2014/2015 Beach and Yacht Club FAQ, Friends & Fun, Sept 2014-Mayl 2015

[Ninja Mom]

Bus service to DTD is just so awful. I don't know if we'll bother with DTD our next trip, but if we do, I think I might take a bus from Epcot to POR and then take the boat to DTD. It likely won't save us any time at all, but the boat ride is really nice.

Whenever I have to go to Downtown Disney (DTD) from the BC I usually just stage a car jacking. It's quick, it's easy and no court in the land would ever lack the sympathy to acquit you for this "survival" crime. I usually buy the car owner an Elsa Doll and we call it even... so it never gets to court.

In a couple of days Nannette and I (AKA Thelma and Louise) are heading back to Pop Century for a spell. Savvy thread subscribers will know to monitor local news reports for information on our shenanigans. After we have been apprehended and charges are filed, that's your clue to organize the telethon and start to raise money for our bail (and Bongos bar bill).


As always, we are committed Beach Club groupies. Have faith that even though we are on a LOW budget (how low can you go?) and we are staying at Pop Century we will monitor the construction kerfuffles (from a far) and report back with every unnecessary whine and complaint, perhaps with even a few that are manufactured under the influence of alcohol! .

In other news I am enjoying all of the horror stories on another thread about how EVERY SINGLE BUS that drives from the Yacht Club has ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM, NOT EVEN STANDING!!! and thus people staying at the Beach Club CAN NEVER GET ON A BUS!!!!!

Having just stayed at the BC in August I am pleased to announce that not only did I NOT have to hitch a ride on the rear bumper of the bus just to get to the parks, but I actually got a seat every single time.

Please don't believe the "Nuts" that overstate the problem to foment their hysteria and then are joined by the usual suspects who bash the resort because it wasn't for them when they stayed there 18 years ago.

It's a well known fact that ANY resort bus going to/coming from DTD is going to be a disaster, no matter where you stay. After that the buses are going to get you to the parks most of the time with no problems. If you have to get some place by a particular time be sure to leave early enough. That's the big secret to success when using the Disney buses!

~NM

 

[cynditech]

Hi guys! We've been back for just over a week now from our stay at BCV. We had a studio room for the first two nights and then a two bedroom for the rest of the week (we started as 3 of us, and then our friends arrived and we had a group of 8).

The studio room was ok, I think it was a HA room? There were a couple of burned out lights, besides that, the room was fine. It was considerably larger than our studio at BLT for sure.

The two bedroom unit was nice as well - plenty of room for our group of 8 - nobody every felt crowded at all.

We utilized SAB quite a few times and everyone loved it. Never too crowded, just a great pool. As previously mentioned by others, it's just very difficult to keep track of our whole party at that pool. Other times we used the quiet pool, and everyone had a great time as well.

It was wonderful getting to meet Teena and being able to chat for a bit She was so nice - and quite helpful to our group as we were frazzled that day between switching rooms, participating in the YES homeschool program and getting ready for MNSSHP.

As far as the YES program - it was a lot of fun for the kids. Ours was Animation at Hollywood Studios. We met there before 8am - the class was about 3 hours. The kids learned a lot about animation and movies, did some drawing, etc. I thought it was great (the kids thought it was too early, lol)!

Being able to walk to Epcot was really nice (though Epcot was crazy crowded each time we went).

We ate from the Marketplace a couple times and everything was good (DH loved the ham sandwich and DS liked the flatbread pizzas). I will note the CM's were especially nice each time with went to the Marketplace.

Thanks for letting me share. Overall, we did like our stay at BCV. But we do spend a lot more time at MK - so the location wasn't as convenient as when we stayed at BLT. So, now we're torn on where to try next time!

 

[tarak]

NM, people say the same thing about the busses at AKL. If you stay at Kidani, you're picked up first. It's nice, but I don't remember ever having to wait for eons before a bus showed up when we stayed at Jambo House. And honestly, how far a walk is it to the YC bus pickup from BC? I'd just walk there in the morning.

 

[Ninja Mom]

Boy it sure is quiet around here.....

Perhaps everyone is waiting at the bus stop for the buses that are SO FULL from loading up at the Yacht Club that not a single additional human being from the Beach Club can fit...

~Alternate Theory~ All of the Beach and Yacht Club thread regulars are passed out drunk in the bushes from Food and Whine overindulgence.... (Couchy I'm looking at you!)

~Janetmom theory~ She is busy knitting a Christmas tree cozy to keep her artificial tree warm during the Canadian Polar Vortex of frostyness that will be here any minute.

Hmm.... That trip that Nannette and I are taking will be here SOON ENOUGH!
Perhaps we can try for a sneak peak at the new BC rooms, or at a minimum do another photo shoot for the calendar featuring "Women who lounge on tacky new Beach Club room rugs".

... and just in time for Christmas!

~NM

 

[DisFanEY]

Love the previous posts..made me laugh... We always rent a car so I have nothing to add... Though the buses sound horrible

We will be at the BC Sunday morning, our anniversary! Arrive in Orlando tomorrow tho; offsite the first night. Girls are tucked in dreaming of Mickey (and Elsa!) and we are ready to go! Thanks to all for help as we pulled this trip together. This thread has been a fantastic tool!!

Time now to find some sleep, so happy to enjoy the week with my family.

Let me know if I can check on anything for anyone... Happy to pay it forward!!!

 

[michyi]

OMG... I'm getting so close. I'm so excited to get away. Work has been stressful and the kids sports are fun, but VERY time consuming. I can't wait to get away and just have fun. No sports, no work, no grocery shopping, no cooking, and no Michigan weather! I just hope we can stay healthy for the next few weeks.

 

[natebenma]

page 100-102

ok so we're on the final countdown :-D What do I need to know, breakfast likely to be very early on the first day so I'm right thinking the lounge at the Yacht Club is open? The we have fast passes for Epcot in the morning, then I reckon a kip and maybe a swim before hopefully heading out again. Excited!

Anything we should look out for at the resort? I loved exploring all the nooks at WL, are there similar at BC?
Thanks for all the advice
Kittb

I don't think I have you on the Be Our Guest list.

When is your trip?

I follow this forum regularly and love to read everyone's insight. I have stayed at both the YC and BC one time each. In less than an hour I will be leaving work to begin my vacation. In less than 12 hours, I will be arriving via ME at the YC resort to begin a 4 day vacation with my family. I just want to thank you all for your knowledge and tips that you are kind enough to share.

Hope you have a fantastic trip!

In 30 days and 6 minutes (719 hours, if you are counting!) we will be arriving in Orlando for the "Annual Christmas Visit". This year we rented points and will be staying at BCV. My DH suffered from agoraphobia for years and would not travel. In 1998 when he finally got the help he needed and could actually get on an airplane and go somewhere, we stayed at Beach Club. Have stayed at the BCV once since then with a stint as DVC members at BWV, although we no longer are members. We stayed once at YC. We found it "stuffy" as well. But the lightness (is that a word?) and atmosphere at BCV rivals that of our beloved BWV. I would say we have been at WDW some 50+ times since 1998!! Its proximity to Epcot and DHS, its atmosphere, the chocolate carousel in the lobby, Beaches and Cream, sandy bottom pool, what is there not to love. But miss Art at the door. What a wonderful gentle-man he is. We always looked forward to seeing him and made it a point to stop in and say hello after the pilgrimage to Beaches and Cream. There is a video of BC somewhere out there that I saw yesterday and the nostalgia for the place made me tear up. Can't wait!!

I'll add you to the Be Our Guest list for December.

I popped in this thread at the beginning of the year after I booked my first ever stay at the Yacht Club and got a friendly welcome from the posters here so hopefully no one will mind if I drop back.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at YC and was seriously considering booking it for my trip to WDW next year but I do like to try out different Disney resorts so was a bit reluctant to stay at YC again for that reason alone. Fortunately I found a fantastic deal on-line for Beach Club and I thought "what better way of comparing the two resorts to see what everyone goes on about?" so I went ahead and booked it. Will be off in March next year and am really looking forward to it.

Hope everyone else with forthcoming trips have a good time of it. No doubt I'll be back to ask for advice etc as my dates draw closer but I thought I'd say hullo now.

1F

back!

Glad to hear you had a great stay at the YC and that you are coming back to give the Beach Club a try.

Soo excited just less than 180 days left and today I got a pin for my stay! Called and there was availability for the yacht club! Now onto dining reservations ... I always book on 180 days just a little slow this year!

I have you on the list for BC, so I will change your info to YC.

Just wanted to paste my review I posted in another thread of my stay at the YC in case it helps anyone.

We got back home a few days ago from our split stay of YC CL & GF RPC (which was amazing and I'll be reviewing later). I'll try to not compare too directly to the GF because we had a great time at the YC and were sad to leave after only a few nights.

I already mentioned it but I think the Strawberry Champagne drink at arrival is a great touch and wish all CL's would start adopting a similar approach. It reminds me of some of the resorts we have visited in the Caribbean that do the same and it just helps set that vacation mood!

I enjoyed the room decor. The Blues and whites were refreshing and despite these rooms being close to a refurb, we didn't have any issues with the cleanliness. We booked a GV room and had a great view of Stormalong Bay and the Boardwalk. Being able to view illuminations from our balcony was a very nice benefit!

The lounge was a good experience overall - as they all seem to be I enjoyed he food offerings, which were relatively standard as far as Disney CLs go. I thought the hard-boiled eggs were great during breakfast as lean protein can be hard to find @ the other lounges. It may be the child in me but I also enjoyed the peanut butter & jelly shooters and caramel cups with apples served nightly. The lounge really needs to be bigger as they were several families who went back to their rooms to eat (only ran out the bacon wrapped scallops one night but replaced with bacon wrapped sausage - incredibly unhealthy but delicious!). As has been mentioned, the staff was hit or miss with cleaning up dishes in the hallway. One night we didn't see anything, then the following morning they were all over. This should be an easy fix - hopefully they pay more attention to it.

I will add that the CM's serving alcohol became a bit annoying at times, especially compared to the GF where they use much bigger glasses and you serve yourself. Now my fiancé and I aren't huge drinkers, but enjoy a glass or two of wine when on vacation over dinner. I guess there is a rule about 2 glasses per person in a seating now because when my fiancé tried to get a 2nd glass for herself and one for me, they wouldn't serve her (I thought that was frustrating given I was sitting in the lounge, they knew us, and the glasses were small). The CM's @ the GF were the exact opposite as I asked for a glass of champagne and was brought a big wine glass filled high (too high!) lol.

Despite that, we had a great stay @ the YC and I'm sure we will be back in due time. The short walk away from Epcot (especially during F&W) was priceless. We found Stormalong Bay to be the best pool on property and had no issue with crowds. I highly recommend the Crew's Cup Lounge for their truffle fries...highly! We especially liked waking up early to jog the Boardwalk and grab a treat at the Bakery. Even the music played in front of the YC/BC was so relaxing! Well that's it for now, hopefully this helps someone

Thank you for your review!

Because our traveling companions can't afford BC, we aren't staying there in January, but instead we're staying at POR. It's not like I'm dreading POR by any means, but I will say ... I am very much looking forward to taking the boat to DTD. I don't care where you stay, bus transportation to DTD is awful as you said. We stayed at POFQ two years ago and LOVED taking the boat.

Have a great trip!!!

So excited, 1 more week!!! I think its time to finally get the suitcases out.

So exciting!

Hi guys! We've been back for just over a week now from our stay at BCV. We had a studio room for the first two nights and then a two bedroom for the rest of the week (we started as 3 of us, and then our friends arrived and we had a group of 8).

The studio room was ok, I think it was a HA room? There were a couple of burned out lights, besides that, the room was fine. It was considerably larger than our studio at BLT for sure.

The two bedroom unit was nice as well - plenty of room for our group of 8 - nobody every felt crowded at all.

We utilized SAB quite a few times and everyone loved it. Never too crowded, just a great pool. As previously mentioned by others, it's just very difficult to keep track of our whole party at that pool. Other times we used the quiet pool, and everyone had a great time as well.

It was wonderful getting to meet Teena and being able to chat for a bit She was so nice - and quite helpful to our group as we were frazzled that day between switching rooms, participating in the YES homeschool program and getting ready for MNSSHP.

As far as the YES program - it was a lot of fun for the kids. Ours was Animation at Hollywood Studios. We met there before 8am - the class was about 3 hours. The kids learned a lot about animation and movies, did some drawing, etc. I thought it was great (the kids thought it was too early, lol)!

Being able to walk to Epcot was really nice (though Epcot was crazy crowded each time we went).

We ate from the Marketplace a couple times and everything was good (DH loved the ham sandwich and DS liked the flatbread pizzas). I will note the CM's were especially nice each time with went to the Marketplace.

Thanks for letting me share. Overall, we did like our stay at BCV. But we do spend a lot more time at MK - so the location wasn't as convenient as when we stayed at BLT. So, now we're torn on where to try next time!

We appreciate your review!

Thanks!

Love the previous posts..made me laugh... We always rent a car so I have nothing to add... Though the buses sound horrible

We will be at the BC Sunday morning, our anniversary! Arrive in Orlando tomorrow tho; offsite the first night. Girls are tucked in dreaming of Mickey (and Elsa!) and we are ready to go! Thanks to all for help as we pulled this trip together. This thread has been a fantastic tool!!

Time now to find some sleep, so happy to enjoy the week with my family.

Let me know if I can check on anything for anyone... Happy to pay it forward!!!

Have fun!

OMG... I'm getting so close. I'm so excited to get away. Work has been stressful and the kids sports are fun, but VERY time consuming. I can't wait to get away and just have fun. No sports, no work, no grocery shopping, no cooking, and no Michigan weather! I just hope we can stay healthy for the next few weeks.

Getting there!

 

[SFunaro]

Hey guys,

I am checking in to the beach club for our very first stay for one night next saturday (nov 15th). No trips to the park until sunday...

Any tips for requests for check in? things to do?

There are 8 of us going.

 

[Travellerman]

Now less than 6 months for me till I'll be there. Most of my dining reservations made including Yachtsman, Cape May and Captain's Grill. (also got one for the new restaurant at Boardwalk 'Trattoria al Forno' Really looking forward to being able to get up in the morning, get my coffee in my refillable mug and go for a walk around the lake (fairly early riser here)
I'm still holding out hope for an annual pass discount so maybe I could get into club level. But not sure whether that will be possible (never taken advantage of an ap discount before) I will be on the deluxe dining plan so not sure how much I'd be able to take advantage of the lounge if I did get in CL? Would be cool to try at least once though.

 

[gometros]

Would you please add us to the BOG list? March 4th, 2015. We didn't get enough of SAB in October, do we are foregoing BWV once more for BCV. Hope WDWKOOK can forgive us. Thanks!

 

[Katesdad]

Hey guys, I am checking in to the beach club for our very first stay for one night next saturday (nov 15th). No trips to the park until sunday... Any tips for requests for check in? things to do? There are 8 of us going.

putt-putt golf within walking distance.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I am about to ship a box to myself at YC for our arrival in 1 week!!!
Is the info on the "useful info" page still up to date? Still ship to that address and only via USPS?

 

[natebenma]

I am about to ship a box to myself at YC for our arrival in 1 week!!!
Is the info on the "useful info" page still up to date? Still ship to that address and only via USPS?

As far as I know, the suggested procedure has not changed and the info is still correct.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

As far as I know, the suggested procedure has not changed and the info is still correct.

thanks!

 

[NicoleLarson]

Hey all! We are enjoying our 1st stay at YC. It's an absolutely beautiful day today...warm enough to lay out but not too hot that you have to get in the pool. I agree the YC is in desperate need of a renovation. It's just the little things that I have noticed in our room. For example no bar on the fridge so you can't put things in the door. The "C" knob is gone off of one of the sinks. We only have one bed runner. Nothing that's horrible but at the prices we are paying I would expect things like this to be fixed. The pool is great but per usual about 30% of the chairs are occupied yet 100 % have stuff on them. So I happily moved a single white towel and sat down. We've been here an hour and no one has sat on either side 3 chairs away. Then I hear a lady invite a whole family they know, saying oh no, we are staying here so it's no problem I can get you all into the pool, we already did this with another family this morning. As we speak she is now taking more chairs and putting towels on all of them for the friends that are coming! Arrrgggg.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Hey all! We are enjoying our 1st stay at YC. It's an absolutely beautiful day today...warm enough to lay out but not too hot that you have to get in the pool. I agree the YC is in desperate need of a renovation. It's just the little things that I have noticed in our room. For example no bar on the fridge so you can't put things in the door. The "C" knob is gone off of one of the sinks. We only have one bed runner. Nothing that's horrible but at the prices we are paying I would expect things like this to be fixed. The pool is great but per usual about 30% of the chairs are occupied yet 100 % have stuff on them. So I happily moved a single white towel and sat down. We've been here an hour and no one has sat on either side 3 chairs away. Then I hear a lady invite a whole family they know, saying oh no, we are staying here so it's no problem I can get you all into the pool, we already did this with another family this morning. As we speak she is now taking more chairs and putting towels on all of them for the friends that are coming! Arrrgggg.

When we were there last may you had to have a wristband to go in. To obtain a wristband you had to have your KTTW card checked. Do they not do this anymore with MBs?

 

[happymommy]

Hey all! We are enjoying our 1st stay at YC. It's an absolutely beautiful day today...warm enough to lay out but not too hot that you have to get in the pool. I agree the YC is in desperate need of a renovation. It's just the little things that I have noticed in our room. For example no bar on the fridge so you can't put things in the door. The "C" knob is gone off of one of the sinks. We only have one bed runner. Nothing that's horrible but at the prices we are paying I would expect things like this to be fixed. The pool is great but per usual about 30% of the chairs are occupied yet 100 % have stuff on them. So I happily moved a single white towel and sat down. We've been here an hour and no one has sat on either side 3 chairs away. Then I hear a lady invite a whole family they know, saying oh no, we are staying here so it's no problem I can get you all into the pool, we already did this with another family this morning. As we speak she is now taking more chairs and putting towels on all of them for the friends that are coming! Arrrgggg.

I would go find security and point them out! SAB is the nicest pool on property, according to many, and it isn't allowed to bring guests that aren't staying there to swim. I have no problem with folks going to have a drink at the pool bar, but they shouldn't be holding chairs for a long time and shouldn't bring others to use the pool if it's crowded like that. I totally wouldn't say anything or really complain if there were lots of empty chairs personally (I'm not a confrontational person), but this seems to be inconveniencing a lot of guests like you.

 

[tarak]

When we were there last may you had to have a wristband to go in. To obtain a wristband you had to have your KTTW card checked. Do they not do this anymore with MBs?

Maybe at this time of year, they're not as rigorous about checking? We were there in August and everyone in our party had to get their wristbands checked.

 

[Mousemommy1]

When we were there last may you had to have a wristband to go in. To obtain a wristband you had to have your KTTW card checked. Do they not do this anymore with MBs?

When we were there in August we had to scan our magic bands and get the bracelets to enter.

 

[natebenma]

Maybe at this time of year, they're not as rigorous about checking? We were there in August and everyone in our party had to get their wristbands checked.

When we were there in August we had to scan our magic bands and get the bracelets to enter.

As far as I know, they are still checking Magic Bands for pool entry. I have a friend who is there now and I will ask her what they were doing today. I suspect that this person has found a way to circumvent the rules to get their friends in.