If you’ve decided to stay in a villa for the first time then you may find yourself feeling completely overwhelmed by the huge selection you will have to sift through.
We tend to choose villas in the Davenport area which is closer to Disney and there are often lots of new developments. However, these villas are normally around a 40 minute drive from Universal and International Drive.
Villas in Davenport range from 2 bedroom condos to 7 bedrooms so there will always be something to suit everyone! It helps to know which style of villa you are looking for before you start your search, for example you can choose from apartments, condos, single story or two story villas.
Most villas have their own private pool and we would always recommend making sure the pool is screened (this helps to keep out bugs and other critters from your pool.) We would also recommend looking for a villa with a covered lanai at the pool area as this gives you some shelter from the sun during the heat of the day.
Most villas come with chairs and loungers for the pool but always check with the villa owners to find out how many loungers are available (we’ve been to a villa before that didn’t have ANY loungers which was a nightmare.)
Speaking of sitting out at the pool, we tend to find that villas that have a south facing pool benefit from the sun all day. This is great for sitting out in the morning when it isn’t unbearably hot. Villas with an east facing pool will get the sun in the morning while villas with a west facing pool tend to get the sun later on in the day.
When we used to hunt for the villa we made up a spreadsheet/table of things and facilities we would like and gave them a priority of things we would definitely like and others that we could go without e.g. internet access was a must, cable TV and some villas even provide a games room. (See our Villa Wish List Editable Spreadsheet in the Downloads section of our website for ideas).
Most villas are well equipped for children but double check with the owners to make sure they have everything you will need for your children such as highchairs etc.
If you have any questions about the villas then make sure you contact the owners. Never rent a villa without making sure it is exactly what you are looking for and exactly what it says on the description! This will be your home base for the duration of your trip so you want it to be as comfortable as possible.
Here are some websites that we’ve used in the past when looking for villas:
Simply Orlando 