Vero Beach

[debsays]

Hello To All...

Can someone tell me about Disney's Vero Beach Resort? Has anyone stayed there a few days then drove to WDW for the remaining vacation? How far is it from WDW,etc. Please do tell.

 

[JimB.]

We are DVC members that own points there. I absolutely love this resort. It has the "disney feel" without the Warp-Speed atmosphere at the theme park resorts.

It's quiet, RIGHT on the beach. Even closer than it was when it first opened thanks to the hurricanes of 2004.

BE forewarned, it is not the most exciting place you will visit, but if you are looking to relax for a few days, it can't be beat. There IS stuff to do (museums, golf, fishing, etc., etc.) , but it is mostly through off-site activities. The Concierge desk ia awesome for helping you to arrange that stuff.

Last time we went, we also drove up to WDW for a few days afterwards. It is easily accessible via the Florida Turnpike. I think the travel time was MAYBE 1 1/2 hours at most.

Have fun! PM me if you have any questions. I don't get to this board very often.

 

[tnmomof4]

We stay here and love it. It does have the Disney feel, but is relaxing. I don't know if you have kids, but my kids love it. We are staying again in August.

The pool is really nice. It has a big slide in it. They also have an area for little kids that is a pirate ship with a slide. They also have tennis courts, basketball, volleyball and activity field. They have a nine-hole mini golf and a croquet lawn. They have an arcade and ping pong tables. They have an exercise room, a place for massages, and a sauna and whirlpool.

They have some restaurants in the main building. One is called Shutters and the other is Sonya's We never eat at Sonya's as it is a little more fancy. We did do a Character Breakfast on a Saturday at Shutters. There is a quick service by the pool called Bleachers. They also have The Green Cabin Room for drinks, specialty coffee, light lunch and appetizers. This has a great view of the ocean.

They have a store in the lobby for souviners and lots of other stuff like food. drinks, snacks...etc. You can rent DVDs here and also bicycle rentals are available.

They do have daily activities. I still have all my papers and info if you want more specifics on the daily activites. Last year my kids painted mugs. I think it was $5 per child. They also had a campfire at night. They sang silly songs, and we made Smores. My kids loved this. I have my Directory of Services too that has lots of info on it, if you have other questions.

The beach is really nice too. You can rent beach chairs, umbrellas, cabanas, Boogie Boards, WaveRunners, and other stuff. You can only get down to the beach/ocean by using your room key. So nobody can just use the beach unless they are staying at the resort. They use the same key card like at WDW.

When we were here last summer they had lots of spots along the beach where turtles were nesting. These spots were roped off and you weren't supposed to go by them. Some mornings they had an activity for kids called Turtle Troop.

We never drive to Disney from here, but on the info they give you at check in it says it is a short 2 hour drive along with directions.

Anyway..... if you have other questions, I would be glad to help.

 

[RatherBeGolfing]

We did exactly what you're thinking of back in 2004. We flew into Orlando, drove to VB (90 minutes or so, with 2 stops), stayed 3 days at Vero, then drove to BCV for 3 days. It was a little over an hour drive back to BCV I think (mid week less traffic).

I agree with the others, the feel of VB is very different than at BCV, must more laid back and relaxing. We're trying to get back there for the full week in late June, but are finding everything booked up.

My DD actually said that VB was her favorite of all the places we've stayed so far and at the end of our trip in '04, we were wishing we had just stayed all 6 days at Vero!

Walking and playing in the ocean can't be beat, altho the waves were a bit rough (we were there in April) and it didn't take much to knock you over.

You should also try HH. While not right on the beach - it's about a 5 minute drive - the waves were smaller and the beach was a bit wider.

Have fun!