I need a beach =)

[AdriansMom]

how far is Siesta Key from WDW. Does anyone know how to get there from WDW?

 

[riu girl]

I think it took us about 2 hours (from Siesta Key to Disney). From Disney you take the I-4 towards Tampa. Well before reaching Tampa you take the I-75 south . You take the Clark Rd exit off of the I-75 (exit 72 maybe? but not positive). Then you take Clark Rd west for about 5 miles to get to Siesta Key. At the end of Clark rd. (which changes names at somepoint) you go right (north) for about a mile and then you will be at the beach.

It was a very simple drive. We were in Siesta Key and went to spend Christmas night at Saratoga Springs. We used mapquest directions and it was very straight forward. Just go to mapquest and enter your starting and finishing points and it will tell you approx. how long it should take plus the mileage. Siesta keys zip code is 34242.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

riu girl nailed it. I think the exit number is 205. you'll pass the sarasota exits first. the siesta key exit has a large sign that says siesta key. stay on that road, you'll go over a drawbridge over the ICH. the road dead-ends at midnight pass. parking is free and the lot is big. there is a snack bar, an ice cream shop, and a little surf shop at the beach. the village of siesta key is to your left as you exit the parking lot. great little local dining choices and shopping. the daiquiri deck is a favorite of ours to eat. enjoy the sunset....

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[palmtreegirl]

If you want to limit travel time Cocoa Beach is very close by, only 45 minutes from Orlando. It's a great beach, Ron Jon Surf Shop, the Space centers close by and if they're in port you can even see one of the Disney cruise ships just down the street at Port Canaveral.

We really like Cocoa Beach.

 

[Scottish-Helen]

I'm so glad we chose the right beach by the sounds of things. I have only ever stayed in Orlando but on our next trip we have 4 nights pre WDW at... Siesta Key!!

 

[MaeB]

If you want to limit travel time Cocoa Beach is very close by, only 45 minutes from Orlando. It's a great beach, Ron Jon Surf Shop, the Space centers close by and if they're in port you can even see one of the Disney cruise ships just down the street at Port Canaveral.

We really like Cocoa Beach.

Is it a busy beach? I'm going in May and want to try and avoid huge crowds....should we go there or somewhere else?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Is it a busy beach? I'm going in May and want to try and avoid huge crowds....should we go there or somewhere else?

No it's fairly quiet. To be honest the beaches on the West coast are much nicer, other than the Ron Jon store there is nothing worth going to Cocoa for, and now there is one in Orlando there is no need at all.

Clearwater and St.Pete's beaches are much nicer, pure white sand, further away from Orlando but worth it in my opinion.

 

[MzDiz]

Can anyone suggest a hotel in Siesta Key?

 

[Caylin]

I like Cocoa Beach. It's fun to watch the cruise ships come in. My favorite though is DelRay Beach. It's absolutely beautiful and has a great downtown area with nice dining and shopping. The beach is clean and wonderful.
Another nice beach is the state park in St. Augustine. I can't remember the name but it has the nicest, cleanest campground I've ever stayed in. It was so clean that I wasn't worried that I had forgotten my shower flipflops. The beach was nice and not at all commercial.
Can you tell I really love the beach?

 

[riu girl]

Can anyone suggest a hotel in Siesta Key?

I would suggest getting in touch with the chamber of commerce in Siesta Key. They have a good web site. From the web site you can view info. on numerous hotels as well as you can order a Siesta Key guide (that lists most of the hotels) as well as a really nice free map.