Theme park vacations are exhausting! You walk miles every day, in the heat, sweating, maybe getting sunburned, with almost constant stimulation. My Ohana found that we need a vacation after the vacation so we’ve been booking trips to the beach to help us unwind and relax.
This year we stayed at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort for 3 nights after our whirlwind Orlando trip. Situated on Florida’s “treasure coast” about an hour and a half east of Orlando, Vero Beach is a charming resort with an “Old Florida” feel.
We arrived late, after spending the day at Volcano Bay, so we didn’t do much exploring that night. But I can tell you that I received that same special Disney attention from the concierge at 11pm that I would have at 3pm. The lobby was inviting, and after being “welcomed home” I was off to find our room.
We stayed in a Studio which had 2 queen beds, as well as a pack and play which was perfect for us. We placed the sleepy girls in their nests for the night and unpacked. The Studios at Vero Beach all have a kitchenette with microwave, toaster, mini fridge and coffee maker. The bathroom was stocked with H2O brand toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, bath gel and lotion). This is always one of my favorite things about a Disney resort. We get to take home a scent that reminds us of our trip. After washing the theme parks off us, we collapsed in our comfy beds.
We woke up starving so we decided to check of the Wind and Waves Grill for Breakfast. I was bummed to find out we were a day late for the Character Breakfast that happens on Saturdays. The signature restaurant had typical Disney resort children’s meals and since we didn’t stay on property when we were at the WORLD my kiddos missed the Mickey waffles. Hubbs and ordered corned beef hash and eggs benedict. The hollandaise sauce was unbelievable good but the hash tasted burned. We would like to return for dinner there some day which features American fare with a focus on fresh Florida seafood and locally sourced produce. After breakfast we were all fueled up to explore the resort!
I just love how there all the areas in Disney Resorts are geared towards little ones. At Vero Beach Resort there is a little living room area playing old cartoons, and tablets with games. There is another area with play stations and x boxes for rent as well as a free photo booth. My kids are hooked on collecting pressed pennies all over Disney and their got their fix in the lobby with some new ones to add to their collection.
One of the most unique things about Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is that it shares space with the nesting grounds of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. In keeping with founder Walt Disney’s conservation legacy, the beachfront resort was specifically designed to create minimal impact on the turtles’ nesting patterns. Each year, moonlight acts as a beacon to guide the hatch-lings safely to the ocean, so the resort’s east-facing windows are tinted to diminish the impact of interior lighting, and no exterior lights face the ocean. Because of connection to the sea turtles, not only will you find Mickey Mouse adorning the walls and halls but there are turtles everywhere! It’s a very awesome theme you find all throughout the resort.
The grounds were beautiful and the beach was clean. It was pretty windy down there and the girls wanted to get their swim on, so it was off to the pool. I can honestly say this is where we spent most of our time during our stay. It was awesome! The main attraction was Pirate’s Plunge Pool Slide featuring a 2-story, 163-foot spiral water slide. There was also a Pirate themed kiddie splash area which would have been perfect for our little one, but it was unfortunately closed during our stay for maintenance. It may have gotten damaged during hurricane Irma. There was a hot tub where we got to talk with some other guests from around the country. Some were Disney Vacation Club members and some were like us, chilling out after a crazy few days at the parks.
There are a number of daily activities run by the staff. Some are free and some must be booked in advance and have a small fee. There are kayak and surf lessons, arts and crafts and even geo-cache competitions. You can find bike and boogie board rentals as well as free board games, billiard and ping pong paddles at Eb and Flow Rentals in the pool area. During naptime, my oldest and I even got a chance to play mini golf and enjoy a dole whip from Wind and Waves Market.
When you’re ready to book your Vero Beach Vacation, be sure to contact me at [email protected]!
