Vero Beach or Hilton Head or ???...

[gigi1313]

which resort would you select for a january or february vacation w/9 and 11 year old children?

because our airfare went down considerably since we booked it, plus i cancelled a flight for a seminar i opted out of, i have about $500 southwest credit that needs to be used by february...

dh will not even entertain the thought of another wdw vacation, so i suggested going somewhere else... like a beach-y or touristy vacation... we've considered washington, dc; las vegas; arizona; texas... i suggested hilton head (of course we'd stay at disney) or vero beach...

any thoughts? ideas? suggestions? it will be winter here in new york and unless we're going skiing (dh/ds ski, dd/i do not) we don't want someplace cold...

 

[dis-happy]

HH can be quite chilly during the winter months. If you want more guaranteed sun and warmth for outdoor fun, I'd pick VB.

 

[Kewz1]

We've been to both and there's a lot more to do at HH.

I know both my kids -- 11 & 9 -- would pick HH also. Beautiful area!

 

[mindystar]

I've never been to HH, but LOVE VB. I would think that it would be colder the north you go, so for the warmer water I agree with VB. But either choice would be fun!

 

[jann1033]

we went to Vero Beach and stayed at disney in Jan 04 and really enjoyed it. it is in an upscale commmunity so not in a commercial setting. most rooms you couldn't see the beach from due to the sea grapes although maybe you can now since the hurricane last year. the beach is pretty narrow but nice enough , the pool area has a water play area that is really cute with a Peter pan / boat theme and mini golf. they had tennis and basket bal courts and a small nature trail acorss the road( to get there you go thru a tunnel with paintings of peter pan, tink and fairy dust very cute) but someone mentioned on a thread they sold that area so not sure if it's still there. they have a lounge with live entertainment in the evenings.we ate at shutters once for breakfst... fine but enjoyed the meals we got off property better( went to manatikis, frt pierce, maybe 30 mins s and got the best coconut shrimp i ever had plus they have a coupon on Restaurant.com.) Sebastian Inlet is a nice state park maybe 15 mins north, Vero (the city) has a nice Botanical Garden ( looked like old fl) and a cruise from some of the parks on the indian river to look for manatees ( there in winter) I couldn't see any but that's me. also a "Jungle trail"...driving trail that goes by pelican island and of course there is an outlet mall. I do remember one tour i went on ( a landscaping tour at vero) they said it is usually about 10 degrees warmer at vero than inland in the winter . a nor easter came thru while we were there and the water was rough but it was still fairly nice and was 80s the other days.( nice enough for people to swim day at the pool and beach and at the pool an hot tub at night) the right whales also migrate thru there in Jan and sometimes you can see them off shore( i think i saw the blow hole spray from one but couldn't see the actual whale.) they also have a campfire program and some other stuff like one night they have a telescope to look for stars ect...unfortunatley i just threw the schedule from our trip away or i could tell you more about the activites. i really don't care for FL ( cept WDW)but both hubby and i loved Vero.

never been to hilton disney but used to go to hilton head all the time till it got really commercial(yuck) that was probably 12 yrs ago so not sure what it's like now. went once in Jan and needed winter coats every day, no way you could swim in the ocean or outdoor pool

 

[alloyd1170]

I used to live in Shelter Cove (overlooking the HH Disney Resort) and travel to HH at least once a month (my dad owns a beachfront villa and we are only 3 hrs away). There is a lot to do in HH: shopping (outlets, etc), mini golf, nature tours, golf, fishing, kayaking, etc and there are a ton of great places to eat. However, it can get pretty chilly, especially on the beach in Jan and Feb. You wont be swimming in the ocean unless you like really cold water. Same thing for pools unless theyre heated. If youre looking for a beachy warm weather destination, then chances are HH is not it (and even Vero Beach can get chilly). But for a fun family destination, HH is a good spot. The other thing, crowds drop off after the holidays, though its a lot more crowded year round than when I lived there. Many restaurants offer early bird dining (smaller portion meals including drink, soup/salad, main course and dessert) if youre looking to save money. Let me know if you need any more info on HH!

alison

 

[gigi1313]

wow, thanks all for your replies... i'm thinking vero would be the way to go since my kids are fish! LOL! they love the ocean and the pools... and i know it will be fun if they can swim! LOL!

 

[aksunshine]

Have you considered anywhere else? I personally LOVE the Gulf coast of FL, especially between Clearwater and Venice!

 

[bunnysmum]

I'm so glad you posted on this topic! I'll be at WDW in mid-January w/my mom and dd(5) and my dd has been begging me to take her to a beach since she learned how to say the word and what it meant!

I was thinking of Disney's Vero beach, too, but didn't know if it'd be warm enough...

Any other suggestions for beaches in Florida in January??

 

[gigi1313]

from what i read on weather.com vero beach is "swimmable" in january/february... i'm thinking that's where we may go...

although i found some info on savannah georgia that looked wonderful (dh is a history buff and likes to explore new places) and i was wondering if that was considered "swimmable" in jan/feb... anyone have any info on savannah? recommendations on places to stay?

tia!

 

[gigi1313]

Have you considered anywhere else? I personally LOVE the Gulf coast of FL, especially between Clearwater and Venice!

tell me more!! i've never been to the gulf coast... is there fun stuff to do (besides beach-sitting)? places to go? things to see? where to stay? do tell...