Hi everyone. My best friend and I who have always gone to WDW with both families or at least w/ our daughters who are now 23 stayed in a GV room at the BC for 5 nights. First time with just the 2 of us. I started to post a review 2 days ago and it not only was turning into a novel, but I lost power and lost everything I'd typed. I may break this into installments because I can be long winded.
We arrived at Sanford Airport via Allegiant Air at 9:00 Thursday night. Took a towncar service (with one stop at the Hess station which was packed) and arrived at the BC. We have stayed here 3 times before. We did not do online checkin and the only request I had noted on our reservation was full balcony or patio. Check in was a breeze and we were assigned room #1586 with a patio. We loved being close to the Marketplace. Only downfall was that we had a lot of traffic going past our room that could be noisy at times. I really didn't care about little kids' excited voices at 7 a.m. (I needed to wake up anyway!) but a couple times we could have done without loud adult voices in the hall at 1:45 a.m. Still, we were happy with our location and the condition of our room. We were at the very opposite end of the hall that leads to the "secret entrance" and used it many times as we got caught in major downpours several times.
After arriving late Thurs. night and not realizing it was already 11 p.m. until we got to the Marketplace and they were just locking the doors we decided to order room service to deliver breakfast the next morning. We ordered way too much food! My friend asked if they would call first which they did. Food was hot and service was friendly. EVERY CM we encountered at the Beach Club was wonderful. Can't say enough about how friendly and accomodating they all were. Big A+ on customer service.
We have enjoyed lots of Disney resorts, but we love Epcot and to be able to walk to and from. We have also always enjoyed SAB especially after a morning at the parks. We got to the pool one afternoon and darn if it didn't start sprinkling as soon as we got there. We tried to will the clouds in the other direction to no avail and soon afterwards even though we were trying to pretend it wasn't about to storm...it did! Pool was closed. This was the theme throughout our stay. So, only experience I had at SAB was that and a few minutes in the hot tub one night to soothe my aching feet. Bit of a bummer but we still enjoyed the Solarium when it rained and the swing on the beach at night looking over at the Boardwalk.
Only real downfall of BC this time: Bus transportation. I have read the complaints here many times. We have stayed at BC x 3, BWI and BWV X2, Swan, and Dolphin so we have done busses many times and although sharing wasn't ideal, it wasn't nearly as bad as this trip. We arrived at the bus stop at 8:20 for AK one morning. Bus pulled up already full of people standing so only a couple of people boarded. After 2 or 3 MK busses pulled up, another AK bus (to BB and AK) pulled up after 30 minutes and it was also standing room only. TWO different afternoons we waited on Downtown Disney busses only to have them arrive full. There were a LOT of complaining people at the bus stop. They need more busses! As I heard one man say at the bus stop. He didn't pay the price of a deluxe resort to get transportation that was worse than any value he had ever stayed at.
We opted a few times to take a taxi which was so much faster. We've always done this over the years, especially when we want to make sure we get to a dinner p.s. on time. Always worked well until Mon. 7/1... Coming in
Saving the worst thing that happened on our trip for last but the only reason I'm putting this here is because it is where the rest of my report is and it shows how EVEN when it is NO fault of theirs, the Beach Club staff comes through for it's guests.
Monday, July 1st - Spent the day dodging storms and felt like wet kittens by late afternoon. Friend was starting to get a cold (which she found out turned into sinus infection after dr. visit when we got home.) We really wanted to make the last night a good one and wanted to keep our Shula's reservations. We've had reservations there in the past and it seems like something always comes up to make us cancel. So we took hot showers, and got dressed hoping it wouldn't be rainy when time to head out. Of course it started pouring. Even with a poncho or umbrella when the wind is swirling you're bound to get wet. So we went out front and told the valet we'd like to take a taxi to the Dolphin for our reservations. He called one up. We got in and the cab reeked of cigarette smoke. We told him we were going to the Dolphin resort and he said, "You've got to be Sh*tting me!" It wasn't said in a joking manner, but very rudely. I said, "Don't worry, we will tip you well." to which he responded. "Don't bother!" My friend said, "is there a problem?" He said "Nope." But then in pouring rain he sped, and splashed through puddles to the Dolphin OBVIOUSLY trying to express his anger or scare us or whatever. My friend gave him $12.00 on a $5 fare which everyone including the BC concierge said we shouldn't have given him anything after that treatment but we FULLY intended to tip well when we got in the cab. We understood he wouldn't make money on such a short ride but I don't care if I asked him to take us across the street - he should NOT speak to customers with that language or tone. Plus from my seat behind the passenger side I could see 2 Marlboro cigarette packs next to his seat in plain view. We went to the concierge at the Dolphin and asked if our cab request was unreasonable. He apologized up and down and asked us to please report it to the concierge at the BC when we returned. We did, and although it was not the BC's fault in any way, they apologized and called the Checkered Cab Company and reported the driver and his cab number 653. The staff at the concierge desk seemed to truly care that this jerk had affected our last night in such a negative way. They explained that Disney does not want any outside contactors like these rogue cab drivers making a negative impact on their guests stay and took complaints against these contractors seriously.
Every other taxi experience we have ever had, whether this stay or our 17 others has NEVER been anything like that.