Beach Club or Yacht Club in August???

[VickieMouse]

We will be traveling for 8-9 nights in August and staying in a standard room.
It will be me, DH, and our 3 girls - ages 10, 8, and 4 (who will be in a stroller)

I know these resorts share the same great pool! But we are split as to where to stay in August.

DH says YC. A full balcony is very important to him as a way to have some alone time at the end of a long day. I know a full balcony is a possibility at BC, but with also wanting a day bed I am not sure how easily both requests would be granted.

I say BC because of the closer proximity to Epcot. I do worry about the "hustle bustle" some say about the BC in the lobby. I think we would welcome the quiet more on this vacation. We have only stayed at POP and I can't imagine it is anything equivalent to the chaos that exists in the POP food court at busy times. However, we do have kids who like to be kids and don't want to feel too "loud" for YC either.

Otherwise, I don't think we have a clear preference as to theme, specific location, etc. Are the standard rooms more preferable in one over the other?
I think BC is closer to refillable mug station (don't think that really matters).

I guess what I am wondering is how much further of a walk is it to Epcot from YC? Is it considerable or just a minute or 2? Can some of the walk between resorts be done inside the resort instead of in the August heat?

Or... how much would we miss a full balcony. For those of you who like the alone time, is it just too hot in August (even in the evenings) to utilize that balcony anyway.

Anything else I should consider before making the choice? Tell me why you choose one over the other. We are completely on the fence right now

Thank you so much for your help.

[jmamom]

We stayed at the Yacht Club in August of 2011. It is only a couple of minutes more of a walk - and we had a room at the very far end of the YC. I can't remember exactly, but I know you can do at least most of the walk indoors if you want. And I liked being close to the boat dock (for DHS) and the Boardwalk - we'd hop over for pizza and the Bakery.
We loved the Yacht Club - I used that balcony every day (my DH kept the room as cold as a meat locker - I would escape TO the heat!) The lobby was definitely quieter than the Beach Club, and the buses stop at the YC first so we always got seats.
Hope this helps!

[mickeynut1]

We have only stayed at the BC, but have visited the YC many times and the BC lobby does seem to get a little more crowded and is louder than the YC lobby, but it's really not that bad. There are kids running around and being loud at all resorts, so I think you would be fine at either one. I would first try to decide how important a balcony is to you. If a balcony is a top priority, the YC would be the way to go, with putting in a request for a daybed. If it really doesn't matter and you think the BC would be a better choice, you could list both requests, with the first being the one that's most important to you. The Marketplace to refill mugs is located at the back of the BC gift shop, so staying at the BC would be a little more convenient for that. It does take a little longer to walk to Epcot from the YC, but it's minimal (like just a few minutes) and not enough (at least to me) to be the deciding factor between the two resorts. Good luck.

[FantasiaMagic]

Out of the two I have only stayed at BC. I think your family would be happy with either. The walk to EPCOY might be a little bit longer from YC - but I don't think you'll notice. As you know they share the same pool. I think it comes down to the balcony your husband wants and the themeing of both the resorts.

[Scott MC]

Here's what I tell friends who ask this question...

Beach Club:
-Brighter and airier (rooms, architecture and lobby)
-Think "carefree elegance"
-More crowded due to Cape May in lobby
-3 min. walk to Epcot
-Quick-Serve Option in gift shop
-No balcony guarantee, but they have a great staff that will do whatever they can to help you
-Think "seashells and fish and sand castles"

Yacht Club
-More dark and formal (rooms, architecture and lobby).
-Think "privilege"
-Very quiet and serene
-5-6 minute walk to Epcot (not enough of a difference to choose one resort over the other
-Better dining choices (Captain's Grill, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, Crew's Cup)
-guaranteed balcony
-Think "anchors and sailboats"

[Wood Nymph]

I've stayed at YC once and BC many times. The more formal atmosphere of the YC wasn't really a factor for us at all. I liked our room and it had the balcony, which was nice. Our room was really close to the Boardwalk. One thing I liked about the YC was how close it was to the boat launch and the restaurants at the BWI. It is also a closer walk to Hollywood Studios. The extra time it took to walk to Epcot really wasn't too bad, maybe another five minutes. If a guaranteed balcony is the make or break deal, then go with the YC. We have ended up with the standing balcony quite a few times at the BC.

You can't walk through the YC to the BC. You have to go outside at some point because the resorts don't have a connection for the public.

The BC is nice because it is closer to Epcot, you can walk through the air conditioned hallways of the BC to get to your room if you are staying in the BC. And the Marketplace is there. The YC doesn't have a counter service in it.

[Yellosno]

I know this may have little to no influence on where you stay but the Yacht Club lobby was the best smelling hotel lobby I have ever been in, and I am not the type of person to remember things like this, but it just smelled so good!

[heidijanesmith]

Originally Posted by VickieMouse

We will be traveling for 8-9 nights in August and staying in a standard room.
It will be me, DH, and our 3 girls - ages 10, 8, and 4 (who will be in a stroller)

I know these resorts share the same great pool! But we are split as to where to stay in August.

DH says YC. A full balcony is very important to him as a way to have some alone time at the end of a long day. I know a full balcony is a possibility at BC, but with also wanting a day bed I am not sure how easily both requests would be granted. We chose YC specifically for a balcony or patio. We went in Aug 2012. We asked for a patio 1st, close to loby 2nd and then day bed 3rd (we have two teens that will not share a bed). We got a beautiful room, with a large patio over looking the BW area, a day bed and were pretty far from the lobby.

I say BC because of the closer proximity to Epcot. I do worry about the "hustle bustle" some say about the BC in the lobby. I think we would welcome the quiet more on this vacation. We have only stayed at POP and I can't imagine it is anything equivalent to the chaos that exists in the POP food court at busy times. However, we do have kids who like to be kids and don't want to feel too "loud" for YC either. We found the YC to be very relaxing and quiet. We did eat at Cape May and found the lobby to be louder, but not bad at all. There were plenty of young kids at YC, so don't worry about that.

Otherwise, I don't think we have a clear preference as to theme, specific location, etc. Are the standard rooms more preferable in one over the other?
I think BC is closer to refillable mug station (don't think that really matters). We found it quite a walk to the YC lobby, SAB and Hurricane Hannah's from our room, but nothing horrible or worth asking for a closer room.

I guess what I am wondering is how much further of a walk is it to Epcot from YC? Is it considerable or just a minute or 2? Can some of the walk between resorts be done inside the resort instead of in the August heat? It is not much further to EPCOT from YC than BC, maybe 1 minute depending on your room location. Aug is HOT! We booked a waterview and found it worth everypenny. We could watch the high fireworks from Illuminations at night and enjoy the BW view from our patio. The heat did get pretty awful walking along the boardwalk from our room to the pool, wear flip flops!

Or... how much would we miss a full balcony. For those of you who like the alone time, is it just too hot in August (even in the evenings) to utilize that balcony anyway. We found the evenings to be cool enough to enjoy the patio and would have been a deal breaker for us not to have a patio or balcony

Anything else I should consider before making the choice? Tell me why you choose one over the other. We are completely on the fence right now

Thank you so much for your help.

We really liked the YC for it's proximity to EPCOT and DS. SAB is very fun and great for kids. It will be crowded in Aug, but it's a great way to escape the heat. Go the the parks early in the AM, take a midafternoon break and return for more touring at night when it's cooler.

[mommysdb]

Don't worry about requesting a day bed if you stay at the BC. CM have told us a reservation for 5 will automatically get you one. Just request the balcony as your first choice if that is important to you.

For me I like the BC because every step counts at the end of a long day in Epcot. I know this sounds silly, but we have found it to be true.

However, since SAB is a pretty important part of the vacation, I like YC for families with young children, and BC for the older kids. We have always plopped down nearest our particular resort, so as the YC had most of the kiddie. Area, you may want to give that a try.

[poohgirl6]

I have stayed at both, and I don't think there is enough difference between the two resorts to be a make or break situation. The balcony issue might give the edge to the YC. Otherwise, I'd take the best room rate and you won't be disappointed.

[NJRRK]

Originally Posted by poohgirl6

I have stayed at both, and I don't think there is enough difference between the two resorts to be a make or break situation. The balcony issue might give the edge to the YC. Otherwise, I'd take the best room rate and you won't be disappointed.

Anyone from New England will appreciate this comparison:

Beach Club = Martha's Vineyard
Yacht Club = Nantucket

[Scott MC]

Originally Posted by NJRRK

Anyone from New England will appreciate this comparison:

Beach Club = Martha's Vineyard
Yacht Club = Nantucket

I'm a New Englamder and think more Yacht Club= Marblehead MA, and BC= Cape Cod.

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[VickieMouse]

After reading the above posts, especially the comparisons to other towns, I think the BC is more our family's style. How likely is it that we would get a balcony if that was our sole request? Anyone have experience with that?

With that being said, I know the balcony is probably our top priority after hearing your comments. I just think it may be too big of a gamble at BC (is it a 50% chance or less to get a full balcony?)

I know we also need a daybed, but I am guessing it would be almost guaranteed as PP suggested, and I don't think their availability tips the scale to BC over YC.

Thank you!

[MUFFYCAT]

We stayed at the YC & BC when my 2 DD were tweens and BC felt more comfortable and relaxed.

[Scott MC]

Originally Posted by VickieMouse

After reading the above posts, especially the comparisons to other towns, I think the BC is more our family's style. How likely is it that we would get a balcony if that was our sole request? Anyone have experience with that?

With that being said, I know the balcony is probably our top priority after hearing your comments. I just think it may be too big of a gamble at BC (is it a 50% chance or less to get a full balcony?)

I know we also need a daybed, but I am guessing it would be almost guaranteed as PP suggested, and I don't think their availability tips the scale to BC over YC.

Thank you!

Well, I hate these words as much as anybody, but a request is simply that. I believe the BC staff will get you a balcony if they possibly can, but it's not promised. As far as the daybed, my understanding is that parties of five do not guarantee you a daybed. If you are a party of five, and your assigned room does not have a daybed, they will wheel a cot up. For me this is unacceptable, bit if it's ok with you, then I say go for BC and request a balcony and a daybed. If you want a better shot at getting what you want, I say book YC, where you are promised a balcony and make daybed your only request. BC&YC are definitely two different hotels, but since they're practically connected and share amenities, I would never have a problem sleeping at YC and spending all my time at BC or vice-versa.

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