Choosing the Right Deluxe Resort

[PlutoTheDog89]

So... we're taking the plunge. I posted a previous thread abut "selling me on a deluxe." We've crunched the numbers and we can make it work. It's going to be more expensive, but we agred that instead of birthday gifts or any kind of gifts, we'd have a "Disney fund".

So here's the thing... It looks like many of the Yacht Club rooms are booked already! Our first choice, right now, is the Beach Club. We'd also "settle" for the Yacht Club. Our third choice in the EPCOT area would be the Boardwalk Inn. An absolute pipe dream would be the Poly.

We're looking to spend at most, 700-ish a night. The Beach Club is 681/night, I THINK Yacht Club is maybe 678/night and Boardwalk is 699/night. I think we'd save the Poly for a discount vacation.

We just wrapped up our Christmas trip at POFQ. We used to really like this resort, but it just didn't do it for us. It was dirty and we had a terrible experience with a maid. I KNOW - any resort could be dirty, but the theming and overall resort just felt stale to us. The transportation was a mess for the first time. We used to have great success with the transportation - it was the main reason we stayed at POFQ. But the buses were a mess and the boats rarely came. Enough of the negative - here's the positive. We love that Beach Club, Yacht Club and Boardwalk are so close to DHS and EPCOT. We love the idea that we could simply walk over to the parks if we really want to. We loved the boats when we got to take them (going DHS to EPCOT or heading to the Boardwalk area.)

My parents are in their 60s. They're both in good health, but my mom's leg bothers her from time-to-time and my dad simply couldn't deal with the heat this year. It was an anomaly, but after visiting Disney SO many times and going for Christmas SO MANY times, we've decided to change things up. We've seen and done almost everything. My parents would like a slower-paced, more relaxing trip. We tried it a little this year, but honestly, POFQ didn't have much to offer. The pool is nice, but outside the room, there's not much to do. If my parents wanna relax, I'd head over to the gym or walk the boardwalk or something. We also like that we can easily walk to EPCOT or take the boat to DHS for 3-4 hours and if it gets cold, easily run back to the room to grab our jackets, not wait for a bus, then get back, then wait for a bus again, etc.

So, TL;DR, I know - but here's the thing - we'd like a little bang for the buck. What's the best resort in the EPCOT area? I know the standard rate isn't gonna buy us rooms overlooking EPCOT, but what rooms are the best? I've read that every room at Yacht Club has a balcony, while many Beach Club rooms only have a juliet balcony. What about Boardwalk? Do all those rooms have a balcony?

I appreciate the answers and you guys taking the time to read all this.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I'll throw out the comedy suggestion of looking at the Swan and Dolphin as well. The main thing you sacrifice there is Magical Express, which may or may not be a huge issue. They also have a resort fee, which can be a surprise if you're not expecting it. But they are in the same area as the resorts you're looking for, offer deluxe amenities, and even with a resort fee are considerably cheaper.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Have you considered renting DVC points? If you are positive your travel dates will not be changing and can stick with a decision once it is made, you can save a LOT over the prices you are quoting. Over Christmas might be hard to get, but you could start trying for next Christmas at the end of this month.

 

[msmama]

I've stayed at all 3, and to me, honestly, they're all pretty interchangable for my needs. I don't really care about a full balcony vs Juliet balcony. View doesn't bother me. Any view at WDW is better than my view at home!!

I will say, though, the boat to HS is not quick. It's a good 20-30 minutes, I'd guess. If you want to "run back to the room for a jacket" you're still looking at AT LEAST an hour round trip.

Staying at the BC or YC doesn't mean you couldn't go walk around the boardwalk - it's a 5 minute walk, if that.

Boardwalk has "garden villas" I think that's what they're called (garden something, maybe not villas because they're not DVC). They're like little houses that have an upstairs and downstairs and you have your own little courtyard. That might be something fun and interesting for a chance (though my guess is they're pricier).

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Have you considered renting DVC points? If you are positive your travel dates will not be changing and can stick with a decision once it is made, you can save a LOT over the prices you are quoting. Over Christmas might be hard to get, but you could start trying for next Christmas at the end of this month.

We have looked into this - however, we're a little iffy about the cancellation policies. I know there are a few sites that provide insurance or protection, but we're afraid of it being in someone else's hands. We like to have full control of our ADRs, FP+'s, etc. Our worst fear is something going awry and our trip getting messed up. If something goes wrong, we'd rather have 100% control over it and have it be our fault.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

I'll throw out the comedy suggestion of looking at the Swan and Dolphin as well. The main thing you sacrifice there is Magical Express, which may or may not be a huge issue. They also have a resort fee, which can be a surprise if you're not expecting it. But they are in the same area as the resorts you're looking for, offer deluxe amenities, and even with a resort fee are considerably cheaper.

We've considered it. I know many would argue it's cheaper to pay OOP, but we're big fans of the meal plan.

 

[LisaCM614]

I'm keying in on your words 'slower paced and relaxing' - that means the Boardwalk to me. The Beach Club atmosphere is definitely more keyed up.

BWI is very low key. The quiet pool is surrounded by a lovely garden and the above mentioned garden villas. Even Luna Park is not as high energy as StormAlong Bay. You can easily find pool chairs, Leaping Horse has very nice frozen cocktails.

BTW - I think the garden villas only sleep 2 people now as they are meant for honeymooners. They used to have a bed and a pull out couch and I thought with the refurb they did away with that. Could be wrong but they are definitely more expensive.

Boardwalk Standard View and you can have an Epcot view. You can see the Eifel Tower and high Illuminations from your balcony.

My dad loves to sit on the rocking chairs overlooking the Boardwalk and just relax. Even my tweens like it!

It is really nice to stroll the Boardwalk in the evening and enjoy the entertainers, the shops and restaurants.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We have looked into this - however, we're a little iffy about the cancellation policies. I know there are a few sites that provide insurance or protection, but we're afraid of it being in someone else's hands. We like to have full control of our ADRs, FP+'s, etc. Our worst fear is something going awry and our trip getting messed up. If something goes wrong, we'd rather have 100% control over it and have it be our fault.

You are in full control of ADR's FP+ ect when you rent points. You can even use online check in. The only thing you cannot do is change or cancel the room reservation itself or make room requests. There is some risk involved but going through a company with an insurance offering mitigates a lot of it.

 

[buzznina]

We only stayed 1 night with my sister in a studio, but we liked the feel of BW over BC and YC. Most of the BW rooms have balconies, but not all. We really like the nighttime on the boardwalk, it was a fun environment and having direct access to EPCOT was really nice. Like a PP, the boats are pretty slow and the waits can also be long.
With that said, we have stayed at a few deluxes (see signature) and IMHO, no Disney hotel is worth that much a night. I would have an issue of paying $400(this includes the monorail resorts), there is sooooo much we do with the savings. We only do deluxes now when we get a GREAT deal and those deals have dwindled down a lot. I would also look into renting points.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

We've considered it. I know many would argue it's cheaper to pay OOP, but we're big fans of the meal plan.

Yes, but when you save $200/night on lodging, paying OOP for food is ever so much more appealing, nein?

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Yes, but when you save $200/night on lodging, paying OOP for food is ever so much more appealing, nein?

True. I THINK S&D is either booked/unavailable or the dates haven't been "opened" for 12/28-1/1. That was another factor that slipped my mind. We stayed there for F&W. My sister and I really enjoyed it, but it lacked the Disney flair that we really enjoy. Of course, it's just a walk away... but once we got to our rooms, it didn't feel like "Disney" anymore.

EDIT: We need 2 queens, not 2 fulls. The Swan has 2 queen beds, but is unavailable 12/28-1/1.

 

[DSLRuser]

yacht and Beach Club are basically one resort. Minor theme differences, but one resort. I agree that boardwalk has a more laid back feel, but Yacht and Beach just have it all. So many places to explore, 2 gift shops, the pool. You can always walk or boat over to Boardwalk and explore and relax. But at the end of the day, Yacht and Beach have become our "home".