2012/2013 Beach and Yacht FAQ- Closing Soon- New Thread Started- Don't Post Here

[Couchy]

Can anyone tell me if it's easy to get from the Contemporary to the Yacht Club. After a day in MK we would like to go to the Wave restaurant in the Contemporary. Does anyone know what type of transportation we'll have to take to get back to the Yacht Club?

I would definitely take a taxi after a day in the park and then dinner at the Wave. It will be the easiest option

I love walking around the resort outside when its dark. It's so magical. And sitting in the rocking chairs on the back porch at night. Wonderful!

I love love love those rocking chairs

Can you remember about how much is cost for a one way trip from Epcot area resort to MK resort?

I think with tip it was $18-20 when we went in October

 

[pixarmom]

Thanks for sharing, I'm glad to hear you liked the Garden Grille. What was your fav thing in the family style meal? Did you get to see a lot of the Land? I think this is on my imaginary list for the next trip along with BOG.

Hi Angeejoe! My favorite thing in this meal changes every time. Most of the time, it's the salad and rolls. I'm pretty much finished with dinner after that part! But VERY rarely, the salad has an "off night." That happened last month, turning the steak into my favorite part of the meal. And sometimes the dessert is OK, but last month, it was a berry cobbler type thing - loved it!

We used to wrap up GG in about an hour, but our last few visits, it's been a bit longer. That's just because our boys are getting older and we stick around at dinner longer by choice. Most guests do a full rotation of the scenes in the Land - so about an hour.

Can anyone tell me if it's easy to get from the Contemporary to the Yacht Club. After a day in MK we would like to go to the Wave restaurant in the Contemporary. Does anyone know what type of transportation we'll have to take to get back to the Yacht Club?

rea59, I like the walk to MK and bus to BC idea if using Disney transportation. We're huge fans of the taxi for resort-to-resort, but Disney transport on this one isn't too much of a hassle at all.

This thread moves so fast I can't keep up! Great info though!

How long should I plan for it to take to get to YC once we land at MCO? We are taking DME and landing around 4:45. Was just planning to get counter service and wander the resort/pool that evening. Is that my best plan? Then I was considering going over to Epcot for a bit, but was thinking it might be a waste of a days' tickets.

One more question-
I can't get BC GV or LV for all our stay so I booked 3 nights GV YC then 6 nights BC GV. Now there is availability to do YC GV on arrival night only and switch to BC LV the remainder of the stay (8 nights) for about $500 than my current package. I really don't care about the view so much but I do care about ease of changing rooms. Would there be a benefit to changing resorts/rooms the morning after our arrival night vs on the 4th night? I will spend the extra money if it will save me some hassle.

Hello, disneymagicgirl! I usually plan for 2 hours from landing to arriving at YC/BC by Magical Express. In reality, we're closer to 1.5 hours, but I always like to estimate more conservatively. If you are there for that long, the cost of the extra day ticket is relatively minimal, so I'd definitely start with an evening at Epcot (that's our tradition!) As for counter service, take this with a grain of salt because we are huge fans of TS and rarely use CS. But we love having an ADR our first night. Yes, there is some risk if your flight is delayed, but we find it entirely worth it to start our trip with a TS meal. It's usually Garden Grill because it's fun to see Mickey right away when we arrive. But for quick trips, we've started with Via or other Epcot TS locations. A non-credit card hold TS might be more comfortable for mosts guests, and eliminates some of the worry related to flight delays. Anyway, just wanted to throw in another perspective!

As for the split, we would go with 3 nights YC and 6 nights BC. We did a 3/5 split last month and loved it. We don't completely unpack because we travel light in the first place and don't mind lining up the suitcases on the closet floor and operating that way throughout our trip. And we like to change things up after a few days at one resort, so a switch closer to the middle works well for us. So if you are like us, the 3/6 would be a good fit. But if you're an unpacker and you like to really settle in, I could see 1/8 working for you.

Can you remember about how much is cost for a one way trip from Epcot area resort to MK resort?

Hi GGGhosts! Yes! Usually around $15 plus tip for us.

 

[beebeeryan]

It is an easy, 5 minute walk from the Contemporary to the MK. Very simple to head over to the MK buses.

And just a note incase anyone is taking a cab TO the MK from the Epcot resorts...ask to be dropped at the CR since the cabs can't go to the MK directly they drop you at the TTC and you have to take the ferry or monorail. If they drop you at CR you can just walk over. Much faster.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I'd say the only benefit of transferring on 2nd day is that you probably haven't unpacked everything so it would be quicker & faster to move rooms. On our 2011 BC trip we drove & arrived a day sooner & at almost midnight, front desk gave us a great rate so we stayed there in a great room, but did not have full balcony. So in am front desk gave us option of keeping room or going with our original reserved room with full balcony, so we switched. The other room was ready so bell services just moved us. In 2012 YC trip we planned ahead & i booked 1 st night at POP since we never know when we will arrive when driving & I hate to pay deluxe rate if arriving at midnight, and then got up early in am & took our own bags to YC. For the POP night I made us just an overnight bag & left the YC luggage in our car.

We tend to take our time once we land at MCO, so on our last trip it took us 2 hours from plane landing, until we were in our room. That two hours included getting off the plane, waiting for ME, and getting checked into our room.

I like the idea of counter service and wandering the first night, because it takes the pressure off, since you don't have to get there in time for a dinner reservation. There is so much to see at the resort that wandering is very satisfying.

I'd also recommend checking out Epcot on the first night. Your trip is long enough that the extra day's ticket will only cost a few dollars, and when you are super excited to be at WDW, it is fun to pop into Epcot. It is such a close walk from the YC that it would be hard to resist running over for just a bit on the first day.

Hello, disneymagicgirl! I usually plan for 2 hours from landing to arriving at YC/BC by Magical Express. In reality, we're closer to 1.5 hours, but I always like to estimate more conservatively. If you are there for that long, the cost of the extra day ticket is relatively minimal, so I'd definitely start with an evening at Epcot (that's our tradition!) As for counter service, take this with a grain of salt because we are huge fans of TS and rarely use CS. But we love having an ADR our first night. Yes, there is some risk if your flight is delayed, but we find it entirely worth it to start our trip with a TS meal. It's usually Garden Grill because it's fun to see Mickey right away when we arrive. But for quick trips, we've started with Via or other Epcot TS locations. A non-credit card hold TS might be more comfortable for mosts guests, and eliminates some of the worry related to flight delays. Anyway, just wanted to throw in another perspective!

As for the split, we would go with 3 nights YC and 6 nights BC. We did a 3/5 split last month and loved it. We don't completely unpack because we travel light in the first place and don't mind lining up the suitcases on the closet floor and operating that way throughout our trip. And we like to change things up after a few days at one resort, so a switch closer to the middle works well for us. So if you are like us, the 3/6 would be a good fit. But if you're an unpacker and you like to really settle in, I could see 1/8 working for you.

Thanks so much for the helpful responses! I am going to ponder the split stay a bit more. Since we are a family of 5 (2 of which are little) we don't exactly travel light. It may be easier to just have an overnight bag the first night and fully unpack the next day at BC, vs the 3nt/6nt split at yc/bc. I am undecided.
Maybe I will get really lucky and a GV or LV will open up at BC for the whole trip!

Great idea for GG on the arrival night. We have never gotten around to eating there and I was trying to add it in our itinerary.

Thanks everyone!

 

[my2disneyboys]

Please check the Be Our Guest list to make sure your information is listed correctly. It is entirely possible that a post or two got buried during the Blizzard of 2013, so if I missed you, I apologize!!!


Post 15: Be Our Guest list

.

Can you add me too!? We are celebrating 10 Years of marriage and renewing our vows! Staying at BCV!! April 11 at AOA and then 12-19 at BCV

Anyone know if I should put in a special room/floor request

 

[pixarmom]

OK, now that we've been home for a week, I'm catching up on the thread more and just wanted to throw in my two cents here and there regarding some old questions!

I have not been to BC in a few years and am wondering what the hot tea selection is in the beverage center at BC Marketplace is. If anyone has a recent photo of this area, or knows which teas are regularly offered, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much!

The photos that Dee posted are my most recent - I haven't seen much tea turnover, so while it might not be exactly the same, I'd bet it's similar!

I've read from tripadvisor that the walls in BC is "thin as paper" and those reviewers claimed that they could be woke up by the next room's wake-up call, even flushing the toilet. Is the insulation that bad? Is YC any better?

We've stayed at both BC (many times over the past 21 years!) and YC once. Our most recent BC stay was in October of last year and YC in April of last year. Honestly, I didn't find any problems with hearing other guests in other rooms. I do recall one afternoon at YC when we could hear a neighbor who was unusually loud, but it didn't last long and again, that person was unusually loud!

Is it possible to get a Kids Meal at Hurricane Hanna's without the pail/shovel and is it cheaper?

Also, can substitutions be made for the kids meal sides and beverage (ie fries , soda)?

Not sure about the substitutions because we haven't asked. Regarding the buckets, we're with you! We have TONS of them. At least according to a CM at HH, they do not offer a discount for bucket-less kids' meals. His advice was just to contribute any extra buckets to the sandy area of SAB because other kids will always use them!

I'm an annual passholder so my room key is usually different than my park admission. Anyone know how this is going to work?

Just wanted to add our experience with APs and separate room keys from our 1/26-2/3 stay. First, the system was experiencing significant technical difficulties. At Poly, everything was entirely down when we arrived, and then a glitch prevented us from linking our CC to our room keys unless we entirely re-booked our reservation. CMs at BWI said it's been tough, but they were able to work everything out.

So with APs, we could not use the RFID scanners for park entry. And guests were in tight quarters at MK because a giant "box" (presumably containing new scanners) consumed a significant portion of the entry plaza. We had the same experience at AK EMH as ALMinVA - a CM with a scanner scanned our APs because we weren't connected to the RFID stuff. I noticed a separate RFID line at DHS, but not at Epcot - either front entrance or IG. If they are there, we didn't notice them - just beelined for the regular turnstiles, knowing that we need to insert our paper APs.

I would just like to say that I think Nate is doing ok but Dee is fabulous!

If some one would go to Hurricane Hannah's and ask about (or better yet ORDER ) a SUNKIN TREASURE!!

1) Dee IS fabulous! Always welcoming our new posters, bumping up questions and keeping track of a zillion details. Yay Dee!

2) I saw that ALM enjoyed a Sunken Treasure, yay! As I reported earlier, the CMs at the bar told me that Tom is your guy for Sunken Treasures. I remember him from our last trip in October. But he was on break when I ordered my drink, so no Sunken Treasure for me.

Here's a couple of pictures pixarmom sent to me. She will be over at BW until the weekend.

Yay! So fun to see my phone pictures here. Thanks, Dee!

Hope pixarmom is having a great trip. I don't remember a hot tub in that location in the past. Anyone else?

Thank you!! It's one of three hot tubs - the two are elevated over the waterfall and my favorite SAB spot. And then that other one just sits there between the lazy river and the zero depth sandy area.

Hard to find a photo in my files of the hot tubs because there are always people in them (or I am in them without my camera!) But you can see the railing to the hot tub right behind the green plants on the right:

I read about the 'secret door' at YC but I don't quite understand the benefit in using it. What am I missing?

We stayed near the secret door at YC last year and it was wonderful! Going to/fro our room, the secret entrance allowed us to avoid the lobby, elevator and winding through the hallways. Just hop down the stairs and we're right there on the path to DHS, Epcot, SAB and everything else! Otherwise, we'd have to walk all the way through the halls to the elevator, down to the lobby and out to the path, walking in a big circle to get to the same place that was pretty much right below our room. Just loved the convenience of that little door.

 

[pixarmom]

Since we are a family of 5 (2 of which are little) we don't exactly travel light. It may be easier to just have an overnight bag the first night and fully unpack the next day at BC, vs the 3nt/6nt split at yc/bc. I am undecided.

Oh my goodness - I didn't take note of your children's ages! Sounds like that 1/8 split would be the way to go! Our boys are ages 6, 12 and 13, bring very little in their suitcases and can carry/roll their own bags. But you're in a different boat!

 

[LoriC1964]

I knew about the secret door at BC, but please tell me where the secret door is at YC!

 

[hamom]

Would you mind if I added this to part of the FAQ about online checkin.

I still don't know enough about MDE to know whether to recommend the online checkin or not, but it certainly seems more attractive.

Doesn't have daybed as a request, though.

Not at all, Dee. Please add to the three whatever you think would be helpful to all.

A couple of additional notes/questions on this topic:

- The pre-defined check mark boxes from which you can select preferences vary from resort to resort (I noticed this when Pixar Mom shared the choices she was offered in the system when checking in for her recent stay.)

- I don't know if the choices vary, however, for BC vs. YC. If anyone has/will be completing advanced online check-in for YC in the near future, could you share what the options are?

- Agreed, Dee, on the need for at least one additional pre-defined check mark box preference for BC -- a daybed. This is not a need for us, but I know from reading this thread that it is one for many families. Since Disney is in the early stages of rolling out the My Disney Experience site/app, I'd suggest that the more of us that can provide this kind of feedback, the better.

 

[natebenma]

Can you add me too!? We are celebrating 10 Years of marriage and renewing our vows! Staying at BCV!! April 11 at AOA and then 12-19 at BCV

Anyone know if I should put in a special room/floor request

Will do!!! What an exciting way to celebrate your 10th anniversary!



Someone else will have to reply about room requests at BCV.

Not at all, Dee. Please add to the three whatever you think would be helpful to all.

A couple of additional notes/questions on this topic:

- The pre-defined check mark boxes from which you can select preferences vary from resort to resort (I noticed this when Pixar Mom shared the choices she was offered in the system when checking in for her recent stay.)

- I don't know if the choices vary, however, for BC vs. YC. If anyone has/will be completing advanced online check-in for YC in the near future, could you share what the options are?

- Agreed, Dee, on the need for at least one additional pre-defined check mark box preference for BC -- a daybed. This is not a need for us, but I know from reading this thread that it is one for many families. Since Disney is in the early stages of rolling out the My Disney Experience site/app, I'd suggest that the more of us that can provide this kind of feedback, the better.

Thanks so much!!!

I knew about the secret door at BC, but please tell me where the secret door is at YC!

Do you have an upcoming trip?


I recently added this post to the YC Room section on Page 1. It now occurs to me that I should add the "why". I know a couple of people commented on that.



Yacht Club Secret Entrance/Exit

Facing the Yacht Club, the marina will be on your left and the wedding gazebo to your right.

This is the room closest to the entrance to help you find the exit from inside.

According to the small sign you can see in the picture, this door has keyed entry during the hours of 11 PM to 7 AM



A little more detail about the YC Secret Entrance

Thanks, pixarmom, for the photos and info!

.

 

[LoriC1964]

Thanks for sharing the secret door tip!

 

[haleofafamily]

I did my online check-in last night, and I believe it was required to add the credit card info. Though I was sort of in a hurry, and had planned to do it anyway.

I'm pretty sure that it is not required to enter credit card info on online check-in. I used it twice for my upcoming trip (split stay) and I didn't enter it either time. It looks like you have to enter it, but you can click continue without giving the information.

Is there a way for two different credit cards to be linked to the same room? My mom and I are staying together. It would be nice if her room key connected to her credit card and the same for me.

 

[haleofafamily]

We stayed near the secret door at YC last year and it was wonderful! Going to/fro our room, the secret entrance allowed us to avoid the lobby, elevator and winding through the hallways. Just hop down the stairs and we're right there on the path to DHS, Epcot, SAB and everything else! Otherwise, we'd have to walk all the way through the halls to the elevator, down to the lobby and out to the path, walking in a big circle to get to the same place that was pretty much right below our room. Just loved the convenience of that little door.

Thanks! That makes sense. Are there only one set of elevators in YC?

 

[hiwaygal]

Please check the Be Our Guest list to make sure your information is listed correctly. It is entirely possible that a post or two got buried during the Blizzard of 2013, so if I missed you, I apologize!!!


Post 15: Be Our Guest list

.

Could you add us please? DH and I are staying YC Club Level 8/23 - 9/1.


And does anyone know if IPO/Club Level staff still email about 90 days in advance of your trip?

 

[YCFAN]

Dee: in regards to room 5163 at the YC, I believe the category for that room is YC CL LV not GV. It is two doors down from the Presidential suite on the front of the building. It has no balcony at all due to the way the building is made. I think it is the only one on CL without a balcony.

 

[YCFAN]

I was just looking at my pictures and the windows for room 5163 are on the side of the building. I was told that was a LV but now I am questioning that too and maybe it is a GV. Teena: do you know? Can you clarify? Thanks!

 

[JulieT3]

OK, now that we've been home for a week, I'm catching up on the thread more and just wanted to throw in my two cents here and there regarding some old questions!

Just wanted to add our experience with APs and separate room keys from our 1/26-2/3 stay. First, the system was experiencing significant technical difficulties. At Poly, everything was entirely down when we arrived, and then a glitch prevented us from linking our CC to our room keys unless we entirely re-booked our reservation. CMs at BWI said it's been tough, but they were able to work everything out.

So with APs, we could not use the RFID scanners for park entry. And guests were in tight quarters at MK because a giant "box" (presumably containing new scanners) consumed a significant portion of the entry plaza. We had the same experience at AK EMH as ALMinVA - a CM with a scanner scanned our APs because we weren't connected to the RFID stuff. I noticed a separate RFID line at DHS, but not at Epcot - either front entrance or IG. If they are there, we didn't notice them - just beelined for the regular turnstiles, knowing that we need to insert our paper APs.)

pixarmom (or anybody else who has recent experience with this), were people with RFID tickets getting into the parks much quicker than you? I have a 6-day park hopper that I'm planning to upgrade to an AP. i was going to upgrade it on our first day, but I'm wondering if I should just have them put the ticket on my room key so that I'll be able to use the RFID scanners and wait until the end of the trip to upgrade. Based on your experience, what do you think?

So hard to believe that I have less than 3 weeks! Time to start pulling the warm weather clothes out of storage!!!

 

[Missyrose]

pixarmom (or anybody else who has recent experience with this), were people with RFID tickets getting into the parks much quicker than you? I have a 6-day park hopper that I'm planning to upgrade to an AP. i was going to upgrade it on our first day, but I'm wondering if I should just have them put the ticket on my room key so that I'll be able to use the RFID scanners and wait until the end of the trip to upgrade. Based on your experience, what do you think?

So hard to believe that I have less than 3 weeks! Time to start pulling the warm weather clothes out of storage!!!

Here's a sneaky tip, there are always a bunch of CMs with scanners for non-RFID tickets standing at the RFID turnstiles. Walk up, ask them to scan your ticket and they will!

We did find having fewer normal turnstiles made for longer lines.

 

[Debrn]

Natebenma

Sorry to change BOG again but...

My BFF ( our girls are too) is staying at AKL 1st part of our trip she just booked last week, and offered me points, so since I've always wanted to try AK and this was an amazing deal we are doing a split
AKV studio savanna view' then heading to YC CL 3/1-3/5

 

[333disneymom]

Can you add me too!? We are celebrating 10 Years of marriage and renewing our vows! Staying at BCV!! April 11 at AOA and then 12-19 at BCV

Anyone know if I should put in a special room/floor request

You can put in a request. It just depends on what you are looking for. There are 3 basic areas - pool view, woods view, or view facing towards Solarium (think it is called Courtyard view?). You can also request a patio or higher floor. I've had both pool and woods view and found both relaxing. Let me know if you have any other questions or need more specifics.