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It can be tempting to simply search for a villa that is described as being “close to Disney”, but Orlando is a huge holiday destination. A location that is convenient for one theme park may be considerably further from another, so it pays to think about your itinerary before choosing your accommodation.
Start With Your Holiday Plans
Before looking at Florida villas, work out roughly how you expect to spend your holiday.
If you have 14 nights in Orlando, for example, consider how many days you are likely to spend at Disney, Universal and SeaWorld, as well as how many days you want to spend relaxing at your villa, shopping or exploring elsewhere in Central Florida.
A family planning 7 or 8 days at Disney and only 2 at Universal will have very different accommodation priorities from a family intending to spend equal amounts of time at both resorts.
Villa specialists such as Debbie’s Villas offer homes across many of the popular villa communities surrounding Orlando’s attractions, so understanding the geography can make narrowing down the choices much easier.
“Close to Disney” Doesn’t Mean Close to Everything
Walt Disney World occupies an enormous area southwest of central Orlando. Many of the established holiday villa communities are located around its western and southern sides, particularly in Kissimmee, Davenport and Clermont.
These locations can be extremely convenient for Disney, but Universal Orlando is further north. The opening of Universal Epic Universe has also given visitors another location to factor into their plans.
This means a villa with an excellent journey to Disney might involve more driving on your Universal days.
Rather than looking at a single advertised journey time, consider where all the attractions you intend to visit are located.
It is also worth remembering that Orlando journey times are never guaranteed. A drive that looks straightforward on a map can take considerably longer during busy periods.
Kissimmee
Kissimmee has long been one of the most popular areas for Orlando villa holidays and contains numerous villa communities.
Many are situated south and southeast of Walt Disney World, providing convenient access to Disney while also offering a reasonable compromise for journeys towards Universal and SeaWorld.
Kissimmee can therefore work particularly well for families who want to visit all the major theme parks rather than concentrating exclusively on one resort.
There is considerable variation within Kissimmee itself, however, so it is important to look at the location of the individual community rather than relying solely on the town name.
Davenport
Davenport is home to a large number of modern villa communities and is particularly popular with families wanting spacious accommodation and resort-style facilities.
It lies predominantly southwest of the main Orlando attractions. Depending on the particular community, Disney can be relatively convenient, while Universal generally requires a longer journey.
Davenport can be a particularly good choice if Disney accounts for the majority of your theme park days and you also intend to build some villa and pool days into your holiday.
For visitors travelling to Universal on several occasions, it is worth considering those additional journey times before booking.
Clermont
Clermont lies to the west and northwest of Walt Disney World and includes several established villa communities.
For Disney-focused holidays, some Clermont locations can be extremely convenient, particularly for reaching the western side of Walt Disney World.
As with Davenport, however, travelling north and east towards Universal can take longer. Clermont may therefore appeal most to families whose holiday is weighted towards Disney and who prefer staying away from some of Orlando’s busiest tourist corridors.
Don’t Forget Orlando Traffic
Distance is only one part of the equation.
Orlando’s roads can become extremely busy, particularly around theme park opening and closing times, weekends and peak holiday periods. Interstate 4, usually referred to simply as the I-4, is one of the region’s most important roads and can also be one of its busiest.
An apparently short journey can take considerably longer when traffic is heavy.
Toll roads can sometimes provide useful alternatives and may make certain journeys faster, although visitors should understand how toll payments work with their hire car before travelling.
It is therefore better to think of advertised driving times as a general guide rather than a promise of how long every journey will take.
Where Should You Stay?
There is no single “best” Orlando villa location because the right choice depends on how you intend to spend your holiday.
Families planning to spend most of their theme park time at Walt Disney World might consider communities in western Kissimmee, Davenport or Clermont, depending on the particular villa and route.
Those expecting to spend considerably more time at Universal may want to look at locations that make travelling north towards the Universal resorts easier, even if this adds a little time to their Disney journeys.
For families planning an even mixture of Disney, Universal and SeaWorld, parts of Kissimmee can provide a useful compromise, avoiding an excessively long journey in either direction.
Choose the Villa and Location Together
Location matters, but it shouldn’t be considered in isolation.
A villa holiday is about more than travelling to the theme parks. Having your own swimming pool, bedrooms, living space and kitchen means the villa itself can become an important part of the holiday, particularly on rest days.
A family might therefore decide that an additional 10 or 15 minutes in the car is worthwhile for a villa with the facilities, space or community they particularly want.
Companies specialising in Orlando accommodation, including Debbie’s Villas, can help visitors compare villas across different communities rather than simply choosing the property that appears closest to a theme park on a map.
The best approach is to plan your likely itinerary first, identify the areas that make sense for the attractions you will visit most frequently, and then choose the villa that best suits your family.
A little thought about location before booking can mean less time sitting in Orlando traffic – and more time enjoying the holiday.