Vero Beach 2012 thread closed... see 2013

[mom_rules]

Is there an Outlet Mall close by?

 

[ddhoeg]

Yes hatchling is the beach cottage closest to the campfire site by building 12.

 

[tillerrw]

Is there an Outlet Mall close by?

Vero Fashion Outlets are nearby. I was forced there by someone I'm related to by marriage.

http://www.mallseeker.com/vero-beach-outlets.aspx

Another that we did not visit but I found was http://verobeachoutlets.com/

 

[bobbiwoz]

Yes hatchling is the beach cottage closest to the campfire site by building 12.

Thank you!

Bobbi

 

[tikimimi]

Too bad we don't arrive until the 15th as we don't want to add the boogie boards to our already overflowing luggage (driving down from Indiana).

Does Vero have online checkin and if so would you recommend using it or just waiting until we arrive?

We used online check-in for our stay at DVB on June 18.

 

[dwelty]

Hi everyone,

We are staying at Vero Beach for 3 nights in October in a dedicated 2 bedroom. Someone posted in this thread that dedicated 2 bedrooms have a pull out bed in the second bedroom instead of two queens. Is this true? We have three adult couples going, so this would be a deal breaker for us, as the sleeper couches are not at all comfortable.

 

[mom_rules]

Vero Fashion Outlets are nearby. I was forced there by someone I'm related to by marriage.

http://www.mallseeker.com/vero-beach-outlets.aspx

Another that we did not visit but I found was http://verobeachoutlets.com/

Poor you! I have someone in a similar position......

Thanks for the info.

 

[parlay]

Yay!! Our waitlist came through! We'll be at Vero for 2 days at the end of our Disney Trip - August 12-14, and this will be our first visit!

 

[tikimimi]

Yay!! Our waitlist came through! We'll be at Vero for 2 days at the end of our Disney Trip - August 12-14, and this will be our first visit!

ixied
YEAH!!!! Pixiedust was definitely blowing your way! I hope you discover how truly special a resort DVB is!!!!! Have a WONDERful, MAGICal, time filled with every DREAM and FANTASY come true!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Anyone go to the Citrus Grillhouse Restaurant? Doesn't look too far from Disney's vero and it has gotten decent reviews on opentable.com

Posted this else where and no one has responded.

Thanks

cheryl

We ate at the Citrus Grillhouse, tonight, and had an absolutely marvelous meal. The restaurant sits right on the beach and has a stunning view. The dining room is beautifully decorated. (We especially loved the floors.) There's also an outdoor patio if you're inclined. The menu is the same both indoors and out.

The menu is very inventive, with many items borrowing from the restaurant's name and having a citrus touch. We were given a plate of bread with a small bowl of humus. I had a chilled crab salad with avocado and grapefruit for an appetizer and literally wanted to pick up the plate and lick it clean. My friend started with something called a Burrata. This was a ball of mozzarella about the size of a baseball, except the center was still creamy like curds and whey. It was served with sliced tomato and pesto sauce. It was also fabulous. We also split a small portion of white truffle risotto.

For entrees, we both ordered specials. I had grouper served with a lime couscous, and he had lamb that had been roasted with a spicy dry rub and was served with a salad.

With a $30 bottle of wine, our check came to $136. I felt this was very reasonable for the caliber of the dining experience.

We passed on their offer to see a dessert menu because the restaurant is just around the corner from Kilwin's Ice Cream, Fudge, and Candy shop. We'd seen an ad for Kilwin's in the Vero Beach Magazine in our room and knew we wanted dessert there. OMG, the salted caramel ice cream was absolutely to die for!

If you've never tried Citrus Grillhouse or Kilwin's, I highly suggest you put them both on your short list. They just become another reason why this first visit to VB won't be our last.

 

[parlay]

ixied
YEAH!!!! Pixiedust was definitely blowing your way! I hope you discover how truly special a resort DVB is!!!!! Have a WONDERful, MAGICal, time filled with every DREAM and FANTASY come true!

Thank you! This is the first waitlist that has ever come through for us! MY DD loves the monorail in your signature, she's sitting here making sure I tell you!

 

[ckcurtis]

We are packing now. This time tomorrow we will be on a plane heading to DVB for a week. We are absolutely Disney lovers. But instead of doing the Disney cruise this year we decided on Vero. I'm so nervous I hope everyone loves it. Otherwise I am the bad person for picking it instead of the cruise. Lol. Our travel party will be myself, dh dd15, and dd8. Any suggestion for me, on absolute must do while we are there?

 

[tikimimi]

Thank you! This is the first waitlist that has ever come through for us! MY DD loves the monorail in your signature, she's sitting here making sure I tell you!

Why thank you. I got it from a DISer, I believe - it was years ago.

We are packing now. This time tomorrow we will be on a plane heading to DVB for a week. We are absolutely Disney lovers. But instead of doing the Disney cruise this year we decided on Vero. I'm so nervous I hope everyone loves it. Otherwise I am the bad person for picking it instead of the cruise. Lol. Our travel party will be myself, dh dd15, and dd8. Any suggestion for me, on absolute must do while we are there?

Must dos - I love it when this is asked. Everyone looks for something different on vacation and you're in the position of making a week at the beach (any beach, mind you) as appealing as a cruise. (Well, I guess it depends on what your family enjoys on a cruise too.) Okay - at DVB we like the beach the most, but there are those who prefer the pool the majority of the time. The first time we went was in July and the temperatures were "takeyourbreathaway-hot" so the staying by that ocean breeze would have been our preference even if we weren't beach lovers. We love to look for marine life swimming around out there. So - 1) hang at the beach. Since this is your first time, I would say 2) Spend some time at the pool. The CMs at DVB are wonderful - get to know them wherever you're spending time there. 3) Dole Whips are now available at Bleachers - buy and eat!

The rest of my suggestions really depend on what kind of vacationers your kids are. The 8 year old will probably love a lot of the craft projects they have or kids' programming. If they are "must go do and spend money on vacation" kids, then rent hobies, jet skis, bikes and ride till your heart is content, and head to the nearby mall. To us - a game of bocce on the lawn, mini golf on the course, and the campfire - 4) Campfire - are about as thrill seeking as we get. The other must do for us (though we have yet to get picked) is the turtle lottery. We try for that each time.

Most of all - relax. Have fun - don't be afraid to be a kid again. And that goes for the 15 year old too.

 

[ckcurtis]

Why thank you. I got it from a DISer, I believe - it was years ago.

Must dos - I love it when this is asked. Everyone looks for something different on vacation and you're in the position of making a week at the beach (any beach, mind you) as appealing as a cruise. (Well, I guess it depends on what your family enjoys on a cruise too.) Okay - at DVB we like the beach the most, but there are those who prefer the pool the majority of the time. The first time we went was in July and the temperatures were "takeyourbreathaway-hot" so the staying by that ocean breeze would have been our preference even if we weren't beach lovers. We love to look for marine life swimming around out there. So - 1) hang at the beach. Since this is your first time, I would say 2) Spend some time at the pool. The CMs at DVB are wonderful - get to know them wherever you're spending time there. 3) Dole Whips are now available at Bleachers - buy and eat!

The rest of my suggestions really depend on what kind of vacationers your kids are. The 8 year old will probably love a lot of the craft projects they have or kids' programming. If they are "must go do and spend money on vacation" kids, then rent hobies, jet skis, bikes and ride till your heart is content, and head to the nearby mall. To us - a game of bocce on the lawn, mini golf on the course, and the campfire - 4) Campfire - are about as thrill seeking as we get. The other must do for us (though we have yet to get picked) is the turtle lottery. We try for that each time.

Most of all - relax. Have fun - don't be afraid to be a kid again. And that goes for the 15 year old too.

This all sounds wonderful!!! Thank you for the input. Turtle Lottery??? What's that??

 

[chepic]

We ate at the Citrus Grillhouse, tonight, and had an absolutely marvelous meal. The restaurant sits right on the beach and has a stunning view. The dining room is beautifully decorated. (We especially loved the floors.) There's also an outdoor patio if you're inclined. The menu is the same both indoors and out.

The menu is very inventive, with many items borrowing from the restaurant's name and having a citrus touch. We were given a plate of bread with a small bowl of humus. I had a chilled crab salad with avocado and grapefruit for an appetizer and literally wanted to pick up the plate and lick it clean. My friend started with something called a Burrata. This was a ball of mozzarella about the size of a baseball, except the center was still creamy like curds and whey. It was served with sliced tomato and pesto sauce. It was also fabulous. We also split a small portion of white truffle risotto.

For entrees, we both ordered specials. I had grouper served with a lime couscous, and he had lamb that had been roasted with a spicy dry rub and was served with a salad.

With a $30 bottle of wine, our check came to $136. I felt this was very reasonable for the caliber of the dining experience.

We passed on their offer to see a dessert menu because the restaurant is just around the corner from Kilwin's Ice Cream, Fudge, and Candy shop. We'd seen an ad for Kilwin's in the Vero Beach Magazine in our room and knew we wanted dessert there. OMG, the salted caramel ice cream was absolutely to die for!

If you've never tried Citrus Grillhouse or Kilwin's, I highly suggest you put them both on your short list. They just become another reason why this first visit to VB won't be our last.

Great....thanks, I will keep my reservation.

cheryl

 

[tikimimi]

Turtle Lottery??? What's that??

On two different nights per week (it will be in your Playful Pasttimes that you get at check-in) groups of up to 20 people are taken on the beach for a turtle walk to see the what the sea turtles are up to. People have reported seeing many turtles and seeing no turtles (the turtles come to lay eggs, watch nests, hatch hatchlings), but since they don't want you to really be on the beach between 9PM and 6AM (though they don't mind if you're out there a little earlier - as long as it is light) it is hard to see the turtles on your own. On the nights that they're doing this (Wed and Thur for us in June) they meet in the lobby of the Inn around 10Am and each room/villa can drop one key in a bowl. Keys are chosen at random during this meeting and the number of the folks in the group recorded until there are 20. Once there are 20, a wait list is made. There is a fee ($10/person) that is paid by credit card and phone call by noon of that day to secure your spot.

 

[belleandmaddysmom]

Very excited for our first stay at Vero Beach Nov 21-25 after a few days at WDW.
Looking forward to a relaxing Thanksgiving. Hopefully the weather will still be nice.
Thank you for this thread. I have learned so much already.

 

[ckcurtis]

Well we are 20 minutes from our Airport. So excited to be heading to Vero beach. It amazes me how kids don't mind waking up at 4am when Disney is involved. Lol. Thank you for a great thread we have learned a lot and can't wait to experience VBR first hand.

 

[chepic]

Well we are 20 minutes from our Airport. So excited to be heading to Vero beach. It amazes me how kids don't mind waking up at 4am when Disney is involved. Lol. Thank you for a great thread we have learned a lot and can't wait to experience VBR first hand.

I agree about the kid comment....we leave at 3:00am when we drive and there is never a complaint to be heard on the way down!! Now the way home, that is a totally different story.

have a great time.

cheryl

 

[tikimimi]

Well we are 20 minutes from our Airport. So excited to be heading to Vero beach. It amazes me how kids don't mind waking up at 4am when Disney is involved. Lol. Thank you for a great thread we have learned a lot and can't wait to experience VBR first hand.

I complain about getting up at 5-darkthirty to go to work, but tell me to get up then to go to Disney, and I'll be up an hour earlier bouncing off the walls. I'll be asleep an hour into the drive, but I'll wake early raring to go!!! Have fun!!