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Despite changes in the nature of supported accommodation services for people with learning disabilities, little progress was made during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s in addressing the extent of unmet need. While the advent of Supporting People has more recently led to an increase in the volume of provision, unmet need continues to be a major concern to people with learning disabilities and their families. There is good reason to believe that, as a result of changes in the demographic profile of people with learning disabilities, changes in expectations and changes in the pattern of informal care, this issue will become substantially more pressing over the coming two decades. This paper attempts to estimate the nature and extent of increased need.

Introduction
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The last four decades have witnessed dramatic changes in the way we have provided supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities. In 1976, more than 50,000 people with learning disabilities were living in large-scale NHS long-term institutional provision. In effect, institutionalisation was the only option for people with learning disabilities who could not live relatively independently and who, for whatever reason, no longer lived with their family. In 2006 the last of these NHS institutions will close. In their place we now have an array of smaller, more community-orientated provision (Emerson, 2004).

There is little doubt that these changes have, overall, been to the benefit of people with learning disabilities and informal carers (Emerson & Hatton, 1994; Hatton & Emerson, 1996). There is also little doubt that the gains made are still far from sufficient to afford many people with learning disabilities an acceptable quality of life (Emerson et al, 2005).

Improving the quality of supported accommodation is, however, only part of the problem we are currently facing. The other key part relates to increasing the supply of supported accommodation services in order to meet current and future need and demand. The 1971 White Paper Better Services identified a significant shortfall in the volume of provision, and set specific targets for increasing volume by 1991. The best estimate is that no progress at all was made towards these targets over the following three decades (Emerson & Hatton, 1998), and that unmet need for supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities continued to constitute a major problem (Watson, 1996).

In this paper I will address three questions that are relevant to estimating current and future need and demand for supported accommodation services for people with learning disabilities.

* How many adults with learning disabilities are there in England?

* Do the numbers of adults with learning disabilities vary by area?

* How might the need and demand for supported accommodation change in the future?

How many people with learning disabilities are there in England?

There are two quite different answers to this question. Our best estimate (derived from analysis of learning disability registers) is that 0.46% of the adult population of England are users (if only on an occasional basis) of services for people with learning disabilities (Emerson & Hatton, 2004b). This is equivalent to approximately 170,000 adults aged over 20 in England.

We know from epidemiological studies (Leonard ft Wen, 2002), however, that the ‘true’ prevalence of learning disabilities is much closer to two per cent of the adult population (equivalent to approximately 800,000 adults aged 20 or more). The discrepancy between these two figures is due to a combination of factors, including the use of eligibility criteria to exclude people with lower support needs from services, and the reluctance of some people with learning disabilities to identify themselves as such during their interactions with service providers.

Table 1, below, gives estimated age-specific prevalence rates for the ‘administrative’ and ‘true’ populations of people with learning disabilities in England. These estimates can be used to predict the number of adults with learning disabilities who, on average, would be expected to be eligible for services in any given area.

Does the number of adults with learning disabilities vary by area?

Epidemiological studies have consistently reported that the prevalence of less severe learning disabilities (and learning disabilities that have no clear biological basis) is closely related to level of social deprivation (Leonard et al, 2005; Leonard & Wen, 2002). Poverty is a major cause of learning disabilities. There is also some evidence to suggest that the prevalence of more severe learning disabilities may be higher among some minority ethnic communities (Emerson & Hatton, 2004c).

Figure 1, below, shows how the potential need for supported accommodation services varies between areas with different levels of social deprivation. The data are taken from the first national survey of the life experiences of English adults with learning disabilities (Emerson et al, 2005). The figure shows the variation in the percentage of adults living in private households (that is, not living in the supported accommodation sector) when compared with an ‘average’ area in England. Each column represents 20% of the population of England, running from the 20% most deprived areas to the 20% most affluent areas. The measure of deprivation used to construct this figure was the multiple deprivation index from the English Indices of Deprivation 2004 applied to lower level super-output areas (Noble et al, 2004). These figures could be used in conjunction with the estimates derived from Table 1 to adjust estimated local need on the basis of the level of deprivation of local areas. So, for example, a local authority covering an area in which all super-output areas fell within the most deprived 20% in England would be expected to have a 52% increased potential demand for supported accommodation services for people with learning disabilities.

J. Pierpont Morgan was a ruthless financial wizard with superb taste, whose monument–the library designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1906–was a surprisingly restrained product of America’s first gilded age. Still more astonishing in that country’s latest era of obscene excess, the Morgan has been doubled in size without losing its distinctive personality. The Renzo Piano Building Workshop has wrought its customary magic in weaving together old and new, strengthening the sense of place, and opening up the new central court to views of the street on three sides. Visitors walking into this serene, light-filled atrium, or looking down from two upper-level balconies can savour the sensation of floating within a transparent bubble at the heart of the metropolis.

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Nearly all museums have a compulsion to expand, to display more of their holdings and find room for new acquisitions, but also to accommodate ever-greater crowds and boost revenue. A happy few, like the Frick, stay small and are cherished for doing so. In contrast, the Museum of Modern Art abandoned its early role as a tightly focused shrine of the avant garde, and turned itself into an overpoweringly vast emporium with all the appeal of a convention centre. By choosing Piano, who cares as much for the sacred (contemplating art) as the profane (socialising, shopping and eating) and manages to keep the two kinds of space distinct, the Morgan avoided that fate.

The institution badly needed more gallery and storage space for its 350 000-item collection of rare books, master drawings, and manuscripts that range from priceless medieval miniatures to musical scores and correspondence from Ernest Hemingway, plus a better performance space for its renowned concerts. It also wanted to appear less intimidating (Morgan’s library was a hermetic strong-box, designed to exclude the hoi polloi and natural light) and to develop its role as an art museum.

For the architects, the challenge was to find a footprint on which to build. The library, the 1850s Morgan family brownstone to the north, and the Classical-style annex that J. P.’s son added in 1928 were all listed properties, and the spaces between were cluttered with later additions. The Landmarks Commission would have opposed a tower. The solution was to clear the additions and to go down, blasting out the Manhattan schist to a depth of 18 metres to accommodate three levels of storage vaults, and a steeply raked auditorium. More than 50 per cent of the 13 800sqm complex is now located below ground. Three new pavilions have been inserted between the existing buildings: offices on 37th Street to the north, a 6m cube called the Thaw Gallery to the south, and a three-storey entry pavilion on Madison Avenue that, in its transparency, offers a symbolic welcome mat. New and old structures frame the 15m, glass-roofed courtyard, evoking an Italian piazzetta.

The lucidity of this plan, which grew organically from Piano’s concept sketch, is matched by the lightness and precision of the architecture, and the strength and honesty of the materials. The steel panels and thin mouldings are painted white with an almost imperceptible rose tone that picks up on the Tennessee pink marble of the library and annex. Piano likens the high-transparency, low-iron glass to crystal. As in all his buildings, natural light is filtered by louvres that are oriented to the north, motorised blinds, and white scrim in the Thaw Gallery, whose proportions were inspired by those of a Renaissance studiolo. The hierarchy and interpenetration of spaces, plus the glimpses of traffic and greenery (a public park to the south, a bamboo screen to block an apartment tower to the east) distil the energy and richness of New York. Each of the new structures is separated by glass from the old buildings, which have been meticulously restored. The planar roof of the atrium is linked to the cornice of the library by a neoprene seal. As project architect Giorgio Bianchi notes, ‘they kiss but don’t disturb’.

A glazed lift and open stairwell pull natural light from above into the service areas and subterranean theatre lobby. The steeply-raked 280-seat auditorium is panelled in cherry, with curved baffles above and on either side to achieve optimum acoustics for chamber music, though the hall will also host lectures and movies. The old entrance and reading room on 36th Street have been reconfigured to serve as a suite of three intimate galleries, with drawings and manuscripts flanking the former lobby, where Middle Eastern cylinder seals up to 5500 years old are displayed to brilliant effect. There’s a new, third-level reading room and four new galleries. The cafe occupies a side of the courtyard, and a new restaurant and museum store are comfortably accommodated on the ground floor of the brownstone.

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is “An Act to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability” (Preamble, ADA, 1990). One definition of disability discrimination given in the law is the failure to provide accommodation (ADA, 1990). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC; 1999) called the accommodation request process a fundamental feature of the ADA. The ADA does not mandate employment, it prohibits discrimination.

Research into the employment goals of the law makes the assumption that the ADA accommodation request process is viable (DeLeire, 2000; Moon, Chung, & Yang, 2003; Stapleton & Burkhauser, 2003, Wells, 2001). These studies, some using the same data sources, generate opposing answers on the ADA’s impact on employment all the while ignoring the fundamental request process of the ADA. Other research looks into the behaviors of entities covered by the law, but these may not be relevant to the ADA’s goals. For example, Bruyere (1999) surveyed 1,402 human resource departments on their preparedness to accommodate and reported that most said they were making changes. However, there was no way of knowing from that study whether the changes were initiated by, or even affected employees and/or job seekers with disabilities. Hernandez, Keys, and Balcazar’s (2000; 2004) indicated that employers and representatives of the private and public sector express positive attitudes about the employment and access rights of workers with disabilities, but their behaviors may not match their attitudes. Relevant ADA behaviors have not been researched.

The meaning of the attitudes and opinions of people with disabilities in terms of their actual behaviors and the effect of ADA is also unclear. People with disabilities know about the law and are in favor of it (NOD/Harris, 2000; 2002), and some think it has not accomplished much (Hinton, 2003; NOD/Harris, 2004). The National Council On Disability’s (NCD) (1995) collection of testimonies from people with disabilities affirmed the well known benefit of receiving accommodations. However, the NCD study did not describe the ADA request process in light of disability discrimination, that is, the refusal to accommodate. The functional impact of the law–the behaviors of the people who could make ADA requests and those who receive ADA requests is not known. When the ADA complaint processes are used they are not effectual means of acquiring accommodation. In a comprehensive study of all ADA EEOC employment discrimination charges (N = 149,143) between July, 1992 and September, 2000, Moss, Burris, Ullman, Johnsen, and Swanson (2001) found that most complaints were rejected and that when a complaint was accepted, the person with the disability lost most of the time. Furthermore, Moss et al. found that the result of a fully processed EEOC complaint, win or lose, was most often simply a letter to the complainant. The authors concluded that the EEOC complaint process is ineffectual, and noted, “Aside from a chance to tell their stories, most claimants will not benefit from filing a claim.” Colker (2000) reviewed ADA litigation and concluded that covered entities knew it was highly unlikely that they would ever face any enforcement action for noncompliance.

Sullivan (2001) found the major reason people charging disability discrimination lost their litigation was because of a breakdown in the negotiation process whereby an employee and an employer discuss what accommodation is needed. He noted the ways employees were blamed for contributing to that breakdown but wrote that the ways employers affected that breakdown were too varied to list. In contrast, Harlan, and Robert (1998) listed some of the ways employers effect the request for accommodation process. They labeled these tactics “employer resistance strategies.” These included generating fear of reprisal, giving misinformation, pejorative labeling of requesters as “lazy” or “trouble makers,” and telling requesters accommodations would take a long time to arrive and would be of poor quality. Informants in the Harlan and Robert study said they did not request accommodation because they feared reprisals such as being fired, or passed over for promotion. Intimidation, rather than outright refusal followed by a redress process is a means some employers use to avoid fulfilling ADA requests.

Harlan and Robert (1998) found that professionals and managers with disabilities did not negotiate for accommodations. At that level, accommodations were a perquisite of the position. At the entrance level, Hauser, Maxwell-McCaw, Leigh, and Gutman (2000) found a blanket refusal to accommodate or hire Ph.D. clinical psychology interns who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some of McNeal, Somerville, and Wilson’s (1999) informants with post polio syndrome did not make requests out of fear of being fired.

Another impairment that is specifically mentioned in the law is visual impairment. However, instead of examining disability discrimination against people who are blind in the accommodation request process, the literature focuses on their assumed deficits. The Director of the National Eye Institute, Dr. Carl Kupfer, launched an education campaign saying “The major problem is that people with low vision do not seek help.” (National Eye Institute, 2000). They were the problem. Rumrill (2001) wrote that the major problems with the ADA were that people who are blind lacked knowledge of what to request, and the limits of their rights, and skills for effective communication. Such opinions, in effect, blame people with disabilities for the discrimination they experience.

This collection of five essays examines ethnic and economic conflict in small communities in northern New York state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Presented by Oullette (history and American studies, Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont) the papers specifically discuss the ethnic tensions surrounding the trial of a French Canadian immigrant for the murder of a middle-class Yankee in Plattsburgh, the broad experience of French Canadians working as waged industrial labor in Plattsburgh, the institutionalization of ethnic conflict among French Canadian and Irish immigrant mill workers in Keeseville, social and economic tensions arising from the arrival of the Great Northern Railroad in Ellenburgh, and resistance to police enforcement of Prohibition in the 1920s.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” didn’t spring from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but it may as well have, as the law creates an ongoing obligation to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.

“Many managers are confused about how much they have to do and how far they have to go” when workers request accommodation, noted Sharon Rennert, senior attorney adviser at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

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“It is imperative for employers and managers to understand that the reasonable accommodation obligation is an ongoing obligation,” she said, citing Humphrey v. Memorial Hospitals Association (239 F.3d 1128 (9th Cir. 2001)). That ruling states that “the duty to accommodate is a continuing duty that is not exhausted by one effort.”

The fact that you’ve provided one accommodation and it works or doesn’t work “does not necessarily mean you’re done,” she observed. “Employers need to stay on top of” accommodation requests, according to Rennert, who said that employers should: * Research possible accommodations thoroughly, checking first with the employee requesting accommodation, but also checking, for example, with the Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation Network ((800) ADA-WORK), the EEOC, organizations representing people who have the same disability as the employee and the vocational rehabilitation agency.

* Continue checking with the employee for input and ideas.

Second Choice Redux

After providing an accommodation, the employer should periodically check on whether the accommodation is working, Rennert recommended.

When an employer discovers that an accommodation is not working, it should reconsider the information it had beforehand and continue to engage in the interactive process with the employee. The employer may have narrowed the accommodation choices down to two and selected the one it preferred, which it has the right to do. But there may be no reason to think the other choice will not work, and the employer may need to give it a try.

Often that choice is one that managers are not thrilled with, such as telework or a modified schedule. “Managers’ discomfort or dislike of an accommodation is not a valid reason for turning it down,” Rennert cautioned.

Encourage managers to try the second option on a trial basis. “If it works for two weeks, there’s your accommodation.” If it doesn’t work, the employer has a documented reason why it’s unreasonable to provide that accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation is an ongoing obligation and “is not one-stop shopping,” said Peter Petesch, a management attorney with Ford & Harrison.

When accommodations don’t work, employers should try something else until the employer and the employee “mutually run out of options,” he said. Signs that an employer really has gone far enough, according to Petesch, include:

* A real slowdown in the pipeline of ideas.

* The worker continues to not meet performance expectations.

* The employer is losing patience on performance issues that cannot be ignored.

The secret treasure of Davenport’s and Kissimmee’s townhouses.

Though usually Orlando is thought of as being a big city with bright lights and lots of hotels, Walt Disney World and Universal, and more tourists than you can count, most people don’t know about the secret treasure of Davenport’s and Kissimmee’s townhouses.

Away from the usual loud noises and big crowds are resorts clustered off the beaten path that is usually trod by tourists who want to experience the world of Orlando. Though these tourists certainly experience it’s many hotels, restaurants, and trinket shops, they fail to experience the relaxation for which Florida is so well known.

Getting caught up in the hype of a fast-paced mentality to see-all and do-all every moment of every day on vacation can be easy, especially when in an environment that supports it full force.

That’s why townhouses are the best choice when it comes to a vacation in Orlando. Not only do you steer clear of all the hype and hubbub of the tourist traps, you can enjoy Central Florida at your own pace, making your own decisions, and not giving in to anything being shoved down your throat.

How about a Townhouses?

Though it seems that Orlando would not be the setting for such townhouses, it certainly is. With so much do in Orlando such as seeing Mickey and Minnie at Disneyworld, riding rides at Universal, or seeing the splash of a whale at Sea World, people are always looking for a place to stay when they come for a visit.

Though hotels and motels are a popular choice, most people do not know about the other options that are available to them in the same price range, with even better quality than most hotels.

Not only that, but hotels offer one room, townhouses offer two or more, a kitchen, living area and some even have their own washer and dryer.

The key here is where do you want to spend your vacation?

Cramped in a hotel room on a crowded hallway in a small hotel across the street from trinket shops and fast food chains?

1. Or do you want to spend your vacation in a place that is off the main tourist drag in a beautiful townhouse where everyone in your family can have their own room.

2. Their own space, where you can cook the meals instead of going out to eat every night

3. Where you can watch a rented movie or have a family game night without feeling cramped in close corridors.

4. Where you can actually unpack your clothes and things from your suitcase.

5. Where you can feel at home away from home for however long you are staying in the Central Florida area?

These are the choices you must make, these are the comparisons you have to choose between.

The townhouses offered have many deals and discounts waiting for you to jump on that will make your stay in Orlando, Kissimmee, or Davenport a nice and comfortable one that will be affordable as well.

Close to Disney parks and not far from Orlando attractions, these townhouses area available to rent and are your cheap ticket to a stay in Central Florida that you will never forget.

Imagine a long day at an amusement park. Though it was wonderful, the kids are tired and hungry, you are exhausted and ready for a nap, and all you have to look forward to is getting back to your single hotel room where everyone will want some space and quiet.

How much better does a townhouse sound?

Townhouses will allow your tired kids to grab a snack from the kitchen and relax with a movie or go for a swim in the pool while you go to your own room to relax with a book or to take a nap.

Booking a townhouse to rent will allow your vacation to be a lot more relaxing and a lot more enjoyable.

Available however you desire, the townhouses in Davenport or Kissimmee (both right near Disney) are built with two bedrooms or more. The beautiful townhouses are a treat to stay in and nice to make into your home for the entire time that you are in Florida.

With the ability to make it your home away from home, it allows you to feel more comfortable and more settled. The beautiful setting is an added bonus to the townhouses with the lush green landscaping signature to Florida as palm trees dot wherever you look. Not bad when considering the other option is a room in a hotel with a window view of a parking lot or a neon restaurant sign across the street.

Request your desired townhouse size and find out the cheap renting prices that go along with the resort that has built them.

Find out about the specials that are being offered.

And don’t forget to ask if any discounts are given for specific memberships or cards.

Booking townhouses is not a difficult thing, in fact it is quite easy. Pick up the phone and call the resorts in Kissimmee or Davenport, ask them for details and information and then make your final decision.

Or log onto their websites and find out all you need to know from prices and sizes of townhouses to pools and restaurants.

Read Florida magazines and look for townhouse resorts in Central Florida. You can even call Orlando Visitor’s Bureau and quiz them about which townhouse resorts are the best in the area. Don’t be afraid to ask for information to be sent to you, most resorts that feature townhouses will be happy to send you information on their property.

DO your research, however, don’t wait until the last minute to make your decision. Though these are quite the secret among Florida tourists, more know about the townhouses that you think and you want to make sure to book your reservations before they are sold out during your vacation time.

Once you get to the townhouses, you will find out that there are many other things to do in Central Florida besides the highly publicized attractions.

There are outlet malls, numerous golf courses, beaches, theatres, museums, and activities for the kids that are too many to mention.

Orlando is a place that attracts visitors and tourists — families, singles, couples, grandparents – people of all generations want to have at least one vacation in the Central Florida area to experience the sights and sounds of Disney World, Orlando, and all the shopping, eating, and swimming that they can handle.

It’s not only a fun place to visit once, it’s a great place to come back to year after year, time and time again.

The way that you will make great memories to want to experience another time is by having enough room to enjoy all the fun and laughter together. This is why townhomes are perfect for any family, couple, or group traveling and visiting Orlando.

You can enjoy all the same wonderful aspects of the city and get a break from the rush and crowds at the same time.

Come visit Central Florida in a fashion that will bring you back and in a way that will make you not want to say goodbye.

Spend as much as you would in a hotel, but treat yourself to some space and beautiful surroundings instead of a one-room box. What more could you want? Spend your vacation in townhouses.

Hostels have been around in one form or another for a long time. They are oriented towards young travelers and anyone else seeking cheap accommodations. The United States version was originally more complicated, with guests helping with chores, etc. It is much simpler now: you rent a bed instead of a room, sharing the bathroom, living room and kitchen. You have less privacy, but cheaper accomodations, and you get to socialize.

My first time in Quito, Ecuador I stayed at Centro Del Mundo, a hostel near the center of town. $4 per night included breakfast. I shared a room and bathroom with 4 others, and a T.V. room with guests from 14 countries, and channels in three languages. 80 cents got me a rum-and-coke to drink while I played chess with a flower-buyer from Holland. The manager could arrange anything from tours of the snow-covered volcano Cotapaxi, to $2/hour Spanish lessons.

Is A Hostel For You?

I love hostels, but most of you won’t. I like mingling with travelers from around the world. You’re more isolated in a hotel. “Mingling,” of course, could mean sleeping next to a snorer. I’m sure the idea of sharing a room is too much for some people, as is waiting to use the shower. It’s a different experience from staying in a hotel.

Are Hostels Cheap Accomodations?

Even if they were the same price, I’d prefer a hostel to a hotel, but one of the biggest reasons people stay in hostels is to save money. For this, they’re a good option when you’re traveling alone. Since my wife and I travel together now, we don’t stay in hostels often. You pay for two beds, after all, which makes hotels more competitve.

Hostels are not as common in the U.S. as in other countries, unless you include “bed-and-breakfast” places. Theses are, after all, somewhat like high-priced hostels. There are still cheap hostels in almost every state, though. Search Google for hostels, and you’ll find all the information you need.

Other Cheap Accommdations

For cheap accomodations other than hostels, you can try websites, such as Cheap Tickets.com. Remember though, that they only give you rates for the hotels and motels in their system. I just did a search for Tucson, Arizona. Cheap Tickets.com was the easiest to use, and found the best rates. However, I could show you several nice motels here in Tucson that are $15 cheaper than the cheapest rate they found.

Try picking up those coupon books at gas stations along the highways. We’ve almost always found good deals using these. It’s rare that a manager won’t honor the coupon. Generally, only if they’re absolutely full will they refuse. Read the fine print, though, since they often charge more for certain dates, weekends, or for two people.

Another way to get a cheap room is by negotiating. Unfortunately, for some reason, most owners here in the U.S. would rather watch you drive away than knock five bucks off the room rate. This isn’t true in most other countries. My wife and I were in Banos, Ecuador recently, and were told the room would be $12. The room was clean, with cable T.V. and lots of hot water. We paid just $6 per night, paying four nights in advance. The owner understood we were ready to walk away.

You’ve finally decided to take the family on the long awaited trip to DisneyWorld. Now you have to decide where to stay while you’re there. The options may seem limited, but there really are more choices than you might think.

Important Points to Consider When Choosing Accommodations

Before you make your final decision regarding your accommodations, there are a few factors that should be taken into consideration. First and formost is your budget. Obviously, the larger your budget the more options that are available to you.

You also need to consider number of people in your party. A family of 4 can usually fit into an average room at one of the many Disney Resort properties or an off-site hotel quite comfortably. However, if your party is larger than 4, or includes several families or a large group travelling together you will need more space and you may want to consider an off-site vacation home or resort condo. Another option for large families is to book 2 or more adjoining rooms at a hotel.

What type of amenities are important to you and your family? Is privacy and seclusion a high priority for you? Or are you more concerned with the type of amenities available to you during your stay? Will you have a car, either your own or a rental? Or will you need transportation to and from the parks? Do you plan on spending the majority of your vacation on Disney property, or are you interested in spending some time away from the theme parks and exploring the many other attractions central Florida has to offer?

The answers to all of these questions will help to make your choice of accommodations much easier.

The Pros and Cons of On-Site Accommodations

Most first time visitors to the Orlando area choose to stay at one of the many Walt Disney World Resort Properties. These properties have long had a reputation for being clean, well maintained, and very family friendly. The excellent service provided by the Disney staff is also a big plus. Other advantages of staying on-site at one of the resort properties is the use of the resort’s transportation system. There is no need to rent a car if you plan on spending your entire stay at the Disney theme parks. There is an extensive transportation system available to guests that will take you anywhere you want to go within the resort. However, if you think you may want to venture off-site to some of the other attractions, restaurants, or shows in the Orlando area then you will need to find your own transportation.

Your vacation budget should also be carefully considered if you are planning on staying on-site. The resort accommodations tend to be more expensive than off-site alternatives, and rooms are limited. It may be difficult to find availability if you are planning your trip at the last minute.

The Pros and Cons of Off-Site Accommodations

Many visitors to the Orlando area, especially first time visitors, are not aware of the many off-site accommodation options available to them. There are hotels, motels, resorts, and privately owned condos and vacation pool homes all within a 10 - 15 minute drive of the parks. All of these are viable alternatives to staying within the Walt Disney World Resort.

Choosing an off-site hotel or motel can be a good alternative to on-site accoommodations. Many offer free shuttles to and from the theme parks and other popular area attractions. This can be very convenient and can also save you from paying daily parking fees. However, shuttle times can be limiting and may not fit your party’s schedule. On the plus side, many guests enjoy being able to “escape” the Disney atmosphere at the end of a long day. On the other hand, the quality of off-site hotels and motels can vary greatly and is often inconsistant, unlike the resort properties with their high standards of excellence.

Another accommodation option that has been growing steadily in popularity, especially among U.S. visitors to the Orlando area are privately owned vacation homes. These homes can be booked through one of the many management companies in the Orlando area, or even through a travel agent.

A vacation home offers guests comfort, convenience, and privacy. Often, large families or groups find it more cost effective to rent a larger vacation home rather than book 2 or more hotels rooms. Vacation homes also offer the opportunity to save money on dining out, as each home comes with a fully equipped kitchen that allows guests to prepare some, or all of their own meals during their stay. Many guests also appreciate the privacy that a vacation home provides.

Some vacation homes are located in resort communities and offer guests the use of all the resort amenities such as swimming pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, and game rooms. If these amenities are important to you, be sure to confirm that the home you are reserving is located in one of these resort communities. If it is not, you will still have the use of your own private swimming pool but will miss out on the other amenities.

Whether you’re a downhill skier, a snowboarder, or a fan of cross-country skiing, the White Mountains region of New Hampshire is a mecca for winter vacationers. The ski trails in New Hampshire offer some of the most challenging skiing east of the Rockies, while the small town atmosphere of much of this region offers a low-key, congenial ambiance after hours.

From Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch, appealing to expert skiers and novices alike with its 55 groomed trails and its intensive snowmaking, to easily accessible Loon Mountain in Lincoln, geared toward intermediate skiers but accommodating experts and beginners as well with its 50 trails, to any number of other great ski resorts, the snow is superb, the skiing fantastic, and the après ski facilities warm and inviting.

The many hotels and motels in the White Mountains do their utmost to provide tender loving care to their guests, offering luxuries such as spacious and comfortable rooms, many with whirlpool baths; super-heated pools; saunas; exercise rooms; and excellent dining facilities to create the perfect finale to a day on the slopes. One such place, Indian Head Resort in Lincoln, offers a great family atmosphere and accommodations for both small and large groups. Discount rates on the most popular ski trails are available at Indian Head; the resort offers a Multi-Mountain Ski Passport especially for its many international skiers. The passport provides unlimited access to up to nine Ski New Hampshire resorts, all within an hour’s drive to each other, and with free shuttle service to all the participating ski areas.

Lessons are available at many resorts, for skiers ranging from beginners to expert. Waterville Valley in particular has an interesting program. Lessons are available seven days a week throughout the season, and include adaptive ski lessons, lessons which teach physically and mentally disabled children and adults to ski. For a family with both able-bodied and disabled members, the adaptive program provides a valuable opportunity for the whole family to share an exciting and valuable vacation experience.

New Hampshire Welcomes Snowmobilers.

Over 7000 miles of snowmobile trails exist in New Hampshire - much of them in the White Mountains - and the clubby nature of snowmobilers makes for a great group experience. The resort areas in the region recognize that, and cater to snowmobile enthusiasts with the same care they do skiers. Group rates, special group programs, even accommodations for special club events are available all winter.

Many of the resorts are recognized as snowmobile-friendly by the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association. The organization offers safety classes, listings of tours and snowmobile vacations, and a database which compiles up-to-date conditions on New Hampshire snowmobile trails.

The White Mountains region of New Hampshire offers a wealth of winter vacation experiences for everyone - skier or snowboarder, snowboarder or snowmobiler, able-bodied or disabled, for families and for associations of good friends. What a great way to stave off cabin fever!

When making travel plan, one of the most important details is going to be your accommodation. Most people worry and fret over flight plans or rental cars and breeze right through the accommodations and choose the very first room they find available within a reasonable distance from the local airport.

This is very rarely a wise course of action unless you are doing a one-night stay in town and desire to be very close to the airport for the sake of convenience. There are several reasons why this is true. First of all, not all airports are located in the safest area of town. Families tend to prefer nice quiet areas in which to raise their children, airports are generally anything but a quiet area in which to live. While most airport accommodations are reasonably clean, this doesn’t really guarantee that they are equally secure.

Second, these hotels and motels often charge a premium rate in exchange for the convenience of their location. In this day and age, we pay for perks and location is most definitely considered a perk in the realm of travel, if in doubt, check the prices for hotels on the Disney property vs. those on the outskirts of town.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, those hotels located closest to airports generally are further away from the area attractions. If you are vacationing with your family you will enjoy much better use of your time by limiting your travel time between destinations and attractions.

The final reason that it isn’t always best to choose accommodations close to the airport is that you may find the amenities designed for families to be somewhat lacking. Hotel airports tend to cater to the single in and out business crowd rather than family entertainment. These accommodations will be sparse and the quarters a little closer than the average family would probably appreciate.