momee Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 We're going early to Disney and need to spend a night on the road (DC to Orlando) and are thinking of stopping in Savannah. Also, once we get to Florida I'd love to stay somewhere with beautiful beaches :) any recommendations? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 You mean stay somewhere on the beach and drive to WDW each day? Or separate from Disney? Cocoa Beach is probably the closest, but you'd be driving over an hour each way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Yeah, there are no beaches near Disney. Cocoa Beach is an hour east and Clearwater(beautiful) is two hours west-without traffic. You wouldn't want to do either drive everyday. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Just to stay at before we get to Orlando - I'm sorry we're kind of frazzled with so many last minute details. I figured once we get to Orlando we will want to be at the pools and theme parks. So I was thinking it might be nice to begin our trip with a stopover in a cool town on the way down (Savannah?). We would then spend a night before our arrival in Orlando in a beach town like the previous suggestion of Clearwater. I'm asking because I don't know the areas at all and don't know what are the "must see" spots in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 St. Augustine would be on your way. It's two hours from Orlando. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Siesta Key sounds nice, the hotel picking is ...whew. I had no idea how much was involved in planning a vacation much less a last minute one. We've never done it before. :hurray: I'm sure we'll be happy even if it means sleeping in the car. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I would drive on to Orlando if you're planning to hit the parks on arrival day. It's not a bad drive from Savannah to Orlando, and unloading-reloading the car with kids is exhausting! Maybe stop at the beach on the way home for some relaxation? (Hahahaha relaxing with little kids on a beach!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thanks for this post! We're headed to Orlando for a meet in early Feb. and I want the girls to see the ocean while we're down there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) If I were coming from Savannah, I would probably stick to an east coast beach like Cocoa Beach and then head over to Orlando, rather than a west coast beach like Siesta Key or Clearwater. I live in Clearwater and that is what I would do. Siesta Key is a beautiful place but sort of out of the way. We stayed at the DoubleTree Oceanfront hotel in Cocoa Beach and liked it. It is about half an hour to Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center, and right on a nice, wide beach. Edited December 31, 2015 by Pink and Green Mom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Gulf of Mexico side has prettier beaches. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Pink and Green Mom - how 'bout we all just come stay with you :) JUUUUST kidding. I think we want to do Gulf side. Never done that in my life~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Definitely don't do Savannah to Gulf to Orlando before the parks. Save your energy for WDW. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 My parents adore Amelia Island, which would be more on your way (near Jacksonville). Much more...pretty...than say Cocoa. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) The Gulf side is prettier but the east coast will be easier if you're coming down I-95 from Savannah. St. Augustine is nice. I wouldn't really go much farther south than that unless you were to go very far south (which defeats the purpose and in that case you might as well go west). My parents adore Amelia Island, which would be more on your way (near Jacksonville). Much more...pretty...than say Cocoa. Amelia Island is lovely. Cocoa Beach is in my general area and while it's fine if you want something close, it's not very pretty. And it's crowded and quite touristy, so not all that relaxing. You could go down more towards Satellite Beach which isn't gorgeous but is nice. The Brevard County beaches (Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, Satellite, Melbourne, etc.) are the closest to WDW so they have that going for them. Edited December 31, 2015 by Lady Florida 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2OandE Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Siesta Key is amazing! White powder beaches. It's past Disney on West coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 When we drive from DC, we stop in Savannah and St Augustine. Great trip! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Amelia Island is nice, but doesn't have white sand beaches, if that's what you want. It has very shell intensive beaches. If you go to downtown Fernandina, there are cute shops and restaurants. There is also an amazing place, Fort Clinch, to explore. If you go to the other side of Amelia, you get nicer hotels and condos. Be warned- the traffic from Daytona through Orlando is awful. There is a lot of construction, along with normal traffic. Jacksonville had a lot of construction too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Thanks for this post! We're headed to Orlando for a meet in early Feb. and I want the girls to see the ocean while we're down there. +1 We plan to fly up to Orlando in April and I would like to take "my girls" (Wife and DD) to a Beach on one of the days. Ice Skating on another day... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Get to Disney early and relax one day on the "beach" at The Polynesian resort or The Beach Club. Any real, good beach is not in the direction you are going and too far out of the way, in my opinion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 When are you going to be in Florida? If the weather gets cold, you should come to Crystal River to see the manatees! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 When are you going to be in Florida? If the weather gets cold, you should come to Crystal River to see the manatees! Yes, we used to go there all the time and stay at the Plantation. I had such fun snorkeling with the manatees one year (but it was super cold when I got back on the boat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 If you do end up in Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral, watch out for man 'o war. http://www.wesh.com/news/beachgoers-beware-of-portuguese-man-o-war/37208480 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) We love Amelia Island, but I don't think it's a must see. For better beaches, think the Gulf. I'd even think about driving down to Sarasota and going to Siesta Key. St. Armand's Circle is nice, or you can go Amish and go to Pinecraft. If it's cold, go to Blue Springs Park (Orange City/DeLandish area) and you can see Manatee live. There's a spring there, so they hang out when it's cold. (Water temp below 72). You can also go cook your own pancakes at the Sugar Mill in De Leon Springs. Edited January 1, 2016 by umsami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 St. Augustine is great. We went there last spring. We spent three days. It's a really nice beach and nice town. We did Orlando in August. We didn't add to the trip by staying at another vacation spot on the way. I also drove from the DC area. I drove to someplace in Ga. and stayed at a really cheap motel. I timed it so we pulled in later! Ate dinner and want to bed. We got up, finished the drive well before lunch and spent the rest of the day enjoying the pools at our resort hotel. I figured since I was paying for the hotel amenities I might as well enjoy them, so that was my recovery day before we started hitting parks hard. for me its not worth staying in a nice spot if I'm only passing through overnight. If I stop in Savannah, I want to hang out there a day or two. So, if I wanted to plan the trip with a stop in Savannah or St. Augustine, I'd be planning it so I had a full day or day and a half. Thats just me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 Orlando was awesome! We ended up getting a free dress and a $60 hairdo and makeover at the Bippity Boppity Salon in the palace of Magic Kingdom. Afterwards I found out you usually have to reserve a spot 6 months in advance!! Three days was plenty to do Disney - by the 4th day we were dragging and we actually got a refund because day 5 sounded like torture instead of fun :) We stayed on Pawley's Island at the beginning of the trip - just south of Myrtle Beach. Nice and quiet, learned that beachfront does not mean ocean view :) according to Orbitz. Also learned it is better to book directly through the hotel than a third party. On the way back from Disney, we stayed in Isle of Palms right outside of Charleston. I LOVED Charleston!!! We hit the second Sunday which meant Kings Street was closed to traffic. Great street party atmosphere - we saw lots of things we don't get to see everyday. To include a man with a stroller just for his miniature poodle! We visited Rainbow Row and toured the city market. We ate great food - was restaurant week - and shopped till we dropped. Thanks for all your help - it was a perfect vacation! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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