Frequently Asked Questions

Below are Frequently Asked Questions from other vacationers. We hope these help with your travel plans.

Q. Will we need pool heat?

A. It depends. During the hot summer months most people don't want pool heat. Even though the pool can feel a little cool when you first get in, it becomes very nice after a couple of minutes during June - August. Winter months from late October to late March you definitely will want pool heat. Just because our homes are in Florida, which is supposed to be warm, the water temperature can get frigid, NOT something you will want to swim in unless you're a polar bear. Even south facing pools will be too cold to enjoy during the winter months. During the months of fall and spring most people still want pool heat because the water can still be too cold. Paying the extra cost for pool heat is well worth it.

Q. Will pool heat be enough?

A. During winter months, pool heaters will generally heat the water temperature to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. If the air temperature, however, drops to 55° degrees or less, even though the heaters operate for longer hours than in warmer weather, they will not be very effective and the water temperature will not reach a comfortable level. We regret that in these circumstances a refund of part or all of the pool heat charge is not possible and your understanding of this is important when ordering pool heat. Generally speaking pool heaters will only warm a pool about 15° - 20° degrees warmer than the ambient air temperature, a little more if you use the pool blanket. This means that if the highest temperature during the day is 70° degrees then the pool should reach 85° degrees. This is not an exact science and should only be used as a guide. Be sure to use the pool blanket at night or you could loose a significant amount of pool warmth overnight. Using the pool blanket during the day, when you are not in the pool, will help keep the pool comfortable for swimming.

Spas in most vacation homes in the Orlando area (as part of the pool deck) function differently than what you would call a hot tub and you should not expect dramatic differences between pool temperatures and spa temperatures. Please contact the manager for instructions on use of these types of spas.

Stand alone spas will have separate controls from the pool equipment and the temperature difference, from pool temperatures, will be noticeable.

Q. What is the address of the home?

A. For security reasons we can not give out the exact address of our homes until your reservation is paid in full. Once we receive your balance or full payment we will provide you with driving directions, a small map to find the home, management contact information, villa phone number, lock and alarm codes for your stay, etc.

Q. Will you accept Service Animals?

A. Although service animals aren't exactly pets they are still animals. Homes that accept animals require different handling and more cleaning. This is still true of service animals. Because some of our guests are allergic to animals, pet fur or pet dander, we can only accept service animals in our "Pet Friendly Homes". We must keep the welfare of all our guests in mind. We may elect to waive the pet fee for guests with a service animal, as long as you provide us with a copy of the service animals certification and have your vet complete our standard forms. We must be notified that you have a service animal at the time of your reservation.

Q. How do you handle the security deposit?

A. We require a valid credit card on file during your stay. We will "pre-authorize" your credit card for the security deposit amount just prior to your arrival. This is like a "hold" on your card for that amount. It is not a charge UNLESS intentional damage or abuse is determined or for damages or expense that is not covered by the accidental damage protection coverage. If no abuse or intentional damages is determined then this "hold" will simple fall off your credit card and be added back into your available credit after your departure. How long it takes for this to happen depends on your credit card company.

Q. What is damage protection coverage?

A. Accidents happen and we realize this. We charge a small fee to cover costs related to accidental damages. This protects you for up to $3,000 in accidental damages. For example: if you drop a glass on a ceramic tile floor and it cracks the tile then the cost to repair it could easily be $150 or more - you're covered. If you break a window blind costing $100 - you're covered. We don't like having to withhold security deposit monies from guests. It's unpleasant for both sides. Families with children know that accidents are practically a way of life, and they can happen, but this protects you, the guest, and the villa owner's property, to make sure that it's always in top shape. PLEASE NOTE: this coverage does not take the place of the security deposit or eliminate it. This coverage does not cover abuse or intentional damages, etc. Please see the question above for information on security deposits.

Q. Do you have a minimum night requirement?

A. Yes. For normal periods (low and mid season) we require 3 nights equivalent stay. For Peak Periods, such as Christmas, New Years, Spring Break and Easter we require 7 nights equivalent stay. Some owners require 7 nights minimum for Summer dates also. The exception to the 7 night rule is that if we have dates booked that leave a short gap then we will fill the gap between the 2 longer bookings.

Please understand that these are private homes, not hotel rooms, so requirements and policies are somewhat determined by the owner and we have to respect their wishes. They are also free to reserve their own home and if we take a booking at the same time and for the same dates they take for their own booking then their booking has precedence over ours. If that happens we will know shortly after receiving or taking your reservation and will help you try to select another home from our inventory.

Q. What if I only want to stay 2 nights?

A. You can still reserve a home even if you stay for only 2 nights BUT you will pay the equivalent of 3 nights. This does not apply to Peak Periods which require longer stays.

Q. How old do I have to be to reserve a home?

A. Minimum age to reserve is 21 years old and they have to be part of the group who occupy the home or have someone else who is older with them. In other words, if the oldest person in your group who is staying in the house is less than 21 then you will not be able to reserve a home. We screen our guests to determine group profile and the state and counties require a list of all persons staying in our homes. This is part of our Terms and Conditions Contract that you must complete and return to us ASAP after making your reservation.

Q. Will we need to clean the villa?

A. It takes 4-6 hours to properly prepare a home for the next guest. It is very important that you leave the home on time. If you would like a late check out please call us and we will let you know if late check out is possible! We do not expect you to completely clean the home, but please leave the home neat and tidy. Strip all used linens and please leave the pile of linens on each bed for the housekeeper to start, it will be greatly appreciated! Please load and start the dishwasher with automatic dish washing soap (don't leave unclean dishes in the sink or on the counter and don't put dirty dishes away as if they were clean). Bag all trash (no loose trash) and place all trash in the bins. Shut off the lights, lock the doors and have a safe journey back home. We look forward to seeing you on your next Florida vacation. We also hope that you will tell your friends about us!

Q. If we don't do any cleaning will we be charged?

A. Some guests think that if they pay for a home they have no responsibilities. That is not true. If you use every towel in the house or change all the bed linens and don't do any laundry during a weeks stay and leave it all for the cleaner to do, just so you don't have to buy a $6 bottle of laundry soap, then that is abuse and you will be charged for extra cleaning. Every home has a washer and dryer available and free for our guests to use. The same is true for the dishwasher. On occasion there have been guest who have put all the dishes in the dishwasher without detergent when they left and turned the dishwasher on, only to leave a dishwasher full of dirty dishes for the cleaner to have to re-wash. If a home requires extra cleaning because you left the home in a bad state then we will deduct an appropriate amount from your Security HOLD. These homes are privately owned by people just like you. Please take care of the home and clean up after yourself as if it were your own home.

Q. What about trash?

A. Trash has become a real problem. Some counties in the Disney area have reduced the number of days they pick up trash to one day per week. Because of this it is extremely important that you do everything you can to avoid having excess trash for pickup. This can easily be done if you simply dispose of all excess trash before you get back to the villa. Most managers have started charging guests a $25 fee to dispose of excess trash and many communities have started fining home owners whose guests have excess trash left out. ALL trash must be bagged and placed IN THE TRASH CAN for pick up. The trash can MUST be moved to the curb the night before scheduled pick up or it might get missed. NO trash can be outside the trash can or it won't be picked up at all. We have not initiated a charge for this yet BUT if this continues to be a problem then we will have no choice but to follow the rest of the industry and start charging a trash disposal fee. With a little effort you can reduce the amount of trash you have in the villa to a little more than just kitchen trash. GOING GREEN takes effort, even when you're on vacation!!

Q. When is the earliest I can check-in?

A. 4:00 PM. The homes are getting cleaned prior to that. Your designated lock code will not function until your specified arrival time.

Q. Can I get an early check-in?

A. Sorry but early check-in is generally not possible. Due to abuses by some guests you will not be able to check-in prior to 4PM. You will not be able to drop off your luggage early or hang out at the villa while the cleaner prepares the villa for your stay. Our cleaners have strict instructions not to allow guest access to any home while they are cleaning it. In rare cases when we can allow early check-in, the earliest check-in allowable will be 12 noon and will incur a $75 fee. All other stipulations above still apply.

Q. When do I have to check-out?

A. 10:00 AM. To allow enough time for proper cleaning before the next guest arrives.

Q. Can I get a late check-out?

A. Sorry but late check-out is not possible due to cleaning schedules. Due to abuses by some guests you MUST vacate the villa no later than 10AM. You can not stay while the cleaner is cleaning. Failure to depart by 10AM will incur a proportionate fee against your Security HOLD with a minimum charge of $75. You will not be allowed to leave your luggage at the villa for pick-up later.

Q. What if I have to cancel?

A. Please see our Terms and Conditions Contract for our cancellation policy. We recommend that our guests obtain travel insurance which covers trip cancellation.

Q. What if you cancel on me?

A. For the past 11 years we have not had to cancel on anyone and we hope we never will. In the event that a hurricane or some other type of natural disaster destroys the house you reserved, we will find alternate accommodations or refund your money, if the destruction occurs prior to your arrival. If you are forced to evacuate or destruction occurs during your stay, you will need to contact your travel insurance company to recover your loss.

Q. What are the quality of the beds?

A. Bed quality will vary from home to home because these are privately owned vacation homes and the owners have purchased the beds themselves. We advise the owners on beds that we feel need to be replaced so bed quality is good BUT we can't guarantee a good nights rest to anyone. On the first night most guests are just getting used to a new place and different bed so many times they don't sleep well on the first night but will eventually settle in after a day or so and sleeping will be more normal. An exhausting day at the theme parks always helps our guests sleep better. Guests with bad backs should understand that beds in vacation homes are not designed to accommodate medical issues like bad backs so you should plan accordingly.

Q. How likely is it that a hurricane will hit Florida?

A. There are 3 main areas of concern for hurricane interruption. These are 1- the Gulf Coast states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, 2- Florida, including the Pan Handle, Keys and east and west coasts, 3- the East coast of the US, including Georgia, North and South Carolina, etc. Of these three areas of concern statistics have shown that Florida receives the least amount of hurricane interruption due to major hurricane impact. In other words, less major hurricanes hit Florida than the other two areas.

Q. What's the difference between a regular home and an executive home?

A. Generally speaking executive homes offer more amenities than regular homes. This can include upgraded furniture, nicer decor, gated communities, game rooms, spas, BBQ grills, broadband internet and more. An executive home does not have to have all of the above amenities and can also have others. The bottom line is that executive homes are noticeably nicer and something you should consider to make your stay the most memorable possible. Some of our homes are borderline executive but still priced at a regular home rate. This makes them an even better deal.

Q. What do I do if I have a problem while I'm there?

A. Contact the property manager. You will have their contact information in your Final Confirmation documentation.

Q. What should my overall expectations be?

A. If you're expecting 5 star hotel quality pampering then you should stay at one of Disney's executive resorts. If you want executive quality at a bargain basement price then you will be disappointed. If you're expecting a comfortable, private home that is well maintained and clean, but not "sterile", then you will have a great vacation and enjoy the home you selected. We do our best to meet the highest expectations within the limits of vacation home rentals. Most of our homes have amenities that other "standard" homes don't. This makes them an exceptional value, but Reasonable Expectations will serve you well.

Q. Will my tax exempt organization have to pay tax?

A. The state of Florida only recognizes organizations that are currently registered with the state of Florida as tax exempt. If your organization is an out of state tax exempt organization then you will have to register with the state of Florida. Once you have done that you will need to provide us with a copy of your tax exempt certificate as well as your documentation from the state of Florida.

Q. What do I do if something is wrong when I arrive?

A. CALL THE MANAGER right away. They are listed in the Final Confirmation email attachment called "RentDoc". If there is a problem they must be notified BEFORE you do anything.

Q. Where can I get a great web site like this?

A. We are professional web developers and also work with the best in the business. For great hosting click the link to the left. If you're a property manager looking for a great system like we have please contact us directly. We would be happy to help you "get on the map".