5 Best Beaches Near Disney World | Easily Explained
In this page, we'll go over the best beaches near Disney World, what makes each one unique, and how far it is from the park.
Table of Contents
1. Cocoa Beach
1 Hour From Disney World
Cocoa Beach is the nearest beach to Disney World and is a very solid option.
Positioned South-East of Orlando, Cocoa Beach also offers bars and restaurants right near the beach.
Coconuts on the Beach is the go-to place if you're looking for a beach bar, live music, and a very up-beat environment.
If you're looking for a more laid-back environment, you can't go wrong with parking at Lori Wilson park or at the Ron Jon Surf shop.
Parking Tip
If you're driving to the beach, you should know that you will have to pay for parking if you want to park at a decent location.
Your options are paying to park by the hour from a kiosk, or you can pay a one time fee of $10-$20 at Lori Wilson park/Ron Jon Surf shop.
Our recommendation would be to stay somewhere that you can pay a one time fee for the entire day.
This will prevent being worried about receiving a parking ticket, if you forget to extend your hourly stay at the kiosk.
Additionally, you won't have to leave the beautiful beach to go to the kiosk, just to put more coins in.
Resort Tip
If you're planning on visiting Orlando for more than a couple of days, you may want to consider staying at one of the resorts on the beach.
Most of these resorts will allow you to walk out of the hotel, right onto the beach without a worry in the world.
2. New Smyrna Beach
1 Hour 20 Minutes From Disney World
Another relatively close beach, that also happens to be one of our favorites.
If you're traveling with your family, this is a great place to go due to its family-friendly activities.
Whether you're looking to surf, kayak, build sand castles, or fish, there's plenty to do.
The Smyrna Dunes Park is something that should be on your bucket list if you decide to visit New Smyrna. It is a 2 mile boardwalk positioned above (and through) the dunes that will provide you unique views.
Many guests walk around or even get their daily exercise on this boardwalk.
3. Daytona Beach
1 Hour 20 Minutes From Disney World
Daytona Beach is another great beach to visit near the parks. It has a little bit of a different vibe as it tailors to vehicles such as NASCAR cars, and motorcycles.
This is one of the few beaches where you can drive and actually park your vehicle on the beach.
If you're worried about having to walk long distances to go back and forth to your car to get belongings, have no fear as parking directly on the beach is a great convenience.
The one event that you have to be on the look-out for when visiting Daytona Beach is Bike week.
Every year, Daytona Beach has 100,000+ bikers that all gather and show off their awesome bikes for a couple of days.
If you're into this type of event, great! If not, you may want to double check when this event happens every year as it will be a very crowded event.
4. Clearwater Beach
2 Hours From Disney World
Located on the West side of the state, Clearwater beach is perfect for those who enjoy the calmer waters.
The east-side beaches (Cocoa Beach) will have plenty of large and strong waves, while the west-side beaches, feature a peaceful body of water where you can relax and float your worries away.
Don't miss out on the perfect spot to watch the beautiful sunset! Head over to Pier 60 Park for the best views.
As you walk around during the night time, you can watch skillful fire performers & musicians entertaining the crowds.
Additionally, Clearwater offers a large variety of shops and restaurants where you can walk around and explore the city.
5. Vero Beach
2 Hours From Disney World
One of the most underrated and lesser known beaches in Vero Beach, where Disney's Vero Beach is secretly stationed here.
It is a calmer and quiet beach where the family can hang out, enjoy the breeze and soak in plenty of Vitamin D
This area actually used to be the training ground for Los Angeles Dodgers!
You'll want to make sure that you head to the Farmer’s Market Oceanside for fresh and delicious seafood.