Half Beach, Half Disney Trip...Any Recommendations? - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Half Beach, Half Disney Trip...Any Recommendations?
I'm thinking about different vacation possibilities for next summer. My girls will be 16 & 13. I was thinking it might be nice to stay on a beach somewhere for 2 or 3 nights for more of a rest and relaxation kind of vacation and then head to Disney for full on touring for 4 or 5 nights! I know we can do R & R at Disney but I'm looking for something a little different and would like to expose my kids to other areas. Any suggestions in Florida of hotels or areas to stay? I've started looking a little. We could go someplace close enough to drive (like Boca Raton) or far enough away we would want to fly (like the Florida Keys). Any thoughts? Thanks!!
Anna Maria!!!! It's amazing and gorgeous. Destin is on the panhandle and I have a ton of friends who vacation there.
If you're looking for the Atlantic side, we go to Melbourne. It's about an hour drive from Orlando and not quite as "touritsty" as other areas.
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Ch-Ch-Changes July 2015
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We have stayed at Disneys Vero Beach Resort and really enjoyed it. Its about an hour and a half southeast of WDW right on the Atlantic.
Thanks! I started looking into it. I tried a few dates for next summer but it says no room availability. I wonder if it's hard to book without being a DVC member. I'll keep playing around with it.
We love St. Augustine area. Lots of hotels and restaurants, plus interesting historic sites, parks and beaches. We have stayed at the not fancy but clean and adequate Hampton Inn on A1A near the fishing pier. They have direct beach access which is great; park, beach, sleep, even get something to eat across the street without driving. Free breakfast is included and they do have an outdoor pool too.
My top choice would be Sanibel & Captiva Islands. It is a very doable drive. My second choice would be Clearwater Beach. Sanibel is so nice and it is just a short drive from Fort Myers and all the fun & excitement there ands well. It has a lot of exploring options including the Ding Darling Preserve and there are those amazing sunsets and shelling that the islands are famous for.
Boca is about a 3 hr drive to WDW on the Turnpike. We stay about a mile south of Boca in Deerfield Beach. I fly into Lauderdale and pick up rental car then when I check into WDW resort I return car to Disney Car Care Centre. (Alamo). It’s located near TTC.
Love Deerfield or Boca beaches. We stay in a little hotel half block from the beach in an efficiency, I like to have breakfast in my room. And handy for making sandwiches for lunch. I have family in the area so we always start our trip here.
We’ve also spent time in Key West. Stayed in Sheraton Suites, very spacious. Near a beach and the resort has a shuttle to take you into the tourist area. We did a catamaran Cruise one day, and another did the open air bus tour that looks like a train. I wish I had a 3rd day to do a eco kayak tour.
We drove from Ft Lauderdale, the drive thru the Keys was amazing. If it weren’t for the fact that we were staying in Deerfield area I would have flown into Miami, book arrival night at a hotel then hit the road bright and early.
Cocoa Beach is fun. My daughters loved to take surf lessons from RonJons surf shop. The last time they had the same instructor that gives lessons at Typhoon Lagoon. We stayed at The Hampton Inn.
It’s about a 45 min drive to WDW.
We also enjoy the gulf, St. Pete Beach. Stayed at Sirata Beach Resort. The sand is like powdered sugar, so fine. And the water is nice and calm. I just float around on my pool noodle! About a 90 min drive to WDW.
So many fun places to explore in Florida, it’s great for those who can spare extra time to take a few days pre or post WDW to explore. Imo the Everglades is a must do. We like the Shark Valley entrance. They have a worthwhile tram tour with a naturalist. There is an old road the trams go along. Used to have an oil rig out there. Only thing that remains is the road.
Boca is about a 3 hr drive to WDW on the Turnpike. We stay about a mile south of Boca in Deerfield Beach. I fly into Lauderdale and pick up rental car then when I check into WDW resort I return car to Disney Car Care Centre. (Alamo). It’s located near TTC.
Love Deerfield or Boca beaches. We stay in a little hotel half block from the beach in an efficiency, I like to have breakfast in my room. And handy for making sandwiches for lunch. I have family in the area so we always start our trip here.
We’ve also spent time in Key West. Stayed in Sheraton Suites, very spacious. Near a beach and the resort has a shuttle to take you into the tourist area. We did a catamaran Cruise one day, and another did the open air bus tour that looks like a train. I wish I had a 3rd day to do a eco kayak tour.
We drove from Ft Lauderdale, the drive thru the Keys was amazing. If it weren’t for the fact that we were staying in Deerfield area I would have flown into Miami, book arrival night at a hotel then hit the road bright and early.
Cocoa Beach is fun. My daughters loved to take surf lessons from RonJons surf shop. The last time they had the same instructor that gives lessons at Typhoon Lagoon. We stayed at The Hampton Inn.
It’s about a 45 min drive to WDW.
We also enjoy the gulf, St. Pete Beach. Stayed at Sirata Beach Resort. The sand is like powdered sugar, so fine. And the water is nice and calm. I just float around on my pool noodle! About a 90 min drive to WDW.
So many fun places to explore in Florida, it’s great for those who can spare extra time to take a few days pre or post WDW to explore. Imo the Everglades is a must do. We like the Shark Valley entrance. They have a worthwhile tram tour with a naturalist. There is an old road the trams go along. Used to have an oil rig out there. Only thing that remains is the road.
Thank you for all this information!! Plenty of options.
When I first moved here, I asked which beach to go to and Anna Maria Island/Bradenton Beach/Longboat Key was the one everyone recommended. It has the powder fine sand of Clearwater and usually much less crowded. Great local eateries and cute shops. It's about 2 hours from Disney.
We like the Gulf side as there are less sharks and it's usually calmer. Plus, if you stay toward the evening you get the beautiful sunset. We go to Indian Rocks in St. Pete. I've also been to Sand Key in St Petes which is a park and offers all types of rentals/ kayaks etc. They are both 1-1/2 away.
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I know we can do R & R at Disney but I'm looking for something a little different and would like to expose my kids to other areas. Any suggestions in Florida of hotels or areas to stay? I've started looking a little. We could go someplace close enough to drive (like Boca Raton) or far enough away we would want to fly (like the Florida Keys). 
Any thoughts? Thanks!!
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