Disney’s Vero Beach Resort {The Resort}

After visiting Disney World, we made the easy two-hour drive to spend the next four nights at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. The idyllic and old-fashioned hideaway is located on Florida’s scenic Atlantic Treasure Coast and was just a delight!

THE RESORT

The resort is meticulously maintained and features a very light Peter Pan theming throughout. When you arrive, you will be greeted by tic toc crock and here themed music playing in the background. It’s lovey and magical and we knew from that instant that we were in for a treat!

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There is an Inn and villas as far as accommodations go, with the Inn similar to a traditional hotel and the villas featuring kitchens, laundry, and bedrooms.

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We were smitten by the pool the minute we laid eyes on it’s sparkling blue water, twisty slide and lush landscaping. We logged many hours here during our stay!

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And, of course the ocean was a lovely backdrop for it all!

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THE VILLAS

We stayed in a one-bedroom villa and it was perfect! Especially after three nights in a tent. The boys slept in the den area where the sofa and chair both pulled out to beds.

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The kitchen tiles were a little outdated, but everything was sparkling clean and the most cooking we did was to microwave pancakes for breakfast.

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The bedroom was super comfortable and both this room and the living room opened to a very sizable patio.

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We were on the first floor in a garden view room in building 14. It was a perfect location to all of the amenities as we were literally steps away from the pool area. The parking garage is underneath.

DSC00958 I forgot to take a picture of the bathroom but it was a sweet setup! It was divided into two very spacious bathrooms that opened up to one another. One room had a shower, sink and toilet, and the other had a sink and spa bathtub. DINING Character Dining at Shutters We lucked out with Goofy and Donald’s Pirate Night for our very first dinner! This happens seasonally (spring/summer) on Monday nights. The food was all-you-can-enjoy and the characters came to our table no less than 5 times each! (We ate at 6pm so it was fairly empty.) The littles were all invited to take a pirate pledge and had a lovely time. They signed autographs and took pictures like normal but the price tag was significantly less than at Disney World (maybe $26 adult + $14 kid… can’t really recall). There is also a character breakfast on Saturday mornings but we left on Friday morning and didn’t get to enjoy it. I believe it’s just Goofy and Donald.

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Shutters

When they aren’t doing character meals, Shutters offers a regular menu. I had the flatbread and Honey had fish and chips. Both were okay. For the price, I would skip this one.

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The Green Cabin Room

Honey and I enjoyed this meal the most! When the littles spent the evening at Disney Discovery Club, we had a date night on the upper patio overlooking the ocean. It was lovely, the cocktails were great and the food was delish.

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Bleachers Bar and Grill

We did all of our lunches poolside at Bleachers. They offer breakfast sammies and coffee in the mornings and typical quick serve food at lunch. It was all good enough. The best thing here by far are the Dole Whips!!!!! We made it a daily requirement!!!!

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Sonya’s

This is the most upscale offering, featuring steaks and seafood, but we didn’t dine here. BEACH The beach had lovely sparkling blue green water and white sand. We walked here a few times, but the boys were content at the pool. You can rent all sorts of watercraft here, including boogie boards, sailboats, jet skis, kayaks and banana boats, as well as chairs and umbrellas.

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FEATURE POOL
The littles absolutely adored the Pirate’s Plunge slide!!!!!! There were fun and games (dancing, limbo, pool games, trivia, slide races) with the cast members every single day and the littles were so entertained that Honey and I actually spent some time in lounge chairs. Wahooooo!

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Adjacent to the pool is the Tiger Lily splash area with pint side slides, a playground AND a hot tub.

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RECREATION

Eb & Flo’s Rentals is also right on the pool deck and is where you check out balls, tennis racquets, mini-golf equipment and gear for billiards, ping pong and shuffleboard. They’ve got games and puzzles that you can play on the deck or take back to your room and it’s mostly free!

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We enjoyed shuffleboard…

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The darling 9-hole pirate themed mini golf course…

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Took first place in the Geo Scavenger Hunt (to win unlimited mini golf!). It was SO MUCH FUN and was a wonderful way to see the whole resort. It’s regularly $2 for guests and $1 for DVC members ($1 for guests and free for DVC on Thursdays).

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We also did TWO other scavenger hunts – one pirate themed and one hidden Mickey themed.

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We traded pins in the shop each day, and with the cast member at a more organized event one afternoon.

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We spent time in the x-box lounge where you can check out TONS of games and controllers!!! (free)

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And in the lobby of Shutters/Sonya’s, there is a TV playing Disney cartoons and a few i-pads loaded with games to pass the time!

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Honey and I even had the chance to relax on the porch rockers while the littles were at the Unbirthday Party!!!

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At Disney Discover Club, kids ages 4 to 12 can discover, create and explore with imaginative arts and crafts, exciting sports activities, games, movies and even dinner. It’s from 6-9 and the littles had a blast!

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There is a fun Peter Pan decorated tunnel that runs under the highway to a whole host of other amenities!

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Over here you’ll find basketball courts (Honey and John played a few games) and tennis courts. All the equipment is free to check out at Eb & Flo’s.

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There is a serene lake over here with a fun tiki hut, grills and picnic area.

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There’s a sand volleyball court, a soccer field and an archery area too. Organized games are planned by age group throughout the week, or you can just enjoy with your family!

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These are just FEW of the awesome activities that are planned!!! There is something for everyone! Things we didn’t do were surf lessons, kayak outings, Mickey tie-dye, other arts and crafts, and the list goes on! If You Go:

  • Make a stop at the grocery store and plan some of your own meals. When we vacation, we like to park the car the whole time rather than going out for meals. While the on-site options are good, they aren’t cheap. We did our own breakfasts, but next time I’d do dinners too. The character meal was not to be missed, and I’d definitely do the Green Cabin Room again. Otherwise, I’d make our own food! There are grills and the kitchens are stocked with basic utensils.
  • If you’re looking for pizza, we recommend Orchid Island Pizza. They deliver to the lobby and it’s super yummy!
  • Bring a cooler and carry your own drinks and snacks to the pool. It’s totally allowed!
  • Take advantage of all of the wonderful activities! I recommend making reservations for Disney Discovery Club, Geo Scavenger Hunt, and any character meals as soon as you get there. As for the Unbirthday Party, this is a must-do for the kids. It’s one hour long and you can only do it once on each visit. I signed up right when Eb & Flo’s opened on the day of the party. There was a short line at 9AM. Be ready. Everything else seemed to be walk up availability.
  • The resort was at capacity when we were there and the only time I was annoyed by it was getting a good shady spot at the pool. At all other times it didn’t seem crowded at all!!! I learned my lesson the first day, and each subsequent day was at the pool with all of our gear at 8AM when it opened. I got a table with an umbrella and one sunny lounger for Honey. Then, I enjoyed a lovely quiet morning and my morning coffee until Honey and the boys got ready and arrived :-)
  • Speaking of coffee… it can be found at Bleachers and outside of Shutters in the morning. It’s complimentary if you have a rapid refill mug.
  • FYI… the rapid refill mugs are now priced for length of stay at around $16, no matter how long you are staying. We bought ours in Walt Disney World and they were good here too, as our “stay” carried over. YAY!
  • Movies can be checked out in the store and rooms are equipped with Blue Ray players. We started the Pirates of the Caribbean series with the boys!! (Whit opted out!)
  • Games and puzzles can be checked out at Eb & Flo’s. We enjoyed playing Racko and putting together a hard mosaic puzzle in the room at night.
  • If you trade pins, come with a stash to do so! We got some good ones.
  • If you press pennies, there are three designs in the lobby.
  • Bring your own beach chairs if you can and it will save you a rental fee.

 

With that, I cannot wait to visit Disney’s Vero Beach again one day!! It’s two hours from Disney World and one hour from the Disney Cruise Line at Port Canaveral. Speaking of which… that was the last leg of our trip that I’ll share real soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you’ve got an questions, post them here and I’ll answer back in the comments.

xoxo

As an independent consultant with Glass Slipper Concierge, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise LineDisneyland® Resort,Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and other delightful destinations.
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7 thoughts on “Disney’s Vero Beach Resort {The Resort}

  1. This sounds delightful! I cannot believe all of the things that are planned for the littles – that would absolutely make the trip!

  2. EXCELLENT write-up, Amanda! You even taught *me* a thing or two (all the kids activities, and the subtle Peter Pan theme, to name a few). Sounds like y'all had a wonderful time and it was the perfect serene, slow break between camping and the cruise. We should plan a girl's get together at Vero Beach one weekend. Looking forward to catching up on all the Disney posts. (I've been in the mountains without internet for the past few days!)

  3. I absolutely love the thorough way you write up your visits at the resorts including your experiences at the restuarants at the resorts. Thanks for sharing.

  4. What a beautiful resort! Great write up – really looking forward to the next leg of your trip now that we are booked for a cruise in 2016! : )

  5. Hi Amanda, I'm sure you're going to blog about the Lilly Pulitzer for Target (fiasco). Maybe you had luck purchasing something… I was wondering if you could include how your purchase regular Lilly items and maybe even give a tour of your closet. I have way too many clothes and would like to narrow it down to a few classic pieces. I need a shopping strategy! Thanks!

  6. Hi Amanda, When you address the Lilly Pulitzer for Target situation, could you talk about your clothes collection in general? I have a closet full of clothes but would like to purge and purchase fewer, better quality, classic pieces that I wear more frequently. Can you explain how you shop for clothes? I need a game plan. Thanks!

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