Planning an Encore Resort Holiday: Complete 2026 Guide
Planning an Encore Resort Holiday: The Complete 2026 Guide
Planning an Encore Resort holiday gives you the opportunity to combine the excitement of an Orlando theme-park trip with the space and privacy of your own vacation home. Instead of spending every night in a conventional hotel room, families can stay together in a large villa while enjoying access to the wider facilities available at Encore Resort.
However, choosing the right villa is only one part of planning your stay.
You also need to think about Disney and Universal days, resort days, transport, food, bedroom requirements, private pools and how much time you’ll actually spend at the villa.
Additionally, families travelling for 10 or 14 nights should plan their holiday very differently from somebody visiting Orlando for a long weekend.
Therefore, we’ve created this complete 2026 Encore Resort holiday guide to help you plan the entire trip.
Already looking for somewhere to stay? Explore our Encore Resort Villas or browse our Luxury Encore Resort Villas.
Planning an Encore Resort Holiday at a Glance
| Planning Question | Our Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Best for | Families and large groups |
| Accommodation | Private vacation homes |
| Private pool | Prioritise one if you’ll have resort days |
| Water park | Allow at least one resort day |
| Disney | Spread parks throughout your holiday |
| Universal | Allow separate days |
| Epic Universe | Plan as a major park day |
| Car | Useful for flexibility |
| Large groups | Compare one villa vs several nearby villas |
| Food | Mix villa meals with restaurants |
| Holiday length | Particularly good for longer Orlando stays |
| Rest days | Build them into your itinerary |
| Before booking | Compare villa amenities carefully |
1. Start Your Encore Resort Holiday With the Right Villa
Your villa can have a bigger impact on your holiday than you might initially expect.
After all, you’re not simply booking somewhere to sleep.
During a longer Encore Resort holiday, your villa might be where you eat breakfast, relax between theme parks, spend entire pool days and gather together during the evenings.
Therefore, start with the property rather than choosing solely according to price.
Consider:
- Number of bedrooms
- Number of bathrooms
- Bed configurations
- Private swimming pool
- Outdoor area
- Games room
- Cinema room
- Themed bedrooms
- Living space
- Kitchen
- Location
Most importantly, think about how your family actually travels.
A property that’s perfect for one group of 12 could be completely unsuitable for another group of 12.
How Many Bedrooms Do You Need for an Encore Resort Holiday?
Don’t simply divide the number of guests by two.
For example, imagine you’re travelling with 10 people.
Five couples might comfortably use five bedrooms.
However, a group containing grandparents, parents, teenagers and younger children might prefer six or seven bedrooms.
Therefore, consider who is sharing with whom.
Ask:
Do grandparents want their own room?
Will teenagers share?
Do younger children want themed bedrooms?
Are there several couples?
Does anybody require additional privacy?
If you’re unsure, use our Orlando Villa Bedroom Calculator.
Afterwards, you can narrow your Encore search by size.
2. Choose Your Encore Resort Villa by Bedroom Count
EPV has Encore villa collections covering different group sizes.
4 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas
For smaller groups, start with our 4 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas.
A smaller villa can provide the benefits of staying at Encore without paying for bedrooms you’ll never use.
5 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas
Families wanting slightly more flexibility can explore our 5 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas.
6 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas
Two families travelling together may want to start with our 6 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas.
7 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas
Larger families can browse our 7 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas.
8 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas
For extended families and bigger groups, explore our 8 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas.
9 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas
Finally, very large parties can start with our 9 Bedroom Encore Resort Villas.
However, bigger isn’t automatically better.
Instead, choose the property that provides the right balance between space, amenities and price.
3. Make the Private Pool Part of Your Encore Resort Holiday
A private pool isn’t simply a nice photograph on a villa listing.
If you use it properly, it can become a significant part of your holiday.
For example, imagine returning from Magic Kingdom late at night.
The following morning, nobody wants another early start.
Therefore, sleep in.
Afterwards, have breakfast at the villa.
Then, spend several hours beside your own pool.
You can still go out later.
However, you’ve avoided turning every single day into a scheduled attraction.
This becomes even more important during a two-week Orlando holiday.
Consequently, when comparing villas, look carefully at the pool and outdoor area rather than treating them as an afterthought.
Browse our Private Villas at Encore Resort if private outdoor space is a major priority.
4. Plan at Least One Encore Resort Water Park Day
One of the advantages of an Encore Resort holiday is that entertainment isn’t limited to your villa.
Encore’s Aqua Park gives families somewhere to spend a resort day without purchasing another major theme-park ticket.
The resort has larger water attractions alongside facilities designed for younger children.
Therefore, families with several age groups can enjoy the same day differently.
Older children and teenagers might prefer the larger slides.
Meanwhile, younger children can use the splash facilities.
Additionally, adults can enjoy a more relaxed poolside experience.
Therefore, don’t automatically fill every available day with Disney and Universal.
Give Encore itself some space in your itinerary.
For the latest operating information, visit the official Encore Resort website before travelling.
5. Don’t Make Every Day a Theme-Park Day
This is one of the biggest pieces of advice we’d give anyone planning an Orlando villa holiday.
It can be tempting to think:
We’ve spent all this money getting to Florida, so we need to do something major every day.
However, that can quickly become exhausting.
A Disney day might involve an early start, thousands of steps, Florida heat, queues and a late return to the villa.
Then, doing exactly the same thing the following morning can become difficult, particularly with younger children.
Therefore, deliberately schedule slower days.
For example:
Day 1: Disney
Day 2: Encore pool and water park
Day 3: Disney
Day 4: Shopping and villa
Day 5: Universal
As a result, your Encore Resort holiday can feel considerably more relaxed.
6. Plan Your Walt Disney World Days
For many Encore guests, Disney will be the centrepiece of the holiday.
Therefore, work out which parks matter most before you arrive.
The four main Walt Disney World theme parks are:
- Magic Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Additionally, families may want to visit Disney Springs or other Disney destinations.
However, don’t think of Walt Disney World as one single location.
Journey times can vary depending on which destination you’re visiting and current traffic.
Therefore, plan each park day individually.
For Disney-focused accommodation information, explore our Orlando Villas Near Disney.
Additionally, browse our Luxury Villas Near Disney World.
For official attraction information, use the Walt Disney World website.
7. Add Universal Orlando to Your Encore Resort Holiday
Disney doesn’t need to dominate your entire trip.
Universal Orlando can easily form another major part of your itinerary.
Therefore, decide before travelling how many Universal days you want.
Depending on your plans, your holiday may include Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe.
Consequently, trying to squeeze everything into one Universal day may not make sense.
Instead, spread major attractions across the holiday.
If Universal is important to you, read our Universal Orlando Guide.
Additionally, browse our Villas Near Universal Studios.
Planning to visit Epic Universe? Explore our Orlando Villas Near Epic Universe.
8. Build Rest Days Into Your Encore Resort Holiday
A rest day doesn’t need to mean sitting inside doing nothing.
In fact, some of your favourite holiday moments may happen away from the major attractions.
For example:
9:00am: Breakfast at the villa
10:30am: Private pool
12:30pm: Lunch
2:00pm: Encore resort facilities
5:00pm: Back to the villa
7:00pm: Dinner out
That’s still a full holiday day.
However, it involves far less rushing.
Additionally, children can enjoy themselves without spending hours standing in theme-park queues.
Therefore, I’d deliberately include several of these days during a longer trip.
9. Planning an Encore Resort Holiday With Young Children
Travelling with younger children changes everything.
Firstly, you’ll probably move more slowly.
Additionally, children may need naps or earlier nights.
Therefore, don’t copy an itinerary designed for adults.
Instead, take advantage of your villa.
A younger child can sleep while other family members use the pool or living areas.
Likewise, breakfast can happen at home rather than requiring everyone to be dressed and ready for a restaurant.
Furthermore, themed bedrooms can make the villa itself more exciting for children.
Explore our Orlando Villas With Themed Bedrooms if that’s something your family would enjoy.
10. Planning an Encore Resort Holiday With Teenagers
Teenagers often want more independence.
Therefore, the combination of a large villa and resort facilities can work particularly well.
Rather than sharing one hotel room with their parents, teenagers may have their own bedroom.
Additionally, Encore’s sports and water facilities provide alternatives during quieter days.
Meanwhile, some villas include games rooms and cinema rooms.
Consequently, returning home from a theme park doesn’t necessarily mean the entertainment stops.
When comparing properties, involve teenagers in the decision.
For example, parents might prioritise the kitchen and outdoor space.
However, teenagers might care far more about the games room, cinema and pool.
The best property often balances both.
11. Planning an Encore Resort Holiday for a Large Family
Large groups should plan differently from smaller families.
For example, moving 16 people around Orlando can take considerably longer than moving four.
Restaurant bookings can also become more difficult.
Therefore, build flexibility into your itinerary.
The villa can help enormously.
Instead of organising breakfast for 16 people at a restaurant, eat at home.
Additionally, not everybody needs to leave at exactly the same time every day.
One group might head to Disney early.
Meanwhile, grandparents or teenagers could leave later.
Then, everyone can meet during the day.
Consequently, a large villa becomes more than accommodation.
It becomes your group’s central Orlando base.
12. One Large Encore Villa or Several Smaller Villas?
This is worth deciding before you book.
One Large Villa
Best if everybody wants to spend lots of time together.
You get shared living spaces, one pool and one central meeting point.
Several Villas
Better if families value privacy.
Parents can put younger children to bed without worrying about the rest of the group.
Additionally, each family gets its own kitchen and living space.
Therefore, there isn’t one correct answer.
If several properties sound more suitable, explore our Encore Resort Villas Close Together.
13. Should You Hire a Car for Your Encore Resort Holiday?
A car can provide considerably more freedom during an Orlando holiday.
After all, you’re unlikely to visit only one attraction.
Your trip may include:
- Disney
- Universal
- Epic Universe
- SeaWorld
- Restaurants
- Supermarkets
- Shopping outlets
- Golf
- Other Orlando attractions
Therefore, having your own transport can make spontaneous changes easier.
However, large groups should consider vehicle logistics carefully.
One enormous vehicle isn’t necessarily the best solution.
Instead, two cars can allow different parts of the group to follow different schedules.
For example, one family might leave Disney earlier with young children.
Meanwhile, another group stays for the evening.
Therefore, think about flexibility rather than simply finding the vehicle with the most seats.
14. Plan Your Food Before You Arrive
Food can become a surprisingly large part of the budget for a large Orlando group.
Therefore, use your villa kitchen.
You certainly don’t need to cook every meal.
Instead, mix different options.
Breakfast
Eating breakfast at the villa can save time before theme-park days.
Lunch
Eat inside the parks when you’re spending the entire day there.
Dinner
Alternate between restaurants, takeaway and meals at the villa.
Pool Days
These are particularly good opportunities to eat at home.
Consequently, you still enjoy Orlando restaurants without paying restaurant prices three times per day for the entire family.
15. Do a Supermarket Shop Early
For longer stays, an early supermarket trip can make the first few days considerably easier.
Think about:
- Bottled water
- Breakfast
- Snacks
- Fruit
- Children’s food
- Soft drinks
- Pool-day lunches
- Basic evening meals
- Toiletries
Additionally, consider buying snacks for theme-park days where permitted.
However, check the current rules of each attraction before packing food or drinks.
The goal isn’t to cook every meal.
Instead, it’s to have options available whenever the group doesn’t want to go out.
16. Don’t Forget About Orlando’s Non-Theme-Park Days
Disney and Universal may be the headline attractions.
However, Orlando has considerably more to offer.
Depending on your group, you could include:
- Golf
- Shopping
- Disney Springs
- Restaurants
- Other attractions
- Pool days
- Resort activities
Therefore, leave some flexibility in your schedule.
If every hour is planned before you arrive, you have no room to change your mind.
Instead, identify your must-do attractions and leave some other days flexible.
That way, your Encore Resort holiday can adapt to weather, energy levels and what everybody actually feels like doing.
17. Plan for Florida Weather
Florida weather deserves consideration when building your itinerary.
Hot conditions can make long park days tiring.
Additionally, thunderstorms can disrupt outdoor plans.
Therefore, don’t build an itinerary with absolutely no flexibility.
If weather affects a planned activity, you want another option.
This is another advantage of a villa holiday.
You still have:
- Private pool
- Living space
- Games room in selected homes
- Cinema room in selected homes
- Kitchen
- Resort facilities when operating
Consequently, a changed plan doesn’t necessarily mean a wasted day.
18. What Should You Pack for an Encore Resort Holiday?
Obviously, your exact packing list depends on the season and your itinerary.
However, useful items can include:
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Lightweight clothing
- Small park bag
- Portable phone charger
- Refillable water bottle where appropriate
- Waterproof phone case
- Light rainwear
- Evening clothes
- Medication
- Travel adapters for international visitors
Additionally, don’t overpack items that can easily be purchased locally.
After all, you’ll have access to shops and supermarkets throughout the wider Orlando area.
19. A 7-Day Encore Resort Holiday Itinerary
If you only have one week, prioritisation becomes important.
Here’s one possible structure:
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, supermarket and villa |
| Day 2 | Magic Kingdom |
| Day 3 | Encore Resort + private pool |
| Day 4 | Universal Orlando |
| Day 5 | EPCOT or Animal Kingdom |
| Day 6 | Encore / shopping / flexible day |
| Day 7 | Favourite attraction |
The important part isn’t the exact parks.
Instead, notice the spacing.
Major attraction days are separated by slower days where possible.
Therefore, you’re less likely to reach the end of the week completely exhausted.
20. A 14-Day Encore Resort Holiday Itinerary
Two weeks gives you considerably more flexibility.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival and villa |
| 2 | Magic Kingdom |
| 3 | Encore Resort day |
| 4 | EPCOT |
| 5 | Shopping + private pool |
| 6 | Universal Studios |
| 7 | Relaxed villa day |
| 8 | Animal Kingdom |
| 9 | Encore water park |
| 10 | Epic Universe |
| 11 | Pool + dinner out |
| 12 | Hollywood Studios |
| 13 | Favourite park / shopping / golf |
| 14 | Relaxed final day |
Again, change this according to your family.
However, alternating intense and relaxed days can make a significant difference.
21. How Much Should You Budget for an Encore Resort Holiday?
Your villa is only one part of the total holiday cost.
Therefore, consider:
| Expense | Remember to Budget For |
|---|---|
| Villa | Accommodation |
| Flights | Especially international travellers |
| Car | Rental + fuel |
| Theme parks | Disney, Universal etc. |
| Food | Restaurants + supermarket |
| Shopping | Personal choice |
| Golf | If applicable |
| Extras | Activities and entertainment |
| Travel insurance | Important |
| Spending money | Daily expenses |
Additionally, villa pricing can vary according to season, property size and demand.
Therefore, there isn’t one meaningful universal nightly rate.
Use our Orlando Villa Cost Calculator to start estimating your accommodation requirements.
22. When Should You Book Your Encore Resort Holiday?
The earlier you book, the more choice you’re likely to have.
This becomes particularly important if:
- You’re travelling during school holidays
- You’re travelling at Christmas
- You need a very large villa
- You want specific amenities
- Several villas need to be close together
- Your dates aren’t flexible
For example, finding an Encore villa may be relatively straightforward.
However, finding a specific bedroom count with the perfect pool, cinema, games room and location for fixed dates can be much harder.
Therefore, groups with strict requirements should generally start searching earlier.
23. What Is the Best Time for an Encore Resort Holiday?
There isn’t one universally perfect time.
Instead, consider what matters most.
School Holiday Families
School dates may determine your travel window automatically.
Christmas and New Year
Festive periods can be extremely popular.
Therefore, plan well ahead if you need a large property.
Summer
Summer works well for school-age families, although visitors should prepare for Florida heat.
Flexible Travellers
Travelling outside major holiday periods can potentially provide different availability and crowd conditions.
Therefore, choose according to your family rather than simply asking for the “best month.”
24. Use the Encore Resort Map Before Booking
Encore is a substantial community.
Therefore, understanding the resort layout can help when comparing villas.
This becomes especially useful if several families are booking separate properties.
Use our Encore Resort Interactive Map during your planning.
However, don’t sacrifice the perfect villa simply to be slightly closer to one particular facility.
Instead, balance location against:
- Villa quality
- Bedroom count
- Pool
- Games room
- Cinema
- Price
- Group requirements
25. Compare Encore With Other Orlando Resort
Even if Encore looks perfect, compare it with alternatives.
Different families prioritise different things.
For example, you may also want to investigate ChampionsGate, Storey Lake, Solara or Solterra.
EPV has dedicated comparison guides:
Encore Resort vs Champions Gate
Encore Resort vs Solara Resort
Encore Resort vs Solterra Resort
Therefore, choose Encore because it suits your group rather than because it’s the first resort you discovered.
26. Common Encore Resort Holiday Planning Mistakes
A few mistakes can make an otherwise excellent holiday harder than necessary.
Planning Too Many Theme Parks Consecutively
Build in recovery time.
Choosing a Villa Based Only on Bedroom Count
Amenities and communal spaces matter too.
Underestimating Bathroom Requirements
Large groups getting ready simultaneously need enough bathrooms.
Ignoring the Villa Pool
If you’re paying for a great villa, actually spend time enjoying it.
Overplanning
Leave some flexibility.
Not Checking Current Resort Information
Operating arrangements can change.
Booking Too Late With Very Specific Requirements
Large groups often have fewer suitable properties to choose from.
Avoiding these mistakes can make the entire holiday easier.
27. Is an Encore Resort Holiday Worth It?
An Encore Resort holiday makes the most sense when you intend to enjoy both Orlando and your accommodation.
If you’re leaving at sunrise every morning and returning at midnight, you may barely use the villa or resort facilities.
However, if you’re planning a longer trip with several rest days, the equation changes.
Your private pool gets used.
The water park gets used.
The kitchen gets used.
The additional living space gets used.
Meanwhile, everyone benefits from having their own bedroom.
Therefore, Encore can be particularly attractive for families, large groups and multi-generational Orlando holidays.
Encore Resort Holiday FAQs
Is Encore Resort good for a family holiday?
Yes. The combination of large vacation homes, private pools and wider resort facilities makes Encore particularly well suited to families.
Is Encore Resort suitable for large groups?
Yes. Large vacation homes make Encore a strong option for extended families and multiple families travelling together.
Should I plan resort days?
Yes. Particularly during a longer stay, resort and pool days can provide valuable breaks between Disney and Universal.
Do Encore villas have private pools?
Private pools are a major feature of Encore vacation homes. However, always check the exact specification of your chosen property.
Does Encore have a water park?
Yes. Encore has an Aqua Park with attractions for different age groups.
Can we visit Disney while staying at Encore?
Yes. Walt Disney World is one of the main reasons families choose vacation accommodation in this part of Central Florida.
Can we visit Universal?
Yes. Encore can also be used as a base for Universal Orlando and Epic Universe holidays.
Should we hire a car?
A car can provide additional flexibility, particularly for restaurants, supermarkets and families following different schedules. However, consider your individual itinerary before deciding.
Is Encore good for a two-week Orlando holiday?
Yes. In fact, longer stays allow families to make greater use of the villa, private pool and resort facilities between attraction days.
Should several families share one villa?
That depends on your group. Some families love staying together, while others prefer separate nearby homes.
Where can I see the Encore Resort layout?
Use our Encore Resort Interactive Map.
How many bedrooms should I book?
Use our Orlando Villa Bedroom Calculator to help estimate your requirements.
How can I estimate my villa budget?
Try our Orlando Villa Cost Calculator.
What if I’m unsure whether Encore is the right resort?
Take our Which Orlando Resort Is Right for Me Quiz.
Start Planning Your Encore Resort Holiday
A great Encore Resort holiday isn’t simply about finding the biggest villa available.
Instead, it’s about matching the property and itinerary to your group.
Firstly, work out how many bedrooms you genuinely need.
Then, decide which villa amenities matter most.
Additionally, leave room for private-pool and resort days between Disney and Universal.
Most importantly, don’t feel that every day needs to be filled with another expensive attraction.
After all, part of the reason for choosing a large Orlando villa is having somewhere your family genuinely wants to spend time.
Explore our complete Encore Resort Villas collection to start comparing properties.
Alternatively, browse our Luxury Encore Resort Villas, explore the Encore Resort Interactive Map or take our Orlando Resort Quiz to find the right option for your family.
