Beach Club vs POR

[prdmmy3]

This is our first family trip to Disney - we are trying to decide between the two hotels. The price difference is over $1800 and I am trying to justify it to myself Our children are 9, 7 and 2 - the BC seems to offer so much - but is it worth the extra cost. Again - this is our first trip and it is all soooo overwhelming. Will "extras" cost a lot (character dining) - is the dining plan worth it? I can't find discount codes anywhere !!!! HELP - I hear everyone getting post cards, etc....how???

Thank you!

Christine

 

[RMulieri]

This is our first family trip to Disney - we are trying to decide between the two hotels. The price difference is over $1800 and I am trying to justify it to myself Our children are 9, 7 and 2 - the BC seems to offer so much - but is it worth the extra cost. Again - this is our first trip and it is all soooo overwhelming. Will "extras" cost a lot (character dining) - is the dining plan worth it? I can't find discount codes anywhere !!!! HELP - I hear everyone getting post cards, etc....how???

Thank you!

Christine

First, take a deep breath...Ok , now when are you going?If it is swimming weather the pool at the BC is simply excellent!That being said $1800 is a lot of money and if you are on a budget there is no real hardship staying at a value or moderate.Meals tend to be on the expensive side.But if you are planning on eating mostly counter service instead of table service ,then the DP isn't worth it.If you are like me however, Cs gets old real quickly.I like to eat at a lot of different Ts restaurants so I went with the Dp.Even with the changes this year it will save me money.As for the question about codes.Check out the Codees/rates board....Hope this helps...

 

[DRRluvsWDW]

What time of year are you going? If you can't use the pool, maybe the extra $ isn't worth it. You can do lots of character meals elsewhere.

 

[Topo Bella]

If this is your first time going with the family, you will enjoy the resort no matter which one you stay in. I've stayed at the Yacht Club, which is lovely, and many of my relatives has stayed at POR and they rave about it. The amenities at the Yacht and Beach Club support the additional price tag... the pool is amazing and there are several nice restaurants on site. The quick boat launch to Epcot and Disney Studios is also a nice feature of staying at the Yacht and Beach Club.

That being said, the extra money in your pocket will also be a nice treat and there is always "next time" to upgrade to a Deluxe Resort.

 

[Shmily1]

We've stayed at BC and POR in the last year. I thought BC was wonderful, but DH said POR was his favorite! He didn't like the walk from the parking lot to the room at BC.

The good points about BC are:
proximity to Epcot and MGM
proximity to BW activities
Cape May Cafe character breakfast (YUMMM!!!)
Storm Along Bay
Marina activities and bike and surry rentals
Queen size beds

The good points about POR are:
atmosphere is relaxing and quiet
boat ride to DTD
Ole Man's Island
Marina activities and bike and surry rentals
rooms not far from parking lot
Boatwrights food is good too
Full size beds


No matter where you stay, you will feel the Disney magic. The resorts you have picked out are comparable, but in two different price ranges. I wouldn't stress on where to stay. Find what is important to you, and narrow it down. If being able to walk to Epcot whenever you want to is the most important thing, then BC is it. If relaxing is most important, then POR is best. If you are going to spend most of your time in the parks, then I would stay in the cheaper resort.

As a PP stated, the DDP depends on what types of foods your family will eat most of the time. We were on the DDP, but DD16 loves pizza. They don't have pizza at Coral Reef! The rest of us love DDP and we will do it again and she now understands we can get her some pizza before or after the big meal. DS17 thought trying a lot of different foods was awesome!! I had to promise to take him back to Coral Reef so he could have more creme brule'!! If you are planning on several larger meals (higher end, including character meals), then DDP is a good way to go. If your family had rather eat chicken tenders, burgers, and pizza, then it's not. It's all about what your family's habits are.

Enjoy!!!

 

[ElizabethB]

Well, once your oldest is 3, your choices narrow considerably. So, I might consider a resort for this trip that you won't be able to enjoy once you are a party of 5 (rather than 4 and an infant). You can have five at POR (with one on a trundle bed) and at any deluxe, including Beach Club.

Coronado Springs Resort is a moderate and one of our favorites. The pool has a great slide and a nice large hot tub. It also has nice dining options and is centrally located to all the parks. Our boys really enjoyed CSR. We stayed there when they were 10. Plus, it's so pretty at night. DH and I sometimes drive over to CSR when we're staying elsewhere just to walk around the lake.

You can't go wrong with POR. We have never stayed Beach Club, but have reservations for this summer, so we're looking forward to that. I'm not sure Beach Club would be worth $1800 more to me. The thing that would be worth extra to me, with children the age of yours, would be staying at a monorail resort (GF, Poly, or Contemporary).

Oops! Sorry, all I've done is make your decision harder!