types of villa

[daftaboutdisney]

Hi and happy new year

we're considering booking a villa for later this year although a lot seem booked up already

is there an area thats better than others and what should we be looking for when booking a villa

Thanks

[Britchick]

People have their favourite areas so that's quite hard to answer, i'm sure people will give you their experiences. I have only stayed in the indian ridge area and as we spend most of our time at WDW it works out well for us.


Malcolm is a sponsor on here and has a villa with very reasonable rates, might be worth sending him a pm.

[Ursula]

Rule of thumb... the closer to Disney the more they cost usually. If you can travel for an extra 15 mins you can get an equal standard of villa for abit cheaper.

[Tink]

Hwy 27 (south of the 192 west intersection) is another popular area. It's close without being on top of Disney.

Some areas are less safe than other areas, as is the case anywhere you go. If you start getting toward Kissimmee proper, you'll hit pockets where crime is higher.

Malcolm will be a good resource for you as will other word of mouth recommendations that you will get from folks here who have stayed in villas.

[Keith]

I'd really like to try one but it would ideally be somewhere we could walk to places :/ perhaps not too far from one of those centres with a few shops and restaurants. Thing is in Orlando there never seems to be any sidewalks :/

[Tink]

That is the truth. The entire Central Florida area is NOT set up for pedestrians. Not even downtown Orlando has much foot traffic once you get out of the immediate congested area.

I think for a villa to work, you'd really need your own transport. Unless you were able to get something near Dr. Phillips, then you could take a cab to DTD (not far) Universal (not far) Seaworld (not far) etc. It's a bit of a centralized area for all the parks and some of the better shopping areas.

Not sure how much rental for visitors they have available in that area though. They tend to be pretty much residential homes and villas.

[Keith]

I was kinda just hoping for perhaps a villa close enough to a walmart or publix or something and perhaps a restaurant or two. We'd do the parks on the second week when we stayed on site and of course we'd get a cab to other places too.

It was just a possibly hopeless thought that we could do SOMETHING without calling a cab

Someone said I should just get a hotel on idrive for the first week but they all seem so ermmmmm low class? perhaps Im wrong though because I was utterly turned off by our first experience (travelodge main gate east shudder) and havent looked since

[Tink]

Oh goodness, that must have been horrid.

The Peabody and the Rosen hotels are nice. I don't know what the rates are, but perhaps one of those would work for you for one week.

There is always the hotel in the Florida Mall. Can't get much closer than that, eh? To shopping, I mean.

[Keith]

Oh goodness, that must have been horrid.

She who must be obeyed still shivers when I remind her of it.

The Peabody and the Rosen hotels are nice. I don't know what the rates are, but perhaps one of those would work for you for one week.

There is always the hotel in the Florida Mall. Can't get much closer than that, eh? To shopping, I mean.

Yes there is indeed! we went there last visit to look around. It would certainly have the shopping taken care off although are there any restaurants around there? I mean I know what they have at the florida mall and its not much, I much prefer the mall at millenia options there.

No idea where the peabody or rosen are but thanks I'll go look

[Tink]

Well, not huge restaurant choices. But there are some.

Peabody and Rosen are mid-way along I drive, if that makes any sense?