Florida villa recommendations

[geisha]

We're looking to hire a villa for 8 or 9 (5 kids aged 7 and under) next year in August. Keen to get booked up as obviously a busy time. Any recommendations fro MNetters who have hired a villa in the past? There are so many on Internet, don't know where to start. Like to book from recommendations usually. We would like access to a pool and to be as close as possible to Disney. Thank you!

Bump!

mumoverseas has one on here

Ok, that might be a good start, thank you. Also interested to hear from MNetters who have stayed in villas which they have hired online which worked out well.

We stayed in Windsor Hills which was absolutely lovely. Masses of space, private pool and communal pool with flumes. We actually booked it through First Choice but you can book it privately through a number of agencies including holiday rentals here

hello, my ears were burning
I do indeed have a villa in Florida and am currently in it and have just got up (how sad am I? On holiday and first thing I do every morning is check MN?)
Anyway, yes, have a villa, 4 beds 2 baths sleeps 10 with private pool and gamesroom. 4 miles to Disney.
Have already taken one booking for August (6th to 20th) and have had a few enquries about other weeks in August but still available at the moment. If I haven't got the availability you want then my management company will have something. They only manage luxury properties within 4 miles of Disney.
Have a look at www.loyaltyusa.com My house is Minnies Mansion
All the villas are in a lovely sub-division which is just down the road from Windsor Hills but which tend to be a lot cheaper!

We were in Florida in July this year and it was unbearably hot.
Honestly, 40 deg every day, could not stand or walk in the heat.
Queuing for at least 90 minutes for rides in the heat and all of the fast passes were gone by the time we had fought through huge crowds to get to the machines, sometimes by 9.30am.
We would never go in the summer time again and would not recommend it as it really did make us miserable.
It was a fight from the moment we even attempted to park up as everywhere was absolutely heaving.

We absolutely LOVE Florida and go every 4 years, but have never been in the summer before.
Just wanted to let you know.

We went to Florida this summer, 6 adults and 5 kids and hired a villa through owners direct. I have used them a few times and always been happy (not just for Florida)

The villa was about a 10 minute drive from Disney, but more from Universal etc, but was great for us and really, really inexpensive. I'll try to find the link.

This is it here

We were there this year for the first 2 weeks of July this year and it cost us £700 for 15 days. Which split between 4 families was a great deal.

Whilst we found it hot, it wasn't unbearable, and most queues were shaded.

Although I normally come out here Oct/Nov and Easter I have been twice in the summer and like Elizabeth says, it is not unbearable although it can be busy but queues are in the shade and they have fans/mist sprays.

this one is lovely, my friend owns it with another couple.

ooh Elizabeth that is an absolute bargain!
We are planning our next trip there so will have a look at your link.

It is a bargain, we actually kept thinking there was going to be something wrong with it when we arrived as it was much cheaper than all the others we had looked at.

But it was great 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with showers, private pool, garage, really well equipped, plenty of towels etc, fully airconditioned. In a nice little community, pool cleaned regularly, we were really pleased.

Thanks for your recommendations.

Mumoverseas - you're booked up for the fortnight we're after (6th - 20th), but will check out the website.

Brokeoven - mmm. What you have said about the heat worries me. We will have our 7 and 5 year old but also a 5 month old with us. Are the waits for rides as bad for the kiddy ones? We wouldn't bother with more grown up ones I don't think. On the flip side, we thought nothing of taking dd2 to Malaysia when she was 3 months old a both dd's cope with the heat there every year, so wonder whether we would be able to aclimatise?

ElizabethW - I'm liking your suggestion very much. The cost is to split between two families so it would be a very reasonable cost indeed.

Hotchpotch- will checkout your friends place, thank you.

Hello

Just curious, has anyone been to Florida in December? The average temp seems to be 23 degrees but not sure if that means in real life the water parks are not an option?

Also, anyone know if it is busy then?

Thanks (and sorry for intruding on thread...

Geisha -
you can also check out Tripadvisor for vacation rentals now. We have been very successful in finding good accommodation as there is a lot to choose from in Orlando, and it's nice to have reviews.

explorerdora we are in Florida now for our third week. The first 10 days were lovely but the last week or so has been much cooler. Our first week we went to Aquatica and it was lovely but we went a few days ago and it was (apparently) 61 degrees and we only stayed for 2 hours as it was much too cool. The pools are all heated, its just when you dare to emerge from the water you freeze! Of course us brits just braved it but got some odd looks from the staff who were wearing hats and scarves and today someone at Universal was wearing wooly gloves

Thanks for that catintheheat will have a look. Debating now whether to skip florida for summer and go next Easter? Baby will be a year old by then and it will probably be easier to go with a 5 month old in August. Heat doesn't worry us too much but queuing for hours for the younger kids (all under 7) doesn't sound that appealing.

I have read that Easter can be busier than that summer, so you might want to look into that before you decide.

My top tip would be to go on independence day, everywhere was empty and we walked straight onto loads of rides with no queues at all! We were expecting it to be packed!!

Easter can be busier but in my opinion is much nicer. we used to always go for two weeks at Easter and were lucky because the DCs school holidays were longer than average so would always try to go when it wasn't all peak time. Weather much better and not as busy. Have been twice in the summer but would prefer Easter or October. Saying that, we have decided to come back next year for Christmas which we've never done before

i bumped your villa mumoverseas
i thought that was amazing of me

thanks bettymoody. DH is mumbling about not renting it anymore as we are sick of having to keep replacing things people pinch. I can't believe the things that go missing

"catintheheat" I shall use that typo next summer, nice one!

It's all horrible rainy stuff at the mo. I love Florida, me.

really?
like what?

Lol! I'll put it down to hormones catinthehat2!

We went one year at Christmas, it was warm enough some days to go in the pool, but a bit chilly for the water parks. (More like Brittany in summer than waterpark weather.)