WL or BC

[abdcsl]

Talked DH into splurging on a Deluxe resort for our Sept. trip. I decided on WL but now I am thinking about the Beach Club??? I would really love your opinions. OUr boys are 9 and 3.

[faline]

Having stayed at both, I personally, would select Wilderness Lodge.

But..ask youself these questions?
* Will you spend more of your park time in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot?
* Would your boys rather spend all their time at the pool?

If you'll spend a lot of time at the Magic Kingdom, the answer is Wilderness Lodge

If the pool is extremely important, you might consider Beach Club but, keep in mind, this pool is very large and it is more difficult to track your kids while in the pool. To access the slide, one needs to go across the public walkway which likely means a parent needs to go with a child to the slide entrance while someone keeps track on the pool side. The Wilderness Lodge pool is more manageable for parents tracking younger kids.

[floridamom]

Both are great resorts! I agree with the points made by faline. We typically like to stay at WL in the cooler months and when we want easy access to MK, and BC when it is hot and want to spend more time at the resort.

If you haven't already looked into rates, I think you'll find that BC is usually much more of a splurge than WL. That may be another point to consider...

Good luck, no doubt you will have fun either way.

[BrerGnat]

Agree with those who suggest staying near whatever park you think you'll be at more. Both are great resorts. A plus of WL is that it has a quick service food location (albeit, a small one), whereas this sort of thing is limited at BC (although, to be fair, if you're willing to walk, there are TONS of food options). WL also has amazing themeing, and good access to MK. However, I am unimpressed by the bus service to all the other parks from WL. Our experiences have been pretty poor. Last time I stayed there, I vowed never to return unless I had my own car. It is one of my favorite resorts, though.

The ages of your kids makes it sort of a toss up. Your 9 year old will probably be bored with the pool and kiddie playground at WL, while your 3 year old would LOVE it.

The Beach Club pool and surrounding areas are better suited to a wider variety of ages. There are lots of recreational activities and the pool itself is good for all ages. As long as there are two parents present at pooltime, the size of SAB should be a non issue. We successfully navigated it with 4 and 5 year old sons who are independent swimmers last year. DH and I each took control of one child and we explored the pool that way. When the older one wanted to slide, we'd take turns going with him so we could both ride. :thumbsup: An amazing plus to the BC pool is that shallow sandy area. We loved this spot because DH and I could sit in the hot tub there and let the boys free to play and we were able to watch them easily. While the BC pool is large, it's really three separate pools, that require you to get out and walk across pavement and/or bridges to access the other areas, so really, you will only be in one pool at a time.

We enjoyed renting surrey bikes on the Boardwalk, movies and swings on the beach, playing in the sand, and visiting all the neighboring Epcot resorts. LOTS to do when you are not in the parks. It feels less isolated than WL. Beach Club also has larger rooms, some with daybeds, in case your kids won't sleep well together in the same bed (mine won't).

Honestly, though, you can't go wrong with either. If you like Epcot a lot, I'd say BC has an edge. Otherwise, you'll probably be happy at WL.

[ThanxForNoticin]

I echo the above posters, but all things being equal, we'd always recommend BC. The ability to walk (or boat) to both EPCOT and DHS is a huge plus. If your plans are to spend more time at MK, then WL could be a better choice. But between the pool at BC, the Marketplace (which always meets our quick-service food and drink needs at BC), Beaches n Cream, and the restaurants within walking distance (at Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, or even World Showcase), it always seems to be right in the middle of everything.

Good luck with your decision. You do not have a bad choice here!

[DAWS]

We have stayed at both resorts multiple times, and love both, but when traveling with children we always stay at Beach Club. The pool area simply can not be beat for kids. Furthermore, the Boardwalk area, which is so very close, offers so many activities. You can walk to Epcot and even to Hollywood studios (if you don't mind a walk - or it is a short boat ride). They have nighttime movies on the beach (Wilderness Lodge doesn't offer this option, but you can boat over to Fort Wilderness for the outdoor movies.) Beaches and Cream is one of our favorite places to grab a fun sundae or icecream treat. We also love Cape May for a wonderful buffet meal (the dinner clam bake is yummy, and breakfast offers characters).

I vote Beach Club!

[KylesMom]

They have nighttime movies on the beach (Wilderness Lodge doesn't offer this option) Just a slight correction - WL does offer this option. The movie screen is near the boat/bike rental on the beach near the playground. In fact, it is more the norm than the exception that each Disney resort shows movies each night. I went on an investigative tour while DS was swimming last trip to find where the area was. :mickey:

[RAIDER]

Another vote for the BC .You have Cafe May ,the amazing pool and the boardwalk is near to stroll along ...It wins hands down for me :thumbsup:

[DAWS]

Just a slight correction - WL does offer this option. The movie screen is near the boat/bike rental on the beach near the playground. In fact, it is more the norm than the exception that each Disney resort shows movies each night. I went on an investigative tour while DS was swimming last trip to find where the area was. :mickey:

So glad to know this! I have stayed at Wilderness Lodge twice, and never saw anything about beach movies!

[LudwigVonDrake]

I've stayed at both. In my opinion, the only thing BC has that is superior to WL is the pool. Other than that, I would choose WL :mickey:

[buzznwoodysmom]

We've stayed at both and really enjoyed both, but WL is our favorite. My boys are 9 and 11 and they'd pick WL over BC any day. Not sure why???? They did love the pool at BC, but have just as much fun at the pool at WL. We have taken them each for their birthday. On those birthday trips they got to pick any resort, no limits were set. Both boys picked WL for their birthday trips.

I agree with what others have posted, if you plan to spend tons of time at MK WL would be the better choice. If Epcot and DHS are more your thing then BC would be the place to be. Also if you think you'll spend tons of time at the pool BC could either be wonderful or a headache depending on how you guys do pool time. If your idea is louging in a chair while the kids play BC would not be a good choice. The pool is very spread out and its difficult to keep your eyes on both kids if they are wanting to do different parts of the pool. That' was my one complaint about the BC pool. DH and I had a blast in the pool with the kids, but after a while the running back and forth from the slide to the lazy river to the sand bottom section got old. There did come a time we wanted to chill out on a lounge chair or in a hot tub, but with the kids all over the place it wasn't very relaxing. I felt I couldn't relax at that pool, was always on the lookout for them.

[alaMode]

We've stayed at most of the MK deluxe resorts, but I've been thinking of "branching out."

We've enjoyed the pools at Poly, Contemporary and especially at WL and we've always spent most of our time at the MK.

Now that DS is older, we find ourselves wanting to spend more time at DHS and Epcot. DS loves a great pool, so I think we'll try BC when we visit WDW in June 2012. I'm looking forward to Stormalong Bay on a hot day!

Good luck on your decision and thanks for the help making mine!

[darthmacho]

Wilderness Lodge is the best resort ever! (But I agree that BC would be better location for restaurants and visiting Epcot.)

[wmdaddy]

Depends on which parks you plan to visit the most.

As for the resorts, I much prefer Wilderness Lodge.

[Jeff T]

Our family has stayed at the Beach Club Resort several times - it's by far the family favorite simply because of the proximity to EPCOT, Boardwalk and Hollywood Studios, and the pool (Stormalong Bay). The number of dining choices available is also a good reason to stay at the Beach Club Resort.

Last year we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge Resort for the first time. For years we always wanted to give it a try, but could not break our love affair with the Beach Club Resort. I'm glad we finally tried the Wilderness Lodge. It's a great resort. A very relaxing place to stay....it probably represents Disney style at its best. We have two boys, 11 and 7. Both really enjoyed staying there. We are visiting the Lodge again this June for our vacation.

We save approximately $500 to $900 by staying at the Lodge vs. the Beach Club Resort. For us, the savings along with a great resort have made the decision easy for us this year - the Wilderness Lodge Resort.

Either way, you can't lose. Both resorts are great. I highly recommend them both.