posted by orlandovacationhome on Sep 26
One of the great things about vacation rentals in Orlando is the variety of choice available. If you require a higher level of personal security for you and your family, there are several vacation homes near Disney with gated and guarded facilities. Some of our favorite vacation rentals meeting this security criteria in the area include:
Bahama Bay Resort - Condominium style community with excellent common area amenities
Emerald Island Resort - One of the best resort communities in the area
Lake Berkley Resort - Good location in Kissimmee with ample amenities
Windsor Hills Resort - Our top reviewed vacation community in the area
Windsor Palms Resort - One of the upper tier resorts in terms of quality in Kissimmee
Watersong Resort - Located further out from the major parks, but the homes are typically well appointed
Although we believe that most vacation home communities in the area are safe, this extra level of security may give you some extra comfort while on vacation. If that is the case, there are several options available for you. Orlando vacation home rentals are always an excellent value when compared to hotels based on the amenities and living space they offer. Luxury and security can be be expected from most vacation homes in the area.
Gated and Guarded Vacation Rentals in Orlando
Tweet This Post
posted by orlandovacationhome on Sep 1
Davenport, Florida is one of the most underrated places to book a vacation rental. It is probably the least known area/region for booking a vacation rental mainly because many communities in the area are new.
In a previous post, we enumerated our top four vacation home picks in Davenport. Although Kissimmee, Florida is an excellent place for a vacation rental, one must consider Davenport as well. Now let’s look at Davenport in detail, and why the area is such a great place to vacation.
First and foremost, Davenport and the surrounding Polk County region are very close to Disney World. Davenport rentals are almost synonymous with the term “Disney vacation homes” because they are so close to the back gates of the Disney parks. Davenport vacation homes are just a short drive up the quiet corridor of State Toll Road 529 to Disney. Generally only the locals use Toll 529, as it’s a little known way to get inside the park and avoid most of the traffic for a Disney vacation.
Additionally, one of things that comes with a Davenport rental is typically space, selection and quality. Many of the newer subdivisions are located in and around Polk County. This often means that the underlying quality of the community is good, and that the vacation villa is in excellent shape. Typically this means spacious common areas for your kids to roam and play in while you are “home” from the parks. Again, one should consult our community profiles for reviews of most vacation homes near Disney. There are also many communities to choose from. Our site alone reviews over a dozen resort communities in detail in Davenport.
Finally, there are excellent recreational amenities in the area. There are several English Pubs to frequent in the area as well as many top quality golf courses in Polk County. Highlands Reserve Golf Club and Southern Dunes Golf Club are examples of good courses in the area for intermediate to advanced golfers.
All in all, Davenport, Florida is a great place to vacation. Its relative distance to the Disney World theme parks, quality and selection of resort communities, and the amenities in the area including golf courses make it an ideal spot for any vacation.
Davenport Vacation Rentals
Tweet This Post
posted by orlandovacationhome on Jul 12
It is no secret that the current economic climate has afforded a significant housing price decline in Central Florida over the last two years. The Orlando Realtor Association statistics page show that the median home price in Central Florida has declined 39.26% +/- (1) June ‘08 - June ‘09. However, this is a median and each individual area and community will obviously differ.
As foreclosures now impact many of the vacation homes near Disney including the Orlando, Kissimmee, Davenport and Clermont areas, some communities have understandably struggled to maintain Home Owner Association (HOA) fee collections.
As a result, some communities have suffered operationally. Most typically you might see:
- Overgrown lawns in some common areas and around individual homes.
- Some gated communities with gates left open some or all of the time.
- Some vacation home communities with guard towers at the entrance, but no guard.
- Some vacation home communities could have had abrupt development stoppages exemplified by significant overgrown vacant lots and incomplete homes.
The good news is there are many HOAs who are doing a great job at maintaining their communities.
As a result, we have found it necessary to visit each of the communities on a regular basis. This allows us to keep up with those that are maintained, as well as monitor improvements or deterioration in terms of overall quality.
A Well Maintained Orlando Vacation Home Community
Now more than ever, it is important for the Orlando vacation home consumer to do their research and book a community that will meet one’s expectations. As always, we recommend booking with a credible and professional vacation home management / rental company that can remove the guesswork when booking a vacation home reservation in Orlando.
Some Vacation Home Communities
Tweet This Post
posted by orlandovacationhome on Jan 10
Major League spring training baseball in Florida is almost here. The tentative Florida Grapefruit League spring training schedules are now posted for the schedules that run from February 24th - April 2nd. There’s no better place to establish your Orlando area accommodations than in Kissimmee, Florida for these family friendly activities. There are at least five teams that have have spring training play within 1 1/2 hours of Kissimmee: Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers and Philadephia Phillies. In fact, Houston and Atlanta are in the local vicinity if you choose to stay in Kissimmee.
Make plans to attend and enjoy the wonderful weather this time of year. The best place to find team schedules is on the site www.floridagrapefruitleague.com. Keep in mind that dates and times for each of the teams playing are still tentative. The other treat for spring training fans is the fact that several WBC games will also be played in the area in early March. Panama, Venezuela and the United States team will be playing either the Astros or Braves locally.
Consult our blog for reviews and ratings for many of the area vacation home communities which will most certainly make your accommodations more pleasant than a cramped hotel. Make a Kissimmee vacation home your family oasis for Florida spring training accommodations.
Tweet This Post
posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 4
If you go to the Walt Disney World Resorts ® web site, they are running some stellar
promotions at the moment.
You can buy a hotel room and a ticket combination package with spendable gift cards included
or amazing values which make it tough for area hotels and other accommodations to compete. Although we don’t promote any company on this web site, this appears to be such a great deal it deserves to be mentioned.
As always, if in doubt, we advocate buying your tickets directly from any theme park you are attending.
Many metro Orlando area hotels we spoke to agree that the “Big Park” is offering some fantastic promotions making it difficult for them to compete even at the economy level. This may be due in part to the fact that the hotel industry in metro Orlando has seen some staggering drops in room revenue (RevPAR) recently. This may also be further evidence of the magnitude and nature of the global recession.
However, Orlando area vacation homes still remain a competitive alternative to all area hotels, as they affordably offer a family or group of people the benefits of an entire house for a little more than the price of a hotel room. We recommend you shop around, assess your needs, and make your own decision. As always, we will try to keep you informed.
Tweet This Post
posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 12
When booking an Orlando vacation home rental via the internet, part of your decision will include selection a quality vacation home management company. There are plenty of Orlando vacaction managment companies to choose from in the Central Florida area.
- Professionally run with 24/7 customer service
- A professional easy to navigate web site to select your Orlando villa
- The vacation homes have a quality assurance program in place to maintain top notch vacation home standards (Please see our blog post on this topic).
- The Orlando vacaction villa management company has their own service trucks and maintenance staff and are always on call.
- Location of the vacation home.The home should be in a completed and well maintained vacation home community subdivision. No vacant lots and overgrown lawns in the area. Please consult our site often for updated vacation home community reviews and ratings.
- Great vacation villa community facilities (i.e. pool, clubhouse, community activities)
- Internet access or WiFi in the Orlando area villa
- Crystal clear pool/spa
- Fully furnished includes items like blenders and other amenities in the kitchen – not just the basics
- A game room for the kids
Ultimately, you will decide what’s important to you and your family’s Orlando vacation experience. Always try and book the homes with the best location (as close as possible to the parks if that’s where you want to be). Ask the management comany a lot of questions and consult our independent vacation home community ratings. The best run companies are always happy to answer all your questions.
Tweet This Post
