Family Vacation to Florida in February

Check out the Deerfield Beach Embassy Suites. It is the best kept secret in family vacationing. Totally family friendly, inexpensive, and right on the beach. All the rooms are suites with 2 bathrooms, so you have plenty of room. Free breakfast buffet for all and happy hour with free drinks! Close to tons of restaurants that are also relatively inexpensive. You have a fridge in your room and there is a Publix nearby, so you can stock up on water, wine, whatever, and not have to pay high prices.

Fly into Ft. Lauderdale and rent a car. It's about a 20 min drive from the airport.

Hope this helps! Happy vacationing!

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I've been going to Vero Beach with my family since I was two years old and we love it. Very quiet beaches, lots to do within walking distance and an easy drive to Disney and other attractions. We have a time share (but they have rentals available) at the Reef Ocean Resort which is reasonable and every space has a kitchen which we have always gotten a lot of use out of. It is not super fancy but nice clean, very close to the beach, private pool, tennis courts and some other small amenities.

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We spent a week in Key West last March and it was amazing! We stayed at the Casa Marina. There was beach, pools, restaraunts and a fabulous spa and staff. We saw lots of families with young children. They claimed that they had chosen that hotel because it was on the "quiet" side of the island. They were right, the other side was crazy and a bit like bourbon street at night. We loved it and it was plenty warm every day.

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S.,
We just went to Florida for Thanksgiving with our 4 year old and 6 year old. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale and drove to Embassy Suites in Deerfield beach(husband's choice). Then we drove to Marco Island (Marriott Resort)(My choice). The Deerfield beach resort was OK, but Marco was so much nicer and kid-friendly(refrigerator in room). The pools are nice and the beach is beautiful. It is far enough south and on the gulf coast so it should be warm in February. Check out their website. The hotel by far is a 4-5 star resort. Shopping, resturants, kids club with lots of activites throughout the day, babysitting, bars right inside resort. They also have different cruises you can go on like dolphin watching (we did it and it was very cool) about 2 hours long. They have two main pools...one with a waterslide and then they have a little toddler pool as well. Good Luck!

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Clearwater! It is beautiful and so kid friendly. You can rent a great condo with a pool and walking distance to the beach for a great price. Have fun!

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There are tons of places to choose from in Florida but I highly recommend Siesta Key's Crescent beach when toddlers are involved. Not only is Crescent Beach one of the top-ranked white sand beaches in the world, it is also one of the most child friendly. I like it because it is shallow pretty far out so your little one can play in it and not have to say right at the shoreline. It is also perfect for floating in and relaxing. I always see lots of babies in their little inflatable donuts enjoying the water. It also has crystal clear water and a clean bottom so you don't have to worry about your toddler's little feet. If you stay at one of the places right on the beach, the area right in front of your condo will not be very crowded-as opposed to the public portion of the beach down the road. The best part is that you can cook or eat lunch at home and run inside for naps. Siesta Key has a great little village to walk around for ice cream and souvenirs. Most of the resorts/condos also have pools which is a nice change of pace when kids get sick of the sand. The prices range from inexpensive to outrageous so it fits all budgets. It is within driving distance to many attractions like the Barnum and Bailey Museum and the Mote Aquarium. It is a very popular destination for Canadians and Europeans but kind of a best-kept secret to Americans :) You can fly into Sarasota/Bradenton, Tampa, or Ft. Meyers. http://www.siestakeychamber.com/

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Hi S.,
Make sure you take alot of toys and activities the kids like. Also, use the techniques that calm down the newborn regularly. You can do it because I traveled while I was 7 mos. pregnant.

Happy New Year!

I recommend sticking to the Gulf Coast south of Tampa. You'll have calmer water, good beaches and slightly warmer weather than on the Atlantic side. Renting a condo is more economical, but there are some lovely beach resorts as well. Sarasota area and Naples are more upscale. Clearwater south through St Pete Beach is a little more "old Florida" but a great option as well. Have fun!

we're going to FL in feb too.... orlando/sarasota/tampa/clearwater will be too cold to swim but ok for the sand : )

S.:

If you would like to be treated like royalty 100% of the time, have great pools for kids and have great food, lots of beach; I highly recommend LARGO MAR IN Fort Lauderdale.

It is privately owned and all levels of staff take really good care of you. It is the only place that I have vacationed that I never want to leave. Why not - they take great care of you!

Have fun on vacation!

S. H - Grayslake

I second the mom who said Key West. Or you could try any of the Key islands leading to Key West. Florida in February isn't "beach warm." But the keys are warm. They are expensive though, from what I remember. But beautiful and warm almost year round!

Hi S. I know of a place that like a home away from home and that's Key West, Florida. My husband and I go there every year and it's nice and warm all year round. It's only ninety miles from Cuba. The people are very free spirited down there and there's plenty to see and do. Check it out online.

I second Clearwater. I do not know how warm it will be in Feb., but I've gone in December before and it was just lovely. It will be warmer there, on the Gulf coast, than on the Atlantic side.
Also, theres an aquarium there, and over the bridge in Tampa you have busch gardens and big cat rescue. Big cat rescue is awesome- you are just 2-3 feet away from them!
And Orlando with Disney and all that is only 90 minutes away by car.

After spending many years vacationing in Florida, especially at Disneyworld, I can tell you that in February you have to go as far south as you can in Florida to expect warm weather. Orlando goes into the 60's and sometimes lower. If we are having a mild winter in Chicago, Florida w/tend to be warmer. If we are having cold, it will be colder. Check out the weather channel and what they are predicting for winter. Key West is your best bet for warmth in February. We have had 80 in Orlando as other years had 30 and wore our winter coats. Don't get me wrong, we had great times because there was plenty to do but poolside is not always the best. You can look at Bermuda, Mexico etc but check out if it is wise to take young children to these countries.

My friends go to Florida and they always rent a house for a week instead of staying in a hotel. You might want to look into that. most house/townhouses have pools so you really do not have to go fair and you can just enjoy your time together.