While there's no shortage of places to stay in Orlando, it would've clearly cost more overall for each of us to rent our own hotel rooms. Instead, we called this beautiful five bedroom house our home away from home for a week where each of us had our own bedrooms and more than enough space to stretch out. Crucially, we were also just a short drive from the theme parks.A few highlights of renting the house vs. staying in a hotel included:
- A private swimming pool, which was the perfect place to unwind after a long day of wandering around Walt Disney World or Universal.
- A large kitchen for breakfasts, snacks, and storing food we picked up on the go.
- More space than we knew what to do with. It was ideal to be able to unpack clothes, souvenirs, and get comfortable over the course of our stay without feeling like we were living out of our suitcases. It also meant there was plenty of room to hangout as a group without feeling cramped.
- Peace and quiet. After a hectic day it was great to come back to a quiet neighborhood and private house away from the chaos to recharge.
- A washer and dryer. I know no one really wanted to do laundry, but because I still had two weeks of road tripping following this week in Orlando, the ability to wash my clothes before heading out again was a huge bonus.
At the end of the day having the vacation house just made the experience that much more fun. By the luck of the draw I ended up in the upstairs master bedroom with a shower that could've fit eight people in it at once. I really had nothing to complain about.
The house was in a beautiful area on the western edge of Orlando. It overlooked a small lake surrounded by trees, screened in swimming pools, and "Don't Feed the Alligators" signs.
The neighborhood was like the one out of Edward Scissorhands, in that it was almost too perfect. The giant houses were all similarly shaped in varying shades of light pastels with perfectly manicured lawns. I loved it. It was another stereotypical Florida scene checked off my list, and another memorable component of an incredible trip shared with friends.
