I just booked 8 ights at the BC for $288/night. I tried the CUF code, but that only got me $340. per night, so the cast member waved some Pixie Dust and came up with $288. So now, please help me with Beach Club advice. What do I need to know? Please help out with tips. I am traveling in April during super busy season, but that can't be helped. I have three kids ages 2,6 and 8. Any information is appreciated!:sohappy:
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Beach Club here we come!
- Thread starter vanryan
- Start date
BeachClubVillas
Well-Known Member
First of all, congrats!! You picked a great hotel and are sure to have a great time!
With kids that young, you have to make sure to spend plenty of time at Stormalong Bay, the fabulous pool that the Yacht and Beach Club share. It has an awesome slide, a lazy river like the waterparks, and a sandbottomed area for the littler kids.
You've got to try Cape May Cafe for their character breakfast. It's right in the Beach Club lobby, and it's got one of the best breakfast buffets around. And the characters are great.
At night, you can walk over to the Boardwalk. They have face painters and lots of entertainers out that the kids will love. You can even rent a big bike for the whole family. It's wonderful!
With kids that young, you have to make sure to spend plenty of time at Stormalong Bay, the fabulous pool that the Yacht and Beach Club share. It has an awesome slide, a lazy river like the waterparks, and a sandbottomed area for the littler kids.
You've got to try Cape May Cafe for their character breakfast. It's right in the Beach Club lobby, and it's got one of the best breakfast buffets around. And the characters are great.
At night, you can walk over to the Boardwalk. They have face painters and lots of entertainers out that the kids will love. You can even rent a big bike for the whole family. It's wonderful!
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PixyDust
Member
Just lost my reply, so here goes again.
Don't talk up the waterslide too much unless you are certain the children can pass a swim test in 4 1/2 - 5 ft deep water. My son is a good swimmer, but clammed up on the test and was not allowed on the slide. After all the talking up we did on the pool, that was a real mood killer.
The whirlpool is cool. It pushes you in a circle. Round and round. And it feels good to walk on the sand-bottomed pool.
Even though we had very cold weather in December (50-60's), the pool was nice and warm. You probably won't have to worry about that in April though.
Cape May has an excellent breakfast.
It is a quick walk to EPCOT.
The rest of our stay at Beach Club was not great, but I hope they have things straightened out by the time you all go. We had to share bus transportation with Swan, Dolphin, Boardwalk and Yacht. So getting anywhere took forever. The bus patrol lady told us they'd been having problems with transportation there. You might want to call to see if they have that straightened out. One family had been waiting over an hour for a bus to Magic Kingdom, and the patrol lady said she couldn't locate a bus that was headed that way. So we decided to go to another park and do a transfer from it. Maybe we just picked a bad week for the Beach Club. We normally go that same week and stay at Old Key West, and have never had transportation problems.
Hope you have a great time! Beach Club itself is a beautiful resort. And the pool really is great.
Go to Disneyworld.com and you can do a virtual tour of the resort. I tried to post a link, but it didn't work.
Don't talk up the waterslide too much unless you are certain the children can pass a swim test in 4 1/2 - 5 ft deep water. My son is a good swimmer, but clammed up on the test and was not allowed on the slide. After all the talking up we did on the pool, that was a real mood killer.
The whirlpool is cool. It pushes you in a circle. Round and round. And it feels good to walk on the sand-bottomed pool.
Even though we had very cold weather in December (50-60's), the pool was nice and warm. You probably won't have to worry about that in April though.
Cape May has an excellent breakfast.
It is a quick walk to EPCOT.
The rest of our stay at Beach Club was not great, but I hope they have things straightened out by the time you all go. We had to share bus transportation with Swan, Dolphin, Boardwalk and Yacht. So getting anywhere took forever. The bus patrol lady told us they'd been having problems with transportation there. You might want to call to see if they have that straightened out. One family had been waiting over an hour for a bus to Magic Kingdom, and the patrol lady said she couldn't locate a bus that was headed that way. So we decided to go to another park and do a transfer from it. Maybe we just picked a bad week for the Beach Club. We normally go that same week and stay at Old Key West, and have never had transportation problems.
Hope you have a great time! Beach Club itself is a beautiful resort. And the pool really is great.
Go to Disneyworld.com and you can do a virtual tour of the resort. I tried to post a link, but it didn't work.
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wishIlivedinWDW
New Member
Storm-a-long bay is great. You will have a good time there. Great pool where Mom and Dad can relax while the kids have a blast. The pool with a current was originally supposed to have fish in it so you snorkel with them. You are only walking distance from EPCOT and it is shorter to walk than to wait for the boat. Brings you right to Great Britian. I have had a great experience every time there. Cape May Cafe is great buffet all you can eat. They used to have a lobster dinner all you can eat, but I think they realized they were losing money. Character breakfast in the mornings. If you are a fitness nut, they have a great gym too. And a cool arcade for the little ones.
In reference to Pixy's post.....Yes. The busses are not that great. Whatever park you are coming from go to the Swan, then dolphin, yatch club and finally beach club. So if you are going to AK that is your only disadvantage. Here is my suggestion. MGM take the boat. EPCOT walk. To go to the MK, walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to TTC. It may be a minute or two longer/shorter depending on the day, but at least you are not waiting at the bus stop with 3 kids anxious to get on whatever ride they are thinking about. Hope this helps.
In reference to Pixy's post.....Yes. The busses are not that great. Whatever park you are coming from go to the Swan, then dolphin, yatch club and finally beach club. So if you are going to AK that is your only disadvantage. Here is my suggestion. MGM take the boat. EPCOT walk. To go to the MK, walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to TTC. It may be a minute or two longer/shorter depending on the day, but at least you are not waiting at the bus stop with 3 kids anxious to get on whatever ride they are thinking about. Hope this helps.
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BeachClubVillas
Well-Known Member
I've stayed at the Beach Club twice, and I never had a problem with the busses. We walked to Epcot and took the boat to MGM. But we took the bus to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and Blizzard Beach. Yes, there are a lot of stops, but it is not awful by any means. Because there are so many stops, there are more buses on that line than there are for the other hotels, so the average wait is actually shorter. I'm sure they have their share of problems, but things almost always run smoothly. In fact, at the Magic Kingdoml, the Swan and Dolphin have their own bus stop and you only have to share with the Boardwalk and Yacht Club. It's no worse than at Port Orleans, where you have to stop at French Quarter then all through about five stops in Riverside!
Besides, if you really don't want to make the stops, you can get out and walk from Boardwalk orYacht Club...it's less than a five minute walk from either. Don't let the bus worries ruin your anticipation. The Beach Club is fabulous and you and your family will love it!
Besides, if you really don't want to make the stops, you can get out and walk from Boardwalk orYacht Club...it's less than a five minute walk from either. Don't let the bus worries ruin your anticipation. The Beach Club is fabulous and you and your family will love it!
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BeachClub
Member
Best resort by far. Walking to Epcot to have a quick lunch in the world showcase and returning to the pool afterwards is just awesome...or if you get hot and tired...just walk back to your room or hang by the pool.
Beaches and Cream (soda shop) is fantastic! Great ice cream and sandwiches! Its located right next door to the arcade and right next to the pool area.
My 8 year old never had to take a swim test, as stated in a previous post by another member....so I dont know why his child had to.
The slide is great, its is an old pirates ship and they slide inside a tunnel into the pool with a life guard waiting. The current is strong out of the slide, but nothing that a life vest for the less experienced swimmer cant handle. (life vests are free to rent from the pool hut). Sand on the bottom of the pool is throughout the pool and lazy river area. Though be aware that the lazy river has depths up to 8 feet. When we were there in June, they had organized kids games (i.e water polo, and volleyball)...kids had a great time and kids of ALL ages played together- with lifeguard supervision!
Short walk to Boardwalk and Swan and Dolphin. Great sushi / karkoke(Kimono) bar at the Swan and great resturants at the Dolphin as well.
You can also walk to the Fantasia Mini golf from YBC.
We have walked to MGM in the mornings...its a little far but definatly do-able. There are paths that run along side the water....its a nice family time....to talk as you walk or stroll....we always enjoy it.
Never had issues with busses.
Have a wonderful time and make sure you request a 2nd floor room...easier than waiting for the elvator....the staircase is right there in the lobby....easy in....easy out!
Rooms are great...and roomy. Ask for a full balcony. I think those standing balconies are a waste.
Enjoy!!!!
:sohappy:
Beaches and Cream (soda shop) is fantastic! Great ice cream and sandwiches! Its located right next door to the arcade and right next to the pool area.
My 8 year old never had to take a swim test, as stated in a previous post by another member....so I dont know why his child had to.
The slide is great, its is an old pirates ship and they slide inside a tunnel into the pool with a life guard waiting. The current is strong out of the slide, but nothing that a life vest for the less experienced swimmer cant handle. (life vests are free to rent from the pool hut). Sand on the bottom of the pool is throughout the pool and lazy river area. Though be aware that the lazy river has depths up to 8 feet. When we were there in June, they had organized kids games (i.e water polo, and volleyball)...kids had a great time and kids of ALL ages played together- with lifeguard supervision!
Short walk to Boardwalk and Swan and Dolphin. Great sushi / karkoke(Kimono) bar at the Swan and great resturants at the Dolphin as well.
You can also walk to the Fantasia Mini golf from YBC.
We have walked to MGM in the mornings...its a little far but definatly do-able. There are paths that run along side the water....its a nice family time....to talk as you walk or stroll....we always enjoy it.
Never had issues with busses.
Have a wonderful time and make sure you request a 2nd floor room...easier than waiting for the elvator....the staircase is right there in the lobby....easy in....easy out!
Rooms are great...and roomy. Ask for a full balcony. I think those standing balconies are a waste.
Enjoy!!!!
:sohappy:
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PixyDust
Member
We were just there in December, and when my son went to climb the steps to the slide, they stopped him and made him take the test. He had on a life vest, and they said it would have to be removed - any type of swim aid was not permitted on the slide. Then he failed the test. And we were the ONLY people in the whole entire pool, so it wasn't like I couldn't have waited at the end of the slide and caught him with the fear of someone else coming down soon after.
I guess the reason I'm so critical of this resort is that I have 1/2 of my DVC points tied up in it and didn't like riding a bus through all of those resorts to get somewhere.
All 5 resorts had to board the same bus at all parks when we were there. There were no separate buses from any of the resorts, ever. We had to wait in line and watch 3 buses load and pull away at MK one afternoon before we were able to get on one. We should have hopped the monorail and gone to Epcot then walked through that park and to our hotel. But who would have guessed the trip would have taken so long. From the time we got in line at MK to the time the bus let us off at Beach Club, it took 2 full hours.
Sorry to go on and on, but that trip really left a sour taste in our mouth. You can't have a perfect stay everytime, so...
Let me leave on a good note...
The aesthetics of the resort are wonderful. Very nice landscaping and attractive rooms. Easy to get to the lobby from any of the room areas. And you can meet the doorman Samantha Brown met on Great Hotels. He is really nice! The walk to EPCOT is great (and you can watch the fireworks from the beach area). And as I said before, Cape May Cafe has a great breakfast - worth coming to regardless of the resort you stay in.
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GenerationX
Well-Known Member
My boys were 3, 5, and 7 when we stayed at the Beach Club. They really really enjoyed StormAlong Bay, the pool area. There are a couple of very small waterslides that they were happy to slide down. I personally liked the Big Slide, but thought is was a bit too scary for the kids. My eldest may try it this year.
The boys did not like the arcade all that much, because the games seemed to be geared towards older kids.
The restaurants are excellent, you're in unbelievably close proximity to Epcot and the Boardwalk, and the resort and rooms are beautiful.
Overall, you will feel like you're in the lap of luxury at the Beach Club.
The boys did not like the arcade all that much, because the games seemed to be geared towards older kids.
The restaurants are excellent, you're in unbelievably close proximity to Epcot and the Boardwalk, and the resort and rooms are beautiful.
Overall, you will feel like you're in the lap of luxury at the Beach Club.
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surfsupdon
Well-Known Member
I just came back from Yacht Club during super dee dooper busy time. The bus was only for Yacht and Beach & BoardWalk. Swan and Dolphin always only had their own busses. We would wlak to Epcot and MGM. No problems with busses or boats--phenomenal!
I'm 21 and my sis is 20, and we love, love, loved the pool area. Very large with lots of fun stuff to do. Youcan see the fireworks at night from Epcot, and will prolly see a few weddings at the gazebo, some may even ahve Mickey and Minnie in attendance. Of course you can only view form a distance, maybe 100 feet away.
Stroll through BoardWalk at night especially, its fun, festive, and cozy. Beach Club is excellent location and I know you will enjoy it.
I was originally afraid to try something new, but it is now the ultimatye Resort for our family to stay at on future trips.
And dont worry about super busy time--thats the ONLY time we vacation b/c its the only time we can. Take it easy, start out early, leave the parks when it gets too much, relax at pool or elsewhere, go back into parks at night and use Fastpass. Heres a tip--go to Epcot or MGM early on at opening. Go on your favorite rides till it gets crowded. Get a Fastpass or 2 if time allows. Then leave and do what you want. You can save the Fastpasses and use them later on in the SAME day when FP are completely used and lines are exceeding 2 hours. This works especially well for Mission Space and Test Track at Epcot.
Enjoy Beach Club--I'm very jealous b/c you will ahve an awesome trip!!!
I'm 21 and my sis is 20, and we love, love, loved the pool area. Very large with lots of fun stuff to do. Youcan see the fireworks at night from Epcot, and will prolly see a few weddings at the gazebo, some may even ahve Mickey and Minnie in attendance. Of course you can only view form a distance, maybe 100 feet away.
Stroll through BoardWalk at night especially, its fun, festive, and cozy. Beach Club is excellent location and I know you will enjoy it.
I was originally afraid to try something new, but it is now the ultimatye Resort for our family to stay at on future trips.
And dont worry about super busy time--thats the ONLY time we vacation b/c its the only time we can. Take it easy, start out early, leave the parks when it gets too much, relax at pool or elsewhere, go back into parks at night and use Fastpass. Heres a tip--go to Epcot or MGM early on at opening. Go on your favorite rides till it gets crowded. Get a Fastpass or 2 if time allows. Then leave and do what you want. You can save the Fastpasses and use them later on in the SAME day when FP are completely used and lines are exceeding 2 hours. This works especially well for Mission Space and Test Track at Epcot.
Enjoy Beach Club--I'm very jealous b/c you will ahve an awesome trip!!!
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SnowWhite5669
New Member
Congrats on getting into Beach Club. We tried but cast rates were sold out! I love Beach Club. Beaches and Cream is awesome and the Cape May Cafe Clam Bake was awesome! I believe almost every room has a balcony. We lucked out our first time there and got a huge balcony with tables and chairs. We had a king room which was incredible. In July we had a queen room with two beds and a small balcony which was nice but not as nice as the King room. You could sit out on the balcony and just watch everything/one pass on by. It's a very relaxing resort and the buses are not that bad. Worst case-walk over to Epcot and take the monorail to MK!! You will definately feel like you are living in the lap of luxury. ENJOY!!!
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