Contemporary or Beach Club Villas?? Has anyone been to both?

[Disneymomofsix]

I have six children. This year I was able to stay at POR with a trundle bed and one child in my parents' room. Next year all will be over three, so we will have to have two rooms. I know I am planning early, but that is helping me deal with being home from Disney and starting back to school. I do not want to stay at a value resort. I did it when the three oldest were very young, and I did not like how long it took to get everywhere. I liked POR, but with six kids all under 11, riding the buses every day several times is kind of tiring. So, in the middle of this vacation, I decided that I was moving up next year to a deluxe. I have read about renting points at Beach Club Villas, but I have not sat and figured out the cost comparison yet. I really want to hear opinions about everything. I have heard that the pool is great at Beach Club. I like the idea of being so close to MK at Contemporary. So can I have a lot of input?

 

[DVCLiz]

If you stay at BCV, you will need a 2BR for 8 people (assuming 6 children and two adults.) You'll have a master bedroom with a king size bed, a second bedroom with a double/queen bed and a double/queen sleeper sofa, and a double/queen sleeper sofa in the living room as well. (I'm not sure if these last three are double or queen size, but someone will know in a minute!!!!) In order to rent this unit, you would probably pay the going rate of $10.00 per point, and the per night cost would be 50 points for Sunday through Thursday nights and 106 points for Friday and Saturday nights. So a weeknight would be $500.00 and a weekend night would be $1060.00. A week's stay would be 500 x 5 + 1060 x 2 = 2500 + 2120= $4620.00. You can check the WDW website to see current rack rates for this room, but I believe this would be a substantial savings over paying rack rates. I don't know what the Contemporary would be, but you can also check it on the WDW website.

The Beach Club area is so wonderful - great pool, fantastic access to Epcot and MGM, excellent restaurants and just a fun atmosphere. The Contemporary does, of course, have great momorail access tot he MK, and a castle view is wonderful as well. In your situation, I'd vote for the BCV 2BR, but either way you'll have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[Sammie]

To rent a Villa you would need to rent a 2 bedroom villa. This would give you one room with a queen bed and a sofa sleeper and one master bedroom with King bed. There is also a sofa sleeper in the living room. At the Contemporary with 2 rooms you would have 4 queen beds and 2 twin size day beds.

At the villas you will have a living room area and kitchen and laundry. At the Cont. you will have 2 very nice bathrooms.

The food situation at the BC/YC unless you plan to cook, in my opinion, is not the best for families. There is no food court or snack area like the one you would find at the Contemporary.

If you plan to spend alot of time at the MK, the Cont would be the best location due to the monorail and direct walkway.

For Epcot and MGM then the BC would be best.

As to the pool, certainly Stormalong bay is a great pool but not one in my opinion that is kid friendly for small children. Some parts of the pool are very deep and the pool is so spread out it is hard at times to keep your children in sight.

Also be aware if you rent points, points to stay on Friday and Saturday are almost double what they are Sun-Thurs. This is also a private agreement between you and the renter and Disney will not be involved. Make sure you deal with someone realiable.

 

[Disneymomofsix]

You have both been very helpful. The food court situation is good to know about Beach Club. When we stayed at POR this time, we had sandwiches or cereal in the room some of the time. We ate at the parks some, and we ate at the food court a lot. I would not want to cook while at Disney so the kitchen is not necessarily appealing to me. The washer and dryer is, but I can do like I did this time and just go to the laundry room. I am a single parent, but I went with my parents and their children. We stayed together a lot of the time, but I went on the buses with my children alone part of the time. I think a quick monorail ride will be so much nicer than a bus ride. All of my kids like MK but also like the other parks. Does it take very long to get to Epcot via monorail?

 

[TDC Nala]

There is a new snack area at the Beach Club. I haven't seen it yet.

As for the OP, I think in her situation I would take the Contemporary for the walking distance to MK alone.

 

[Sammie]

I would not consider the Marketplace at the Beach Club the same as the extensive menu you have at the Contemporary. It is more a quick place to pick up premade food and take it back to your room.

The Contemporary has one of the best fast food areas at Disney and the best arcade ever.

The monorail ride to Epcot is very quick, though you have to change monorails at the TTC and get on the Epcot one. It is a great ride.

 

[Disneymomofsix]

Now I am definitely leaning towards the Contemporary. I liked Beach Club when we walked over to Beaches N Cream. Looking at the pictures of the plans for the Contemporary room updates swayed my oldest towards the Contemporary. Hearing about the arcade would thrill my twins. They went to the POR and Beach Club arcades. And my four year old with Autism Spectrum Disorder loves planes, cars, trains, etc. He loved the buses this trip and wanted to ride the monorail. The day that we were going to get on it, it started raining and we headed back to the resort because we had been there eight days already and were tiring out. I know he would love riding the monorail. Does the boat go to the Contemporary too? Or I guess we could ride the boat over to the Polynesian then take the monorail back to the Contemporary.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

I just checked the point chart and for the month of May it would be 34 points a night sun-thurs and I think it was 72 (not positive, but definitely in the 70's). This is the equivalent to $340 a night if you rented points for sun-thurs.

Would you consider splitting your stay between Beach Club and Contemporary? Stay at the Contemporary for a Friday & Saturday and maybe one more night and then move over to the Beach Club. This way you can experience both areas of Disney and this would probably bring down your costs.

I have 4 children and own at the BCV. We usually split our stay between a Magic Kingdom Resort for 3 nights and then the rest of the time at the Beach Club. The kitchen in the mornings helps tremendously. I do not cook while there, but to have ready made items and drinks makes life alot easier. Also having the washer and dryer in your room is so convenient without having to drag it to other locations. You can bring less clothing this was since you are able to do laundry whenever. The Beach Club Villas are beautiful and very spacious.

This is just based on my experience and I hope it helps!

 

[Disneymomofsix]

I just checked the point chart and for the month of May it would be 34 points a night sun-thurs and I think it was 72 (not positive, but definitely in the 70's). This is the equivalent to $340 a night if you rented points for sun-thurs.

Would you consider splitting your stay between Beach Club and Contemporary? Stay at the Contemporary for a Friday & Saturday and maybe one more night and then move over to the Beach Club. This way you can experience both areas of Disney and this would probably bring down your costs.

I have 4 children and own at the BCV. We usually split our stay between a Magic Kingdom Resort for 3 nights and then the rest of the time at the Beach Club. The kitchen in the mornings helps tremendously. I do not cook while there, but to have ready made items and drinks makes life alot easier. Also having the washer and dryer in your room is so convenient without having to drag it to other locations. You can bring less clothing this was since you are able to do laundry whenever. The Beach Club Villas are beautiful and very spacious.

This is just based on my experience and I hope it helps!

I had not even thought of that. Previously when I have read about people splitting stays, that has not appealed to me. But, if we did this, we could plan our days at the parks around where we are staying at that time. I also read that our luggage could be moved by CMs, right?

 

[TDC Nala]

As far as I know the Contemporary boat does not go to MK unless there is a problem with the monorail, and it never goes to the Polynesian. There is a shuttle boat to the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness.

Disney will transfer your luggage if you are moving between Disney resorts.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

Yes, the CM's can move your luggage for you. We did this last year when we stayed at the Poly first and than moved to the Beach Club. Very convenient!

 

[DisFlan]

Disneymomofsix - you can walk from the CR to the MK. There's a clearly marked walkway and it's a short stroll. We did it often when we were there.

You'd love the kitchen in the BCV. The villas are GREAT for kids, even if you don't cook. The seating areas are great for quick breakfasts or snacks, and you'd have a big fridge to store milk, drinks and other things. In a 2-bd you'd have two bathrooms, three TV's, a microwave (for popcorn and "doggie bag" reheats), a washer and dryer, and a LOT more space. And SAB for the kids! If you need more towels (or anything else), just call housekeeping. There are stores at BC and the Boardwalk for things like cereal and milk and a bakery at Boardwalk for yummy breakfast stuff. You can easily walk or boat to both Epcot and MGM. This would really cut down on the need for buses.

Another poster is right. Look into renting DVC points for BCV. It could save you a LOT of money. You could stay at BCV on Sun.-Thurs. because it would require fewer points than on Fri. or Sat. nights. A 2-bd in May at BCV would be 34 pts. a night Sun-Thur. Points rent for about $10-$11 each. Rack rate per night would be $830/w tax. When you rent points, you don't pay any tax. (Go to the DVC Rent/Trade board to find people renting points.) Splitting your stay might not be a bad idea. Do the MK from the CR and TWO parks from BCV.

Be careful if you rent points. We did this, and joined DVC as soon as we got home. We love it. We've found there's no better way to stay at WDW, especially when we go with a bunch of family.

DisFlan

 

[momof3disneyholics]

My vote's for the Beach Club, mainly because you have kids and the pool is amazing.

 

[Disneymomofsix]

Disneymomofsix - you can walk from the CR to the MK. There's a clearly marked walkway and it's a short stroll. We did it often when we were there.

You'd love the kitchen in the BCV. The villas are GREAT for kids, even if you don't cook. The seating areas are great for quick breakfasts or snacks, and you'd have a big fridge to store milk, drinks and other things. In a 2-bd you'd have two bathrooms, three TV's, a microwave (for popcorn and "doggie bag" reheats), a washer and dryer, and a LOT more space. And SAB for the kids! If you need more towels (or anything else), just call housekeeping. There are stores at BC and the Boardwalk for things like cereal and milk and a bakery at Boardwalk for yummy breakfast stuff. You can easily walk or boat to both Epcot and MGM. This would really cut down on the need for buses.

Another poster is right. Look into renting DVC points for BCV. It could save you a LOT of money. You could stay at BCV on Sun.-Thurs. because it would require fewer points than on Fri. or Sat. nights. A 2-bd in May at BCV would be 34 pts. a night Sun-Thur. Points rent for about $10-$11 each. Rack rate per night would be $830/w tax. When you rent points, you don't pay any tax. (Go to the DVC Rent/Trade board to find people renting points.) Splitting your stay might not be a bad idea. Do the MK from the CR and TWO parks from BCV.

Be careful if you rent points. We did this, and joined DVC as soon as we got home. We love it. We've found there's no better way to stay at WDW, especially when we go with a bunch of family.

DisFlan

Wow - I didn't know about the taxes (or lack of tax). You all have so much info that is very helpful. Why do people pay rack rate when they could rent points? Is there much of a risk involved?

 

[DisFlan]

Wow - I didn't know about the taxes (or lack of tax). You all have so much info that is very helpful. Why do people pay rack rate when they could rent points? Is there much of a risk involved?

Good question about rack rate. Probably because not that many people know about renting points.

As to risk, it's an agreement between two private parties. You can use a contract if you prefer. We've both rented points from another member and transferred points from another member without a hiccup. Go to the Rent/Trade board to find a "sticky" at the top that gives both warning and info about renting. DVCers can make reservations at 11 months for their "home" resort and at 7 months for the others. Most people renting you points have their own requirements - part paid up front, then they make the reservation for you and want the rest so many days, say 60, before your trip. Others want it all pre-paid. It just depends. From what I've seen, there seems to be more chance of a problem from the people on the receiving end than from the people providing points. I haven't noticed too many stinkers either way. DVCers seem to be a pretty honest group. One thing to watch out for are the posts offering points or a whole week at a rediculously low price. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is. Feel free to ask questions on the DVC board.

I'd rent from someone who posts frequently elsewhere on the Dis boards and/or from someone with a proven track record. Watch the board for a while to see how it works. I'd be glad to rent you some points, but we're using them!

DisFlan

 

[Sammie]

Things to remember if you are renting, you do not get daily housekeeping being you would get the same situation members get. You will get towel and trash only after the 4th day there. Towel and trash is exactly what it says, they bring you fresh towels and take out the trash.

So if this is a big deal, you can pay extra to have it, but it is about $30 daily. Having the laundry you can wash your own towels, but some do not want to have to do this daily. Also if you need extra washing powder, soap, etc, you need to bring your own.

As to the risk, usually most have no problems. But this is not to say it can't happen, as it does. This is a private arrangement between 2 people. You will be dependent on the other person being honest. Also any requests will have to be made by the member to Member services. Just read all the info about renting and be knowledgeable of what you can expect.

 

[swilphil]

Wow - I didn't know about the taxes (or lack of tax). You all have so much info that is very helpful. Why do people pay rack rate when they could rent points? Is there much of a risk involved?

One thing that has kept me from renting points is the cancellation policy, or lack of one. I'm sure some of the DVCers could tell you more about what cancellation policies exist when people rent points. When we had a room only ressie at CR we could cancel 7 days before our trip and lose nothing. If we cancelled later, we would only lose 1 night's deposit.

When my kids get a little older, I think I will try renting points because if you stay from Sun.-Thurs. you can get some good deals.

By the way, CR ground level wing rooms are great. They have a patio and you can walk to MK in 10 minutes from the North Wing. Those rooms are less expensive and HUGE.

 

[Sammie]

DVC cancellation without penalty is 31 days prior to arrival.

Again since this would be a private arrangement between 2 individuals and not a Disney reservation, you would have to be sure you understand what this particular member requires, including cancellations.

Certainly the monetary gain of renting during the week days of Sunday-Thursday is very obvious. I would just advise anyone that has never done this to research this carefully and be fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages.

 

[DallasEars]

We have a child with issues on the autism spectrum, and if it wasn't for the DVC, our famiy trips would be nightmares!! The bigger room really helps, I do cook when there, so we prefer a 1BR. At times, our DS is not in the mood for a restaurant, he also doesn't deal with noise very well. We love having favorite snacks close by, and I usually pack lunch for each day in the park. We love the close boat to MK, and being so close to Epcot.

He also loves the Monorail, and the transportation in general. We have even taken the Amtrack train from the Philadelphia area, and he is in heaven.

Our trip is just so much more enjoyable with more space, more extras - the movies, DVD player, and the great pools. The hotel is just wonderful - we have even had to have prescriptions for him delivered, and they covered the cost, and just added it to the checkout bill. We stayed 1 week in a hotel, and bought that week, and have never looked back. We have been owners since 2002. I have just found this web site, and it's wonderful.

:

 

[BCV23]

We do the same thing as DisneyMomJen on most trips and love it.

But I agree with Sammie about the wonderful pool at Y&BC/BCV. Unless your children are very competent swimmers and use the buddy system, etc., I would worry about that with six children and one parent. There are multiple areas to the pool, one part has a fairly swift current, you can't see the whole pool from any one spot, etc..

Have fun planning!