By Mark Whichard

When it comes to convenience, do Disney home rentals really compare favourably to the more traditional option of staying in a hotel? Many people have used hotel accommodation for many years, and claim that as far as convenience is concerned, having someone serve up your food and make the beds each day is preferable to self-catering in a private home. However, most people who make these claims are unlikely to have investigated the idea of renting a private home near Disney World for their vacation, because in terms of convenience, there's really no argument. 

Let's be clear - hotels offer a great service if you're by yourself or just with a partner, but when you throw children into the equation, the whole thing becomes a different ball game. The overwhelming majority of people who visit Disney World in Orlando, travel with their children, and for this reason taking time to consider the benefits of renting  one of the many private Disney home rentals available within 15 minutes of the  theme park could make a great deal of difference.  

But surely renting an Orlando vacation home for your family means doing all the cooking and tidying yourself? Isn't that less convenient? It's easy to think so, yet let's take a look at the typical day during a family's vacation at Disney World. In a hotel you all need to be up in good time to catch breakfast, which means organizing your family in an almost military fashion to ensure everyone is ready and decent. Like most people you'll probably also want to spend a few minutes tidying up the room, making sure personal items are packed away before the cleaning staff come to make the beds and clean the bathroom. 

After breakfast, which is anything you like as long as it's already on the menu, it's off for the day. Of course, there's no option to stay in your room, and little to entice you to do so anyway. Towards the end of your day, the children will have wound themselves up into a frenzy of excitement, already planning for what they want to do tomorrow, but all you can think about is hurrying everyone along to make sure you don't miss dinner at the hotel - after all, you've paid a fortune for it. 

After dinner you get the chance to squeeze into your hotel room and make a whole cup of tea with the complimentary tea bag you've been given, while your children turn the whole room into a tornado of toys, clothes, gifts and any item not nailed to the floor, jumping up and down and making your blood pressure rival the heights of the hotel bill. Eventually you manage to cajole your children into bed, giving you the chance to sit in silence for a couple of hours with the lights off, making sure you don't disturb them as you enjoy all the things you can do in silence with the lights off and your children a few feet away. 

Convenient? Not necessarily. Perhaps if this sounds all too horribly familiar it's time to consider the alternative, and discover what Disney home rentals have to offer. The one overall luxury which private vacation properties have is that they are private. This in itself offers a great deal in convenience. Imagine being able to wake up and get up when you feel like it. Breakfast can be whatever you choose, and eaten wherever you like - no need to get dressed and made up first. If your house looks a bit of a state - who cares? It's only yourselves who'll see it, so why not just relax, enjoy yourselves and head off out for the day. 

Whilst at Disney World you won't need to be in a hurry to leave. If you want to stay late to watch the fireworks and evening parades, you can do so. If you book in at a hotel,  you'll miss these extra treats.  But Disney home rentals mean that you can take full advantage of what you've really come for - the activities, fun and adventures. When you've had enough, you have the luxury of being able to relax at home in a way that's simply not possible at a hotel. 

With your children wound up like springs, bursting with the excitement of the day, why not let them run around in the garden or have fun in the pool? Which is more convenient?  Crammed up together in a single hotel room, or relaxing by your own pool with your children happily wearing themselves out and dinner whenever you feel like it? If you choose to eat out, you can, otherwise, you can eat what you like, when you like. 

After  the children have worn themselves out and settled down in their own bedrooms, you're free to enjoy widescreen TV, games consoles, your own pool and spa, or simply relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. If you have older children then they may want a turn on the games console, DVD player or TV, but there'll still be the pool, spa, patio - or bedroom with their own TV and DVD player. 

Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around Orlando. Mark and his wife Susan are the proprietors of Orlando Quality Villa Rentals. You can get great deals on Orlando Villa rentals and Orlando vacation Homes at this website http://www.qualityvillarentals.com