Beach on the way to Orlando and a decent place to stay?

[Jenny-momof3]

For our summer trip we would like to take the kids to a beach before we arrive in Disney. We're driving from Ohio.

Can anyone recommend a nice beach that would be about 3-4 hours from Disney? We don't want to have a long drive the next day. Also...a decent hotel that won't break the bank? TIA!

 

[twinboysmom]

The gulf coast beaches, particularly the panhandle area are where you want to be. I am most familiar with Destin but that is about 6 hours away. The Tampa area/Clearwater area are really nice as well and about 1.5 to 2 hours away. Can't help with hotels in any area other than Destin though.

 

[southern_redhead]

For our summer trip we would like to take the kids to a beach before we arrive in Disney. We're driving from Ohio.

Can anyone recommend a nice beach that would be about 3-4 hours from Disney? We don't want to have a long drive the next day. Also...a decent hotel that won't break the bank? TIA!

What part of Ohio? I google mapped Cincinnati to Orlando and it is just under 15 hours. If you change going through Ocala to going to Daytona Beach it only adds about 30 min total to the trip. Daytona Beach is somewhere in the neighborhood of an hour from Disney. We used to stay on that beach when I was a kid and it was beautiful. I am hoping to add a day (or two?!) there at the end of our trip back to TN

 

[littleangie]

Driving From Ohio i know how it is since we drive from the cincinnati area each time we go down. A beach that i would recommend is St. Augustine. We did a couple day there before we continued our trip tp Disney for our Honeymoon.
We had fun hang out on the beach and also went to the fort and the old town in that area. It is really fun we usually do 2 or 3 days there before we go to Disney. You'll have to go off of I-75 but its a lot of fun there.

 

[MouseTrip07]

Last year on our way home from WDW we spent 3 nights on Amelia Island (just north of St. Augustine) at the Residence Amelia Island. We loved it! We live in NE Ohio, and for us, it was a 12 hour drive home from there.

Jennifer

 

[gk90]

Coming from Ohio your best bet would probably be the Gulf beaches in the Tampa/St Pete area, but if you decide on looking at the Atlantic here's a link to reviews of a very nice small beachfront hotel in Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona and much quieter--we spent a night there and wished we'd had more time.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser..._Beach_Club-Ormond_Beach_Florida.html#REVIEWS

Here's a good site with info on Florida beaches
http://www.beachhunter.net/beaches.htm

 

[zoie101]

we went to daytona, from PA stayed at Hilton Ocean walk, fab! would do it again!