Orlando Vacation Rentals

For most, the name Orlando immediately conjures up images of Disney World. However, despite being the "Theme Park Capital of the World," this sunny Florida city has far more to offer. Whether you want to surprise your kids with a family trip to see their favourite Disney characters, or you are travelling with friends to create a more diverse set of vacation memories, Orlando offers something for everyone. The same goes for local accommodations, with Orlando vacation homes ranging from smaller condos suitable for solo travellers, to large homes with private pools ideal for families or big groups.

Getting to Your Orlando Vacation Rental

Orlando International Airport is the city's main airport. You can rent a car from the airport to reach your Orlando vacation rental or you can board one of several shuttle buses that go from the airport to various locations, including downtown, the theme parks, Port Canaveral, and Kissimmee. Shuttle services are cheap and operate 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Sanford International Airport, Daytona Beach International Airport, and Melbourne International Airport are other regional airports that are close to Orlando.

If you are coming from New York, you can use the Amtrak Silver Star and Silver Meteor lines. The Washington D.C. metropolitan area is connected to Orlando via the Amtrak Auto Train track, which links several important stations like Sanford, Lorton, and Virginia.

The other side of Orlando's dining and drinking

For independent restaurants offering both a taste of local cuisine as well as more European flavours, head to the neighbourhood around Lake Eola. Here you'll find brasseries, French bakeries, and restaurants serving cuisines like Mexican, Spanish, or southern. If this all tickles your tastebuds, also consider Orlando condo rentals nearby.

For a taste of local flavors, there are weekly farmer markets held on Sundays in Lake Eola Park, or Saturdays in Winter Garden. You can chat with the local vendors while you stock up on freshly harvested vegetables and fruits for your vacation home's kitchen.

About 30 min west of downtown Orlando, you will find Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards. The winery offers free wine tasting tours that last for about an hour (just be sure to have a designated driver for the rental car!) as well as free seasonal concerts.

Orlando, home to art and sports

If you are a basketball fan, do not miss your chance to attend any basketball game played by the Orlando Magic. Soccer fans, meanwhile, can catch an Orlando City soccer match between March and October.

A cultural trip to Rollins College’s Cornell Fine Arts Museum will expose you to thousands of works of art, from ancient Egyptian sarcophagi to contemporary sculpture. Another cultural gem is the Mennello Museum of American Art, dedicated to a range of work both historic and contemporary by American artists. There is also a beautiful lakeside sculpture garden at this museum.

A whole world of entertainment to keep your kids smiling

Take your kids to Gatorland for a fun day of interaction with wildlife. Here you can observe alligators, or even feed them from a safe distance. The wildlife reserve park is also home to hundreds of other reptiles, birds, and mammals. Gatorland also stages a variety of shows and offers activities like a zip-line, as well as nighttime 'gator feeding tours done by flashlight.

It's recommended that you buy a two-day pass if you want to explore Universal Orlando Resort to the fullest, because it in fact consists of two separate parks: Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. Fans of Harry Potter rush here to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or tour Hogwarts Castle. Even if you're not much of a movie buff, the parks offer rides aplenty to keep your adrenalin going.

It's hardly a trip to Orlando without at least a day at Disney World. Orlando's Disney World is the largest theme park resort in the world. When you stay in a vacation home nearby, you'll definitely want to take your kids to the Magic Kingdom, which is where you'll find the rides the park is known for, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain. It's also here that the children can meet their favourite Disney characters.

For a more diverse, sophisticated experience at Disney, head to Epcot. This park offers a multitude of different international-themed pavilions, rides that envision the future, and seasonal cultural events. The kids will also be able to meet some of their Disney heros, like Belle and Snow White, at this park.

Activities in and around Orlando

If you're hoping to make the most of Florida's typically fabulous weather, Ocala National Forest, the world's biggest sand pine scrub forest, is about a 90min drive from downtown Orlando. Visitors come here to enjoy picnicking, hiking, fishing, and swimming.

Although most people do not come to Orlando for shopping, the city in no way lacks luxury malls or quaint boutiques. Just a stone's throw from Universal Resort and SeaWorld, you will find the Mall at Millenia, a major shopping venue with free valet parking and an entertainment complex inside. For those looking for the best bang for their buck, designer outlet malls like Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets or Orlando International Premium Outlets are worth a trip for major bargain-hunting.

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