Two weeks ago, we were planning a trip to OBX for spring break. However, the forecast was calling for more clouds, cold and rain through the week and a spring break sitting indoors didn’t sound like fun to me. So we cancelled that trip and made a last minute plan to seek out warmth instead. I took to Google and found the closest place possible where there promised to be that warmth I so needed; Daytona Beach, Florida. Florida is a ten+ hour drive for us, so close is a relative word, but let’s just say it was worth the drive! Before this trip, I had only been to Daytona as a kid, just once. So, it’s safe to say, I had no idea what it was like. I went online and read posts and reviews; some good and some warning that the area was a little run down and of course not super family friendly during the wild weeks of college spring break and bike week. Since it wasn’t either of those weeks, I was more than excited to see for myself. What we found is that Daytona has plenty to offer for families, and although some areas were a little worn and let’s be honest abandoned, there were plenty of other areas that were beautiful, family friendly, and worthy of visiting again.

Family Friendly Daytona Beach Vacation

10 Family Friendly Things to Do In the Daytona Beach Area

1. Hit the Beach! Day one, of course we went to the beach. On this particular day, we went to the central area of Daytona right on the boardwalk. It was sunny, beautiful and was just what I was craving. I wasn’t quite used to the car traffic you see at Daytona. Most beaches I’ve visited don’t allow for cars, so it did put me on edge a little with the kids.

However, I will say, the traffic was minimal and there are areas where cars are not allowed that you can visit. We didn’t stay beachfront (since we booked last minute) so we drove around the area to explore. Aside from an area that looks like a lot of new development was going on, the beach road was lined with empty storefronts and overgrown buildings, which made me a little leery. However, I did find there were plenty of other great areas to explore – more on that next!
2. Visit Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences. We visited the Museum of Arts and Sciences a few days into our trip and had a lot of fun!
Although the boys weren’t overly thrilled with the art and typical museum exhibits, they had a ton of fun in their children’s museum. There were many hands on learning exhibits, one of the boys favorites was an exhibit where they built their own cars and ran them on a track.

3. Visit Ponce De Leon Springs State Park & The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House. One thing that popped up in my search for things to do was to visit the Old Spanish Sugar Mill. There you are brought pancake batter, and toppings of your choice and cook pancakes right at your table.
The boys loved it and the pancakes were delicious! The restaurant is inside the Ponce De Leon Springs State Park which is known for it’s beautiful 68 degree water year round.
We only took a quick walk around the pool while waiting for our table, but you can take boat tours, rent paddleboats and kayaks!

4. Go-Karts, Arcades & Mini Golf. What’s a beach trip with kids, without a visit to the go-kart track? I know my boys love go-karts, so whenever we’re at the beach it’s a must. We visited Daytona Lagoon and played in the arcade, and drove/rode in the go-karts. You had to be 54″ to drive, so sadly neither of my boys were big enough, but they had a great time taking turns riding with dad! We only had to pay for one ticket too, so in terms of cost, it was pretty great! Although we only did go-karts and the arcade, Daytona Lagoon also has mini golf, laser tag, a rock wall, an aerial ropes course and a water park.

5. Catch a movie at the Daytona One Luxury Theater. One night we took the boys out to the movies at the Cobb luxury theater in the Daytona One shopping center. Daytona One is currently still being built, but from what is there, it’s already a beautiful place, full of shops, restaurants and entertainment. It’s directly across from the speedway, which for us, was close to our hotel.

6. Take a day trip to Disney. We’re big Disney fans, so of course I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to visit at least one day! Disney is about 1.5 hours from Daytona, which because of traffic ended up being about 2 hours for us. Although we love Disney, I’ll tell you one thing I will never do again – visit the park during spring break. We went to the Magic Kingdom and it was so crowded you could barely move.
Not only was it near impossible to ride a ride without waiting 1.5 hours, you couldn’t walk around and enjoy yourself either. We’ve been to Disney two other times, during an off time and it was much nicer. When we go again, I will most definitely choose an off peak time. I’ll also mention, a last minute trip to Disney is probably not wise (unless it’s not a peak day). You’re probably saying, duh, but the spontaneous side of me didn’t care. Because we bought our tickets last minute, there weren’t any fast pass times available, so we had to wait in a full line for every ride. Which meant, for a family with two young children, we could only make it on about 3 rides before the kids were done.

7. Shopping at Tanger Outlets. We walked around the outlet mall one night, which of course, was a highlight for me. For the boys?

Probably not so much, but they did like rolling down a hill covered in faux grass in a courtyard. So there’s that!

8. Visit Ponce Inlet. Toward the end of our trip, we drove down to Ponce Inlet and had lunch by the lighthouse at Hidden Treasure.

Ponce Inlet was quiet and beautiful! While we waited for a table at Hidden Treasure, the boys played at the lighthouse playground and wandered around the marina, it was a beautiful day! Hidden Treasure ended up being one of my favorite places that we ate. The food was great and the setting was even better. It was right on the water and we were entertained by their resident Egret.

9. Visit New Smyrna Beach. One thing we love to do on trips is drive around and explore the surrounding area. After we visited Ponce Inlet, we drove down a little further to New Smyrna Beach and I found where I wish we stayed the entire trip.

New Smyrna is a blend between Folly Beach and Nags Head (if you’re familiar with either one). It is quaint and lined with a few hotels, but mostly condos and houses.

My favorite part was the palm tree lined street full of colorful boutique shops and restaurants. We ended up extending our trip one day and stayed one night in New Smyrna. If we ever visit again, I will definitely be staying there!

10. Dolphin Watch at Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park. While down in New Smyrna, we stopped off at Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park. There is a small waterfront walkway there were it’s said you can see Manatees. While we didn’t spot one of those, we did get to see dolphins and watch a Heron down a few fish up close and personal.

All in all, I’m really glad we took the impromptu trip to Daytona Beach. It was sunny, beautiful and there was so much to do and see!

Have you ever visited Daytona?

-Brooke