This article is meant to be a guide for those who wish to enjoy their holidays in an ideal spot - a villa in or near Orlando. But where does one find something close to the theme parks, in close proximity to fine dining and luxury shopping and around all of your other amenities that your family might need on a vacation? Is there any hard and fast answer to the best price and if so, what about renting a villa for the lowest price?

The Villa rental dilemma is not a new puzzle. Since the early days of Central Florida tourism (pre-dating Walt Disney, if you can imagine Orlando without the presence of Mickey and the sprawling complex of Walt Disney World itself),the early tourists seemed to favor the areas away from Central Florida. Near to the oceans and their cooling breezes- but also away from the threat of hurricanes, and after the slate of hot hotels were built on Miami Beach, the seashores were never the same. Congestion and high prices eventually led the family vacation crowd to question the idea of spending their hard earned vacation dollars strictly at the shore with every other family. The idea of spending time in scenic central Florida grew in popularity after such theme parks and attractions as Cypress Gardens and Gator World (amongst other cheap vacation thrills) started springing up in Kissimmee, Florida, and the outlying areas in and around the Orlando area. Walt Disney certainly changed the face of real estate and villa rentals in Florida. The properties in and around Kissimmee, Florida began to swell in price, ruling out the idea of Kissimmee as Mickey's lowest price, most close neighbor.

The areas that lie just beyond the immediate neon glow of the accommodations along International Drive, beyond the low cost tee shirt shops and other urban sprawl that creeps near the perimeter of Disney World, has many advantages for the hard working vacationing family. If you'd like to watch the kids catch an occasional firefly near your villa rental, one needs to think outside of the box. That is to say, a family can save money and still enjoy a low cost holiday lodging at a villa rental in nearby cities such as Davenport. Just as an example, Davenport, Florida is accessible via the us 192 corridor to all of the major attractions, theme parks and yet it is known as a place where you can actually see the night sky stars instead of just viewing neon. The deals to be found in and around places like Davenport are numerous, and your family will also get to enjoy some specials and unique attractions that most of the International Drive tourists scarcely get to sample. Your rental villa will most likely be near some luxury outlet shopping malls, a short drive to the area's favorite spot for wine connoisseurs- Lakeridge Winery, nestled in the rolling hills of Clermont, Florida, close to the Davenport, Florida area. Take us highway 27 north to tour the winery and let the kids see a winery actually produce award winning wines while the older members of the family can partake in a few samples of their delicious wines and grape juices. If you are looking for a rental villa location in Clermont itself, there are not too many available for lodging. The area more close to the Afour corners area of South lake County, near the U.S. highway 192 corridor, has a larger selection of vacation villa rentals and possibly more last minute discounts to offer families on vacation. Simply taking the U.S. highway 27 south will give one plenty of choices in resorts, time shares, and other assorted rentals. Perhaps your family may want to surf the web to find the best price. What criteria would you use in order to get the most for your money while enveloping your family in the kinds of resort ambiance that you will remember fondly for years to come?

The first step in your search would obviously be to narrow down your list of who exactly will be in your vacation family. Kids will usually want to invite a friend or two, but lodging considerations may be necessary for nannies or disabled adult care givers. The number of bedrooms is a big consideration, as well as the number of available beds in the actual sleeping areas. Don't feel bad for asking the resort if they count the sleeping sofa as one of the beds, since some of your family might want more privacy than this sort of accommodation would offer.

Next step in trying to determine what sort of villa rental that your family would like is to work on the family budget, and see how close the prices and specials that you are seeing online comes to being near or below your budget. Some families prefer to scrimp on their lodging and rationalize that they will only be sleeping at their cheap rental, but this strategy can backfire. The rainiest days can mean that your family will spend more time in the resort or your villa than you had planned. Of course, you will also need to plan for taking a safe family vacation, and your rental villa should be in a well lit, secure location, nowhere near the areas that look like the cheap part of town. The rental villa should have the same safety features that you would look for in your own home - a deadbolt lock on the door, and a peephole that would reveal the identity of anyone who chooses to knock on your door. Of course, you will also need to carefully scrutinize the lodging for signs of age, and ask how old the property is. If the resort or villa is over ten years of age, does it truly look too dated or lived in for your family's comfort? Take a look at the website of the timeshare or vacation villa rental property- do they have photos of the actual guest accommodations? And what about your Villa in Orlando being near fine dining, or casual dining for the family? A careful look at a villa would also mean being able to pinpoint exactly where the property lies- how close is it to the attractions that your kids want to visit? Is there a laundry room on the premises for your last minute laundry disasters? What about the villa rental makes you want to look at the brochure more than once? Whatever the drawing factor is, chances are that your taste in lodging is around the same as the rest of your family's taste in rentals. That being said, it doesn't hurt to have an informal meeting with the family to discuss the unique likes, dislikes and needs of everyone who will be near and dear to you on your vacation. Maybe the kids have always wanted to travel to Walt Disney World, but perhaps another member of your crew that will spend time being around you will want to visit the Fantasy of Flight vintage airplane attraction. Taking a look at the areas around the Central Florida area, and finding the best price for your dream villa in Orlando can take a lot of planning, research and communication. But it will be a wonderful vacation for your family to savor for a lifetime, when you take the time to plan your vacation villa rental in central Florida.