Epcot Resorts

[bsb]

Hi! My husband will be going to a conference at the Swan and Dolphin in September and we are trying to plan where to stay. Although I have been to Disney many, many times I have never been to any of the Epcot resorts and can;t decide which to stay at. We are spending his non conference time at the contemporary and will do all MK stuff those days. We want to do F&W, HS and hang out at the Boardwalk. My husband will have to walk to and from the S&D everyday. We can choose from S&D, BC, YC, or Boardwalk. Cost doesn't matter since his company will be paying for the room. We will have a wheelchair and two young kids (2 and 7). Also does anyone know if the boats running are all handicap accessible? Thank you for any input!!

 

[Babsy]

Yes, the boats are all handicap accessible. All of the Epcot hotels are great! The YC/BC share a large swimming area called Storm Along Bay (SAB). SAB is beautiful and it winds around a lot with bridges and foliage. As a result, there are no places where you can easily watch children play without possibly losing sight of them. Some people with younger children find this to be a problem. There are two 'quiet' pools which are plain and rectangular that can be used here as well. The BC has a nice, family friendly beach atmosphere, the quick service restaurant, Cape May Cafe (the character buffet( and is the closest to Epcot. The YC is a bit more subdued, is closest to the boat dock and is the first bus stop pick up. The BC rooms may have a full balcony or may have a standing room only balcony. Almost all the UC rooms have a balcony.

The BWI is a lot of fun. There are a lot of activities going on at the BW itself in the evening. This resort feels a bit closer to DHS to me, but is also very close to Epcot. Room balcony sizes do vary somewhat but I believe that most have enough room to sit upon. The BWI has a very nice quiet pool area and a themed area that has a clown face that has the water slide. Some people (myself included) find the clown creepy. If you don't then you may find this pool area better for younger children for swimming. It is probably easier to keep track of them here.

For walking to/from the Swan/Dolphin everyday I would pick the BWI. It is just across the bridge from these resorts. The YC/BC aren't far but they are further away for walking.

The Swan/Dolphin are great hotels, but a large part of their charm i the price. If you aren't paying the tab, I would stay in one of the other three. If Club Level is available, I would definitely choose the BWI. The CL there is the best in the area, Hands down! If not choose the theme that you prefer and consider the pool situation for your children. All three resorts are awesome! With a split stay tab the CR, you will have the best vacation!!!

Enjoy!

 

[bsb]

Yes, the boats are all handicap accessible. All of the Epcot hotels are great! The YC/BC share a large swimming area called Storm Along Bay (SAB). SAB is beautiful and it winds around a lot with bridges and foliage. As a result, there are no places where you can easily watch children play without possibly losing sight of them. Some people with younger children find this to be a problem. There are two 'quiet' pools which are plain and rectangular that can be used here as well. The BC has a nice, family friendly beach atmosphere, the quick service restaurant, Cape May Cafe (the character buffet( and is the closest to Epcot. The YC is a bit more subdued, is closest to the boat dock and is the first bus stop pick up. The BC rooms may have a full balcony or may have a standing room only balcony. Almost all the UC rooms have a balcony.

The BWI is a lot of fun. There are a lot of activities going on at the BW itself in the evening. This resort feels a bit closer to DHS to me, but is also very close to Epcot. Room balcony sizes do vary somewhat but I believe that most have enough room to sit upon. The BWI has a very nice quiet pool area and a themed area that has a clown face that has the water slide. Some people (myself included) find the clown creepy. If you don't then you may find this pool area better for younger children for swimming. It is probably easier to keep track of them here.

For walking to/from the Swan/Dolphin everyday I would pick the BWI. It is just across the bridge from these resorts. The YC/BC aren't far but they are further away for walking.

The Swan/Dolphin are great hotels, but a large part of their charm i the price. If you aren't paying the tab, I would stay in one of the other three. If Club Level is available, I would definitely choose the BWI. The CL there is the best in the area, Hands down! If not choose the theme that you prefer and consider the pool situation for your children. All three resorts are awesome! With a split stay tab the CR, you will have the best vacation!!!

Enjoy!

Thank you so much for all this helpful information!! I was leaning towards Boardwalk and now that I know the pool situation I'm all but sold on it. Keeping track of two young kids in a pool can be challenging enough as it is!

 

[AWalks]

Thank you so much for all this helpful information!! I was leaning towards Boardwalk and now that I know the pool situation I'm all but sold on it. Keeping track of two young kids in a pool can be challenging enough as it is!

On the pool topic - we are planning on taking our 2 boys on their first WDW trip next summer, and several weeks ago we showed them videos and pics of a bunch of resorts and the pools to get an idea of which one they might like best. Our oldest said he likes AKL the best, and the youngest - who is a total daredevil and insanely energetic - said he wanted to stay at BC/YC because of the pirate ship slide. They will be 4 and 6 years old by the time we take the trip...fast-forward to last weekend when DH and I had a quick getaway at BWI, and we walked by Stormalong Bay one night after dinner at Yacht Club. We didn't get a good look at SAB the last time we stayed at BWV, but this time I wanted to check it out for next summer. As Babsy mentioned, the pool is very winding and spread out with fencing, bridges, and other decor around the edges, and it would be difficult to keep an eye on young kiddos. Between that and the fact that you have to leave the pool area and walk across the sidewalk toward the lake to get to the water slide, I think it is going to be several years before our kids will be old enough that I will feel comfortable with that pool setup. Also, SAB has a sandy bottom, and I really dislike sand (I just know my boys would come out of that pool with their swimsuits full of it!), so that was another negative for me.

The Luna Park pool at BW is much more open and has far better visibility, the slide will be really fun for your oldest child, the Dumbo theming around the pool is cute, and there was a little playground next to the kiddie pool that I know my boys would enjoy. I have a mild clown phobia and I was still able to enjoy the pool without freaking out The main downside is that there is no zero entry area at Luna Park, but that is not a deal breaker to me personally, and I would not hesitate to stay here with our boys. I have seen photos of the Swan/Dolphin pool and it looks pretty nice as well.

Non-Pool-wise, DH and I think BWI/BWV is the perfect location of all the EP area resorts. BC/YC is closer to EP but farther from HS, and I think Swan/Dolphin would be a fairly long walk or boat ride to either park. BW is pretty much in the middle between EP and DHS, plus I love getting coffee and a cupcake for breakfast at Boardwalk Bakery, or grabbing a margarita on the Boardwalk on our way back from the park in the afternoon. The EPCOT area is my favorite at WDW and I think any of the resorts there would be fine, but BW is just my personal favorite.

 

[Cloudy]

We just returned from a stay at the Swan. Although I liked the resort the main pool has the same problem as Storm a Long Bay, very spread out with lots of nooks and crannies. I was traveling with my autistic son and was nuts within minutes. Ended up moving him to the lap pool at the Swan so I could keep him in sight.

I stayed at the Swan due to price. If I wasn't paying I would have stayed at one of the other 3 Disney resorts.

 

[SFMommy]

Just got back from an 8 night stay in a 1 bedroom at BWV. Could not have been happier! 10 minute walk to Epcot and 15 to HS. Loved the pool and slide. Wonderful, beautiful resort!

 

[disnut8]

Thank you so much for all this helpful information!! I was leaning towards Boardwalk and now that I know the pool situation I'm all but sold on it. Keeping track of two young kids in a pool can be challenging enough as it is!

Just note that the Boardwalk main pool features a very large clown as motif. My grown daughter-in-law with almost three kids of her own would not want to stay there Just mentioning if your kids have an aversion to clowns.

Personally, I think the Boardwalk would be your best bet as well. Close enough to the Swan and Dolphin but with plenty of things to keep everyone happy. Not sure who is in the wheelchair but the entire Crescent Lake area is wheelchair friendly so you and the kids can simply just stroll around there during the day. Visit the Yacht and Beach Clubs, grab a slice of pizza at the Boardwalk, even go a bit past the Swan and to the Fantasia Miniature Golf for a look. Just to let the kids get out their wiggles. You can even just take the walkway down to the Studios and then the boat back.

 

[debelfish]

One thing I would mention is that at the Boardwalk the lobby isn't ground level. To get to the boardwalk your only option with a wheelchair is to take the only elevator that goes down the one floor. It is off the lobby not with the main elevators. The other ways to access the boardwalk is stairs. I just wanted to let you know incase it would be a burden to wait for the single elevator down.
I have stayed at BC and BW and would think the BC better for a wheelchair. Not withstanding the pool issue though.