Beach club vs Caribbean

[geoff112001]

We are planning a late May trip next year. we will be taking our 7 year old daughter and just under 3 year old son. We have stayed at both CSR and CBR in the past, and loved them both! About 8 years ago we had a bunch of Disney dollars from our visa card that were going to expire, so at that time we bought 7 day park tickets. We forgot all about that until just now. (early Christmas ha ha) So we were thinking to maybe splurge the next trip and stay at a deluxe. Since we will have a 3 year old, and we will be spending more time at the resort, would Beach club make sense? Mainly because of the pool. Or would it be smart to save money and stay at Caribbean Beach which has a nice kids area as well. Bus rides to the parks don't bother us at all.

Thanks for all the help!!

 

[Sue M]

It depends on your budget. If staying at BC won't strain the wallet, go for BC. Location is great, Epcot in your backyard, and walk or boat to DHS. Great dining options at BC too! They have a nice kids area in pool, and a kids slide too.

 

[LisaCM614]

We love the location of the BC. Walking to two parks is wonderful. We love to spend evenings enjoying entertainment at the Boardwalk. Walking around the lake, playing Boardwalk games, getting snacks and treats is a great way to spend an evening especially with little ones who might not make it out to enjoy fireworks or late night entertainment at the parks.
The only reason why I would ever tell someone not to stay at the BC is if they really like to have breakfast at a food court type place. You don't have one at BC/YC or BWI. The Beach Club Marketplace, Hurrican Hannahs and Boardwalk Bakery work really well for us but not for people who prefer a food court. We love the easy access to so many great restaurants both at BC/YC, Boardwalk and Epcot World Showcase - Beach Club is at the top of our list!
So it really depends on what is important to you!

 

[mickeynut1]

We are planning a late May trip next year. we will be taking our 7 year old daughter and just under 3 year old son. We have stayed at both CSR and CBR in the past, and loved them both! About 8 years ago we had a bunch of Disney dollars from our visa card that were going to expire, so at that time we bought 7 day park tickets. We forgot all about that until just now. (early Christmas ha ha) So we were thinking to maybe splurge the next trip and stay at a deluxe. Since we will have a 3 year old, and we will be spending more time at the resort, would Beach club make sense? Mainly because of the pool. Or would it be smart to save money and stay at Caribbean Beach which has a nice kids area as well. Bus rides to the parks don't bother us at all.

Thanks for all the help!!

We've stayed at both BC and CBR and with the ages of your kids, I would go with CBR. The BC is nice, but SAB can be a headache with little ones, IMO. It is spread out and can get very crowded as it is shared with the YC. Also, as the pp said, there isn't a food court/CS with much variety (at least not for us). The Marketplace has grab-n-go items, but we find it too limited. Some people have no problem walking into Epcot for meals, but we don't find that convenient, especially for breakfast. With all of that said, these are just my opinions and while I'm glad we tried the BC, we weren't wow'd by SAB and the limited CS is a deal breaker for us. Good luck.

 

[hedberg1661]

I really think you should go for BC. Their pool is amazing plus you can reach two parks via a boat/walk.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I've done CBR and will be doing BC for the first time in August.

At that age I would go with CBR because of the kids splash area. My DS was 9 and 11 when we stayed there and DD was 3 and 5. DD stayed in the pirate ship splash area for hours. She loved it.

I hear that SAB can be really difficult with small kids and for ME I like to relax at pool time. At CBR I would grab a lounge chair and let DD run in the play area. DS would be in the bigger pool and XH and I would rotate the relaxing and hanging with each kid.

Now if you would've said CR or Poly I would go with those choices.

 

[Lisann]

Honestly, you can't go wrong with either. I personally prefer deluxe whenever it is possible...more relaxing for me. 3 year olds won't know the difference, but the adults will. Either one is great. SAB is beautiful and fun!

 

[AmMeinOh]

I would stay at BC if you had the choice, easy access to 2 parks, plus the pool is so much nicer and more space on your room. Makes it an easy choice for me.

 

[Monykalyn]

We just stayed at both this last week. The CBR pool is definitely easier to watch kids at, and I really enjoyed the walk to PR in the am for my coffee. We had breakfast stuff in the room so we didn't need to rush out for breakfast. The new beds at CBR are very comfortable too

But- Beach club rooms have more space, the quiet pool is nice for littles and there is a sandy area for little ones as well. We were in an older room but got upgraded to water view of the private pool with full balcony. Omg I loved sitting on the balcony in am sipping coffee, watching the boardwalk...my teen ran to Epcot daily for her French pastries too lol

Both properties have their plus and minuses. I'd stay at either one again but if you can do it - beach club is amazing

 

[Babsy]

With the age of your children, I would choose CBR. If I were looking to upgrade to a deluxe property, I would choose a resort in the MK area. Either WL or the Poly would be great choices based upon your budget and personal preference.

That said, the BC is a lovely resort and you could have a good stay here as well. I just think that one of the other choices would be better.

Good luck however you decide.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would choose CBR because oc the pool. SAB is a headache with little ones, I think. Now if you want deluxe, and would consider changing resorts, I would look at the Poly. Or Wilderness Lodge. I love Animal Kingdom, but a lot of people feel isolated there.

 

[maryandtyson]

What about Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge? Both have splash areas (AKL's is at Kidani) and awesome theming.

We are Beach Club lovers, but the other two are also favorites and may give you the best of both worlds.

 

[alc571]

I would stay at BC. We just got back from CBR, and were unimpressed with our room. Although refurbished, and decorated lovely, it was dirty. Some spots had never been wiped down, crumbs on the floor and hair on the bathroom floor and tub. We've stayed on property numerous times, at POR and AKL, and have never had this experience before. I know it could be a one-off, but if you look at tripadvisor it seems to be becoming more common here. Just my two cents...

 

[lala5176]

I would stay BC since you already have your tickets and can splurge a little. You can walk to two of the parks from there and any less time we need to get on a bus with a folded stroller is bonus to me!!! I agree with others that SAB can be a bit overwhelming especially when you have children of varying ages. We found that our two youngest did well playing in the shallow sand area but really enjoyed the area where the entrance to the large slide is. There is a small Childs slide there but you will have to go in the pool with your youngest. CBR does have a great splash area for the kids though I think I would still pick BC for several other reasons.... location, room size, convenience to small but handy marketplace, proximity to Boardwalk.... to name a few.

 

[clapton]

For me it would be an easy decision, BC for sure! You can't compare BC to CBR IMO. Location alone wins out for me, love the atmosphere and all the dining options on the boardwalk and other resorts as well. The pool is great as well! Whatever you decide have a great trip!!

 

[AllieBoo]

We did a split stay CBR and YC last week. I would definitely pick BC. CBR is ok but bus service was really bad. Also, we loved having a balcony and bigger room at YC and SAB is awesome!

 

[goofyintoronto]

We've stayed at both BC and CBR and with the ages of your kids, I would go with CBR. The BC is nice, but SAB can be a headache with little ones, IMO. It is spread out and can get very crowded as it is shared with the YC. Also, as the pp said, there isn't a food court/CS with much variety (at least not for us). The Marketplace has grab-n-go items, but we find it too limited. Some people have no problem walking into Epcot for meals, but we don't find that convenient, especially for breakfast. With all of that said, these are just my opinions and while I'm glad we tried the BC, we weren't wow'd by SAB and the limited CS is a deal breaker for us. Good luck.

I agree with this. i'd go with CBR for this very reason. They'll love the pool! its the only moderate with a zero entry pool!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Definitely BC!

I really don't think its that difficult to navigate SAB since your kids are both young. It's not like having s teenager and a toddler

It is sooo nice to be able to walk to EPCOT and take the boat or walk to DHS. I've heard too many "nightmare bus stories" about the bus system at CBR

It is really nice to be able to sit on your balcony and relax while kids are sleeping. Add to that bigger rooms, being able to walk to EPCOT for dinner, Beaches and Cream and room service makes it an easy choice for me!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

IMO, the only reason to choose BC over CBR with a 3yo in tow is location. If you will spend a lot of time in Epcot, BC makes more sense. Otherwise save a few hundred dollars/night and stay at CBR and spend the extra $$ doing character meals. The character meals can save you a ton of time as you can avoid queues for character pictures and meetings.