Group Travel 101: Renting an Orlando Vacation Home

Traveling with a group has its unique challenges, and one of the largest is figuring out the best accommodation arrangement. After carefully considering your options you’re likely to come to the conclusion that renting a vacation home is the best bet. Let’s cover the reasons many people come to that decision, as well as a few basic tips for choosing the right home.

Renting a vacation home is often the most cost effective option

This one is sometimes surprising to people! They believe that renting a vacation home must be much more expensive than a hotel room, but this is often not the case. In Orlando, vacation homes start at just $99 and can house up to eight people. Certainly it’s often the case that renting a home with many bedrooms is more affordable than reserving numerous hotel rooms.

You have more amenities and more privacy

In most vacation homes you’ll be treated to a full-sized kitchen with everything you need to make a quick or luxurious meal. Many have private pools, private Jacuzzis, and many luxury amenities. And of course you’ll have more privacy. This is especially great for groups who go to sleep at different times. In a hotel room, you’re all at the mercy of whoever goes to bed first, and whoever gets up first. In a vacation home one person can retire to their room and the rest of the group can enjoy the common areas without worry.

Look for a home within convenient driving distance of the parks

The key to finding the best value is looking for a home that’s affordable but is within convenient driving distance of the Disney or Orlando parks. Generally you want to be within 15 minutes. While there are lower priced homes further away, if you’re spending an hour or more every day just getting to and from the parks, you’ll soon wish you’d spent a few more dollars for a lot more convenience.

Take a close look at your rental agreement

While there are standards that many home rental companies stick to, it’s important to look closely at your particular rental agreement. Some require full payment upfront, but your best bet is to stick with a company that requires a small deposit upfront, preferably not more than $50, and then allows you to pay at your convenience. If you do have to pay for the entire trip upfront, make sure you consider the cancellation policy.



As you can see, there are tons of reasons to choose a vacation home – and finding the right one is as simple as looking at location, price, and the terms of your rental agreement. Whether you spend a ton of time at your home, or you’re just there to sleep between visits to the theme parks, you’ll be glad you did your due diligence.