Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
it comes to furniture and decor, but single-owner condos and vacation homes are fur-
nished and decorated in a style that reflects the taste of the owner. Vacation homes
very rarely afford interesting views (though some overlook lakes or natural areas),
while condos, especially the high-rise variety, sometimes offer exceptional ones.
The Price Is Nice
The best deals in lodging in the Walt Disney World area are vacation homes and
single-owner condos. Prices range from about $65 a night for two-bedroom condos
and town homes to $200-$500 a night for three- to seven-bedroom vacation homes.
Forgetting about taxes to keep the comparison simple, let's compare renting a vaca-
tion home to staying at one of Disney's Value resorts. A family of two parents, two
teens, and two grandparents would need three hotel rooms at Disney's All-Star Re-
sorts. At the lowest rate obtainable, that would run you $110 per night, per room, or
$330 total. Rooms are 260 square feet each, so you'd have a total of 780 square feet.
Each room has a private bath and TV.
Renting at the same time of year from All Star Vacation Homes (no relation
to Disney's All-Star Resorts), you can stay at a 2,053-square-foot, four-bedroom,
three-bath vacation home with a private pool 3 miles from Walt Disney World for
$289—not quite as economical as Disney's Value resorts, but plenty of value all the
same: With four bedrooms, each of the teens can have his or her own room. Further,
for the dates we checked, All Star Vacation Homes was running a special in which
they threw in a free rental car with a one-week home rental.
Location, Location, Location
The best vacation home is one that is within easy commuting distance of the theme
parks. If you plan to spend some time at SeaWorld and the Universal parks, you'll
want something just to the northeast of Walt Disney World (between the World and
Orlando). If you plan to spend most of your time in the World, the best selection of
vacation homes is along US 192 to the south of the park.
To get the most from a vacation home, you need to be close enough to commute
in 20 minutes or less to your Walt Disney World destination. This proximity will
allow for naps, quiet time, swimming, and dollar-saving meals you prepare yourself.
Though traffic and road conditions are as important as the distance from a vacation
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