Category Archives: Hints and Tips

Everyone loves some general hints and tips in order to get the best out of their holiday. Especially in Orlando where there areliterally thousands of things to do. Stop searching the web – we’ve put together a collection of hints and tips for you in the following pages.

Will I need pool heating in my Florida Villa?

Posted on by

Will we need pool heating when we book your Orlando villa?

Clearly there are variations of the temperature in Orlando Florida from year to year, so this is only a guide. We will do our best to give you an idea as to whether you should opt for pool heating for your golf or disney villa experience.

In summary, to guarantee a nice pool you would want to have pool heating from November through to March. October and April are a conservative “yes” if you want to be safe rather than sorry.

Even our south facing pool will be too cold to enjoy during the winter months, so pool heating is a must.

In the summer months most people don’t want or need any pool heat. The pool will always feel cool at first but it is normally fine after a minute or two.

heated pool

heated pool

You must be aware that even though the pool heaters are effective they will only heat to a certain amount above the air temperature. So in unusually cold weather the pool may still be cooler than normal. We are sorry that in these circumstances a refund of the pool heating fee is not possible because the heater is still working and using electricity.

You can assist the pool heating by using a pool blanket, and should always use it at night because the pool will be warmer much quicker on the following morning.

Our spa uses the same heat as the pool, so do not expect a dramatic difference between the pool and spa.

In short, this isn’t an exact science but we hope it gives you a good idea of what to expect in Orlando. A pool is a fantastic asset to any holiday home and you will love our particular one – with large deck and lanai.

Will Florida Hurricanes spoil my holiday in Orlando? Unlikely!

Posted on by

June to November is officially Florida Hurricanes Season, but would this impact your holiday at all?

In short, the vast majority of people are not affected. Good news. Chances are very slim that your holiday will be spoilt.

Disney Land is over 1 hour from any coast – hurricanes tend to lose power when they hit land. Most Florida hurricanes hit coastal areas the hardest.

Walt Disney World theme parks have only ever closed for short periods in 1999 and 2004. They also have a policy for when their parks close, same as Busch Gardens.

If you are worried, buy insurance for peace of mind, specifically for Florida hurricanes cancellation. You can visit the national hurricane center website too, for predictions.

Hurricane Insurance link

We’ve been to Florida several times, and had no disruption at all. Indeed most holidays could be affected by bad weather.

Florida Hurricanes on wiki

Low season villa rental benefits

Posted on by

With so many people looking for a villa in peak / high season, mainly constrained by school holidays, it’s good to look once in a while at the benefits of low season villa rental.

– Better availability allows you to pick the best of the bunch, such as our sunny villa!

– Cheaper rates or the possibility of discount

– It’s still hot in Kissimmee / Davenport. We’re talking over 20 degrees Celsius in December, so pack your shorts. Just remember the pool heating and pool cover!

– In fact, it’s not too hot in the low season  – which can be worse than cold weather if you can’t escape it. Florida can get up to 40 degrees Celcius

– Theme parks are quieter, and driving is less stressful, which lends to a more relaxing holiday

– Flights are cheaper, and other services are likely to be discounted too

So why wait? Get booking our villa in the low season whilst availability lasts!

Hints and Tips – How to find the perfect villa to rent

Posted on by

One thing is certain when you are looking for a Villa to rent in Florida – there are a lot to choose from. So how to choose? What to look for? Here are some tips to make sure you get the best accommodation out there.

A pool to start with, that’s a must-have. After a hot day in the sun then it’s great to come back and dip your toes in a pool. It’s ten times better than a games room and children love splashing about with inflatables and beach balls.

The pool should definitely be south facing if you’re staying during any months apart from the middle of summer. Arriving home to a shaded pool that inevitably has a damp feel to it isn’t a great way to enjoy the mornings or evenings.

A hip roof leading on to each edge of the pool is a nice-to-have. A hip roof means that the slope of the roof is at it’s lowest point all along each edge, and it rises into the middle of the house. Sounds picky, but these types of roof maximise the amount of sun by blocking out the least amount of light.

Large shaded lanai / patio to eat on and drink out of the sun and in the shade, everyone hates the feeling when they can’t get out of the sun without hiding inside the villa.

Large pool area, who wants to be crammed into a space that can hardly fit any sun loungers in?

Spa. Not a must-have, but if you had a choice would you rather be relaxing in a spa or sinking into a pool with your beer floating away?

Not overlooked. Plants and orientation of neighbour’s pools shouldn’t make you feel like you’re being watched – you want to be able to let your hair down!

A double bedroom for each adult couple, with a private en-suite. You’re on holiday, why should you settle for anything less?

Centrally located open plan Kitchen. The adults shouldn’t be left out of the fun whilst preparing meals and drinks.

Air conditioning – need I say any more?

Wireless internet for free Skype and finding the best bargains and planning your trip day by day.

Cable TV! Just in case you switch the telly on. Really?!

As luck would have it, it just so happens that Dave’s Florida Villa has all of these, and more, so no need to keep searching for every possible variable. Book your stay today to avoid disappointment.

Florida Holiday Hints and Tips – Car Hire

Posted on by

Getting out and about in Florida to see the attractions almost always requires a rental / hire car, especially if you rent a villa. Only the central hotels and Disney hotels run shuttles to and from Disney, Universal and Seaworld, and even this limits when and where you can visit if you don’t have a car rental. Public transport is limited.

Hire or rental is generally cheap, we paid around £20 a day for a compact 4 door car in 2012. Watch out for the convertibles – great for 2 people but with a family the boot can often end up too small for all the luggage. Our Ford Mustang on one visit only had room for 2 large suitcases. You also won’t get a guaranteed model unless you go to a specialist, so that dream Mustang you always wanted relies on a bit of luck! Dollar gave us a Mustang in Vegas and Orlando but it does depend on who their supplier is.

When you turn up at the airport be sure to send a member of your party in advance to the hire / car rental desk. Orlando international airport run an annoying double baggage pickup system where you have to abandon your cases (again) to go on the train between terminals. Very frustrating. If you send an advance party you can avoid the queues at the hire car desks, which can be large, and save time. The car hire desks are one floor below where you arrive into the airport lounge.

Watch out for extras. Especially when you’re tired after a flight and only want to get home to your Florida Villa! We were once sold extra insurance we didn’t need, and specifically told we needed it. If this is the case then complain and get a refund at the end – it worked for us.

A car seat is expensive so take your own as the infant luggage allowance. We put ours in a cardboard box for the plane hold.

Sat Nav generally costs the same as buying a unit. Don’t bother – we found everywhere we needed without using a sat nav, there aren’t that many roads you need to use in Florida. It can add to the fun and atmosphere of the holiday!

Toll pass – we didn’t bother with toll roads and especially not the toll pass. It’s only a pain getting to and from the airport, but still can be avoided. The main I-4 is not a toll road. If you are venturing further then maybe consider it for long distances.

So once you’re done then exit the airport and the car rental place is across the first road and on the ground floor of the car park. Easy enough. Be careful exiting the airport and read ahead with the signs – Florida signs often don’t give much advance warning!

Getting around with a hire car is very easy. You will probably get annoyed with all the red lights – especially on the 192 (a reason why we picked a Tuscan Ridge location for our disneyworld villa) but remember you can turn right on a red signal unless there are specific signs saying “no turn on red”. Fuel is cheap (just over 2 GBP per US Gallon) but the cars use more fuel especially with all the stop start driving.

Watch out for rain storms – the roads get incredibly slippy as soon as it rains.

Just remember you are on holiday and relax when you take to the road!