Orlando vacation homes - questions to ask

Orlando vacation homes have some great advantages compared to hotel accommodation (more space, flexibility and privacy) and that's before even considering value for money - for example, a four bedroom three bathroom single family home with a pool can cost no more that the price of a single hotel room. But you definitely need to do your homework before making a decision on what to rent and where. Just as in any service or industry, there are good suppliers and some not so good ones.

For most families, an Orlando vacation represents their one big break of the year. For some it's one big break that must last for more than just one year, given the costs involved and the time taken to accumulate the savings. So if you're choosing a vacation home as your accommodation, in preference to a hotel or motel, you owe it to yourself and your family to get the best place you can.

How do you do that?

At least part of the solution is to get answers to the following questions:

• Rental costs: Price is important but how secure is the booking?
  The lower the price, the bigger the risk that the property could be unavailable by the time you arrive. Some management companies work on filling their properties to capacity and so they over-book to allow for cancellations - then scramble around at busy times like Easter when cancellations are low and they have more renters than homes. Some homeowners fail to charge economic rents and just go out of business. So check out booking policies and try to get references from past renters. As the old saying goes, cheapest isn't always the least expensive. Do you really want to save $50 or $100 so much that you'll take the risk?
  



• Payment method: Can you pay by credit card?
  If you stayed at, say, the Radisson and you had a bad experience, you're protected by the credit card company's charge back facility. However, some Orlando vacation homes are owned by individuals without any credit card facilities. Paypal and other options are reducing the number of these, but some owners still refuse to take the risk of fraudulent chargebacks so they only accept payment by cash, check or bank transfer. That's their right - and it's your right to book only with someone who will allow you to use your card! It's about risk again - it may limit your choice but if it were me, it would certainly give me peace of mind.
  



• See before you pay: Have you seen the property you'll actually be renting?
  If you're renting directly from the homeowner, you should expect him to have photos and maybe even an online virtual tour of his home. However, if you're booking through a rental company, you need to know that some allocate a specific home when you arrive. If you're lucky, you'll get a top of the range place, if not you could be disappointed. To avoid that disappointment, make sure you're going to see photos before you book - not just "typical" properties, the actual one you'll be staying in.
  



• Don't overcrowd: How big a home do you need?
  Florida State limits and licenses the occupancy levels in all Orlando vacation homes so match your party size to the right home size. For example, most 3 bed properties sleep up to a maximum of 8, most 4 bed 10, and so on). Reputable owners and management companies stick to these limits but some do not. If they don't respect those laws, what else don't they care about? Do you really want to save a few dollars and take that risk?
  



• Condo or single family home: What's your preference?
  You can normally save money by renting a condo and if you don't mind community pools and neighbors close by, go for it. If you prefer a private pool and a little more privacy, and if you intend to spend some time relaxing in the home, a single family home may be worth the extra.
  



• Community Type - What facilities do you want?
  I once had one rental enquiry from a lady who insisted that she didn't want to stay in the single family home in the upscale community I offered her because it had no facilities. Instead, she needed a "resort" type community with a community pool, a club house and a gym, so that her children could mix with other children. That was just the opposite of what I'd wanted when my family was younger so I asked her why. The answer: "Because my kids will fall out all the time unless they have other things to do and other children to play with". The point is: every family has it's own priorities - what does yours want?
  



• The theme parks: How close do you need to be?
  If one main focus of your visit is the theme parks, you won't want to spend a lot of time getting in and out of them. If you're within fifteen minutes of the park gates, you're probably going to be fine. However, be skeptical of all claims: “5 minutes to Disney from our home" may be true at 3 a.m., but at Christmas when the roads are jammed it could be 30 minutes, an hour or more. Check it out carefully. Convenient access to Interstate 4 is probably a more valuable measure.
  



• Parking: how much space do you need?
  Whether it's a condo or a single family property, most Orlando vacation homes have very short driveways. If you will have an RV or more than one vehicle, check out parking arrangements to make sure they are adequate for your needs.
  



• Checking in: how you you gain access?
  It's not like a hotel - you're probably going to arrive after a long car or plane journey and then have to find your own way to the property. In most cases there is no central check-in desk with readily-available staff and even if there is, do you want to be driving all over town to find the check in and then find the property? So is it clear how you gain access on arrival and it it set up for your convenience? Is there a backup in case you have problems finding the place or getting in?
  

You may have many more questions but if the least you do is to work through answers to the above, I think you'll be able to produce a short list of suitable Orlando vacation homes and then find the one that matches your budget and your family priorities.