which beach?

[hannymom]

we will be at disney this summer and would like to take a day trip to the ocean or gulf.....whichever you recommend. suggestions please? and how long to get there?

 

[fussymonkey]

I love Daytona beach on the atlantic side. Much nicer than Coco beach, IMO. The white sand is so luxurious and nice, and you can park right on the beach.

On the golf side I've been to honeymoon island near clearwater and it was lovely, not as commerical and very calm water.

 

[winterman]

Do you have young kids? The waves on the east coast can be very strong.
It takes longer to drive to the gulf but I prefer any of the beaches in the Clearwater, St. Pete Beach area.

 

[McRed]

We really enjoyed Melbourne Beach on the Atlantic side. As far as the Gulf; St. Pete Beach was not too far of a drive, but if you have the time try Siesta Key...Super Sand!!!

 

[opraghst]

We took our kids to St Pete a couple years ago and they didn't want to leave!! They enjoyed it more than Disney - I think they enjoyed getting away from all the crowds, etc.

 

[highland3]

The kids and I had a blast at Cocoa Beach. It's less than an hour from Orlando and an easy drive on the B-Line.

There were waves, but it was fun. DS (7 at the time) loved the waves.

 

[srwarden1928]

I love St. Pete Beach. In fact we are spending a week there before our week at Disney this summer.

 

[staceyeileen]

Clearwater

 

[VAN]

Okay, we have been to Cocoa Beach ... love it and it's close. Am interested in stretching my horizons though. How far from WDW to Clearwater/St Pete? Assume they have several beaches ... what are the public ones called and can I get more info on the internet? Parking? What about Fort DeSoto .. was there once ...

Any info on a gulf beach would be great.

Also, half-day fishing ??

 

[Wrightfamily]

How far away is Clearwater beach from Disney. I would love to do a day trip there but didn't know if it's a reasonable day trip or to far.

Thanks

 

[eliewriter]

On the golf side I've been to honeymoon island near clearwater and it was lovely, not as commerical and very calm water.

I got onto Disboards this a.m. to start a thread about gulf coast beaches but thought I'd go ahead and join this one.

We are looking for a gulf coast beach that's very natural (without all the highrises and crowds) where we can look for shells and sand dollars, have a great view of unlimited ocean (or gulf waters, I should say) and see a beautiful sunset.

We've been considering Fort De Soto park in Tierra Verde but it looks like quite a drive so maybe Honeymoon Island would be another consideration.
Is it accessible by car or do you have to take a ferry?

We're also looking for a restaurant near whichever beach we go to, not a chain, but something inexpensive with a lot of local flavor, preferably with a fresh food, not a lot of fried stuff.

Any thoughts?

 

[Syndrome]

We are also taking some time to do a few "beach days" during our trip in August. For Gulf beaches, we have decided to make the trip down to Siesta Key for a day. Its consistantly rated one of the top 10 beaches in the US every year. It was #3 in 2008.
Also, I have a friend who lives in Central FL part time, and he highly recomended Clearwater Beach. He also recomended Honeymoon Island (has a bridge), and to take the ferry over to Caladesi Island (no Bridge) for the day. Caladesi is a limited access island/state park. No commercial buildup, and very serene. I think they only allow visitors to spend 4 hrs max to keep any crowds down. It was rated #2 in 2007, and #1 in 2008 !!! The Nations best beach in 2008, and its one of the closest gulf beaches to WDW. The ferry does cost a few bucks though. We are going to check it out for a day.
We are debating which Atlantic beach to visit. We want to get some surfing in, and the kids want to play in the waves. We were thinking Cocoa beach, But are also debating Sebastion or Melbourne. Any advise or tips on the Atlantic side?
Later..........Syndrome

 

[eliewriter]

Thanks Syndrome, for all the good info.

I read that Honeymoon Island closes at 6 p.m., so that means no sunset viewing there, I guess. But I'm checking into the others.

We're planning to try to find some time to explore an Atlantic side beach too.

Please feel free to correct me if this is inaccurate, but I heard there's one called Canaveral Beach that's pretty natural (as far as not being developed and having highrises; also in reference to the nude sunbathers that seek out the more remote parts of the beach).

I think you can see over to Kennedy Space Center from there if there's a shuttle out.