Deciding where to stay on your trip to Disney World

We all love to go on vacation, sometimes more than once a year. It gives us the chance to step away from the troubles of day to day life and enjoy quality time with our family and friends. Many people travel to Florida every single year to enjoy the attractions it has to offer, along with the gorgeous weather (they don’t call it the sunshine state for nothing!)

The choice of accommodation for your Florida vacation is probably one of the most important decisions you will make before you visit. Although you hope not to spend too much time in your accommodation its important that you are in nice surroundings when it comes to meal times and bed time. You want to be able to relax without having to worry about things going wrong.

One of the main attractions in Florida is Disney World. The Disney resort itself offers many different hotel packages to suit all budgets. If you are travelling with a large group of friends and/or family sometimes your budget can get stretched a litte too far. With a large group you might want to consider some alternative accommodation, like a privately owned holiday villa near Disney.

Holiday Villas are the perfect way to enjoy your stay in Florida with your family. They offer you the chance to get away from the resort once your day is over which enables you to relax and unwind. Many villas come with their own pools (some indoors, some outdoors) and Spa areas and some even come with their own games rooms!

If you are looking to stay in a holiday villa near Disney it is important to know exactly where the villa is before you book. How far is it from the Disney resort? Do you need to hire a car or is there a shuttle bus then can taken you and your family to the resort?

You might also want to consider what else Florida has to offer. For example, do you want to be near to a beach or another attraction? Although Disney World is a fantastic experience Florida has a lot more to offer its visitors and you should take that into consideration when planning your trip and your choice of accommodation.

What to look for when booking your Villa near Disney

If you are thinking of taking a vacation to Disney World, Florida, then you will need somewhere to stay. As you can imagine, there is no shortage of accommodation in Florida, especially around the Disney Resort! The only problem is that this can sometimes make it difficult to make the right choice when looking for somewhere to stay.

Here are a few tips of what to look for before booking your Villa near Disney.

1. The Physical Appearance of the Villa. What does it look like? Is it nice and clean and well presented? What you don’t want is to end up in an old, shabby Villa. Afterall you might be spending two weeks staying here! Many Villas are well presented as they are personal homes to their owners for certain periods of the year


2. Does it have a pool? Not all Villas come with their own private pool. If a pool is important to you make sure that you check it has one first before committing to the booking.


3. Does it have enough room for the size of your booking? Many holiday villas sleep around 10 people, but most of them differ depending of the size of the villa. Check to make sure that the Villa can accommodate your party.


4. How far is it from the nearest amenities? As you are booking a villa you will need to know where the nearest supermarket is, and maybe the nearest town with bars and restaurants. Is it walkable, or do you need to jump in a car to get there?


5. What are the costs? Are there any hidden costs – for example do you need to pay extra to have the pool heated? Check on the owners web site before you book as they will generally have all the information you need on here.

These five tips are generally common sense, but in the excitement of booking your holiday to Disney World they can sometimes be forgotten. So before you book your holiday take a step back and think about some of the questions that you might want answering regarding the Villa near Disney.

Planning your trip to Disney World

Disney World is a large attraction, and unless you plan your day you can very often end up missing out on some of the experiences it has to offer. Disney World offers attractions for all ages, both young and old so it is the ideal holiday destination for your family.

Booking your holiday to Disney is vey straightforward. You can usually book your tickets in advance before you travel. If you want you can stay in a hotel on the resort, or you have the option of staying offsite, perhaps in a privately owned luxury villa near Disney.

If you are travelling some distance to get to Disney you will need to think about how you are getting there. Most people will fly into Orlando so you need to think about booking your flights and then arranging your transfer from the airport to your accommodation.

Disney World tends to cater for many different budgets so think about what your family like to do, what they like to eat and what shows and experiences that you would like to see before you visit. This can help you to plan and budget your stay in Orlando.

Visiting Disney World is often like visiting downtown of any American City (in fact it is actually known as Downtown Disney!) If you are staying outside of the resort have you considered how you will be getting to Disney?

When you finally get in to the resort grab yourself a park map and work out what attractions you want to see in what order. If you follow a logical route around the park (rather than hopping from one area to another, and then back again) then your day will be much more efficient and you will get greater value for money.

The resort offers many different cuisines and dining tastes so there is something for everyone. Try to work out your dining times into your day plan and make sure that you eat somewhere that everyone in your party is happy with!

Disney World offers not only a great day out but a great experience. Make that experience even better by putting a little bit of planning into your day.

How to keep your costs down when on Holiday in Orlando

We all like to get away from the real world and take a holiday perhaps once or twice a year. It’s a chance to get away from the mundane day to day routines and go away and relax, hopefully in the sunshine! Because of its weather, Florida is a destination that is enjoyed all year round by many UK holiday makers.

But it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

You can keep your costs down by watching your budget. The first thing to do is consider the cost of your accommodation. How many people are going on your trip? If you have quite a large party then maybe you should consider staying in a privately owned holiday villa near Disney. The Villas can often accommodate 8 -14 people and are very reasonably priced. You will probably save considerably on hotel rooms!

You can also find some very reasonable flights to the USA, so shop around on the Internet before you book something.

If you stay in a Villa you can also keep your costs down by buying meals from supermarkets and cooking them in your private kitchen. This will save you considerable amounts of money compared to eating out in a restaurant every night.

If you plan to visit Disney World during your stay then see if you can find any special offers such as “Buy One Get One Free” vouchers, or “Kids go free” offers. This is also true for the other attractions such as Universal Studios.

Of course, having a fun day doesn’t necessarily mean spending money. You can take a trip to a nearby beach and enjoy a day relaxing in the sun and swimming in the sea. If you have a large group you can play games on the beach such as football or cricket. You can have a great time without spending too much money.

Depending on where your Villa is located you might need to hire a car. Car Hire in America isn’t too expensive and fuel is considerably cheaper than in the U.K but work out if you need to have a car for your entire holiday, or just a few days.

These are just a few tips that can help you save a bit of money without sacrificing a good time whilst on holiday in Florida and Orlando.

Tips for looking after your Orlando Holiday Villa

So, you’ve invested in a Villa near Disney in Orlando. Maybe for private use, or maybe you want to let it out to friends, families or maybe even further afield. Here are some quick tips to help you keep your Orlando Villa in tip-top shape.

1. Visual Appearance is always important. If the Villa is starting to a look a little tired or worn then give it a quick lick of paint. It’s amazing what a difference it can make!


2. Check the furniture. If you are able to rent your villa on a regular basis then it’s quite possible that furniture is going to get knocked or stained.


3. Beds! Everyone likes a good bed when on holiday. Make sure that mattresses are aired on a regular basis – and don’t forget to run a vacuum cleaner over them.


4. Clean the glass in the house. Mirrors and Windows look much better when they aren’t covered in fingerprints!


5. Check that the mechanics of the house are all in order. Things like toilet flushes, doors (no creaks!).


6. Do all the white goods work OK? Do the fridge and freezer work as expected?


7. Is your Villa kitted out for elderly or disabled visitors? It might not be something you think about but your villa should accommodate all potential visitors to help them enjoy their stay.


8. The Garden! Does your Villa have a garden? If so keep it neatly trimmed, or if gardening sounds too much of a hassle then consider replacing it with something that’s easier to manage


9. Keep the pool cleaned on a regular basis. A dirty pool is not an attractive pool. If your pool is kept outdoors then make sure that things such as leaves do not create a reason for complaint. Where possible cleaning agents should be added to the pool on a regular basis

10. If you have tiles in your kitchen and/or bathroom then make sure they are seated correctly. The last thing you want is a compensation claim because of a damaged tile causing a trip or a cut!

The golden rule with any Villa is treat it like you do the house you live in. At the end of the day its your property and hopefully it’s offering a nice income (or at least paying for itself) so it’s important that you are responsible when it comes to keeping it maintained for your guests.

Things to do whilst staying in a villa near Disney

There are many, many things to do in Florida, many of which you should try to take advantage of when staying in your villa near Disney. Many people travel to Florida, from the United Kingdom, specifically to go to Disney, but if you get chance to venture outside of the magic kingdom you can find a whole host of attractions and experiences around the state of Florida.

Firstly, if you don’t want to stay on the Disney Resort itself you should consider the hire of a villa near Disney. Villas offer exceptional value for money and the larger your party the more you can save. Villas also offer a more relaxed lifestyle for your holiday, as there are no pressures to eat at particular times of the day. You can live your holiday at your own pace when you stay in a villa near Disney.

A very popular attraction, other than Disney, is Gatorland. Based on the Florida swamps Gatorland is a type of Zoo with thousands of ‘Gators and Crocodiles. If you haven’t been here before it’s highly recommended. Parking is free and it’s not expensive to experience the attraction.

As with many States and Cities in the U.S.A the shopping experiences in Florida are first rate. There are many outlet malls, with the predominant one on International Drive. The malls all include a great range of shops and restaurants. You could easily spend a day in one of the malls – but try not to spend too much money even if the exchange rate is favourable!

If you really enjoy the whole Disney experience you will probably also enjoy a day out at Universal Studios. Many of the rides at Universal are based around films such as The Hulk, Indiana Jones etc. We really enjoyed our time at Universal; even though it was effectively another theme park it had a totally different feel to Disney.

If you like things a bit more natural you could try Sea World. Sea World plays hosts to a number of Whales and other great wild life experiences. There are often a number of shows where you can get to see dolphins performing and best of all its not expensive to get in.

Renting a Villa near Disney is the ideal way to see the state. And with the money you save on the Villa you can spend on your experience whilst you are there!

Why Villa rental is popular in Florida

Florida is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the U.S. for both UK and US holidaymakers. Many people escape to Florida for the weather, but it also offers a huge range of experiences and days out at places such as Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and much more!

In the recent financial climate people are always looking at ways to maintain their lifestyle (people love their holidays!) but also to save money at the same time. This can be achieved by staying in a villa, rather than a traditional hotel or motel.
Villas tend to sleep up to around 10 people, but they come at a fixed cost, so if you can get a family group, or a group of friends together, the cost per person can come down considerably.

On top of this holidays in Villas near Disney tend to be much more relaxing. For starters you get your own space to do what you want, when you want. There are no set meal times and you get a full kitchen to prepare the food that you want to eat. Of course, there is nothing to say that you can’t eat out if you fancy doing so!

Many villas also come with their own private pool, sometimes these can be indoors or some have them outdoors. The pools are not normally large as they are privately owned but they do offer a private escape where you can have a dip and sit and relax with a nice cold drink.

Florida is known for the good weather, and with a private Orlando villa you often have a area where you can enjoy the sun and sit out the back with your family and friends.
Many Villas are built in communities, so you are never far from a supermarket or gas station. They are also usually strategically placed so that they are not far from major attractions such as Disney. Of course you should do your homework before you book to make sure you are not stuck in the middle of nowhere!

Overall, a holiday villa is the most cost effective way to enjoy a relaxing holiday in Florida.