Beach Club Rooms....Experiences??

[NJ2Boardwalk]

Here is our dilemma....
We are going in early November and would like to stay in the Epcot hotels. We have stayed in the Boardwalk Inn as well as the Villas. We have also stayed at the Swan. Our kids, 12 and 14, at the time of travel, love love love the pool at Yacht & Beach. So we decided to stay at either of the two resorts. Our problem is that i have read here on the Dis and other places that the rooms are on the small side and are old, ie. wallpaper peeling, musty. If anyone has had an experience like this please share. We were thinking about the Yacht Club, but have heard that is not kid friendly as much as Beach. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks a whole bunch.

 

[CharityLynn]

I've stayed at yacht Club and I wouldn't say its not kdi friendly, the decor just appears a bit more adult, darker woods and such. The room we had was beautiful, but a trek from the lobby.

We haven't stayed at Beach Club yet, but will be there in Oct staying in a villa. The thing I've come to know is every person has a differnt experience while one person may notice "bad" things about a room or hotel others may not notice.

I think you'll have a great hotel stay at either, alot of people go for the pool and you get that no matter which you stay at. My suggestion would be to go and check out allearsnet.com and look at each hotels picture gallery. Maybe you'll find you prefer one look over the other.

Either way have fun!

 

[madalex]

At Disney World, there is no such thing as a "non-kid-friendly" hotel. I have stayed at the YC many times; the rooms are neither small nor old (compared to rooms ay other WDW deluxe resorts). It does have a great location and you will be happy either there or at the BC.

 

[Tdisney]

You can not go wrong with either of this resorts. BC is a little bit more kid decorated but I would not say kid freindly. You have Cape May cafe at the BC which has a great character breakfast. There is a gift shop at the BC which has great pastry and other light breakfast foods, all very very good. You are just about 5 minutes closer to Epcot. However we like the YC becasue I think the rooms are a tad bigger plus all rooms have full balconies. The decore is a little more adult oriented but have plenty of kids running around.

 

[kapoof]

we were there this past jan and it was wonderful! don't worry a bit, go and enjoy.

 

[dytx]

we have stayed at yacht twice and will be there again in jul 07. we feel yc is as friendly(kid or not) as beach if not easier to deal with. we have not seen or heard any negatives about peeling wall paper or musty conditions.

 

[tinklvr64]

Our vacation was planned since January...and when we got BC boy were we in for a surprise. We went back and forth about if we should stay at GF (have stayed there before)or BC and decided on BC for a change of pace. Well, I was VERY disappointed in the resort except for the pool. It is quite rundown and is in desperate need of refurbishing especially the lobby area (stained carpeting and chairs, not real shiny!) and the rooms also need to be updated. Also to add to our "experience" were all of the soap stars staying here at the same time. Little did we know when we booked that Super Soap Weekend was at the same time and by the time we knew too late to change. As a paying customer I could not use the elevators when I wanted because they were taking soap stars to their rooms ( one nice girl actress I think from AMC said she didnt mind me using her elevator since I was rushing to get to our reservation) I do not watch or know the soaps so I wouldn't know a soap star but it was apparent because they always had a cm with them.
Couple of other hotel ditties...turndown service requested but didn't happen (yes I know its not always guaranteed...probably too busy making sure soap stars were happy) AND BC lost hot water one whole day and when it finally was fixed at 5pm the water was brown (we had a res at Y'sman steakhouse at 6) no shower for me!
Positives were the wonderful pool..the best at Disney and location to Epcot was great.
This time in Sept we will be staying at GF, yes call me a snob but at the price I am paying over $300.00 per night I guess I am entitled to be picky about the surroundings. Any other questions I would be happy to answer!

 

[3boyzmom]

Hi!

I have to say, I love the BC. I found the lobby to be beautifully decorated and the staff beyond helpful. Our room was very nice, not at all shabby or run down - I requested a full balcony and was given one, no problem. Cape May Cafe is a lot of fun and walking to Epcot can't be beat. Mousekeeping was great ... they left us towel animals and arranged the kids stuffed animals everyday.

I understand that people have different opinions and experiences ... ours was wonderful. I can hardly wait to return in September.

 

[NJ2Boardwalk]

Our vacation was planned since January...and when we got BC boy were we in for a surprise. We went back and forth about if we should stay at GF (have stayed there before)or BC and decided on BC for a change of pace. Well, I was VERY disappointed in the resort except for the pool. It is quite rundown and is in desperate need of refurbishing especially the lobby area (stained carpeting and chairs, not real shiny!) and the rooms also need to be updated. Also to add to our "experience" were all of the soap stars staying here at the same time. Little did we know when we booked that Super Soap Weekend was at the same time and by the time we knew too late to change. As a paying customer I could not use the elevators when I wanted because they were taking soap stars to their rooms ( one nice girl actress I think from AMC said she didnt mind me using her elevator since I was rushing to get to our reservation) I do not watch or know the soaps so I wouldn't know a soap star but it was apparent because they always had a cm with them.
Couple of other hotel ditties...turndown service requested but didn't happen (yes I know its not always guaranteed...probably too busy making sure soap stars were happy) AND BC lost hot water one whole day and when it finally was fixed at 5pm the water was brown (we had a res at Y'sman steakhouse at 6) no shower for me!
Positives were the wonderful pool..the best at Disney and location to Epcot was great.
This time in Sept we will be staying at GF, yes call me a snob but at the price I am paying over $300.00 per night I guess I am entitled to be picky about the surroundings. Any other questions I would be happy to answer!

I know you had said that the lobby was rundown and the rooms needed updated but were they falling apart? Of all of the replies i have recieved yours seemed to be the only one that was not good. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciated your response i was just wondering if the rooms were bad. I have seen the lobby before and it is a little rundown but we are barely in the lobby, check-in, check-out, and an occasional pass through to the buses or outside but not long enough to actually notice its flaws. We are only really concerned about how the rooms are. If you have any pictures of your room, post them, that would be great. Again thanks for you quick response, it is greatly appreciated. PS: we stayed at the GF our last visit and it was great, but we want change of scenery and would like to be close to Epcot for the F&W Festival.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

I actually had a TA tell me that out of all the deluxes , the BC was not up too par! I was shocked..she only told me this after I told her we were considering it. She said she had alot of clients returning and not having good experiences...not with CM's..just that it was getting run down.
I have only visited BC and spent a day there with friends...I know its heresay, but just surprised a TA would say that!

 

[crazy4wdw]

Our vacation was planned since January...and when we got BC boy were we in for a surprise. We went back and forth about if we should stay at GF (have stayed there before)or BC and decided on BC for a change of pace. Well, I was VERY disappointed in the resort except for the pool. It is quite rundown and is in desperate need of refurbishing especially the lobby area (stained carpeting and chairs, not real shiny!) and the rooms also need to be updated. Also to add to our "experience" were all of the soap stars staying here at the same time. Little did we know when we booked that Super Soap Weekend was at the same time and by the time we knew too late to change. As a paying customer I could not use the elevators when I wanted because they were taking soap stars to their rooms ( one nice girl actress I think from AMC said she didnt mind me using her elevator since I was rushing to get to our reservation) I do not watch or know the soaps so I wouldn't know a soap star but it was apparent because they always had a cm with them.
Couple of other hotel ditties...turndown service requested but didn't happen (yes I know its not always guaranteed...probably too busy making sure soap stars were happy) AND BC lost hot water one whole day and when it finally was fixed at 5pm the water was brown (we had a res at Y'sman steakhouse at 6) no shower for me!
Positives were the wonderful pool..the best at Disney and location to Epcot was great.
This time in Sept we will be staying at GF, yes call me a snob but at the price I am paying over $300.00 per night I guess I am entitled to be picky about the surroundings. Any other questions I would be happy to answer!

Wow, this is interesting as I stayed at the BC last May and the lobby had just been completely refurbished! The rooms just had a complete overhall about three years ago. It's been in the rumor mill that the rooms at Yacht, Beach, and Boardwalk will soon receive a minor rehab with the addition of the flat panel TV's which have recenlty been installed at the CR, Poly, and WL. We are going again this May.

 

[NJ2Boardwalk]

Wow, this is interesting as I stayed at the BC last May and the lobby had just been completely refurbished! The rooms just had a complete overhall about three years ago. It's been in the rumor mill that the rooms at Yacht, Beach, and Boardwalk will soon receive a minor rehab with the addition of the flat panel TV's which have recenlty been installed at the CR, Poly, and WL. We are going again this May.

Thats interesting....do you know when the rooms are getting a mini rehab? And if you have any pictures of your room/view, if you wouldnt mind posting them that would be great!

 

[shovan]

I don't agree with the comments about the BC being rundown at all. The lobby has just had new furniture and a mini refurb. The Villas are now getting new sofas & mattresses. I have visited the Poly many times & have seen things there in much worse condition than the BC. However, I would say that the condition of any resort is cyclical thing. Every WDW resort has seen it's ups & downs. During our last trip this January, there was LOTS of fresh painting being done in the corridors and common lounge areas.

We do stay in the Villas, so I can't comment on the "hotel" rooms. But we have walked through the hallways in the hotel area of BC. The hallways & common areas all look great.

Here's a few pics.
In the Lobby at BC with Art

Studio Villa pics

Hope this helps!

 

[Tinkaroo]

We, too, loved our stay at the BC last August, and did not find things to be musty or run-down at all (although I do agree with the above poster that each Disney hotel goes through its ups and downs - that's why they get rehabbed!).

You asked for pictures - you got 'em! Below are some pretty exhaustive shots of our standard room (with a king bed) at the BC:

Dual Closets outside the bathroom (one on each side):

Bathroom:

View from full balcony, looking left:

View from full balcony, looking right:

I can't remember our room number, but we were on the 2nd floor, overlooking a courtyard/volleyball court, and not too far from the end of the property. With so much space, and the added wet bar/sitting area, I couldn't believe it was a standard room, but I asked several different CM's, and they said it indeed was. We were very happy, and will definitely go back to the BC!

 

[NewJersey]

Wow I love your view/room...I hope I get that one in May!

Thanks for the pictures!!!

I have been getting nervous hearing all the negative reviews about the BC. these pictures help.

 

[puggymom]

I have stayed at BC a few times, regular and concierge and never had a rundown room or noticed any of the common areas to be run down. BC remains one of my favorites. I am heading back there on my next trip for 6 nights.

 

[jess20k]

We stayed at the BC back in 2002, and the rooms were just fine back then. Sorry, I don't know if they are in need of a refurb or not since then. Anyway, I can let you know that we really enjoyed it here! I think it would be a fine resort for children, my DS enjoyed it. He was 6 then. We thought that the atmosphere and location of this resort were terrific! We loved the pool area (stormalong bay) it is like a mini water park. The CM's that we encountered were very friendly.

I would definately recommed the BC!

 

[Misti]

Personally, I've found the BC in great shape. Also noticed the lobby recently updated with new upholstery, window treatments and wallpaper/paint. Having recently stayed at both the BC and GF, I found my room at the GF in much more need of rehab than my room at the BC. I think GF is actually next up for a room rehab in the fall.

Good luck with your decision and happy planning!

 

[kapoof]

please don't be put off with a few negative comments. i too was kind of worried when we made our ressies for this past jan, because of a few comments but it was WONDERFUL! the location itself can't be beat, your a 3 minute walk to the world show case, the pool is awesome and i loved just sitting on the beach in the afternoon after a hectic day at the parks. the lobby is NOT run down nor was our room. i can be fairly picky with where we stay (i'm a deluxe girl) and the bc was very nice. go and have a fun time!

 

[Kristybell]

Last year was our first experience staying onsite and we chose the BC. It has good and bad points to it, but even the bad wouldn't necessarily make me not stay there again. We had a standard room and it overlooked pretty much nothing! Our balcony was big enough for just one person to stand on, but if I looked to the right, there was the Epcot Earth gleaming in the distance.

I know it's not the castle, but it was a beautiful site each evening!

The resort location is fantastic. So many things to choose from so close by. It is however, massive. We had quite a hike from our room to anything. I went to do laundry at the hotel one afternoon and got lost getting back to my room! Also, we could hear everyone coming and going in the corridor outside of our room quite clearly. Not a whole lot of insulation there. I understand since these are interior corridors Disney doesn't invest a lot there and we were up early and in late so it wasn't that big a deal.

The rooms themselves were fairly spacious. They didn't appear rundown or musty. Lots of cute Disney touches throughout. The pool cannot be beat! We had trouble finding chairs most days, but keep in mind we were there in the middle of the day in July. Your time may not be as busy. Now, what I'm about to say may be a good or bad thing for some families - once we got to the pool I would usually not see my husband or son again for HOURS! I knew they were together, I wasn't worried about that and it gave me some quality time with a glass of wine and a magazine! Again, it's a sprawling complex, but amazing and not to be missed.

Had dinner in Cape May Cafe which was very good. First time my DS who was 9 at the time ever tried any kind of seafood other than fish sticks. He loved it! He also gave the resort arcade two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Again, a bit of a walk out to catch the bus, but we never waited more than 10-15 minutes for a bus and always had a seat. My son loved chasing the little lizards around while we waited.

We're trying the Wilderness Lodge this year, but I know if given the choice DH and DS would be back at the BC.

Have a fantastic time and tell Art that Colin says hi!