Renting a beach house in Florida for Spring Break

[Mr. SR500]

Any Ideas?

Needs to sleep 8 (2 families)
Relatively close to Orlando parks
On the beach would be nice, but walking distance is ok (hopefully a nice beach)
Nice Pool

We've looked and looked, but the one we found is starting to look a little rough, so getting cold feet.

Any help?

[kermit]

Since you said you wanted to be close to the Orlando parks, I am assuming you mean the 6 foot rat, Mickey. If thats the case have you looked into Fort Wilderness? Disneys campground, bus and ferry transportation to all the parks and pools, biking, tennis and trails. My husband and I love to camp there with the RV and the park is dog friendly. You can also look over near Daytona Beach for houses. That is Spring Break central for the college kids.

[OakLeaf]

Condos will be easier to find than houses, especially beachside.

"On the beach" and "close to the Orlando theme parks" is an oxymoron. Orlando traffic is a nightmare and it's about 45 miles at the closest point.

The closest beach to Orlando is Cocoa - toll road, but a straight shot.

I don't have a line on anything, but if you find something in Volusia County and you want a pair of local eyes to drive-by, PM me.

[katluvr]

St. Pete and Clearwater beaches are FABULOUS. I don't live on the beach but live in St. Petersburg. Weather has been fantastic...no real "winter" to speak of. It is about 1.5 hour drive to the theme parks from my house...so form the beach would be about 2 hours. Not a great drive, but very doable and pretty easy. Straight shot.
Downtown St. Peterburg and a cute waterfront town w/ a few things to do.
Busch Gardens is in Tampa--just across the bay, as is an Aquarium and a few other things. Although Tampa does not have the tropical feeling you get on "My" side of the bay.
Just a thought!

[wnyrider]

Did you check out Craigslist yet? Another possibility is to check with your local schools. Years ago when my family was planning a trip to Orlando, we found out that several of my Dad's coworkers (teachers) owned condos in Clermont, Florida-- an easy ride for us to Orlando. The complex had all the amenities we needed. The teachers bought these units for their vacations and as a retirement investment. They would only rent them out by word-of-mouth to help ensure more trustworthy people. They didn't advertise otherwise. I am not suggesting Clermont per se, I am just giving you an example for your search.

[SJCzar]

We just came back from a long holiday weekend down in Cocoa Beach and had a great time.

I used vrbo.com to find our condo. We were very pleased with the one we rented. I have used the website previously and have had nothing but good experiences.

I agree that it will probably be difficult to find an actual house on the beach since all we saw were condos. Our unit had 2 bedrooms, but there were other ones in the same complex with 3 bedrooms.

[stacie]

http://www.wrenbeachrentals.com/

These houses are located in the St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra area. The location is very nice. I've seen many of the houses and can probably answer most questions. Most are owned by one of my friends. Her son just started this company allowing them to rent additional homes as well. The question would be do you want to drive 2-2.5 hours to Disney. This location is much more laid back than Orlando. Happy to help with anything in the area.

Watercolors is my favorite of the ones I've visited. The kids have seperate quarters downstairs. It may be a bit big for you now that I think about it.

Good luck.

[Tuckervill]

If you really want to do Disney, you can't beat staying on the grounds. But, if you're going to Orlando for everything else, Cocoa Beach is the closest.

Florida-wide, I don't care for any of the beaches on the peninsula, except near Miami. My favorite place to go is Perdido. The beaches are pristine (although I haven't been there since the 'canes), but that's too far away from Orlando.

Karen

[Mr. Bloom]

If you really want to do Disney, you can't beat staying on the grounds.

Ditto - Particularly with the age of your kids. We stayed at The Polynesian...it was a blast...but the most fun we had was renting those little jet ski things and flying around the Lagoon! That was worth the trip!

[jobob]

Darn, and here I thought you were extending an invite to your TE friends.

[maillotpois]

Darn, and here I thought you were extending an invite to your TE friends.

I'll bring the beer! (Well, some of it.)

[Mr. Bloom]

Darn, and here I thought you were extending an invite to your TE friends.

It would be fun! SR & Mr.SR are wonderful people!