out more affordably.

Many of these expansive villas can now be rented at a lesser price than most cramped hotel rooms.

Don’t be afraid to shop around for vacation villas in Orlando, and feel free to ask a lot of questions. Remember, all vacation villas and vacation home management companies are not created equal, so do your homework.

Windsor Hills – Best Community Award Winner 

Based on our Windsor Hills Orlando reviews, the resort is the # 1 Overall Vacation Home Community in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. Windsor Hills Resort was built in 2005 by Pulte Homes and is considered by many guests and travelers to be the best overall vacation home community in and around the Central Florida area. Windsor Hills Resort is located southwest of Orlando in Kissimmee, Florida.

The community pool at Windsor Hills Orlando is one of the better community pools in the Central Florida area. The pool has a zero/sloped entry as well a great water slide and toddler kid’s pool. In addition, alongside the pool you”ll find a hot tub and plenty of seating to relax with other vacationers while enjoying the Orlando and Disney area. Of all the Orlando vacation home rentals to choose from, Windsor Hills is perhaps one of the most family friendly.

Windsor Hills Kissimmee also offers a large clubhouse that includes a retail shop, concierge and information desk, attraction tickets desk, game room, premium fitness center, billiards, wireless internet and movie theater. On the grounds of the resort, there is a volleyball and tennis court plus kid’s playground.

Another great benefit of these vacation rentals is the fact that they are located approximately 5.9 miles (35km) from the main entrance of Disney’s Magic Kingdom ®. Windsor Hills villas are also a short 5 minute drive to the major shops and restaurants located on Highway 192 -Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway. The resort entrance is gated and guarded for safety.

For additional security, access to the clubhouse areas and community areas in the Windsor Hills Resort Kissimmee is by a special magnetic card which you obtain from the information center at the clubhouse.

The Windsor Hills rentals includes these types of villa accommodations:

• Townhomes – Typically offer more of a uniform attached style 2 story accommodations, typically 3 and 4 bedroom villas with exterior parking.

• Condos – Typically 2 & 3 bedroom condo rentals close to the community pool and clubhouse area offering exterior parking.

• Vacation Homes – The traditional detached single holiday homes in Windsor Hills Orlando are typically larger and offer homes of 4, 5, 6 and 7 bedrooms. Most of these vacation home rentals come with a private pool, so be sure to request when making a reservation.

To learn more about the Windsor Hills community, peruse our Google® interactive Windsor Hills map, video tour, reviews and photos of Windsor Hills villas.  The video clips from this resort will give you a good idea of why Windsor Hills holiday rentals are so popular. Consult our Windsor Hills Resort reviews for more descriptive details:

View Larger Map of Windsor Hills Resort

Windsor Hills Orlando Florida

Windsor Hills Reviews - Great Pool & Water Slide

Windsor Hills Pool and Recreation

Windsor Hills Resort Orlando Fl

Windsor Hills Kissimmee Fl

Windsor Hills Vacation Homes Kissimmee Florida

When we do rate/critique vacation home subdivisions, we are completely independent and unbiased. We have no vested interest in either renting you a home or promoting one community over another.

We have placed vacation home subdivision and community ratings on our blog to help guide you through the maze of different vacation home communities in the area. Our efforts are based on an evaluation of the common areas and general upkeep of the grounds, amenities and community club. Obviously the quality of an individual vacation home from a maintenance and cleanliness standpoint will be home specific.

If you see a community that is not rated, email us at economist@orlando-vacationhomerental.com and we will make every effort to rate the community.

CLICK ON A COMMUNITY BELOW – See them all on the right hand ——>

Kissimmee Area

#1 Windsor Hills Resort Vacation Homes

#2 Emerald Island Resort