Beaches near disney

[jaz0308]

I'm cross posting this in hopes of more responses!

I am hoping to add on a few days at the beach to my Disney trip next summer. Can anyone recommend a good beach in close driving distance and possibly a nice resort/hotel for family with kids? Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[PanamaMike]

Close is a relative term given Orlando's central location in the state.

The Atlantic Ocean is about 62 miles east of WDW and the Gulf of Mexico is about 90 miles west.

 

[lugnut33]

The closest beach to WDW (a 1 hours 10 minute drive) is Jetty Beach Park located in Cape Canaveral. We were just there a few days ago during our WDW trip and it was fantastic. Great beach that does not get deep fast, so it's good for children. They do charge you $15 per car to enter, but that was well worth it. You can rent chairs and an umbrella right on the beach for $20 all day. We would not hesitate to stay there or in Cocoa Beach. Also, I'm a big fan of New Smyrna Beach. Both the beaches I've mentioned are on the Atlantic side. On the Gulf side I know Indian Rocks Beach, St. Pete Beach, Clearwater Beach, are very popular.

 

[jaz0308]

Close is a relative term given Orlando's central location in the state.

The Atlantic Ocean is about 62 miles east of WDW and the Gulf of Mexico is about 90 miles west.

Yes sorry! I'd say about a 2 1/2hour drive or less would work for us.

 

[laughinplace199]

Disney has a resort in Vero Beach (Atlantic coast). It's about a 90 min drive from WDW.

It's one of their vacation club resorts, but you can rent rooms with cash as well. There are tons of kids activities (my kids loved the archery), mini golf, a pool with a slide, and the waves in the ocean are great. We just spent 3 nights there after our WDW trip last week.

 

[Hootch]

My mother lives in Bradenton so we add some time at the beach when we are in Florida. We have stayed on Anna Maria Island, Long Boat Key and Siesta Key all on the Gulf side. The Gulf is a bit further than the Atlantic side as PanamaMike noted. In my view that comes into play for a day trip more than a trip for a "few days". A couple of years ago we were staying on Longboat Key and people with a wedding party at the hotel were taking day trips to Disney.

Anna Maria is older. It has quite a few restaurants and businesses. Longboat Key is quieter. There are a few large resorts there. You will have to drive to most places. We only stayed at Siesta Key once and that was for a funeral. It has a small town feel with restaurants, bars and shops that you can walk to from a lot of hotels.

Tourist season really starts around Christmas. The typical summer vacation trip will be during low season. All of them have really nice beaches.

 

[lugnut33]

Other thing to consider is the water temp on the Gulf side during this time of the year can be 90+ degrees while on the Atlantic side it will be upper 80s (a bit more refreshing). We have been on the Gulf side during summer and we actually had to swim in the hotel pool to get relief because the gulf water was so hot. My opinion, some people may prefer the hotter water.

 

[bfair]

We just returned from a trip to the Gulf. I prefer the Gulf side of Florida due to white sand beaches. We went to Indian Shores. It's between Clearwater and St Pete beach. It was really nice, not crowded and very laid back. You can find all kinds of rentals online. Most are condos.

 

[jaz0308]

Thank you everybody for the great suggestions! Looking into investigating all of these possibilities!

 

[Indio]

We love Indian Shores on the Gulf. Very pretty, wide beaches that aren't too crowded.

 

[bc7ate9]

We like the Atlantic side - Cocoa Beach; or, Daytona, just because that's the beach I grew up going to. Beautiful, powdery white sand.

 

[River Country]

Blizzard Beach

 

[savvy?71]

We often split up a WDW trip with a beach trip (chaos-relaxation!). But we definitely prefer the Gulf, specifically Siesta Key. I liken that particular strip of beach to some Caribbean beaches; the quality & color of water & the white soft sand (which doesn't get hot to feet) is awesome. Plus as an added bonus, I never have seen it over-crowded there--something the Atlantic side can't say. It's a great retreat after a few crazed days at Disney. I never found the drive too long, maybe an hour and a half? Something to keep in mind--even though it's a gorgeous beach area, Siesta Key isn't overly built up. There's plenty of beach motels but the village itself is quaint, not too many tourist trap type places. No plazas or water parks or arcades, etc... but we love it for this very reason.

 

[tink9702]

Another vote for Anna Maria Island or Longboat Key on the Gulf.

 

[Quellman]

Disney has a resort in Vero Beach (Atlantic coast). It's about a 90 min drive from WDW.

It's one of their vacation club resorts, but you can rent rooms with cash as well. There are tons of kids activities (my kids loved the archery), mini golf, a pool with a slide, and the waves in the ocean are great. We just spent 3 nights there after our WDW trip last week.

And when I was there they had dole whip!

 

[ucfknight]

The Gulf side has prettier beaches with clearer water. The Atlantic side has bigger waves. Any preference?

 

[CAS239]

2.5 hours away. Go to Sanibel.

 

[laughinplace199]

And when I was there they had dole whip!

They had Dole Whips, Mickey ice cream bars, and Mickey ice cream sandwiches last week.

 

[GreatLakes]

I would recommend the gulf shore beaches in Pinellas county. We don't really lay on the beach, we rent kayaks or go for hikes so we usually look for places with good hiking or kayak rentals. You'll be able to find just about any kind of beach you would like between Honeymoon Island and For de Soto.