Epcot area resort...Which one whould you choose and why?

[*Fantasia*]

I know they are all walking distance to Epcot/MGM. Is one resort better than the other? Do you have a preference? And why?

 

[jgates]

I'm afraid I'm the #1 Swan fan here so that ought to tell you my choice.

I consider it a 'quieter' resort, yet one with all the amenities. It seems to be at such a nice mid-point between my two favorite parks. It has a wonderful pool, is close to the mini-golf course, has 24 hour Tubbi's, refillable mugs and wonderful discounts.

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi ~ I had a christmas gift of a trip to Disney ~ I could have stayed anywhere - I really wanted to try the EPCOT area this time.

I looked at all the resorts and decided to try the Beach Club ~ although it is deluxe, it has a casual and cheerful look. The pool is of course amazing and the proximity to EPCOT and MGM outstanding.

The swan and the dolphin do nothing for me ~ I don't like the look of the modern high rise ~ too much like the city I live in and I have heard bad reviews of the club level.

The YC looked formal and stuffy, but I am sure it is as lovely as the Beach Club.

The boardwalk was my 2nd choice but that big scary clown at the pool was daunting. We are going to go over and have a look at it to see if it is as creepy as in the photos ~ I would really like to try this hotel one day.

So Beach Club it is ~ I hope I made the right choice!

>>^..^<<

 

[jordanyosh]

We have stayed at the YC and BWV and we prefer the Villas. Just a personal preference. We like the Bellevue Room, a quiet lounge in a corner off the lobby. Our favorite restaurant is there, the Flying Fish Cafe. I love the EPSN Club for a late night beer or two or three--it's just a short stumble, i mean, walk to our room. The scary clown at the themed pool isn't too bad(just don't look him directly in the eyes). We also like the quiet pool. The Villas have, at minimum a refrigerator and a microwave, with the 1-bedroom and larger having a full kitchen and laundry facilities in room. Having a washer and dryer makes packing for the trip nice because you can pack lighter. We like the feel of the Boardwalk better than the Yacht and Beach Club, but would stay at the YC again in a heartbeat.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We love the Yacht & Beach Club! We stayed at the Beach Club last year, and really enjoyed it! We're looking forward to staying at the Beach Club Villas next year!

 

[PamNC]

First, let me congratulate you for picking the Epcot Resort area. There is nothing like it. Walking to Epcot and MGM, or you can take the lovely and comfortable Friendship. All the dining and shopping, and mini-golf at Fantasia. Love it.

My fave is YC or BC. Either one. We tend to like BC best because the views of Crescent Lake and the white sand area are a little better. Plus, you're even closer to Epcot. We love Stormalong Bay, Beaches & Cream, and the cast members are second to none in our experience.

Twice we've tried to stay at other resorts, those being the GF and WL and both times we were greatly disappointed. We are a couple without kids so perhaps that's one reason. We LOVE YC/BC and the whole Epcot resort area. Never again will we venture out and try something new as the old standby is just fine with us.

have fun!

pamNC

 

[ducklite]

Although I wouldn't NOT stay at the Swan/Dolphin, they would not be a first choice, as I like to carry one piece of plastic (my room card) and a couple dollars, and charge everything to my room. (I find it makes it so easy to keep track of expenses, every few days I get a printout from the desk to look for discrepencies, etc. You can't do that at the S/D. I also don't particularly like the layout of the Dolphin, I find the floorplan very confusing. Another big downer is the lack of balcony's at both resorts. Like I said, if it were either of them or off site, of course I'd choose them.

I've stayed at the BWI, BWV, BC, BCV, and YC. So I think I've got a pretty good set of experiences to draw on. I'm assuming we're ruling out DVC properties, because that's an entirely different ball game.

My favorite would have to by the BC. I love the decor, the proximately to Epcot, the pool, and the lobby. I find the decor in the BWI rooms very "busy". It's a lovely hotel, but I prefer the BC. The YC is a bit to formal and stuffy for me.

The disadvantage to the BC is that some of the rooms don't have a full blacony. But just make a request for a full balcony and you'll probably get one with no problem.

Anne

 

[Demosthenes]

I've stayed at all of the resorts around Crescent Lake. BWI is my favorite because of the excellent views of Illuminations, the obvious proximity to the Boardwalk, an exceptional theme and quiet pool, multiple on-site restaurants, room size and decor and nightlife. The YC is a close second for me. DW and I love the decor of the YC, and all of the rooms have full balconies. Also, the full service eatery inside the YC is very convenient. The pool, Beaches ad Cream, the marina; all of these help to make this resort one of the best at WDW. The BC is third for me. We don't care for the colors used in the theming, and the layout of the hotel makes for some oddly shaped and small rooms. Also, not all of the rooms have balconies. Still, this hotel has all of the perks of the YC, and these three resorts seem to blend so well together, I really don't think it matters which of the three you pick.

 

[moymo]

We love the Epcot resort area. There is just so much to do and you have 5! resorts and 2 parks within walking distance.

We just got back from 5 nights at the Yacht and 5 at the Swan. In the past, we have also stayed at the Boardwalk and the Dolphin.

We have decided that eventhough the Swan(with the teacher's discount) is a little cheaper than the conference rate that we get at the Yacht Club, we will just stay at the Yacht Club for our whole trip next year. We have stayed at the Yacht Club for 3 years now and I think the Beach Club looks so nice but the reasons we haven't stayed there is (1)the whole balcony issue. You definitely get a full balcony at the Yacht Club. (2) In recent years, there was a lot of construction for the Beach Club Villas, and we didn't want to deal with that. Other than these things, I think the BC would be delightful.

I have a 3 and 7 y.o. boys, and we don't find the Yacht Club stuffy. The decor is definitely more formal than the Beach, but just like everything in Disney, it's just theming and we don't feel funny there in our shorts and t-shirts, like we don't feel funny at Cinderella's Castle in shorts and t-shirts.

The clincher is the pool, or mini-waterpark, I should say. My kids love the pool, and if we never bought a park pass, they wouldn't notice the difference. Between the pools of different depths and the sand and the water slides and the waitstaff who take orders poolside, we never had to leave.

This is a really long way of saying that my first choice would be the Yacht or Beach Club, and my second would be the Boardwalk. I think the Boardwalk is beautiful and fun. Parts of the hotel did feel very public and high trafficky because of people coming from all over through the hotel to get to the Boardwalk.

I don't think you can go wrong at these resorts.

Have fun!