Daughter's Graduation Trip Summer 2021

osucbsb

Well-Known Member
We are still quite a ways out for this trip, but I thought I would try and get some info as I start planning. Our daughter wants her graduation trip to be in Disney and on the beach. We (5 adults and a 15 year old) are planning on spending 4 days at WDW and then heading to the beach for a week. Does anybody have any recommendations for where to find beach house rentals on the gulf side of Florida? We are looking for a house on the beach. I have looked and almost booked one on Maderia Beach on VRBO. I am still interested in it, but thought I would check here to see if there were other places I could look. Thanks.
 
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kevhugh

Member
If you don’t like the commercialized experience, my family enjoys St. George Island. It’s quiet, mostly houses, and has a few resteraunts, a cute ice cream place, etc. It’s also close to Appalachicola for shopping or larger dining options. If your daughter is looking to celebrate graduation somewhere with a “Spring Break” vibe, however, you should look elsewhere.
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Definitely not wanting the "Spring Break" vibe. We are looking for a place to relax on the beach with good restaurants and some activities. Thanks on the suggestion of St. George Island. I will look into that.
 
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CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Are you committed to the split of four days at Disney and a full week at the beach? That strikes me as very backwards. You're going to miss out on a lot that WDW has to offer and I know I'd personally get bored spending an entire week at the beach with nothing else going on.

To be fair, living in New England most of my life means I can go to the beach any day I want to in the summer, but I'm not sure what I'd do there for a full week. I'd be bored by day two.
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Are you committed to the split of four days at Disney and a full week at the beach? That strikes me as very backwards. You're going to miss out on a lot that WDW has to offer and I know I'd personally get bored spending an entire week at the beach with nothing else going on.

To be fair, living in New England most of my life means I can go to the beach any day I want to in the summer, but I'm not sure what I'd do there for a full week. I'd be bored by day two.
Right now that is what she wants to do. We live in the Oklahoma Panhandle. We haven't ever actually stayed on the beach, so this is her dream vacation of just chilling out on the beach for a week.
 
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CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Right now that is what she wants to do. We live in the Oklahoma Panhandle. We haven't ever actually stayed on the beach, so this is her dream vacation of just chilling out on the beach for a week.
You'd be shocked at how chill a WDW vacation becomes if you allocate 8+ nights. You can go at a completely relaxed pace, nap every day, spend time at the water parks and pools, and still get to see everything. It's also less stressful IMO because you're not planning two separate vacations that you need to glue together with transportation and other logistics.

Just something to consider.
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You'd be shocked at how chill a WDW vacation becomes if you allocate 8+ nights. You can go at a completely relaxed pace, nap every day, spend time at the water parks and pools, and still get to see everything. It's also less stressful IMO because you're not planning two separate vacations that you need to glue together with transportation and other logistics.

Just something to consider.
We did the 8+ night at WDW in 2015 and absolutely loved it. We also went to WDW in 2018 with a big family group of 12 people and it wasn't as relaxing. I was just happy she wants to do 4 days at WDW to go along with a beach trip. ;)
 
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Herdman

Well-Known Member
We often stay in Indian Shores near St. Pete at the Holiday Villas II. Some condos are Gulf front and some face the Intercoastal Waterway. The beach is never very crowded, and there are several good restaurants nearby. It's just a short drive to John's Pass and St. Pete for even more variety.
 
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DisDadWoz

Well-Known Member
Are you tied to the gulf coast? If not you may want to try the Vero Beach resort Disney has. Right on the water and very relaxing. You can stay in the resort but depending on your budget they have some free standing villas as part of the resort that give you the beach house feel.
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Are you tied to the gulf coast? If not you may want to try the Vero Beach resort Disney has. Right on the water and very relaxing. You can stay in the resort but depending on your budget they have some free standing villas as part of the resort that give you the beach house feel.
We aren't 100% on the gulf coast, so I will have to check that out! Thanks
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just got back from 10 days in Washington DC for family vacation. We went to Six Flags America in Maryland for a day and all my kids could say was "I miss Disney World, this is nothing like Disney World, etc.":) They had fun there, but nothing is like WDW.

We aren't planning a big vacation for next year, so I am starting to plan the trip for 2021. We are so excited to be headed back to WDW and Florida. There is a possibility we could be in WDW around Thanksgiving this year if my daughter makes all-american in cheerleading, but that would just be a short trip. Let the planning begin.
 
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Ghostdog

Well-Known Member
This will be a fun trip to plan. Our family LOVE, LOVE, LOVES Siesta Key! White Quartz BEAUTIFUL sandy beaches that never get hot to walk on and are excellent for building sands castles. There is a dolphin that frequents the water and can usually be seen on a daily basis. The Public beach area has a nice concession stand and on some nights they have a huge drum circle. The sunsets are not to be rivaled.
siesta Key Village is a great little shopping/dining area...Check out The Daquiri Deck. We've rented at Gumbo Limbo (you can search them on VRBO), which isn't on the beach but only about 60 steps from the beach. When we stayed at Gumbo Limbo they even had bikes that you could take to ride into the Village. Siesta Key also have a lot of other places to rent the other that I've always wanted to stay at is Tivoli by the Sea, its a condo directly across the street from the ocean.
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This will be a fun trip to plan. Our family LOVE, LOVE, LOVES Siesta Key! White Quartz BEAUTIFUL sandy beaches that never get hot to walk on and are excellent for building sands castles. There is a dolphin that frequents the water and can usually be seen on a daily basis. The Public beach area has a nice concession stand and on some nights they have a huge drum circle. The sunsets are not to be rivaled.
siesta Key Village is a great little shopping/dining area...Check out The Daquiri Deck. We've rented at Gumbo Limbo (you can search them on VRBO), which isn't on the beach but only about 60 steps from the beach. When we stayed at Gumbo Limbo they even had bikes that you could take to ride into the Village. Siesta Key also have a lot of other places to rent the other that I've always wanted to stay at is Tivoli by the Sea, its a condo directly across the street from the ocean.
Thank you so much for all the information. We are very excited to plan this trip even though it seems like such a long time down the road. It is also a bitter sweet trip since it is celebrating her graduation. I will definitely look into Siesta Key!
 
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Ghostdog

Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for all the information. We are very excited to plan this trip even though it seems like such a long time down the road. It is also a bitter sweet trip since it is celebrating her graduation. I will definitely look into Siesta Key!
I totally get it...my daughter will be graduating in 2020. She's our youngest; we too are starting to discuss where she wants to stay for her Disney Graduation trip. My son graduated in 2018 and he choose Animal Kingdom Lodge with a Savannah View; it was and utterly Fantastic family time together!

Enjoy the planning process, it'll be her before you know it.
 
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osucbsb

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I totally get it...my daughter will be graduating in 2020. She's our youngest; we too are starting to discuss where she wants to stay for her Disney Graduation trip. My son graduated in 2018 and he choose Animal Kingdom Lodge with a Savannah View; it was and utterly Fantastic family time together!

Enjoy the planning process, it'll be her before you know it.
That is so cool, your kids chose Disney for their Graduation trips! We love getting back as much as possible.
 
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