Christmas Vacation Rental in Orlando: Dinner Checklist

Quick answer: A Christmas vacation rental in Orlando can host a full holiday dinner if you plan three things together: the kitchen, the table and the delivery calendar. Check what the house already has, rent the gaps (extra fridge space, a grill, small appliances, tables and chairs), follow USDA food-safety temperatures, and remember that Honest Sherpa is closed on December 25, so for a stay that spans Christmas, rentals need to arrive before it and be picked up after it.

We checked each fact below against the official page on October 12, 2026. Dates, prices and hours change, so confirm before you order.

Key Takeaways

• Most vacation home kitchens are set up for a normal family, not a holiday feast. List your menu first, then decide what to rent.
• Honest Sherpa rents refrigerators, a chest freezer, grills, small appliances, folding tables and chairs, a popcorn machine and a movie projector, all with free delivery and pickup.
• The site says it operates every day of the year but Christmas and shows it is closed on December 25. Order so that everything is delivered before Christmas Day.
• USDA says poultry must reach 165 degrees F, and perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees F).
• Large refrigerators can take 2 to 8 hours to cool after delivery, according to the product page, so have it delivered early.

The Christmas dinner rental checklist at a glance

Prices below are the weekly prices shown on each category page on October 12, 2026. They can change, so check the page before you order.

Start with the house: what to ask your host

Before you rent anything, spend ten minutes with your host or property manager. The answers decide your shopping list.

• How big is the oven, and does it have two racks? A large turkey and a ham may not both fit.
• How many burners does the stove have, and what pots, roasting pans and serving dishes are in the kitchen?
• How much room is in the refrigerator and freezer, and is there a second one in the garage?
• How many people does the dining table seat? Count high chairs separately.
• Is grilling allowed, and where may a grill go?
• Is there a dishwasher, and how much serviceware (plates, glasses, flatware) is there?

A simple rule: if the house kitchen cannot hold the food, cook it in stages and rent only what covers the gap. A family of six does not need the same setup as a group of sixteen. See our multi-generational trip guide if several families are sharing the house.

Kitchen checklist

Refrigerators and freezers

Holiday cooking uses more cold space than anyone expects: the thawing turkey, sides, desserts, drinks and the leftovers. The Honest Sherpa refrigerator and freezer category lists a 26 cu ft refrigerator, an 18.1 cu ft refrigerator, a 10.1 cu ft refrigerator, a chest freezer and a mini beverage fridge. The large refrigerator page says cooling times from delivery vary from 2 to 8 hours, so have it delivered on your arrival day and give it time before you load it with food.

USDA says to keep cold perishable food at 40 degrees F or below. Our suggestion: put an inexpensive fridge thermometer in any extra refrigerator and check it before you stock it.

Grills

If the house oven is the bottleneck, a grill moves some of the cooking outside. The grills category lists gas, charcoal, electric and kosher grills. The Medium Gas Grill and the Large Gas Grill pages say each grill is delivered fully sanitized with a tank of gas, and the large grill has four gas burners. A 3 piece utensil set is also listed. Check with your host first on where grilling is allowed.

Small appliances

The small appliances category lists a blender, an air fryer, a Kitchen Aid stand mixer (a heavy duty 4.5 quart mixer with 10 speeds, per the product page), a cooling fan tower and a propane patio heater. An air fryer is handy for reheating sides without tying up the oven. A stand mixer helps if you are baking, and a blender covers punch and smoothies for the kids.

Table and seating checklist

The tables and chairs category lists a folding table, a square card table, folding chairs sold in pairs and a poker table with 8 chairs bundle. The folding table page mentions it as a place to put food for a large dinner party and says it is suitable for indoors or outdoors. It does not list a seating capacity, so measure the space and plan one seat per person.

• Count your guests, then subtract the seats the house already has.
• Remember that each folding chair order comes with 2 chairs, so six extra seats is a quantity of 3.
• Put the folding table in a spot where adults can reach the food without crossing the kids' play area.
• A square card table can serve as a kids' table or a dessert station.

Food-safety basics from USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) gives four guidelines: clean, separate, cook and chill. A rented kitchen is unfamiliar, so use a food thermometer instead of guessing.

Thawing a turkey

USDA's turkey thawing guide lists three safe ways to thaw: in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave. In the refrigerator, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, with the refrigerator at 40 degrees F or below. A 12 to 16 pound turkey takes 3 to 4 days, and a 16 to 20 pound turkey takes 4 to 5 days. A thawed turkey can stay in the refrigerator 1 or 2 days before cooking. A turkey thawed in cold water or the microwave must be cooked right away. Do not leave it thawing on the counter: USDA says a package left there more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature.

The 2 hour rule and leftovers

• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees F).
• Divide large amounts into shallow containers so they cool quickly, and slice or cut up turkey before refrigerating.
• Keep hot food at 140 degrees F or warmer and cold food at 40 degrees F or below while serving.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
• Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees F, and bring sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil.

The National Fire Protection Association also notes that Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve were the three leading dates for home fires caused by cooking in 2024. Our own advice: stay with what you are cooking, and keep little ones out of the cooking area. See the NFPA holiday fire safety page and USDA's safe minimum internal temperature chart for details.

A timeline from order to leftovers

Use days before dinner instead of calendar dates, so you can shift the plan to your own arrival and departure dates.

Planning around the December 25 closure

The Honest Sherpa site says it operates every day of the year but Christmas, and the date picker shows the message "We are closed on December 25." Delivery and pickup are free, seven days a week, with delivery for the day you arrive and pickup for the day you leave. You choose both dates at checkout, and you can enter your zip code or city on the site to see if your address is covered.

That means: if you arrive on December 25, pick another delivery date. If you leave on December 25, choose a different pickup date. For a last-minute add-on, the site says it attempts same-day delivery and otherwise delivers first thing the next morning, but it does not promise availability, so do not leave the fridge or the grill until Christmas Eve. If you are also thinking about a tree, read our guide to renting a Christmas tree in Orlando.

After dinner: movie night

When the table is cleared, a movie night keeps kids and grandparents in the same room. Honest Sherpa's Theater Popcorn Machine comes with two popcorn kits, and additional kits can be purchased. The Movie Screen Projector comes with a 150 inch screen. You can run it indoors or out, and the product page even suggests a pool movie night. Check where you will place the screen and that the room can be darkened.

Feeding kids and a crowd

A few family-logistics tips that cost nothing:

• Serve toddlers early, before the long adult meal, so they are not melting down at the table.
• Set out a snack plate for kids at the card table while the grown-up food finishes.
• Keep hot dishes toward the back of the counter or table, away from the edge where small hands reach.
• Let the youngest nap before the meal if you can, and plan the movie after bedtime for the little ones.

For more holiday ideas, see our Christmas in Orlando guide, our vacation rental kitchen checklist and our last-minute Christmas tips.

FAQ

Can I cook Christmas dinner in an Orlando vacation rental? Yes, but check the kitchen first. Ask your host about oven size, cookware, fridge space and table seating, then rent the gaps. Honest Sherpa rents extra refrigerators, grills, small appliances and folding tables and chairs.

Does Honest Sherpa deliver on Christmas Day? No. The site says it operates every day of the year but Christmas and shows that it is closed on December 25. Schedule delivery and pickup for other days.

What should I rent for Christmas dinner in a vacation home? The most useful items are a refrigerator or chest freezer for extra storage, a grill or air fryer to relieve the oven, a folding table and chairs for extra seating, and a popcorn machine and projector for the evening. See the table above for current weekly prices.

How early should I order a rented refrigerator? The large refrigerator's product page says cooling times from delivery vary from 2 to 8 hours, so have it delivered on your arrival day, well before you shop for the dinner.

What temperature should turkey reach? USDA says all poultry must reach 165 degrees F as measured with a food thermometer. Ham to reheat should reach 140 degrees F if packaged in a USDA-inspected plant, and 165 degrees F otherwise.

How long can Christmas dinner sit out? No more than 2 hours at room temperature, and 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees F, according to USDA. After that, throw perishable food away.

How long do leftovers keep? USDA says 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Reheat them to 165 degrees F.

Can I get a grill delivered to my vacation rental? Honest Sherpa rents gas, charcoal, electric and kosher grills. The gas grill pages say each grill is delivered fully sanitized with a tank of gas. Ask your host first about where grilling is allowed.

Will rentals be available for Christmas week? We cannot say. Availability depends on your dates and address, so enter your delivery location on the site and check availability as early as you can.

Hosting this year? Honest Sherpa delivers rentals to your vacation home free of charge and picks them up when you leave. Browse refrigerators and freezers, tables and chairs and grills, then enter your zip code or city to see if your address is covered.