Which beach for day trip on a non-park day?

[FiveofusNL]

Hi All. I was uncertain which forum to post this in, hopefully I am not way off by placing it here. We have never visited a beach while vacationing in Florida and have decided to make a day trip of it this time. I am looking for some advice on which beach to visit from my fellow DISers. I had been told that the Gulf side beaches are nicer (soft white sand, turquoise water and sea shells) than the Atlantic, but that we should go to Daytona or Cocoa anyway as they are much closer to Orlando. However, when I put the rental house address into Google maps, it looks like driving to Clearwater Beach on the Gulf side would only be about 15-20 minutes longer (we are renting a house in Indian creek, Kissimmee). I definitely do not want to spend any longer driving to a beach than we need to, but less than a half hour extra doesn’t seem like a big deal if the beaches are nicer. Our plan is to visit there on July 2 or 3 and to leave the house around 8:30am. I should mention that we have 3 teenagers, we would need parking and would like a place where we could rent an Umbrella or Cabana for the day as well if possible. Thank you for your help!

 

[Harry dhina]

We plan to visit Clearwater beach, but our off day is Memorial Day. Hope not too much traffic

 

[pattyw]

I second Clearwater- Siesta Key is beautiful, too! We enjoy the gulf coast over Cocoa or Daytona beaches.

 

[JaxDad]

I like both coasts, but generally prefer the Atlantic. The Gulf is beautiful, but is more like swimming in a zero-entry, sand pool to me. I love playing in waves! With three teenagers, I would definitely consider Cocoa Beach and look into taking some surf lessons!

 

[Shaft41]

We have gone to both coasts and recent years and enjoyed both, but we had a fantastic time at Anna Maria Island beach last summer the first week of July. Literally as soon as we got on the island, we were right there at the beach, with easy parking and a restaurant right there along the beach where we ate supper as the sun went down. We would definitely go back there again.

 

[pattyw]

We have gone to both coasts and recent years and enjoyed both, but we had a fantastic time at Anna Maria Island beach last summer the first week of July. Literally as soon as we got on the island, we were right there at the beach, with easy parking and a restaurant right there along the beach where we ate supper as the sun went down. We would definitely go back there again.

How far is that from Orlando? I've heard good things about it.

 

[Shaft41]

How far is that from Orlando? I've heard good things about it.

We were staying at Windsor Hills. It was about 1 hour 45 minutes, which I know is longer than other beaches, but we didn't want a super busy beach so it was worth driving a little farther.

 

[pattyw]

We were staying at Windsor Hills. It was about 1 hour 45 minutes, which I know is longer than other beaches, but we didn't want a super busy beach so it was worth driving a little farther.

That's not a bad drive. Will add it to my (always growing) to do list!

 

[Klayfish]

I'm not a fan of the Gulf Coast beaches at all... As a PP mentioned, it's kinda like swimming in a zero entry sand pool, but I'd equate it more to a kiddie pool.

I would very much recommend Daytona Beach, we go there pretty often. It's a quick and easy day trip from WDW...maybe 1hr 10min to the beach. For $10, you can literally park your car on the beach itself. Doesn't get any better and easier than that. When you get out of your car, you can put your beach blanket 20' away if you want. The beach is nice, good waves, things to do nearby if you want, etc...

 

[FiveofusNL]

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! Although the Gulf Coast sounds beautiful to me, I think the other family members would probably prefer somewhere with bigger waves. We live on an island in the Atlantic Ocean (albeit way up north where the water is always cold), and DH and the teens love jumping in the waves and getting carried back to shore. Being able to do it in warm water will be a real treat. I don't think they would be as entertained by something more like a "zero entry sand pool". Klayfish, you mentioned that you can park on the beach at Daytona....does that mean people are driving on the beach around where people are lying down and walking? As well, if we stick with the Atlantic side, would people recommend Daytona as a better choice than Cocoa for a day trip?

 

[Klayfish]

Klayfish, you mentioned that you can park on the beach at Daytona....does that mean people are driving on the beach around where people are lying down and walking? As well, if we stick with the Atlantic side, would people recommend Daytona as a better choice than Cocoa for a day trip?

No. When you pull onto the beach, there is a "road" cars travel down that runs parallel to the water...it's still pure beach sand, but well packed down. Parking is on your right, the "beach" where everyone puts their towels and umbrellas is on the left. It looks like this...except that it's very rare to see cars lined up like that. There's usually very little traffic, just a car here and there.

 

[Hootenany]

While I LOVE Clearwater (grew up right around there), and would recommend it almost every time, I would hesitate to take a trip there right around the 4th of July. It will be crowded. Clearwater does not have great parking. In fact much of our yearly beach trip is eaten up just by looking for parking on random weekdays. You may want to consider time spent in traffic to get to Clearwater Beach as well as time to look for parking.

That being said, Sand Key is a beautiful beach- just over the bridge from Clearwater (about 15 minutes) and a lot less crowded!

 

[Penmac]

Piggy-backing here! I was also interested in doing a day trip to the beach from Windsor Hills. My problem is that we are driving from New England for this trip, so I don't want to subject my kids to any unnecessarily long road trips while we are down there. But, a FL beach could be worth it!
My kids are also little so the Atlantic side waves may be too big for them, although I am sure this is closer than the gulf side so probably best option. And lastly, we will be there in early July. I am a bit worried about crowds. Daytona at a 1 hour 10 min drive may be the best option for us. We would likely be going to the beach on Friday, July 6th. What time would we need to arrive to secure parking?

 

[myheartisinFlorida]

Cocoa Beach gets my vote for the Atlantic side. We go there almost every year. Lori Wilson park is convenient if you get there in time to get a place to park. We also go to Fort Desoto in the St Pete area. Very beautiful and relaxing

 

[FiveofusNL]

No. When you pull onto the beach, there is a "road" cars travel down that runs parallel to the water...it's still pure beach sand, but well packed down. Parking is on your right, the "beach" where everyone puts their towels and umbrellas is on the left.

Thanks Klayfish, I had been picturing drag races up and down the beach while we were sitting there. LOL The photo was very helpful.

Clearwater does not have great parking. In fact much of our yearly beach trip is eaten up just by looking for parking on random weekdays. You may want to consider time spent in traffic to get to Clearwater Beach as well as time to look for parking.

Thanks Hootenany. I never considered time involved in searching for parking...sometimes that can be worse than the drive. I'm pretty well convinced that Daytona Beach is the place for our family.

 

[Klayfish]

Daytona at a 1 hour 10 min drive may be the best option for us. We would likely be going to the beach on Friday, July 6th. What time would we need to arrive to secure parking?

It doesn't matter, really. The area to park is very, very long. People come and go, so you'd probably be fine. We usually leave our WDW area condo around 9:00am and are at the beach around 10:15am and have zero problem finding parking.

There is a pretty strict speed limit on the beach, I think it's 10mph. Everyone is respectful, I've never seen anyone driving like a moron on the beach...it's a slow crawl.