Ever been to Orlando and stayed in one of many vacation rental homes? Chances are, over the past 9 years, that you stayed in a community called Indian Creek in Kissimmee, just 4 miles from Disney World’s Animal Kingdom parking lot.

Back in 2000 and 2001 most developments were plotted as part residential part short term rental. Over time, many of the older communities have indeed transformed into that status and few have been taken over completely by the locals who started to live and build a family in those neighborhoods. Who can blame them? An affordable home, often already decorated and furnished, with a central location and a swimming pool in the back yard!

The arrival of Disney World visitors and an ever expanding market, the need was definitely growing towards housing and accommodations for the traveler to the Orlando region. Many hotels were rising up and building the downtown skyline. But the demands of travelers, many from overseas, were different than the very obvious idea of staying in a hotel room or two with one family for a lengthy 14 night or 21 night stay. Building true lodging accommodations that could comfortably harbor a family of 5 to 10 people was a little more than a niche market. Read the rest of this entry »

Just off Lindfield’s Boulevard, a mere 3 and a half miles from Disney World Animal Kingdom parking lot, lies Mango Key, a town home community in Kissimmee Orlando. Many who have stayed here before will return, however, because it is such a small neighborhood and gated from the outside, not many had the pleasure to experience the quiet life of a family Orlando vacation that close to the parks.

Although the extra amenities of the Mango Key community in Kissimmee are limited, there are definitely visitors who see the advantages of being near the buzz of the town for a crazy cheap price of lodging. Let’s be honest, how many of you have stayed in a tropical resort with everything up and in and around, and yet all you did was lay at the pool or visit the area, right? In the end, what families are coming to Orlando for, in most cases, is to get up and ready in the morning, fast track to one of the attraction parks and stay there till the sun goes down or longer. Finding a place to eat is the next important thing on your return trip from the parks and half way through the meal your thoughts are with your sleeping quarters already. Read the rest of this entry »

Sure, blame the economy! You don’t need to be a politician it seems to highlight a positive factor when your company just lost 4% over the last quarter! Expedia reported earlier this month a decline of 4% profit margin, Hotels.com earlier reported a loss… who doesn’t? It’s the economy…

There are the exceptions: the people who display flexibility, who gear their efforts towards the market and the consumer positions. And the winner is… the one who is happy he found an ‘explanation’ for his bad numbers? The one who takes a chair and waits till it blows over? Or the one who says: here I am, I can help!

Discount Vacation Rentals Online will let you be the judge. Feel free to comment at the bottom, please do! We love your reaction, we love your ideas.

Orlando Human Search Engine

Here is one idea which makes us stand out to ANY one on our market: As much as we have owners and management companies that offer their inventory to us and the market, we gather that information and offer it to the market as well, at discounted rate because of the volume we turn. However, we could not possibly put all homes on our web site without becoming just another rental listing company. We now offer a service that we like to call: The Orlando Human Search Engine. We ask people blunt what they are looking for. That is vacation home, condo or town home, what price range or budget they are working with, how many bedrooms and which bedding is required, if they need internet or a games room, if a spa would be preferred, or if distance to the parks is a bonus etc. Discount Vacation Rentals Online then crawls their web site as well as other web sites totaling a few thousand vacation rental properties and match the requirements of the guest and offer these options to them.

And the cost to the guest is… gratis. If we don’t find anything that matches, we will offer options anyhow and the guest will decide. Don’t like what we found? Here is a few more options… There is no obligation, there is no down payments until we have found what you like. You do like one or more of the options, only then you will proceed and make the reservation. If not, best friends and hopefully we can help you next time you come to Orlando.

Give it a try? Shoot us an e-mail at reservations@discountvacationrentalsonline.com or give us a call at 407-492-0094. If all of us are busy, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as someone is available to assist you fully. Look forward to hear from you soon!

Florida is a beautiful place to exchange your wedding vowels and to have an incredible Honeymoon. Whether you would like to have your wedding on a sandy beach under the beautiful Florida sun or at the many magnificent wedding chapels that are located within the Orlando – Central Florida area, you can certainly accomplish your dream wedding.

Disney‘s Grand Floridian is an exquisite hotel and spa with a Victorian style lay out throughout the lobby and the grounds. This resort is positioned along the white sand shores of Seven Seas Lagoon which is within close proximity to Magic Kingdom. Although the prices are a bit expensive, the wedding chapel at Disney’s Grand Floridian has hosted some of the most beautiful fairy tale weddings. With the beautiful architecture of the hotel and the beautiful water and sand beach, your Orlando wedding will be a lasting memory for years to come. If you are looking for a wedding chapel that offers various services at a less expensive rate, The Stay Happy in Love Wedding Chapel off of Hwy 192 in Kissimmee is also a great place to tie the knot. This wedding chapel is located off mile marker #14.

Things To Do On Your Honeymoon

Florida is likely the best place to spend your honeymoon as a married couple. You can certainly find lots of things to do such as visiting the theme parks of Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, Discovery Cove and so much more. Within the Disney area, you are situated within 1 hour of the lovely beaches that surround the beautiful state of Florida. Visit Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach or Melbourne beach all within a 1 hour drive.

Orlando Wedding Professionals

Ron Rosenzweig: Ron is a professional Notary Wedding Specialist who has earned the preferred status with WDW for officiating more than 700 Disney Fairy Tale weddings since 1999. Give Ron a call and he will be more than welcome to guide you through an unforgettable and magical experience for your marriage on your wedding day.

Essential Wedding Photography: a state of the art digital photographer who offers all your pictures online for proofing and will provide you with the most magical moments of your day on DVD and an all leather album. Wherever you go, they go and make it eternal. Click on their web site and ask for more information.

Balloon Decorations By Design: For any occasion Balloon Decorations By Design produces a vast array of celebration decorations with festive balloons with their unsurpassed excellence in creation and design. Give them a call and see what amazing things they can do for you.

Dream Wedding In Orlando: Lodging Accommodations

If you are considering on planning your wedding in the Central Florida area, Discount Vacation Rentals Online can assist with the wedding housing accommodations for your wedding party. We can certainly keep everyone within close proximity so it will be easy for your limo driver to gather both the bride and groom parties in a short period of time. Although there are many different hotels and spas that you can choose from to have your reception and wedding, DVRO can offer wedding accommodations for your entire party at the same price that you will pay for 1 hotel room. Just give us a call to find out how easy it would be to plan your dream wedding.

Here is a great example to surprise your family or if it is already in your planning, this is another great way to tour the sites of Orlando: riding a Hot Air Balloon over the beautiful Central Florida Area. If the weather permits, you can certainly enjoy a hot air balloon ride any 365 days of the year. You will tour the Disney area in a way like you have never seen before. Check out the beautiful green pastures, nature and the lovely lakes and rivers from above and beyond. This experience is a once in a lifetime memory for your family. Balloon rides in Orlando usually travel at heights of 500 to 1500 feet. The feeling is one of peace and tranquility as the earth seems to slowly descend and rotate below.

Hot Air Balloons In Orlando: Experience It!

Your hot air balloon rises with the roar of the burners and then floats in silence, drifting with the wind as you overlook the sunshine state’s landscape. You won’t feel the wind, but you will certainly be a part of it, barely realizing that you are moving. You will certainly feel like eagle soaring through the Florida Sky. You will certainly see deer’s, wild turkeys, and an array of beautiful birds and predators.
This magnificent ride is like no other. If you have younger kids traveling the skies with you, you will be advised in advance that the burners do make noise. You want to consider this or/and a great option is to make the kids aware before you take the trip to the starting point that this is normal operation of a hot air balloon. This way the ‘scary’ burners all of a sudden become a wow-factor for them.

Pick Your Balloon Ride

View the Florida Everglades where you will find several alligators beneath the waters. Your tour guide will certainly give you more details as you are sailing in the clouds! Have a grand tour of Disney World between heaven and earth. You will be mesmerized with the beautiful detailed landscaping and attractions. Have a view of Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and so much more. Soaring through the Florida sky is a very calming feeling leaving you to feel as though the earth is so many miles away. Floating through the sky you can certainly feel a sense of relief and relaxation like you have never experienced before. Balloons take off early in the morning, so sleeping in when this is your day of flight. You get to see the most beautiful sunrises of any guest staying in Orlando. If adventure is one of your inner urges, this is the thing to explore!

Balloon Ride Contacts

There are a number of balloon ride professionals in the Orlando area. Suggesting one that impressed DVRO in terms of professional assistance and safety, you may want to inquire with Orlando Balloon Rides (bluewaterballoons.com) here. They have a large selection of balloon rides, a 100% safety record, are AAA member and so on. Have a look on their web site and please please send us your most amazing pictures and tell us your story on how your ride went! Safe travels, have fun!

Central Florida welcomes the International Junior Miss Scholarship program.

The event will be held July 8th – 12th at the Linda Chaplin Theater which is housed at the Orlando Convention Center in the heart of Central Florida. The expected number of attendees for this event is 500 and they will be enjoying the magical flavors of Walt Disney World Orlando no doubt during their stay.

The first day of the pageant weekend, contestants will conduct a meet and greet for every state contestant along with the International Royalty and International Staff. You will see the contestants in their nice suits or dress along with their state sash. Guest attendees should be well dressed and not in casual attire such as denim.

Rosen Hotel ~ Lodging Accommodations

The event will take place at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. The Rosen Hotel is the official host of the International Junior Miss Scholarship Program. The hotel is offering reduced rates to all guest and attendees. For guests who would like an extended stay in the Orlando area or had other plans than staying in a hotel room, Discount Vacation Rentals Online offers condos, town homes and vacation homes for rent in the area. Inquire about these lodging accommodations here or call (407)492-0094 for reservations and information.

Within minutes to the Rosen Hotel, you will find Wonder Works – The famous upside down attraction with over 100 interactive exhibits for the entire family to enjoy. Or you may visit your favorite Marvel comic characters at Universal Studios. For great family dining, visit Universal City Walk and enjoy the many different restaurants such as Bubba Gump Shrimp, Hard Rock Café, Emeril’s or Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

Within 20 minutes away from International Drive, you may visit Walt Disney World. We recommend a visit to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM or Animal Kingdom. Don’t forget to pass through Disney’s Toon Town at Magic Kingdom to visit Mickey and Minnie! For fine dining, there are over 100 restaurants to choose from at Disney World. Have a character breakfast with all of your favorite Disney Characters or visit one of the many different international restaurants available at Epcot and Down Town Disney.

Within the Disney area, there are several lodging options that are available within 15-20 minutes away from the pageant. Discount Vacation Rentals Online offers accommodations at a discounted rate to all attendees and guests.
For the price of one hotel room, you can book an entire house with your own private screened in pool or you may stay at one of their luxury resort condos or town homes. Prepare all of your favorite meals or have a nice BBQ at your private villa. Split the costs and save! Congrats to all of the contestants and the parents. We are sure you will enjoy your stay in Central Florida!

It is a well known fact that one can find the best and hottest deals on web. The question remains then how do you find those hot deals and preferably would there be a place where you can find all these things combined?

Last Minute Deals In Orlando

Today, Discount Vacation Rentals Online only specializes in lodging accommodations near Disney World Orlando and offers hot deals for a variety of vacation homes in their Orlando Specials section under the Packages and Last Minute Deals, that can be found from our home page. With hundreds of vacation rentals in Orlando, DVRO quite often hears from guests they have looked at web site after web site and still have not found what they are looking for. Well, why don’t you let someone else look for you? Tell us what your ideal place for your vacation stay should look like and you can customize your magical vacation rental perfect for your Disney visit. You tell us, we find it. Many companies or owners you may have talked to have offered you what they have and take it or leave it. Not so with Discount Vacation Rentals Online, we work FOR our guests and close the best deal possible for them. Just give DVRO a call and find out?

Last Minute Deals will not last for ever so take advantage of special pricing when you can. When you find regularly updated web sites that have discounts running, bookmark them and return on a regular basis, is good advice.

Other Hot Deals Online And Coupons

Where Discount Vacation Rentals Online specializes in homes, condos and town homes, you may be looking for additional information for your vacation trip, such as cheap air fares, or hotels in South Florida and why not car rental services? You can check out only4deals.com which is an online shopping service with some of the hottest deals online, discount coupons and more. It is a unique online shopping experience with just a click of a mouse.There is no limit to what the deal of the day would be so visit only4deals on a regular basis.

As June comes to an end, we welcome the exciting and celebratory month of July–and along with it comes the 2010 AAU Boys Basketball National Championship tournaments.  Throughout the next six weeks, basketball teams of all age groups will compete in competitive tournaments across the United States including areas such as our local Lake Buena Vista, Florida.  Lake Buena Vista is the home of Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports Arena and of course, just around the corner is the mouse’s house–  It’s time for some action on the court and how about a sunny Florida vacation with Mom & Dad too!

The AAU Sr. Boys National Championships are NCAA certified events which means dozens of coaches, hundreds of team players and all the more spectators to watch the events unfold at the Wide World of Sports Complex.  Spectator admission rates are only $12.75 for adults and $10.00 for children (ages 3-9). Discount pricing is available on accommodations for participating teams or you may choose to find your own accommodations through several other lodging resources such as hotels, motels or even Orlando vacation rentals including pool homes, town houses or condos at discounted rates.  Teams can eat ’til their hearts content on delicious pizza from the local eateries and pie joints around the Kissimmee-Disney area or if you prefer, you can also pre-order box lunches through Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.  Best of Luck to all Teams Participating this 2009! See also our blog on the 2009 Fall Classic AAU Boys Basketball Tournament

AAU Lodging And Accommodations

For all AAU events in Orlando Florida Discount Vacation Rentals Online offers accommodations and lodging for all teams, basketball and volleyball championships, their fans and coaches. DVRO does not offer hotels or motels for reasons of high cost to teams and the limited basic luxury provided by the hotels.

Orlando Town Houses

Orlando Vacation Homes

Teams and fans have options of choosing town homes and condos close to each other or even private pool vacation homes which are much more spacious, can host the entire team if need be, easier supervision, a safe and great place to hang out pre and post games. All vacation homes are located in the proximity of Disney Wide World of Sports and even fans/parents can stay close to the team (if they want to!).

How To Reserve Your Town Houses & Vacation Homes

The best way to proceed is to make a short-list of what the team or parents would prefer for their stay and give DVRO a call and we will sort things out and offer various solutions with pricing. Or you can of course have a look for yourselves already to see what options there are and make some choices already. 2-3 bedroom Orlando town homes or condos start at $79 per night and vacation homes with pool start at $99 per night. Look forward to hear from you soon. (407)492-0094 and ask for Lisa or Heather, our team specialist. Make a reference to the team you are with and mention AAU Basketball Championships!

If you were to ask someone “what is the first thing you think about when I say Orlando?” More than likely their response will be Disney. Yes, Orlando is known as home to the grand Walt Disney World Resort and Orlando is a very large playground for any aged theme park enthusiast, but that is not all O-town brings to the table. You have your parks, your tourist attractions, dinner shows, shopping malls & outlets and even an array of restaurants that could satisfy any foreigners need for their authentic cuisine.

But how about the locals, where do they go? You might think that you and the wife are not really tourists these days. You take an Orlando vacation once to two times each year, while trying to avoid the entire tourist area and over-crowded venues. You’re looking for a great place to explore that is home to local Floridians. Somewhere you can please the wife with a nostalgic small-town feel, fabulous dining options, and of course shopping. Shopping for treasures such as trinkets, clothing, art, or her ultimate indulgence…shoes, can all be found here.

Places To Go In Orlando: The inside tip: visit Winter Park, Florida!

Winter Park is a quaint suburban area only ten minutes northeast of downtown Orlando. Home to approximately 28,000 residents (Census Bureau’s estimate 2006), this cozy town is a true find off the well traveled path with character as profound as the city of Orlando itself. Winter Park enjoys the most parkspace per capita than any city in Florida and is also home to Full Sail University, Rollins College and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (the largest collection of Tiffany glass on Earth).  Each year the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is organized. The show has become the nation’s oldest and largest, most prestigious outdoor art festivals. This is a must-see for any local or visitor in the Orlando area and maybe the #1 of places to go in Orlando.

Countless mom-n-pop shops line the main strip known as Park Avenue. We do admit that the price tags within these shops are a bit pricier that what you’ll find in your favorite Orlando Outlet Mall venue, although the items you’ll find here in Winter Park are rare finds of luxury and individuality. You will notice the well-known chains such as The Gap, Jacobson’s, Tuni, Siegel’s and J. McLaughlin but you’ll also have an arrangement of fabulous local boutiques including Sultre, Samy, Ginger, Coralia Leets, Bella, Shou’ture, Heelz, John Craig, Downeast Orvis, Bebe’s, and the splendid Park Promenade Jewelers (every woman’s cloud nine).  Specialty shops offering comforting indulgences are also present. You have a Barnie’s Coffee and Tea, Starbucks, and the oh-so-yummy Peterbrooke Chocolatier.

Throughout the day of shopping you have to find time for a bite at lunch and then it is a MUST to stay in Winter Park for dinner as well.  Our following blog posts will highlight some of the best dining options in the Winter Park area, so please come back and visit our Orlando Blog in the near future.  It is the “places to go in Orlando” DVRO restaurant suggestion guide.

Need Directions to Winter Park? Or how about a local map of the Orlando Winter Park area- we have what you’ll need, even the useful list of local events in Winter Park. If you need any further information or if you would like to speak to a representative at Discount Vacation Rentals Online in order to receive some personal suggestions on the Winter Park area, just give DVRO a call- See you soon!

Once in while you stumble across interesting people and useful web sites. The other day we stumbled upon the owners of a home decor business and could not help but check out their web site. What struck me most was the amount of reviews this site attracts.

Many home owners have asked me that question over and over again: where do I go when I want to (re)decorate my home. As much as we applaud the initiative of the home owner to invest in his/her property, we love to help out in that regard and hope the knowledge and expertise of some businesses may give the home owner some good advice on how to make their vacation rental home more ‘home’ for our guests.

Sunland Home Decor – Fine Rustic & Southwest Bedding, Window Coverings and Home Decor. – Specializing in Southwest decor – Lodge decor – Western decor – Nautical Decor – Country Decor. The choice of professional decorators and designers for over 10 years. Shop thousands of affordable luxury home decor ideas IN STOCK and ready to ship today.

Vacation Home Decoration By Sunland Home Decor

Other sources for decoration and furnishings in the Orlando area where the eyes can shop would be:

The Old Time Pottery: there is one across from the Florida mall, one on US-50 in Clermont and one in Altamonte Springs on 436

Tuesday Morning: check the web site for locations. Both Old Time Pottery and Tuesday Morning are outlet stores where you can pick up some great deals on inexpensive items. Check quality before you buy such vacation home decorations, is always a good advice.

We will run a blog shortly on furniture stores separately and will keep you posted if you wish. Simply go to our Orlando vacation home page and let us know you wish to be included in new blog postings.

Happy shopping!