EPCOT Resorts

[RickEff]

Well, any time now (I'm thinking in the next two weeks) Disney should announce their Annual Passholder discounts for December 2003! At least they better - I'm counting on them!

I'm going to The World and spending Christmas and New Year's there. I did that a couple of years ago and it was an incredible time. I like to move around the resorts a lot if possible. I'm trying out Caribbean Beach for the first time, then going go DAKL (my favourite!) then I'm thinking about either Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk or Swan/Dolphin. (The geography puts all of these resorts within walking distance from EPCOT - so that's the reason)

I've stayed at the Swan before, and it was great! The Grotto - Vince, it's to die for.

I'm hoping though, that some people have stayed at one of these resorts and can give me their opinions! At the prices, I expect nothing but great things. But - I may just deal with the buses and stay someplace tried and true. I don't want to get stuck in a rut though, and always stay at the same resort. I want to experience it all!

Any and all thoughts are appreciated!

Rick

 

[civileng68]

man!

CBR is WONDERFUL!

Expect non stop steel drum island music while walking around the resort. It's beautiful. Rent water boats, canoes, sail boats, whatever. Lay out by on the beaches. Go to Old Port Royale for a nice time in the arcade or food court.

It's a nice place. Actually my favorite part about it is at night.

At night you can sit outside at the outdoor bar by the pool and talk and watch sports tv. What's best is that from that area you can see Illuminations clear as a sunny day! Go to Old Port Royale at night and hang out and you'll see Illuminations. If it's a clear night you can even hear the music to the show. I have pics of the resort and of the Illuminations from Old Port Royale. Check it out at www.thewaltdisneyworldguide.com

 

[RickEff]

Re: man!

Originally posted by civileng68
CBR is WONDERFUL!

A few years ago, after about 6 trips to WDW I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about and stay On Property. Since then, I've been back at least 7 times, and each time I stay right in The World.

I was going to stay at CBR back then - it always intrigued me, but it was undergoing a rehab. Some of it was done, some of it was not, and some of it was in the process. I decided then, that I didn't want to take a chance and get an "old room" and wait until the rehab was completed. This year was the year I was going to go, and it's working out well! I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for the comments.

Rick

 

[diegorivera2]

Yacht and Beach Club are great for Epcot area

Rick,

My wife and I tried the Beach Club resort for a quick 3-day, 2-night trip in January of this year and loved it. We got an excellent discount with our APs and put us within a stone's throw of my wife's favorite park, Epcot. I'd highly recommend a night or two here; we've stayed many times at the Boardwalk but will probably switch our allegiances to the Beach Club going forward. Enjoy!

 

[jordanyosh]

If you decide on the Epcot Resort Area, the Beach Club is probably the closest to the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. I've stayed at the YC and BWV, both very nice. Swan and Dolphin are the farthest from Epcot.....

 

[dox]

Well i've stayed at the BC, YC and the Dolphin. I liked all three, but was a bit underwhelmed by BC and YC. The rooms at YC and BC seemed a bit small to me and the theming seemed a bit like standard hotel room. But if you are lucky enough to get a pool view room at BC, you won't be totally disappointed. I did recently read in a trip report over at Mouseplanet.com a description of a concierge room at the BC and it seemed really beautiful. I'm curious if they remodeled some of the rooms, or they only remodeled the concierge rooms. As for the Dolphin, I loved it. I found the room to be quite large, pool was beautiful and great views of Epcot and lake.

If i were going now, i would opt for the Boardwalk. I've heard only wonderful things about that resort. Let us know what you pick.

On a side note, is the hotel switching a pain or is it easy? When do you check in at the next hotel? Do you keep luggage in storage until you return or do they put it in room when the room is ready? I've considered doing this on my next trip, but not sure if I can convince my better half to do this. Needs to be a minimal hassle.

 

[s25843]

Go for the Boardwalk!
I stayed there in 2001 and will be staying there again in 2 weeks the rooms are nice, service is good, and your basically in the middle of 2 parks. Like you already know Epcot is a nice 5 minute stroll and MGM is a 15 minute walk. Beats waiting for the Boats/Busses!

 

[disneydawg]

I'll be staying at the Boardwalk in 3 days! We chose it because we had never stayed in a deluxe before and wanted to stay somewhere close to the action. Its proximity to Epcot and MGM reeled us in. Since my wife and I dont have any kids, we chose BW because of the clubs. It's like having your own mini-Pleasure Island just a walk away from your room. I'm sure you'll be happy with any Epcot resort, seeing as they are all top notch.

 

[RickEff]

Thanks for all the great tips, folks. Please, keep them coming - I'm still torn between Y&BC or Boardwalk. I've already been to Swan/Dolphin so since part of this is me trying something new, I think I may stick with a Disney Resort.

Dox,

Disney makes resort hopping a breeze. I tend to go for fairly long stays so it's nice to get a change or two in there. The only pain really is the packing and unpacking. Disney takes care of the rest (other than your physical transportation)

Since they pick up the bags from one room and drop them off in the next, I recommend your moving day be a "resort day" where you can get up and relax...check out at 11, make your way over to the new resort and with a small carryon type bag, get your swim suits etc. out and change. I've been very lucky and the room at the new resort has always been ready, but it's not "guaranteed" till 3, so having the swim suits around to lounge by the pool is my backup plan.

I highly recommend resort hopping if you're staying for 10 days or longer. Less than that - you may find it not worth it. (although, I've also done it for shorter stays like a week, but YMMV)

Thanks again for the tips!

Rick