Back from Vero Beach

[MikeJ]

We spent three nights in an Ocean View Inn Room at Vero Beach last weekend to celebrate DW's birthday. This was a different Disney vacation for us for a couple of reasons: 1) no parks, and 2) no kids.

We had perfect beach weather for the four days - no rain, temps in the mid-80s, and very light breezes. We did discover, though, why Florida residents do not put their convertible tops down during the day. We were sunburned by the time we got to the resort. (Thank goodness for my Tilley hat. )

We had never been to Vero before and would definitely go back again. We were in room 2417 - fourth floor, dead center overlooking the croquet lawn. There was a wedding ceremony performed there Saturday evening (congratulations to Lance and Jessica, whoever you are ) for about 30 people. Other than the bathtub (which had chunks out of the enamel) our room was immaculate. The only regret is that the trip was too short....

- Mike

 

[LLWDW]

I stayed there about 9 or 10 years ago. There had been a hurricane the season before so at that time the beach was fairly narrow. How is the beach now?

 

[Saratoga Souris]

I love Vero. It is a different type of Disney vacation and very relaxing!

 

[Ham Ham]

Thanks for your post MikeJ.

We are excited to be going to Vero Beach in August for 3 nights.
Did you swim in the ocean - I've read it's rough compared to the Gulf side? Did you eat at any area restaurants?
Any additional info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Ham Ham's wife

 

[MikeJ]

Each morning we took walks on the beach north or south of the resort (2km, according to the GPS ) and you could see where the storm surge had eaten away large chunks of the beachside dunes. Around the resort itself they had brought in sand to rebuild things back up. If you hadn't known they'd been nailed by the hurricanes a few years ago you wouldn't necessarily know there had been a lot of damage. That being said, some of the nearby buildings (particularly south of the resort) were still sporting what I would guess was hurricane-related damage. I would imagine it hadn't been repaired yet because of insurance claim issues (but I'm just speculating).

At low tide, I would guess the beach was around 50 feet wide by the resort. Obviously that would vary as you walked up and down the beach. We were in the ocean every day (come to think of it, I never did get in the pool ). I didn't think it was particularly rough. The swells were probably no more than 2-3 feet each day - we've had rougher weather on Georgian Bay when we're at the cottage. Even so, the undertow was still noticeable. You could see how it could potentially be dangerous in rougher conditions.

Although we had a rental car, we tended to stick close to the resort. We hit the nearby Publix on US1 for a grocery stop on check-in day, and the Walmart Superstore the next to pick up some supplies (like a small cooler for the beach). We tried all four on-site dining establishments and liked them all, although we thought prices in the Green Cabin Room were a little steep. Sonya's was expensive as well, but we were expecting that going in. We did eat offsite one night at Squidlips and really enjoyed both the ambience and the food. (Think of a low-key Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.)

If you plan on spending a lot of time on the beach, and you have a vehicle, I would recommend you stop at Walmart and pick up a couple of cheap beach chairs and an umbrella. To rent two chairs and an umbrella from Disney for the day will cost you upwards of $30. We were fortunate to get into the chair swap organized by starbox over on the DVC Miscellaneous board, and the $11 we spent to get into that was just about the best investment we made for the trip.

We also made a trip over to the outlet mall on I95 where I paid $60 for a pair of shoes I'd been checking out back home, where they're $110. Since we had the time, we also stopped at Ron Jon's in Cocoa Beach on the way back to the airport on departure day. I'd been wanting to get there for years, and was pleasantly surprised by volume of high quality merchandise they had. (There was a lot of kitsch, too. )

 

[bunnyfoo]

Thanks for the review Mike! Vero Beach is on my "to do" list. Great tip about the umbrella and chairs I never would have thought about the rental fees.

Gotta love the price of shoes in the US! I always pick up a few pairs whenever I go to the outlet malls.

 

[belle1627]

We love VB too, we are looking forward to going back in Oct. before our first Disney cruise. I love that the beach is private and access only to VB guests. I too did the chair swap last time as well am doing it this visit too. It was great as it also had shovels and pails and some boogie boards which our kids loved.

Our kids loved the activities and crafts that they did during the day, esp. the unbirthday party. Most activities have a nominal fee (one for DVC members and slightly higher for non members,). The CM's were awesome!!!! The bon fire where we sang songs and made smores was good fun too. We went to the Hula Grill that was good eats that was in town (I believe it was Sebastian).

We stayed in a one bedroom and it was very clean. The pool is fun and the kids loved the slide!!!! It is a relaxing stay and I highly recommend it.

 

[mackeyapp]

Thanks Mike for the great report!!

We will be in Vero Beach on Wednesday afternoon (25th). I can't believe it's That Close. We are spending three nights there with our two sons (11 & 12) and then off to AKV for four nights. We too signed up for the chair swap and are happy we were able to take part. Our weather hasn't been great this spring so we are welcoming some sunshine and WARMTH. It is currently 11c and I can hear thunder in the distance. "Get me outta here" lol

Cheers
Joan