coming over with our daughters 9&7; the visit is to include 2 days Disney & 1 day seaworld, but we would love to include a couple of days at the beach... which location would you recommend, incl. hotels that are within a reasonable driving distance of Orlando ?
tx for your help.

Ann,

The beaches in the Tampa Bay area are great. My favorite is Sand Key Park, just south of Clearwater Beach. It is a nice, quiet beach with a park area. Perfect for family outings and not too crowded. It is about 1.5 hour drive from Orlando, but well worth it!

I live in Orlando and agree that you're better off at the Gulf beaches rather than the Atlantic side, even though it's closer. The Gulf is much calmer, with finer, whiter sand.

Any of the beaches from Clearwater south to Ft. Myers are wonderful. I suggest you do a search for hotels at Clearwater Beach.

Check out www.flausa.com.

Don't forget the Florida state parks. Blue springs State Park is north of Orlando in Orange, lovely setting, swimming available in the river, manatees winter near the spring there. Check out the Florida State website and look under state parks.

Check the NASA website in case there's a space shot from Cape Canaveral. Cocoa Beach is a neat city to visit, too.

Hi Ann,
You don't mention the time of year you're coming, but my family's favorite is the Sanibel Island area. Very low key and quiet, compared to the hustle of Disney. Lots of bike trails for your girls, and tons of shells on the shoreline. Hope you have a great trip!

DUH! your dates are right there in the title of your post!! Got to have a cup of coffee BEFORE I get on this computer! That will be a great time to visit the beach!

You may want to check reservationsystem.com and their Orlando sites for discount hotels--I booked one through them last year and they sent me an e-mail telling me they had lots of specials for the rest of the year.

I also went to the Gulf at St Pete Beach and thought it was nice-lots of sand, clear water, nice sunsets. I booked my hotel there via Priceline and was lucky to get a beachfront hotel. With the low occupancies right now I bet you could get a good rate directly from hotels.

I will always be a east coast beach kind of guy. my current favorite is the beach at the Indialantic board walk or any of the public beaches south of there in Melbourne beach off of A1A. For a more primitive experience, Playlinda beach across the bridge from Titusville on NASA property......no bars/resturants/hotels/t-shirt shops.. nothing but a series of parking lots and the beach. you'll also see the space shuttle on the launch pad if your timing is good.

I'm with Rob: The east coast is the way to go. Rob's beach suggestions are very good. I also suggest Sebatian Inlet between Melbourne and Vero. Great, Old World Florida.

Here's a third east-coast vote, BUT:

Playalinda Beach (part of Canaveral National Seashore) is closed indefinitely, because, as Rob says it's on NASA property, and their security has been stepped way up.

You can still access the Canaveral National Seashore for the north via New Smyrna Beach, which is a cute little uncrowded town with a couple of nice B&Bs on the river if that is appealing...

Good Luck!!

I agree that the gulf coast is a lot more fun with the little ones on the beach - easier for them to paddle around, less anxiety for the mom - wonderful shells! Sanibel as suggested is gorgeous = even Marco Island...but they are still a bit of a drive from Orlando....Tampa - St. Pete is closer and still has the pretty aqua surf of the gulf coast (and Busch Gardens too). The Atlantic is not all that warm when winter comes along in Northern and North Central Florida - from my experience of living there....

tx for your replies; how long is the drive from clearwater/Petersb. area to orlando ?

If my request sounds weird to you - i'm belgian and haven't got a clue about the distances !

you're looking at about 1.5 hours to st. pete beach.......

.....40 minutes to nearest east coast beach.

Ann,
I don't know if you know the difference in what you will find in an east/ocean beach and west/gulf beach. For example, the east side ocean will have larger waves with a more pounding surf. The gulf side has much smaller waves--thus Celeste's and Stephanie's advice about the children.

If you head west to the gulf, a 4-lane highway runs from Orlando to Tampa/St Pete, then you take local roads through the city to the beach towns.

Along most of the beaches there you will find motels and hotels built between the road and the beach with occasional openings between buildings for parks. Thus, to get to the beach you either stay at a hotel that is directly on the beach, or you walk from across the street, or drive to a park/beach access. Once on the beach you can choose a spot wherever you like to place your beach items and let the children play.

We happened to be at St Pete Beach last year and I walked for miles on the beach, collected shells, and let my mother sit in a cabana on the beach relaxing. It was too cold when I was there in winter to swim, otherwise I would have enjoyed getting in the water.

Ann:

Cocoa Beach is close to Orlando and is on the Atlantic. To entertain your children, there is the space center too. In Nov 2000, I went to Ft. Lauderdale and the water temp was 78 - NOT COLD, NICE.