Anyone ever combine a dvc stay with a gulfcoast beach trip?

[edk35]

Are there any good resorts/hotels to stay at? I am very familiar with the panhandle beaches.....but know nothing about the Tampa area and south of there. THANKS

 

[scooby9932]

We've had three combo trips. We like to wind down after Disney, so we like to go to the Treasure Island area. We have stayed at the Bilmar Beach hotel & really enjoyed it. The beach is a fair walk from the units, but they are on the beach side. The sand is filled with small seashells so it's not soft like the snowy sand of the panhandle beaches. It gives a great pedicure quality buffing of the feet, though! The water is crystal clear turquoise and dolphin sightings are frequent.

I like that it's not crowded & isn't a typical "young people's vacation busy (i.e. wave runners, etc. rentals)" type area. It's worth a bit of research into the beaches of Treasure Island if you'd like a more relaxed beach atmosphere.

The sunsets across the water are spectacular!

 

[edk35]

We've had three combo trips. We like to wind down after Disney, so we like to go to the Treasure Island area. We have stayed at the Bilmar Beach hotel & really enjoyed it. The beach is a fair walk from the units, but they are on the beach side. The sand is filled with small seashells so it's not soft like the snowy sand of the panhandle beaches. It gives a great pedicure quality buffing of the feet, though! The water is crystal clear turquoise and dolphin sightings are frequent.

I like that it's not crowded & isn't a typical "young people's vacation busy (i.e. wave runners, etc. rentals)" type area. It's worth a bit of research into the beaches of Treasure Island if you'd like a more relaxed beach atmosphere.

The sunsets across the water are spectacular!

Oh thanks.. I will check that out.

 

[dvc_john]

All the time!

I prefer the southwest Florida coast over the Atlantic coast.

I have a timeshare on Sanibel Island (near Ft Myers) that I go to every year.

I also use my Hyatt timeshare points to frequently stay at Hyatt Coconut Plantation in Bonita Springs. It has a great pool complex complete with lazy river, and, while not directly on a beach, has free boat access to a private island for beach activities.

And while I've never stayed there, everyone seems to rave about Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota. I have seen the beach there, and it's highly rated.

Another popular spot is Marco Island, just south of Naples.

 

[edk35]

All the time!

I prefer the southwest Florida coast over the Atlantic coast.

I have a timeshare on Sanibel Island (near Ft Myers) that I go to every year.

I also use my Hyatt timeshare points to frequently stay at Hyatt Coconut Plantation in Bonita Springs. It has a great pool complex complete with lazy river, and, while not directly on a beach, has free boat access to a private island for beach activities.

And while I've never stayed there, everyone seems to rave about Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota. I have seen the beach there, and it's highly rated.

Another popular spot is Marco Island, just south of Naples.

Thanks...I will check those two spots out too.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have a timeshare on Marco Island and our trip in May will be six nights at WDW and a week at Marco. We've been going to Marco for about six or seven years now and love it. Sidewalks roll up in the summer time early. Only one small movie theater in town (or you can go to Naples), but the beach is wonderful.

Last summer our trip to Marco was the first one we didn't include nights at WDW. Usually we have a week at WDW and four or five nights at Marco. Or a week at Marco with four or five nights at WDW.

You can get some really nice condo rentals (VRBO or Homeaway) on the beach for not too bad of prices. We've stayed at Marco Beach Ocean Resort twice (and sometimes they have summer specials - summer is off season for Marco).

Plus you aren't far from the Everglades either if you want to make the side trip.

We did have a trip to Orange Beach, AL planned a few years ago, but got washed out by a tropical storm. So we just stayed longer at WDW.

 

[edk35]

We have a timeshare on Marco Island and our trip in May will be six nights at WDW and a week at Marco. We've been going to Marco for about six or seven years now and love it. Sidewalks roll up in the summer time early. Only one small movie theater in town (or you can go to Naples), but the beach is wonderful.

Last summer our trip to Marco was the first one we didn't include nights at WDW. Usually we have a week at WDW and four or five nights at Marco. Or a week at Marco with four or five nights at WDW.

You can get some really nice condo rentals (VRBO or Homeaway) on the beach for not too bad of prices. We've stayed at Marco Beach Ocean Resort twice (and sometimes they have summer specials - summer is off season for Marco).

Plus you aren't far from the Everglades either if you want to make the side trip.

We did have a trip to Orange Beach, AL planned a few years ago, but got washed out by a tropical storm. So we just stayed longer at WDW.

Thanks... will look into this too. I am from Dothan AL...grew up going to Panama City/Destin/Fort Walton. I love the gulf coast but would love to combine a trip to Disney too.

 

[lovemygrowingfamily]

We do! We stay for a few days in St. Pete Beach and then we drive south to Sanibel Island and enjoy being on island time and completely forgetting about everything for a few days. After a week on the gulf coast we drive and do 2 weeks at Disney.

We are counting down until August when we get to do our split trip again.

 

[edk35]

We do! We stay for a few days in St. Pete Beach and then we drive south to Sanibel Island and enjoy being on island time and completely forgetting about everything for a few days. After a week on the gulf coast we drive and do 2 weeks at Disney.

We are counting down until August when we get to do our split trip again.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL VACATION. NICE and LONG.

 

[a742246]

We've had three combo trips. We like to wind down after Disney, so we like to go to the Treasure Island area. We have stayed at the Bilmar Beach hotel & really enjoyed it. The beach is a fair walk from the units, but they are on the beach side. The sand is filled with small seashells so it's not soft like the snowy sand of the panhandle beaches. It gives a great pedicure quality buffing of the feet, though! The water is crystal clear turquoise and dolphin sightings are frequent.

I like that it's not crowded & isn't a typical "young people's vacation busy (i.e. wave runners, etc. rentals)" type area. It's worth a bit of research into the beaches of Treasure Island if you'd like a more relaxed beach atmosphere.

The sunsets across the water are spectacular!

I also stay at the Bilmar Beach Hotel it is a very nice and clean hotel, if you are looking for a short stay under 4 days it is worth a shot. If you are staying for a week or longer I would rent a timeshare from someone. Check out the TUG marketplace rentals or vrbo site.

 

[com_op_2000]

We have done DVC both pre and post trips to Treasure Island in the St. Pete area. Some very wide beaches to lay out on and many quality resorts to stay at.

 

[mjc2003]

We alternate between WDW and Captiva Island, which is right past Sanibel. Twice we have combined the two. We love South Seas resort on Captiva, it has something for everybody but is very laid back. You can rent anything from a 5 million dollar beach front home to a 1 bedroom villa. It can be very pricey, but their "off season" prices are reasonable. We love the pools and the beach, and the vibe of the resort is very much our speed.

I think it was about a 3 hour drive from WDW but the last time we did a combined trip was in 2011 so I don't recall exactly. We are going to WDW end of March this year and about a month later (May 5th) we are going to Captiva.

If you pursue south seas, I'd be happy to give you pointers on which villas are best depending on your needs.

We love the gulf coast!

 

[Ashmer]

I wanted to recommend the Sarasota area beaches. Anna Maria Island, Lido Key or Siesta Key are all great for various reasons. We live in Sarasota and it takes us just 2.5 hours to get to WDW.

Siesta Key is very popular and you would definitely want to look into renting a condo near the beach and Siesta Village, because it's very nice to be able to walk to everything.

Lido Key isn't as known to tourists, but has St. Armand's Circle within walking distance to public beach access. St. Armand's has lots of shopping, some upscale, and great restaurants.

Anna Maria island is more laid back and has lots of beach front dining. The traffic to get onto the island can be crazy though.

All these beaches are right off the coast of Sarasota and it seems there is always something going on.

 

[edk35]

i wanted to recommend the sarasota area beaches. Anna maria island, lido key or siesta key are all great for various reasons. We live in sarasota and it takes us just 2.5 hours to get to wdw.

Siesta key is very popular and you would definitely want to look into renting a condo near the beach and siesta village, because it's very nice to be able to walk to everything.

Lido key isn't as known to tourists, but has st. Armand's circle within walking distance to public beach access. St. Armand's has lots of shopping, some upscale, and great restaurants.

Anna maria island is more laid back and has lots of beach front dining. The traffic to get onto the island can be crazy though.

All these beaches are right off the coast of sarasota and it seems there is always something going on.

thanks

 

[LoriKutchey]

I recommend the sarasota beaches also. Not as far as Sanibel or Marco and beaches are beautiful too! We normally do longboat key for a week and add on a couple of days at disney

 

[Florida Princess]

We live in Sarasota and agree that the beaches and area here is fabulous ! Many beaches to chose from ,each one has it's own flavor as well as the area they reside in.
We own an interval ownership villa at South Seas Resort in Captiva, so we do visit that area frequently. The island is a true get away although pricer than Sarasota. The beaches are extremely private and deserted.
Sarasota is much closer to WDW than Captiva, it just depends on how far you want to drive and how much vacation time you have to spend in Florida.