Veni, Vidi, Vero!
Hello friends! Summer is back and so is WDW Loo Review! That's right: what's more synonymous with sun, surf and sleeping-in than Disney Parks and Resorts bathrooms?! (I can think of many somethings more equatable with summertime .... ed).
Folks, we've been on location this week, enjoying the "resorts" piece of Disney Parks & Resorts, ticking off items on our Disney bucket list. Our travels have taken us to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and, as you may have guessed from the title, Vero Beach, Florida. Both are amazing properties, each with their own restroom stylings -- enough for several blog posts, for sure.
This time, however, we're focusing on Vero!
Man, oh man, what a great little gem. Disney's Vero Beach Resort, for those who don't know, is located about 110 miles (by car) southwest of WDW. It's situated on a barrier island along Florida's famed Treasure Coast, which is, despite the interesting name, a more quiet and sleepy stretch of beaches and towns than those more well known beaches to its south.
The resort is a DVC property, and it shares the distinction (along with Aulani) of being situated right on the beach! That's right: resort rooms are but a short walk away from one of the most quiet, clean beaches we've ever seen!
A forest of Sea Grape trees marks the way to the beach boardwalk:
Look at this pristine sand!
Of course, a Disney resort wouldn't be worth its salt without offering more things to do than merely sun, sand and surf! Disney's Vero Beach Resort offers an amazing pool with a signature waterslide (we're saving photos of this one for our forthcoming review of the pool loo .... ed), a spa, a lounge, a recreation center, tons of classes and activities for all ages and, of course, several dining options!
And speaking of dining, let's explore the resort and find something to gnosh, shall we?
Here's a peek at Disney's Vero Beach Resort lobby:
The aesthetic here is one part Grand Floridian, three parts Beach Club. There's a definite "grandness" to the lobby, but the vibe is definitely a more laid-back one, well-befitting a beachside resort.
Upon exploring the lobby, we find a hallway which leads to our right. Let's forge onward, yes?
What is this?! Wind & Waves is the awesome table service restaurant which recently replaced the much-maligned Shutters.
Here's the entrance to Wind & Waves. Zoom in for a look at the menu.
Enough lolly-gagging! Let's head on in for ... uh-oh. Wait a sec. We have a pressing need to relieve some pressure, if you know what I mean (They all know what you mean. Seriously, nuance isn't your strong suit on this site about Disney bathrooms .... ed).
Fortunately, there's a loo nearby to afford our bulging bladders some relief. Let's head back into the hallway behind us for a gander.
There's tons to see out here! Beach-themed artwork is tastefully surrounded by sand-colored frames. Below is a table filled with curios: glass bottles, a ceramic seahorse and other items catch the eye.
Moving closer to our quarry, we find the frequent resort-loo companion alcove filled with courtesy phones and the ubiquitous automatic external defibrillator station.
We were pleased to find the phone bank area has been updated. In many cases, these phone areas are phone-less with a series of brass plates affixed to the walls as the only marker of the pay-phones which once occupied the alcove. This area has seen the pay-phones removed, the walls re-done and black, corded phones mounted instead. Notice the absence of the phone books from the under-counter shelves: I can hear Archie and Edith singing "Those Were the Days" now .....
Diverting our attention away from the phone area, we stumble across our targets! A pair of white doors, each flanked by a lit seascape painting, mark our way! Let's take a closer look ...
A simple sign, framed in seafoam, marks the way for the ladies:
Aaand here's the one for the guys:
Let's move into the men's loo:
Opening the door, we find a small foyer, affording forthcoming users a measure of privacy.
And look! Adorning the wall inside the foyer is a framed, vintage men's swimsuit! We can only assume the same is present inside the women's loo (We would love to have this suspicion confirmed. Please, send us your email to wdwlooreview@gmail.com if you can do so -- and send us a photo if you can! .... ed).
Moving further into the men's loo ....
Wow! Here's a look at the big picture from the entrance!
Soaking it all in, this place simply screams beachside restroom, no? Let's dissect the details ...
A stodgy bank of five urinals hangs to our left, each one separated by a divider. Look closely, though ....
These aren't ordinary dividers. Each one has a small shelf upon which to sit the user's belongings (smart phones, sunscreen, No-See-Um repellant, etc). We appreciate this small but thoughtful addition to the men's loo here at Vero Beach Resort, and we'd love to see it added to restrooms on property!
To our right is the sink station with baby-changing station attached. There's so much to see in this one shot ... let's look closer:
Overhead, shaded vanity lights quaintly illuminate those hands in need of washing below:
Curved brushed nickel fixtures adorn each sink:
Soap dispensers -- also encased in brushed nickel -- are situated between each vanity mirror:
Check out the colorful strip of tile overhead! This adds so much to the restroom, tying together the colors of the floor, the walls and even the mirror frames.
Three stalls are situated at this restroom's end. Two regular stalls, one ADA compliant:
Tons of space here in the ADA-compliant stall. Plenty of room for a full-sized wheelchair, extra equipment and attendants.
Here's a closer look at the baby-changing station here in this awesome loo. It's one of the few Disney changing stations which sits adjacent to/on the same level as the sink countertop. You can see the station sits at the end of the sink vanity. No metal surface here, folks!
Overall, this is simply a wonderful restroom. It's a rare occasion that one walks into a Disney loo and feels as though it is a perfect "fit" for the resort which surrounds it. This is one of those moments. That said, we would be remiss in our duties if we didn't point out one glaring issue. Look up with us:
A little closer, perhaps?
Ouch! We suspect there was a recent leak which necessitated tearing out a portion of the ceiling. What we see left behind is evidence of recent work. We assumed this would be painted to match the rest of the bathroom's colors during the five days we stayed at this lovely beachside resort. Sadly, we were wrong. The first photo was taken on day one of our trip, the one directly above taken on day 5. Perhaps an additional tear-out is needed and this was a quick patch job to keep guests from staring at exposed pipes? We'll never know for sure. That said, we hope this will be a non-issue during our return trips.
WDW LOO REVIEW RECAP OF DISNEY'S VERO BEACH RESORT WIND & WAVES GRILL/LOBBY LOO:
Capacity: Medium (three stalls -- one ADA-compliant, five urinals)
Cleanliness: Spotlessly-kept during our visit (though marred by unfinished work on the ceiling)
Theming: No discrete nods to the beach inside this loo, however, the colors appeal to the resort's beachfront theming and the foyer/hallway outside is adorned with nods to the beach!
Companion Loo: No
Access: Easy-peasy. If you're in the lobby or dining at Wind & Waves Grill, this one's a short jaunt.
WDW Loo Review Score: 4/5 Urinal Wafers
Honestly, folks, we ended up loving Disney's Vero Beach Resort so much, we would have probably given a 4/5 score to a hole in the ground with a roll of toilet paper nearby. That said, we were most pleasantly surprised upon discovering this restroom. Clearly, attention was paid to the color palatte, ensuring it dovetailed well with the resort's theme. Moreover, we truly appreciated the presence of seaside props in the restroom's foyer and in the hallway just outside. While we're not sure we would endorse a trip to this resort for the sole purpose of using this loo, we would definitely include it on the list of must-do doo-doo's if you are in the area!
Friends, thanks for continuing to follow us! We realize it's been quite the hiatus since our last post, and we appreciate your ongoing interest, even though this is such a weird thing to be interested in! Rest assured we've got many more reviews in the works, including a trip to another off-property resort!
As always, bottoms down and thumbs up!
Loo Review Matt