Everything and Anything BEACH CLUB RESORT

[EmmMOM2]

We're thinking of going to the BC resort, as my DH's boss went and had a great time.
We will have two children ages 4 and 15 months. Is the walk to MGM and epcot far for little legs??
Please tell me EVERYTHING about the BC resort!!!

[KH]

The walk to EPCOT is not far, and we've even seen Chip and Dale hanging out on the way! Hollywood Studios is a bit of a hike, but you can choose to take the boat instead.

My family loves the Beach Club. The pool is great, being close to EPCOT is great, the whole Boardwalk area is great, the vibe is relaxed, Beaches and Cream is great, the character breakfast at Cape May is great, and we could see the fireworks part of Illuminations from our room (and hear the music)!

If you plan to spend a significant portion of your trip at EPCOT and/or Hollywood Studios, the Beach Club is a great choice. Have fun!

[Maleficent's Dad]

The Beach Club is a great place to stay - we love, love, love the location.

The walk to EPCOT is very short - 5 minutes and you're in the park (the International Gateway's entrance is between the UK and France in the WS). This, to us, is a major plus. We often have dinner in EPCOT at night, and you can't beat the convenience of the BC to EPCOT.

As for the walk to DHS, there is much debate here about it. It's close to a 20 minute boatride from the BC/YC dock (closer to the YC, but only by a few minutes) and you'll stop at the Swan/Dolphin enroute to DHS. You can walk it, but the BW is much closer. You'll have to judge it for yourself when you get there - I'd suggest you take the boat the first time - you'll see the walkway as you ride the boat (along the left side as you head to MGM via ferry).

At the BC, you have a character breakfast at Cape May. There is also the now improved BC Marketplace for snacks and drinks. Other options include Hurricane Hanna's and Beaches & Cream soda shop (home of the famous Kitchen Sink sundae).

You're also a short walk from the Boardwalk which has several eateries and free nightly entertainment.

You can walk to mini-golf (across from Swan/Dolphin) as well as the restaurants in the Swan & Dolphin.

Buses take you elsewhere (MK and AK, plus waterparks & DTD).

The BC is also home to Stormalong Bay - a fantastic pool area. If you don't like the hustle & bustle of this water area, there are two quiet pools available at the BC.

You'll also find some relaxing areas - like the solarium - at the BC. Great places to sit and read and just relax.

Love the location. That's probably the BC's greatest attribute (of course, SAB could be considered high on the list as well).

[EmmMOM2]

I notice their are alot of resturaunts at the BC.
But we normally do alot of meals at Counter Service/food court type locations.
Does this hotel have one? How busy is it?

[Maleficent's Dad]

I notice their are alot of resturaunts at the BC.
But we normally do alot of meals at Counter Service/food court type locations.
Does this hotel have one? How busy is it?
The Beach Club refurbished their marketplace a few years ago. It's not a traditional "counter service."

The marketplace is a combination of the typical souvenir shop and an area with food offerings. They sell a limited supply of groceries (aimed at DVC'ers) and beverages. There is also a counter which carries a selection of gelatos, parfaits, pastries and sandwiches.

You can get take out from Beaches & Cream - expect lines here, however.

Hurricane Hannas is a pool bar area with some counter service items as well.

[Diz-Knee]

Hi there. We just got through staying there week before last and I think everyone pretty much hit on the highlights. Yes there is a counter-service/marketplace that you can hit for meals and snacks. Some in our party had sandwiches there and said they were good.

And for the record, we did walk back from MGM and used a stop-watch to time ourselves. After a long day at the parks and pushing a stroller it took us 16 minutes to get from the studios to the corner of the boardwalk where we walked around to the Beach Club Villas building which totalled 24 minutes. We didn't time the walk to the door. The weather wasn't hot, but on a hot day this would be a nightmare walk - no shade!

I will certainly go back - Epcot almost feels like an extension to your resort it is so close. And the pool was great too. You won't be disappointed. Have fun!

[EmmMOM2]

So, when you go their, do you typically eat at restaurants the whole time then, or take food to your room? Do they sell things like fruit etc for breakfast for the kids if we wanted?

Do the neighboring hotels have food courts we could use?

We already made our ADR's and we dont have them for dinner everynight and only made 2 ressies for BKFST as we usually ate in the cafeteria at Animal Kingdom last time we went.

[Diz-Knee]

So, when you go their, do you typically eat at restaurants the whole time then, or take food to your room? Do they sell things like fruit etc for breakfast for the kids if we wanted?

Do the neighboring hotels have food courts we could use?

Good question - I know they had fresh fruit at the market but I don't know the extent of the breakfast they served in the mornings or the crowd. The market has cereal and milk that you could purchase and they do have tables about that you could eat at instead of taking it to your room.

I'm sure someone here will chime in and offer further details.

[Maleficent's Dad]

So, when you go their, do you typically eat at restaurants the whole time then, or take food to your room? Do they sell things like fruit etc for breakfast for the kids if we wanted?
We stay in the villas, so we normally eat breakfast in our room. The villas do have kitchens in them.

Yes, there is some fruit there offered. They used to offer some continental items off of the lobby each morning (Riptide Lounge???), but I think with the Marketplace opening, that has been discontinued.

Do the neighboring hotels have food courts we could use?
You could go to the Boardwalk and they have a take-out pizza window. We have gone to EPCOT and gotten take-out from the UK and the Tangeirine Cafe (Morocco) and brought that back to our room as well.

If you head over to the Dolphin Resort, they do have a "buffeteria" called Picabu. This is more like a counter service take-out place.

[WelshieLover]

The walk to EPCOT is not too far for little legs. My sons had no difficulty with the walk when they were toddlers of course we were there during the cooler months. The summer heat will factor into the answer if you will be there over the summer. I think the walk to the Studios would be too long for little ones.

None of the counter service restaurants at the BC/YC or even Boardwalk are a true food courts like the food courts as you will see at the moderate and value hotels. They don't have the seating nor all the food options that you will find at the lower cost resorts. However if you do have a park hopper passes, all the counter service eateries in EPCOT are in your backyard.

[mouseketeer mom]

The Marketplace does offer breakfast items, basic stuff, but we would sometimes order, then take it out by the quiet pool where our room was, and eat at an outside table. Be warned. The marketplace always seemed VERY busy in the am. Another idea is to keep breakfast even simpler and pack granola bars or pop tarts for a quick bite on the days you don't have breakfast ADR's. Then you can always grab an early lunch in the parks.

[Mousemates]

thansk for starting this thread...we'll be there in late June and have enjoyed reading the responses.

[bruin1344]

Beach Club is my favorite resort in WDW. They have an awesome pool. I love the nice short walk to Epcot and you enter at World Showcase area where there is never a crowd or line unlike the Future World entrance. You can take the monorail to MK from Epcot. MGM is just a boat ride away. I like to have minimal bus rides. Cape May is a great buffett for breakfast and dinner. Beaches and Cream has great ice cream. The rooms are nice. Boardwalk is a short walk away for other restaurants or nightlife.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

Last Sept they had movies on the beach at night. One night they were playing the Little Mermaid. A great way to wind down after a long day at the parks.

[FiggyFan]

I am a morning person. For breakfast, I like to walk the boardwalk and stop at the Boardwalk Bakery to pick up breakfast. We usually get fruit cups and pasteries (love the turnovers, but they didn't have them last year). They also offer hot breakfast sandwiches.

For lunch, you can get good salads and sandwiches at the BC's Marketplace, or go to the Boardwalk - they have a pizza window and a stand that sells hot dogs, chiken strips, and the like. I have always found Beaches and Cream to be rather crowded, but some people like it.

[thejens]

We loved the Beach Club. The Market Place is perfect for breakfast basics, fruit, cereal, egg sandwiches etc. It is not really a nice counter service in my opinion. It is more like a little market. The food is basic. Sandwiches were okay. We did eat the sandwiches one night because we had hoped to eat at Beaches and cream, but weren't up to the long wait. The Take Out menu at Beaches and Cream is very limited, not the same as the sit down. We never found it possible to walk into B&C as the wait was always too long for us. We were disappointed because we really wanted to share the kitchen sink, but that is only for table service guests. Not sure why!? We love Cape May for dinner or breakfast and were able to make last minute breakfast reservations. The kids loved the pool. There is a sandy spot my youngest still talks about. We loved Beach Club, but your best bet for Counter service is to walk over to Epcot. It is a short, pleasantly landscaped walk. We did the boat to the Studios most often. The walk is okay if you're not tired yet! Our kids were in strollers so it was okay.