Beach Club Villas/updated with a AKV club review

[logan115]

Hi,

I just booked a 4 night stay for mid-July for myself and DD9 (who desperately wanted to do a mother/daughter trip for the first time -- gotta love it!) at the BCV (studio).

I would love any advice that you have for a first timer!

I do have one question -- is it feasible to take a cab to the front of Epcot so we could be at that end of the park for opening? I would really like to be at that end of the park for rope drop (and to get to Soarin' asap)?

Also--what time do the movies start?

Thanks for all of the help!

You can get a cab to the parks. Asked the valet guys to call one and it was there about 15 mins later. Would suggest that you ask someone about that the night before. Believe it costed about $10-$15.

Have fun,

Chris

 

[TeenaS]

It was nice meeting you too. Hopefully next time we'll have more time to chat.

 

[BCV23]

The weather was perfect. Mid 70s with no rain. We managed to miss all of our buses, which makes up for our trip last year where we only waited 5 minutes for a bus. Lots of people... like lots... We only got on the RnR onece. How is it this week?

Hope you have fun! We are waitlisted for AKV concierge this fall. If we don't get that, we will probably be cruising.

Oh, sorry to hear of the buses! Isn't it funny how certain trips, everything goes like clockwork and the next one things can go haywire.

Crowds this week seem lighter than last but they weren't bad then either. I think it just depends on which park you're at and even then cam be luck. I'll read someone say a park was jammed but we will have been able to walk right on things that same day.

Hope your AKL concierge waitlist comes through. That's where we are right now.

With the sandy area closed, has this had a big impact on the seating available around the rest of the pool? We are arriving at BCV on Friday and DW is concerned she will have to compete for a lounge chair.

There was lots of seating last week. Have a great stay.

I met the manager of the Market Place in The Beach Club and he told me he manages the Market Place, Hurricane Hannahs and B&C so three weeks ago when I asked him if they could serve burgers at the Market Place he just smiled and said they were making changes!!!

Ah, interesting.

One change at the Marketplace is that the parfaits are no longer routinely mixed in stainless steel bowls. I think the CM told me she could do it that way if I wanted but I couldn't hear her that well. The parfaits were still great though.

We're at BCV right now and are having a wonderful stay. Loved the online check in. There were probably 20 people in line, but I was taken right over to a window and was able to pick up my member packet and keys--it took all of about a minute. The villa was immaculate on check in; obviously the carpet has been replaced and the unit looks like it was newly painted. Plaid fabric still on the banquette.

DH says gelato or ice cream, he has to have it every night. Flavors are cookies and cream, lemon, raspberry, chocolate and mango.

Glad that you're having fun and that online worked well for you too.

Interesting that your villa has the plaid banquette too.

Have a great stay.

I'm glad you enjoyed your BCV stay. We're staying in BCV in May with the young ones coming on Sunday, DH and I on Tuesday night, and finally DSis and DF coming on Wednesday. With the F&G going on, I'm hoping to get a program with times of lady bug releases so the DGC can have some F&G specific fun. It's the right location for that sort of thing.

Bobbi

Sounds like great fun, Bobbi!

Hi,

I just booked a 4 night stay for mid-July for myself and DD9 (who desperately wanted to do a mother/daughter trip for the first time -- gotta love it!) at the BCV (studio).

I would love any advice that you have for a first timer!

I do have one question -- is it feasible to take a cab to the front of Epcot so we could be at that end of the park for opening? I would really like to be at that end of the park for rope drop (and to get to Soarin' asap)?

Also--what time do the movies start?

Thanks for all of the help!

The campfire started at 7pm and movies at 8pm last week.

It was nice meeting you too. Hopefully next time we'll have more time to chat.

I hope so!

 

[jfinke]

The crowds were bad enough that my wife said we are never going back during that week.

Of course, since our wedding anniversary is that week and we got married at the Poly, I doubt that happens..

But, I think that we are going to use a lot of points through borrowing and max out our potential for our APs and then take a mouse break.

 

[BCV23]

After we checked out of BCV, we moved over to AKV in a club level one bedroom for a week. We had pool view which I actually enjoy as much as the Savannah view on the 6th floor...or at least the view from the 2BR we had last May.

We did the Wanyama Safari for the first time and two of us did the WDE too. Also a first for us.

We had a wonderful stay at AKV.

Happy to answer any questions.

 

[bobbiwoz]

After we checked out of BCV, we moved over to AKV in a club level one bedroom for a week. We had pool view which I actually enjoy as much as the Savannah view on the 6th floor...or at least the view from the 2BR we had last May.

We did the Wanyama Safari for the first time and two of us did the WDE too. Also a first for us.

We had a wonderful stay at AKV.

Happy to answer any questions.

It sounds like you had a great stay! DH and I will do Wanyama Safari and Sunrise Safari over next weekend for our first Conciege level stay.

Since I'm not doing the WDE until September, can you tell me something about that? Thank you.
Bobbi

 

[BCV23]

It sounds like you had a great stay! DH and I will do Wanyama Safari and Sunrise Safari over next weekend for our first Conciege level stay.

Since I'm not doing the WDE until September, can you tell me something about that? Thank you.
Bobbi

We chose the 1pm WDE. It was great. We met our guide and driver at the store on the right just before the entrance to Kilimanjaro Safari. They led us for a short walk backstage to a small bus.

The bus follows the path of KS for the most part, pulling off from time to time to observe the animals for a longer period of time. We completely left the trail a couple times at least. Our group didn't have a lot of questions and our guide didn't pause a lot either. So we were out just about an hour. From what I was told, that's the shorter end of the average time frame.

When the tour ended, the guide handed out Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund pins and fast passes for KS. We gave our fast passes away to a couple approaching KS as we left.

Have fun staying in Kilimanjaro Club next weekend. The lounge is stunning I think.

Will you let us know about your safari experiences? This is DIS heresy but the Wanyama was my least favorite by far. But there were 11 in our safari. I think if it was a smaller group, it would have been a lot better.