Beach & Yacht Club or Wilderness Lodge

Dave B

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I had one more comparison that I would love to get your opinions on? What do you think, I know the obvious of being able to walk to Epcot and Hollywood and chilling on the boardwalk at night is a lot of fun as well. Being close to MK at Wilderness is a big plus as well. The pool seems weak at Wilderness with no real waterslide or pool features?

Your thoughts?

Thx
 

Think Tink

Premium Member
In the Parks
No
I personally love the Yacht and Beach Club. They are my favorites. Some people feel the theming is lacking but I disagree. I feel like I am at a coastal getaway while visiting. The pool is the best Disney offers at a hotel. There are good options to eat as well. My husband and I love walking to Epcot right before the fireworks, and after just wandering around the boardwalk. I've stayed at AKL and while I loved it, and the themeing was perfect.... I missed being close to Epcot and DHS. I will be at the Yacht Club in 11 days! :)
 

CLEtoWDW

Well-Known Member
Y&B and it’s not even close IMO. Like you said the location is key... good luck getting to Epcot and HS from the WL. Also, having the best pool on property is an amazing plus as well. We loved being able to just walk into Epcot for dinner and heard back to the resort after dinner.
 

Katiekitten

Well-Known Member
Having stayed at both, Yacht and Beach Club wins hands down for me. It has the best pool on property and the location is amazing. However, if I was going to be spending most of my time in Magic Kingdom, this might be something to bare in my mind if you're travelling with young children, then I would choose Wilderness Lodge over Yacht and Beach.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
I had one more comparison that I would love to get your opinions on? What do you think, I know the obvious of being able to walk to Epcot and Hollywood and chilling on the boardwalk at night is a lot of fun as well. Being close to MK at Wilderness is a big plus as well. The pool seems weak at Wilderness with no real waterslide or pool features?

Your thoughts?

Thx

How important is a pool? My home resort is the Beach club but I do adore Wilderness lodge. Unless they removed it in the rehab the pool at WL did have a slide. truthfully as great as the pool is at the BC my kids tended to do pretty much the same thing, go down the slide a few times and then just horse around in the pool. I did find the WL pool had more organized activities than the BC, maybe because stromalong bay is really large and can get very crowded. I did like the fact that Beaches and cream were right there.

First, the decor is very very different, lol obviously. I mention this because I do know some people who booked WL but really did not dig staying in a room that is overall dark, with woodsy tones. The ambiance and wow factor are definitely better at WL. we don't do disney transportation so I can't give an opinion on the bus service from either spot. I will say, since we tend to go when it's Africa hot outside we did appreciate the fact that WL seems cooler after a hot afternoon in the parks. I also found that the views are nicer from the balcony. lol how can you go wrong looking out into the trees? I also think the WL is better "themed", every where you go you find hidden "secrets" and of course you cannot beat the lobby.

edited to add: I live near the real Cape may so that may influence me in leaning toward something that I don't see regularly.
 

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
WL pool definitely has a slide, as well as kids' splash area. Not much compared to Stormalong Bay but not nonexistent either.

In terms of just the theme and look of the resorts, I prefer Wilderness.

In terms of the pool, Y&BC

WL's location is nothing to sneeze at - aside from the boat/bus service to MK, you also have boat service to both Contemporary and FW. You also have a shuttle bus to FW or you can just walk it, making reservations to Hoop-de-Doo or Trail's End super convenient, or if you want to go to their outdoor movies (a bigger deal in the past than it is now with every resort having a blow-up movie screen on select days, but the campfire singalong followed by the outdoor theater was something I always found neat). But yes, being able to walk/boat not just to two parks but to 3/4 other hotels (and mini golf) is alluring, too.

I might be higher on Beach Club once Epcot and Hollywood Studios finish their respective reduxes.
 

NeedMoreMickey

Well-Known Member
Stayed at Wilderness DVC last July and loved it and would stay there again. My husband now requires a scooter to get around so we are staying at our favorite area this trip Epcot resorts, giving BW a try. Usually stay at BC but it wasn't available and BC is our first choice.
 

lawdogNOLA

Active Member
Well, a 67-foot waterslide at Wilderness Lodge qualifies as a "real" waterslide in my book. :)

We love both resorts, but both resorts have a different atmosphere to them. If you're into a national park, out-in-the-woods atmosphere, Wilderness Lodge is great, in fact it's almost the perfect place to stay during Christmas (the Fla. winter weather is usually too warm to make it perfect, lol). But if you're comparing pools, everything loses out to Stormalong Bay at Y&BC. We stayed at the BC in May, and for the first time, we never went to the parks on the first day: My wife refused to get out the pool(s) until our dinner reservation.

I can't say a bad thing about either resort. Remember, if you're interested in pools, there are 2 places on Disney's property that are much better than Stormalong Bay: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. So, if you're staying at WL, you can get your water park vibe in that way. Both locations are great, and while not on the monorail, you're a quick boat ride from the Contemporary Resort, and can hit the monorail there. That same boat route also goes to Ft. Wilderness, and there's a direct boat to the Magic Kingdom. Not only that, if you take the boat to the MK, you can transfer there to boats to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian Resorts, so you have that alternative with the monorail from the CR to access all the MK area resorts and restaurants. WL is also often less expensive than Y&BC.

And, of course, Y&BC also can't be beat for location: walking or boating to 2 parks, and the Boardwalk is there via walking or boating as well, plus Swan/Dolphin. If all things are equal, and we're talking hot/warm weather, I'd probably go Y&BC. Winter, probably WL.
 

OneofThree

Well-Known Member
These are so very different from each other. As far the accommodations themselves, the biggest difference might be that the WL rooms are slightly smaller, though this makes no difference to us whatsoever. In terms of ambiance, I think there are few lobbies which can rival that of WL. The pool is not as relevant, because we live Florida and can swim almost year round. I give location to WL, easily. Being on Bay Lake across from MK is simply unparalleled, IMO. Location close to Epcot does nothing for us, as riding a monorail for example isn't something you get to do every day (that, and we always have our vehicles with us if we want). I will admit though that WL to EC is a little more inconvenient than the monorail resorts to EC, which might be the one drawback to WL.
 

Dave B

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WL pool definitely has a slide, as well as kids' splash area. Not much compared to Stormalong Bay but not nonexistent either.

In terms of just the theme and look of the resorts, I prefer Wilderness.

In terms of the pool, Y&BC

WL's location is nothing to sneeze at - aside from the boat/bus service to MK, you also have boat service to both Contemporary and FW. You also have a shuttle bus to FW or you can just walk it, making reservations to Hoop-de-Doo or Trail's End super convenient, or if you want to go to their outdoor movies (a bigger deal in the past than it is now with every resort having a blow-up movie screen on select days, but the campfire singalong followed by the outdoor theater was something I always found neat). But yes, being able to walk/boat not just to two parks but to 3/4 other hotels (and mini golf) is alluring, too.

I might be higher on Beach Club once Epcot and Hollywood Studios finish their respective reduxes.
WL does have a slide, it s about 30-40 foot, insanely small
 

KaliSplash

Well-Known Member
For a straight hotel comparison, I prefer WL. But if you are going to be spending most of your time at Epcot and the Studios, Y&BC are the obvious choise. WL the obvious choice with young children who want to spend a lot of time at MK.
 

Notes from Neverland

Well-Known Member
For us, it comes down to what theme parks we're prioritizing. If we're planning to spend a lot of time at MK, WL makes the most sense. The boat ride to and from is incredible and hard to beat. If we're planning to make it an Epcot/HS heavy trip, Yacht Club makes more sense. We love to be able to walk between the parks and the resort.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Having stayed at both, here are my thoughts:

We've stayed both places and objectively liked them both. However, even though it's a close call, I'd choose Wilderness Lodge 9 times out of 10, over Beach/Yacht Club. My reasons are:

1 - Park preferences. We spend 2-3 days at MK, 1/2 day at HS and 1 day at Epcot in an average week-long trip, so the proximity to MK is more valuable than to Epcot/HS. (Plus, once the gondolas are operational, the International Gateway will no longer be a perk that is unique to BC/YC/Boardwalk/Swan&Dolphin guests.)

2 - The pool. While I understand that the bells and whistles at Stormalong Bay sound impressive, they are inconvenient to access and the fencing that surrounds them is a huge, rambling eyesore. If you're a parent, you'll be at your wit's end trying to keep an eye on your children, as the pool sections and lazy river occupy different levels, and are full of visual "decor" (e.g., bridges, lighthouse) that makes it impossible to see any one end of the complex from any other end. Not only that, but the slide is in a completely different, fenced-in area across the busy walkway -- also not visible from anywhere inside the main pool area -- and the poolside bar/CS venue is outside the fenced area. In contrast, the Wilderness Lodge pool area (which does have a poolside bar, a hot tub and a good-sized water slide) may be "bare bones" in comparison, but it's lovely, quiet, convenient, all situated inside a single fence, and you can keep an eye on your family with no issues. The main downside of the WL pool is its smaller size, which means it gets crowded more easily and seating is hard to find at peak times.

3 - Other location-related factors. We did enjoy strolling over to Fantasia Gardens for some mini-golf while at the Beach Club, but we enjoyed the brief walk over to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue while we were at Wilderness Lodge even more.

4 - Decor and layout. Obviously it's down to personal taste, but we enjoyed the Wilderness Lodge room decor, lobby (a river runs through it!) and lounge/dining venues far more than those at Beach Club/Yacht Club. (In fact, counter-service options at BC/YC are downright dismal.) WL also has a smaller footprint and simpler layout, and is easier to navigate than Beach Club/Yacht Club, where we got lost upon arrival and spent 20 minutes walking around the outside of the building before finding a way in. (Yes, we are that stupid.)
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
Hmmm, this one is tough.

I'm a fan of Beach Club as a whole. Some of their rooms have the lousiest views though. If you aren't facing front that is. I'm also not keen on the balcony situation for some rooms there. I really do not care for the main pool either. The QS selections are getting rather pathetic too. Yes mostly negatives being listed... but I'm listing the stand out differences. That said the food options in the near vicinity are much better as a whole.

WL - the boat to MK is lovely which makes check in for MK so much nicer. It is kind of remote from other parks though being all the way up there and relying on the bus. The main pool is also kind of not great. Very small and crowded.

The rest is more what do you like best? MK or Epcot? It's a tough call.

We just stayed at WL and have booked BW for our next trip. One after should be BLT. So we go all around with where we like to stay.
 

Dave B

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well, a 67-foot waterslide at Wilderness Lodge qualifies as a "real" waterslide in my book. :)

I have to politely disagree, 67 foot is immensely small, it has one tiny turn and go, it is really more of a junior kids size, something you would normally find at a toddler pool, maybe 6 and under, very under whelming for such a big grand deluxe resort
 

Dave B

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have to politely disagree, 67 foot is immensely small, it has one tiny turn and go, it is really more of a junior kids size, something you would normally find at a toddler pool, maybe 6 and under, very under whelming for such a big grand deluxe resort
 

Dave B

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Can I see Fireworks from MK at the Wilderness? I know from Beach club or the boardwalk area its a great view of the EPCOT fireworks?
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
Can I see Fireworks from MK at the Wilderness? I know from Beach club or the boardwalk area its a great view of the EPCOT fireworks?
The best view I found was at the boat dock. Not near as good of a view of MK as you get of Epcot's from the area around BC & BW

I have to politely disagree, 67 foot is immensely small, it has one tiny turn and go, it is really more of a junior kids size, something you would normally find at a toddler pool, maybe 6 and under, very under whelming for such a big grand deluxe resort

The slide at WL is fast but short. Unlike the slide at BC which is long but slower. Both are not ones I care to do more than a few times.
 

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
For me, this is an easy one - BC all day long.

First, there is no greater collection of restaurants anywhere on property than there are in the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin areas.

Second, the location cannot be beat. A short walk to 2 parks, enough said. And as for bus service to the other 2 parks, in my experience it has always been timely and a relatively short ride.

Third, the pool. People can obviously have their own personal opinions, but there is a reason why an overwhelming majority of people believe that Stormalong Bay is the best pool going. There is also a reason why that pool consistently wins awards as the best or favorite pool anywhere in WDW.

Fourth, the rooms are beautiful and freshly renovated, and depending on what you are willing to pay, give you some absolutely amazing views, including of fireworks.

I could keep going, but I think you all get the point as to how I feel, lol.
 

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