Pros and Cons of Beach Club Resort

[queen bee]

We are just booking our reservations for our August vacation and are considering the Beach Club next to Epcot. We would appreciate any comments on the good and bad of this resort.
Thanks for your help.:mickey:

[faline]

We just stayed at Beach Club Villas a few weeks ago and greatly enjoyed our visit.

Pros:
Great pool - the best on property
Proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios
The number of dining options in the area between Beach Club, Boardwalk, the Swan, the Dolphin and all the different dining options in Epcot.

Cons:
It's not close to the Magic Kingdom.

That's really the only con that comes to mind at the moment.

[tinksmom02]

We're booked there for our November trip--I cannot wait to be that close to Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival!

I agree with Faline--the pool, the dining, the location--all are pros.

[BrerGnat]

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing.

Love the Beach Club!!!

Being realistic though, a con would be limited "quick service" type dining options, especially at breakfast time. Otherwise, the resort is excellent especially for a warm weather vacation. The pool is AMAZING!

[Strmchsr]

:ditto: to everything above. A possible con is the rooms feel a little spread out. I felt like I was walking down hallways forever to get to our room. But that's a minor issue. Overall it's a very enjoyable place.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We've only stayed at BC once and we enjoyed everything about the resort. I actually can't think of any cons. I often hear folks complain that the buses to MK and AK are slow and crowded, and that their rooms felt very far from the lobby/pool. We must have been extremely lucky because our room wasn't far from anything, and we never had any issues with the buses.

So I'll agree with those who say there are no cons! Enjoy your trip!

[Jillirose]

Pros:
Great pool - the best on property
Proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios
The number of dining options in the area between Beach Club, Boardwalk, the Swan, the Dolphin and all the different dining options in Epcot.

Cons:
It's not close to the Magic Kingdom.


Agree completely - and price is a con for us too - but it is our favorite resort.

[Yo Mickey!]

pro:

best pool
nightly movies on the beach
s'mores on the beach
walk to the boardwalk for nighttime entertainment for the kids (magic, jugglers, etc)
walk into world showcase for your favorite food or drink
walk to epcot and hollywood studios

con:

counter service is lacking
villas face the woods...not much to look at but you can see the fireworks from illuminations

beach is easily my favorite resort.

[figment502]

I know everyone loves the Beach Club, but I didn't.

We stayed there for my honeymoon and it was really REALLY loud. Every morning we were up at 6 because of all the noise. It was hard to enjoy ourselves with the ammenities the resort has to offer because we were so tired. Halfway through the trip we switched to the Caribbean Beach and it was extremely quiet, such a drastic change.

[ThanxForNoticin]

BC is an awesome resort. I'm not sure I even see breakfast options or counter service as a con there. We always find plenty to choose from and eat at the Marketplace at BC. They have breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, and many other good choices.

During the day and evening, there's Beaches n Cream!

[BrerGnat]

I know everyone loves the Beach Club, but I didn't.

We stayed there for my honeymoon and it was really REALLY loud. Every morning we were up at 6 because of all the noise. It was hard to enjoy ourselves with the ammenities the resort has to offer because we were so tired. Halfway through the trip we switched to the Caribbean Beach and it was extremely quiet, such a drastic change.

What do you mean by "loud". What, specifically, was causing the noise? I am quite confused by this experience, since I've found BC to be among the quietest resorts on WDW property. I'm just curious as to what may have contributed to your experience.

[SBETigg]

I know everyone loves the Beach Club, but I didn't.

We stayed there for my honeymoon and it was really REALLY loud. Every morning we were up at 6 because of all the noise. It was hard to enjoy ourselves with the ammenities the resort has to offer because we were so tired. Halfway through the trip we switched to the Caribbean Beach and it was extremely quiet, such a drastic change.

Ditto. Kids everywhere. There are always kids at Disney, but this seemed to be the place where they were always around, all over the place, and always loud kids. Probably the least romantic resort on property for me. We stayed there for a romantic weekend. Also, we did not love the lobby, theme, or rooms. The biggest downside to me was the quick service location in the gift shop. It made it awkward to use the quick service (and I usually enjoy quick service at my resort) and awkward to shop for gifts (and I usually enjoy shopping at gift shops). And we didn't spend nearly enough time at the Magic Kingdom, for us.

But, on the plus side, it's a great location. Great location. We did spend lots of time at World Showcase and really enjoyed the proximity during the F & W festival. I would try Yacht Club or Boardwalk in the future, but I really prefer the MK monorail resorts.

[queen bee]

We just booked the Beach Club for our August vacation. Thanks to all who responded. We appreciate all your comments.:mickey:

[Strmchsr]

We just booked the Beach Club for our August vacation. Thanks to all who responded. We appreciate all your comments.:mickey:

Be sure to post your review!

And I have to admit, I'm jealous of you. If there's any place on earth I enjoy as much as WDW, it's PEI. Just don't get to go there enough.

[Imalismom]

I tried the beach club when Ali was about 8 years old - so maybe 11 years ago? The club level lounge was smaller than I would have liked, but other than that, it was a nice room, etc and the Ali and her best friend who went with her that year LOVED the pool/slide.

I am going to try the yacht club this next time, so I will be able to give an opinion of BC VS YC when I get back (getting back the middle of Aug).

[ImagiAsh]

The Beach Club is one of my favorite resorts on property. The only con that I can think of is possible room location (as others have mentioned). Last time we stayed there, about 6 years ago, we were in a room very close to the EPCOT World Showcase entrance, which was great! However, it was a very far walk from the lobby. It felt like a 10 minute walk, but I'm sure it was a bit less than that. Regardless, we had a great view of the water and we took it as an opportunity to burn off some calories. It just felt like a long way away from the central area of the resort.

[Fastpasssteve]

Some people might find the the Beach Club Resort is not exotic in its theming. People who are from the Atlantic Seaboard might not be wowed by this resort. Is it lovely and luxurious? Yes, but staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Wilderness Lodge might have a deeper appeal if you are looking for 'other.'

It is very close to EPCOT's back door which is great. This is a great location for familes because of the pool. Adults would like it because of its proximity to great restaurants and Jellyrolls! At the end of the night, your room is just a stumble away.

[Tigerinvestigator]

Even though you have already booked Beach Club, let me add my thoughts. It is a beautiful resort and we actually found it very relaxing. The pool area is the best at WDW. Epcot is our favorite park and a very short stroll to the gates. It is especially nice on longer stays if you have the park hopper option, because you can take that short walk and enjoy the best food at WDW in world showcase. If there is a con it was the bus service is sometimes very crowded, especially when you are sharing a bus with the Swan/Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Clubs, and the Boardwalk. But we always managed and would not hesitate to book the Beach club again! Enjoy your stay and look forward to your review in the Trips section.:thumbsup:

[arm00leg]

We stayed at BC for the first time our last trip - and loved it! It's bright and sunny feeling, the pool wonderful, and the best of all ... so close to Epcot! We booked again, this time for F&W because of the location. It was a 7 minute walk to our room last time, should be nice if we "enjoy" our first visit for the Food and Wine Fest a little too much :wine::cheers: The quick service is small but had some nice choices, fruit, salads, sandwiches. All good. We didn't have a noise problem, rooms aren't huge but comfortable, and we could see some of Illuminations from our balcony. Getting away from Michigan winter the decor was a nice change for us.

[figment502]

What do you mean by "loud". What, specifically, was causing the noise? I am quite confused by this experience, since I've found BC to be among the quietest resorts on WDW property. I'm just curious as to what may have contributed to your experience.


I know everyone loves the Beach Club, but I didn't.

We stayed there for my honeymoon and it was really REALLY loud. Every morning we were up at 6 because of all the noise. It was hard to enjoy ourselves with the ammenities the resort has to offer because we were so tired. Halfway through the trip we switched to the Caribbean Beach and it was extremely quiet, such a drastic change.

It seemed like everyone in the hotel was up at 6 AM. Mousekkeeping was knocking on our door, along with our neighbors, at 6 in the morning. This happened every morning. I have been to Disney many times and have never had this experience before, but unfortuantly this happened the ONLY time I have ever stayed in a deluxe resort.

It also seemed like too much of a "hotel" for me. It just seemed to echo noise through the inside from the usual wokings of a hotel....just wasn't a great experience for us and we were glad to switch resorts.

[txdisneyfanatic]

Oh, wow! We've experienced nothing like this @ the Beach Club. It was everything + some for us! We even received a free Club level upgrade upon check-in!! Short walk to HS, Boardwalk and Epcot. Beautiful pool, great dining nearby.....we couldn't have asked for a better experience and are happy to be going back in a few weeks! We've stayed in hotels all over the country and this is definitely the best thus far!! Can't wait to return!!! :mickey:

[Mousemates]

It seemed like everyone in the hotel was up at 6 AM. Mousekeeping was knocking on our door, along with our neighbors, at 6 in the morning. This happened every morning. I have been to Disney many times and have never had this experience before, but unfortunately this happened the ONLY time I have ever stayed in a deluxe resort.

It also seemed like too much of a "hotel" for me. It just seemed to echo noise through the inside from the usual workings of a hotel....just wasn't a great experience for us and we were glad to switch resorts.

We've stayed at the beach club and didn't encounter either the early morning issue or a lot of in room noise...could be that their room location was where mousekeeping started the day or that is was one of the rooms (perhaps near an elevator or stairwell) where you had more foot traffic than normal...during our stay (which was during a pretty busy time of year) we had no noise issues from the hallway and actually found them to be what my son called "creepy quiet" (he had just watching the Shining. lol)

[Mogie]

Bad:
Breakfast is Jam packed with a long wait, even during quiet times.
Not themed very well in my opinion for the price, compared to the other hotels.

Good:
Proximity to Epcot, Boardwalk, Ferry.
Right next to the Yacht club...good quiet alternative for breakfast away from screaming kids.

[Mitzie]

We stayed at BC a few years back and loved it. The only noice we encountered was at night with kids running and yelling down the hallway. I don't blame the resort for this. Parents should be more aware that at 11:30 at night people might be trying to sleep... We are headed to YC in Oct for the F&W at Epcot. Very excited. I know many look at BC/YC as one in the same but it was on our list to try. We booked it on a bounce back and we are staying in a standard view club level room. A little concerned about that view. If any out there can share their experiences with a standard club level view at YC that would be great.

[TinksPixieDust]

I have to say i like the Beach Club but its not my favorite resort. I also have only stayed in the Villa section so I can't really speak for the actual rooms in the hotel part. That said there are a lot of pluses that everyone have mentioned.

My personal pros are
Walking distance to Epcot and MGM
Beaches N Cream
spacious rooms
great decor

cons
sharing a bus with...swam, dolphin, yacht, and boardwalk to most of the other parks yuck

and I also have to be in the minority. The pool is cool... but I dont really love it. I can see why younger kids love the slide and stuff... but even when we stayed at the BCV we usually went to the quiet pool.

[brownie]

Bad:
Breakfast is Jam packed with a long wait, even during quiet times.

We've always had reservations at opening and it's been busy but comfortable. We've never found it jam packed first thing in the morning.

[Christine]

The only con I have is that the Club Level room is too small for the number of folks using it. But that doesn't apply to me anymore now that we are DVC and don't do that.
Con now as a DVC member? Don't have much luck booking at the 7 month window. :(

Other than that, we really enjoy the Beach Club. Haven't noticed the noise. We don't go to the food court for bfast (usually do coffee and pastry in room) and then Hurricane Hannah's for lunch (they have a veggie wrap that is YUMMY!). Dinner is either at Boardwalk or Epcot.

Have a wonderful trip! :mickey:

[mickeyman42]

hey queen bee, where in Nl are you located? we live in grand bank!

[LandFan]

Be sure to post your review!

And I have to admit, I'm jealous of you. If there's any place on earth I enjoy as much as WDW, it's PEI. Just don't get to go there enough.

We got married on PEI in 2001, on the wharf in Charlottetown, by the local prothnotary - it was AWESOME! I love PEI! (and their mussels are amazing!!)

[pixiesmimi]

Is the bus the only transportation to MK? I was thinking we could go through Epcot to the monorail or maybe there was a boat or ferry going that direction. We are going this Friday and staying in the BC. So excited! Not pleased with the review of the Club Level room being rather small though. We will have to see.

[Imalismom]

Is the bus the only transportation to MK? I was thinking we could go through Epcot to the monorail or maybe there was a boat or ferry going that direction. We are going this Friday and staying in the BC. So excited! Not pleased with the review of the Club Level room being rather small though. We will have to see.

Yes, you can walk through Epcot and take the Monorail, but really, the bus will get you there much faster and with less walking.... No boat or Ferry going in that direction....

[pixiesmimi]

Oh, Ok. I thought since it was on the water that there might be a boat going that way or something. Trying to avoid the buses as much as possible. They will be so crowded next week.

[BrerGnat]

Oh, Ok. I thought since it was on the water that there might be a boat going that way or something. Trying to avoid the buses as much as possible. They will be so crowded next week.

The body of water (crescent lake) around the Epcot resorts is closed off...it's a lake. It does not connect this area with the bodies of water around the Magic Kingdom.

The buses will not be that bad, even next week. Likely, you will find that they are not "sharing" buses to MK. There will be one bus to the MK that is shared by the Yacht and Beach Club, which are attached. Don't sweat it. :thumbsup: I've stayed at the BC a couple times during VERY busy times (Easter week and week before Christmas) and the bus to MK has never been an issue.

[PopPhan]

Is the bus the only transportation to MK? I was thinking we could go through Epcot to the monorail or maybe there was a boat or ferry going that direction. We are going this Friday and staying in the BC. So excited! Not pleased with the review of the Club Level room being rather small though. We will have to see.

If you have an AP or Park Hopper option, you can walk through EPCOT once it has opened, otherwise you will have to take the bus.