Caribbean Beach vs. Beach Club (September 2019)

[Myhandsfull]

Hi, everyone. We are a family of 6 (two grownups & 4 teenagers) planning our 4th trip down in September of next year. We are trying to decide where to stay and are vacillating between Caribbean Beach (two rooms) and renting DVC points to stay at the Beach Club. If we can get the free dining, we would prefer Caribbean Beach (I think) because three of those teenagers are boys aged 19, 18, and 15 who EAT well and in large quantities. If we have to pay for the dining plan, we may consider Beach Club. A couple of questions:

1) Does anyone have a guess as to when the Skyliner might open? This is a consideration.

2) How long is the walk from Beach Club to Epcot, if we chose that option?

3) Any thoughts on comparing the two resorts for teenagers?

 

[LYSE]

The walk from beach club to Epcot is extremely short and a huge plus to staying there (or other places on the boardwalk)

Will you guys use the pools? Beach club shares stormalong bay with yact club and it is generally considered the best pool on property.

Other than that you are comparing a moderate to a deluxe resort so overall you are likely to find the amenities and atmosphere to be better at beach club.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

The walk from Beach Club to Epcot is about 5 minutes. I happen to far prefer BC over CBR. In addition to being able to walk or boat to both EP and DHS, there are a ton of recreation and dining options within walking distance of the resort. Especially for teens - there is so much more for them to do in the Boardwalk/EP area and the pool at BC is arguably one of the best on property.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

I personally prefer CBR to BC. The reason is, BC is right next to Epcot, and it gets a lot of visitors. It is constantly busy there: the lobby is crowded, the pool is crowded, it is a deluxe resort without the tranquility. CBR is much quieter, very beautiful, and with a very nice pool with several slides that my kids enjoy (teen boys). Unfortunately, I'm describing the CBR before the remodeling. CBR has been seriously worked over, and I don't even know for sure what it will be like next September when all the work should FINALLY be done!
The gondola is supposed to be done around mid summer 2019, but you know how it is with construction. Nobody knows. But I was at Disney last month and the gondolas appear to be really coming along, and I think it's totally possible that the gondola should be finished before September. That will make it easy to get to Epcot and HS if your room is near the gondola station. Otherwise, CBR can be a bit of a walk. You also have to consider how much heat can you take -- the gondola is enclosed with no air conditioning. BC will be much better in this respect.

 

[Myhandsfull]

Thanks for your recommendation! We’ve been doing lots of research and I think it is going to come down to cost vs convenience in the end. Still trying to figure out which one wins!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Having stayed at both, I would most-definitely stay at Beach Club. The walk to Epcot is short and pleasant, and the entrance is far less-congested than the main entrance. Considering you'll probably be there during the food and wine festival, Epcot convenience is a definite plus. The pool is also my favorite by far, and the Boardwalk is an added bonus for teenagers.

That said, we are staying at CBR next summer because we were able to book the bounceback offer and got free dining, so I definitely understand that draw as well.

Whichever you decide will be wonderful though!

 

[gillep]

Beach club. CBR is my least favorite of the moderates, the pool was always completely packed at CBR, and it is the only place on property we have ever had an issue finding two pool loungers, and this occurred multiple times across a handful of days. I usually like spread out resorts but CBR was just too much for us, it routinely took us 15 minutes after boarding the bus just to get off CBR property before we were on our way to the parks. Now, some of the issues I had with CBR might be eliminated with the total remodel of the resort and adding the skyliner, so that is a consideration. Also, the BC loby can certainly be a bit loud, especially when Cape May is open, but back in the villas it is very quiet and peaceful.

 

[Hopefully]

CBR is the only Resort that I would rather stay home than stay there again.

 

[glocon]

BC for sure. More for all to do and easier to get to so many places... EP, HS, Boardwalk.
Having said that, we’ve never done CBR so take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Brett Wyman]

CBR is the worst moderate and the BC/YC/BW trifecta are arguably the best all around resorts on property. Walking into Epcot is a dream. The walk to HS use to be good, currently not as much, but its still nice to not get on a bus. Ive personally never seen over crowding from visitors, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. We stayed at BC a week last May and there were always more than 50% of the chairs available at Stormalong pool. We have an upcoming trip in 3 weeks, staying at CCV(which I also love), and Im actually sad I wont be strolling in Epcot at 8pm for a last minute snack.