Beaches near Orlando

[maddie0929]

We are headed down to Disney from Knoxville, TN on Saturday Oct. 20.. we are leaving a day early and wanting to stay at a beach close to Orlando for a day.. any suggestions?

 

[MattM]

Cocoa Beach is officially "Orlando's closest Beach." That would be a good place to go. You would just take Toll Road 528 "The Beachline Expwy" from Orlando to Cocoa, easy trip, 45 mins to an hour.

 

[mkycrzy1971]

Cocoa Beach is officially "Orlando's closest Beach." That would be a good place to go. You would just take Toll Road 528 "The Beachline Expwy" from Orlando to Cocoa, easy trip, 45 mins to an hour.

This is where we went for our "beach day" also...definitely the closest to WDW...however, I actually prefer the warmth (water temp) of the Gulf side...I think it is prettier water (emerald green...really!!) and most definitely cleaner beaches in my opinion....however, I think it is more like 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours to Clearwater Beach from WDW...does anyone else know for sure?? Is there anyplace else closer on the Gulf side??

 

[vacation dreamer]

Clearwater Beach would take about 1 1/2 hours. If you want waves then stay on the East coast (Cocoa Beach). If you want calmer water head to the Gulf

 

[mkycrzy1971]

Clearwater Beach would take about 1 1/2 hours. If you want waves then stay on the East coast (Cocoa Beach). If you want calmer water head to the Gulf

I was thinking it was close to that...but had never actually traveled there from WDW. Now I know for sure (for future "beach days")...thank you!!!

 

[vacation dreamer]

We travel between the Gulf and Orlando a few times a year. The beaches on the gulf are very nice and not crowded. If you have any more question please feel free to ask and I will try to help!! It is a very easy drive.

 

[fractured]

Just a heads up, we were in Orlando last week and the Atlantic side was having a red tide episode. Not especially dangerous unless you have breathing problems, but you might want to look into that before you make your decision.

 

[Lisa P.]

Since you are going to the beach on your last day in FL, you may want to consider the route you'd like to take on your way home.

If you plan to drive up the coast by I-95N to I-26W to I-40W to Knoxville, then try Cocoa Beach or perhaps Daytona on the Atlantic coast. Even St. Augustine FL or Hilton Head or Charleston SC would be options if you want to spend the night a little closer to home, though SC's water may be a bit cooler than FL's in late Oct.

If you plan to drive up I-75 through Atlanta and Chattanooga to Knoxville, then try Clearwater on the Gulf coast. Warm water and softer, whiter sand.

Any of these will be fun for a day or two at the end of your active Orlando vacation.

 

[maddie0929]

Thanks for all the input! I have narrowed it down to Cocoa Beach and Clearwater. We are having our "beach day" before we get to Disney. We actually go to Charleston, SC (Folly Beach) every year and LOOOVE it! We just need a beach day since this is our first time in 8 years we haven't been. We did go to Destin, FL last year and the water was awesome!

 

[queenmum2]

=We actually go to Charleston, SC (Folly Beach) every year and LOOOVE it!

(Waving wildly from coastal SC)

I live about 30 minutes from Folly - on the OTHER side of Charleston in Mt. Pleasant (about 10 minutes to Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island). Still, I vacation at Folly with my sister every summer (or every summer until LAST summer when they priced us out! ) Do you rent a house there -- or are you lucky enough to have family there?

Tracie

 

[maddie0929]

You are so lucky....... I am so jealous! This makes the 2nd year we haven't been and my heart is breaking! We are going next year for sure. We usually rent a house on East Artic beachfront but they have went up to on the prices..almost $1000.00 thru Dunes Properties... so we will be looking at condos or something a little cheaper. What's up with the prices??
I am sure we will have fun at Disney.. it's our first time but there's nothing like Folly!!!!!

 

[queenmum2]

Just keep your planning up to date...Disney's much more fun when you can fit in as much as you can!

As far as Folly pricing goes, they are really pricing themselves out of the market. For as long as I can remember, Folly was a sleepy little beach with somewhat affordable rentals -- a real family environment. The beaches near me are definitely more "high rent" -- and have always been more exclusive. But it seems Folly is trying to attract that market now.

Another factor seems to be taxes -- that's been the thing around here...folks can't afford the taxes on homes that they've LONG since paid off. So rich folks can come in and sweep up some housing bargains. There are also some "McMansions" going up on Folly now.

Finally, I imagine that insurance costs a cow and a calf for those front-row houses. Especially since Hugo hit.

Good luck finding an affordable place. I'm hoping that maybe the rental agencies and home owners didn't do as well this summer with the sky-high rentals (if it was truly the greed factor that made the prices high) and will reconsider their rates for next summer.

Tracie

 

[loveysbydesign]

Just a heads up, we were in Orlando last week and the Atlantic side was having a red tide episode. Not especially dangerous unless you have breathing problems, but you might want to look into that before you make your decision.

Do they report this on the news channels down there?? We'd love to take the kids to clearwater for a day next month but would hate to drive all the way out there and find out they have red tide!!

 

[tropical depression]

Do they report this on the news channels down there?? We'd love to take the kids to clearwater for a day next month but would hate to drive all the way out there and find out they have red tide!!

there have been no major red tide blooms in our area this year

 

[Ted and Holly]

There seems to be some reported red tide on the Atlantic coast. I usually check here before i go to the beach:

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=9670#Map