Disney's YACHT & BEACH CLUB RESORTS Information & Questions

This time in 6 weeks we will be on a plane to Florida. Its our first time at the BC and I'm so excited. Stayed on site many times but never here. We will be there 13th -28th August.
See you there!! We arrive on the 13th as well!

Our last day at the White Castle ...pool and then dinner with Cindy at 1900 Park Fare, then the 3 ladies are off to MK for some night time fun and PopPop will get some good sleep. Only complaint is the weather ...way too hot! Jeanne and I both said we will never complain about the cool-cold weather in December and January again after this week.

Looking forward to catching up with all the Disers at the Y&B on Sunday and Monday!
We, ahem I just booked two nights at the White Castle for August. I couldn't help myself! Hope PopPop got some rest Teena!

Dee do you have the eraser for the Be Our Guest list??
This is why resort changers should NOT be allowed on guest lists ;) 8/13-18th we will be at Beach Club and then 8/18-20 we are moving over to the GF. (And of course Universal is now Portofino LOL ) I changed ALL of our Fast Passes to coincide with our resorts.. now I need to decide if we will use Bell Services or put everything in the car..I think car :)
 
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Subsequent posters have given some great info. There are lots of pictures and info on Page 1 about club level (Post 12???) and if you google "Disney's Club Level. What is it and Do I want it?", there is a blog posting with some helpful analysis. I can't post the link because it is from one of the forbidden websites.

:thumbsup2

:cool2:

This blog mentioned that the CL room are not included in discount offers, is still that true?
 
See you there!! We arrive on the 13th as well!

We, ahem I just booked two nights at the White Castle for August. I couldn't help myself! Hope PopPop got some rest Teena!

Dee do you have the eraser for the Be Our Guest list??
This is why resort changers should NOT be allowed on guest lists ;) 8/13-18th we will be at Beach Club and then 8/18-20 we are moving over to the GF. (And of course Universal is now Portofino LOL ) I changed ALL of our Fast Passes to coincide with our resorts.. now I need to decide if we will use Bell Services or put everything in the car..I think car :)

I'll have to look for it. I thought I wouldn't need it. :sad2:

But I'll keep it close until the end of August.

;)

Sounds like a wonderful trip!
 


This blog mentioned that the CL room are not included in discount offers, is still that true?
We have always gotten our CL rooms discounted. They may be quick to sell out, but they are normally included in my experience :)
 
This is just a friendly reminder about all the specific room numbers that are popping up on various threads from time to time. Someone will post that they were in room number XYZ and they had a fabulous view or they were right next to the exit or the room had a large balcony or they were some place desirable, etc, etc...

Sometimes people get the idea that they are going to request that SPECIFIC ROOM NUMBER.

Unfortunately, requesting a specific room number is the worst possible way to try to achieve your room REQUESTS. What the savvy Beach Club/Yacht Club thread members recommend is that you request an area or a category.

For instance if Bert and Ernie posted that they stayed in room number XYZ that had a day bed, the worst possible thing you could do would be to try and get that exact room by putting the room number in your room request. What you should do is just put "I would really like a day bed in my room".

Popular categories for room requests are Full balcony, Near the elevators, Near the lobby, Closer to the Epcot exit (for the Beach Club), Closer to the Gazebo (Yacht Club), Ground floor, Day bed and Higher floor. One time Ninja Mom stayed at the Beach Club and she requested near the Laundry room!

Hopefully folks are understanding that room requests are something that the staff tries to honor but might not be able to if the hotel is full.

The other thing that is important to understand is that Disney charges for certain room views so if you request a water view and you have only booked a standard room then the chances of you having a water view are slim, since there are people who paid for that category and they will have priority for those rooms over someone who has booked a standard room.

So like Ninja Mom says, sometimes it's Darts, other times it's Horse Shoes.... and room requests are very must like Horse Shoes, meaning the room assigners try to get close with your requests, unlike with darts where the shots are precisely set. That would be impossible for room requests, especially since the hotel is operating at close to maximum occupancy.

Since we are on the brink of the summer madness at the resort I am quite sure after reading this thread for the past couple of years that:

A) Someone will complain about the horrible __________. Usually it's some inconsequential thing that they are deeply offended by. The rest of us scratch our heads at the complainer and secretly feel sorry for their family since they have to live with that person.

B) Someone will post about seeing an A) Alligator B) invasion of some sort of insect or C) there was a bug in their room and what is the matter with this resort, a bug in my room is completely unacceptable! It would kind of be cool if the alligator was actually in their room. I'm still hoping to see that posted one day....

C) Someone will post about how horrible the noise was from the construction! They or their baby ONLY sleeps during the day (Because they must be Vampires or something) and they were disturbed by someone turning a screwdriver.

D) God help us it's the pool problem complaints. Too many people were at the pool, the water was too warm, the hot tub was too cold and the lifeguards made us get out of the water when they saw lightning but it wasn't raining. PS. That Music! What were they thinking! In my neighborhood no one plays music or otherwise makes noise while they are having a pool party! Can't somebody shut that dam music OFF!

E) Someone will complain about the air conditioner that was too cold or not cold enough. Another thing that could fit into this category would be the Water pressure/temperature/toilet problem. Yeah sure your husband clogs up the toilet so much at home that you have a yearly contract with a plumber to come and bail you out but Disney has pipes that are too small. I paid good money for enormous pipes! Disney's really going down hill!

F) Someone will complain that they had to walk SO FAR to get Coffee/Pop/liquor that their feet fell off and they dropped dead from exhaustion. What is the matter with this hotel that they had to walk for 5 minutes or less just to get this stuff!!!1!!1!!!1111!!!!!! Their Kitchen at home is not nearly that far and what was Disney thinking!!!

G) Someone will complain that there was NO PLACE to eat at this resort. NOTHING. NADA, Zip, ZILCH. Why can't they put a food court in here like they have at All Star Pop Century so that I can get the same piece of Chicken smashed into an anonymous bun and pay $12 dollars for it?? The fact that I would have to walk over to any one of a billion restaurants in Epcot is UNACCEPTABLE. I want my food court gosh darn it!

H) The __________ was too noisy. They could hear OTHER GUESTS at the resort!! What is wrong with Disney that people can actually hear other human beings/things that are staying/functioning at this resort!

I) My personal favorite: The maid did not leave them any towel animals, at least ones that they could identify since they watch the Animal Planet TV channel religiously. Or the complaint that housekeeping was horrible as the staff did not deep clean their room EVERYDAY. Never mind the fact that their dust bunnies at home are so ubiquitous that they had to place them on birth control so they would stop multiplying, These people paid good money to stay in a room that needs to sterilized every day. What is wrong with Disney!!!

J) Someone will complain that there was no place to put their stuff. You're darn tooting that each member of the family filled 2 suitcases with outfits for every occasion and they are cramming 5 people in one room but what was Disney thinking when we didn't have enough drawer space for a whole household's clothing allotment!

K) Someone will complain about the Cast Member that has not sufficiently kissed their rear end. Their whole trip was ruined because they specifically asked for square ice cubes and they were served the round ones instead. This person will spend HOURS demanding a refund for their entire stay! This is a DELUXE hotel for Gosh sakes and if they want square ice cubes they better get 'em!

L) Someone will complain about the fact that the sun came up in the morning and light from this celestial body penetrated their room and woke them up. This is definitely Disney's fault! (These people may in fact be related to the Vampires in letter C.)

I'm sure there is more so we will just have to stay tuned and see how this year's lunacy appears. Will we be surprised with a new category of complaint?? What new trip ruining tragedies will befall the odd and the inconsolable during this year's high summer season? Stay tuned to these boards and prepare to be amazed.

~NM

This list should be a sticky.

I stayed at a fairly swanky resort for work a few weeks ago. When I checked in, they didn't have me listed as a guest anywhere. I emailed my co-worker who'd taken care of the reservations. While I waited to hear back, the desk clerk was looking through every list she could see to find my name. I was assured they had rooms available, so I didn't need to worry. They finally find me and I get my room number, which was 780, or something like that. I get to the end of the hall, and the last room is 730. Wander like a moron for a while until I finally locate my room. I walk in to find a lovely welcome basket of fruit. And a note with someone else's name on it. Go back to the front desk to make sure I won't be interrupted when I use the bathroom I desperately need at that point. The guy working could not care less about the fruit basket and tells me to just eat the contents. Okay. I make sure to use the door chain and enjoy the rest of my stay. I suppose if I'd had my kids with me, I'd have been more flustered, but it was all pretty funny at the time.


LOL! A while back, someone here posted a photo of the pool at night. The eyes light up, apparently.

See you there!! We arrive on the 13th as well!

We, ahem I just booked two nights at the White Castle for August. I couldn't help myself! Hope PopPop got some rest Teena!

Dee do you have the eraser for the Be Our Guest list??
This is why resort changers should NOT be allowed on guest lists ;) 8/13-18th we will be at Beach Club and then 8/18-20 we are moving over to the GF. (And of course Universal is now Portofino LOL ) I changed ALL of our Fast Passes to coincide with our resorts.. now I need to decide if we will use Bell Services or put everything in the car..I think car :)

I would love to hear your thoughts on Portofino Bay. We plan to stay there for three nights next January.
 
I'll have to look for it. I thought I wouldn't need it. :sad2:

But I'll keep it close until the end of August.

;)
My multi-quotes are malfunctioning LOL. I'm sorry to change Dee, but that darn castle....I love it. Fortunately the clan is satisfied with 5 BC nights (well except DD10), my DH is not the happiest but he will give the Grand another shot. August needs to get here...my TA hasn't cancelled the last two BC nights yet I think she's making sure I don't get changers remorse :)
 


I would love to hear your thoughts on Portofino Bay. We plan to stay there for three nights next January.
We loved all three Universal resorts. The Portofino is like being in another world, I've never been to Italy so I call it the Floridian Italy lol. This will be our third stay there so let me know if you have any questions :)
 
Can someone help with Magical Express times? Our departure flight is at 7:45pm, what bus will we need to be on? I think I've seen it here before more specific times than the 3 hrs. TY and happy *friday*!!

This past year, the BC pick-up times for ME were scheduled at five minutes and 35 minutes past the hour. If this still holds true, you would probably be on the 4:35 p.m. motor coach. They always warn you that the ME can come as much as ten minutes, before the scheduled time, so you need to wait outside at least ten minutes before that advised time.

The exact time will be noted on your return confirmation/voucher, which you should find was slid under your door, the night prior to your day of departure. So, when you wake up in the morning, you will be able to plan your last day at WDW accordingly.
 
My multi-quotes are malfunctioning LOL.

My multiquote stopped working about a month ago. I haven't been able to figure out why, even though I have posted on the DIS Technical Support board.

I have been achieving the same thing, though, by highlighting what I want to quote, then hitting reply and then going to the next message.

I sometimes have issues when I change pages though so I copy what is in my reply box before moving on.

:thumbsup2


I would love to hear your thoughts on Portofino Bay. We plan to stay there for three nights next January.

We stayed at the Portofino on our first Universal trip in July 2011. The Portofino is beautiful and the pool is really nice. Sal's Marketplace and Deli (and Ice Cream shop) is awesome.

Here are the parts of my "Welcome Foolish Muggles" trip report about the Portofino.

Arrival - Ciao, Baby! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41887348&postcount=42


All about the Portofino http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41890845&postcount=50

Sal's Marketplace and Deli- this photo post does not appear in this trip report, but here is the link: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41925749&postcount=28

Chillin' at the Pool- http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=42468186&postcount=439


We prefer the Hard Rock, mainly due to the location (one of the top reasons we love the Beach Club so much). Have you seen BubbaMom's shortcut path from the Portofino to City Walk? If not, I can email it to you.

:goodvibes
 
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My multiquote stopped working about a month ago. I haven't been able to figure out why, even though I have posted on the DIS Technical Support board.

I have been achieving the same thing, though, but highlighting what I want to quote, then hitting reply and then going to the next message.

I sometimes have issues when I change pages though so I copy what is in my reply box before moving on.

:thumbsup2

My words and multiquotes either double or disappear....it gives new meaning to ghost writer I suppose LOL. Reply is working at least so that is good :)

We stayed at the Portofino on our first Universal trip in July 2011. The Portofino is beautiful and the pool is really nice. Sal's Marketplace and Deli (and Ice Cream shop) is awesome.

Here are the parts of my "Welcome Foolish Muggles" trip report about the Portofino.

Arrival - Ciao, Baby! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41887348&postcount=42


All about the Portofino http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41890845&postcount=50

Sal's Marketplace and Deli- this photo post does not appear in this trip report, but here is the link: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41925749&postcount=28

Chillin' at the Pool- http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=42468186&postcount=439


We prefer the Hard Rock, mainly due to the location (one of the top reasons we love the Beach Club so much). Have you seen BubbaMom's shortcut path from the Portofino to City Walk? If not, I can email it to you.

:goodvibes
I agree with Hard Rock having the better location. I like the rock vibe as well. It has been such a tough choice but ultimately price won me over. Usually Hard Rock is cheaper but all the AP rooms were booked. August seems like it is no longer a slow season (for WDW or Uni) like it was in the past
 
This past year, the BC pick-up times for ME were scheduled at five minutes and 35 minutes past the hour. If this still holds true, you would probably be on the 4:35 p.m. motor coach. They always warn you that the ME can come as much as ten minutes, before the scheduled time, so you need to wait outside at least ten minutes before that advised time.

The exact time will be noted on your return confirmation/voucher, which you should find was slid under your door, the night prior to your day of departure. So, when you wake up in the morning, you will be able to plan your last day at WDW accordingly.

A word to the wise about the Magical Depress bus BACK to the Airport.

During my last trip there was a "conniption" with the buses going to the AIRPORT. I was staying at Plop Century but that won't matter for this piece of advice...

So the buses were delayed because of __________ (Reason doesn't matter). Anyway there were a lot of people waiting for the bus. It seems that the previous pick up was running so late that it finally made it to the resort about 10 minuted BEFORE my pick up time. I could tell something was amiss just by looking at the herds waiting for the bus. Naturally there was confusion experienced by the people who were on my scheduled pick up time as to why that bus arrived 10 minutes early (It didn't, this was the previously scheduled bus which was 20 minutes late).

SO.... AFTER the driver sorted everyone out and loaded the correct people on his bus I ASKED IF HE HAD ROOM ON HIS BUS FOR ME. I did this knowing that the buses were running late for some reason and I projected that my bus stood a good chance of being late. The driver let me know that, AS PER HIS JUDGEMENT (and that not all drivers will do this) he was willing and had the room to let me on his bus even though I was technically 'early'.

So it pays to read the situation and know when to adapt and ask for help. Sometimes you get a CM/Bus Driver that will be able to do it, sometimes for very good reasons, (like they needed the room on the bus for the additional stops they would have to make) they can't help you out. Our driver also was very good at explaining that the drivers were in radio contact and if necessary, Disney would dispatch a different bus that was not stuck in traffic to get people to the Airport on time.

As it turns out there was road construction on the way to the airport, and that's what was causing the delay. My driver was experienced and savvy so he even had a way around the block that cut down even more on the delays. Keep in mind also that Disney schedules these Magical Depress buses BACK to the airport so that there is enough time to deal with a reasonable delay.

The other thing that I noticed is that the Bus BACK to the airport only had one stop where it let people off. There used to be 2 drop offs but for some reason we only had the one. I'm not sure if that is permanent.

So there is your helpful post of the day...

~NM
 
@natebenma Sure thing...go ahead and link my post on page 1. Thanks!!

@Katesdad We will be a house divided for sure for the FIFA Women's world cup final....I'm a USA fan, but I also root for the underdog so I might be breaking out the Go Japan flag! LOL!!
 
We loved all three Universal resorts. The Portofino is like being in another world, I've never been to Italy so I call it the Floridian Italy lol. This will be our third stay there so let me know if you have any questions :)

I spent a semester in Florence while in law school. As long as there aren't a gazillion mopeds threatening to run me down, I'm good. Of the three resorts, Portofino seems the most "me." And since I'm the one who plans everything, I get to pick the resort for this part of the trip. I realize US has a fourth resort now, but I understand you don't get the FOTL pass with that one. So it's totally off the list. Amara was interested in HRH because of the music in the pool. But I understand we can legitimately pool hop at US. So if she wants to hear "Dude Looks Like a Lady" while swimming, she's more than welcome to.

You mean this one? CREEPY!!!!

Yes! That's exactly the picture I was thinking of. Creepy pool...

My multiquote stopped working about a month ago. I haven't been able to figure out why, even though I have posted on the DIS Technical Support board.

I have been achieving the same thing, though, but highlighting what I want to quote, then hitting reply and then going to the next message.

I sometimes have issues when I change pages though so I copy what is in my reply box before moving on.

:thumbsup2




We stayed at the Portofino on our first Universal trip in July 2011. The Portofino is beautiful and the pool is really nice. Sal's Marketplace and Deli (and Ice Cream shop) is awesome.

Here are the parts of my "Welcome Foolish Muggles" trip report about the Portofino.

Arrival - Ciao, Baby! http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41887348&postcount=42


All about the Portofino http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41890845&postcount=50

Sal's Marketplace and Deli- this photo post does not appear in this trip report, but here is the link: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=41925749&postcount=28

Chillin' at the Pool- http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=42468186&postcount=439


We prefer the Hard Rock, mainly due to the location (one of the top reasons we love the Beach Club so much). Have you seen BubbaMom's shortcut path from the Portofino to City Walk? If not, I can email it to you.

:goodvibes

I'll have to check out your posts. We have plenty of time to decide. I'm hoping US has winter deals like Disney, because rack rate is sort of hard to take at the moment. I really should have considered my vacation options when deciding to have four kids...

I agree with Hard Rock having the better location. I like the rock vibe as well. It has been such a tough choice but ultimately price won me over. Usually Hard Rock is cheaper but all the AP rooms were booked. August seems like it is no longer a slow season (for WDW or Uni) like it was in the past

HRH is closest, right? Or is it the other hotel, the name of which completely escapes me. I ruled that one out for reasons I can't recall at the moment. Probably reviews I read here on the dis.
 
I am contemplating booking BC for the 2016 Princess Half Marathon weekend. This will be a change as we've stayed at POFQ for the last six PHMs. (It was convenient for walking to the start until safety concerns put a stop to walking.)

Anyone have experience with staying at BC/YC for runDisney events? How is the bus service for the races?

Same as the other resorts. We have been at BCV's the last five or six Marathon Weekends. Even when there are long lines they get 'em in and get 'em out. The longest line I have ever seen at WDW was the bus for the half marathon while staying at SSR. We were not early but still made it in plenty time.
Hope that helps.
 

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