Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written on behalf of OrlandoVacation.com about Disney family vacation and I received compensation in exchange for my honest opinion about their website and services. As always, all opinions on my blog are mine solely.

My girls pose in front of Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom during our first Disney family vacation.

When I planned our first family vacation to Disney World two years ago, I meticulously researched all of our options, from lodging to dining. This was our inaugural Disney experience and I wanted to make every moment count, and save money while making memories!

I recently was asked to review OrlandoVacation.com, a family run business based in Orlando and operating since 1991. I wasn’t familiar with their website, but I was instantly attracted to a couple of features they offer on their website.

First off, OrlandoVacation.com features accommodations close to Disney World, but not on Disney property. Because we ultimately chose to stay on Disney property for our first Disney vacation experience, I didn’t research many options outside of Disney proper but I love that OrlandoVacation.com has partnered with properties that are in close proximity to Disney World’s parks. They also require a very reasonable $50 deposit to reserve your accommodations. I definitely think free shuttle services to Disney are a MUST if you are staying off Disney property and many of the properties that OrlandoVacation.com has partnered with offer free regularly scheduled shuttle service to Disney’s parks.

Because OrlandoVacation.com has partnered with a few select properties close to Disney, they can offer great prices. Here is more information from their website:

OrlandoVacation.com is proud to have partnered with a select group of properties that we feel deliver the highest quality in accommodations and location, while offering remarkably reasonable prices. By working with a smaller pool of high-quality, select hotels, we are able to present exceptional service and savings to our customers.

The site is easy to navigate and is approved by the Better Business Bureau.

While planning our Disney vacation I quickly learned that the best advice is offered by people already familiar with Disney’s parks. Disney veterans are a veritable goldmine (or should I say Mickey Mine?) of info! Pump them for all they can offer! Seriously, though…Disney afficianados rock. OrlandoVacation.com offers a call center which is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday –Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. All their representatives live in the Orlando area and are well versed on the theme parks.

A couple of observations after reviewing OrlandoVacation.com:

I love the “average rate” feature. After you plug in your prospective trip dates, you’ll see an average nightly rate for your accommodations.

I also love the “Map It” feature. As a family traveler who isn’t very familiar with the Orlando area, I love seeing the proximity of accommodations to Disney World. It’s often tough to envision just how far your hotel is from Disney World, but the “Map It” feature offered by OrlandoVacation.com removes the guess work.

OrlandoVacation.com also features direct options to purchase tickets for several popular Orlando tourist destinations, from Disney World to Sea World.

I do wish that the search features offered more filters (such as lowest rate to highest rate), but overall I found the site easy to navigate.D

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World this year and you are considering staying off property, I’d definitely recommend checking out OrlandoVacation.com.

What features are important to you when booking a Disney vacation?