Has anyone used HomeAway to book stays

[Pipser]

Hello everyone, I am in the early stages of planning a trip to WDW in April 2018. It's going to be between 6-12 people (some haven't decided yet) and we are looking to book a villa or maybe 2 depending and I was wondering if anyone had every used the homeaway website for booking and what their experiences were like.

Also any suggestions for sites I can check for villas in April for about a week would be greatly appreciated.

I know its a long way off but I'm so excited . My DW and I were there for Flower and Garden last year for our honeymoon and can't wait to go back.

 

[ParkHopperFan]

Homeaway is a great place to shop for a villa however be aware that they have begun charging guests a service fee for booking through the site. It's a percentage of the total cost which can be upwards of $100 or more. If you find a villa that suites your need I would recommend contacting the owner and asking about booking directly with them to avoid the Homeaway service fee.

We have stayed at several resorts and have found Windsor Hills to be our favorite. It's a beautiful community with great amenities and is the closest to WDW. You can find properties on www.windsorhillsofficialrentals.com and www.windsorhillsprivaterentals.com

PS. It's not too early to book for April 2018. April is a very popular travel month and the earlier you book the better selection of properties you will have.

Good Luck!!

 

[Pipser]

Homeaway is a great place to shop for a villa however be aware that they have begun charging guests a service fee for booking through the site. It's a percentage of the total cost which can be upwards of $100 or more. If you find a villa that suites your need I would recommend contacting the owner and asking about booking directly with them to avoid the Homeaway service fee.

We have stayed at several resorts and have found Windsor Hills to be our favorite. It's a beautiful community with great amenities and is the closest to WDW. You can find properties on www.windsorhillsofficialrentals.com and www.windsorhillsprivaterentals.com

PS. It's not too early to book for April 2018. April is a very popular travel month and the earlier you book the better selection of properties you will have.

Good Luck!!

Thanks for the info. I certainly wasn't aware of the service charge on Homeaway and I'll look at the Windsor Hills area as well.

Thanks

 

[Aimros]

I haven't used HomeAway to book a stay specifically in Orlando, but I have used it to book stays all over the country, as well as outside of the country. My experience has been nothing but pleasant on all accounts!

 

[disdreamer7]

I have used Homeaway for probably 15 years to book our vacation stays. There were six in our family and unless we wanted to book two hotel rooms this was a viable option.
Our favorite in the Disney area is Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. You would have kitchen and laundry in your unit. They have, I think five pools, two lazy rivers, and poolside bars and food. It is very close to the parks.

 

[Pipser]

I have used Homeaway for probably 15 years to book our vacation stays. There were six in our family and unless we wanted to book two hotel rooms this was a viable option.
Our favorite in the Disney area is Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort. You would have kitchen and laundry in your unit. They have, I think five pools, two lazy rivers, and poolside bars and food. It is very close to the parks.

Wow, 15 years? I didn't even know the site has been around for so long.

Having a kitchen would be perfect because we prefer to make our breakfast and then have lunch and dinner outside and a laundry just means we can pack less

I'll definitely look into the Wyndham as well. Thanks much!

 

[disdreamer7]

Wow, 15 years? I didn't even know the site has been around for so long.

Having a kitchen would be perfect because we prefer to make our breakfast and then have lunch and dinner outside and a laundry just means we can pack less

I'll definitely look into the Wyndham as well. Thanks much!

There were two sites, VRBO and Homeaway but they have merged into one site now. TripAdvisor also has a vacation rentals section.

 

[Pipser]

I've used TripAdvisor a lot mainly for reviews though

 

[dmanwi]

I have used both Homeaway and VRbo for stays in Windsor Hills(2 times) Gatlinburg TN, and La Jolla, CA. We have never had any issues. I usually read reviews of the unit on homeaway or VRBO. I also do a search on the owners name for reviews before booking. I also always ask for their lowest rate available and can usually save some $ over the quoted rate. Sometimes they allow me to book/pay outside of HomeAway or vrbo to avoid the booking fees.

One thing I try to do is book directly through the condo owner vs booking with a management company. In vrbo and homeaway there is a check-box to include/exclude them. We have had good luck that way.

 

[Pipser]

Hi all, I've been checking out both HomeAway and Windsor Hills and have been getting some great responses. So far I'm getting some better prices from HomeAway so we are now thinking to split our time between Disney and Universal. Seeing that we are not from the US can some one say what area we should look at staying in to be a comfortable driving distance from both parks?

 

[dmanwi]

The drive to Universal was 20-25 minutes tops. If you stayed closer to Universal I can't imagine Saving more than 10 min off that time. Unless you are right outside Universal.

We liked it down by Windsor because it is a little away from I-drive. It depends what you like. I wouldn't let the drive determine your decision.

 

[ParkHopperFan]

Universal is in Orange County which does not allow short term rentals so you won't be able to get a short term rental property closer. Osceola and Polk Counties are where the majority of rentals are and those counties are south of Orange. If commute time is important to you be mindful of where the home is in comparison to the parks. Some may advertise that they are only 7 miles to the parks but fail to mention that in traffic it could take 40 minutes to commute each way. You'll find better prices in areas such as Davenport but it is a much further drive than resorts along 192.

 

[Sunshine25]

Homeaway/VRBO were bought out by Expedia earlier this year, and since then, a lot of things have changed, including now charging guests a booking fee. You can seek out the home you like and then ask the owner if they would take your booking direct to save on the fee. Or, try googling that property, most owners do have their own website.

 

[J'aime Paris]

I own 2 properties that are listed on multiple sights, VRBO/Homeaway included. They were the last ones to get on the bandwagon and charge a service fee to guests. Airbnb and Flipkey have been doing it for years.

Asking owners to book direct and circumvent VRBO is a violation of rules. It also strips away a level of protection to the guest. If you book direct, and the owner doesn't "make good" on promises...you have no recourse.

And using a third party management company doesn't mean no service fee. It's built into the pricing for sure.