2011/2012 Beach & Yacht FAQ, Part IV- DO NOT POST- see new 2012 thread

[pixarmom]

Good Morning BC/YC fans!

OK, I'm having a really hard time booking a change for April. Again, it's just our youngest son and me "on the way to the airport from the beach." So we're currently booked for 3 nights at POFQ because it's Easter week and the prices are really high, but I was thinking of switching to YC for our last night when the Spring discount kicks in. (Thanks to all for the great POFQ information and advice and thanks to Robyn, for the YC reassurance!)

I'll go with either garden view or CL garden view, and I'd prefer YC because we haven't stayed there before. GV is not available at YC, but it is at BC. Here's the problem: the cost is so much higher than usual. I mean, even with the Spring discount, a BC GV room is double the amount we paid in 2011. I know it's peak season and I have a pretty high tolerance for Disney prices, but I'm not sure about this one. Hoping for an AP discount . . Maybe the days of the 40% discount are gone - what does everyone think? With a $150/night difference between POFQ and BC GV, what would you do?

 

[msdroz]

Hi there, I saw that the waterslide requires children to be able to swim on their own in 4 feet of water. My 5 year old son can swim independently on his own, but only for a short distance. Does anyone know if the ladder is close by? I want him to be safe, and it makes me nervous because I read that parents cannot be in the pool at the bottom. He's taking lessons again in the spring before our trip so maybe I won't even have to worry but I was just curious. I know he's going to want to go down it if he sees all the other kids going down Thanks!

 

[pixarmom]

Hi there, I saw that the waterslide requires children to be able to swim on their own in 4 feet of water. My 5 year old son can swim independently on his own, but only for a short distance. Does anyone know if the ladder is close by? I want him to be safe, and it makes me nervous because I read that parents cannot be in the pool at the bottom. He's taking lessons again in the spring before our trip so maybe I won't even have to worry but I was just curious. I know he's going to want to go down it if he sees all the other kids going down Thanks!

Hi msdroz! Here are a few photos I took of area around the base of the slide:

I hesitate to post this, because it sounds like the exception rather than the rule, but in August, the lifeguards were allowing parents to catch children at the base of the slide, as long as they stepped out of the way quickly. Again, that appears to be the exception.

In case the big slide is too big, I should add that our boys also enjoy the smaller slide at the base of the ship, overlooking the lake. Lifeguards have always permitted us to catch our youngest son at the bottom of this slide. Our youngest (almost 5 years old) has been to BC multiple times over the past couple years, and he's had so much fun on the smaller slide that he's never even asked to go on the big slide!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Pixarmom - Guess what? We're going back to BC!!!!!! This year we are just doing BC GV, no CL, but I'm soooooo happy to go back to BC after all. I think we're going to stay two nights (July 16-18) at the Dolphin since we have fee nights with AMEX points, and then July 18-27 at BC.

I didn't think we'd be able to swing BC at all this year. We took such a long, great vacation last summer - 2 nights GF RPC, 16 nights BC CL and 4 nights in Hilton Head. When we got home it seemed like the bottom had falled out of DH's business. Things are looking up a bit. Anyway I'm so thrilled just to be able to go back to BC that gv is sounding just fine to me!!!!

If you can get gv at BC for the last night I'd do it!

 

[natebenma]

Pixarmom - Guess what? We're going back to BC!!!!!! This year we are just doing BC GV, no CL, but I'm soooooo happy to go back to BC after all. I think we're going to stay two nights (July 16-18) at the Dolphin since we have fee nights with AMEX points, and then July 18-27 at BC.

I didn't think we'd be able to swing BC at all this year. We took such a long, great vacation last summer - 2 nights GF RPC, 16 nights BC CL and 4 nights in Hilton Head. When we got home it seemed like the bottom had falled out of DH's business. Things are looking up a bit. Anyway I'm so thrilled just to be able to go back to BC that gv is sounding just fine to me!!!!

If you can get gv at BC for the last night I'd do it!

Robyn- I am so excited to hear this for you!!!

We will have to watch the Guest Lists to see if a BC DIS meet III is in the works!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I was going to organize a Mini Meet even if I was a BC Traitor!!!!
We've had so much fun at the last two.
So hopefully we'll be able to do the BC/YC Meet - Part III!!!!!

I have to echo what pixarmom said about the slide in the small pirate ship pool. My dgs was 5 when we took him to BC and he loved that small slide so much he never asked to go on the big one! He just went down the small one over and over again!!!

 

[natebenma]

Hi there, I saw that the waterslide requires children to be able to swim on their own in 4 feet of water. My 5 year old son can swim independently on his own, but only for a short distance. Does anyone know if the ladder is close by? I want him to be safe, and it makes me nervous because I read that parents cannot be in the pool at the bottom. He's taking lessons again in the spring before our trip so maybe I won't even have to worry but I was just curious. I know he's going to want to go down it if he sees all the other kids going down Thanks!

I hesitate to post this, because it sounds like the exception rather than the rule, but in August, the lifeguards were allowing parents to catch children at the base of the slide, as long as they stepped out of the way quickly. Again, that appears to be the exception.

I haven't been used the Jib Slide with younger kids, so I don't know the ins and outs of what is permitted or not.

I believe I have heard mixed experiences about whether the lifeguards have let younger kids wear lifevests when they go down the slide. Anyone have any input about this?

Here is a picture of the rules sign (taken in 2009). I have just posted this to the Jib Slide section on page 1:

 

[DjdBrit]

I'm also a neighbor to you guys and was down the exact same time you were in August, though I was at the BC.

The folks at the front desk were great, offering us a discounted room rate should our Jet Blue flight get cancelled due to the hurricane. I was talking to a family from NY who had to add on an additional 6 days to their trip because of the flights home. As awesome as that sounded to me I don't think my vacation budget would of loved it!!

Jay

Thats funny as we were told by Jetblue the first flight our family of 5 could get on would have been the following Saturday (we should have left Monday 29th) I tried and I tried many different airlines and airport combinations....no dice. And I was not putting my kids alone on a plane either which was offered to me, after our orignial trip was 10 days we didn't feel up to staying another 5... We only had to add 1 day but the cost of staying, renting a car, fuel and food etc... to drive the 1,300 miles home sure added up. I cannot say enough how the $100 travel insurance was worth its weight in GOLD!

 

[DjdBrit]

Flying Jib Slide

During our stay at YC this summer my 5 year old who cannot swim alone and wears a vest didn't want to go down the big slide, the life guard at the small slide on the pirate ship actually convinced him to try it With his vest on. We were there for 10 days and everyday we went to the pool and my littlest went down with a vest on.... I know that rules are rules I am just sharing my experience

 

[distherapy]

The slide questions have "forced" me to delurk and share a story! During our first trip to WDW, our 3 year old son was determined to go down the "big" slide at the GF. My DH waited for him at the bottom, arms out to catch him. Little did he know that our son had chickened out, so DH gallantly caught a 200 lb man.

We'll be at the YC for our first time (first time at any Epcot area resort) May 12-19. Can't wait!

 

[natebenma]

The slide questions have "forced" me to delurk and share a story! During our first trip to WDW, our 3 year old son was determined to go down the "big" slide at the GF. My DH waited for him at the bottom, arms out to catch him. Little did he know that our son had chickened out, so DH gallantly caught a 200 lb man.

We'll be at the YC for our first time (first time at any Epcot area resort) May 12-19. Can't wait!

Thanks for coming out into the open and sharing your story!!!

Glad to have you in on the discussion.

May we add you to the page 1 guest list, or would you prefer not?

 

[msdroz]

Thank you so much for all of your input, and the photos help out! The small slide looks fun too, I can see him liking that a lot. We just watched the travel channel waterpark special today and he thinks he can go on all the big rides at blizzard beach. Little daredevil until he actually sees how big they are lol

distherapy, we arrive on the 18th!!

 

[distherapy]

May we add you to the page 1 guest list, or would you prefer not?

Thanks for the welcome, and I'm glad to be added. So happy it's finally official! We told the kids Christmas morning, and while I've been planning for a while, I didn't want my now 7 year olds to read over my shoulder!

 

[distherapy]

distherapy, we arrive on the 18th!!

Woohoo! Look for us at the pool - DH will be the one catching adults. I'll be hiding in the corner, laughing!

 

[pixarmom]

Pixarmom - Guess what? We're going back to BC!!!!!! This year we are just doing BC GV, no CL, but I'm soooooo happy to go back to BC after all. I think we're going to stay two nights (July 16-18) at the Dolphin since we have fee nights with AMEX points, and then July 18-27 at BC.

I didn't think we'd be able to swing BC at all this year. We took such a long, great vacation last summer - 2 nights GF RPC, 16 nights BC CL and 4 nights in Hilton Head. When we got home it seemed like the bottom had falled out of DH's business. Things are looking up a bit. Anyway I'm so thrilled just to be able to go back to BC that gv is sounding just fine to me!!!!

If you can get gv at BC for the last night I'd do it!

Yay, Robyn!!! I'm so happy for you - this is great news, both generally and regarding BC. I think BC GV is a great compromise between Dolphin and BC CL - and I'm guessing you'll be looking out for those summer discounts! Let me know if you need any Dolphin info or photos in preparation for your first two nights - we stayed there briefly in May, so I have several!

Thanks so much for the encouragement - I think I'll end up switching that last night to BC or YC, just needed a little nudge!

 

[dandydad12]

I was fortunate to meet Teena while staying at the Beach Club last June
but being a Saturday when checking in it was very busy so not much time to talk . I will be going back at the end of June beginning of July . This is my favorite time of year. Hope we can talk more this year . I beleive I have found my new home away from home .

________________________________________________________________
Port Orleans 1999 (2000 twice) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Old Key West 2006 2007
Port Orleans 2008 2009 2010
Beach and Yacht Club 2011

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Yes - I'll definitely be looking out for any pin codes or summer discounts!
Big disappointment with the Disney "Leap Day" announcement!

I'd love to see some photos of the Dolphin.

I don't think you can go wrong with either BC or YC - we loved them both!
Who knows - maybe you'll get a pin code!

 

[Lulu'sMom]

Robyn, so glad to see that BC is in your future this summer!

WOW Lotsa Mid-Mayers for the YC/BC! Maybe a meet in the air for us? What do you think ladies and gents?

 

[pixarmom]

We will have to watch the Guest Lists to see if a BC DIS meet III is in the works!

Dee, if you are in charge of creating flat versions of us again, I'm in!

P.S. My parents, brother, SIL and 2-year-old niece are in Epcot right now! It's my niece's very first day in a Disney park and I just received a photo of her outside Nemo. Yay!

 

[natebenma]

Robyn, so glad to see that BC is in your future this summer!

WOW Lotsa Mid-Mayers for the YC/BC! Maybe a meet in the air for us? What do you think ladies and gents?

What a great idea!!!

The way we have done it in the past is "the organizer" (someone who will be at the resort in mid-May) picks possible dates/times (early evening before dinner works well, especially if Teena will be joining you after her shift on a Sunday or Monday).

Then we gauge interest here on the thread, we post the date on the first page, and anyone who is there on the day of the meet can "R.S.V.P" that they will/might attend or just show up. This is of course, non-binding- things can certainly happen or change when families are on vacation.

The Solarium at the Beach Club has proven to be a great location for the meet.