We're back from our visit (I post earlier under DD's name HouseMD1120). We werer the jellyfish sting people! LOL
We were there from 10/5-10/10 and went on to WDW friday and saturday and got home today.
We had a lot of rain. not just a shower here and there but more like enough rain that things closed (chair rental --which had no boogie boards for rent at all, darn it!) and cancelled things too.
Not many activities planned this time of year for 2 14yo girls. I was very disappointed in what they offered for that age although I understand that not everyone has fall break.
Ocean had lots of waves but nothing good for body surfing. Waves would just beat you up a lot--not caring whether it was high tide or low tide! I grew up on the beaches of LBI so I thought FL's little waves would be easy to deal with! Wrong! Good golly, I thought we might drown out there, LOL.
I enjoyed the S'mores on the back porch more than the s'mores at the campfire. God figure. I think it was the girl leading it? The guy was great both nights (same guy from Brooklyn, moved to VB area as a kid) but different girls. First girl was super. Nichole, not so much. Not being mean, even though it sounds mean, I guess. She just was not cut out for all the clowning around that needed to happen. YMMV
Hank was our Bocce ball guy and he was a really nice man. That was a lot of fun.
All crafts were for small kids.
Thank God for free putt-putt and movies!
VB was very nice. A beautiful resort but I am not sure when I'd go back (I know, I know, easier time for everyone to get in!

)
I felt cheated that we could not rent a chair if it rained in the a.m. but cleared in the afternoon. We were on the 3 floor (1325?) in a 2 bedroom and the last 2 days of our stay the elevator was broken so we had to lug down 5 people's luggage in the rain and rain laid on the steps quite dangerously. I saw them using a squeegee but you know, you can't do it enough when it keeps raining really hard! I felt sorry for those workers!
I hated lugging my laptop to the common area for the internet--mostly because I didn't want to run through the downpour to get there!(Down 3 flights of steps with my laptop bag!)
VB's resort was nice but it is not my idea of "going to the beach". We may someday try HHI but I've been to HHI a zillion times and it ranks low on my list (for oceanfront condos and not ocean front)--let alone where WDW's place is. But you never, know, we might really enjoy it there.
Otherwise, if we're looking to do a beach trip, I'll rent my points and use the $ to rent a place or whatever. Not saying I will not ever return to VB because it was not a terrible place (it was extremely quiet last week!) at all. I just had lousy, stinking weather and then not enough activities. of course, had the weather been great, i would not have needed activities, LOL. Oh well.
I do understand why people love it though. I am still as pleased as ever with our
DVC purchase. VB is a nice option.