The 5 BEST Beaches Near Walt Disney World!
A trip to Walt Disney World can easily encompass an entire week if you want it to, but there is one quintessential Florida experience you can’t find at the theme park: a glorious beach day!
Beaches Near Walt Disney World? You Bet!
If you’d like to squeeze in some sun-bathing and wave-catching with your Disney trip, then you’re in luck! Whether you’re looking to the Atlantic or the Gulf Coast, there are several beaches within an hour or two of Walt Disney World.
There are so many great ones to choose from – you can’t really go wrong with any Florida beach! – but here are five of our favorite beaches near Walt Disney World! We hope you’ll love them, too!
#1. Cocoa Beach
Situated on the Space Coast and overlooking the majestic expanse of the Atlantic Ocean in Cocoa Beach. A 60-minute drive from Orlando, it’s not only one of the closest beaches to Walt Disney World, it’s also one of Florida’s best beaches in general! You can make the drive yourself, or take the Cocoa Beach Shuttle, which has routes to and from WDW.
The sand here is wonderfully soft and littered with beautiful sea-tumbled shells as you step closer to the waves. As for wildlife, there are plenty of different sea birds and scuttling sand crabs to admire. If you’re incredibly lucky, like I was, you might even encounter a gentle gopher tortoise!
Beyond the wildlife, Cocoa Beach is just a genuinely wonderful place to be. The beach itself is more crowded close to the Pier, especially on the south side, but if you want some more space, you can simply stroll northward where it’s just as beautiful and more deserted. The waters at Cocoa Beach are a deep blue, and the waves are strong enough for surfing.
The Pier is a great place to grab a cold drink and a killer cheeseburger right on the water, but there are also amazing eateries to check out in the town, like Coconuts on the Beach. (A little pricey, but amazing coconut shrimp!) Additionally, there’s plenty to do in Cocoa Beach if you don’t want your entire day to be a beach day.
You can shop around Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, grab some key lime pie at the Florida Key Lime Pie Company, or drive just a few more miles to the spectacular Kennedy Space Center!
#2. Daytona Beach
Another Atlantic Coast favorite, Daytona Beach is also one of the closest beaches to Walt Disney World! It’s about an hour and a half away from Orlando and well worth the detour from theme-park central.
Daytona Beach has a reputation for being a little rowdy, but if your beach day isn’t during spring break, you’ll discover Daytona actually makes for a really family-friendly day trip! (If you have to go during spring break, and want to avoid the crowds, you can always access the beach via one of the quieter, nearby towns rather than Daytona Beach proper.)
With sun-warmed sand and rockin’ waves, Daytona Beach is a surfer’s paradise! Ponce Inlet is a popular place to catch a wave, and you can also pay a visit to Lighthouse Point Park while you’re there. The Park is a great place to see wildlife, from dolphins to sea turtles to manatees. It also has amenities like showers, restrooms, and pavilions – everything you need to stay at the beach all day long!
Whether you just want to relax and sunbathe or have an afternoon brimming with activities, Daytona Beach has you covered. You can settle into its soft sand or hit the Boardwalk where you can shop, play classic arcade games, and grab a slice of pizza.
#3. Clearwater Beach
Although it’s a two-hour drive from Walt Disney World, Clearwater Beach is truly a spectacular choice for a family beach day! Perched along the Gulf Coast, Clearwater boasts sugar-white sands and shallow waters that are perfect for playful kiddos and adults alike. In fact, it’s the closest Gulf-side beach to WDW!
After soaking up some sun, you can spend your evening at Pier 60’s sensational Sunset Festival! Every sunset is a reason to celebrate, and every night artisans and musicians gather to mingle with the crowds and share their amazing work. The festival is so much fun, and the stunning sunsets make for some scrapbook-worthy photos.
While you’re visiting Clearwater, you might also want to make a stop at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Dedicated to caring for marine life and educating visitors, this awesome aquarium is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with your favorite aquatic friends, from stingrays to otters to dolphins. Clearwater Marine Aquarium was home to famous and beloved Winter the Dolphin – a rescue dolphin with a prosthetic tail – until her passing in November 2021.
Today, there are still several resident rescue dolphins including Hope, PJ, Nicholas, and Hemingway! Each one has an incredible story and a unique personality. It’s impossible not to get the feels when visiting these sweet water mammals! And, since Winter and Hope were the subjects of their own Disney movies (Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2), it’s really the perfect tie-in to a Disney World vacation.
#4. Siesta Key
Siesta Key doesn’t necessarily have one of the closest beaches to Walt Disney World, but the stunningly soft, white sand and azure waters make it worth the just over two-hour drive. Seriously, the sand here has won awards for being so soft! Located on the Gulf Coast, Siesta Key is home to Siesta Beach, Crescent Beach, and Turtle Beach. And no beach could be better than one named “Turtle.”
You could simply spend the entire day at any of the beaches reclining on a beach towel, reading a good book, or splashing in the waves. Or, thanks to local charters, you could spend all your time on the water – sailing, fishing, or parasailing! More of a landlubber? Check out Siesta Key Village shopping or Siesta Beach Eats for a yummy snack!
Since Siesta Key is located so close to Sarasota, you could also sneak into town for a trolley tour or other fun activities. The Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary of Sarasota is certainly worth a visit! This sanctuary is a safe haven and loving forever home for rescued big cats – and other exotic animals, too! It’s a great way to add a touch of the wild to your beach day; you might just feel like you’re in Animal Kingdom!
#5. Vero Beach
If you’re looking for a beach day that’s really close to Walt Disney World, then look no further than Vero Beach! Physically, this beach is two hours from Orlando, but in spirit, it’s totally intertwined with WDW. That’s because it’s home to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort! If you’re looking to truly combine your Disney vacay with beach time, this is the ultimate way to accomplish that.
Enjoy sun, sand, and surf on a surprisingly quiet stretch of beach with rented chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, sailboats, or jet skis! Disney has everything you might need for the perfect beach day within arm’s reach, including family entertainment, spa treatments, and dining options.
Of course, the best part of Vero Beach is the sea turtles. With an incredibly dense nesting population, a visit to this beach is one of the best opportunities to see a live sea turtle. Disney hosts sea turtle night walks, led by permitted specialists, so you can watch this breathtaking phenomenon while the turtles’ safety remains the top priority. The night walks happen in June and July, so plan your vacay dates accordingly!
Adding a beach day to your Disney World vacation is truly the “cherry on top.” Have you been to the beaches listed here, or are there other beaches near Walt Disney World that you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments below! Oh, and do tell us about any sea turtle sightings you’ve had!
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