Pros Cons Beach Club vs Boardwalk Inn

[chloelovesdisney]

The title says it all.

Thank you!

 

[Sue M]

Pros- SAB

Cons- Scary Clown Pool

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Pros- SAB

Cons- Scary Clown Pool

lol, I am afraid of clowns and totally understand. We are going in December though so I don't expect to use the pool.

 

[Sue M]

Don't write off swimming. We go to WDW in Jan all the time, and many visits I've swam mid day when it's warm. Mornings and evenings get chilly but mid day can be mid to upper 70's. Sometimes 80. Cold snaps do happen but in general don't last long. Pack the suit. And there's always the hot tub

 

[Abby Wednesday]

Pros of BC are the pool, people tend to like the restaurant options better, slightly closer to Epcot. Cons are that the BC seems to attract kids/families more than YC or BWI. The place just seemed more stressed and crowded to me as a result.

Pros of BWI are it's a little smaller, especially on the Inn side, you're closer to the boardwalk attractions and DHS, the pool is less crowded but still nice, there are two quiet pools, the resort itself seems quiet to me unless you have a room right on the boardwalk. I was there over free dining and one big plus for me was being able to get into Kouzzina for breakfast without a reservation. Cons are lack of convenient mug refill spots, less-favored eateries (Kouzzina great for breakfast, not my favorite for dinner), most BC fans would say no SAB is a con.

Honestly, my family would be happy at either.

 

[TJA]

BC seems to have more families and kids in the lobby area, most likely due to having a character meal at breakfast time. Also, beaches & cream is not in the lobby, but it attracts a lot of families/kids. Of course, the pool is great for all ages. It has a very large sandy area for the younger kids too.

BWI has its restaurants out on the boardwalk, so that's a bit of an adjustment (for us it was, anyway). You don't just go down in the lobby, but you actually go outside onto the boardwalk. My DH really loved this aspect, but I was not sold on it. Also, the BWI hotel itself is more on the quiet/adult side when you compare it to the BC hotel/lobby area. But once you get outside on the boardwalk, it has lots of fun and families.

 

[Hunnypaw]

Pros- SAB

Cons- Scary Clown Pool

 

[Figaro972]

Pros- SAB

Cons- Scary Clown Pool

I have to agree!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Thank you everyone, something to ponder.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We tend to prefer the BWI to BC. Number one reason is that almost every room has a full balcony or patio (only a handful have the standing room only balcony, and I think there are maybe 4 rooms without a balcony). We had the standing room only balcony at BC and really missed the outdoor space. It's too bad they don't retrofit and put full balconies on more rooms. Unless you have a water view, I think the views are better at BWI. Very few rooftop views, which you'd get with a standard view at BC.

Obviously, SAB is better than Luna Park when looking for an amenity pool. Our last stay at BC though, SAB was so crowded we ended up using the leisure pool most of the time. We tend to visit the leisure pools more when staying at BW too (we were at BWV last week, and were at Luna Park once and the leisure pool the rest of the days).

Food wise, it's a toss up. We don't mind the options at BWI. BC does have the Marketplace and Hurricane Hannahs for quick service eats. BWI has the Bakery and the food carts on the boardwalk. My theory is, if you want a quick service restaurant, stay at one of the MK Resorts.

 

[Sue M]

We tend to prefer the BWI to BC. Number one reason is that almost every room has a full balcony or patio (only a handful have the standing room only balcony, and I think there are maybe 4 rooms without a balcony). We had the standing room only balcony at BC and really missed the outdoor space. It's too bad they don't retrofit and put full balconies on more rooms. Unless you have a water view, I think the views are better at BWI. Very few rooftop views, which you'd get with a standard view at BC.

Obviously, SAB is better than Luna Park when looking for an amenity pool. Our last stay at BC though, SAB was so crowded we ended up using the leisure pool most of the time. We tend to visit the leisure pools more when staying at BW too (we were at BWV last week, and were at Luna Park once and the leisure pool the rest of the days).

Food wise, it's a toss up. We don't mind the options at BWI. BC does have the Marketplace and Hurricane Hannahs for quick service eats. BWI has the Bakery and the food carts on the boardwalk. My theory is, if you want a quick service restaurant, stay at one of the MK Resorts.

I was very lucky at BC and had a full balcony. We were there in August, and never found SAB to be crowded.

 

[pixarmom]

We've stayed at both BWI and BC (many many times) and while I love both of them, but BC is my favorite. Having said that, our family of five is divided regarding favorite resorts. We just returned from a BC stay and will stay at BWI CL in January. (Although I'm still on the fence about that.)

Here's what I like about each:

Beach Club:

1) Room Decor. Just a personal preference, but I prefer the theme and the decor.

2) Lobby and common areas. Just love the lobby at BC - open, high ceilings, great scent, pleasant music. The beach and the solarium are great quiet spots. Just a relaxing feel.

3) BC Marketplace. I think BC Marketplace is quite convenient, and I like that it's contained right there in the same building as the rooms - no need to go outside. The self-serve refill mug station there and at HH (currently under rehab) are really nice to have. Our room earlier this month was right up the stairs from the Marketplace and I just loved it.

4) SAB. Really no better pool on property for our family. We've stayed at BC in all different seasons (including January) and find it no more crowded than other pools - actually less so. It's hard to be cramped in a pool so large! And even if the main area is busy, the area with the small slide with a view of the lake is separate from the rest of the pool, never crowded and always fun for the kids. During warmer months, this is a deciding factor.

5) Beaches and Cream Take Out. Our boys have a tradition of late-night take-out a B&C. Sure, we could do that staying elsewhere in the Epcot resort area, but it's not as close if we're staying somewhere other than BC/YC.

Boardwalk:

1) Club Lounge. I absolutely love the club lounge here. That's the main reason our family likes it and the reason we plan to return in January. (The other reason is that while our boys will swim in January, we won't spend quite as much time at the pool as we would in warmer months.) The CMs in the lounge are so friendly and it makes coming back to the resort really pleasant. The lounge is open and airy with a high ceiling and a nice balcony.

2) Boardwalk View. Last year at BWI, we had an amazing room with a huge balcony and a boardwalk view. My husband and boys love being in the middle of the action, and that room was perfect for us. We could watch the boats come and go, see the activity on the Boardwalk and enjoy all that balcony space. I liked the fact that it's so close to the water - can't get quite as close at other resorts. And I love the view of BC/YC and the MK fireworks in the distance. It's just a fun place to stay and a great view.

For us, we'd stay either CL or non-CL at BC. But at BWI, we'd only book it CL. That's because I find the BC Marketplace and quiet common areas at BC really convenient if not staying CL. But at BWI, it's a different set-up with fewer peaceful quiet areas and no self-serve refill mug stations. (You can get refills, just not self-serve.) The pool is fine - the clown doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would - but a very different atmosphere from SAB.

Good luck with your decision - either will be a great choice!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I was very lucky at BC and had a full balcony. We were there in August, and never found SAB to be crowded.

It was during the month of May (probably the week before Memorial Day) that we stayed there and found SAB crowded, maybe we were just there at a bad time? The trip before that to BC was in October and I didn't remember quite as many people in the pool. Regardless, it is a fantastic pool!

 

[Pakey]

I have stayed at all 3 this year; I am currently on vacation here doing a split stay between YC/BWI.

BWI is the quietest. We are staying club level with a Boardwalk view and its still quieter even than YC (both resorts are fully booked).

SAB was quite crowded; clown pool has not been.

Quick service and store access is definitely most convenient staying at BC. But I dislike the balcony situation at BC enough that its my least favorite of the 3.

Cast Members are so friendly here at BWI so it gets my top vote.

 

[Disney Pal]

We've stayed at both places and prefer the Boardwalk! The excitement at night on the Boardwalk. It such a fun place to be. Our family loves it.

 

[padawans]

Between the two I prefer the BW. YC is my favorite Epcot resort. BW is little quieter and has a more adult vibe. The BC is loud and crowded, and looking a little run down in my opinion. I usually stay at whichever one I can get the room type I want with my discount. I like them all ,but if I had to rank them it would be YC, BW and last BC. My kids love all three. They are 8 and 10.

We were there last Dec and swam everyday. Just a FYI the BW pool gets the afternoon sun and the BC pool will be shaded by 3-4pm if that matters.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Wow, so many people have gone swimming in December, that is good to know. I thought it would be unlikely but maybe we will get a couple swim days in.

BWI is much more popular than I expected, I will have to take a second look. We have a room only reservation at the BC, but I will at least go over to the Boardwalk one day and check it out for a future trip.

Thanks everyone!