Orlando Vacation Rental Pros and Cons

Cost Savings

This one can actually be a little tricky. Money is a factor for many people who want to visit Orlando. Let’s face it, it seems like every year, something new is added causing costs to rise.

• New Park additions
• Food
• Shopping
• just about everything else you do or see

These additional costs can really add up and make it tough on a family.

Looking at the initial cost savings, it will almost always appear much cheaper to rent a vacation property. This becomes even more apparent if you are splitting the cost across family members. However, there are other considerations.

• Fuel
• Parking
• Inability to use early park hours
• Transportation

These are all items that need to be considered. However, for many large families, it still works out much better to stay in a Vacation Rental.

Renting through Vrbo does not always guarantee that you will save you money. However, renting a home, villa, or condo will likely save you money over staying in a local hotel or resort. It is also nice to have extra space and private bedrooms for everyone. A private kitchen and laundry make any stay more like home. And one of the biggest ways to cut down on cost is having some of your meals at your rental instead of eating out all of the time.

Nice Accommodations

A great vacation starts with nice accommodations. With Vrbo you can find many great rentals in Orlando:

• Private Homes
• Villas
• Condos

Using a Vacation Rental search tool like Vrbo shows you the variety of properties available for your next vacation. One thing to understand when booking, VRBO does not guarantee bookings. This puts the final responsibility on the renter to research the properties before placing the order. As you take your time to look at the provided pictures you will get a better understanding of the property you are considering.

Important things to do when looking for your Rental:

• Read the Reviews from previous guests
• Ask the property host questions along the way

One of the most important things to do is read reviews, and ask questions to the property host or rental management company. This can give you a better look into how well you will be taken care of if you move forward with the rental.

Finding a Wonderful Vacation Host

As you are looking at different vacation rentals in Orlando, getting a great host is one of the most important things to find. While you might run across some hosts that are not the best, most of them work very hard to meet your needs. It is important for the host to do a good job and get good reviews from the guests that stay at their rental.

As you look at the pictures, it helps to get an overview of the home, villa, or condo. You might ask if there are any updated photos or how long it has been since they have been updated. We can’t stress enough how important the REVIEWS are. Reading what previous guests mention, provides really great insight into what you might experience.

Orlando is full of rentals and hosts understand that they need to do a good job to get return business. This all works in your favor but you still have to take the time and find the perfect place for your next visit.

Read the Reviews

Yes, I know, we have mentioned it again. There is a good reason we are harping on the reviews. This is the one way to get another person’s view on how things went during their stay.

• Did they run into any problems?
• If so, how did the host handle it?
• What were the accommodations like?
• Is the property as well maintained as the pictures show?

These are just a few things to look for when reading the reviews. So many of your questions will be answered by taking the time before renting, and reading through as many reviews as you can.

It can take more time to pick that perfect Vacation Rental

It is so true! There are thousands of homes, villas, and condos in Orlando. Using the provided filters in Vrbo will help with the selection process but this takes time. Once you start looking at all of the properties, you typically start keeping a list of the ones you would consider.

Getting Started on your Vacation Rental quest:

Clicking the Search link will take you to the Vrbo Search tool at the bottom of this page.

• Start filling in your search parameters
  • Where: Orlando, Disney World, Univeral Orlando (enter the location you want to stay in or near)
  • Dates
  • Number of Guests
  • Click Search and Vrbo will search the best properties for you
• Once you have your full list, you can use the filter to limit your results by things like:
  • Number of Bedrooms
  • Pet Friendly
  • Pool
  • and so many more…
• Look at all of the pictures provided
• Read the reviews
• Ask the property host questions
• Any property you are interested in, just bookmark it or open it in a new browser tab
• Once you have your final list, it is easier to feel more comfortable with your booking
• Be sure to look at the total cost when booking. Other fees might be added, so be sure of your final cost before clicking that button.

After getting it down to the last few, it is time to start digging deeper into the pictures, and reviews. Ask questions of the host if you have any concerns before booking. This is generally a much longer process than getting on a hotel site, finding a room, and clicking the book now button.

Getting the dates you want

Try starting with the dates you want to travel for your vacation. It’s really frustrating to find a rental that fits all your criteria, only to discover that it’s not available during the week or weekend you plan to visit. By starting early, you’ll have more options and will likely find something that works for you. To narrow down listings on Vrbo, start by searching availability as soon as you can. The earlier you start, the more likely you will find a place that is more of what you are looking for. Waiting until the last minute will really limit your choices.

Each Vacation Rental Host is different

It’s nice to stay in a place that feels like home. In fact, many of the vacation rental owners in Orlando are fantastic. They want to build a relationship with their guests who stay at their property. However, keep in mind that hosts can vary. Some will make you feel at home and be attentive if there is a problem; others might not care as much, or be available when you need them. Ultimately, it’s helpful to read reviews on vacation rentals at Vrbo before you book so you can discern between good and poor hosts.

Reviews are good but not always reliable

Reading several reviews of each Vacation Rental will be helpful in gaining an overall picture of the property before booking a stay. It’s hard to place full confidence in guest reviews since some guests will be hesitant to criticize the property. Still, others will leave out the positive aspects if they had one thing go wrong during their stay. It’s best to read as many reviews as possible before booking a trip so you can get an idea of how most people feel about a place.

Keep an eye out for additional fees

As you’re looking at the prices of vacation rentals, keep in mind that the price you see on the main screen is not the overall price you’ll pay for your rental.

Additional fees you might see

• Cleaning
• Pet fees

Any additional fees will increase the overall costs. Understanding these fees will help you to determine the best vacation rental for your next stay.