8 days on property only? Or split WDW & Cocoa Beach??

[EGma]

hi!
This is our first trip to WDW. Two kids: 7 and 5. We can go saturday to saturday (early December.) We are planning to stay at CBR. Hubby thinks we should only stay at Disney entire team and immerse ourselves. I say we do 5 days and head over to Cocoa Beach so my kids can actually see the ocean for the first time!

Can't decide!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

We are staying offsite and driving over to Cocoa Beach just for a day trip. My kids haven't seen the ocean before either. My mom has vacationed at Cocoa Beach before and will be with us for that day, so she will be our tourguide. She says that the air boats are really cool so we will probably do that and if Kennedy Space Center isn't too expensive to tour, maybe we will do that too.

 

[jpaxton1118]

All I have to say is DON'T DO IT! LOL The first time we went to Disney we did this. We arrived on Saturday and stayed until Thursday and drove to Cocoa Beach and stayed there until Sunday. It was so bad! We left disney feeling sad becuase we knew we had a longer vacation and we wanted to stay there. Plus Cocoa beach was gross and people were not nice. We had left the happy place and entered back into the real world. The whole time all of us including DH were wishing we were at Disney.
Well that is just my 2 cents.

 

[phins_jazy]

For our trip we did Cocoa Beach too. We just did a day trip. Drove there, spent a few hours at the beach, and drove back. It was nice to see the ocean but Cocoa Beach itself wasn't all that exciting.

 

[TheDizMom]

I personally wouldn't do it either. There is so much to do and you need at least 2 days to see MK and AK. We have been to AK twice and I still haven't seen half the park . The other nice thing about staying the entire time as WDW is you can take a day and just hang at your resort pool mid-trip and decompress and relax , or do a park part of the day and let the kids swim the other half. Your kids are at an age when they will like Disney Quest and DTD, too so you will have time to do those things. When you go for the first time there is so much to see and do and you won't see it all even with that many days. Our first trip we went for 7 and we still felt like we missed too much. Take advantage of being able to enjoy your trip at a slower pace then those who have only 4 or 5 days and are trying to see it all. My sister keeps combining her trips, and her kids just get mad because their in a car instead of having fun . I'd save the beach for another vacation, of course I'd rather be at WDW then anywhere else anyway .

 

[EGma]

Your comments have been so helpful! Thank you, WDW vets! You are the voice of reason!!

 

[mom2aredhead]

If you're going to do the beach, and it is your first WDW trip and your first beach trip, maybe do the beach first for a few days. I didn't like Cocoa Beach at all...try looking into either Clearwater or St Pete...or does the gulf not count as "ocean"

 

[five_lil_monkeys]

Well, we are driving from Texas and will be doing the beach on our way home for 2 days. I think 5 days is enough WDW and the beach will be a relaxing finish to our trip. We went to the beach 2 years ago with our kiddos and they loved it (we are doing Emerald Coast as it is on our way, probably Pensacola)

 

[EGma]

If you're going to do the beach, and it is your first WDW trip and your first beach trip, maybe do the beach first for a few days. I didn't like Cocoa Beach at all...try looking into either Clearwater or St Pete...or does the gulf not count as "ocean"

I prefer Clearwater actually. I have been to both beaches. And I have a friend in Tampa- would be nice to see her even for a lunch or dinner on our way in/out. I agree 5 days is enough WDW. But with an 8 day trip, I figured first and last days are travel days. Then we have one down day where we hang by the pool. That leaves 5 park days.

 

[ilisao]

I would do at least a day or 2 at Cocoa Beach to see Kennedy Space Center. It is a fascinating place and a part of history. It is pricey and worth every penny.