Villa or hotel

[hardly]

I love a villa.
Booking hotels usually has the option to cancel really late, and not lose money, especially as this year flights cancelled etc. Can villa bookings be done the same, few I’ve looked at want payment 6 weeks before departure, but don’t say what happens if Covid still an issue etc. My flights are booked just uncertain on the villa side of things.
Have you booked a villa or hotel/ suite.

[Donaldfan]

As a solo, non-driving visitor I've booked a hotel. A villa isn't practical for me.

[Simon & Suzann]

Originally Posted by hardly

I love a villa.
Booking hotels usually has the option to cancel really late, and not lose money, especially as this year flights cancelled etc. Can villa bookings be done the same, few I’ve looked at want payment 6 weeks before departure, but don’t say what happens if Covid still an issue etc. My flights are booked just uncertain on the villa side of things.
Have you booked a villa or hotel/ suite.

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If you use HomeAway (changing to VRBO) then you can search for free cancellation option. Plus you tend to be safer through a reputable company rather than a private renter.
Some require full payment, some a large deposit, some small deposit, some with different payment options so it's just a matter of going through and seeing what suits you.
There's other filter options on there to find your perfect villa.

Not sure if you've been before but some things to consider are:

Do u want a gated community?
Do u want a private pool or are you ok with a community pool (if so, you can do some digging using pics of the villa and Google earth to see where the villa is in relation to the pool to see if it's walkable or if u need car), or maybe a pool isn't on your list.
Washer/dryer facilities are nearly always at villas.
Local shops and restaurants.
Distance to parks.
Some more suggestions might be added later by others.
We always have a car so travel is no problem but Uber and Lyft are really great out there if no car (closer to the parks is better to keep cost of them down) or if u fancy a drink one night.

There's loads of villas to choose from on there. When we do villas we tend to stay on the US27 area, it's just personal choice though as our first visit many moons ago was down there.

Good luck in your search.

[TheHughesCrew]

We had a villa booked with HomeAway for part of our stay this year; booked (and paid upfront) with free cancellation. We got our money back straight away after cancelling. Our only 'loss' this year was our Dibb Villa deposit which has definitely put us off committing to similar for next year. However, the villas are often dearer on HomeAway, so its swings and roundabouts...

[munmun]

I would book a hotel, payable on arrival. When you are sure you are going then look to see if there is a suitable villa and book late, it may not be perfect but you will find something.

If you find a good villa just cancel the hotel and you will have no loss. I

[Merryweather17]

We have booked a condo hotel for our next visit, these can be cancelled up to 5 days before and not lose anything through hotels.com/booking.com etc, we get multiple bedrooms, lounge and full kitchen. Depending on the area you are looking at there are some really good 2-3 bed options, it all comes down to how much you need your own pool and how many bedrooms.

[hardly]

Been years since I booked a condo style. Nearly always been in a villa.
Can I ask where the condo is.

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by hardly

Been years since I booked a condo style. Nearly always been in a villa.
Can I ask where the condo is.

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There are condos basically everywhere - we quite like doing these as we aren’t bothered about having our own pool and like the communal facilities - plus they tend to be cheaper.

[KarenG]

Simon and Suzanne give very good advice about how to book villas with free cancellation almost up to check in date - that is how I’m booking anything villa wise in this strange world!

[Merryweather17]

Originally Posted by hardly

Been years since I booked a condo style. Nearly always been in a villa.
Can I ask where the condo is.

See more...

We are planning on staying at Staybridge Suite at Seaworld, but there are others on I drive and in the LBV area. Ones that are often mentioned on here include the Sheraton Vistana resorts, Floridays, LBV resort, Grove resort - west of WDW, Orange Lake resort and there are several Hilton Grand Vacations, one near Seaworld and one right next door to the outlets at Vineland. Silver lake resort is on the US192 right by the back road into WDW at AK, we drove past this several times when we were there at Xmas and thought how convenient the location was. One of the resorts at Bonnet Creek is also a condo hotel and they share all of the pools and facilities and are in the middle of WDW property. All of these cover a range of price points and while some have lots of facilities, some are just flats with pools and a shop/small cafe in the lobby. It you know your party numbers and what is important to you I am sure you will be able to find something to suit your needs and budget if you can manage with 2-3 bedrooms max.