nice little FL beach town?

[kendall]

Good morning all,

We are headed to WDW in December, and after our flurry of activity for 7 days at WDW we are looking for a nice, less touristy beach place to spend an extra 3-4 days before heading back north. The kids like the beach, the ocean, playing in the waves. Mom and Dad will be ready for some quiet time to relax. We will most likely rent a car from Orlando and drive to wherever.....

What suggestions do you all have? I love these boards!

 

[JimB.]

Think about the DVC resort in Vero Beach. Still has the Disney Touch, but without the frantic "theme park" pace.

 

[wovenwonder]

I LOVE the Cocoa Beach area -- near Port Canaveral where the Disney Cruise sets sail. In april -- we stayed at the Hampton Inn -- a short walk to the beach and included FREE breakfast in the AM. Very affordable and clean. For other Cocoa Beach options refer to Dave's website at www.dcltribute.com

 

[ez]

Here are a couple suggestions- Ormond beach NORTH of sr 40. Make sure its north because south of sr 40 is getting more towards Daytona and therefore more touristy. The next town north of that is Flagler beach which is really a sleepy little beach town.Neat place, but I don't know any motels to recommend there. Ormond is 1:15 minutes from disney, I would suggest looking into the Coral Sands motel, I know they have a webpage rates should be reasonable that time of year.Ron Rice, the hawaiian tropic guy, has his mansion right along that stretch of a1a. So does the Root family(coca cola) I know I'm prejudiced because I live here, but it is a great place. Very close to St. Augustine, too, which is an awesome daytrip, and an absolutely breathtaking drive along the ocean. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Wonderlandmom]

St. Pete Beach and Don Cesar Resort I was SO spoiled and relaxed at that place. If you are staying at a WDW resort, this will be as good or better than their deluxe! They even offer some kids programs(fee) should you and DH want to eat alone one evening. I just saw on their web site that they have some special rates in Oct-Dec. WOW! http://www.doncesar.com/ This may be in the beach house though, which looked nice, but is 1/2 mile or so from the main resort. More room inside though, and all appear to have balconies.
May be too cool to swim in the ocean in Dec. though. The Gulf is just so beautiful, and this area is perfect!

 

[faith]

Fort Myers Beach is beautiful. Not really small and private, but I think you'd love the area. December would be a quiet month to go. The crowds hit after January. The sunset is gorgeous over the Gulf of Mexico. Don't miss a look at Sanibel and Captiva. They are also in that area.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I stayed at the Don Cesar Resort too.. it was tres pink and lots of fun...I would recommend that one.. also I have heard that the New Smyrna Beach area is also quite lovely..

I love Sarasota, but that is a distance...Siesta Key Beach is absolutely beautiful..

 

[Antonia]

Venice Beach, Florida - approximately 150 miles south on the gulf side. Nice beach, quaint town. Gulf water that looks like high tide Gatorade and has some waves!

 

[NHAnn]

Aanother vote for the gulf coast....our kids loved Fort Meyers Beach, the grownups might find Sanibel/Captiva quieter! Have fun...sounds liekt he perfect vacation to me!

 

[kylara]

I love Naples and the Vanderbilt Inn is right on the beach. Usually expedia has good deals on the hotel. It is a bit further out than the others mentioned, but it is a nice area.

 

[bsnyder]

Anna Maria Island/Holmes Beach is about an hour south of Tampa. Very ole Florida beachy feel. No high rise condos, but lots of single family homes and mom and pop type hotels.

 

[kendall]

Now I have some great starting points to explore - so many choices and so little time. Guess I will just have to make a few more trips to FL!

thanks again for the terrific suggestions!