Any DVCers do day trips to the Beach on your WDW trips?

[liznboys]

We are thinking of doing a day trip to the beach on our WDW trip next month. Have any of you DVCers done this? How did you like it, any advice?

We would go to the gulf side. We're looking at the Clearwater/St. Petersburg areas. Has anyone been to Honeymoon Island or Caladesi Island by chance? We want a more quiet, less touristy area. We'll take our own food with us, so we'll just need a bathroom, and a shower would be nice to rinse off the salt and sand.

Any other recommendations would be nice too!

Thanks!

 

[ParrotBill]

Absolutely, whenever we are there for 10 days or more. We are going for 2 weeks beginning August 20 so a beach day is planned.

We are renting a car with Dollar from the Regal Sun for 2 days in the middle of our stay so we can choose one of 2 days depending on weather.

We also head to the gulf coast and Caladesi Island State Park. Love it. A little pricey for the boat ride but love the nearly deserted beach.

Might also rent a kayak at the causeway to Honeymoon this time and row over the the north end with the shallow picture perfect sand!

 

[StreamMaster]

Honeymoon Island was great ! Has a nice food court. Lots of water ! Very interesting drive.

 

[liznboys]

Thanks ParrotBill, sounds like you are the one to ask about Caladesi Island!

Yes, it looks like it will cost us $46 just to get there: $8 to drive into Honeymoon Island, and then $38 for the 6 of us to use the ferry (luckily our youngest if free on that). But from what I've read it seems worth it.

Now are there bathrooms there and how about showers to rinse off?

I read that the ferry begins running at 10am, so I think we'd try to do that first one in the morning and stay until 2pm. After that we may go to another beach. Or if we've had enough beach time then we could just head back to WDW...

How long do you stay there, the full 4 hours allowed? Do you go somewhere else after that for the rest of the day?

 

[liznboys]

Honeymoon Island was great ! Has a nice food court. Lots of water ! Very interesting drive.

Thanks, interesting drive, huh? Sounds fun.

 

[liznboys]

Ok, I'm reading these webpages now:

http://www.floridastateparks.org/CaladesiIsland/

http://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland/

It says there are showers on Honeymoon Island (what about bathrooms?)

And there's no mention of bathrooms or showers for Caladesi.

I feel dumb asking about bathrooms as I'm sure they must be there, right? lol

 

[starbox]

We almost always go to Vero at some point during our WDW trips. Personally, I think all the beaches are bit to far for me to like to visit for an hour - but a perfect distance for one day and overnight - that way there's a place to relax and change and you get to enjoy the beach at night and sunrise the next day.

If you're willing to do an overnight, there are TONS of beaches within 2.5 hours of Disney. Whatever kind of beach you like, you can find.

 

[liznboys]

We almost always go to Vero at some point during our WDW trips. Personally, I think all the beaches are bit to far for me to like to visit for an hour - but a perfect distance for one day and overnight - that way there's a place to relax and change and you get to enjoy the beach at night and sunrise the next day.

If you're willing to do an overnight, there are TONS of beaches within 2.5 hours of Disney. Whatever kind of beach you like, you can find.

Thanks Starbox. We are used to doing day trips to the beach, and are fine with that. However I agree with you that having a night and morning there is so nice...

 

[lugnut33]

Personally, we like St. Pete Beach. During August the beach is NOT crowded.

 

[liznboys]

Personally, we like St. Pete Beach. During August the beach is NOT crowded.

Thanks lugnut That is good to know. I guess it is too hot for most then. lol

 

[StreamMaster]

Ok, I'm reading these webpages now:

http://www.floridastateparks.org/CaladesiIsland/

http://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland/

It says there are showers on Honeymoon Island (what about bathrooms?)

And there's no mention of bathrooms or showers for Caladesi.

I feel dumb asking about bathrooms as I'm sure they must be there, right? lol

Yes there are bathrooms also

 

[liznboys]

Yes there are bathrooms also

Ok great, thanks. I just needed to know that for sure. lol