The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Myrtle Beach
Thinking about a family trip to Myrtle Beach? In our experience, it can be a hit or miss family destination
We learned a lot along the way during our stay in Myrtle Beach. Read below for tips and tricks of what to do, where to stay, and where to avoid.
Only a short 2 hour drive from our new home in Charleston, Myrtle Beach sounded like the perfect getaway with our three 4 year old girls. We had an idea of what to expect - a Vegas-of-sorts experience for kids with bright lights, sweets galore, and activities for days, all nestled along a beautiful shoreline. While all of those things proved to be true, our trip was less than perfect. Here's a list of what to do, and what to avoid in Myrtle Beach.
But first, here's a quick video with highlights of our stay: click here to watch
Where (not) to stay: Seacrest Resort 3/10
We booked a King Bed Suite at Seacrest Oceanfront Resort. Let me start by saying that this was our most major mistake while planning our vacation. Seacrest is a get what you pay for kind of place - unfortunately we booked last minute during peak season so I learned that we paid WAY too much for subpar accommodations and service. Like, $600 a night too much.
Pros:
The kids splash pad right on site was great
You can't beat an ocean front balcony and direct beach access
They offer 8 pools, and although some are hot tub sized, there are a lot of options to prevent the kids from getting bored
Cons:
The grounds as a whole were outdated
Our suite was extremely old, dark, musky, and downright uncomfortable
The suites have a very odd layout - you have to enter through the (windowless) king bedroom in order to get to the main living space
The room wasn't ready for us until almost 6pm for our 4pm check-in. Queue the exhausted preschooler meltdowns. We were given the excuse that check-in only "starts" at 4pm, and that the room is guarenteed to be ready sometime after
The area around the resort is rough, borderline sketchy
There were limited restaurant options within walking distance
Had we paid less, I would have been more accepting of the poor service and quality of the resort. The next time we visit, we'll avoid accommodations in Myrtle all together and book a few miles down the road in the clean and quiet Surfside Beach, or Murrells Inlet.
Medieval Times: 10/10
Full disclosure, I was prepared for this to be the cheesy and overpriced, but Medieval Times turned out to be AMAZING and deserves it's own highlight on this blog. The entire place is wildly charming, the actors are incredibly talented, and the show even kept the girls full attention for hours.
We were instructed to arrive early to explore the grounds, grab a drink at the bar, and to get a good seat (there are really no bad seats in the house, but we knew the closer we sat would ensure the girls paid more attention). On the way in, each person is given a paper crown, and the actors mingle with the guests until showtime. In all, the show itself is about 2 hours long.
We did spend a small fortune, but would absolutely do it all again.
Cost:
Admission was about $240 for our family of five. This includes dinner (chicken, corn, potatoes, tomato soup, soft drinks and an éclair for dessert) and of course admission to the show
We spent another $60 at the giftshop for three light-up swords for the girls, a true staple at this event
Our bar tab was reasonable - roughly $8-$10 per drink, with optional upgrades to souvenir mugs and steins
Each section of seating is given a knight to root for as they take part in a series of challenges for the queen. It was fabulously over the top, and the knights were clearly highly trained equestrians. In the end, our knight won which added to the excitement!
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk: 6/10
There’s tons of shopping and sightseeing along the boardwalk and promenade. We loved Family Kingdom Amusement Park, and with options for a full day pass or carnival-style tickets, we managed to keep the budget pretty low for this outing. Our girls loved the kiddie rides and carnival games, and we loved being able to make a quick exit once our tickets were gone!
The downsides: it’s a weird combination of a touristy and rough area, and the amusement park doesn’t open until 5pm. There were loud cars and motorcycles blasting music and speeding down the strip, and we saw a number of people who were clearly under the influence of drugs roaming around. We would not have felt totally comfortable making this walk home with the girls after dark, so we didn’t stay long. The girls were so excited to ride the SkyWheel, but it never seemed to be running which was a disappointment.
Overall, the boardwalk is worth a quick visit in the afternoon and early evening, but it didn't live up to our overall expectations.
Another option is to visit Broadway at the Beach, with its very own ferris wheel, entertainment, tons of shopping and restaurants galore. They have everything from speed boat rides, an aquarium, and wax museum, to a Hard Rock Cafe, Senor Frogs, and Wahlburgers, all in a super safe location where you'd be comfortable staying out late enough to catch the fireworks display!
Beaches: 9/10
Despite what we thought about downtown Myrtle Beach, the beach itself is clean and the water is warm and clear. Did you know the ocean in this part of the country is always warm, and reaches the mid 80's in the summertime? The beach was surprisingly not over crowded even in late June, smack dab in the middle of high season.
The beach outside of our hotel was public access, so we had to pay $40 a day for 2 chairs and an umbrella. They pack up the rental beach furniture by 3 or 4pm which I thought was a bit odd, but it was worth it for the shade.
Even better: Visit Surfside Beach just a few miles down the road for an even cleaner, more family friendly beach outing.
Things to do: 10/10
It's important to remember that Myrtle Beach has so much more to offer than the downtown area and main strip. This place as a whole is like Vegas for kids! Mini golf, bowling, Medieval Times, Ripleys, ice cream and candy shops galore, outdoor dining, shopping promenades, beach shops, the list goes on and on. There is SO much to do and I feel like we were going a mile a minute and only scratched the surface.
The next time we visit, we plan to stay in Surfside, and spend our days exploring Broadway at the Beach and Murrels Inlet for more beaches, kids activities, seafood, and boardwalk shopping.
Although our trip was far from perfect, we left Myrtle Beach with a long list of things to experience that will bring us back. It's a great place for family vacation if you remember a few things: book early, find accommodation away from the main strip, and don't be afraid to explore!
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