Author: Spark of Magic Travel

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How I Fell in Love with Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

I’m going to preface this by saying: I don’t ever think of myself as a “beach person”. I love a meticulously planned vacation. I like my Walt Disney World fastpasses planned in a spreadsheet. I like pouring over museums in big cities and walking 10+ miles a day. I don’t ever picture myself as the type of person who grabs a beach chair and a book to sit in the sun. 

So when my husband and I debated a visit with our four kids to Disney’s Vero Beach resort, we understandably had reservations. First of all, it was confusing! For us, Disney is go, go, go! Rides, parades and walking! I couldn’t even wrap my brain around what a Disney beach resort would be like. 

We ultimately decided that we wouldn’t know if we liked it until we tried it. I made a reservation, we packed up our kids and went! 

For starters, I get a lot of questions about Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. People hear “Disney” and they think that it’s a beach resort that is near the Walt Disney World parks. Not at all! It’s about an hour and a half southwest of Orlando. You can fly into Orlando and rent a car to get there, like we did. 

The moment we arrived, it was just love. The lobby is absolutely gorgeous. We were immediately greeted upon entering by a cheerful Cast Member who very quickly got us checked in. 

We stayed in a one bedroom villa in building 15. It was just a 2 minute walk from the pool. We were on the first floor and because of it, we had a really spacious patio. The villas are fairly recently renovated and very spacious. They have fully equipped kitchens so you can cook all of your meals there if you so choose! The bathroom is split so two people can get ready at the same time. The villas are definitely a great mix of comfort and convenience! 

When we checked in, we were given a daily schedule of activities. There was a steady stream of things to do at the pool and beach all day long. We participated in poolside Bingo, pool parties, slide races, name that tune, Red Light/Green Light and more! My kids’ absolute favorite thing they did was the Unbirthday Party. We were able to drop them off and they participated in birthday games, a piñata, cake and songs! There was also a fun treasure hunt through the lobby with Matey Mike. Older kids may enjoy the nature walk. We saw crabs, lizards and birds and learned about their native habitat. Every other night they had a campfire singalong complete with s’mores! 

Disney’s Vero Beach is a great spot to see nesting sea turtles. During the summer, the beach is covered in protected areas to keep the sea turtle nests safe. They also have guided night tours to try to catch the turtles coming to land to lay their eggs. The tour is available on select nights and is a great way to see turtles up close! 

They have one full service restaurant, Wind & Waves. It has amazing food! On Saturday mornings, it turns into Goofy’s Beachside Breakfast! Kids get to meet Goofy and participate in fun activities. On select evenings, they have a Pirate Night dinner. It’s served family style with fun! 

We were so impressed with Disney’s Vero Beach Resort that we have decided it’s going to be our family’s annual vacation spot. A great way to enjoy Disney’s Vero Beach Resort would be to tack a few days there either on your way to or back from a Walt Disney World vacation! It’s also a great spot to spend an entire week. Let our awesome travel planners help you get the most out of your stay at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort!

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Fort Wilderness Archery Experience

Astay at Fort Wilderness should include the Fort Wilderness Archery Experience for the kiddos – and adults too! This experience is open to anyone 7 years old and older. The entire experience takes around 75 minutes and costs $45.

My daughter took part in this experience a few summers ago, and she had a great time! I also had fun watching her. Sometimes on a Disney vacation, my daughter needs some downtime away from the parks. Looking to see what your specific resort offers is a great way to have some Disney fun away from the parks for a while.

The Fort Wilderness Archery Experience was definitely something new for my daughter. She had never shot a bow and arrow before this day. The entire experience was ran so well. (As if I expected anything else from Disney!) To start the experience, we met at the Bike Barn to check-in. Each time is limited to no more than 10 participants to ensure safety and personalized help.

The cast member who ran the archery program during our visit was phenomenal. I swear he was a retired gym teacher or elementary teacher because he had those kids captivated and following all procedures. He went through the process of when they would be able to shoot and when they could get their arrows from the targets many times to ensure safety. He had a process for hitting a drum when they could shoot and then hitting it again when they could retrieve their arrows. The kids participating listened well and followed all directions.

The cast member taught the kids how to hold the bow, line up the arrow, pull back correctly, and release. The kids were able to shoot the arrows many times, and they were incredibly successful! 

This was $45 well spent in my opinion. My daughter had a great time. We were staying at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, but this experience is open to anyone. The fun part about staying at Fort Wilderness was being able to ride our bikes from our campsite to the archery experience. I highly recommend for guests looking for a unique onsite experience!

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Club Level at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Who has stayed Club Level at a Disney resort? Well, if you have, then you know that you NEVER want to stay any other way. And, if you have never stayed club level, be prepared to fall in love with this experience…

I have only stayed club level in two Disney resorts – one time at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World and three times at Paradise Pier Resort at Disneyland. I will talk specifically about my Contemporary experience in this post.

Club level is not something I can do EVERY time I go to Disney. It’s a splurge for me, but it’s a splurge I LOVE so much. 

If you don’t love eating, then this post is not for you. 😂 If you LOVE food, then keep reading…

If you do not know what club level means, let me explain. Staying in a club level room gives you access to a room that has food and drinks available pretty much all day. The room might be on a different floor from where you are staying and you might need to scan your band or show your room key to access the room (depending if you’re at WDW or DL). 

My first experience with club level was at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. The club level room overlooks the Magic Kingdom park. There are two balconies off of the club room that club guests can access, which is amazing. Our room at the resort was on the other side of the resort overlooking the pool, so being able to see Magic Kingdom from the club room was an amazing bonus.

Breakfast on this day included oatmeal with a variety of toppings, fruit and yogurt parfait station, fresh fruit, cereal, an assortment of breads, hard boiled eggs, smoked salmon, and a variety of pastries. There was fresh orange juice and water. In the drink refrigerator was an assortment of juices, soft drinks, and bottled water. Regular and decaf were available as well as an entire coffee and tea station where you could make your own cappuccinos, lattes, etc. After eating, we grabbed some bottled waters to take with us to Magic Kingdom.

The lunchtime hours consisted of an assortment of snacks (not pictured). This time is not meant to be a “meal” but rather a time to take a quick break during the day and then head back to the parks. We grabbed some chips, trail mix, and some sodas and jumped back on the monorail for more Magic Kingdom fun!

Dinner time had more substantial offerings. People in your party might require more sustenance than what is offered, but it was perfect for my daughter, mom, and me. An assortment of bread was put out along with peanut butter and jelly to make your own “PB&Js”. There was also an assortment of cheeses, meats, assorted crudités, and soup. It was the perfect light dinner we needed after a hot day in the sun. Wine and beer is also included during this time of the day. 

The last offering of the day was my FAVORITE for a variety of reasons. During late evening hours, an assortment of amazing Disney desserts are put out along with liqueurs and cordials. The drinks in the refrigerator are still there along with the coffee bar. A nice Kahlua and coffee with cream goes along great with Disney sweets! Mmm… 

Now for the BEST PART… During this time of night, the nighttime show, Happily Ever After, is happening at Magic Kingdom. You can sit on a balcony of the club level room and watch the fireworks and see some of the projection. The music from the show is PIPED IN to the balcony. Imagine – sitting with your family on a balcony after a fun filled day, snacking on delectable Disney treats, drinking a delicious beverage, while watching Disney fireworks and listening to the show. It was truly magical. I have no other words to describe it. An experience I know my mom and I will never forget because it was incredibly special. 

It was at that moment that I decided the club level was totally worth it.