Orlando Vacation Homes Rentals

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 Nov 16

Orlando area vacation rentals include what many refer to as vacation homes, condos and townhomes. Although the differences for each type of product are subtle, this Orlando vacation rentals oriented blog and reviews website is meant to help you understand each type of resort accommodation.

To fully understand all of the numerous options available, you’ll also notice community reviews for most of the various communities in the Orlando area. In fact, over 80 resort reviews and profiles are posted on the website. The amenities in most Orlando vacation rentals are quite numerous and luxurious including washing machines, Wifi, fully equipped kitchens and individual pools.

Although Orlando is the namesake for our vacation rentals guide, the trade area for short term rentals also includes the Florida cities of Davenport, Clermont and Kissimmee. Insiders and locals often refer to this geographic area where vacation homes are very common as the “Four Corners”.

The Four Corners area is actually where the four Florida counties converge (Osceola, Orange, Lake and Polk). The significance in location of the Four Corners is that it is conveniently located south of Orlando and near some of the major theme parks and attractions including Walt Disney World.

Orlando vacation rentals near Disney World  are in high demand. The closest vacation homes to Disney often command premium nightly rates, but it does pay to shop our resort reviews. In addition, the vacation rental inventory available is very diverse and includes condominiums, townhomes and traditional single family homes.

If you desire greater privacy, single family homes will perhaps be the best option for you, although condos often come with extensive common area amenities such as a clubhouse, fitness area, community pool, etc… The diversity of vacation rentals in Orlando is what makes the destination unique.

If you are a visitor in the area, consult our vacation rentals guide including community reviews to assist you. As we state on our main page, we focus on Orlando vacation rentals as the accommodation of choice for all types of resort activities. We do the research so you can fully enjoy your vacation!

Vacation Rentals Near Disney

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 23

Looking for some family vacation ideas especially for the holidays in Orlando? Orlando is unique due to the plethora of family vacation resorts in the area. As far as vacation rentals are concerned, there are a lot of luxury vacation homes near Disney. This site reviews over 80+ communities in the area. Some of our favourite highly rated family resorts are (click on each for a resort review):

• Emerald Island Villas
• Reunion Resort
• Terra Verde Resort
• Watersong Resort
• Windsor Hills Resort
• Windsor Palms Resort

The defining qualities of a family vacation resort include, but are not limited to spacious kitchens, gated or guarded grounds, ample resort community pools, a playground on the resort premises, and even possibly a game room in the clubhouse. All of our favorite resort communities mentioned above have all or most of these amenities for a great family trip in Orlando.

Each of our community profiles contains a resort star rating to help you assess the quality threshold for each family resort. Larger families needing a three or four bedroom home will find the economics of renting a vacation home very appealing.

Once again, the unique element of the vacation home rental market in Orlando is the vast amount of choices available. All vacation homes in Orlando are not created equal. We do the research and reviews on most family vacation resort communities to help you make the best possible decision. This research saves you hours of flipping through various web pages looking for reliable information. It’s all right in one place for easy review.

Orlando Family Vacation Ideas

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Oct 20

One of the great benefits of renting a vacation home is self-catering kitchens. Although vacation house rentals offer affordable amenities, perhaps the most delicious appeal of a vacation stay is having the convenience of a full kitchen.  Cooking on vacation is certainly becoming a trend for Orlando vacation rentals with kitchens, and a sign of our economic times.

We checked around and not surprisingly, usage of kitchens in vacation homes is at an all time high. Kitchens help control the cost for a cheap family vacation by not eating out as much. This comes from several sources who do the actual cleaning of the homes, and have been in the business for many years.

At best, some hotels have small burner top stoves, but most do not offer full kitchens due to the fact that this takes away from their in-house food and beverage business. Many do not even have small refrigerators to store pre-packaged food. This is certainly not the case for vacation rentals that mostly have full kitchens and refrigerators. This benefit delivers outstanding value to any visitor to the area when you consider the savings from cooking in a vacation home. Vacation rentals meet the needs of today’s value conscious traveler.

If you are planning a vacation to Orlando, be sure to consider vacation home rentals. One can enjoy the benefits of a home in a comfortable setting.

Our vacation reviews website is meant to be used as a guide for vacation house rentals in the area.

Vacation rentals offer unparalleled value especially when you consider the full amenities present including kitchens. As we have indicated, the trend towards cooking while on vacation is catching on. The savings for any family doing this certainly adds up for discounted travel in Orlando and provides appealing value in these economic times.

Orlando Vacation Rentals with Kitchens

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Sep 23

The Orlando Sentinel (1) recently noted that Orlando hotels are now facing the worst economic conditions since recordkeeping began over 20 years ago. These are business conditions possibly worse than the aftermath of 9/11.

We projected that many hotels in Orlando would be facing some type of systemic failure back in December of 2008 (2).

Checking rates for September 28^th 2009 for one night, we identified several major luxury hotel brands offering rates under $99 directly on their websites. The irony is that thousands more branded new luxury hotel rooms have either recently opened or are just opening, further increasing supply in an oversaturated market.

Some related articles are claiming that as many as one in five hotels are now in some stage of foreclosure (3). Hotels are now also facing their most aggressive competition from timeshare rentals and vacation homes.

Orlando vacation homes can now be rented for the price of a typical hotel room, but offer multiple bedrooms, living spaces, full service kitchens and even private garages, pools and game rooms. Based on personal experience, once a consumer has rented a vacation home and understands the concept, they will not rent a hotel room again.

What does this mean for our readers? We think that booking a vacation home with a reputed and accredited vacation home management company is always the best value and solution for travelers.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Sep 22

The media continues to buzz about the forthcoming Harry Potter World at Universal Park. Reports now indicate that the $250 million project will open in Spring, 2010 at Islands of Adventure. One of the industry’s inside sources, The Theme Park Insider newsletter, indicates that Harry Potter at Universal could be a little over exposed.

Why? Harry Potter Land at Universal will not be a new theme park, but a a park within a park and this could confuse some visitors. Moreover, the attraction will be mostly comprised of three new rides and there is the possibility that some may be disappointed if expecting an entire new theme park. Although this is intriguing, as the Harry Potter park opens and the reviews begin we think most such issues if any will be quickly resolved.

The three rides are believed to be Dragon Challenge (a roller coaster), Flight of the Hippogriff (a more family friendly coaster) and the ride Harry Potter Forbidden Journey which takes the rider through an actual Hogwarts castle.

The Harry Potter Universal Ride could also expand over time. As they often say, we believe this concept “has legs”. There is a difference between a trend and a fad. The whole Potter phenomena will last for years to come, and in the longer term this initial expansion will be a huge hit for the park, and for Orlando as well.

 If you are inclined to visit in the spring to enjoy the opening, the closest vacation home communities are Vista Cay and the Isles at Cay Commons. Vacation rentals are typically a superior and economic alternative to hotels as such homes include full catering kitchens and expansive living space. Consult our site for over 80 reviews of resort communities in the Central Florida area.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Sep 6

Although vacation rentals are often described with such descriptive and apt terms such as “luxurious” and “premium”, one might be surprised at their affordability as well. Vacation homes are a great means for budget travel in Orlando. For example, let’s take a look at some vacation rental options in Davenport, Florida which is an excellent choice for a Walt Disney vacation. 

A quick check of booking sites for such quality resort communities as Calabay Parc, Tuscan Hills, and West Haven indicate that a 3/4 bedroom vacation house sleeping 8/10 persons would run anywhere in the area of $139 to $199 per night depending upon the season. Compare this cost to booking 2 separate hotel rooms and being stuffed in that amount of space for a full week with three other adults or kids. Not our idea of a great vacation! This is not even considering having a private bathroom, game room, potentially a private pool, washing maching and other amenities of home. Family vacations and group travel to Orlando will never be the same after you have stayed in a vacation home.

The other area that provides for such a great travel deal is the fact that most vacation rentals also have full catering kitchens. The savings you will accumulate from cooking breakfast in the mornings and dinner in the evenings is significant. Many travelers fail to consider this savings in their budgets. This will allow for the best experience in the world apart from the Disney vacation itself.

Consult our travel site often for unbiased reviews and news from Orlando. There are some exciting new attractions such as the Hollywood Rip Ride Rock It at Universal and the upcoming Harry Potter attraction in Orlando that are getting a lot of buzz. This site rates and reviews over 80+ resort communities in Davenport, Kissimmee and Orlando for your convenience. This puts the power of consumer choice in your hands. The plethora of vacation rental options is what makes the local market unique.

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Aug 10

We were honored that David M. Scott, international social media marketing expert, blogger and author, made some comments on our vacation home branding post regarding Orlando and branding.

There really is credence to the fact that vacation home communities are in fact brands. This is simply a new paradigm for the general public, and for the travel and tourism blogosphere.

I’ll give you a personal example that occurred late last week which exemplifies the power of brands.

I traveled to several communities, made some notes for our blog, and then did tours of several rental houses. Although my observations are not empirical, I was shocked to see the high occupancy in Windsor Hills Review and Emerald Island Review versus many of the other vacation home communities.

This trend was especially noticeable as you moved down the quality spectrum. The lower rated communities, referencing our quality reviews, appeared to be relatively slow.

There are powerful Orlando area vacation home community brands at work that drive rate and occupancy and are derived from reputation branding and referrals. This also confirms an earlier post on Orlando villa comparison rates for rental homes regarding the impact of quality on rental rates.

For some reason, the vacation rental business became commoditized. In other words, vacation rentals have been marketed as short term rentals on the Internet with no differentiators for quality other than mostly size of home and time of year. Contrast this with the marketing of real estate which does just the opposite. Location of the homes and perceived quality of the neighborhood (as reflected in a per square foot sales price) often drive home pricing.

Our core belief for this site, and on our home page, is that all vacation home communities are NOT created equal.

Visit our website for independent reviews on over eighty vacation home community brands along with travel and tourism news of interest to Orlando visitors.

There are lots of brands to choose from in the Orlando area!

Orlando Vacation Home Brands

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Aug 7

Those who have enjoyed vacation rentals are amazed that more people do not stay in vacation homes given the size of a typical cramped hotel room.

As we have indicated in prior posts, positive awareness of renting vacation villas spreads primarily through positive word-of-mouth referrals. Although vacation homes continue to become more mainstream, hotels continue to hold market share especially in destination locations such as Orlando. At this point in time, hotel brands are much more recognizable to the American consumer.

Why is this the case? In many foreign countries such as Italy and Spain, vacation villas are the first choice for many travelers. Europeans have been positively exposed to vacation rentals as a mainstream alternative. In America, the power of large household brands through repetitive advertising is very strong. Americans often don’t feel comfortable booking without some reassuring feeling of a brand name. In Orlando and other markets, a major factor people trust when booking a vacation home is the community they will be staying in. Thus, the actual resort community becomes part of the brand for vacation homes in Orlando and elsewhere.

Orlando is a unique market for vacation homes. There are well over 80 community subdivisions, and as we have indicated, the quality can change significantly between communities.

The quality of home maintenance may vary within an individual community, but the location, overall quality of homes, amenities and maintenance of the common areas typically remain constant, positive or negative in effect. Good examples of “vacation home brands” with a strong following include the Windsor Hills Resort , Windsor Palms , Bahama Bay Resort, and the Emerald Island Resort.

This website rates and reviews the major resort subdivisions in the Orlando, Kissimmee and Davenport markets on several important factors. This helps one evaluate the price-value-quality equation to determine what brand (i.e. community) you wish to book. This is a “brand” new way of looking at vacation homes that is unique in the industry.

Vacation Home Brands

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posted by orlandovacationhome on Jul 30

Disney released quarterly earnings today with third quarter profit dropping 26%. The most important item for Orlando businesses was the fact that domestic park attendance actually rose 3% mainly due to heavy discounting. International parks and resort attendance dropped 9%. CEO Bob Iger also indicated that the company did see signs of economic stabilization.

The big question for any local businesses is how long the discounting will continue. The Disney CFO, Tom Staggs, indicated that discounts such as the “Buy 4, Get 3″ promotion will continue as long as the economy remains weak. Without this heavy discounting, the drop in local transient leisure hotel occupancy would be even more dramatic.

Feedback from our sources indicates that proximity to the Disney parks is even more paramount from an occupancy impact. It’s pretty apparent that hotels further from the parks are really struggling. As it relates to vacation homes, distance to the attractions is important as well. Our site makes an attempt at profiling over 80 vacation home communities on several factors including distance to major attractions.

Disney Earnings

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