Naples or Universal with 5 year old?

[SwanVT2]

Planning for next February and DH wants to take a break from Disney (waah). So we are looking at other options for a winter getaway with DD, who will be 5. We have Universal ticket for me and DH that we have not yet activated (7 days), but Naples looks pretty. Any suggestions?

 

[debster812]

We spent every February vacation from the time DS was 7 until he graduated High School (2 years ago) in Bonita Springs (about a half hour from Naples proper). We LOVE the area. The weather can be a bit of a wild card. We've had weeks when it was 80s all week, and we've had weeks when it was 30s-40s. With a 5 year old, there are some fun places to go.

Caribbean Gardens (nice little zoo in Naples), gators, big cats, lemurs, reptiles, and other animals. A nice activity for a day.
http://napleszoo.org/

There is also a nice little water water park that is run by Collier County called Fun n Sun Lagoon. They have a lazy river, couple of pools, diving boards, 4 water slides, and a nice splash pad. They are only open on weekends in February, but it's VERY reasonable to get in, and their food prices are very affordable as well. Lots of loungers as well.
http://www.napleswaterpark.com/

Also up in Ft Myers, right off 75, is Manatee park. There is a Florida Power and Light plant across the way, and the water in the river is VERY warm, so the manatees will come in from the gulf to stay warm. There is a walking path, and we've seen literally hundreds of them.
http://www.leegov.com/parks/facility?fid=0088

The beaches are gorgeous, but the water in the Gulf will still likely be pretty cold. However, if it's a nice day, hanging at the beach, wading, shell collecting and dolphin spotting are all great fun.

Hmmm-can you tell which one I'd pick?

 

[caliope]

I would choose Universal for my almost 5 year old. But...we live in a New England beach community, so don't need to vacation at one, and have spent time on the Florida gulf coast (in-laws have previously had homes in Captiva, Sanibel, and now Ft Meyers) and don't love it. What does you DH want to do?

 

[monorailsilver]

Naples is nice.

We have been going to Ft. Myers for the past 4 aprils, this April with be 5...my sister lives there.

We have rented a boat from Marco and stopped at keywaden island for a bit.

We haven't made it to the Naples zoo. My sister has rode her bike somewhere in Naples that has a ton of alligators she wants me to go with my family and I keep telling her no, the gators are along the bike path...um..yeah no!

We did an air boat ride in Everglades city, that was ok. Don't need to do it again.

We like manasota key beach which is about a 90 min drive north from ft, Myers for the sharks teeth and free beach parking.

We live barefoot beach in north Naples. The drive in is amazing..aka houses I will never afford!

There isn't a ton to do though, my kids are pretty bored of the beach. But they like the shark tooth beach and don't mind spending the day picking for sharks teeth.

Sorry my iPad is acting up, I hope there aren't too many typos!

Last year we rented kayaks and went on a tour on the windiest friggin day.. it was not good! We went around one of the state beaches I think and I know we were near dog beach. We are probably doing that again this year.

 

[SwanVT2]

We spent every February vacation from the time DS was 7 until he graduated High School (2 years ago) in Bonita Springs (about a half hour from Naples proper). We LOVE the area. The weather can be a bit of a wild card. We've had weeks when it was 80s all week, and we've had weeks when it was 30s-40s. With a 5 year old, there are some fun places to go.

Caribbean Gardens (nice little zoo in Naples), gators, big cats, lemurs, reptiles, and other animals. A nice activity for a day.
http://napleszoo.org/

There is also a nice little water water park that is run by Collier County called Fun n Sun Lagoon. They have a lazy river, couple of pools, diving boards, 4 water slides, and a nice splash pad. They are only open on weekends in February, but it's VERY reasonable to get in, and their food prices are very affordable as well. Lots of loungers as well.
http://www.napleswaterpark.com/

Also up in Ft Myers, right off 75, is Manatee park. There is a Florida Power and Light plant across the way, and the water in the river is VERY warm, so the manatees will come in from the gulf to stay warm. There is a walking path, and we've seen literally hundreds of them.
http://www.leegov.com/parks/facility?fid=0088

The beaches are gorgeous, but the water in the Gulf will still likely be pretty cold. However, if it's a nice day, hanging at the beach, wading, shell collecting and dolphin spotting are all great fun.

Hmmm-can you tell which one I'd pick?

Where do you stay? All the hotels I have looked at are so expensive!

 

[debster812]

Where do you stay? All the hotels I have looked at are so expensive!

We stay with my parents in Bonita Springs. They are there from January thru April. We are not in Naples, just a bit north. Now, when we've overlapped with my brother and his family by a day or two, we have stayed at the Homewood Suites in Bonita Springs. It's just up the street from my parent's neighborhood, and with the kitchen set up, included breakfast, and extra room with the suites, it takes some of the sting out. You'd be about 15 minutes from Barefoot Beach and Bonita Beach, and about a half hour from Ft Myers Beach.