Florida Vacation Rentals - Want Something Less Ordinary?

So you have heard that a smart option for your next Orlando vacation is a Florida vacation rental home. What makes it such a great choice?

Space. Would you like a 180 square foot hotel room or a 2200 square foot Florida vacation rental home for the same price?

Your own swimming pool. Yes, your own pool, not one you share with everyone else ( and their noisy kids, annoying parents....).

Value. A Florida vacation rental is a home away from home for less than a hotel room.

Resort Facilities. Want a clubhouse, gym,tennis anyone, games arcade,pool table perhaps even a movie theater? Pick a resort home and you can have so much more than you expect. Included. No surprise 'resort fee' at the end of your stay.

Location. You can be close to all the action and still go home at the end of the day to your luxury Florida vacation rental.

Florida vacation rentals Orlando are the smart choice!

Would you rather be in a cramped hotel room, or relaxing by this Orlando vacation rental home pool in Windsor Palms?

Want some simple steps to help you decide which Florida vacation rental home to choose?

1. Do you want a resort home? From gyms to convenience stores, business facilities to movie theaters resort homes have it all! Great ones close to Disney are Windsor Palms and Solana.

2. What do you really want from a Florida vacation rental home? They may often have the same floor plan but the homes themselves vary in quality and amenities.

Want it to be child friendly, have a spa, internet access,large screen TVs, south facing pool?

3. A picture tells a thousand words. If a Florida vacation rental owner hasn't taken trouble with their website pictures then move on!

4. Contact the owner. Florida vacation rental owners of high quality homes may get many inquiries every day, but they should always answer quickly, helpfully and courteously.

4. Ask questions. And then ask some more! This is an important decision and a good Florida vacation home owner will always be willing to help you.

5. When you are happy that you have found your dream vacation home go ahead and book!

The first Disney theme park to be built in Orlando. It is modeled on the original park, Disneyland California.
If you haven't visited before, and imagine what a Disney theme park should look like, this is probably it!
Stroll down Main Street and marvel at Cinderella's Castle. Ride the Carousel and fly with Peter Pan. Spin with Buzz Lightyear and have breakfast with a Princess.
Finish the day with Disney Wishes fireworks and you truly will believe that dreams really do come true.

Now this was Walt Disney's vision of the future. Well I will leave it up to you to decide how well that one worked out - but this is truly my favorite theme park.

Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow is what EPCOT stands for. Or Evey Person Comes Out Tired!

This theme park is split into 2 distinct areas, Future World and World Showcase. It is huge! So be prepared to walk a long way to enjoy the attractions which include Test Track and the very popular Soarin Over California.
Take your time to browse around World Showcase which has rides, attractions and shopping.

One of the most popular rides at EPCOT - Soarin Over California. Originally debuted in Disneyland California, this innovative and exciting attraction often has long lines, so use a Fast Pass!
It is a bit difficult to describe, so watch the movie to get more of a sense of what it actually is!
You get a sense that you really are flying as you move up into the air and watch the beautiful Soarin film take you through California.
Warning. If you are afraid of flying or heights then it is best to keep your feet on the ground and avoid this ride!

MGM is the smallest of the Disney World theme parks. If you can call 135 acres small! Disney MGM Studios is packed with rides and entertainment.

The rides and attractions are built around a movie and television theme. Check out the Beauty and The Beast Show, Indiana Jones, The Little Mermaid, Playhouse Disney, and The Muppet Show. And ride Tower of Terror or take a spin with Aerosmith.
At the end of the day you must see Fantasmic. An amazing fireworks, lights, live action and effects show like nothing you have ever seen before!

Want to combine the Disney magic with the world of the Animal Kingdom? Over 1000 animals in a park of over 500 acres Disney's Animal Kingdom takes the concept of an animal park to a new dimension.

Disney's Animal Kingdom has rides, shows and attractions all based around the animal theme. It has 6 lands - The Oasis, Discovery Island, Dinoland USA, Camp Minnie Mickey, Africa and Asia.

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a huge park - almost five times the size of Magic Kingdom. But don't worry. A lot of this park is space for the animals so although you will do a lot of walking and have a lot of fun, you can visit this park and see most of it in one day.

Yes. There really are some great free things to do at Walt Disney World!

Why not check out a Disney World Resort Hotel?

The Disney World resort hotels are amazing places. My personal favorite is Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Just hang out and people watch in one of the amazingly comfortable sofas in the lobby.

A Hotel Tour

Many of the resort hotels offer a free tour to those staying on Disney property. These little known tours include a tour of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Fort Wilderness and The Grand Floridian. Some require a reservation so ask at Guest Services. Free for all Disney resort guests.

Watch the Electrical Water Pageant

You can watch this Disney water parade for free. A little known parade which floats around the Magic Kingdom lagoon every night. You can watch it from The Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Polynesian, Wilderness and Fort Wilderness Resort.

Hang out at The Boardwalk

A fabulous Coney Island themed area with restaurants, shops and the EPCOT resort hotels. Sit and relax on the beach around the lake and watch the world go by. Parking in the Boardwalk parking lot is free for up to 3 hours.

Visit Celebration

When Disney envisaged the EPCOT theme park he saw a futuristic place where people could live, work and play. The closest Disney ever got was the town of Celebration. Although many would say that Celebration is just another ordinary large community, it is a nice place to spend some time. Check out the lake side walks or take a tour of the Celebration Hotel. Have a traditional English cream tea at Sherlocks in the town square - unfortunately not free but worth a splurge.

Do you want to spend time dining in a Disney World restaurant , or just eat on the run?

There are some fabulous restaurants in Disney World. It is very important to make Advanced Dining Reservations for Disney park and hotel restaurants. Plan ahead to get your first choice of restaurants as they do book up . You may not be able to get a table if you leave it too late.

Call 407-WDW-DINE up to 180 days in advance. Some dining venues are extremely popular, such as Cinderella's Royal Table which is located in Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom . It sells out within minutes each day when reservations open at 7am EST

Always make a note of your reservation number. Some very popular restaurants need a credit card guarantee so be sure to cancel in time or you will be charged.

Time is Money so the saying goes. What if you saved money on your Disney World vacation but spent all your time in line? Missed those things that you told the kids they would enjoy? So what are the secrets to saving time at Walt Disney World?

1. Planning. A little planning goes a very long way. Plan ahead and read a good guide book before you arrive at the Disney parks. You may want to avoid It's a Small World but must see Pirates of the Caribbean!

2. The Fast Pass system is one of the best ways to save time and see more attractions. A Fast Pass is free and easy to use. It will allow you to bypass the regular line, and go to the much quicker Fast Pass line. You will see Disney Fast Pass machines outside the entrance to many of the most popular Disney attractions. There is a time return shown above the machines. This will display a one hour 'window' of time.. This is the time for which the machines are currently issuing the Fast Pass. There are restrictions though as to when you can pick up the next Fast Pass - follow the instructions on your Fast Pass ticket which will tell you when you can get the next one.

Using the Disney Fast Pass will significantly reduce the amount of time that you spend standing in line.

3. Child Swap. A lot of the Disney World rides have height restrictions. Or maybe your child just doesn't want to go on the Disney ride that you do. So one of you is going to have to look after the baby whilst the other rides on the attraction. To save you from having to stand in line twice, Disney has a Child Swap system. Just ask the Disney Cast Member at the start of the line if a swap is available. If it is they will give you a Child Swap pass. The first family member then stands in line and experiences the attraction. The second family member then gives the swap ticket to the cast member and does not have to stand in line again.

4. Rain showers are common in Florida, particularly during the summer months. These showers are often over very quickly. When it rains a lot of people leave the parks. You do not have to be one of those people! Remember, less people means shorter lines right? Just stick around a while and you may find that the lines move much more quickly.

Follow these suggestions and you will find that you have much more time to enjoy the things that you really want to do in Disney World.

Don't forget Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure! Two great theme parks located next to each other. Each is owned by Universal but each has it'w own character.
Are you looking for movie and TV themed rides, shows and attractions? Then Universal Studios is the place to go.
Want cutting edge thrill rides and attractions based around your favorite comic book heros, such as Spiderman and The Hulk? Then Islands of Adventure is the place for you.
The hot news is that coming in 2009 to Islands of Adventure is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This exciting new addition will feature rides, shows and attractions based around the bestselling Harry Potter series of books and movies.

You could try but you would be missing out on so much. Why not concentrate on just one park and have a less stressful and more enjoyable day?
If you have only one day then it is best to choose just one park. If there are thrill seekers in your party then you won't be disappointed at Islands of Adventure. If you have younger children then Universal Studios is probably your best bet.