Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

Kissimmee Vacation Homes in Orlando

By Nigel G. Worrall

One of the most popular vacation destinations in the world is Orlando, Florida. A huge reason why so many people visit this part of the world is because of the Walt Disney World resort and its theme parks. Walt Disney World resort is the world’s largest recreational resort and is located in both Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee.

Kissimmee is located on the southern part of the Disney complex and it’s here that you’ll find most of the areas vacation rental homes.  There are many advantages for renting a vacation home in Kissimmee but number one amongst them is the ability to enjoy a luxurious yet affordable vacation. The second reason is the fact that you are just moments away from enjoying the Disney experience as well as all the other local theme parks such as Sea World and Universal Orlando, not to mention all the other attractions that the area has to offer.

A stay in a vacation home is simply a far more luxurious vacation than compared to staying in a hotel. The home is far more inviting and has much more space than the typical hotel room or suite. You can relax in private without worrying about noisy neighbors, you have your own private pool to splash around in and you have an element of privacy that you just can’t get at a hotel.

Most vacation rental homes are conveniently located in quiet residential communities but just moments from the main area theme parks.  A Kissimmee vacation home offers many perks that a hotel simply cannot. Things such as large screen TV’s, separate bedrooms, games rooms, home theaters, and two or maybe three large living areas top the list.

Cost is also a major consideration and if you are traveling with a large family then putting them up in several hotel rooms can get very expensive.  Depending on the size of your family, you can rent a house with three bedrooms, or more, for around the same price of one hotel room and it is certainly a far better option than trying to cram everyone in to one hotel room. Just imagine the convenience of not having to wait for your turn to use the bathroom or watching what someone else wants to watch on TV as vacation homes usually have TV’s in each bedroom.

One major drawback of hotels is the fact that most hotel pools are situated outside in the open air and that means you may soon be the target of annoying insects or bugs. Each vacation rental house comes with a screened in lanai and pool area that prevents annoying pests from attacking you and this means all the family can enjoy relaxing and unwinding in comfort.

A fully functioning kitchen is also another benefit of vacationing in a rental home. Going out for every meal soon gets tiring not to mention very expensive. Vacation homes give you far more options than a hotel with a solitary restaurant that opens when the hotel says it will open.  Naturally, you might fancy a lie in one morning and a kitchen allows you to eat what you want, when you want to eat it so there’s no missing breakfast. In fact, it’s just like being at home as you can get groceries from local stores and enjoy the feeling of being home away from home.

Vacation homes are also great places to come home to after a busy day at a theme park or visiting some local attraction. Sometimes you might just fancy a quiet night in and nothing can be better than ordering a pizza or cooking a sumptuous meal for the ones you love at the end of a busy day.  Each vacation home is usually equipped with everything you might need for cooking and baking and preparing a meal on vacation is just one way to involve the whole family and have some fun.

Talking of family fun, most vacation homes also have a whole host of amenities that include cable TV, DVD players, broadband internet, video game systems, pool tables and a whole lot more for all the family to enjoy. Sometimes you may find that you’ll just not want to go out and that you just want to enjoy a day at home. Vacation home rentals really do give you lots of space to move around and live in and it’s not uncommon to feel like a King or Queen in a palace when you take a vacation in a rental home.

In fact, those that choose to vacation this way rarely go back to hotels afterwards so if you haven’t stayed in a vacation home before, this really is something you need to look into before your next trip.

Hotels vs. Vacation Home Rentals

By Nigel G. Worrall

America is a nation of hotel lovers. When we’re planning a trip the first thing that comes to mind is “Where are we going to stay?” Usually we want somewhere comfortable, somewhere clean and somewhere where all the family can relax. We imagine the perfect vacation or business trip and hope that the hotel can provide us with a nice room and a quick and easy check in / check out process.

Reality is though, that it rarely happens that way. Even when staying at the top hotels in the country something always seems to go wrong whether it be with the hotel itself or with the accommodation. Relaxing it isn’t. Stressful it is. From the time you arrive there is always potential for disaster. From lengthy lines at check in, to actually arriving at your room and finding things not as you planned. It might even be something else around the hotel, like a restaurant, fitness center or the swimming pool being understaffed or worse, closed.

Imagine this scenario; you’re having a large family reunion in Orlando and you’ve tried several hotels in the hope of accommodating you all. You eventually find a hotel that can provide accommodation but you arrive to find that you are spread out all over the place as the hotel couldn’t guarantee to locate you in the same part of the hotel complex let alone on the same floor. It’s a mess and getting everyone together proves impossible.

Traveling as a small family can be just as bad, as many hotels only offer a choice of a room with two Queen sized beds or one King. If you’re taking the kids that means there’s not much privacy for Mom & Pop and then there’s always the constant fights as everyone gets to argue about what to watch on television. It’s even worse when it comes to bedtime as some folks want to sleep and others want to catch the late night movie. In the end someone ends up being frustrated or annoyed.

There is a stress free option though and one that more and more families are finding out about and coming to enjoy experiencing; vacation home rentals.

For around the same money that you would pay at a hotel, you can actually rent a luxurious vacation home that comes equipped with everything you need to make you feel at home. Homes are typically available with anywhere from three to seven separate bedrooms meaning everyone gets their own space to do as they want.  Some homes, particularly in the warmer climates, even have a private heated swimming pool while some homes may have a hot tub or Jacuzzi as well.

Many vacation homes have other great amenities such as large screen TV’s, Xbox or PS2 gaming consoles and even dedicated games rooms with pool, foosball or ping pong tables. All of this means that after a fun filled day out, you can actually enjoy returning home to rest and relax while the kids find plenty to do.

Another major advantage of a vacation rental home is the fact they all come equipped with a full size kitchen. No longer are you dependent on when the restaurant is open or what is on the menu, now you get to pick what you want to eat and when you want to eat it. On occasion dining out is  a nice treat but not everyone wants to go out every meal time and a vacation home gives the option to have a quiet night in and enjoy some home cooking as well as save some cash.

Maybe it’s time to try something different on your next vacation? Vacation rentals are great value and once you’ve stayed in one, you’ll think twice about staying in a hotel again.

The really great thing that we do here in Orlando is give people great vacations. There’s really no other place on earth quite like it. With all it’s fabulous weather, theme parks, shopping, dining and other entertainment offerings it really is the perfect place to take a vacation.

The other thing that makes Orlando so special is its great accommodations. There’s lots of choice, from roadside motels to luxurious five star hotels but there’s one way to stay that makes a vacation even more special. A vacation home rental.

Hotels can be a great way to stay but a vacation home is simply better. With the average hotel room having 300 to 400 square feet of space a vacation home scores big every time. The average vacation home is 1500 square feet and upwards. If you then add into the equation the fact a vacation home has a full sized kitchen, one or two spacious living areas, TV’s in multiple rooms, three bedrooms upwards and all the creature comforts you have at home like games, books, dvds etc, then you start to see what great value a vacation rental actually is. If you then consider each vacation home has its own private swimming pool and that it then comes at the same price as a decent hotel room then it really is a “no brainer” why so many people are now choosing to stay in an Orlando vacation home on their next trip.

As more people get used to the idea of staying in a vacation home, then it is important that the homes continue to offer great facilities and this is where we at Florida Leisure are different to others. Every week we look at our inventory of homes and look at where improvements can be made. When we see something, we immediately contact the home owner and make our observations known so that the owner can make the improvement.

As a result, our homes are the best maintained and best equipped homes in the Orlando area. No other vacation rental company can claim that two thirds of its customers come back and visit year in, year out like we can. The reason for this is two fold, we are extremely choosy about the homes we manage…and that means we only manage the best homes and those owned by people who aren’t under financial pressure to cut corners. It’s an important point …particularly in a tough economic market.

So, with all that said, here’s a video with the latest update on Orlando Vacation Home 4752.

To see more photographs of Orlando Vacation Home 4752 click here.

I was on ESPN Orlando being interviewed about my new book “What You Must Know About Buying Your Vacation Home” yesterday. It’s always fun trying to work out what questions you’ll be asked and I’m always happy to let folks know my feelings on topics close to my heart. As you can see from the video I’m pretty candid about who should buy a vacation home and why…

If you’re thinking or have been thinking for a while about buying your own vacation home in Florida, make sure you read this book. It’s full of tips and hints and will help you make the right decision for you and your family. You can get a copy from Amazon.com

Booking hotel or resort rooms for your vacation is so passé. Imagine going to Disney and then having to endure hundreds, if not thousands of other guests staying at the same hotel or resort as you and your family. All of a sudden the idea of a vacation isn’t so relaxing anymore. Fortunately, there is an alternative and if you don’t like the idea of crowds, then consider renting an Orlando Vacation Rental when the time comes to decide where you’ll be staying while you’re in Central Florida.

What Vacation Rentals Have to Offer

The best part about renting your own villa to vacation in during your stay is that you can enjoy total privacy from other guests while not giving up anything in terms of luxury accommodations. The best of both worlds indeed, especially if you want to have a good night’s rest after spending all day touring the sights and sounds of Orlando.

If you’ve already been to Disney or one of the other theme parks such as SeaWorld or Universal Orlando during the day, then you probably wouldn’t want a ruckus to keep you up during the night while you get some much needed rest for the day ahead, would you? The great thing about the privacy part of a vacation rental is that you can stop worrying about disturbing others, or others disturbing you during your vacation.

As well as having total privacy, another good part about renting your own vacation home is that when you’re traveling as a small party, you’ll certainly appreciate having multiple bedrooms in one residence. Instead of facing the possibility of everyone in your party having to stay at different hotels or spread about all over the place in one hotel, which causes no end of trouble when meeting up for outings, you’ll simply have to rent one single villa to house everyone.

Resort-like amenities

Not only are the bedrooms inside the villa residence just like luxury hotels, you won’t have worry about missing out on what the luxury resorts have to offer. Every vacation home comes with a swimming pool as standard and if you select the right vacation rental company, you will find that they even have a concierge service that can arrange everything from transportation to dining and shopping to VIP theme park tours.

Vacation rentals also have a lot more to offer than your average hotel room. For instance, there is usually a full size kitchen so you can save money by having meals at home when you feel like it. Vacation rentals typically also have at least two or three TV sets and that can be important when you want to watch your show and someone else wants to watch theirs!

Another great thing about a rental is that it typically has a laundry area so you can save on having to haul a load of extra clothes around with you. Airlines are now starting to charge for each and every bag and that’s where the laundry comes in to save you money and aggravation.

Vacation Rental Locations

In the Orlando area there is a wide range of rental options to choose from. From 1 and 2 bedroom condos and townhouses to spacious 3 to 7 bedroom vacation homes the choice is amazing. The best vacation rentals are located within minutes of Walt Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios so make sure you check how far away the rental of your choice actually is.

Finally, it is wise to book early, as the best vacation rentals go quickly. After all, you don’t want to be disappointed that you didn’t get the perfect Orlando vacation villa for your vacation getaway.

www.FloridaLeisure.com

Going on vacation usually involves eating out at expensive restaurants. On this video you will find out how a vacation home rental will save you money and make life much easier for all the family…

Have you ever stayed at a hotel and got involved in a heated argument with your spouse, partner or kids about who watches which show on TV? This video shows you how to overcome that problem when staying in an Orlando vacation home. Enjoy.

Vacation Home Secret #9 reveals how you can save a lot of money and travel lighter when choosing a  vacation home for your next Orlando vacation.

One of the things I really get annoyed by when I have to stay overnight at a hotel (yes, it happens occasionally …usually because I’m at a conference) is the “nickeling” and “dimeing” they do in dreaming up extra charges all over the place. From car parking, to resort fees through to internet access fees, all these small extra charges do is wind me up and cause resentment. I utterly resent the fact that the price I am quoted never reflects what the final bill is and I always resolve never to go back to that hotel again…and so far, I never have revisited a hotel…ever.

So, in this series of 10 videos I talk about some of the secrets about staying in a vacation home… from simple money saving tips through to how staying in an Orlando vacation home will prove to be the best vacation experience you have ever had. Here’s vacation home secret #10…

Well if today’s reports are true I can’t wait until the good times reappear. Why am I so bulliant?

The simple answer is that we have had our best year ever! Yes, even in a “recession” we have been busier than ever serving families and travellers visiting the Orlando area. Both our vacation home side and our cruise business have done better than ever and I’m very pleased to report we have bucked the trend.

So when retailers are crying out because people aren’t spending money who’s really to blame? Maybe the retailers for expecting people to just come to them perhaps? Well it doesn’t work that way anymore… it’s up to people in business to get out there and grab the business.

People in our sector are also bitching and moaning about the lack of people going on vacation at the moment but some people are still having a great time. OK, they may spend a little less at their destination but they’re still going and having a great time nevertheless.

Which leads to another point…what are all these travel companies doing to get people to them? Well one of the things we introduced was our “Dreams Come True” section. This is really special as it gives our guests a chance to do some really cool and exciting things. How about a tour behind the scenes at Disney, or lunch with an astronaut…or how about driving a rally car? Yes, our guests can do all this if they wish. What can they do at other places? Not a lot from what I see as more and more places make cut backs and fail to deliver an experience a guest really wants. Let’s see…”we went to “X” last year and we did this and that but now they no longer offer it”… guess it doesn’t take too long before they decide to go somewhere else… I know I do!

So, yes we’ve had a great year and I fully expect it to continue. Sure we may see some of the effects of the current slowdown but we can trust our customers and we know full well that they trust us to deliver them a top quality vacation in an Orlando vacation home or on board a fantastic cruise with our sister company, www.GoCruisePlanner.com