We love Disney especially with a few bonus days in Clearwater Beach for fun in the sun and relaxation at the beautiful beaches.

Spring Break 2018 was our 5th jaunt to Disney World, and our 3rd spring break at Disney. Spring Break is one of the most crowded times at the parks so we’ve learned a few tips and tricks to handle the crowds AND have a magical time. Our #1 tip is to carve out a few days before or after at the beach! We went to Disney during spring break 2011 with a 6yo, 4yo and 1yo and while we had a blast, we came home exhausted and knew we needed to tweak it if we were going to have fun and recharge. Fast forward to spring break 2015 when we decided to chill in Clearwater Beach and then hit Disney World. We loved the beach in Clearwater Beach and drove to Disney (~ 2-hour drive) for the week, so traded R&R for more Disney magic.

Our guide to Disney World and Clearwater Beach is covered in three posts:

Disney World, but first a beachy start and Clearwater Beach Top 5
Disney World highlights of each park and and Top 5 Disney World Tips and Tricks (how to FastPass+ like a pro, manage the costs and free planning resources)
Disney pin trading guide (posted by our daughter, Fiona)

Clearwater Beach is a 2-hour drive from Orlando shorter if you fly into Tampa, we recommend getting on the island early to avoid traffic on the Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge. Clearwater Beach boasts a beautiful white sand beach stretching 2.5 miles that was named the best beach in the US by Trip Advisor in 2018, and offers so much to do and great restaurants.

Clearwater Beach Top 5:

EAT: Dine or enjoy happy hour at Tate’s Island Grill right on the beach (Tate’s) for fun drinks (cucumber gin fizz was my fave), good casual food (the black bean roasted corn hummus was delic) & a stunning sunset. Our kids played in the sand, ran up & down the sand dunes, and swung in the hammocks.
PLAY: Play in the ocean! Get up early to reserve a cabana or umbrella and chairs on the beach (just leave a bag where you want to set up camp and they’ll collect $$, pretty reasonable later that morning), but bring the sunblock, water and beach toys! Say ‘hi’ to Winter & Hope at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (Winter the dolphin) – watch Dolphin Tales before you go!
STAY: Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach (Hyatt Regency Clearwater). Hotel is a pink beauty right.on.the.beach and just underwent a complete remodel. Our room had a full kitchen with a stunning partial view. Pool was on the 8th floor with a gorgeous view of the ocean. Five stars! We’ve also stayed at the Sheraton SandKey (Sheraton SandKey) which is on a beautiful, quieter section of the island and less convenient to the hub of Clearwater Beach (this is a plus is you want a quieter vacay).
SHOP: Surf Style (Surf Style) right next to the Hyatt on the beach and had everything for the beach (t-shirts, UA gear, swimsuits & rash guards, beach toys, boogie boards, food & drink) and even has a surf simulator, Flowrider, to practice for the real waves.
FUN: Pier 60. Yes, its touristy but there’s a lot to do here! Huge inflatable water slides, bounce houses and bungee jumping (super fun!). Also, fun to walk along the pier at night. Take in a Phillies spring training game in Clearwater (even though we’re die hard Cubs fans!)