Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Do you want a Disney themed trip without the theme parks?  Well, then Disney's Vero Beach Resort might be the perfect choice for you.  Located about 1.5 hours away from Walt Disney World on Flordia's Treasure Coast, this resort has a good amount of Disney flair to it, without it being too "over the top".

The rooms and facilities are both kept very clean.  All of the staff we interacted with (front desk, lifeguards, housekeeping and restaurant staff) were all extremely friendly and helpful.

The location is right on the beach and also has a very large pool with a great water slide (for adults and kids!) and a hot tub.  There are constantly at least 3 lifeguards on duty at all times, so this will help make parents feel better about letting their kids go into the pool without needing to constantly watch them. The pool also has a restaurant there, Bleachers, that has pretty good quality food and drinks (including alcohol) that are made fresh to order. Also, if you order a soft drink, you get 4 free refills within a 2 hour period. One thing we did note though is that some days this restaurant closes at 5 PM, which we thought was a bit early.

There are various activities offered (some with an additional cost) such as mini golf, shuffleboard, tennis, volleyball, etc.  One free activity they had nightly on the weekends was a campfire sing-along with s'mores.

The room itself (we had a studio) comes stocked with plates, bowls, cups, mugs and utensils.  It also has a microwave, mini-fridge, toaster, and a large coffeepot.  One thing to note about these rooms is that regular guests get daily housekeeping service.  However, people that book with Disney Vacation Club points only get housekeeping service for free once every 4 days (although you can pay extra for more service).  There is also a parking garage located under the villas, giving you easy access to an elevator to get your belongings from your car to your room.

Two cons we saw at the hotel was that the TV in the room is a bit small and the vending machine in our building was sold out for our entire stay.  Other than that though, this was an excellent place to get away for a long weekend and one we'd recommend to anyone looking for some Disney fun without the fatigue of the theme parks.