HH or VB with pre-schoolers??

[Popovich]

The DH and I are trying to plan a beach vacation for the family. What kind of experience have others had at HH with pre-schoolers? Our son is 3 and daughter is 5. Any crafts or special activities for little ones? What time of year have others enjoyed.

Thanks!

 

[MichelleB]

Either resort is wonderful in my opinion. We have a 9 mos. old DS, 4 y.o. DD, and 6 y.o. DD. We visited HH last June and the kids absolutely loved it. My 6 y.o. wanted to know if she could go back this past March to celebrate her birthday! They had lots of activities planned for the kids and the pool is great also. The beach is across the road, but not hard to get to. VB is our favorite, though. We went in May of 2000 and just loved it. It seemed there were more activities planned here than HH. They had water toss games, bingo, coloring contests, there's a tot lot water activity area and also miniature golf right on the premises. The beach is a VERY short walk and the kids loved that too. The pool at VB was their favorite. We loved it so much we're spending the entire week of Thanksgiving there this yr. Our deciding factor is usually the drive. It takes us 12 hrs. to HH and 19 to VB. We usually alternate each yr. since we have pts. at both resorts. Either one you choose will be wonderful. We actually like these resorts better than the WDW locations. They're so laid back and relaxing. Great for true family time!

 

[vernon]

Both resorts are excellent with kids. The Cm's work really hard to make sure it is a special experience and they have a wide range of activities. I would suggest you call the two resorts and ask them to fax you a copy of that weeks activitiy list. It doesn't mean those activities will be on offer when you visit, but it will give you a good idea of what's on offer.

There are a couple of things that will make your choice easier ( IMHO there is nothing to choose between the quality of either resort) Vero has a longer season, but is a lot hotter in the summer. HH is probably easier/quicker for most people to get to. While Vero has the advantage the beach is just a 30 second walk from the resort I would say the beach at HH is much better suited for younger kids. At Vero it is quite narrow and drops off quite quickly. At HH it is much wider and much more gently sloped, maybe it's only the case when I have visited but I think the surf is also much stronger with rip tides at Vero. While you should never leave small kids unwatched at any beach, at HH you should certainly have an extra 5-10 seconds before they can get into trouble. Sometimes that is all you need.

 

[Popovich]

Thanks for the input. Calling for a fax of the activities is a good idea. I'd be interested in other people's comments on the beach differences to see if it is seasonal or time of day.

They both sound great though.

Are the accomodations different at the two resorts. I think we would rent a two bedroom? How about the dining options?

Thanks so much for the help!!

 

[celestina]

We have three boys: 6, 3, 1 and we have gone to both resorts and we prefer the beach at HH. We just love it there. The beach is very clean and safe for the smaller ones.