Anyone left the parks to find some pretty sand?

[05ChristmasSurprise]

We have a day or two "off" that we scheduled - on the weekends so we can avoid the crowds - I'm thinking we'd like to find some pretty sand where the kids can see the ocean and really enjoy themselves in a VERY laid-back way (they just need a spot to build castles and wade in the water with a minimum of distractions).

My 5 year old has SID and I think we'll need some downtime in the midst of all that mickey magic to just rest and enjoy the ocean.

Any ideas for a quiet, out of the way beach with pretty sand and nice water?

 

[Goin4forty]

We did this exact thing 3 years ago. We had one down day and we drove to Cocoa Beach. The waves were too high to swim but we enjoyed ourselves anyways. We stopped at Ron Jon's Surf Shop and picked up a few cheap sandtoys. Our girls (5 & 8 at the time) had a blast. We went the first week of December. The parks and resorts were all decorated. We loved going that time of the year. Crowds weren't too bad either.

We went to Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party on the night that we had been to Cocoa Beach. It is a separate ticket to buy, but well worth it. I don't know if you planned that or not, just thought I would suggest it. It was fabulous!

 

[Aidensmom]

I second Cocoa Beach.