By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher
Family Vacations Expert, about.com
Do you have a question about planning a family vacation? Ask Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, the family vacations exper.
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Question: We're
planning a trip to Disney World and want to tag on a few days at the
beach. Can you recommend a family-friendly beach close to Orlando? We
are on a budget and affordability is a top priority. —Beth V. from East Greenbush, NY
Suzanne says: With
nearly 1,200 miles of coastline and over 660 miles of sand,
beach-loving families are spoiled for choice in the Sunshine State. What
may surprise people is just how diverse those beaches can be. Beaches
on the Atlantic Coast, for example, tend to get more surf and the kind
of packing sand that's great for building sandcastles, while beaches on
the Gulf Coast tend to have calmer waters and white sugary sand.
Moreover, some beach destinations are quite upscale with a predominance
of luxury hotels while others are much more laid-back and affordable.
Visit Florida, the state tourism organization, has even created a Florida beach finder tool to help folks find the perfect stretch of sand by selecting points along spectrums such as adventurous vs.
laid back, family friendly vs. romantic, action packed vs. secluded, and manicured vs. natural.
For an affordable, family-friendly beach, I highly recommend Daytona Beach,
which is an easy one-hour drive from Orlando. Once famous as an MTV
spring break party town, Daytona has made a U-turn in recent decades to
become a hugely kid-friendly and extremely affordable destination, a
trend I wrote about for FoxNews.com.
On a recent visit, I was extremely impressed by Daytona Beach's selection of affordable hotels, inexpensive restaurants, and budget-friendly things to do with kids. There are many great hotel options for families under $150 a night, including The Shores Resort & Spa, a stylish yet unstuffy and family-friendly boutique hotel where you can step off the pool deck and right onto the beach.
As
for affordable attractions, you can't beat Daytona's clean, wide beach
and you'll find two stellar kid magnets just down the road in Ponce
Inlet. A family of four can spend an entire afternoon at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Marine Science Center and drop less than $30 in admissions fees.
To my mind, Daytona is the perfect place to hit the beach before or after Disney World.
