Disney's Vero Beach Resort

Disney's Vero Beach is most assuredly the nicest resort on the east coast of Florida. There are lovely beach houses that sit directly on the sand with lovely wrap around porches. The villas can face oceanfront or oceanside but the views are fantastic. The resort sits directly on the beach and has private beachfront access.

There are two restaurants on site and two snack bars. There is babysitting available and a fun kids camp. We found the adults night out to be so much fun we look forward to doing it each year.

Three times per week they have free campfires and the smores and sticks add to the atmosphere. There are turtle nest explorations and nature walks and they are all free. This is a top of the line resort and you will not regret staying here.

We stayed for 3 nights in early March in a one bedroom. The weather was unusually cold so we could not use the pool, and the ocean temperature was in the 60's. It was our first time back to Vero Beach since 2005. Overall, it is still a nice facility but we were disappointed that our room's ocean view was completely blocked by other buildings and vegetation. The furniture was also somewhat shabby and in need of renovation. There was a sticky substance covering the kitchen table chairs and countertops, which housekeeping cleaned up after we complained. The biggest and most incomprehensible problem was the lack of internet access. There is no access from the rooms; there is wireless access in the lobby but it is hard to find a table for your laptop, let alone a place with a nearby electrical outlet. Many guests sit on chairs in the lobby and work, and all complained about this shortcoming. The staff was apologetic and told us that they are currently installing wi-fi throughout the resort.

We tried the restaurant only once. The food and service were good, but the prices were very high. So we often traveled 8-10 miles to restaurants in downtown Vero or Sebastian. There are a lot of restaurants on the mainland, but it is inconvenient to have to drive 20 minutes to find a place to eat.

Another problem is that the resort's management and DVC top management seem oblivious to the fact that many of their members are not traveling with kids and are no longer interested in Mickey Mouse and other Disney World folklore. When we purchased the points 15 years ago we had small children who liked that sort of thing. But that was then and this is now. These days, we get tired of looking at images of Mickey, Goofy and the gang. And we look for a resort with kid-free quiet zones and adult-oriented amenities, i.e. a good gym, a lap pool, etc. And of course, convenient internet access.

Would highly recommend this to the following:

Families with children who enjoy taking advantage of available activities Couples looking to get away from the real world and relax

We stayed here twice in 5 years and since the hurricane I think they have actually improved upon themselves. The resort is a little remote, but if you are the type to prepare a few of your meals yourself, you will more than enjoy this slice of the "real" Florida.