Beach day?

[TeamSy]

Hopefully this is the right forum. If not please move!

Has anyone ever done Miami for the afternoon with a resort pass? Interested to hear your experiences/which resort you chose for your day pass/if you liked it/thought it was worth it/etc!

(I know it's a long drive to do same day and there are closer beaches but we kind of have our hearts set on seeing some really nice water).

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I haven't done this, but if you'd like to do a beach day in Miami, I think it would be more pleasant if you can stay in Miami for at least one night, instead of doing the long round trip from Orlando in one day.

 

[PalmettoPath]

I haven't done this, but if you'd like to do a beach day in Miami, I think it would be more pleasant if you can stay in Miami for at least one night, instead of doing the long round trip from Orlando in one day.

I would agree with @DaisyDuck001 -- it's a long way to Miami for a day trip. It's really an overnight trip. Disney's Vero Beach is even a stretch for a day trip at 90 mins each direction, but doable. Yes, there are much closer beaches (Cocoa etc.) that one could explore. I guess it all depends on the stamina of everyone in your party to do that kind of driving in one day on vacation.

 

[TeamSy]

I haven't done this, but if you'd like to do a beach day in Miami, I think it would be more pleasant if you can stay in Miami for at least one night, instead of doing the long round trip from Orlando in one day.

I would agree with @DaisyDuck001 -- it's a long way to Miami for a day trip. It's really an overnight trip. Disney's Vero Beach is even a stretch for a day trip at 90 mins each direction, but doable. Yes, there are much closer beaches (Cocoa etc.) that one could explore. I guess it all depends on the stamina of everyone in your party to do that kind of driving in one day on vacation.

It’s about 3.5 hours each way which isn’t bad. My husband loves to drive and it will actually be a more relaxing day/break for us than a usual park day from rope drop to close … and we’ll get back to hotel earlier. Maybe I’ll try the cruise board and see if anyone has done it or can recommend a Miami day pass! Thanks!!

 

[martikus]

Miami is really far. And we always hit traffic. Why not siesta key which is a really nice beach? Or st Augustine is such a cute town and a great day trip? If heart set on Miami, I’d stay overnight. In my opinion no place in Florida has carribean like water so I can’t imagine traveling out of my way for it.

 

[hrhdhd]

Anna Maria Island is a lot closer and has beautiful water. I still wouldn't do it as a day trip, though.

 

[DSLRuser]

3.5 hours isn't bad each way...but as others have said....that is your best case scenario. central Florida traffic is the worst, and 3.5 hours will turn into 5.5 hours very quick. when we have done beach days we go to the sarasota area. a little nicer then coa coa and les crowded the st Pete

 

[Woodview]

Hopefully this is the right forum. If not please move!

Has anyone ever done Miami for the afternoon with a resort pass? Interested to hear your experiences/which resort you chose for your day pass/if you liked it/thought it was worth it/etc!

(I know it's a long drive to do same day and there are closer beaches but we kind of have our hearts set on seeing some really nice water).

How about going to Howard Beach in Tarpon Springs

A Drive , Beach , & try Greek food Look it up

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Hopefully this is the right forum. If not please move!

Has anyone ever done Miami for the afternoon with a resort pass? Interested to hear your experiences/which resort you chose for your day pass/if you liked it/thought it was worth it/etc!

(I know it's a long drive to do same day and there are closer beaches but we kind of have our hearts set on seeing some really nice water).

So as a south floridian, I do think there are much nicer, bluer waters and prettier beaches north of Miami/on the west coast in my experience. Anna Maria, Siesta Key, Marco Island, Cocoa Beach, Destin/Santa Rosa (panhandle area), the list goes on.

Of course, YMWV depending on recent weather/storms but if it's MIA that you're interested in, the Loews hotel, Ritz anything on Fisher Island or south beach will be fun. I don't frequent those places often with our kids but I would suspect that some may be less family friendly than others.

 

[TeamSy]

So as a south floridian, I do think there are much nicer, bluer waters and prettier beaches north of Miami/on the west coast in my experience. Anna Maria, Siesta Key, Marco Island, Cocoa Beach, Destin/Santa Rosa (panhandle area), the list goes on.

Of course, YMWV depending on recent weather/storms but if it's MIA that you're interested in, the Loews hotel, Ritz anything on Fisher Island or south beach will be fun. I don't frequent those places often with our kids but I would suspect that some may be less family friendly than others.

Thank you I will take a look! We were looking to do a resort day and it seemed like Miami had the most options in terms of resort day passes but I will check out west coast as well! Great tip!

 

[keishashadow]

Miami is really far. And we always hit traffic

Bingo. You can never really predict it.

our bane is the drive to clearwater/treasure Island Area. need to drive there next week after plane lands at MCO @ 7:30 am Since no am NS out of any of our home airports.

Not quite sure what we will encounter hitting the road @ 9 am on 417, then onto 4 West

No idea if we will hit any sort of rush hour. that AM exodus of guests out of WDW south can come with some crazy traffic

there always seems to be some sort of snag on any drive over 1.5 hours for us that’s coming from perspective of a class A CDL license in our family.

 

[dioxide45]

3.5 hours isn't bad, but 7 hours in one day? You do have to drive back. Consider a bathroom break and that knocks about 30 more minutes on round trip. Also consider traffic and if you take the Turnpike, there are tolls.

 

[mikehn]

Don Cesar in St Pete beach

 

[ChanaC]

Another former South Floridian. I grew up an hour outside Miami and while I have done the reverse trip (SoFL to Orlando and back in a day) it's really not fun. The only times I've done that are on school trips where we obviously weren't driving, and we would leave the parks late and sleep on the bus on the way back, or twice I went up for quick job interviews. But I would never go up for the afternoon and back. Even if you like driving, it's not a particularly fun drive. Whether you take I-95 or the Turnpike it's mostly just farmland and swamps, nothing really scenic.

What kind of vibe are you looking for? If you just want nice water, you can literally find it all over FL. The east coast generally has bigger waves if you want to surf or do something else sporty, and the west coast generally has calmer waters, perfect for getting an inner tube and just floating. I love Anna Maria Island, it's very laid back and small town feeling. If you are looking for a more party vibe, Daytona or Cocoa Beach has that. I really don't know of big resorts on either coast since I usually avoid them, but they are there, scattered around on each coast.

If, for whatever reason, you do decide to make the trip back and forth in one day, pack a bag of some essentials like a change of clothes, pajamas, toiletries, etc. Like others said, there could be traffic, or weather, or a million other things that keep you from making the full round trip so might as well have a bag if you need to stay the night somewhere. But honestly, it's just not worth it, I promise you.

 

[NotUrsula]

There are a fair number of properties near St. Pete that do day passes: https://tampabaydatenightguide.com/check-out-resort-pass-this-summer/

Depending on traffic, these beaches take about 1.5-2.5 hours to reach from WDW; I would recommend leaving by about 6 am if you want to be sure to beat the worst of the traffic.

 

[nlenguyen]

For you trip this upcoming week, we are planning on doing a beach day. We are thinking between Clearwater which is our typical choice vs. Daytona beach or I am even thinking of Vero beach. Does Disney allow you to visit their hotel in Vero beach if you are not a paying guest?

 

[tetera]

For you trip this upcoming week, we are planning on doing a beach day. We are thinking between Clearwater which is our typical choice vs. Daytona beach or I am even thinking of Vero beach. Does Disney allow you to visit their hotel in Vero beach if you are not a paying guest?

Bumping this up as I would also like to know this question re: Vero Beach. (We have stayed at the Disney's Vero Beach Resort before but we have a dog now....)

 

[katallo]

If you think about going to the west coast of Florida, you might want to check red tide status. It’s bad there now.

 

[hrhdhd]

If you think about going to the west coast of Florida, you might want to check red tide status. It’s bad there now.

https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/