Beach Club - 1st timer

[Mary Chase]

Well, we decided to go for a big splurge on the next trip - we are normally moderate and sometimes value resort people, but we decided we'd like to try Beach Club. We know very little about the resort - have visited once for Cape May Cafe dinner - but that was it. We are surprising the kids with this as well - they think we are staying at All Star Sports.

I have heard things about the pool area being the nicest one on the property - which I am really excited about. Can anyone give me any other tips or any comments about things they especially like about this resort? Any reviews on the dining at the resort?

I'm so excited for this trip - excited to be doing something new and different from the norm. Just looking for ideas to make this trip extra special - of course without going too crazy on budget!

Thanks in advance for any advice and opinions!

[Zippy 1]

Love the Beach Club!! The pool area is incredible. Poolside restaurant Hurricane Hannah's for a quick meal. Cape May is a great buffet. Our favorite is Beaches & Cream. Food is great. Icecream creations are delightful. They have a walk up window for a quick treat. The atmosphere is great. Love walking out to the water and watching the fireworks at EPCOT. You will have a great time!!

[RALPH]

Stayed there many times. We are at the Yacht club in Sept. The pool is amazing and its sand bottom feels so good on the dogs after time in the park. Be warned, your kids will want to leave the parks and go back for a swim. Night swims are especially fun. They have games in the pool in the afternoon which are a blast. Not sure of your children's ages, but to use the amazing slide, you have to leave the pool grounds, cross the walkway around Crescent lake and take the steps to the top of the slide. When our son was younger we would go with him or just watch until he got to the top. As he got older this was not an issue. Just something to be aware of.

Beaches and cream can be tough to get into, and not everything is available from the take out window. But do work some time into going there in the off hours. We love Y&B because it is so central to everything. Walk in the back of a Epcot through the international gateway or a walk or boat to HS.
The BWI is across crescent lake and we hang out there.

Dining is all around from the Y&B club offerings, Epcot, BWI, and Swan and Dolphin hotels. You are smack dab in the middle of the world, so take it all in. Its wonderful.

[RALPH]

I forgot to comment on food. We enjoy the breakfast at Cape May but in my opinion there are better seafood options around the world. Yachtsman Steakhouse is one of my favorites and we eat there most every trip. Often we go to ye old fish shop for lunch since it is close by and bring that back to our room or poolside. The lounges are good and you can find something for everyone in the marketplace.

[RALPH]

I forgot to comment on food. We enjoy the breakfast at Cape May but in my opinion there are better dinner seafood options around the world. Taste is very subjective. Yachtsman Steakhouse is one of my favorites and we eat there most every trip. Often we go to ye old fish shop for lunch since it is close by and bring that back to our room or poolside. The lounges are good and you can find something for everyone in the marketplace.

[missymouseworld]

Had a great dinner at Captain's Grille/Yacht Club this past trip.....to be honest, I have never had a bad meal here. The regular area for the restaurant is being refurbished, so they are using Ariel's at the Beach Club, which is an event space. When we stayed at the BC, we also had the breakfast here and it was good as well. We were speaking with a server and they said when they re-open the regular restaurant (estimated for October), it will no longer be called Captain's Grille, it is being changed to the Ale and Compass Restaurant to coincide with the Ale and Compass Lounge.

[Mendelson]

Thanks in advance for any advice and opinions!

Good info already, so I'll see if I can add anything.

Out on the lawn they set up some kids activities during the day like hula hoops, big bubble wands, etc (can't say what time, exactly), and my son enjoyed spending time there.

Less than eating at the resort, we more enjoy the access to the Boardwalk restaurants. There are some good sit-down places but also some good walk-up food, including at the bakery. I highly recommend going to Ample Hills, vs getting ice cream at Beaches at Cream (though again, this is a walk around the boardwalk).

We also enjoy renting a surrey bike and doing a few laps in the 30-minute allotted time.

The smell of the Beach Club lobby is wonderful.

The Marketplace has a decent kids breakfast meal. But note two important things - First, the yogurt you get with it has artificial sweetener, which is gross. Second, the "goldfish bread" that the egg sandwich comes on is not, in fact, made of fried whole goldfish nor does it even contain goldfish parts. It is just bread in the shape of a goldfish cracker.

The ping-pong table out at the pool has - are you ready? - free ping pong balls. That's right. Not this $.25 BS you have to pay for the little ping-pong ball vending machine at a value resort. So sit back, prop your feet up, and realize this is how the 1 percent vacation - with free, stinking ping-pong balls.

[missymouseworld]

Less than eating at the resort, we more enjoy the access to the Boardwalk restaurants. There are some good sit-down places but also some good walk-up food, including at the bakery. I highly recommend going to Ample Hills, vs getting ice cream at Beaches at Cream (though again, this is a walk around the boardwalk).

Big River Grille & Brewing Works is on the Boardwalk near the hotel, which is a good place to eat....no ADR's taken online, but never had a problem walking up and getting a table.

[Simba's Mom]

Regarding Captain's Grille, we haven't been able to get reservations there for October, so I'm wondering if it's available anywhere. One thing we love at the Beach Club is that you can get to Beaches and Cream in the rain without getting wet!

[Mary Chase]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions! The more I learn, the more excited I am to stay there. I was a little bummed to realize that Beaches and Cream will not be possible as it's completely booked during my stay. I will need to plan better for next time - I had no idea that it was a table service - that is how little I knew. All I have heard is raves about this resort and it sounds like my family will really love it! Thanks again!

[ThanxForNoticin]

It really is a relatively recent change for Beaches and Cream - they used to be walk-up only.

[Isabella]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions! The more I learn, the more excited I am to stay there. I was a little bummed to realize that Beaches and Cream will not be possible as it's completely booked during my stay. I will need to plan better for next time - I had no idea that it was a table service - that is how little I knew. All I have heard is raves about this resort and it sounds like my family will really love it! Thanks again!
Keep trying on Beaches and Cream. We have had great luck in getting reservations even the day before and that was in busy season. People cancel all the time. Just keep an eye on your MDE!
Have a great time!

[TikiLounger]

I won't go into depth and echo what everyone else has already said, but I will say that you are going to have the best time! The Beach Club is our place to be, these days. Great food, great location, superb pool, etc. It's funny that we love it so much since, when our kids were young, we never really gave it a chance. I think, considering that we live in "seaside New England' and this is The Beach Club's theming, we always chose to stay in resorts that felt much different from home...The Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge, to be specific. While we still absolutely LOVE these two resorts, we've been fortunate to be able to travel to WDW during the Food and Wine Festival, over the past several years. You just can't beat The Beach Club's location for taking in all things Epcot...especially the Food and Wind Festival!

[azcavalier]

I feel like I'm jumping in kinda late, but here's my $.02.

Our stay at the Beach Club has been our favorite family trip to WDW. First, the room they gave us seemed like it was soooo far from the front desk (and it was), that we were bummed about it at first. Then we realized that it was on the ground floor, out at the end of the wing that is by the sidewalk to Epcot. So, to go to Epcot, we literally stepped out a side door, walked over the bridge, and there we were. It was faster to go to Epcot's International Gateway than it was to go to our car in the parking lot out front. So, when it comes time to check in, ask for a room out on that end. I wish I could remember the numbers. But if you look at a Google Maps view of the resort, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Also, Beaches and Cream does have a walk-up window for ice cream, I believe. If you wanted a meal, then keep checking. But I think you can still get sundaes just walking up. But you may need to check.

Yes, it has the nicest pool on property. The sand-bottomed pool does indeed make a difference. And the slide is great, too! I love that it has multiple pools and hot tubs, some of which seem like they're tucked away among the landscaping. It's just soooo cool.

[Mendelson]

It really is a relatively recent change for Beaches and Cream - they used to be walk-up only.

Really? We had to make a ressie in May of 2015.