Decompress After Disney?

March 18, 2007 10:33 PM

VacationFilter Redux: What should we do *after* Disney World? Extra week of vacation after the extravaganza, and I want some beach time.

So we're going to Disney World this summer. My wife went once as a kid, but I was raised by hippies, so this is a first for me. :) We're going with our 3 kids (8, 6 and 2), my wife's sister / husband / 2 kids (6 and 2) and her parents. After 4 days of Magic(tm), I'm going to need some time with just plain old beach and noticed on Google Maps that the Kennedy Space Center is like an hour away. w00T! So, hive mind, where can we stay on the Florida Atlantic coast in mid-June that is (1) reasonably priced (most of the cash will be staying behind in Disney's corporate pockets, rest assured), (2) has decent beach access and a swimming pool and (3) will let me sneak off to look at rockets and things. WiFi access is a plus.

I got a lot of mileage out of my last vacation question, so I'm very optimistic here. Thanks in advance, everyone!

posted by ZakDaddy to Travel & Transportation around Orlando, FL (9 answers total)

Best answer: IIRC, my family went to Cocoa Beach after we went to Disney World. All the space fun you could ever want is apparently only 15 miles away. All I remember from that part of our trip was we went in March and it was randomly freezing, but hopefully you guys will have better luck in the summer.
posted by MadamM at 10:42 PM on March 18, 2007

World's largest McDonald's. You're welcome.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:11 AM on March 19, 2007

Best answer: Trust me, the world's largest McDonald's isn't that impressive.

MadamM is correct in that if you want beach plus close access to the Kennedy Space Center, it is Cocoa that you are looking for. I don't know how successful you will be at finding a reasonably priced beach-access hotel in June. You can find a listing of hotels at the city website, so hopefully that will point you in the right direction.

One other thing to be prepared for: June is right in the middle of hurricane season. There's nothing much to worry about while you are at Disney, as virtually all storms have calmed down by the time they reach that far inland, but if you are out on the coast it can be pretty serious. Of course the odds of a hurricane happening on the exact days you are there is fairly slim, but you should be prepared for it just the same.
posted by Lokheed at 5:15 AM on March 19, 2007

Best answer: Cocoa Beach is home to Ron Jon's Surf Shop and hard body volleyball action. You might be better served by taking your family to the quieter and more pristine Canaveral National Seashore adjacent to the Space Center.
posted by peace_love_hope at 5:19 AM on March 19, 2007

Best answer: I love cocoa beach! One of my favorite beach weekends was spent at Cocoa Beach. I am not sure what your definition of reasonable is, but check out the Inn at Cocoa Beach. It is beautiful, laid back and relaxing.
posted by necessitas at 6:45 AM on March 19, 2007

Best answer: I stayed at this La Quinta on Cocoa Beach last year. The thing that is cool about it is that it was formerly owned by the 7 original astronauts, and there is a big plaque thing in the courtyard by the pool. Otherwise it's just your basic ordinary La Quinta (mmm free brekkie + wifi). The pool area is nice. I would recommend it if you don't need anything fancy.
posted by contessa at 7:52 AM on March 19, 2007

d'oh. This La Quinita. Meant to give you a link before.
posted by contessa at 7:53 AM on March 19, 2007

Local to the area you are describing, ZacDaddy. A little further north are the more secluded beaches around New Smyrna. Quite a bit of cottage style accomodation and beachfront hotels in parts of town. It feels less commercial, if that's what you are looking for. A fair amount of great dining as well. At worst, it's worth a day's visit. Don't stray further north too much, though, as it is Spring Break in Daytona.

Vacation Rentals in NSB, FL
posted by richter_x at 10:13 AM on March 20, 2007

Response by poster: OK, we're back. For posterity, we found a place called Wakulla Suites. I'm never going anywhere else for vacation again, it was that awesome. With a corporate ID, our rate was $108 / night during the week and $140 / night on the weekend, for a master bedroom with king sized bed, a second bedroom for the girls (double bed and single bed), living room with fold-out couch, walk in closets everywhere, full kitchen, and 100m away from the shore; here's the satellite photo.

Holy smokes! What a beautiful place; I'm marking every reference to Cocoa Beach as favorite, and if I figure out how to support my young family down there, we're moving.
posted by ZakDaddy at 6:07 PM on July 10, 2007 [1 favorite]