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

[Sue M]

Originally Posted by Ninja Mom

You think that's bad.... on a map at the new web site DiVine from the Animal Kingdom park was listed as appearing at Hollywood Studios in the middle of a lake.



~NM

Maybe they are going to rename her Lady of the Lake? Sure glad we don't have the new web site (yet) in Canada. Hopefully they'll have ironed out all the glitches before it comes here.

[Sue M]

Originally Posted by JanetMom

That's my favourite way to see WDW. Nice and leisurely!

Our first trip was commando- park opening to closing got that out of our system real quick

[meryll83]

So, something I've always wondered...

Having usually stayed at the likes of Pop, and knowing how busy the bus stops get - how do places like Y&BC and BW cope with one bus stop?! I know Epcot and MGM (never DHS! ) are accessible in different ways, but still, aren't there hoardes of people queuing for MK, AK etc. on a morning?

[Ninja Mom]

Here is the latest installment of my mostly BC trip report:

Monday morning came early but it was still the beginning of the trip, so I had the energy to jump out of bed and get ready for another exciting day at WDW. I looked over and DH was missing from the bed. As it turns out he had beat me in getting up and he was on the prowl in the Club Level lounge looking for coffee. He reported that before 7 am, when the lounge officially opened for the day, some poor soul had taken pity on the early risers and put coffee out for them. Im not quite sure if putting coffee out early meant a big old pot of dark something delicious or dragging the multi-function coffee/latte/cappuccino/nectar of life machine out in the hallway.

Anyway coffee is available before the lounge officially opens.

By the time I got there everything was open and fully stocked. It was crowded where the food was located but not overwhelmingly so. The area is like a U shaped counter and about the size of a typical kitchen. Mostly people just waited for their turn at the toaster or coffee machine so it wasnt a problem. The hot tip of the day is that trays are stashed under the cooler where the sodas are kept. In fact there are drawers in that U shaped counter area that have extra dishes and glasses so its a good idea to take a peep when you get the chance to understand the lay of the land in Club Level.

I grabbed a tray and put a plate with some goodies on it and a beverage or two to take back to the room. The boys were out cold and I knew my only hope of raising them from the Disney Dead was to lure them out of bed with a selection of offerings from the pastry department. Back in the room and energized from half a cup of coffee, I made a loud ruckus about how delicious the cakes and Danish were. I may have even lied about bacon being available (its NOT) to get those boys out of bed. It worked with 2 out of the 3 but that 3rd one wasnt buying it, no how, no way!

I tried the good cop routine with the lure of the pastry but now it was time to go all bad cop on the stubborn one still clinging to the bed. I start by taking all the covers off and then I go for the pillows. Threats of water torture are not far behind at this point. Usually, the lack of covers and pillows is enough but a well chilled, Club Level, bottle of water can be brought out of the fridge and held against the feet to get things moving.

Curiosity and my threats got the better of my morning slacker so rise he did to get ready for EPCOT. However we were running behind so we missed rope drop by about 30 minutes, which put us out of the running for the quickie FP for a second ride on Soaring. Not knowing the deal with the freshly opened Test Track we decided to keep our fast pass options open in case we needed one for that ride. After Soaring we scurried over to Test Track and waited in a long line outside after seeing that that FP return times for that were already into the PM hours. Thankfully we did not have to wait in line for a long period of time for Test Track because it promptly broke down.

Test Track not working became a frequently encountered theme for our entire trip. How a freshly refurbished ride can spend huge amounts of time being broken is beyond me. It got to the point where I was loathe to even get in line for this turkey for fear that we would wait over an hour only to be told that it was broken once again. There were no FPs being given out to the people like us who were waiting in line but were skunked. We were told it was because they did not know when the ride would be up and running again and by golly they were right about that! If we had a FP they said that they would honor it past its expiration time, but by 10:30 in the morning the return times for a TT FP were at around 7:30 pm so it wasnt worth tying up your FP for the whole day for a ride that would probably be nonfunctional anyway.

Since my guys had major dog eyes to ride this thing we kept going back at different times during our entire trip to see if we could get on the dang ride. We finally managed later on in the week but only after waiting for at least an hour in line. We were able to design our vehicles but that was the only thing about that part of the ride that worked. After we got on the ride none of the interactive features worked. Not a one. Did I mention that the ride was less than a week old? Very Nice, Disney! To say that the redesign was not worth the time and aggravation is an understatement. The ride is still fun but take it from me, save yourself a lot of trouble and skip the standby line and go straight to the single rider line, which lacks the design component. Then keep an ear out and make sure you still hear those cars whizzing by on the track outside, because the moment that stops you are dead in the water.

We did the obligatory Future World stuff like Mission Space and Spaceship Earth and then we headed off to Le Cellier for a nice lunch. That mushroom risotto filet was calling my name and I was listening! I was the only one who saved half of my entrée to take back to the room for later. Between the pretzel bread and the Maple Crème Brule you still had to roll me out of Canada after that meal!

Later on one night I reheated my dinner in the microwave at the Marketplace. I had never worked with a restaurant quality microwave before so let me tell you that mother is one powerful heater! I am always very careful when reheating steak because I like it on the rare side and reheating too much can obliterate that nice pinky center. I think I had the microwave running on God knows what power setting but in 15 second intervals and that entrée was piping hot in 30 seconds. I could see how some people could blow up a hot pocket or a half a burger in a microwave like that so be careful. The microwave was very clean so I thought that was great too.

While I was working the microwave I was talking to some managers that were in my area and I was teasing them that I would not be sharing my leftover Le Cellier Mushroom Risotto Filet with them. Though deeply saddened at the thought, one or two managers found the strength to still wish me a magical day as they dried their tears with a Marketplace napkin.

Later on that night we went over to the Magic Kingdom and split up. I spent a great deal of time drooling over the castle, which was dressed in her Christmas icicle lights, and watching the parades and castle fore court shows. The guys ditched me to do ride stuff and I didnt even bother trying to lure them over to do any of my girly stuff with me. Now thats what I call a successful night!

We had another early morning planned for the next day and this time it involved a breakfast reservation so no Club Level carbs for us. Since this was a credit card secured reservation I made a public safety announcement that anyone causing us to be late or miss this reservation would be shipped off to Bippity Boppity Boutique for a complete makeover and excessive amounts of glitter. One of my favorite lines from another Dis thread stated that Glitter is the herpes of the craft world. Truer words have never been spoken! My guys know I mean it about not missing our reservation time so I knew there would not be any trouble getting up the next morning. And I was right. Somehow our party of 5 turned into a party of 6 for breakfast the next morning. Tune in for the next installment to see how that happened!

[Ninja Mom]

Originally Posted by meryll83

So, something I've always wondered...

Having usually stayed at the likes of Pop, and knowing how busy the bus stops get - how do places like Y&BC and BW cope with one bus stop?! I know Epcot and MGM (never DHS! ) are accessible in different ways, but still, aren't there hoardes of people queuing for MK, AK etc. on a morning?

Hi and Welcome to the thread!

We were out early at the bus stops and we never saw the hordes of people waiting. There is now a CM at the resort bus stops In The Morning reporting back to dispatch about the need for more buses in case a thundering herd does show up for a particular park. I've even heard a rumor that monitors are going to be put in the bus stops showing that the bus for park "X" is so many minutes away from your stop. I heard about this being considered for the Grand Floridian bus stop but it can't be far behind the other deluxe hotels if it is in fact true.

Nope. the only bus nightmare that one has to worry about when staying at the BC/YC is the bus to Downtown Disney. I think the BC is the last stop before the bus GOES to DTD, so it may be full when it pulls up. The bus coming back from DTD goes all over before finally getting to the BC/YC stops. The time depends on how may people are involved and if there are scooters to be loaded and unloaded. Also I think the DTD makes a stop at a Water park, but it didn't when we were on the bus, possibly because one of them was closed for a refurbishment.

Keep in mind that All resorts that have bus service to DTD have epic problems, so it's not just the YC/BC. The bus to DTD is like the unwanted stepchild of the resort bus system. She is asked to do too many chores by stopping at too many resorts much like Cinderella and her problems. An insider secret is to figure out which is the worst leg of a bus trip between your resort and DTD and take a cab to avoid that leg of the trip. In the case of the YC/BC the consensus is that the return trip from DTD to the YC/BC is really problematic so spend the estimated $20 (includes a tip for the driver) and take the cab. It's 45 minutes plus of your life that you will be glad to get back.

~NM

[natebenma]

Originally Posted by momto3gr8boys

I get it too! We are doing a split stay with poly/bcv in August. My DW just looked at me and said why don't we just stay at poly the whole trip? Horror of horrors lol. It just wouldn't feel like a complete trip without SAB and being able to walk to Epcot and DS. I could do it in the winter, but not on a long summer stay!

I don't have you on the Be Our Guest list, so I will add you!

Originally Posted by teetee830

Hi, all! I just switched our reservation to BC from Poly for Oct 14-20. My son is really excited by SAB, and I save some $$.

We have never stayed at a deluxe before, normally we stay at POFQ. My DS wants to try something new this time. I really thought he would want to stay at AoA. I have to say I wasn't sad he choose a deluxe and then I was even more excited when he decided he wanted to stay at BC. I've always wanted to stay there; I just love the look of it.

I'll be looking forward to learning the ins and outs of the BC from all of you great DISers. Can anyone tell me the best room request to put in? We don't want a long walk from SAB or to eat, but I also don't like a lot of noise and I would prefer the full balcony. That way after he goes to bed I can sit outside with a beverage without bothering him.

I'll add you to the Be Our Guest list.



What view category did you book (standard, garden or water)?

I definitely recommend that you make "Full balcony, please" as your first, and maybe only request. Possibly add on "Close to lobby, if possible"- that will be a location near to food options, access to SAB and bus stops. I think if you request a room in a quiet location, you are more likely to be further away from the lobby. But even still, I don't think the noise will be an issue, at least I don't think it is worth requesting. In my opinion, the noise level you encounter in a room is more a factor of who your neighbors are.

Originally Posted by Stini228

Hello all! We are staying at the YC Jan 25-27th and have received a letter in the mail indicating the Stormalong Bay pool slide will be closed starting Jan 16th thru "the end of January". It also says we are welcome to use the Luna Park pool during this time. Figured I'd mention it,,didnt see it noted here,,sorry if I missed it.

Originally Posted by deezeealum

We also received the same letter today and we leave the 25th of this month. Really hoping the slide is open as it was a major draw for our 7 year old. Can anyone give light to what "end of January" might mean? Maybe Teena???? Also I thought I read that BW's Luna park pool was going to be closed and that BW guests could use SAB? Did I miss read or going crazy which is possible.

to you both. I don't see either of you on the Be Our Guest list, so I will add you.



I saw on another thread on the resort boards that the proposed dates of the SAB slide closure are Jan 17-25, and I think pixarmom posted a link confirming those dates. Also, it has been reported that the Luna park pool at the Boardwalk will be down for refurbishment around Jan 28, so I am guessing the SAB slide will be operational before then.

Originally Posted by Karebear

Hello All,

After "lurking" on the BC/YC board for a couple of months now, I finally convinced my hubby to let me book a trip there--yippee! It looks like an amazing place! This will be my kids 2nd trip to WDW and they are very excited. They will be almost 9 and 10 when we go, so SAB should be perfect for them.

We will be staying at the YC--hoping for a balcony! We are checking in on 8/30. Please add us to the list

I'll add you to the Be Our Guest list.



You should be all set for a full balcony since you are staying at the Yacht Club.

.

[Music City Mama]

Hi everyone! I thought we'd stay at the Swan/Dolphin this June (we were at BC last June), but now I'm highly contemplating the YC.

We loved the BC, but I'm all for trying new things, so I'd probably opt for the YC this time.

Questions:

1. Are the rooms the same exact set up? I'm specifically interested in knowing if the bathroom door practically hits the toilet when you open it.

2. I would get a GV and want to know if you can overlook the gazebo AND also be close to an elevator (we were very far from the elevators at BC and that's the one thing I'd change).

3. I haven't booked online in a long time but think I might this time. Can you make requests online or do you really need to call for that still?

Thanks!!

[momto3gr8boys]

Originally Posted by natebenma

I don't have you on the Be Our Guest list, so I will add you!



.

WooHoo! Thanks for adding me

I can't wait to be back at the BC!

[chocolateMinnie]

we had the most amazing trip to BC in October/November and would highly recommend the resort to everyone. If we were returning to WDW the choice would be a no-brainer. The easy walk to EPCOT and DHS was fantastic. We had no problems with any of the transport except for DTD where we did wait (at DTD) for over half an hour for the bus which then made sooooooooooooooo many stops that we couldn't believe it.

That and the lack of seating at BC marketplace were our only possible criticism.

If you are booked to go to BC for the first time in 2013 then LUCKY LUCKY YOU!!!

So much better than the GF which was a huge disappointment to us.

[Karebear]

Originally Posted by natebenma

I'll add you to the Be Our Guest list.



You should be all set for a full balcony since you are staying at the Yacht Club.

.

Thanks so much for adding us to the list and for all of the info on this thread--so much useful information!

[kristen2276]

Is the bus still shared with BW, Swan/Dolphin? When we were at the BWI in June, it did and when I tell you it was AWFUL, it was- always long lines, no space, and the busses were slow to get to the resort/park. I don't understand how a deluxe resort has to share a bus with so many other resorts- I can see maybe one other, but all of them was crazy.
Do you think April/May will be better? It was a packed time when we went-

[pixarmom]

First, for all those thinking about YC garden view, I just have to put in my two cents. Last year, our YC room overlooked the quiet pool and I really loved it. I was tempted to lobby the front desk CM for a gazebo view because I know there is so much love for it. But I was thrilled with this quiet pool location. While it wasn't super close to the lobby, we used the YC "secret entrance" quite a bit to avoid winding through hallways.

Originally Posted by Ninja Mom

Hi and Welcome to the thread!

We were out early at the bus stops and we never saw the hordes of people waiting. There is now a CM at the resort bus stops In The Morning reporting back to dispatch about the need for more buses in case a thundering herd does show up for a particular park. I've even heard a rumor that monitors are going to be put in the bus stops showing that the bus for park "X" is so many minutes away from your stop. I heard about this being considered for the Grand Floridian bus stop but it can't be far behind the other deluxe hotels if it is in fact true.

~NM

Two bus notes:

1) Our family just did an overnight at a resort fairly close to home and met a waiter there who just finished the college program and is returning as a CM this week. Now, he's in entertainment. During most of his college program experience, he was the CM out at the bus stop! He has a seriously amazing outlook on his job as "that guy" at the bus stop - truly loves Disney. Funny stories about guests' bus stop behaviors, too.

2) Just wanted to confirm what NM is saying about DTD and the bus. Seriously, it's no better or worse from BC/YC than anywhere else. We've stayed at Poly, CR, BC, YC, WL, AKL, Dolphin, BWI, CSR, CBR, Sports and POFQ (but that doesn't count because there's the boat to DTD.) And I can tell you that, in our experience, the bus to DTD is never great. Highly recommend the cab - worth every penny. Although we have no plans to visit DTD anytime soon, if we return, we'll grab a cab both to and fro. At the most, we'll take the bus "to" and the cab "fro."

[pixarmom]

Originally Posted by kristen2276

Is the bus still shared with BW, Swan/Dolphin? When we were at the BWI in June, it did and when I tell you it was AWFUL, it was- always long lines, no space, and the busses were slow to get to the resort/park. I don't understand how a deluxe resort has to share a bus with so many other resorts- I can see maybe one other, but all of them was crazy.
Do you think April/May will be better? It was a packed time when we went-

We've stayed at BC during many different times of year. Our BC/YC stays have covered the months of January, February, March, April, July, August and October so far (but not June!) and we're usually out at the bus stop first thing in the morning before rope drop. It's almost always direct to MK or AK from BC with no stop at BWI unless the bus is really empty. I timed the BWI stop and it added three minutes to our trip (which is about 15 minutes direct to MK.)

At least for me, I think it feels different to board the bus at BWI because it's already relatively full from the other resorts. When we board at BC, it doesn't start off crowded and if we fill up the bus enough, we just head straight to the park without the BWI stop.

Our trips back to BC from MK/AK have always included stops at S/D and YC first. We sometimes consider bailing at S/D or YC and walking but the stops are quick so we haven't.

[Wood Nymph]

Originally Posted by pixarmom

First, for all those thinking about YC garden view, I just have to put in my two cents. Last year, our YC room overlooked the quiet pool and I really loved it. I was tempted to lobby the front desk CM for a gazebo view because I know there is so much love for it. But I was thrilled with this quiet pool location. While it wasn't super close to the lobby, we used the YC "secret entrance" quite a bit to avoid winding through hallways.

We had a room that was a little bit to the right of this picture. It was a lovely location. We loved that it was close to the secret YC entrance. In fact, we almost never went to the lobby, and if we did, we walked outside to go there.
The boats can be noisy with all that "tooting" they do, so we were happy to be away from it. I would request that view again.

[PrincessTaylorsMom]

Hello All

I took advantage of the new discount this morning and booked a trip back to BC! Yeah! We'll be there 4/13 - 4/19, which is our kids school vacation! After months spent "working" my DH into the realization that we need another trip to BC (we fell in love with it during our trip in October of 2011), the new discount was an offer too good to refuse.

I can't wait to tell our DDs!