A Quick Guide to Disney’s Best-Kept (Kid-Friendly) Secret 

Have you ever needed a vacation after your Walt Disney World vacation? All that rope-drop sprinting and Cosmic Rewind-catching can do a number on your feet. The good news is a Walt Disney Resort two hours away from the Lightning Lanes is tucked on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

What some would call a hidden gem, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort offers families a rejuvenating escape from the queues without skimping on the details Disney Guests love. Even though Vero Beach is a Disney Vacation Club Resort gleaming on the scenic Atlantic Treasure Coast, it doesn’t require a Disney Vacation Club status to stay there. With kids getting transformed into pirates upon “Arrr!”-rival, a two-story waterslide, and tiny turtles to conserve, Vero Beach is the perfect post-Disney World relaxation hub for the family.

Related: Tips for Having a Beachy Keen Time at Disney World

Accommodations

With studios, one-bedroom villas, and two-bedroom villas located in three separate buildings on the Disney Vacation Club property, the accommodations offer Guests a variety of beachy rooms. Staying at the Inn provides access to the Resort amenities without having to walk outside, which is ideal for Florida’s hurricane season during the summer.

Dining

While Vero Beach may only pack in a fraction of the dining options you can find in Disney Parks, the Resort still comes with perks. These are the onsite dining services:

• Wind & Waves Grill: Vero’s only sit-down restaurant featuring Florida seafood
• Wind & Waves Market: Quick service restaurant by the pool
• Wind & Waves Bar: Noticing a theme with these? This is a classic poolside bar
• The Green Cabin Room: A beachy lounge with an Atlantic ocean view

The Resort also offers travel essentials and groceries at the Island Grove Packing Company in case you need snacks for the beach.

 

Related: The Top Five Disney Resorts for Toddlers

Family Fun

With baby sea turtles, winding water slides, crafts, and a beach prime for sand castle building, there’s no shortage of family fun at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. Cast Members get in on the action at the pool with water slide races and Disney trivia games with the kiddos while you unwind with a cocktail compliments of Wind & Waves.

There’s no limit to the plunges you can take down the 163-foot Pirate’s Plunge Pool Slide at the Mickey-shaped pool. The pirate ship splash pad and Tiger Lily Wet Play Area can keep kids hooked for hours, and the nearby beach is a welcome break from soaking in pool time.

With the pool and beach, it’s easy to go with the flow at Vero. But if you want more action throughout your stay, check out Eb & Flo’s Rentals. With Eb & Flo, you can sign the kids up for paper plane crafting, buy a round at Port Holes Miniature Golf, and find out when the Cast Members are hosting campfires complete with s’mores.

Saving the Sea Turtles

Those options could suffice for your dialed-down Disney trip, but one more running theme throughout the Resort could hatch lifelong Vero fans—and conservationists. The Vero Beach Resort is situated in a nesting habitat for leatherback, green, and loggerhead sea turtles, and it’s specifically designed to avoid any disruption to their homes.

With a conservation team on hand, you and the kids will likely spot some hatchlings around the beach.

Taking a page from the sea turtle’s book, Vero Beach allows Guests to take things at a slower, steadier pace. Whether you plan your entire Disney vacation at Vero or stop there after your Walt Disney World trip, Disney’s best-kept secret getaway might be the next best destination for you and your family.