Tara Wilson

May 28, 2021

Hotel Guide: Disney's Vero Beach Resort!

If you're looking for a relaxing getaway to reconnect and spend quality time with your loved ones, Disney's Vero Beach Resort is just the spot!

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For being a family-friendly resort, I honestly was blown away by how peaceful and quiet it was while we were there. Perhaps it was off-season (we went on a Sunday in April for one night), but my boyfriend and I wanted a relaxing getaway for some quality time with each other, and Vero Beach was the perfect place for that.

We drove to Vero Beach from outside the Orlando area, and we got there in about two hours with no traffic. Upon arrival, check-in was an absolute breeze! We verified our reservation with security at the front gate, and then were instructed to pull up to the main entrance. Once we pulled over out front, someone came out to greet us and check us in! No waiting in line or searching for parking - so easy! She handed us a map of the resort, a recreation activities guide, showed us how to get to our room, and answered any questions we had.

We were easily able to get a parking spot right outside of the building our room was in, and grabbed our stuff to head on up to the room.

Per the usual Disney standards, our room was clean, pristine, and made us feel right at home! We had a studio, which was the perfect size for the two of us, and a balcony with an ocean view! The view was probably my favorite part of our stay - there's nothing like waking up to a view of the ocean from your bed!

Lunch

Since it was looking like we were about to get rain, and we weren't within walking distance to any other eating establishments outside of the resort, we decided it was best to head to the Wind & Waves Bar by the pool to grab some lunch before the downpour.

For dining at the resort, four options are available:

-Breakfast: Wind & Waves Grill

-Lunch: Wind & Waves Bar, Wind & Waves Market

-Dinner: Wind & Waves Grill

-Evening Cocktails: The Green Cabin Room

We were able to get a paper menu with drinks & food from the bartender, placed our order with her, and then sat ourselves at one of the open tables outside. The bartender was so friendly & helpful, and let us know that we could either order food off of the bar menu with her, or go inside to the market and order food, whichever we preferred. The bar menu is a little limited - it's definitely meant to be more of a bites menu, so if you're looking for more lunch options, the market had more items along the lines of salads, sandwiches, and baked goods (just know that the market is all to-go, it's more of a grab & go type of deal).

We didn't want to get too full before dinner, so my boyfriend and I decided to split the Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger ($10.99) and the Hummus Plate with Pita ($4.49), which were both delicious and the perfect amount of food to hold us over until dinner!

I loved that the paper menu from the bar also had a list of all the specialty & frozen cocktails, wine, sangria, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and kids' meals, as well. It took me forever to decide on what cocktail to get, because they all sounded so good, but I finally chose the very refreshing Cucumber & Mint Vojito (Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint, pure cane sugar, lime, and soda, $14.00).

The rain started as soon as we got our food and drinks, so we booked it back to our room just in time before the torrential downpour and enjoyed our lunch listening to the sound of the rain on our windows.

Evening Cocktails

We had been advised that it was a good idea to make a reservation on Open Table for dinner at the grill, and it was a good thing we did because the earliest opening it showed for dinner was around 10pm. Our game plan was to book the reservation, go check out the lobby and gift store, and then grab cocktails and an appetizer at the Green Cabin Room while we waited for our dinner reservation.

We walked around the store for a bit and checked out their Disney merchandise - it was cool getting to see specifically DVC (Disney Vacation Club) clothing & gifts, because you usually don't get to shop for those at the Disney Parks or retail stores.

Before we headed up to the Green Cabin Room on the second floor, we decided to check in with the hostess at the grill and let her know that we'd be upstairs in case anything earlier than our reservation opened up; she was awesome and let us know that she'd contact us if they could get us in before 10pm. Yay! Then off we went to the Green Cabin Room!

The Green Cabin Room was cozy, intimate, and had a great menu - everything you want in a cocktail lounge! We were able to walk right in and sit down by the window, which gave us a perfect view of the ocean and rain (without having to be out in it, haha!). We were surprised to see that there were a few folks sitting at the outside tables, since it looked extremely windy and pretty cold, but the view from that seating has to be phenomenal in better weather! This resort is right on the ocean, so nothing disrupts your view of that water!

They had a lot of tasty cocktails on their menu to choose from, so to keep it simple, my boyfriend and I stuck with our usual whiskey - he ordered a classic bourbon old fashioned, and I went with their "Walk the Plank" (Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky, Orange Juice, Orgeat, and Lemon Juice garnished with Luxardo Cherries, $15). Both of the cocktails were fantastic, not too sweet, and hit the spot. Honestly, you can never go wrong with good quality whiskey in my opinion! And look at those gorgeous Luxardo cherries!

We took a look at their food menu for something to snack on since we had a while before our dinner reservation, and we both decided on the Crab & Artichoke Dip served with crostini.

They had five savory snacks and four desserts to choose from, and it took so much self-control for me to not ruin my appetite for dinner with their Key Lime Tart! However, the Crab & Artichoke Dip did NOT disappoint. The food and drinks were so good, and we were having such a great time, we almost contemplated staying there and hanging out for the rest of the night...almost. He and I were still very much interested to see what the Waves & Bar Grill would have on their dinner menu!

Dinner

Dinner at the grill was such a great time! We had a fantastic server who helped make our experience an awesome one, and the food was not only delicious but had some cool & unique presentations! Our usual go-to for nice dinners is almost always steak, but since we knew we would be eating steak in a few days, we decided to try something different. For an appetizer, we got the Conch Fritters (Caribbean-spiced Fritters with Honey Mustard, Sweet Chili, and Sriracha Lime Aioli Dipping Sauces) which were so fun and tasty! We both had tried conch for the first time in the Bahamas about a year prior, and were interested to see how the grill would serve them. They were delicious and bite-sized, so you had plenty for dipping in the different sauces! Then for our main course, we shared the Roasted Salmon (Bacon-crusted Salmon with Braised Red Cabbage & Horseradish Cream) and the Vero Beach Signature Blend Burger (House-made Sweet Bun, Bacon Jam, Coleslaw, Beer-Battered Onion Ring with French Fries) with glasses of the Meiomi Pinot Noir.

All of our food was so incredibly GOOD. My mouth is honestly watering at the memory of being back there and seeing the pictures of our dishes! Now that we've tried these options, if we ever get the chance to go back, I would love to try their Butchers Cut Oak-Grilled New York Strip, Chicken Cordon Bleu Wood Fired Pizza, or their Bacon-Wrapped Sword Fish, because they all sound so amazing. So much good food, so little time (and stomach space)!

Activities

The next day we woke up to a beautiful sunny sky, crystal-clear turquoise water and the sound of the ocean. We had an amazing time during our short stay there, but the downpour of rain definitely limited the activities we could do. We decided to pack up our stuff early so we could take our time walking along the beach and seeing the ocean for a bit before we had to check out at 11am.

The beach at the resort is absolutely beautiful and perfect for relaxing out in the sun. For all of the resort's rentals, lessons, and activities, head back on over to the Wind & Waves Bar and pool area to Eb & Flo's Rentals. Umbrella sets, cabanas, body boards, and more are available to rent, and sports balls, life jackets, and pool towels are complimentary! According to the pamphlet we received at check-in, you're able to also rent jet skis, kayaks, surf boards, and sign up for private & group lessons (for surfing) as well! They also were hosting an ocean origami lesson, scavenger hunt, nature walk, and sand sculpture competition in the pamphlet. The activities I really wanted to do if it didn't rain? Archery & Mini-Golf!

We did find out that the Green Cabin Room hosts tastings from 4-5pm, where for $45/person, you get to learn about that day's beverages and make three cocktails of your own (for the Sunday we were there, the theme was "Bourbon & Beyond," but on other days themes ranged from "Martinis with Style," "Mix-Up Margaritas" and "Pirate Rum Adventure"). This sounded like a lot of fun and was one of the few activities we could do with the rain outside, but since both of us are bartenders, on this vacation we decided to relax and order our drinks instead.

Is it worth it?

If you're looking for a vacation to get away with your family or partner to relax and spend some quality time focusing on each other, then YES. This resort is quiet, intimate, and secluded, but with plenty of activities the family can do so the main focus of your vacation is each other. It's also incredibly beautiful, and right on the beach!

If you're looking for a spot where you can park at the resort and then go check out the nightlife or looking to party with your friends, Disney's Vero Beach resort is definitely not that vibe. Not that you couldn't do that necessarily, but there are no surrounding bars/clubs/restaurants that were within a comfortable walking distance that we knew of, and once again, the resort and Vero Beach area are more quiet and the vibe is less partying and more relaxing. With so many activities for the family though, this is the perfect spot to get away with your loved ones to enjoy the beach and each other.

Ready to book your relaxing stay at Vero Beach? Click here to check out rates!

To see a quick 90-second video of our time at the resort, click here!

Interested in becoming a DVC member? Click here!

Need more info on the resort? Click here for their homepage!

For reference, I've included snapshots of the menus from our trip; however, keep in mind that these may be seasonal and the resort may have a different menu when you go. I just feel they're helpful as far as pricing goes and getting an overall idea of the kind of food they serve.

The Wind & Waves Bar: