A typical theme park day might involve an early start, thousands of steps, crowds, rides, restaurants and an evening fireworks show before finally returning to your accommodation late at night.
After several days like that, having somewhere to properly unwind can become increasingly important.
For some families, choosing an Orlando villa isn’t simply about finding somewhere close to Disney World or Universal. It’s also about finding a home where different members of the family can enjoy some quieter time between busy days.
But what does a “quieter villa” actually mean?
The answer will be different for every family.
Decide What Quiet Means to You
Before searching for a villa, think about what you’re trying to achieve.
Parents with a baby might want a bedroom away from the main living area so naps aren’t disturbed.
Grandparents may appreciate somewhere to read or relax away from children playing games.
Teenagers might want their own space where they can watch television without everyone else having to listen.
Someone who likes an early night may want a bedroom well away from the pool and games areas.
Alternatively, your priority might simply be having enough space for everyone to occasionally escape from each other.
When browsing Debbies Villas, it can help to compare individual property layouts and facilities with these preferences in mind.
That’s one of the advantages of a villa holiday: spending time together doesn’t mean everyone has to occupy the same room all day.
Study the Floorplan, Not Just the Photographs
Property photographs are important when choosing an Orlando villa, but a floorplan can sometimes tell you more about how the home will work for your family.
Look at where the bedrooms are positioned in relation to the main living areas.
Is the bedroom intended for a young child immediately beside the games room?
Is a downstairs bedroom located close to the kitchen and family room?
Are several children’s bedrooms grouped together?
Does the main bedroom offer a little more separation from the busiest parts of the home?
There isn’t necessarily a good or bad layout. It depends entirely on your group.
Companies specialising in Orlando accommodation, such as Debbie’s Villas, provide extensive information and photographs for individual properties. Use them to think about how you’ll actually live in the home rather than simply deciding whether you like the décor.
Look for More Than One Place to Relax
A villa with a large open-plan family room can be ideal for spending time together, but if you’re travelling as a large or multigenerational group, additional living areas can be particularly useful.
Some larger Orlando villas have an upstairs loft or second television area.
Others may have cinema rooms or games rooms.
These spaces allow different members of the family to do different things at the same time.
The children could watch a film while grandparents read downstairs. Teenagers could use the games room while younger children settle down for bed.
When you’re comparing villas, don’t simply count bedrooms.
Count the spaces where people can spend time during the day as well.
A Private Pool Creates Another Living Space
For many families, the pool area becomes one of the most important parts of an Orlando villa holiday.
On a rest day, you might spend considerably more time outside than inside the home.
Look carefully at photographs of the pool deck and outdoor space.
Is there somewhere to sit in the shade?
Is there a covered lanai?
Is there space for adults to sit while children are swimming?
What surrounds the pool?
Some families particularly like villas with conservation, woodland, lake or other open views to the rear. Others may prefer the atmosphere of a resort community.
If privacy is important, study the photographs carefully rather than assuming every private pool means a completely secluded pool.
“Private pool” generally means that the swimming pool is for the use of your party rather than being shared with other holidaymakers. It doesn’t necessarily mean the pool area cannot be seen from neighbouring properties.
Plan Quieter Mornings After Late Nights
Choosing suitable accommodation is only half the story.
You also need to give yourself time to enjoy it.
Some Orlando theme park days can finish very late, particularly if you’re staying for fireworks or other evening entertainment.
Following a midnight return to the villa with another alarm at 6am isn’t necessarily the best way to keep everyone enthusiastic about the holiday.
Instead, look at your itinerary and identify your likely late nights.
Plan lower-demand mornings afterwards.
That might mean having breakfast at the villa, spending a few hours beside the pool and going out for lunch.
You could visit the shops later in the day, play mini golf, have an early dinner or simply stay at the villa.
You don’t necessarily need a complete rest day every time. Sometimes removing the alarm clock is enough.
Think About the Surrounding Area
If having a relatively peaceful base is particularly important, look beyond the villa itself.
Consider where the property sits within its community and what surrounds the development.
Nearby major roads can generate traffic noise. Community facilities such as clubhouses, sports courts and communal pools may attract more activity. Homes close to entrances can experience more passing vehicles than those elsewhere in a development.
That doesn’t automatically make any of these locations undesirable.
In fact, being within a short walk of a clubhouse can be a major advantage for a family intending to use the facilities every day.
The important thing is deciding which matters more to you: convenience or separation from busier communal areas.
Remember That No Villa Can Guarantee Silence
Orlando villa communities are residential environments as well as holiday destinations.
There may be neighbours, other holidaymakers, passing cars, gardeners, pool maintenance teams and the everyday sounds you would expect in any community.
Weather can create noise too. A Florida thunderstorm isn’t particularly interested in anyone’s plans for a quiet afternoon.
So be cautious about expecting absolute silence.
What you can do is choose a villa and location that appear well suited to your family’s preferences and ask sensible questions before booking.
If neighbouring guests create unreasonable late-night noise during your stay, follow the community’s procedures for reporting disturbances where applicable.
Questions Worth Asking Before Booking
If peace and downtime are particularly important to your family, consider asking:
- Is the villa close to a major road?
- Where is it positioned within the community?
- Is it close to the clubhouse, communal pool or sports facilities?
- What is immediately behind the pool area?
- Are there neighbouring villas directly behind or beside it?
- Which bedrooms are closest to the main living and games areas?
- Does the villa have more than one living space?
- Is there a covered outdoor seating area?
- Are there community quiet hours?
- Is there anything about the location that could create additional activity or noise?
Not every question will be important to every family.
Choose the ones that matter to yours.
Make the Villa Part of Your Orlando Itinerary
The right Orlando villa isn’t necessarily the home with the longest facilities list or the shortest advertised journey to Disney World.
For a busy family holiday, it can be the property that gives everyone somewhere they genuinely want to return to after a long day.
When comparing homes through Debbie’s Villas or another Orlando villa specialist, think about your downtime as carefully as your theme park time.
Study the bedrooms, floorplans, living areas, pool and surroundings. Think about who needs quiet, when they’ll need it and what everybody else might be doing at the same time.
Orlando will provide more than enough excitement when you want it.
Choosing the right villa can help provide somewhere to switch off when you don’t.