Just back from BC - disappointing

[tinkerbellmagic]

Thank you for the great trip report. Sorry your stay was not as magical as it could have been. The information you gave was helpful. I was trying to book BC or CR but waited so long for the AP rate, that both are booked for my dates. I have never stayed at either. We did stay at YC in '97, but only for 3 days and *gasp* did not have time to try the pool. We do also love WL.

1. One of the perks I am looking forward to at CR is walking home from MK. How did that go? Were you so tired after a day in the parks that the walk seemed really long?

2. Some people found the touch screen at Captain Cooks confusing. Did it seem like it took longer doing it that way?

3. How did you like CBR when you stayed there? That is another one I have not tried.

tink

 

[stepdisney]

I just looked at her like she was an idiot (which I thought she was so that part was easy)

???!!!!

 

[ilovemytink]

You know, I just think that's so gross that housekeeping didn't even clean the carpet for you and just left it!! It's probably not been cleaned since! I mean, even if that was my own child, I would still think it was gross for the next person coming in after us. (The "crib" comment is STILL cracking me up, though!)

On our first trip to WDW, we stayed at All Star Sports and had the BEST time!!! I guess because it was our first trip and we had nothing to compare it to. It was truly a *magical* trip!! We were so excited about returning and thought we'd upgrade to a moderate just for the heck of it. We chose POR. We requested "3" times to stay in Alligator Bayou and ended up in a Mansion that looked like my mother had decorated it! I was VERY disappointed because I really had my heart set on Alligator Bayou. I mean, our room was nice but it was toooo "motherish." We went on vacation and paid $3500 and ended up staying in a room that looks like my mother's!!!! Also, we paid $135 more for a "water view." Well, I was PI$$ED when I realized that we couldn't see the water unless we were standing at the window looking SHARPLY to the LEFT!! Seriously, we paid $135 extra for that!?!?!?! Never a "water view" again. Came across a King Snake one night and I DON'T DO SNAKES!!! I was panicky the rest of the trip about walking at night. The bus service was THE WORST.....but the resort was relaxing and the grounds were pretty.

You know, we (I mean me) spend so much time researching these resorts and looking at the beautiful rooms and all the decor and deciding which "theme" we'll go with for our next trip, and when it's all said and done, you get the same service at a value as you do in a deluxe, sometimes worse.

I guess it really is just luck of the draw and maybe you'll have a *magical* trip and maybe you won't. But let me say that even with all that said, Disney is still as wonderful as ever! That will never change!!

 

[Mortlives]

I'm sorry the OP didn't enjoy the stay at the Beach Club, and there were some serious legitimate complaints. But, I can't stress enough that no one should get the impression that tipping the mousekeeper is the same as purchasing towel animals. Not all mousekeepers know how to do the them. Tipping is for properly clean rooms, if you believe in tipping mousekeeping (let's not start that thread here). There is no guarantee that a tip will result in anything but a smile on the mousekeeper's face.

Mind you, I don't think I would have tipped mousekeeping at all if they wouldn't clean the toilet water out of my carpet. That's beyond gross. Maybe the crib was supposed to fence off the wet area?

 

[beccasmom]

Wow, sorry for your difficult experiences.

Back in the 90's we were staying at CR and our toilet overflowed as well. Not only did Maintenance show up quickly, they moved us to the concierge floor for the rest of our stay! Very nice! Something more should have been done to make amends for your situation. A trip to WDW, no matter where you are staying, is no inexpensive little jaunt. Someone dropped the ball on this one.....

 

[WDWVillain]

I still am not getting this, being I grew up and still live on the beach in New England....the BC has palm tress...NE does not! The BC&YC feel more "key West" to me then anything...and being I live up here...the WL feels more like at home to me then the BC does. That is just so weird! also I have never had issues with the rooms or housekeeping, infact everytime I have been there I have been upgraded!!

I do not however go to SAB, I do the quite pool and it is so perfect and quite!!!

 

[branv]

Oh no! I promise I wasn't insulting TX at all! (We lived in TX for 2 yrs!!) I just meant that the New England beach theme might have felt more "different' to someone from TX than it did to someone from the East Coast. If someone from the East Coast chose a "Texan" (Southwestern) theme, that might seem a little more different to them than the scenery that they're used to. Does that make sense? Or did I just make it worse??

LOL, no I get it. I thought to myself, "hmmm, she could easily get flamed on this one," so I thought I'd jump in and ask you to clarify to head it off. It's precisely what I thought you meant.

 

[Kristybell]

I kind of agree on the Beach Club. We stayed there last summer and it was our first experience staying "on property", so needless to say our expectations were high (along with the prices!).

I requested a room with a balcony. First lesson, be VERY specific with what you want. What I wanted was a nice balcony with a minimum of two chairs to relax on after a long day in the parks. What I got was a standing room only balcony with room for one person, standing, and a view that overlooked the service area and roof top of the restaurant. I wasn't specific with my view choice so lesson learned there.

We had room 4700. To get there we had to cross the lobby, take the elevator to the 4th floor, walk down a long hallway, around to another hallway and then to our room. We're walkers too, but that was a quite a hike most days. One day I ventured down to do some laundry, which was waaaayyyy on the other side of the resort. I feared I would have to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find my way back! Our room was directly across from the service elevator and if you know anything about the Disney resorts, you know they don't invest much into soundproofing the interior corridor room doors. Needless to say, we heard that service elevator running every day and every night.

Our room was clean and the furnishings were ok. Just looked a bit tired and worn. I would have expected more for the $300 per night we paid. Like the OP said, I expected more "magic".

Stormalong Bay was pretty amazing, but also pretty frightening if you want a chair or want to see your kids. I swear we would go down there and my husband and son would literally disappear for the next few hours.

On the plus side, DS LOVED SB. Love loved it. He gave the arcade thumbs up as well. I'm a big flower gal and I found the displays in the lobby and around the resort to be beautiful. You just can't beat the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. It was lovely to walk back to the hotel after Illuminations. We all enjoyed the boats to MGM and Epcot too. This was our first year using diz transportation and I had no complaints there. I think we may have waited ten minutes one night for a bus to MK and that was it. Art was wonderful and such a gentlemen and most of the staff were very accomodating. I didn't think the food choices were too bad and being able to walk over to the Boardwalk for variety was nice.

My advice to would-be guests would be to try it. Everyone has a different experience. If I found a discounted rate I would go back. We went with WL this year and I'm very excited to give it a try.

kristy

 

[eliza61]

We just got back from a week at the BC. Sadly, I can't say that we were all that impressed or even that we would stay there again. It wasn't that we had a truly *bad* experience, it's just that we did not have a *magical* experience. I felt like we could have been at any nice hotel, anywhere. I don't have a lot of other Disney resorts to compare it to, but as a family, we decided that we would all much prefer to go back to AKL the next time, or spend just a little more, and stay at the Poly.

I wonder if part of the problem is that I grew up going to the beach on the East Coast, lived in New England for several years, and so the theming just didn't seem "exotic" to me. Maybe if I were from say, TX, it would have seemed more exciting??

Anyhow, that's just a quick summary. If you have any questions about the resort, please feel free to ask.

That may have been part of the problem, I often here people from Colorado or Pacific Northwest say they were not that impress with the wilderness Lodge. We love it, that's what's so great about Disney. There are so many choices.

 

[johnsonet]

I think if we didn't have anything to compare the BC to this trip, then we might have felt differently. However, after coming from 3 fabulous nights at the CR, it just paled in comparison. It is a lovely resort and the pool is lots of fun. I knew dining choices would be limited to sit down dinners, but the problem was the Yacht Club Galley was closed during our entire stay so we were really left with buffets at Cape May (we ate dinner there once) or the Marketplace. Beaches and Cream was always too crowded and Hurricane Hanna's seemed out of the way if you weren't already at the pool. At CR we at least had Concourse Steakhouse, and the food/fun center and the snack bar at the pool. Our favorite food court for a deluxe is the new Captain Cooks. The food we had there on a couple different occasions was super fresh, we loved the touch screen ordering system and the food was great.

For reference, our previous stays have included WL (2x), CR, POR (2x), CBR and now BC as well. If I got a great rate at BC I would stay again (I'm talking the $189/night they were running last summer). For the $300 I spent each night on an annual pass discount, there was no comparison (for our family) to the CR. For us, it felt like we'd been downgraded going from luxuriously soft sheets, lots of pillows, lovely decor, flat screen tvs, a nice desk area, etc to a room that has two beds and a tv. The room/convenience obviously is important to our family. We tend to enjoy "resort time" about as much as "park time". I truly didn't expect much out of CR, but fell in love with it. I've been dreaming about staying at the BC for years and I will say, that I'm really glad that we at least tried it. I think if it's someplace you've wanted to stay and haven't had a chance, then go for it. I would have always wondered if we were missing something by not staying there. For our family, we just prefer something with great transportation like CR or truly spectacular theming like WL. We will be choosing one of those hotels next year. That's just what works best for us. Hopefully you'll have a magical stay. Oh, and the one thing I've taken away from these boards, is that no matter how bad reviews are on an individual hotel, your experience may very well be positive and nothing like the isolated incidents that tend to stand out.

Very well said Bibbidi

 

[Rustysmom]

Now I'm getting nervous. We're going there in early November and I hope we don't have any problems. We won the trip and we should be happy with whatever they gave us because it was free, but still I want a nice experience. No wonder they picked the BC.

 

[eliza61]

Now I'm getting nervous. We're going there in early November and I hope we don't have any problems. We won the trip and we should be happy with whatever they gave us because it was free, but still I want a nice experience. No wonder they picked the BC.

I would take all reviews with a grain of salt. We've stayed at the BC and had nothing but magically stays. All was wonderful from the Art the greeter to the wonderful mouse keepers. We loved it so much we brought our dvc there.

 

[johnsonet]

To help put minds at ease:

I have stayed at every Disney Deluxe but the YC. I have stayed in everything from standard view rooms to 2-bedroom suites.

I am going back for part of my summer vacation to the BC b/c DD LOVES SAB and b/c I still pinch myself when I walk back to my room after IllumiNations

The Beach Club is a very nice resort. Its location is really amazing. The service from front desk/bellmen/valet, in my experience, has always been top notch

I have stayed twice before (August 2005 and August 2006)and the rooms have been IMMACULATE.

the kids' club is great and I like the breakfast place/shop. Beaches and Cream ROCKS. The pool is fabu. Chairs can be hard to come by but BELIEVE ME, this is the case at Poly, AKL, GF, WL too. Sometimes.

If you are staying at BC you are FORTUNATE. Odds are, you will have a great vacation

 

[Tinkaroo]

First of all, I'm so sorry to the OP for all the difficulties you experienced. There is no excuse for all the hassle (not to mention filth!) you endured - even though it sounds like all the appropriate management should have been notified while you were on property, I would still follow-up with a letter or e-mail to WDW Guest Relations, as well as to the General Manager of the BC. That way, you can be sure that all the appopriate parties have been notified - at the very least, they need to go clean that carpet!

For those worried that the BC is a terrible spot - don't. I agree with all those here that have posted that bad experiences can happen at ANY resort (Disney or otherwise) - just make sure you deal with the problem at the outset, and calmly and consistently outline your expectations for how management should deal with it, and what will make you happy. Kudos to the OP for staying in that room - I'm afraid I would have camped out in the BC lobby until they gave me a new, contaminant-free room!

DH and I had a lovely stay at the BC last August - the resort was beautiful, our room was in great shape, we got all our room requests and then some, mousekeeping did a good job, etc. But, just as we had a good experience, there could have been someone there having a terrible time due to maintenance issues, noisy neighbors, etc. I had a gross room at POFQ a couple of years ago and I doubt I'll stay there again, but I know plenty of people who wouldn't stay anywhere else. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw - although you should still ask that your expectations be met. A Disney vacation doesn't come cheap!

 

[TAEMom]

First of all, I'm so sorry to the OP for all the difficulties you experienced. There is no excuse for all the hassle (not to mention filth!) you endured - even though it sounds like all the appropriate management should have been notified while you were on property, I would still follow-up with a letter or e-mail to WDW Guest Relations, as well as to the General Manager of the BC. That way, you can be sure that all the appopriate parties have been notified - at the very least, they need to go clean that carpet!

d deal with it, and what will make you happy. Kudos to the OP for staying in that room - I'm afraid I would have camped out in the BC lobby until they gave me a new, contaminant-free room!

!

I have followed up with an email to Guest Relations, and am considering whether it is worth the effort at this point to also send a letter (via snail mail) to the GM at BC. To be honest, I'm not sure what outcome I desire nearly a week after the fact, which is part of my hesitation to complain too loudly. So far, all that I received was the canned response to my email - not sure whether I should expect any more of a response or not.

We had no truly *good* reason for not insisting upon being moved to a clean room, other than we were in a major hurry to get to our ADR that evening and the hassle of having to move rooms was very unappealing at that moment. For the rest of the week, we used the spare towels and bath mats to keep the floor covered though!

From reviews that I have read, housekeeping does seem to be a major issue at BC recently, as compared to other resorts. I have no idea what management is doing differently there, or whether it is just plain bad luck. But, I agree that mgmt. needs to be informed of problems, in order to address them! I have to tell you, I would be surprised if anything I say or do at this point though, will cause them to actually clean that carpet!

 

[Dis Ohana]

Thanks for posting your review. We're doing a split stay and staying at YC after GF, I hope we're not disappointed. I'm not clear on if the BC and YC are separate properties; are they managed by the same people or is it a different resort altogether? I'm hoping that our experience at the YC will be better than what you had at BC.

I wonder if part of the problem is that I grew up going to the beach on the East Coast, lived in New England for several years, and so the theming just didn't seem "exotic" to me. Maybe if I were from say, TX, it would have seemed more exciting??

I totally get what you're trying to say here. When I first started researching resorts on the DIS, it seemed like everyone just loves the Poly. I am from Hawaii, staying there would be like staying in Waikiki for me . Although the Poly seems nice, I'd rather stay on the Boardwalk or visit New England for my vacation .

 

[goofyfordisney]

We also felt the same way about our visit to BC five years ago. After first staying at Hard Rock at US-IOA and then to AKL for a few nights, we were not impressed by the "theme" at BC.

We requested a water view room and had a view of a large tree in front of our balcony! SAB is over-rated (IMHO)...it was very crowded and my kids (9 and 14 at the time of our visit) preferred to swim at the quiet pool!

We also had many issues with the lack of "Mousekeeping"...and the room was in desperate need of a good cleaning/refurbishment. The bedding was old and stained. The carpets and furniture were damaged as well...

The one plus was the location near EPCOT, MGM and the Boardwalk area.

I have never felt the need to repeat a visit there--unlike AKL or POFQ--I would go back to either of those resorts in a heartbeat!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Sorry about your issues at the BC. I would have been ticked about the overflowing commode also.

That being said: We've stayed at the BCV twice, as recently as 3 weeks ago and love the place. We stay there for the location to the parks and the BW. My kids love the entertainers on the BW at night and we love that we can walk to Epcot and sorry but to us a 20 minute walk to MGM is not far.

The kids love SAB and can't wait to go there at least 1-2 whole days every trip.

 

[Mississippian]

I too was there last week (well..YC)..there were several things amiss..but we too had trouble with housekeeping..when we tried to use the daybed at 10pm there were no sheets..had to call housekeeping twice to get the sheets and then we request turn down service and only got it the last 2 nights...that is something that has never happened before..

This didn't ruin my trip..and management seemed genuinely concerned when I spoke to them...

I had the exact same sheet problem on my recent BC visit. I called at about 9 p.m. and was assured the sheets would be right up. At 10 p.m. I called again and said that I would just come pick the sheets up, where did I need to go? I was assured that the sheets would be dispatched immediately, and they were, in about two minutes.

The next afternoon at about 3 p.m. there was a knock on the door. It was a fellow holding another set of sheets. I took them and thanked him.

 

[MassMom94]

I wonder if part of the problem is that I grew up going to the beach on the East Coast, lived in New England for several years, and so the theming just didn't seem "exotic" to me. Maybe if I were from say, TX, it would have seemed more exciting??
.

I hear you. I live in an NE seacoast town and we have four real yacht clubs in my town, and a beach club in the town down the road ....not that we belong to any! I remember my kids whining when I took them to Old Williamsburg, too - "this looks just like home, can we go now?" They'd seen tons of old houses and people in costumes doing reenactments, so in their minds, this was just more of the same. I do think they would enjoy SAB (if it weren't wall-to-wall people), but it's just not that far removed from their everyday life.

I do have to say that your problems with the BC went way beyond your not finding the theming exotic, though...nobody should have to put up with what you did.