2013 Beach and Yacht FAQ, Fun & Friends: Don't Post Here- New Thread Started

[Sue M]

One month until I am finally back home!

 

[KandyM]

Hi, we are staying at Yacht August 23-28. Just for fun I just checked on availability there to see how crowded it would be and it is SOLD OUT. No rooms left in ANY categories. Has anyone stayed there when the hotel is that full? What was your experience like? Is it so crowded that it takes away from your enjoyment of the resort, pools, restaurants, etc?

 

[Ninja Mom]

Happy Father's day everyone!

~NM

 

[cocoabean1]

They sell the gift cards at BJ's $94.99 for a $100 gift card (in CT).
We will be "home" in December, so I've been buying one a month with my Disney Visa. Get the points for spending money and a discount on the GC!!!!!

 

[PittPantherfan]

We are on the final leg of our vacation-just wanted to pass along some of our experiences of our trip. The last few days got busy and I didn't have time to keep up. I have a lot of car time right now.

On Wednesday we had our designated MK day. Everyone was up and on the bus at 8am. Got to MK pretty quick and thru the gate by 8:25. They stuffed a lot of people between the wall and the gate before the opening. The did the opening show at 8:45 and let us loose. Followed the Unofficial Guide touring plan for the am and hit all of the popular things timely by 11:30 with minimal lines. Had a great lunch at diamond horseshoe which has been closed every time we have been there. Great turkey sandwiches and the salad looked good too. It was not busy at that time. We were done at mk by 1:30 and headed back to the pool because it got so packed and hot. Did ohana for dinner and it was excellent.
Was going to hop the monorail back to MK for fireworks but a storm cell moved over the area and the monorail stopped. Was worried that they would Cx the fireworks so we just went back to BC. Our friends were at F! In their seats and they cancelled-ugh!

Lesson from this day as echoed regularly here- get up and go early!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi, we are staying at Yacht August 23-28. Just for fun I just checked on availability there to see how crowded it would be and it is SOLD OUT. No rooms left in ANY categories. Has anyone stayed there when the hotel is that full? What was your experience like? Is it so crowded that it takes away from your enjoyment of the resort, pools, restaurants, etc?

Beach Club is almost always sold out, so there is really nothing new about that. Keep in mind that you can't get into the SAB pool unless you are a guest at BC/YC. The pool will be crowded because it is hot out, but at least it won't have people who don't belong there. And the quiet pools are always a good alternative.

 

[PittPantherfan]

For fear of losing my post like yesterday, posting smaller driving thru some very rural areas with minimal reception.

Thursday was our Epcot day but had already been there several times. Did feel compelled to get there right at opening. We had a leisurely breakfast in lounge and walked over. Got decent return time for TT- glad we got this day because it seemed like it was down a lot on Friday. Believe it or not our group didn't really care about Soarin so we did not worry about that. Got everything covered in Epcot and returned to hotel just in time for applies in the lounge. Had hoop dee doo ressies at 8:30. We had a great time there- we did category 1 seating and were right in front of stage - kids enjoyed that. I had been there as a child in 1979 and had always wanted to do it again with my kids. I am glad we had a car to get there- otherwise take a cab. Fort wilderness was huge - had to take an internal bus once we got there, so would hate to take Disney transport get there.

First time that we left our 13 year old go on his own with a friend at Disney. He had fun with the indepence and it gave the sibs a break from each other. We all concurred that our fave today were TT and sum of all thrills. Snacks- were
Schoolbread (Norway), caramel pecan very large cluster (Germany) and kaka gori-melon and tangerine (Japan) and samples at club cool.

 

[MickeyT]

Welcome Home........

 

[PittPantherfan]

Our last day came and we had a lot on the to-do list-do what we wanted to do again, hit what we missed and buy what we hadn't bought. We were in 3 parks and left nothing on the table!

Started the day at MK, didn't rush there and let the initial crowds rush thru arrived by 10 am. It was nice because Main Street was not as congested. Caught morning parade and castle show. I really missed the main street bakery, I used to like to get a few of the big cinnamon rolls and watch people. i am all for starbucks availability but just not at the sacrifice of the bakery. maybe they will offer the same bakery items as before. Got FP for Mickey for our customary family picture. Then somehow we could get a FP fairly soon for Space mountain. Hit the speedway, stitch and carousel of progress for dad (his favorite) with minimal lines.

We did have a small hiccup there- my 7 yo went missing around the hub in front of the castle after the parade. We looked but had no luck so had to get security involved. They put it out over the radio and luckily they found him pretty quickly. I must commend them for their processes. The security officer said it was a good thing that we reported it quickly, he said most wait too long then the possibilities for where the kid is located get bigger. After this adventure we bought the souvenirs that we came for and finished up in MK with our fave Dole Whip. Had a little Disney magic there and the clerk gave my 7 yr old a free whip - it was like they knew he was was sad from being lost.

After that we hopped the monorail to Epcot. By this time it was almost 2pm but the bag check and the entry took forever there and there was hardly any lines. The entry staff seemed inept when someone couldn't get cards to work and almost all infront of us seemed to be having trouble. Shopped at Mousegwear while kids and dad went on sum again. Stopped at club cool again to cool off.

Dad and oldest wanted to do ToT again and get a t-shirt there so they took the boat from Epcot to DHS. Me and my other kids shopped thru world showcase. DD is a panda fanatic so she wanted several panda items in china. Dad had admired a stein in Germany so we went there to buy that for Father's Day.

We were back in time again for appies in the lounge. Plan had been to go back to MK for wishes but we decided to just hang around the resort. We walked over to the boardwalk for pizza. Hit desserts in the lounge. My fav routine was to make kahlua and cream to end the evening. they also had a another nice cream liquer but i can't remember the name but it was tasty. Went to the pool until it closed.

We had a leisurely breakfast in lounge before we left and were on the road by 11 am. The bell staff was awesome helping hubby load our rooftop carrier.

 

[Ninja Mom]

One piece of advice: if you even think you *might* need to do a load of laundry on your trip, be sure to bring quarters and laundry detergent (I travel with the Purex Laundry Sheets for simplicity and *just in case,* which turned out to be a lifesaver given that DH forget to pack enough socks and underwear). The small laundry room in the main building has no change machine and no detergent in the vending machines, the larger laundry room by the pool was out of detergent, and both gift shops (BC and YC) were out of detergent. I gave away my extra Purex sheet to someone who was frantic about the lack of detergent. Only one dryer was working in the small laundry room. We were there late afternoon, which seems to be prime laundry time; I'd suggest going very early in the day.

And just a friendly reminder to those who visit The World during the summer months -- you do need an outfit plus an entire change of clothes -- EVERYTHING -- for every day. By mid-day you'll be a hot, soggy mess and you really will need a swim, a shower, or both and then a fresh set of clothes for the evening.

Truer words were never spoken! The heat and especially the humidity are formidable in the Florida sun.

I can't emphasize enough the need to do the early morning, rope drop touring plan combined with the going out again from the dinner hour (5 pm until 7 pm) until park closing.

A lot of people check the Orlando weather before they leave on their trips and they freak out. "OMG, there is a 40-60 percent chance of rain EVERY DAY during our vacation!!!!!" Well get off the ledge and back in the building! NM is here to help you with that. Translate that 40-60% into what really will happen.

The summer weather pattern in the Orlando region during this time of year is pop up thunderstorms in the afternoon with 2pm to 5 pm being the highest probability for rain. USUALLY the rain moves out during the dinner hour, say by 5 pm. You may or may not get that pop up shower in your area. Sometimes they form and then rain themselves out by the time they wander over your area. Sometimes they form, come together, rain a little harder and then leave. Unless it is some variation on the usual pattern, the rain usually moves out during the dinner hour.

What this means is if you want to get some pool time in you had best leave the parks by noon and head back to the resort. Even if it is not raining.... if there is thunder nearby they will close the pool and clear the pool deck. By about 2-ish that rain will be forming and floating around the central Florida area. ~ Utilizing this noon exit and hit the pools strategy, by about the time the rain moved in, we were done with the pool and headed back to the room for a shower and a rest before we went out again at night. It was just what was needed during these hot, humid and sunny summer days in Florida.

Another thing that you need to know is to be sure and pack extra foot wear in case you do get caught in the rain. If the forecast is for a chance of rain while you are touring the parks, it pays to throw a pair of Flip Flops in your back pack so that you can change out of your sneakers and keep them dry in your back pack while you navigate the puddles and the rain. We also purchased "El Cheapo" rain ponchos at Walmart that worked really well in the rain. Plan ahead and you will be able to keep moving in the parks while everyone else is huddled under the awnings!

Usually it is so hot in the sun by noon that you are ready to leave the parks anyway. The parks have late night hours now and touring during those times, in the dark when it is cooler is quite enjoyable. In the early morning hours you have lighter crowds and the same goes for the later that you stay at the parks. If the park is still open after the fireworks/fantasmic you will find that many people leave and the lines for the headline attractions get shorter and shorter as the hours get later.

Here is another HOT TIP! In that last hour right before the parks close, the signs outside of the rides indicating the wait times are artificially INFLATED to represent longer wait times. This is especially true for the headliners at a given park. Toy Story Mania is famous for this. What they are trying to do is discourage you from getting in line for that ride because if you are IN LINE the moment the park closes they will still finish out the line and let you ride. No one will be allowed to join the line after the park closing hour.

What this means is that if you didn't get that chance to ride the headliner ride, head over there at park closing and get in line before the park closes. This will translate into shorter wait times and more fun!

Now a tip for that last day, after room check out when you still have time to either go to the parks or go for a swim at the resort. Bell services will watch your luggage for you and allow you to access it to get to your stuff while they are still storing it. What that means is that you can pack a bag with bathing suits and fresh clothes to change in before you depart from the resort.

The BC/YC/BCV has the fitness center, which has a locker room with showers that you can use to freshen up before departure. In the shower area are towels and a wall dispenser of body wash, shampoo and conditioner (none of which are labeled! ) I'm not sure about blow dryers or any of the other stuff.

We pack a separate bag and before our showers in the fitness center we have Bell Services bring us just that bag to take to the locker room. (they will still store the other bags for us until we are ready to take them) We also remember to PACK A PLASTIC BAG to put the wet clothing and bathing suits in for transport home. If you are like us you have a billion Disney Parks merchandise bags floating around your room from your park purchases. Using a couple of them for the wet clothing works out great!

So there are my summer touring tips. The locker room at the BC/YC is much nicer that the one at Port Orleans Riverside which was prison like in it's layout and (lack of) amenities. You'll have to put some thought into how you pack your stuff if you plan on changing clothes on that last day, especially if you have to send your CHECKED luggage ahead to the airport using the resort's airline check in service for your luggage. Successful Disney vacations start and end with successful planning. Hopefully the information that you have learned here will help you maximize your Disney vacation!

~NM

 

[flnngn2]

Truer words were never spoken! The heat and especially the humidity are formidable in the Florida sun.

I can't emphasize enough the need to do the early morning, rope drop touring plan combined with the going out again from the dinner hour (5 pm until 7 pm) until park closing.

A lot of people check the Orlando weather before they leave on their trips and they freak out. "OMG, there is a 40-60 percent chance of rain EVERY DAY during our vacation!!!!!" Well get off the ledge and back in the building! NM is here to help you with that. Translate that 40-60% into what really will happen.

The summer weather pattern in the Orlando region during this time of year is pop up thunderstorms in the afternoon with 2pm to 5 pm being the highest probability for rain. USUALLY the rain moves out during the dinner hour, say by 5 pm. You may or may not get that pop up shower in your area. Sometimes they form and then rain themselves out by the time they wander over your area. Sometimes they form, come together, rain a little harder and then leave. Unless it is some variation on the usual pattern, the rain usually moves out during the dinner hour.

What this means is if you want to get some pool time in you had best leave the parks by noon and head back to the resort. Even if it is not raining.... if there is thunder nearby they will close the pool and clear the pool deck. By about 2-ish that rain will be forming and floating around the central Florida area. ~ Utilizing this noon exit and hit the pools strategy, by about the time the rain moved in, we were done with the pool and headed back to the room for a shower and a rest before we went out again at night. It was just what was needed during these hot, humid and sunny summer days in Florida.

Another thing that you need to know is to be sure and pack extra foot wear in case you do get caught in the rain. If the forecast is for a chance of rain while you are touring the parks, it pays to throw a pair of Flip Flops in your back pack so that you can change out of your sneakers and keep them dry in your back pack while you navigate the puddles and the rain. We also purchased "El Cheapo" rain ponchos at Walmart that worked really well in the rain. Plan ahead and you will be able to keep moving in the parks while everyone else is huddled under the awnings!

Usually it is so hot in the sun by noon that you are ready to leave the parks anyway. The parks have late night hours now and touring during those times, in the dark when it is cooler is quite enjoyable. In the early morning hours you have lighter crowds and the same goes for the later that you stay at the parks. If the park is still open after the fireworks/fantasmic you will find that many people leave and the lines for the headline attractions get shorter and shorter as the hours get later.

Here is another HOT TIP! In that last hour right before the parks close, the signs outside of the rides indicating the wait times are artificially INFLATED to represent longer wait times. This is especially true for the headliners at a given park. Toy Story Mania is famous for this. What they are trying to do is discourage you from getting in line for that ride because if you are IN LINE the moment the park closes they will still finish out the line and let you ride. No one will be allowed to join the line after the park closing hour.

What this means is that if you didn't get that chance to ride the headliner ride, head over there at park closing and get in line before the park closes. This will translate into shorter wait times and more fun!

Now a tip for that last day, after room check out when you still have time to either go to the parks or go for a swim at the resort. Bell services will watch your luggage for you and allow you to access it to get to your stuff while they are still storing it. What that means is that you can pack a bag with bathing suits and fresh clothes to change in before you depart from the resort.

The BC/YC/BCV has the fitness center, which has a locker room with showers that you can use to freshen up before departure. In the shower area are towels and a wall dispenser of body wash, shampoo and conditioner (none of which are labeled! ) I'm not sure about blow dryers or any of the other stuff.

We pack a separate bag and before our showers in the fitness center we have Bell Services bring us just that bag to take to the locker room. (they will still store the other bags for us until we are ready to take them) We also remember to PACK A PLASTIC BAG to put the wet clothing and bathing suits in for transport home. If you are like us you have a billion Disney Parks merchandise bags floating around your room from your park purchases. Using a couple of them for the wet clothing works out great!

So there are my summer touring tips. The locker room at the BC/YC is much nicer that the one at Port Orleans Riverside which was prison like in it's layout and (lack of) amenities. You'll have to put some thought into how you pack your stuff if you plan on changing clothes on that last day, especially if you have to send your CHECKED luggage ahead to the airport using the resort's airline check in service for your luggage. Successful Disney vacations start and end with successful planning. Hopefully the information that you have learned here will help you maximize your Disney vacation!

~NM

Excellent advice! Thank God we are flying Jet Blue, we will be able to pack 4 suitcases and not have to pay any fees. I'll still be able to observe my No Laundry on Vacation Rule!!!

 

[dandydad12]

Happy Father's day everyone!

~NM

Thank You for that NM . I just got done with our father son golf game for fathers day which signals me to start packing to go back to the world. Y/B club to be exact . I leave next Saturday and I can not wait to get home

 

[Angeejoe]

Love this Dee!

 

[natebenma]

Who knows the legend of Stormalong Bay???


So over the past week I have been trying to do some purging and organizing of my stuff. Today, as I was working on my Beach Club files and paperwork from past trips, I came across a welcome package and read the info.

I was surprised to read "The Legend of Stormalong Bay (see below)".

I also see the mention of a tennis court at the Yacht Club. I didn't know about that and I haven't seen pictures. Is it still there??? On the map, it looks like it is near the YC quiet pool.

Thanks for the picture missyrose and pixeldust


Legend has it that a gigantic sailor named Stormalong came along some time ago and took these parts by storm, running his great ship aground where Stormalong Bay now stands. His mighty vessel plowed into the shoreline in a fierce nor'easter, tearing into the sand and creating the pools and waterways of Stormalong Bay.

.

 

[Willows909]

Ninjamom...What great advice to follow...I have always gone to Disney in May and September...so July is a bit new for me! Thanks for the tips!

 

[Epcotgal]

Had to LOL when I read this. Ocalla, we live in northwest LA and are going to WDW June 27th and I've been jokingly saying I'm keeping fingers crossed for a cool front We aren't EMH people normally but we may need to this trip.

33 days to go!!! It was so hot here yesterday, that I was trying to imagine a Freak Cold Front coming through Disney during our July trip

we usually don't do EMH mornings, but now I am wondering if we should get out there earlier so that we can leave earlier and cool off in the pool?? Although I know that the EMH parks get more crowded.......decisions, decisions.

Teena: Hope Jeanne is feeling better each day?

 

[Sue M]

Welcome Home........

nice!! Happy Dad Day!!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Please don't wish for a cold front - I feel like our whole Spring has been a rainy/cold front!

I am soooo looking forward to the sun!

 

[PittPantherfan]

Just to sum it all up...

Positives:
Everything BC - CL, mouse keeper Stella, SAB, proximity to Epcot and DHS, full balcony and daybed, quiet location of room 5706, smell when you walk in the door, room in great condition. Seeing Teena's smiling face. Lounge staff for keeping the food and beverages coming.
Choosing to go without dining plan.
TS choices- cape may, hoop, ohana, garden grill
Decision to get up early and leave parks early

So-so's:
Disney buses- mostly SRO and packed when we were on them.
CL desk CMs- just didn't seem real excited about being there- this was early on but I did recognize ones I saw last time as week went on and they were good. I asked for a map to get somewhere and was told they were out- which is ok but was offered no alternative or that she would try to find one.
Fill in mouse keeper when Stella was off- missing items that needed restocked such as washclothes, in room coffee. Stella was great- room always was well stocked and extra touches.
Going in June - we think we prefer spring/jan/feb

Not-so-goods-not much to mention- not really things that Disney can control:
Space mountain staff outside allowing a mass of people to assemble at park opening and not indicating which mob was the fast pass mob or the standby mob. People were in the wrong mob. This was going on while 4 cms were chatting and unaware of the chaos developing. Toy story has a good system for organizing the chaos at opening.
People not remembering which finger they used the first time entering and then not listening to the cms trying to help them gain entry.
Men sitting comfortably on the bus when women were struggling standing with their kids-thankfully not me but other women, I gave up my seat before some men would even offer.
Busy times in the lounge and people not seeming to want to make room for others. I know the lounge should be bigger and it is anyones right to be there if you paid for it, but sometimes just lounging in the lounge when people are standing and eating isn't particularly mannerly.

Misc tips:
Use the Lines app- it really helped us navigate the parks. We found it to be fairly accurate.
Take plenty of clothes this time of year for frequent changes. Definitely would recommend athletic/running type of quick dry gear.
Hats are helpful.
Kudos to detergent pods- worked well for us.
Choose comfy footwear- I am a proponent of good sneakers, the pavement is very hot. None of our group had any foot issues. Be practical and don't worry about being fashionable. Saw many fashionistas hobbling around with sore feet by midday.
Drink lots of H2O. Kept checking my kids for nice clear light yellow urine (my younger 2). I know this sounds gross but it is a good way to make sure they are drinking enough.
Get up early and get to the parks.
Stay CL -it is so worth the extra $$

Well on the drive back I think I found our next family adventure, white water rafting the New Gorge River in West Virginia. We stopped there for lunch break on our drive to see the western hemisphere's largest arch bridge. The rafters looked like they were having a blast and no ECVs to run up your ankle or over your kids.

For those still planning-have a great trip and enjoy! I would be happy to answer questions. Will post room pictures.

 

[magicalmoments4]

Happy Fathers Day!

Question for you guys: do any of you Smash Book? (Those who don't know what it is will think I'm nuts.). It's essentially scrap booking but with some of the work done for you already. The kids and I made one for DH for Fathers Day, including tons of pics, writings about what they love about their Daddy, etc. And then I thought, what a great way to prep for the trip!

I've taken a bunch of tips from this board (THANK YOU!!), and am starting to build in other stuff as well - F&W, MNSSHP, Touring Plans info, etc. I thought about also adding in must-do rides for each of us, favorite Disney memories, etc. Anything you guys could think of that might be more specific to BC? I'm having a lot of fun with it (maybe too much...?), much more so than the basic planning books or spreadsheets I've put together before.

Does anyone else do this? Or am I just a little too wrapped up in Disney at the moment?

That is a great idea!! I've actually toyed with making up Smash Books for both my kiddos for our trip, but I wasn't sure if that would work. When will you be in Disney? I'd like to hear how they work for you!!