2014/2015 Beach and Yacht Club FAQ, Friends & Fun, Sept 2014-Mayl 2015

[dansdad]

The CM told me to call back 9 days prior to check in, including the weekend days. So if you're getting there on the 30th, I'd say to call on the 21st, based on what I was told.

I have been seeing more and more that the phone CMs are giving incorrect information concerning calling in any room requests. For some unknown reason, they have been telling people that you can't add any room requests until 10 days out. That is completely incorrect. You can call and add room requests ANY time from the day you book up until 4-5 days prior to your arrival. Just call back and hopefully you will get a CM that knows what they're talking about.

I know it's not a big deal, but it really irks me when guests are given incorrect information.

 

[Disney before Sally]

I have been seeing more and more that the phone CMs are giving incorrect information concerning calling in any room requests. For some unknown reason, they have been telling people that you can't add any room requests until 10 days out. That is completely incorrect. You can call and add room requests ANY time from the day you book up until 4-5 days prior to your arrival. Just call back and hopefully you will get a CM that knows what they're talking about.

I know it's not a big deal, but it really irks me when guests are given incorrect information.

The difference here is booking direct (call anytime) and booking through an agent or orbitz or other (ten days prior to arrival). Im guessing.

 

[Dispro1]

I have two teens, currently 16 and 13, but they are boys, so I know that is a whole different situation from having teen girls. Nate gave us trouble for about 6 months when he was 12, but he really is getting more and more tolerable as the years go by and dare I say I am already starting to miss him and he isn't even gone yet!

So no teenage girl drama for you, lucky! I don't want to bring up the whole teenage thing again, but I had to tell this... I was babysitting my two nephews (5 and 2) earlier today, and The Little Mermaid came on the Disney channel. When I saw the scene where Ariel had an argument with King Triton, I started laughing. She said" I'm not a child, I'm 16!" She wanted to explore and her father thought she would get caught by a fisherman. It's funny how watching this movie now is so different from watching it 10 years ago. Now I'm like King Triton (in female form)!

 

[natebenma]

I have been seeing more and more that the phone CMs are giving incorrect information concerning calling in any room requests. For some unknown reason, they have been telling people that you can't add any room requests until 10 days out. That is completely incorrect. You can call and add room requests ANY time from the day you book up until 4-5 days prior to your arrival. Just call back and hopefully you will get a CM that knows what they're talking about.

I know it's not a big deal, but it really irks me when guests are given incorrect information.

Just clarifying the background on this post. This is regarding calling in a request directly to the resort, not the call center- the resort does not make note of your request prior to 9 days out. Advice to call in an important or unusual request was made by a knowledgeable resort CM (not our T. ) recently on this thread.

You are correct in your assertion that rooms requests most certainly can be made more than 10 days out from a trip by contacting Disney's Central Reservations Office or having your third party agent do it.

 

[DonnaDuck333]

Question, and apologize I if this has been asked already.... when do they decorate here for Christmas... taking my parents for there 50th and would like to see it in all it's festive glory... We are going around Nov 15th to the 25th and want them and us too to have that holiday feel and view the decorations ( never been during Christmas )... only gone at summer and the weather is kind of miserable.. hoping November is much cooler than August temps and humidity...

 

[natebenma]

page 257-261

My TA nearly gave me a heart attack this weekend. She priced up 21 nights at Yacht Club instead of 12!!!!!

On the bright side- look at how much money you are saving!

Disney Math.

Wow! Only 10 days till we check into the YC for the very first time! At last we get to stay here! Tomorrow I will be sending my room request. I have read page 1 of this thread, and looked at the Touring Plans room locator info, and I think I have confused myself as to what to ask for. So I thought I'd come here where all the sensible people hang out and ask for a little help in clearing my brain!) We have booked a GV. We want to be at the back of the hotel, the lake side...is that what it is called? If I said the back of the hotel would they understand? I am ideally looking for something that looks toward Epcot or the Boardwalk though I know that a lot of them are WV, but I know some GVs have views that peek that way. I am thinking maybe over the gazebo, but more toward the lake. But of course I would not want to be so specific of that that it would stop us being put into a room with even more of a water view if there was pixie dust blowing around. The view and balcony are probably the most important thing to us. I have no idea if I am making any sense Touring Plan calls them NE facing rooms....if I put that on my request (along with Upper floor as we would prefer not to be on the ground) would that be enough of a description do you think? Thanks for anyone who has read and understood this!

It's also my birthday 2 days after we get there, so is it worth mentioning that to the hotel too?

Keep the request simple. When people want to request the side of the resort you want, I do recommend they say back (lake side) of resort. I think you could also add "Facing toward BW or EPCOT"

Questions for all you Beach/Yacht Club experts...(and I apologize if these have been answered already, but this thread is 259 pages long, so....)

We are planning a Feb 2016 trip, and I think we are going to stay at the BC or the YC. We are unsure which one, though. We are a family of 4, and will have a 6 yr old and 3 yr old with us. I think I like the looks of the BC better, but because of the little ones, I think a balcony that hubby and I can sit on when we put the kids to bed might be nice. Most meals will be out and about, but we are not big breakfast eaters, so we will eat it in our room most mornings, but if we wanted to grab something quick on our way out in the morning, the only CS is at the BC, right?

So, if we want a balcony, we are better going with YC, right? Is it that far out of the way to swing in for breakfast on our way in the mornings at the BC?

Last question, if we are hoping for a room discount, is there equal likelihood at both resorts?

I'll pencil you in on the Be Our Guest list for February.



Yes, your best bet for a balcony is with a reservation at the Yacht Club.

The discounts can be hard to predict, so I think I would recommend that you make a reservation where you are comfortable, then continue to monitor prices when different discounts are announced. Disney makes it pretty easy to switch reservations, so if you find something better (cheaper) before your stay, you should be able to make a change.

The Marketplace is not too far out of the way from YC, although it will depend on where your room is there.

One thing you could do is pick up your food (pastries, yogurt, fruit) the day before so you you will have a quick breakfast before leaving the room. Or visit the Ale & Compass in the YC lounge for a quick on-the-go breakfast.

Getting ready for our stay in August..5-11. I think we are ready for the crowds and plan to hit parks at rope drop and take a break after lunch each day to avoid the heat. Celebrating with 3 kids(Disney adults) our 20th anniversary and big 5-0's...is it ever possible to ask for (and pay for) an upgrade to Club level on arrival? Was hoping to pinch pennies and surprise hubby if it would be available...we will be happy in our current room, but does it hurt to ask?

I'll add you to the Be Our Guest list we keep on Page 1 of this thread.

You absolutely can ask what the price for the upgrade to Club Level would be when you check in, and decide if it is worth it for you. Of course, there may be no availability, and the room may not be subject to discounts you used when you booked your room.

Olaf’s Perfect Sundae at Beaches and Cream! Disney Food Blog is reporting that a new sundae featuring Olaf from Frozen is available at Beaches & Cream. Olaf’s Perfect Sundae features hot fudge, mint marshmallows, and brownie bites on top of birthday cake ice cream. Sounds good to me!

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/04/19/spotted-olafs-perfect-sundae-day-at-disney-worlds-beaches-and-cream/#more-126146[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the heads up (or in Olaf's case, head's off) on this new offering.

This is my thought too.....Dee grab the "eraser" and add a night onto our trip...I felt the need to call and see if Hard Rock had a CL suite like the one we have at Portofino....and yep they do, with the AP rate, but alas only for 8/20-8/24....awwww

So now we get an extra BC night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8/13-8/20 YAY!

For those with teenagers....
My DS14 is still overall sweet, but yep taking away the phone is the worst ever for him and I can usually even get an "I'm sorry" out of him. I am actively working on a potion to keep all children away from the tweens (which I think is where it starts). Therefore, the idea is they magically skip 12-18 years old

Making the change!!! Does that mean I am also changing the Portofino stay to Hard Rock?

:

We are staying at Yacht Club end of June. We have ADR at Hollywood and Vine at 8:00 am when the park opens at 9:00. We've done this before with ADR's at magic kingdom, but never studios. If boats won't start moving until 8:00 I'm guessing we need to cab it to studios. Is that correct? TIA

I'll add you to the Be Our Guest list we keep on Page 1.

It's going to be crazy enough for my family to get to the park for an 8:00 am ADR that there is no way we will be up in time to walk to the studios. The few times we have taken a cab at Disney World the prices don't seem too bad compared to home. So if we would take a cab I would think being downstairs asking for them to flag us a cab at 7:30 should give us enough time to get there and get through security. Does that sound right?

Sounds like a taxi would certainly be the least stressful way to ensure you will arrive at your dining reservation in time. Yes, 7:30 should be fine- cabs are waiting at the ready just outside the lobby.

As a middle school/high school teacher I like to explain to parents that this rebellious/hate-your-parents phase is actually the brain's way of gaining independence from parents and becoming an adult. They are genetically programmed to become obnoxious around age 13 until they are around 18. Once they get to college and gain the actual independence, that's when they (usually) return to their loving, grateful selves. So really, it's not you. And it's not really them either. It hormones. Once you remember that then there is a little more patience in dealing with this pain-in-the-tush phase. Just know that you should still be firm in terms of your rules and expectations, along with the consequences when they don't follow the rules. Consistency is key.

And remember that they will grow out of it, I promise.

~Cari~

Thank you for your encouraging advice. I will tell you what I say to all of the middle school teachers I encounter: "Bless you for what you do" with a special shoutout to 7th grade teachers.

No matter how grumpy my DDs were as teens, we could always talk WDW!

They are now 25 and 27, both are married and independent. But they still whine when I go to WDW without them!

Big news flash---DD #1 is expecting with an October due date! Another generation to introduce to Disney!

CONGRATULATIONS to you family!!!

At 60 days out I had made fastpasses for DHS. Yesterday afternoon I cancelled them and made them for MK instead. When we arrived around 9:20 this morning we were able to walk on the first two rides that I had made fps for, so I used the app on my iPhone while we were there in the park. I changed either the times or experience of all three selections, moving them around so that I could get earlier times. Just about everything was available at 9:30 this morning including the mountains and Peter Pan.

Thank you!

 

[natebenma]

Question, and apologize I if this has been asked already.... when do they decorate here for Christmas... taking my parents for there 50th and would like to see it in all it's festive glory... We are going around Nov 15th to the 25th and want them and us too to have that holiday feel and view the decorations ( never been during Christmas )... only gone at summer and the weather is kind of miserable.. hoping November is much cooler than August temps and humidity...

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




Good question!

I think the start date and end date of the resort decorations are set (does someone know the specific dates?) but the order when each resort is decorated is determined by lottery- it can change every year. Last year I believe the Beach Club was the last resort decorated.

Read on to next post.

 

[natebenma]

Can someone tell me about the Christmas decorations at YC and BC? We were there for Christmas many years ago and I seem to recall chocolate carousel. Also, when are the decorations usually taken down?

Train set in YC. Gingerbread chocolate carousel in the BC. Train set is up. Carousel comes Tuesday. Holiday decorations either Monday night while you sleep or Tuesday night while you sleep.

Taken down the first week of January usually. Since Y&B is done so late this year (they lost the lottery draw), then Y&B decorations should be taken down last.

Here are a couple of posts from earlier in the thread (Nov 21). Sounds like last year the decorations were up by Nov 24 or 25, which is probably about the latest since the Y&BC were dead last in the decoration lottery last year.

:

 

[JACKNAG]

Thank you for adding me ...... I have a number I believe for concierge as we have stood on club here a few years back... Really want to get the full experience of the decoration in the resort. May call over there and see when they find out when there resort is going to be decked out. Couldn't hurt. For some reason the family wanted Nov.. not the first weeks of dec which would of been a shoe in for all to be up.....

 

[Katesdad]

Questions for all you Beach/Yacht Club experts..We are planning a Feb 2016 trip, and I think we are going to stay at the BC or the YC. We are unsure which one, though. We are a family of 4, and will have a 6 yr old and 3 yr old with us. I think I like the looks of the BC better, but because of the little ones, I think a balcony that hubby and I can sit on when we put the kids to bed might be nice. Most meals will be out and about, but we are not big breakfast eaters, so we will eat it in our room most mornings, but if we wanted to grab something quick on our way out in the morning, the only CS is at the BC, right? So, if we want a balcony, we are better going with YC, right? Is it that far out of the way to swing in for breakfast on our way in the mornings at the BC? Last question, if we are hoping for a room discount, is there equal likelihood at both resorts?

You've gotten some excellent responses but I would like to add my two-cents here. Feb. 2016 should be construction / refurb season at the YC if they stay on schedule. You are certainly going to be guaranteed the full balcony at the YC and you have Ale & Compass to grab a quick breakfast bite which is in the YC lobby or you have a 5 minute walk over to the Marketplace. I think those are some of the plus items for staying at the YC, and certainly in February if you get a room that is adjacent to the construction you can ask to be relocated. I would think you stand an excellent chance of being accomodated. However, you do have that 50 - 50 shot at a full balcony at the BC and you probably stand a better chance at the discount there given the YC is a convention hotel (Feb is prime convention time) and there will be fewer rooms available for discounting at the YC. If full balcony is prime importance to you, why not book a YC room and wait and see if BC gets a better discount as you get closer to your trip. You can switch and then make "full balcony please" your one and only reservation request (requests are just that and not guarantees). That would be my suggesion on this. Hope you have a really great time.

Question, ... when do they decorate here for Christmas... taking my parents for there 50th and would like to see it in all it's festive glory... We are going around Nov 15th to the 25th and want them and us too to have that holiday feel and view the decorations...

Dee has responded but i would like to point out a couple of things. The decorations will be up in the MK because the Christmas parties will already be going on there. The other parks probably will be decorating during the time you are there so you can see a lot of that. I'm pretty sure the Osborne lights in HS don't get turned on until after Thanksgiving but you can look at last year's schedule to confirm that. As Dee mentioned the resorts get decorated based on a lottery drawing but they will be building the gingerbread house in the GF which could be fun to watch and who knows, it could be finished by the time your trip is about completed. There is a backstage tour that highlights the Disney christmas decorating. If it is available during your visit I would highly recommend it. The trip to the Christmas staging storage barn is really neat. Have a great time.

Katesdad

 

[TeenaS]

Thank you for adding me ...... I have a number I believe for concierge as we have stood on club here a few years back... Really want to get the full experience of the decoration in the resort. May call over there and see when they find out when there resort is going to be decked out. Couldn't hurt. For some reason the family wanted Nov.. not the first weeks of dec which would of been a shoe in for all to be up.....

The CMs find out sometime in November after the lottery is done. Everything must be done by Thanksgiving is the rule. They start on November 1st. Once we were done around the 7th of November. We normally get told in early November about when it will go up. Sometimes the carousel goes up a day or two before the Christmas Fairies arrive to do the resort. Last year was the latest I've ever seen the Y&B done. Obviously we were pulled out of the hat last.

 

[Katesdad]

And on the subject of teenage daughters, been there, done that, and all I can say is that they do grow out of it. And then when they start to have a family of their own, you become GRANDPARENTS, and you can have the last laugh

 

[busymommy2pink]

Hi everyone!

So I'm planning our date night since it's almost 180 day time. I can book kids club too. I was wondering, am I charged immediately for that reservation or on the day? Since we won't know the exact amount of time until that day. Thanks!

 

[Ferrentinos]

We have always been charged when we are picking her up.

 

[pas130]

Making the change!!! Does that mean I am also changing the Portofino stay to Hard Rock?

:

Yes! I'm so excited!! We are 8/13-20 BC and then 20-24 HRH CL, they classified it as Club Suite with connecting Club 2 Queen. Not as much SF as the Portofino Suite but DH and I have a King instead of the Sofabed Last night he just realized he lost a Universal night and blamed it on being at work. Too bad hunnie, I cancelled PBH the minute you gave the thumbs up!! We are dancing the PIF dance for BC as well!! 7 glorious nights!!! Wasting away at Stormalong Bay....(sung to Margaritaville tune, corny I know)

 

[Tatertot75]

We're finally in the single digit countdown!! I can't wait!

 

[LJD2143]

Less than 24 hours from now I will be checking-in to BCV!

 

[Sue M]

Yes! I'm so excited!! We are 8/13-20 BC and then 20-24 HRH CL, they classified it as Club Suite with connecting Club 2 Queen. Not as much SF as the Portofino Suite but DH and I have a King instead of the Sofabed Last night he just realized he lost a Universal night and blamed it on being at work. Too bad hunnie, I cancelled PBH the minute you gave the thumbs up!! We are dancing the PIF dance for BC as well!! 7 glorious nights!!! Wasting away at Stormalong Bay....(sung to Margaritaville tune, corny I know)

Well RC Queen, now you won't even be in WDW the same dates as us!!! Hope you enjoy HRH!

 

[DonnaDuck333]

Thank you so much for the decoration clear up for me... Thinking Dec the first week may be best to go now compared to Dec as we never seen any of them before. So with that in mine hopefully a lovely code which we are blessed to get sent every promotion and change the dates a bit we are for sure to see them all... Thank you, the location can't be beat here and the boardwalk is a favorite for our family... thank you again

 

[pas130]

Well RC Queen, now you won't even be in WDW the same dates as us!!! Hope you enjoy HRH!

Oh no! But I added a day You're coming in later in August?