Car Diecast Disney Toy

If staying in a hotel is not your idea of a vacation, you might consider a Disney area rental for your upcoming trip to Orlando. Many vacationers enjoy hotel living and all the amenities that go with it…room service, housekeeping, pools, spas, etc. However, there are many individuals and families who prefer to spend their vacation in a home-away-from-home. For those people, a Disney area rental is probably the right choice.

Rental vacation properties possess many advantages. First of all, they offer more privacy for family members. Whereas hotels/motels confine everyone to the same room, Disney area rentals can feature multiple bedrooms, if so desired. That gives parents a little down-time after long days at the Disney parks with their children. If you're traveling with extended family members or friends, multiple bedrooms are a must.

Ever wonder how that one little hotel bathroom is going to accommodate all of you? With a Disney area rental, you can select a property with multiple bathrooms as well. That means no fighting over the bathroom and it ensures that everyone will be ready on time for that fancy dinner for which you've made reservations!

Vacationers who select Disney area rental properties usually note that one of their favorite aspects of such accommodations is the kitchen or kitchenette, which is almost always present in a vacation rental. Eating all your meals out can get to be quite expensive. Even if you'd prefer not to cook while on vacation, you can still use the kitchen facilities to refrigerate items for a quick breakfast of cereal, milk, and juice or take advantage of the oven or microwave in your Disney area rental to cook or warm-up an evening snack, like popcorn or pizza.

Disney area rentals are quite diverse. In the towns that surround the Walt Disney World resort, vacationers like you can find a number of different lodging options for rent. Condominiums are quite prevalent in the area and can be an affordable choice for families on a budget. You can find small condos of just 1 or 2 bedrooms or something much larger, if preferred. Many condominium properties provide amenities not unlike a hotel or resort, including pools, hot tubs, tennis courts, game rooms, and more.

A Disney area rental can also be quite posh. Indeed, if cost isn't a concern, you can locate a luxurious multi-bedroom single family home for your Walt Disney World excursion. While some vacationers may want the whole house or villa to themselves, some travelers choose this sort of Disney area rental when traveling with friends or extended family, therefore providing a separate bedroom for everyone. Often, these elaborate homes will boast a pool, spa, and other top-notch amenities.

There are plenty of in-between Disney area rental options as well, such as townhouses or small single family homes or cabins.

Before you start searching for a Disney area rental, determine your budget and remember to think about proximity to the parks. If you don't mind driving a bit to get to the front gates of Walt Disney World, you can probably find a better price on a Disney area rental that's a little further away from all the attractions. If being just a short distance from the park is essential, expect to pay a little more.

Doin' the Disney Drive: Tips for Happy Road Trips to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida

Your family's summer road trip to Walt Disney World is just around the bend, and maybe you're beginning to identify with the Clark W. Griswold family, from National Lampoon's Summer Vacation. Then again, with a little planning, maybe your journey won't be a comedy of errors. Head down to the local video store, rent a copy of Summer Vacation, enjoy the family's visit to Roy Wally World, and learn how NOT to drive cross-country. Afterwards, you may find some of these tips useful:

Have a place to crash. Nobody likes a late-night motel hunt, so if you reserve ahead you'll be the family hero. If you'd rather keep your schedule flexible, create a list of alternate stopping points that offer decent meals and lodging (don't forget the phone numbers). Phone ahead during the afternoon, once you have a better idea of how the day is shaping up, to be sure there's a room waiting for you.

Keep the kids busy. Many families bring enough games and activities to last the entire journey, and some invest in DC-powered TV/VCR combos, or portable DVD players. Books-on-tape (or CD) are another great idea. The Harry Potter books are more than enough for a two-day journey in each direction.

Get tuned up. Nothing is more expensive or frustrating than a breakdown when you're far from home. Service your car before you leave -- check the tires, brakes, transmission and air conditioning, change the oil, and top-off all fluids. Take extra care if you're driving your motor home or pulling a trailer -- schedule a checkup several weeks in advance, just in case you need a special part.

Be safe. Let's not fool ourselves. Driving is still more dangerous than flying. Improve your family's odds by switching drivers frequently and traveling no more than 500 miles per day. 24-hour marathon drives may get you there sooner, but you'll pay for it in risk and exhaustion. And face it, after a high-energy Disney vacation, the last thing anyone needs is a drowsy driver behind the wheel on the way home.

Do AAA. Make the most of your AAA membership and use its travel discounts, the latest news on highway construction, all the maps you can possibly want, and their famous Trip-Tik route planning service. If you don't have a membership, a long car trip is a good excuse to get one.

Have fun on the way. Why put your vacation on hold until you reach Disney? Plan visits to nearby points of interest. Just what roads do lead to Orlando, and what are the sights?

East Coast travelers usually cruise south on I-95, switching to I-4 near Daytona. Popular side trips along the way include Washington D.C., Williamsburg, VA, Cape Hatteras, NC, Charleston, SC, and the Daytona/Cape Canaveral area in Florida.

Drivers a bit farther inland (to as far west as Pittsburgh) pick routes that include I-77, I-79 and/or I-81, eventually joining I-95 in South Carolina. For a great side route for history and nature buffs, stay on I-81 all the way to Knoxville, TN, where it joins I-75 for the march through Georgia. National Parks and Civil War battle sites dot the route from Gettysburg, PA down through the Shenandoah Valley (did you know Disney once wanted to build a theme park here?), and on through the Smoky Mountains.

I-75 figures into the plans of nearly anyone from Ohio to Chicago, St. Louis and beyond, as nearly every preferred route merges with I-75 before it reaches Georgia. The Chattanooga Tennessee/Northern Georgia area has a variety of interesting natural and historic sites, and it's a perfect choice for your half-way stopover. Those farther south and west inevitably gravitate towards I-10, which hugs the Gulf coast until it, too, meets I-75 in Florida (who can resist a stop in New Orleans?) Once on I-75, Disney World-bound travelers head south past Ocala, Florida to Florida's Turnpike, which cuts southeast towards Orlando and I-4.