Disneymoon/ Wedding AKL or BC?! Help please?!

[Tink-erbell78]

Hi everyone,

We would really apprciate your help in deciding where to book - we are getting married at the end of August 2013, Escape wedding from the UK - and the prices with free dining came out in the UK today, so we are ready to book......the problem is, we can't decide where!

We will be staying for 15 nights, and the choice is either AKL Savannah View, or Beach Club Standard Pool/ Lagoon View.

We have stayed at AKL before with a lovely view of the carpark which did not detract from our experience - we LOVED it. My DF spent a lot of time growing up in Africa, and I think that's why we loved it - liked the dark rooms, good food and wine and hot tub/ pool 24 hours. However, we dont know if by going back it ill be nothing new. We have only ever stayed at CBR and AKL.

Beach Club - both love Epcot, I love how pretty the boardwalk lights are at night - however not sure about the sandy pool (I know I'm odd!) and the rooms seem more non themed than AKL. Would think that it would be very romantic though. And also good for photos/ weddingy if there is such a thing!!

We would be at the hotel prior to the wedding, and then for a week after the wedding - we are then off on the Disney Dream for 4 nights (sooooo excited). We are of the opinion that we haven't been away for 3 years, and we want to do the whole wedding in style - so why not hey?!

Please help our decision as I think the more that we look at things, the more undecided we get! I just want it booked so that I can get excited one way or the other!!!

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I would suggest trying both! We actually stayed four different places during our honeymoon—including AKL and Beach Club—and the change of scenery made each "chapter" of our trip feel like a whole new vacation! Your dining credits are good until midnight on the day you check out, so there would be seamless integration. You just couldn't, say, stockpile all of them for the end of your trip.

 

[Tink-erbell78]

Hi Carrie,

I have your book! Thanks for your reply

We have been torn as that is what we originally wanted to do - but we were told by UK Disney that we couldn't stay in two hotels and get free dining without buying twopark tickets - which seems totally crazy to us?! We had planned on staying the night of the wedding plus the night after at either the contemp MK View or GF - but that would not also be out. But at the same time, we want the free dining so can't moan that much!

I just cant see any way around it?

Plus I dont want to sound spoilt as I am so looking forward to the trip and know that as soon as we get there Im going to love every moment. Its a tough choice though!

 

[lurkyloo]

Oh, I see: You guys will have annual passes, and the only way to get free dining with APs is to buy a 2-day ticket as part of the hotel package. If you do two hotel stays, you'll have to buy 4 days' worth of tickets. Hmmm... well you can have them printed out as actual tickets to use on a future trip, but I see how you wouldn't want to have to buy them up front.

OK, then I vote Beach Club!

 

[herb102211]

Since you are staying so long, you could do a week at the Beach Club and a week at AKL. We're partial to the Boardwalk/Beach club area because we love how convenient it is to Hollywood Studios and Epcot and we love the scenery there. We spent 8 days on our honeymoon there last October. The Beach Club/BCV is my favorite resort, and we stay there any chance we get even though our home resort is the Boardwalk. I love Stormalong Bay (the sandy pool!) and the whole atmosphere of the Beach Club.

The only downfall with AKL is that it is so far away from all of the parks, but if you have stayed there before and liked it, I would do a split stay for your honeymoon.

Have you thought about renting points from a DVC member and staying at AKV or BCV instead? It will probably be significantly cheaper than paying for the rack rates at AKL or BC as you can get points for around $10 each. Good luck!

 

[Evi]

We stayed at AKL Savanna-view last November. I will say even though we went to the parks on most days I could have just stayed at the resort and not gone anywhere. I got sick on our 3rd day with food poisoning and couldn't leave the room for like 3 days. The staff unbelievable awesome room service they even made me chicken soup. But the view is what makes it. If you plan to just have alone time and want to walk around a resort I do recommend AKL. But I do recommend the Savanna View. I know everyone says you can see the animals without having them outside your balcony. But for us it was so nice to wake up and have coffee with them and watch them before bed. Plus you have Boma and Sanna for dining. I love Sanna it is in my opinion one of Disneys best restaurants because they are consistent.

I'm a bit biased though I've never stayed at the beach club since we always have a rental car it just never called to me. Plus I've lost a lot of love for the boardwalk since adventurers club was closed on pleasure island.

 

[Tink-erbell78]

Hi,

Im not sure how to post bits of what you have all written yet - apologies but Im still learning here!

Thanks for the replies, we still haven't booked- we are still going back and forth. Just paid a bit more off the cruise though so I feel like I am making progress on something! lol

DVC renting points - no idea how this would work and think that would be another nights reading! Think we will probably save that for another trip,and just book online doing what I understand at the moment - alws good to have new tips though, so thanks for pointing me in a new direction for future

Booking from the UK doing 2 hotels is out - we would actually need to buy 4 park tickets (2 for each hotel stay) and those would not be 2 days, but instead 14 days for the price of 7 tickets, which I think is a UK deal and looking at the cost of the 2 day park tickets online it seems to be much of a muchness.

So only 1 hotel it is

This may seem like a really silly question, but does the Beach Club have a decent bar? We really liked having a drink at Victoria Falls at the end of a busy park day - or after food at Sannaa (I LOVE that place too!! mmmm....mojito anyone?! )

We are still making our pros and cons list. Also, what is the bus transport like at Beach Club? I have read about crowded buses, but at the same time think as we ae going aug/sept it should be calmer? And, last thing - this may sound crazy, but do you get fed up of Epcot with it being so close? It's just we eat there on free diing a lot, and I like the whole geting dressed for dinner and getting te bus and hearing the whole welcome to Epcot thing, and then seeing the golf ball! It almost sounds too god to be true being next door!

The other thing is that the wedding reception is in the boardwalk area, so having a room at beach club would be VERY handy! I mean, otherwise, is it a nightmare getting back to our resort at the end of the night?

Enough questions, I think Im starting to ramble again - sorry!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi,

Im not sure how to post bits of what you have all written yet - apologies but Im still learning here!

To multiquote, click the

button for each post you want to respond to, then click POST REPLY.

This may seem like a really silly question, but does the Beach Club have a decent bar?

They do have a bar, Martha's Vineyard, which is around the corner from Cape May (and bit off the beaten path). I know some people love it cuz it's out of the way.

Also, what is the bus transport like at Beach Club? I have read about crowded buses, but at the same time think as we ae going aug/sept it should be calmer?

From the Beach Club, we only ever take the bus to the MK cuz you can walk to Epcot and boat to Hollywood Studios (and we drive to Animal Kingdom). It's never been particularly crowded—nothing like the standing-room-only buses I was getting last time I stayed at the Grand Floridian. I think the wealth of alternative transportation options keeps the crowds down.

And, last thing - this may sound crazy, but do you get fed up of Epcot with it being so close?

Never, but it's my favorite park in Florida.

I mean, otherwise, is it a nightmare getting back to our resort at the end of the night?

If you will have run out of limo time, yes, it can be tricky going from resort to resort on Disney transport. You'd need to walk to the front of Epcot or boat to the front of DHS to get a bus back to AKL, or take a bus from BoardWalk to a theme park/Downtown Disney and change for an AKL bus there.

 

[nic100308]

Sorry to hear your plans not working exactly how you want them, I just hate when that happens!!

I also vote Beach Club. I will be honest, I have not stayed at either but I have stayed at the Boardwalk (and a bunch of other resorts) and I LOVE IT!! The neighboring resorts are close enough to "bar/resort hop", Epcot is super close so you can always run there for a drink (not silly, a drink is high on our list too), and I love that the trip to DHS is via ferry boat ride. Plus the atmosphere on the Boardwalk is just so much fun.

We will be staying at the Boardwalk in January. While we love it there, it also is the "hub" for our wedding activities: ceremony at Sea Breeze Point, a cocktail hour at Marvin Gardens, dinner at the Yachtsman, and an Epcot dessert party. (fingers are crossed, we can't book till 5/18)

So I don't really have an opinion based on experience but I think that the Beach Club and the surrounding area offers more.

Happy planning and good luck.

 

[fireofmarajade]

I have stayed at both. And both are great for different reasons-

BC - walk to epcot and hollywood [which is key for my star wars weekend in may] with a great pool and great food and activities RIGHT there...

but for after the wedding... my DF and I chose AKL for quiet US time with teh animals on the balcony and some wine. AHHH already ZEN!
Prior to wedding we are with the rest of the family at caribbean beach
wedding night at GF from Disney!

It is a bummer for you about the free dining BUT have you looked at TABLES IN WONDERLAND? i like it better than the dining plan for more flexibiity in schedules.
i've done the math and food ends up about the same. you eat less snacks bc you dont have the credits - dont get me wrong though we still eat a lot of sweets but sharing one rather than having some left on the table or overstuffed.

If you got TABLES it would free u up to rent the DVC points and save money that way rather then with the "FREE" food that i feel is sometimes TOOOO much. and tables is the ONLY way to get 20% off alcohol - with the wedding group [not weddingday] wee will be saving quite a bit! there is 18% tip added auto but you would pay about that anyways so its a fair wash as far as i am concerned.

hope this helps