BC vs GF

[Nainolaf]

Hi,
Please bear with my rambling as this is a two fold question!
We are currently booked at BC (garden view) from 2nd Jan 2020 for 14 nights for my 50th birthday coming from the UK.
My dear wife booked as a surprise (no longer ) but in looking the dates up it seems that it will be very busy for the dates booked(1st weekend has 9’s & 10’s for most parks on touring plans and 2nd weekend is Marathon weekend!!
We are currently looking to move our arrival to 16th-30th Jan hoping will be a bit quieter?
I appreciate there is no such thing as a quiet time anymore but do you think these dates will be a bit less busy?
We also have a choice for these 2 weeks of upgrading to either a Garden View room at GF or a 1 bed suite (CL) at BC for the same price!
It will be our first time at either resort (usually stay moderates) and will be DW49, DD21 and myself!
Many thanks in advance for any advice that can be given.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I vote BC since I’m assuming there’s a lot of resort down time in there. And I’ve never done CL, but having it versus not having it sounds good to me!

We find when we visit MK we tend to do it for larger chunks of time than Epcot or DHS, so it’s really nice to be able to get to our hotel quickly and easily from Epcot and DHS. It feels like a more relaxed vacation when we’re at an Epcot area resort vs monorail resort.

 

[DrunkJam]

I would say BC. We stayed at GF, and to be honest, it was fine, but, it just kind of lacked something, atmosphere wise. Plus CL is fun.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Hi,
Please bear with my rambling as this is a two fold question!
We are currently booked at BC (garden view) from 2nd Jan 2020 for 14 nights for my 50th birthday coming from the UK.
My dear wife booked as a surprise (no longer ) but in looking the dates up it seems that it will be very busy for the dates booked(1st weekend has 9’s & 10’s for most parks on touring plans and 2nd weekend is Marathon weekend!!
We are currently looking to move our arrival to 16th-30th Jan hoping will be a bit quieter?
I appreciate there is no such thing as a quiet time anymore but do you think these dates will be a bit less busy?
We also have a choice for these 2 weeks of upgrading to either a Garden View room at GF or a 1 bed suite (CL) at BC for the same price!
It will be our first time at either resort (usually stay moderates) and will be DW49, DD21 and myself!
Many thanks in advance for any advice that can be given.

BC CL definitely gives you a bigger bang for your buck, just make sure DD21 doesn't mind sleeping on a pull-out sofa for 14 nights. While GF is lovely, we definitely prefer BC and being in the EP resort area - there is so much to do within walking distance of those resorts. I, personally, would check to see if you could get a better rate on a BC standard CL or regular room at BC/YC or BWI, though. I, personally, could not sleep on a pull-out sofa for two weeks.

 

[Nainolaf]

BC CL definitely gives you a bigger bang for your buck, just make sure DD21 doesn't mind sleeping on a pull-out sofa for 14 nights. While GF is lovely, we definitely prefer BC and being in the EP resort area - there is so much to do within walking distance of those resorts. I, personally, would check to see if you could get a better rate on a BC standard CL or regular room at BC/YC or BWI, though. I, personally, could not sleep on a pull-out sofa for two weeks.

This was one of our main worries.....DD does love her bed whenever we visit the Mouse.

 

[SG131]

This was one of our main worries.....DD does love her bed whenever we visit the Mouse.

I think you need to talk to your daughter and see what she prefers more, privacy or a real bed. The separation would be nice, but even at 21 there's no way I would've been comfortable on a pullout couch for two weeks.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I would say BC. We stayed at GF, and to be honest, it was fine, but, it just kind of lacked something, atmosphere wise. Plus CL is fun.

I agree. I'd choose BC. GF is bland to me and not as great as some make it seem.

 

[buzznina]

For us, the only plus BC gets is that you have CL, but no way would I have an adult sleep on a pullout for that many nights. Our family found BC resort (other than the pool) to be just okay, but we really loved the GF lobby and shops etc. Which totally shocked us, because we initially did not think we would like it much.

 

[Nainolaf]

TBH CL doesn’t really bother us too much, we have the free dining booked (can only eat so much food).
I don’t think DD will want to sleep on the sofa bed for 2 weeks (not at these prices) so remaining options seem to be-:
A. Keep booking at BC Garden view on 2nd Jan and see how we get on with the crowds..or..
B. Opt for the GF Garden view on the better date of the 16th Jan.
Sadly there seems to be literally no ‘Normal’ rooms available at either the Yacht or Beach club anytime after 1st week in Jan with free dining.
Thank you all for your views/advice.

 

[Minnie1222]

The BC suite with club sounds like a GREAT deal, especially if the cost is the same as GF- garden view (no club?).
BC will be closer to the new Skyliner, if you're interested.

 

[Babsy]

Any chance of doing a split stay with one week at each? Both resorts are awesome.

If you have too choose only one, I would vote for the GF as I always stay where the sleeping arrangements allows for the best rest for everyone. If you were able to get a real bed for everyone, I would choose the BC because of the location.

Good luck!

 

[epcotobsessed]

We love split stays and always do one for less than 14 nights so I would definitely do a split stay here. BC is our favorite hotel but, as many people have said, 2 weeks on a pull-out sofa bed is brutal for anyone over the age of 8.

 

[holden]

As far as crowds go...

Your first choice of dates will be crowded due to guests finishing up their holiday trip and the marathon. The second choice of dates will also be crowded due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on 1/20. In short, it will be crowded either way. Go with whichever week is best for you.

PS - For what it's worth...I always say there are only two crowd levels at WDW - crowded and more crowded. There really are no slow times anymore.

 

[tguz]

I would pick BC but it is my Fiancees dream to stay at the GF so I would choose the GF. It is totally her style. We always have a meal at the Grand Floridian Cafe while staying at a Value. LOL We aren't a fan of split stays so it's all in on a single resort.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I would split stay and do a week at both! It will also be nice because when you’re at BC you can walk to Epcot and walk (or take the Skyliner or boat) to Hollywood Studios. When you’re at GF you can take the monorail to MK (they’re also building a walkway but I don’t know when it’ll be done).

Both resorts have a lot to explore in the surrounding areas. At BC you can walk to the Boardwalk and to mini golf near Swan/Dolphin, and at GF you can also walk to Poly.

Have fun!

 

[Lovetherodent]

Not a fan of BC (although we stayed on the YC side). I think if you're not traveling with younger children, Stormalong Bay loses some of it's charm. We are poolside loungers, and didn't like the YC/BC pool. Plus, at BC, there's a chance you don't get a decent balcony. However, if a sofa bed wasn't in the mix, I'd say take the CL suite for the space. Sofa bed really does change things.

Personally, I love the GF. It's got a great pool for lounging (the courtyard pool), and a much more relaxing atmosphere in general than BC. There are also a lot of easily accessible dining options when you consider the whole monorail loop.

 

[Karebear]

I would pick the beach club as its location is my favorite at WDW! I would talk to your daughter. When I was 21 I would much prefer a pull out sofa in my own space versus sleeping in the same room as my parents. Some pull puts are better than others but my kids have slept in them at Disney and at least the ones we had weren’t bad. Whatever you end up doing have a great trip!

 

[Sue M]

Yes, I think later dates will be less crowded. We typically go late Jan. And crowds aren’t too bad. I‘ve never gone early January.

At first I thought GF, but then I saw your daughter is coming, so I think a one bedroom would work better. I’ve stayed at both BC & YC, and both are great. But if you can get the same deal at YC, i‘d consider staying at YC. They’re really just 2 sides of the same resort. But- YC has balconies, BC you only have 50% chance of a full balcony. Many are Juliette balconies at BC. Other reason is YC is the first bus stop. And YC has less small children than BC.
which ever you stay at YC or BC, put in a room request to be close to lobby elevator, the hallways are long.

 

[Shellyred8]

We are going to WDW the last week of Jan. I couldn't figure out why everything was so booked up. Then I found out that the NFL All-Star game is on Jan 26 in Orlando, and there is quite a bit of stuff going on at WWoS in the several days leading up to it. So, that will be adding to the crowd levels.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Jan 8-12 is Disney Marathon. Sat morning may be hard to get to the MK from a non-MK resort, but by 9:30 or so it should be cleared out. Sun morning may be hard to get to the MK and Epcot from a non-MK or non-Epcot. MK will be cleared out by 9:30 and Epcot by noon. Other than the runners with families (many are just there for the races), it won't be too crowded.