Driving from Disney to the Ocean

[Ceshell]

My fiance and I are spending our honeymoon at Disney and he wanted to take me to the ocean while we were there. We were planning on renting a car there in Orlando and driving to the ocean. Which beach at the ocean is the best for newlywed couples, meaning which one is beautiful, but not so crowded. I was looking at Daytona (I think it's by the ocean ?), but I think that one is very popular.

 

[D&DDisney]

Would recommend Treasure Island instead of Daytona. Daytona is quite busy and not as nice. TI has the white sand and gorgeous sunset views of the gulf. We stayed at the Bilmar Beach Resort as a second honeymoon and loved the beach front suites. The beach is not very crowded at all and there are cabanas to rent. Miles and miles of beach to enjoy.
About 1 hr drive west from Disney with no tolls.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Treasure Island is on the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is warmer and calmer. If the idea is to see the ocean rather than just going to the beach then you need to pick a beach on the east side of Florida. If you are looking for a natural beach I'd look up county, state and national parks and go there. You'll get the beauty without the commercialism. You may need to bring food with you.

If the idea is a day at a beach then Treasure Island is a good suggestion. I believe there are highly rated beaches down towards Sarasota on the gulf side.

If time is a factor the Atlantic is closer to Disney than the Gulf.

 

[MainStreetFan]

For ocean beachs, take 528 west (now called the BEACHLINE) to Cocoa Beach. Then you can go North to New Smyrna or Daytona. Daytona crowds depend on the time of year. If you have particular dates PM me and I will let you know about the crowds. Daytona to WDW 1 hr 15 minutes. WDW to Cocoa Beach about the same time.

 

[LauraAnn630]

Last June we rented a car and drove to Dayton Beach. We were surprised it was not crowded at all. It took us a good 45 mins from ASM. There were tables with unbrellas (we thought they were free..lol) Soon a guy came over and asked us for 20.00 for 4 hours. Then our DSs wanted to rent booigie boards, they just loved them! Daytona was beautiful! We all got a little sunburned even tho we used sunscreen. It was so nice, I didnt even want to go back to Disney! I loved laying there relaxing watching the people walk by. So peacful and pretty. We got some great video and pics!

I heard Cocoa Beach is a good place to site dolphins? Anyone know about that??

This year we are going to try the gulf side. I keep hearing its nicer.

I was thinking Clearwater? Im going for x-mas so it will depend on the weather.

 

[HUFF590]

If are staying at the beach a few days heres another idea, drive east to coco beach stay at Ron Jons. The hotel itself has a wonderfull water park poolside bars putt putt tennis and a lovely path to the beach.

 

[gppnj]

In case you don't know, Disney itself has a resort at Vero Beach. This resort is primarily for Disney Vacation Club members, but anyone can pay cash and stay there as long as there is availability. It's lovely.

 

[taswira]

I live just over an hour from WDW in Port Orange - used to be considered part of Daytona Beach until they changed our zip code a couple of years ago. This time of year, Daytona is not really any more crowded than other beaches. Like most coastal FL areas in the last year or so, it suffered erosion from the tropical storms and hurricanes. But if you are seeking a beautiful ocean view of the water and swimming manatees and sunrises, Daytona is still good. It is also a convenient choice if you don't want to stray too far from WDW.

 

[jcriket]

If you were to come over to the gulf coast and stay near treasure island, or any of our pinellas county beaches. ( the sunsets are the best.) You could plan a day trip to Fort Desoto Park, voted #1 beach in the United States. It's a county park, very close to St. Pete Beach. Depending on when you visited, I've been during the week, and you could almost have the beach to yourself. It's Florida beach wild, and untouched. Do a search on the web for it, I think you would like.

 

[fabumouse]

What fun! Treasure Island is so beautiful!

 

[Galactic Emperor]

All of the beaches from Clearwater Beach down to St. Pete Beach are wonderful. Daytona beach is cluttered with high rise condos.