2011 Beach & Yacht Club FAQ

[Marlton Mom]

At the Contemporary, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge and Boardwalk Inn we always got it left outside the door to our room. So it would be the same at the Yacht Club and Beach Club.

Those of us bunking illicitly in the Mousekeeping closet collect the newspapers left at the room doors and resell them to finance our closet internet connection cost.

At least that's the new plan when we realized that the lawnmowers would have chewed up the extension cord we were planning on using between the BCV and the closet.

FYI.....

Marlton Mom

 

[JanetMom]

Those of us bunking illicitly in the Mousekeeping closet collect the newspapers left at the room doors and resell them to finance our closet internet connection cost.

At least that's the new plan when we realized that the lawnmowers would have chewed up the extension cord we were planning on using between the BCV and the closet.

FYI.....

Marlton Mom

I agree that the wireless internet is much better, so I'm pleased that you have come up with the appropriate funding solution.

We should discuss the bedding layout for the closet (assuming the closet is as big as our imaginations). I think we should strive for at least 2 queens and a daybed. For my family there are only three of us, and we've already established that my son should stay at home with the dog, so really there are only two of us, but I think we should have enough beds to assure there are multiple sleeping options.

 

[Marlton Mom]

I agree that the wireless internet is much better, so I'm pleased that you have come up with the appropriate funding solution.

We should discuss the bedding layout for the closet (assuming the closet is as big as our imaginations). I think we should strive for at least 2 queens and a daybed. For my family there are only three of us, and we've already established that my son should stay at home with the dog, so really there are only two of us, but I think we should have enough beds to assure there are multiple sleeping options.

The 2 queens and a day bed part just killed me! Don't forget that we have to request the Mousekeeping closet with the full balcony, otherwise we're screwed!

Also there is the problem of "guests". Summer vacation is coming and you know what that means. By about mid July hundreds if not thousands of Mothers all across America will have had it up to here with their children and will be seeking a place of refuge from all the whining and fighting at home.

I'm thinking the humanitarian thing to do would be to start a shelter for those Mothers. I think I know why not every room has a daybed. Obviously they are hidden away in the Mousekeeping closet waiting for us to put them to good use!

OK then so 2 queen beds and a herd of daybeds, but not the short ones. We want the "Craftmatic" adjustable day beds for Mothers with orthopedic problems. Oh and a Margarita machine..... definitely a Margarita machine. We have to be the hostess with the mostess if ya know what I mean!

~ MM

 

[Sue M]

The 2 queens and a day bed part just killed me! Don't forget that we have to request the Mousekeeping closet with the full balcony, otherwise we're screwed!

Also there is the problem of "guests". Summer vacation is coming and you know what that means. By about mid July hundreds if not thousands of Mothers all across America will have had it up to here with their children and will be seeking a place of refuge from all the whining and fighting at home.

I'm thinking the humanitarian thing to do would be to start a shelter for those Mothers. I think I know why not every room has a daybed. Obviously they are hidden away in the Mousekeeping closet waiting for us to put them to good use!

OK then so 2 queen beds and a herd of daybeds, but not the short ones. We want the "Craftmatic" adjustable day beds for Mothers with orthopedic problems. Oh and a Margarita machine..... definitely a Margarita machine. We have to be the hostess with the mostess if ya know what I mean!

~ MM

I request a GrandMarnier and Grey Goose slush machine if you please

 

[Marlton Mom]

I request a GrandMarnier and Grey Goose slush machine if you please

Well we certainly have the room, so yeah, why not! Who wants to hoof it all the way to France when we can just do it 7-11 style in the closet!

Good thinking Sue!

~MM

 

[Sue M]

Wow - amazingly quick responses, Dee and Robyn! Thank you so much!

Good advice - we'll pass on the cabanas/umbrellas. We really only need one chair with a little shade anyway because we'll all be in the water most of the time just like at SAB. (I'm not sure who we thought would be lounging in the midst of all this!) If anyone has additional tips, please let me know. (Edited to add: Dee - thank you so much for your e-mail!! I'm not sure what's left to learn!)

I think TL will be a good fit for us. The wave pool is a big draw for our boys - we usually go to Newport Beach, CA in August and we're missing it this year to try the cruise. So they are very used to big waves, and it sounds like they will really enjoy this! (Our youngest, however, will put his toe in the Pacific and that's about it - he's adventurous everywhere but the ocean, and I guess that's a good thing!)

Thanks again!

Getting there first thing will be great. As everyone said, you can grab a few lounges in the shade. You may want to grab a few if you're going to be there all day. After lunch, we usually go back to our lounges for a break. It helps (us) to pick lounges near a prominent landmark Avoids roaming around searching like I have sometimes

Our WP plan is like the parks plan- go on all the major slides first, Crush & Gusher usually several times then when lines start to build for the slides we switch to the lazy river (I could stay on that all day) and the wave pools.
At TL the shark reef is fun too.

We love both TL & BB. The Disney theming as everywhere else is amazing.

I wouldn't worry about the beach umbrella or Cabana either. Personally, I'd have a hard time paying more for a few hours use of a cabana then I'm paying for my room at BC (got 35% off). I don't know how Disney comes up with these prices

 

[Sue M]

Do they sell HE detergent there?

We stayed YC last year, and I brought along the Purex Wash/Dry sheets....but I found they left an OIL like spot on certain pieces of clothes. this year at BC I planned on just purchasing what was available in the laundry.

both of you are in better shape than me..................I not only went down to the pool with DD, but then left to start clothes, went back to pool, left to dry clothes, all the while DH was doing some work in the room!! for the first few days I felt so bad for him having to help his customers while on vacation, but then I realized he probably LOVED the peace and quiet of the room all by himself

I find some fabric softeners leave oil like spots on clothing. Maybe the spots are due to the fabric softener in the sheets? I don't know why they do this, but it's annoying. I've quit using fab. softeners because of this.
So thanks for the info, I was planning on packing some of the Purex sheets too, seems handy for traveling. I haven't tried them.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I hope they don't smell bad like ours do. Ugh. I "clean" it according to directions every month and we STILL have that icky moldy smell.

Not that I'm saying I want washboards to come back in style... but sometimes technology doesn't get it quite right...

I've had a front load washer for 3 years. I do no less than 10 - 15 loads a week. I have *never* had the funky front loader smell and I have *never* run a cleaning solution thru the machine. How do I do it? The only time I ever close the door to the washing machine is when it's in use. Any other time the door is wide open. Closed-in dampness is what causes funky smells.

I hadn't thought about the washing machines at the resort having yucky smells. I sure hope not. Hhmmm...gotta think on that one....

I don't know if I posted these pics when I returned in December, so if they are duplicates I apologize in advance...

But if anyone wants to know the Valet Laundry Service Pricing here you go:

And this is the bag you put your laundry in:

After our first trip to the Contemporary in December '07 I sat down with this price list and figured up how much we would've spent had we used their laundry service to do all our clothes for us. It was some insane number like $850. I'm here to tell you, this is another of those things where a person could clearly make their million. Start a company that offers same-day wash/dry/fold services to people staying at the WDW resorts. Pick-up is by 8:30 and drop-off is by 6. I can easily do 5 loads of clothes in 6 hours using just my standard front-loader machines without rushing. With more machines or industrial-sized machines you could totally zip thru some washing. You could charge half what those slips say, add a flat delivery fee to each order, and people would bite. I'd have paid $425 on that 9 night trip to NOT have to wash those dozen or two loads of wash. THAT would've been worth it.

 

[Disney Khi]

Thanks so much for all your responses!

I have a bum knee that pops out every now and then , yesterday being one of those days, right now I am in my knee brace, so I to have been considering renting an ECV for my trip, I never even thought about it not fitting in the room since I have read so many accounts of people using them and staying at the values which have smaller rooms. Guess I need to go read up on this too on the disability boards

From what I have researched so far Apple Scooter seems to be one that comes highly recommended by many DISers.

I actually read on the disAbilities forum that ECV's fit in the rooms, but I wasn't sure if they might not fit at BC since it seems like some rooms might be oddly-shaped. Or, am I wrong about that? Are they all just regular-shaped rooms?

Hi Disney Khi! So excited for you!

I know Dee and sjs314 already responded to your ECV question, and we don't have personal experience with an ECV at Disney. But my dad just rented an ECV in Newport Beach, CA last summer during our vacation. His injured his leg at the gym and we walk at Newport just as much as we do at Disney. He found a scooter-type thing, and he felt more comfortable with that than the larger ECV. It fit through doors a bit easier and we just had to remember to recharge it every night. Please tell your mom that it didn't put a damper on our trip one bit - sometimes he moved more quickly than we did (and he did a few wheelies to impress his grandsons!)

Could you tell me what your dad rented? I don't know anything about ECV's, so I'm not sure what is the difference between a scooter and an ECV.

Sorry to hear about your mom's foot! Sounds like she is being a trooper!

Due to the configuration differences in the rooms at this resort, I think some rooms are more likely to fit an ECV than others- maybe you could mention this on your reservation.

People have been advised to charge the scooters overnight in your room, not in the hallway. There are limited outlets, so if you leave yours to charge, you may find that someone else has unplugged it to use the outlet and your scooter will not be ready when you expect it to be.

There are a couple of phone numbers for rental places in the FAQ section, page 1.

If you have not checked out the DIS disability forums yet, that might be a good place to spend a little time time today.

Good luck with your trip.

Okay, so I'm not crazy to think that some of the rooms at the BC might not be exactly standard. Good to know that my sanity is still inact-- at least for now.

That is interesting about charging it in the room. Our last trip we stayed at the BW and every night the room across from us had two ECV's plugged in in the hall. I never thought about someone unplugging them!

I sent my mom the link to the disAbilities FAQ's that includes info on the ECV rental, so hopefully she will be able to find something she will be comfortable with.

 

[Disney Khi]

I've used a front-loading washing machine for 6 years now. Sometimes I use HE detergent and sometimes I just use a very small amount of regular detergent. I wonder if this is bad. I've never had a problem with a bad smell either, but I have heard it is a common problem. Like a PP, I keep the door open when not in use, so maybe that helps.

 

[natebenma]

Thanks so much for all your responses!

I actually read on the disAbilities forum that ECV's fit in the rooms, but I wasn't sure if they might not fit at BC since it seems like some rooms might be oddly-shaped. Or, am I wrong about that? Are they all just regular-shaped rooms?

I'm guessing that for the most part it won't be an issue with a scooter fitting into the rooms- I don't think that the rooms are oddly-shaped, it is more a matter of what is in there for furniture. I think some rooms have different dressers/bureaus than others, and as we all know, some have day beds and some do not. Well, at least they did until Marlton Mom and Janetmom absconded with all the daybeds for their "Moms' Closet Retreat and Spa".

I believe I have read that the rollaway cots will fit better in some rooms than others, which indicates to me that there may be some rooms might be better for the ECVs, too. But that could just be a case of the assumptions on my part.

So I think it is unlikely that you will find a problem fitting an ECV into one of the Beach Club rooms, but if you get there and find your room is too cramped you can respectfully request at checkin that you would prefer another room if there is one better suited to the scooter. I guess once it is charged, you could always put it out into the hallway, too.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

It seems several of you have experiences with the Wishes Dessert party--Is it worth it? I hope the answer is yes because I am so excited for it. Now that July has been released, I am holding out for August. I already talked to IPO and they are going to make my reservations when/if the August dates open up. I know this is not a BC question but what can you tell me about the party?

We've done it three times. Whether it's "worth" it or not is going to be different for each person. For our family 4 "Disney adults" and 1 child the cost was $125. We do it one night out of the 17 nights that we are there. For us it's worth it to get to watch Tinkerbelle fly over us and not have to wait on the curb forever and hope that nobody decides to try and sit in front of us at the last minute (it's happened before).

It's one 13 year old DD's list of "must dos" so that's why we keep coming back.

No AP discount (or any other discount).

We booked our Fireworks Dessert Party for July 26.

 

[jmamom]

We've done it three times. Whether it's "worth" it or not is going to be different for each person. For our family 4 "Disney adults" and 1 child the cost was $125. We do it one night out of the 17 nights that we are there. For us it's worth it to get to watch Tinkerbelle fly over us and not have to wait on the curb forever and hope that nobody decides to try and sit in front of us at the last minute (it's happened before).

It's one 13 year old DD's list of "must dos" so that's why we keep coming back.

No AP discount (or any other discount).

We booked our Fireworks Dessert Party for July 26.

Do you book through the regular online reservation system? I'm thinking of doing one for our trip in August. Thanks!

 

[littledreamer7]

Do you book through the regular online reservation system? I'm thinking of doing one for our trip in August. Thanks!

You can book either way, the July just opened up this week so it may still be a few weeks. It's great and a nice way to see the fireworks. Just know that if you want to see MSEP too, you need to catch the 2nd showing or watch it on another night.

 

[jcondrad]

Hello! We drink lots of milk, and did not see cartons in the club lounge, but a CM was always available to get a cup of milk with a lid for us to take back to the room if milk was not available in a pitcher out on the counter. Other options - Robyn mentioned garden grocer, and we often purchase a 1/2 gallon of milk from the BC Marketplace. See gallons and cartons below:

I can zoom in on the photo if you need any additional information.

Thanks so much! I figured some cast member would be okay grabbing us a cup, but it would definitely be worth it for us to just grab a half gallon to have on hand!

 

[jcondrad]

Does anyone know if the BC will deliver a cake to the room while we are out and leave it as a surprise for when we get back for our midday break? or will they deliver it if i call when we get back? I was thinking of having somehting in the room for my son as we will be there on his birthday. We are doing MK rope drop, break, Ohana's for dinner (his pick) and back to MK (considering adding on the wishes dessert party, but not sure. Opinions on that??) Still feel like I need a cake being he's only turning 7, but having a cake at Ohana and then going to the park doesn't seem easy. so back to my original question...will BC deliver a cake to the room and leave it as a surprise or will they deliver it when I call?
thanks for any help.
I have been on here in the past when we have been to BC, I don't post much, but i stay up to date on the posts. this board is the best!

Have you checked out the cake chatter thread on here? There's lots of examples. I have been debating on if I want to order a fancy custom cake for my daughter's b-day while at the BC or just a regular cake. If you want just a plain cake, you can call the cake hotline but if you want a fancy cake, call YC/BC private dining to arrange!

 

[sjs314]

Thanks so much for all your responses!



I actually read on the disAbilities forum that ECV's fit in the rooms, but I wasn't sure if they might not fit at BC since it seems like some rooms might be oddly-shaped. Or, am I wrong about that? Are they all just regular-shaped rooms?



Could you tell me what your dad rented? I don't know anything about ECV's, so I'm not sure what is the difference between a scooter and an ECV.



Okay, so I'm not crazy to think that some of the rooms at the BC might not be exactly standard. Good to know that my sanity is still inact-- at least for now.

That is interesting about charging it in the room. Our last trip we stayed at the BW and every night the room across from us had two ECV's plugged in in the hall. I never thought about someone unplugging them!

I sent my mom the link to the disAbilities FAQ's that includes info on the ECV rental, so hopefully she will be able to find something she will be comfortable with.

If you visit the Apple Scooter web site there are pictures of the 4 types of vehicles they rent. From what I have read review wise here on the DIS the smaller 3 wheel model seems to be the easiest to manuever , that is the one I will most likely reserve for my triphttp://www.applescooter.com/

 

[JanetMom]

I think I know why not every room has a daybed. Obviously they are hidden away in the Mousekeeping closet waiting for us to put them to good use!

OK then so 2 queen beds and a herd of daybeds, but not the short ones. We want the "Craftmatic" adjustable day beds for Mothers with orthopedic problems. Oh and a Margarita machine..... definitely a Margarita machine. We have to be the hostess with the mostess if ya know what I mean!

~ MM

It is so obvious why they have so few daybed rooms. I cannot believe this didn't occur to us until now. Of course the daybeds are all waiting for us in the closet.

And, I completely agree that we need to be the perfect hostesses with a margarita machine (need to insert a slushie emoticon here). I will be most happy to test all margaritas before serving.

I'm pretty new to this BC/YC board but I do believe I'm starting to bond with you MarltonMom. I was originally tlhinking I'd have to pay and live in a regular CL room when I moved to the BC/YC, but why would I do that when our "closet" is going to be waayyyy better than any room that WDW would offer their paying guests.

 

[DawnMaree]

We've stayed at YC in a waterview room twice. We always (requested) and got 1st floor, facing Crescent Lake, near the laundry room. I asked for near the laundry room because there is a doorway leading outside right there so you don't have to go through the Main Lobby just to get out to the pool.

We also had a waterview room on the first floor a few rooms down from the laundry room. Loved this location!! Our kids were smaller at the time, and a few times we let them play in the grassy area while we sat on the patio. Also, nearly every night we just exited our room via patio door to walk the few steps to Crescent Lake to view Illuminations fireworks. Plus, I agree that doorway leading outside was great!

 

[jcondrad]

After all this talk about the Dessert Fireworks Party, I decided I wanted to do it! (Shame on me for not researching this beforehand! I had never heard of it!) I checked the ressie system for 2 days and NOTHING was available during our June trip BUT this morning I snagged us a spot on our last night in Disney! What a great way to end our vacation!

Thanks to everyone for the reviews and comments of it, I think my daughter will love it!