Epcot resort dilemma

[DJFan88]

So, the husband wants Boardwalk, one kid wants Beach Club. I just want to be on the Epcot walk in but DH says no Swan or Dolphin.

Which of the 3 would be better and why? Beach Club, Boardwalk, and Yacht?
Originally I thought boardwalk would be more boring for the kids and all of the food things are outside? It's more public for everyone to go there? We are used to the mod's though so outside is not an issue. Also, thought that SAB looked good for the kids, but someone else on another post said the sand is just wierd and sometimes things get stuck in there? Or is that total garbage. Do any of your kids like the Boardwalk pool, and are there any quiet pools or just the main one? Which slide is better? Since I can't book until our vacation schedule comes out from work I may have to go on availability anyway.

 

[pixarmom]

The great thing about the Epcot resort area is that you can stay at one resort and have access to all the others for shopping, dining, movies on the beach, etc.

So we choose BC because 1) we love SAB and BC gives us access to that wonderful pool; 2) we prefer the room decor at BC over BWI or YC: and 3) we think the BC atmosphere is more relaxing than the Boardwalk atmosphere. But we can still walk over to BWI in less than five minutes and enjoy almost everything there (except for the Boardwalk pool, of course!)

Having said all that, the room category we wanted to book was not available with a discount at BC in August, so we booked at BWI pre-cruise and BC post-cruise. After spending so much time over at BWI during our BC stays, we're excited to try it! The slide looks like lots of fun and I've heard great things about BWI club level. While we don't think BWI will replace BC as our favorite, we're really looking forward to our stay!

To answer some of your questions, the sand at the bottom of SAB is a different texture than beach sand - it's designed to fall off easily, stay at the bottom of the pool and not stick to you - we like that! Yes, SAB is large, but if you have small children there are three kiddie areas that are tons of fun, shallow and entirely separate and disconnected from the deeper areas of the pool.

As for the slides, while we haven't tried the BWI slide yet, the biggest differences we see are theme, proximity of slide entrance to the pool and the fact that the SAB slide is enclosed part of the way and the BWI slide is open all the way down. Our boys love the SAB slide and think nothing can beat it. But I like the fact that the BWI slide is not enclosed and it will be nice to see the kids all the way up the stairs and down the slide - at SAB, they cross the walkway to Epcot/other resorts to climb the stairs to the slide. Certainly not a dealbreaker for our family, but that might be a factor for others.

Both great choices - good luck with your decision!

 

[duffy]

I'm curious about why not the Swan or Dolphin?

I used to think that either the Yacht or Beach Clubs would be my "dream" resort, until we stayed at the Swan in November 2010. We had a non-park day, and part of it we spent strolling around the Boardwalk and the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

We agreed that the pool at the Boardwalk has such a creepy clown, it would turn us off! LOL!

And as for Storm-A-Long Bay at the Yacht and Beach Clubs, I always thought it was so cool, until I realized how very PUBLIC it is! Hundreds of people strolling by, and of course everyone has to check out the pool. So, I'd feel horribly exposed and dreadfully "on display" there.

 

[DJFan88]

Thanks pixarmom,
I was also seeing the BC has activities like movies and marshmallows for the kids, so that may be relaxing for the evening on a particularly busy day.

 

[mdsd8700]

I agree with Pixarmom with all that she said. I think it depends on the type of atmosphere you are looking for overall. The Boardwalk does seem to have things happening all the time. Well at night anyway, during the day it is pretty low key. The pool area is very nice and there is also a very nice quite pool near the cottages. If you get a Boardwalk view some people complain about the noise. It has never bothered us and we love opening the doors and being on the balcony with all the hustle and bustle just below us.

Not sure of the ages of your kids, but the only drawback in my opinion to SAB is that it is very large, the entrance to the slide is "outside" of the general pool area. So if you have younger children or those who cannot really do the pool on their own then it will be a lot of work for you and your husband to keep track of them. If they are older and can be on their own and check in from time to time then I think either SAB is the way to go. We have never had an issue with the sand and my kids would love to play with with buckets and shovels in it for hours when they were younger. In the opinion of my kids the slide at SAB is much better than the Kiester Coaster at BW.

I agree that you cannot go wrong with any of the 3. The entire EPCOT area is amazing we love staying there!

 

[DJFan88]

I'm curious about why not the Swan or Dolphin?

I used to think that either the Yacht or Beach Clubs would be my "dream" resort, until we stayed at the Swan in November 2010. We had a non-park day, and part of it we spent strolling around the Boardwalk and the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

We agreed that the pool at the Boardwalk has such a creepy clown, it would turn us off! LOL!

And as for Storm-A-Long Bay at the Yacht and Beach Clubs, I always thought it was so cool, until I realized how very PUBLIC it is! Hundreds of people strolling by, and of course everyone has to check out the pool. So, I'd feel horribly exposed and dreadfully "on display" there.

Originally I thought that Swan or Dolphin would be great too and liked the food choices but DH didn't like that maybe it would lack some of the disney benefits? I'm not sure if all that is true, but I know he was spoiled by free dining last trip. But we were also in a moderate, and I also know that sometimes it's better to get the 40% off deluxe versus free dining. I would look into it because it does look nice, I just don't know about transportation and things like that. We also like package delivery to our hotel from in the park.

The clown doesn't bother us, I think it's kinda cool.

The SAB does appear busy to me. We've also checked it out as we have been to Cape May/Capt's Grill and stuff. Had a drink from Hurrican Hannah's. I admit the busy feel is less than desirable, but passerby's don't make me feel like I'm on display. Essentially you're "on display" at any pool. The weirdest geeker could be the one you can't see, hiding behind there window.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I would pick the BW. I like that the pool area is behind the resort and not exposed to the walkway like the BC pool. SAB always looks like a madhouse when I walk by. Location wise, it's all pretty equal. BC is closer to Epcot but BW is closer to Disney Studios.

The 2 main BW drawbacks is that you do have to go outside to get food and there is no self serve drink station for the refillable mugs.

 

[Haley]

I love Beach Club the best!

 

[Sandisw]

We have stayed in the DVC villas at both Boardwalk and Beach Club and they have different feels, that is for sure.

The walk to Epcot is certainly easier from Beach Club but the walk to DHS is easier from Boardwalk.

You do have to go outside to get drinks and foods, which is a drawback for Boardwalk, but for snacks, etc., you have more options closer than at Beach Club.

When we stayed at BCV last year, we did not go to SAB--no real interest but stayed at the quiet pools. We have also not done the pool at BW either so can't help you there. We are staying at BWV in a few weeks and looking forward to it.

I think that there are pros/cons of each but if being able to walk to the two parks is a plus for you, I do think you can't go wrong with either.

Swan and Dolphin are not Disney hotels so any Disney promos won't apply there (like free dining). You can't use Magical Express either.

Good luck!

 

[JoJostar]

The 2 main BW drawbacks is that you do have to go outside to get food and there is no self serve drink station for the refillable mugs.

There isn't?! Oh not. That's not cool. I am bookes there in Feb. I thought that there was one in one of the places on the boardwalk?

 

[Sandisw]

There isn't?! Oh not. That's not cool. I am bookes there in Feb. I thought that there was one in one of the places on the boardwalk?

You can get the drinks but they do it for you. And, last time we were there, at the bakery, you showed them your mug and they gave you the drink in a cup. You had to transfer it on your own.

 

[tinan]

For us it would be a nobrainer......we love the beach club

 

[DJFan88]

You can get the drinks but they do it for you. And, last time we were there, at the bakery, you showed them your mug and they gave you the drink in a cup. You had to transfer it on your own.

Yeah, I do kind of like the freedom of handling that yourself. Does the beach club have a place to do refillable mugs yourself?

I've walked around there and it doesn't seem that much of a distance to go from the BC to the Boardwalk for us. However, regarding the distance to DHS from either place, is it a doable walk on a hot day, or are we better taking the boat or our car?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I have stayed twice at the Boardwalk Inn because I enjoy their theme and atmosphere. Plus in terms of distance it's the closest one when walking to Hollywood Studios, so I am looking forward to my third stay there next month.

However after that I am then staying a few nights at the Beach Club and I am looking forward to see how they compare with each other.

 

[RMulieri]

We love the BC and love SAB..and FWIW the sand is a larger grit than beach sand it doesn't stick to you like beach sand does

 

[goofy4tink]

I've stayed at BC, BW, Swan and Dolphin. There are differences to be sure. I prefer BW.....I bought DVC there, so I guess I had best like it there!!! BW is a bit more 'formal' than BC. I love Luna Park, the clown is one of my favorite things. My dd, now almost 18, loves to yell...'Clown barf' as she flies out the clown mouth at the end of the slide. It's a great slide..very fast. There are two quiet pools...one behind the Villa section and one in the garden cottages section. There really is no quick refill area...or a true grab and go food option. That's the one thing I don't care for at BW. But you can get refills (show the mug and get a cup with your beverage in it, then transfer to your mug yourself) at Belle Vue Lounge (off the main lobby area, on the Inn side), the pool counter service spot Leaping Horse Libations, the Bakery, and perhaps Joe's on the boardwalk itself.

BC is very nice...a bit less formal than BW. It has a sunnier, lighter feel to it. And there is that inside grab and go area down by the villas. It's actually part of the gift shop area, in the little grocery area. You can refill your mug there. The pool, SAB, is nice, but I find it to be very crowded. And if the kids want to use the slide, they have to leave the area, cross the public sidewalk and go to the other side of the walkway to enter the slide. The slide actually crosses over the sidewalk. The pool area is huge so it can be daunting to keep an eye on the kids.

I love the Dolphin. But, it doesn't give you some of the same perks you get at the WDW resorts. No DME, no DDP, no charging to your room in the parks. But, that's about it. You get EMHs, you get bus/boat transport to the parks. There are plenty of WDW type things to buy in the shops. And I love the various restaurant options....love Picabu on the ground floor. And the pool area is a ton of fun.

So, I guess it all depends on what you want. Light, airy and beachy?? That would be BC. More formal, a bit 'darker'? BW. Regular, more upscale type stay?? S/D.

 

[DJFan88]

goofy4tink, that's alot of great info to consider. I wonder if someone could just walk over to Picabu and eat if they wanted to, as you could anywhere else. We love to check out different resorts by eating there, and I'm hearing so much about Picabu being a favorite.

 

[goofy4tink]

goofy4tink, that's alot of great info to consider. I wonder if someone could just walk over to Picabu and eat if they wanted to, as you could anywhere else. We love to check out different resorts by eating there, and I'm hearing so much about Picabu being a favorite.

Absolutely. I like to eat at Picabu every trip...even if I'm at BWV!!
Oh, and by the way??? If you buy a refillable mug at Picabu, you can use it on every trip thereafter!! No issues like with the WDW ones. The cashier will remind you to bring your mug back on your next trip!!! I do.

 

[DJFan88]

Oh wow, I had no idea they had the refillable's there.