VERO BEACH Information & Adoration Thread

[wdwcoltsfan]

Hale's did move south of town, but they have now closed that location. They only have their online business now.

Countyside Citrus is pretty easy to get to from the Disney resort. I am hoping to pick strawberries there next week They also have a small retail store on Ocean Drive. They have really good OJ and ice cream. You can get the ice cream in quart size to take home or a cone or slushie. I haven't gotten their oranges or grapefruit, but since their juice is so good, I"m assuming their citrus is too.

If you are at Publix, try Natalie's Orange Juice. They are located in Ft. Pierce and their juice if fresh squeezed. That is what I get if I'm not going by Countryside.

 

[Marv_barr]

We just finished our 1st stay at Vero after a week in the parks. What a great stay very relaxing highly recommended. The property was spotless and the cast member service was second to none. The added bonus of Dole whips on property tough to beat. If the maintenance fees weren't so high it would be very tempting to buy up some points.

 

[moreisgood]

We just finished our 1st stay at Vero after a week in the parks. What a great stay very relaxing highly recommended. The property was spotless and the cast member service was second to none. The added bonus of Dole whips on property tough to beat. If the maintenance fees weren't so high it would be very tempting to buy up some points.

The maintenance on the points is a little higher, but the points are much cheaper to purchase resale, so it more than balances the maintenance fees out, in my opinion. I own at 3 WDW resorts, but I also have a small contract at Vero Beach, and it works in WDW too.

 

[Marv_barr]

We are thinking of buying into Vero for our 1st contract. We are looking at 180- 200 points. Any advice you could offer?

 

[moreisgood]

We are thinking of buying into Vero for our 1st contract. We are looking at 180- 200 points. Any advice you could offer?

Are you planning to go to Vero every year? Then, a larger contract (over 150 points) might make sense.
If you are not planning to go as often, or not long stays, maybe you should consider a small contract (less than 100 points). In my opinion, Vero Beach does not resell as easily as the WDW resorts. But, in general, smaller contracts always sell better than larger contracts. So, a small contract at VB will resell more easily than a large contract at VB. You might want to start with a small VB contract (if you don't goes as often), and then buy a larger WDW contract in a place where you care about the earlier booking advantage for your home resort.
And try to always buy the same Use Month. That makes it all so much easier. There is a DVC resale search engine, and you can Google to find it.

 

[Marv_barr]

Awesome,thanks for the input. Much appreciated

 

[moreisgood]

Awesome,thanks for the input. Much appreciated

Good luck!

 

[sleepydog25]

We are thinking of buying into Vero for our 1st contract. We are looking at 180- 200 points. Any advice you could offer?

Moreisgood offers some good advice, especially buying the smaller contracts unless you plan to go frequently. While you can book at WDW at 7 months with your points, that's getting tougher to do. And, as mentioned, smaller contracts sell more easily; however, as a result, they're harder to find and will cost more per point, generally. Just one point of clarification so you don't get confused, when you talk to a broker (resale or direct), they'll use the term Use Year (UY) while actually referring to an actual month. For example, I have two VWL contracts and both have a UY of February. What that means is that each February I will get my allocation of points. Your borrowing and banking can be influenced by the UY, and as moreisgood also mentioned, if you have more than one contract, then having the same UY is convenient in terms of keeping track of points and when they come available. Do your research and good luck!

 

[KayKayJS]

So the last two times we stayed at Vero Beach for a weekend we booked through the website... I do know there is availability this year but I am finding NOTHING on the website. We want an OV inn room but would take a GV at this point.

Does anyone know what the deal is? I'd rather not rent points for VB since it's about the same price and it's difficult to coordinate the dates and availability. I am considering calling and seeing if they have any rooms for booking.

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

So the last two times we stayed at Vero Beach for a weekend we booked through the website... I do know there is availability this year but I am finding NOTHING on the website. We want an OV inn room but would take a GV at this point.

Does anyone know what the deal is? I'd rather not rent points for VB since it's about the same price and it's difficult to coordinate the dates and availability. I am considering calling and seeing if they have any rooms for booking.

We just got back from Florida, as part of the trip we did Vero Beach for 3 nights. I rented points. I wanted to see by comparison if I could find out what regular rack rates were for the one bedroom villa that we got. But try as I might on the Disney site, I couldn't find availability for pretty much any time period that I put in. So I kind of go the impression that renting points didn't necessarily save me money, but it did get me in! I think we rented at $17 per point.

 

[sleepydog25]

Just back from three nights at Vero followed by four nights at the World. Quick thoughts on VB: 1) quiet and perfect for a "just relaxing" vacation; 2) CMs were very friendly; 3) love the underground parking; 4) not a lot dining options, though Wind and Waves was solid; 5) not the spot for early risers who want to eat breakfast and grab coffee; 6) studio was h-u-g-e and had a great ocean view (as requested); 7) wi-fi absolutely abysmal.

We enjoyed our time there, though we used VB as a base for exploring this area and as far north as Cocoa Beach, so we can't say much about the activities in terms of families. We mostly encountered elderly couples who seemed to visit VB often. So, it was a nice, laid-back vibe.

 

[jerseygal]

Hale's did move south of town, but they have now closed that location. They only have their online business now.

Countyside Citrus is pretty easy to get to from the Disney resort. I am hoping to pick strawberries there next week They also have a small retail store on Ocean Drive. They have really good OJ and ice cream. You can get the ice cream in quart size to take home or a cone or slushie. I haven't gotten their oranges or grapefruit, but since their juice is so good, I"m assuming their citrus is too.

If you are at Publix, try Natalie's Orange Juice. They are located in Ft. Pierce and their juice if fresh squeezed. That is what I get if I'm not going by Countryside.

Thanks for the tip on Natalies OJ at Publix. Looking forward to a few nights pre WDW in August, love the relaxing vibe of the resort. Its been 2 years since we last were at Vero; refresh my memory, about how far to Publix? Do you know where the closest Publix is driving to the resort driving in from MCO? Thanks

 

[CarolynK]

Thanks for the tip on Natalies OJ at Publix. Looking forward to a few nights pre WDW in August, love the relaxing vibe of the resort. Its been 2 years since we last were at Vero; refresh my memory, about how far to Publix? Do you know where the closest Publix is driving to the resort driving in from MCO? Thanks!

Can't help with Publix close to MCO, but once at Vero, we go to the Publix at Indian River, on Hwy 1. It's really close! Google says 4.3 miles or 9 minutes.
We'll also be visiting in August, Vero first then WDW.

 

[jerseygal]

Can't help with Publix close to MCO, but once at Vero, we go to the Publix at Indian River, on Hwy 1. It's really close! Google says 4.3 miles or 9 minutes.
We'll also be visiting in August, Vero first then WDW.

Thanks! Enjoy!

 

[Alice Sr.]

Just a note about no-see-ums, if you are the one that bugs love, they are out and I got bit ..a lot without bug spray. Not the best move on my part and boy do they itch. Lesson learned...

I was there the same time in November and had no issues. I assumed I missed the season, but I am not usually bothered by mosquitos so maybe they just avoided me.

We just got back from Florida, as part of the trip we did Vero Beach for 3 nights. I rented points. I wanted to see by comparison if I could find out what regular rack rates were for the one bedroom villa that we got. But try as I might on the Disney site, I couldn't find availability for pretty much any time period that I put in. So I kind of go the impression that renting points didn't necessarily save me money, but it did get me in! I think we rented at $17 per point.

Just back from three nights at Vero followed by four nights at the World. Quick thoughts on VB: 1) quiet and perfect for a "just relaxing" vacation; 2) CMs were very friendly; 3) love the underground parking; 4) not a lot dining options, though Wind and Waves was solid; 5) not the spot for early risers who want to eat breakfast and grab coffee; 6) studio was h-u-g-e and had a great ocean view (as requested); 7) wi-fi absolutely abysmal.

We enjoyed our time there, though we used VB as a base for exploring this area and as far north as Cocoa Beach, so we can't say much about the activities in terms of families. We mostly encountered elderly couples who seemed to visit VB often. So, it was a nice, laid-back vibe.

Any recent issues, I will assume we need to take every precaution as we are taking an 18 month old, 3 and 6 year old who seem to have inherited their mothers mosquito magnet genetics. If we keep them inside and the doors closed at dawn and dusk will we be ok or do we still need to coat them in bug repellent and long pants and sleeves? I fear that the no-see-ums will get in the cottage and attack them while they are sleeping . This has been a fear since the day I booked, but I put it out of my mind, the closer we get to the trip (4/7) the more parnoid I am getting. When I was there in November the desk CM said the manager was working diligently to bring in some system that would control the situation but that it was very expensive. Has anyone else heard anything about that? Thanks!

 

[sleepydog25]

I was there the same time in November and had no issues. I assumed I missed the season, but I am not usually bothered by mosquitos so maybe they just avoided me.





Any recent issues, I will assume we need to take every precaution as we are taking an 18 month old, 3 and 6 year old who seem to have inherited their mothers mosquito magnet genetics. If we keep them inside and the doors closed at dawn and dusk will we be ok or do we still need to coat them in bug repellent and long pants and sleeves? I fear that the no-see-ums will get in the cottage and attack them while they are sleeping . This has been a fear since the day I booked, but I put it out of my mind, the closer we get to the trip (4/7) the more parnoid I am getting. When I was there in November the desk CM said the manager was working diligently to bring in some system that would control the situation but that it was very expensive. Has anyone else heard anything about that? Thanks!

When we were there a couple of weeks ago, they already had a sign out about the no see'ums; however, we had no issues whatsoever. They give out repellent, but we didn't need any. Perhaps those who are sensitive to such might have a different story, but for us, it was a non-issue.

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

When we were there a couple of weeks ago, they already had a sign out about the no see'ums; however, we had no issues whatsoever. They give out repellent, but we didn't need any. Perhaps those who are sensitive to such might have a different story, but for us, it was a non-issue.

That was our story as well, mid February. The front desk had repellent wipes that you could grab, but we were on the beach multiple times and by the pool, never noticed them.

 

[gpts@disney]

We are heading back to Vero in the fall (after a 6-7 year hiatus) with 4 couples and want to book two 2 BR villas. I understand that the 2BR "dedicated" is further from the ocean (with limited to no views) than the 2 BR lockoff (also limited views at best). I remember seeing a diagram of one of the buildings showing the layout of a typical floor showing where the 2 BR dedicated and 2BR lockoffs are located on each floor. However I cannot find that anywhere. On the first page of each year's Info and Adoration thread it states: "You will notice below that the dedicated units (in blue) are at the end of the "U" and further away from the ocean with very limited likelyhood of viewing the ocean," however there is no picture or diagram showing the dedicated units (in blue). If someone has this diagram and can repost it, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[jerseygal]

We have a split stay, Vero and OKW in August. In the past, we have done the split reverse and have used the refillable mugs from the DDP at Vero, we showed them the receipt and they activated them. I like having the refillable mugs at Vero, come in handy at the beach and pool, usually very hot. Does anyone know if since it can be shown on our reservation that we have already paid for the DDP, that when we arrive at Vero we can be given our refillable mugs???? Thanks in advance!

 

[moreisgood]

We have a split stay, Vero and OKW in August. In the past, we have done the split reverse and have used the refillable mugs from the DDP at Vero, we showed them the receipt and they activated them. I like having the refillable mugs at Vero, come in handy at the beach and pool, usually very hot. Does anyone know if since it can be shown on our reservation that we have already paid for the DDP, that when we arrive at Vero we can be given our refillable mugs???? Thanks in advance!

I don't know, but I'd certainly ask. A couple of years ago, we showed up with our WDW mugs and asked if they would work at Vero. The reply was that they should and if they didn't, they'd do whatever was necessary so we'd have mugs to use. And it might depend who you ask. We also had a Tables in Wonderland card dissolve when we got caught in a rainstorm, and the Food & Beverage manager called to have them issue us a new card when we got back to WDW, plus she made sure she gave us the TIW discount on all our meals at VB. Very helpful indeed!