Elleshoodat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2010
Hello, friends! I’m in that 100-days-out lull where I’ve made ADRs but can’t make FastPass+ reservations yet, so I’m just soaking up as much info as I can and reviewing (ok, revising) our plans.
We took our mini vacation to the Beach Club a few weeks ago, so here's a mini trip report for you! I didn’t take too many pictures the first day, but things get a bit more visual on Day Two and Day Three.
Day One: Friday, May 22
I’d been at a conference in Howey-in-the-Hills (pretty much in the dead center of Florida) for a few days and caught a ride to Disney World with a coworker who was also meeting his family there. We left the conference around 11:45 a.m., and 45 minutes later he was dropping me off at Beach Club. Not too shabby.
Nick and the kids had left home after an early lunch and were still an hour or so away, so I went to the check-in desk to let them know I’d arrived early and to request a microwave so we could warm up Matthew’s bottles. (I will be SO glad when he’s no longer taking bottles, but at the same time he’s probably my last baby and I don’t want to rush him out of this stage.)
Our room was ready, so I headed up to drop off my things and freshen up. We were in room 4716 on the fourth floor, so when I got off the elevator I read the signs and started walking … and kept walking … and walking … and walking. Our room was at the far, far, far end of the hall.
Now, when I’d completed online check-in a few weeks before the trip, I’d requested Upper Floor knowing those were the rooms that had already been refurbished, but next time I am definitely choosing Close to Elevator. The hallways in some of the deluxe resorts go on forever!
Anyway, I admired the newly redone room and took a couple of pictures before the “kid bomb” could explode in it. It has been years -- years -- since I'd stayed at the Beach Club, and I thought the rooms were beautifully done. I love the crisp white against the blues and beige, and the marble and tile work in the bathroom is just my style.
I don't know how, but I forgot to take pictures of the bathroom!
We had a Juliet instead of a full balcony, and this was our standard view:
I headed downstairs to explore after taking a few snapshots. I walked around the Marketplace to check out the Beach Club merchandise. There was a magnet, a keychain and some T-shirts, including a cute women’s V-neck I thought about buying but didn’t.
I totally regretted that decision once I got home, by the way. Am I the only one who does that? I’ll admire something I see in a gift shop and tell myself “you don’t really want that,” but then I leave WDW and realize I really did want it. It’s like the opposite of buyer’s remorse – which I also get, because I do my fair share of buying.
After not buying the cute shirt, I walked outside, took a selfie with the resort in the background and headed toward the Yacht Club.
I got my bearings – I saw where Stormalong Bay was and where the slides were located, since we’d be spending most of our time at the pool – and then I found Hurricane Hanna’s. I wasn’t hungry, but I was definitely “thirsty” and thought I should get a couple of cocktails in before Mommy Duty resumed. (I’d been at the conference since Wednesday, so I had two days of freedom – and two days of missing my boys.)
I ordered my go-to drink while poolside at WDW, the Pina CoLAVA – a pina colada with raspberry puree – and played on my phone for a while, eventually making small talk with the guy sitting next to me. His fiancé was attending a conference on property, and they got such a great deal that he tagged along. Can’t beat that!
Nick and the kids were getting close, so I ordered a beer, closed my tab and said goodbye, then I met my family under the porte-cochere. I was soooo happy to see my boys, and they were thrilled to see Mommy. I immediately handed the beer to Nick – he looked like he needed it – and scooped them up for big hugs.
We had Bell Services bring up the luggage, and we followed. After the boys thoroughly investigated every part of the room, including our Juliet balcony with the stellar view (haha), we changed into our swimsuits and went down to Stormalong Bay. We did some exploring – it’s more spread out than I remembered – and settled into the little pool near the slides. Andrew went down the kiddie slide a few times, but the line for the big slide was pretty long so Nick and I opted to wait and slide in the morning.
After a few hours of “pool-hopping,” we headed upstairs to dry off and change for dinner. Matthew was starting to get cranky, but we figured (hoped, actually) that he’d be ok for a sit-down meal at ESPN Club. We walked over to the Boardwalk and gave our name at the restaurant, which is one of our traditions because A.) it’s loud and we have young kids, B.) we like sports, and C.) we like to eat junk food on vacation.
There was no wait, and we were quickly shown to a table. We strapped Matthew into a high chair and took turns coloring with him so we could look at the menus and figure out what Andrew wanted for dinner and what Nick and I wanted. We placed Andrew’s order and ordered drinks – juice for Andrew, water for me and a beer for Nick (I just looked at our receipt and noticed I didn’t get one, which is surprising).
Matty was getting antsy, so Nick told me what he wanted to eat and took him into the attached shop so he could “explore.” Soon Andrew’s food came out, and ours wasn’t far behind. Luckily Matthew cooperated during the meal – I think his crankiness was partly due to hunger.
And, you know, the fact that he was completely out of his element and off his normal routine. Sigh. I know that’s common in young kids, but it’s so much easier when they get a little older and more adaptable!
Anyway, Andrew had chicken tenders with fruit, Nick had a burger with cucumber salad, and I had a Caesar salad, which was huge but kind of hard to eat. The romaine leaves were whole, and I had to saw through them and my chicken before I could eat. Our server brought out Andrew’s cupcake while Nick and I were finishing up, and Matthew was getting cranky again so we asked for our check. We got our check quickly, but then it took forever for her to come back and scan my MagicBand.
Finally we left ESPN Club. There was a show going on nearby (the juggler/magician/comedian), so we wandered over, letting Matthew walk to burn off some energy. That made him so happy! I swear, the kid just doesn’t like to sit still -- not even for a family selfie.
Take one... (The boys were looking at the turtles and fish in the water.)
Let's try this again, shall we?
Better! Except for the fact that we only got 3/4 of Nick's face in that one.
We spent some more time watching the turtles and fish, and we watched the rest of the show. Both boys love watching this guy (is there more than one? I feel like we always see the same performer), and we all got a kick out of him “teasing” little kids. The cutest thing was seeing Matthew “applaud” at the end … but of course I’m biased.
We strolled back to Beach Club and spent some time on the beach, letting the kids play in the sand while we took turns chasing them and relaxing on one of the swings.
Before heading up to our room, we popped into the Marketplace. I was looking for a gentle sunscreen for the kids’ faces since we’d forgotten ours at home, and of course Andrew wanted a toy. We let him look since he’d been a good boy and helped Nick with Matthew while I was traveling for work, and he picked out a tube of sea creatures. We told him he could get it if it was under $10, and it rang up for $9.95. Lucky kid.
Then it was upstairs and to our room for our three B’s: baths, books and bed.
We took our mini vacation to the Beach Club a few weeks ago, so here's a mini trip report for you! I didn’t take too many pictures the first day, but things get a bit more visual on Day Two and Day Three.
Day One: Friday, May 22
I’d been at a conference in Howey-in-the-Hills (pretty much in the dead center of Florida) for a few days and caught a ride to Disney World with a coworker who was also meeting his family there. We left the conference around 11:45 a.m., and 45 minutes later he was dropping me off at Beach Club. Not too shabby.
Nick and the kids had left home after an early lunch and were still an hour or so away, so I went to the check-in desk to let them know I’d arrived early and to request a microwave so we could warm up Matthew’s bottles. (I will be SO glad when he’s no longer taking bottles, but at the same time he’s probably my last baby and I don’t want to rush him out of this stage.)
Our room was ready, so I headed up to drop off my things and freshen up. We were in room 4716 on the fourth floor, so when I got off the elevator I read the signs and started walking … and kept walking … and walking … and walking. Our room was at the far, far, far end of the hall.
Now, when I’d completed online check-in a few weeks before the trip, I’d requested Upper Floor knowing those were the rooms that had already been refurbished, but next time I am definitely choosing Close to Elevator. The hallways in some of the deluxe resorts go on forever!
Anyway, I admired the newly redone room and took a couple of pictures before the “kid bomb” could explode in it. It has been years -- years -- since I'd stayed at the Beach Club, and I thought the rooms were beautifully done. I love the crisp white against the blues and beige, and the marble and tile work in the bathroom is just my style.
I don't know how, but I forgot to take pictures of the bathroom!
We had a Juliet instead of a full balcony, and this was our standard view:
I headed downstairs to explore after taking a few snapshots. I walked around the Marketplace to check out the Beach Club merchandise. There was a magnet, a keychain and some T-shirts, including a cute women’s V-neck I thought about buying but didn’t.
I totally regretted that decision once I got home, by the way. Am I the only one who does that? I’ll admire something I see in a gift shop and tell myself “you don’t really want that,” but then I leave WDW and realize I really did want it. It’s like the opposite of buyer’s remorse – which I also get, because I do my fair share of buying.
After not buying the cute shirt, I walked outside, took a selfie with the resort in the background and headed toward the Yacht Club.
I got my bearings – I saw where Stormalong Bay was and where the slides were located, since we’d be spending most of our time at the pool – and then I found Hurricane Hanna’s. I wasn’t hungry, but I was definitely “thirsty” and thought I should get a couple of cocktails in before Mommy Duty resumed. (I’d been at the conference since Wednesday, so I had two days of freedom – and two days of missing my boys.)
I ordered my go-to drink while poolside at WDW, the Pina CoLAVA – a pina colada with raspberry puree – and played on my phone for a while, eventually making small talk with the guy sitting next to me. His fiancé was attending a conference on property, and they got such a great deal that he tagged along. Can’t beat that!
Nick and the kids were getting close, so I ordered a beer, closed my tab and said goodbye, then I met my family under the porte-cochere. I was soooo happy to see my boys, and they were thrilled to see Mommy. I immediately handed the beer to Nick – he looked like he needed it – and scooped them up for big hugs.
We had Bell Services bring up the luggage, and we followed. After the boys thoroughly investigated every part of the room, including our Juliet balcony with the stellar view (haha), we changed into our swimsuits and went down to Stormalong Bay. We did some exploring – it’s more spread out than I remembered – and settled into the little pool near the slides. Andrew went down the kiddie slide a few times, but the line for the big slide was pretty long so Nick and I opted to wait and slide in the morning.
After a few hours of “pool-hopping,” we headed upstairs to dry off and change for dinner. Matthew was starting to get cranky, but we figured (hoped, actually) that he’d be ok for a sit-down meal at ESPN Club. We walked over to the Boardwalk and gave our name at the restaurant, which is one of our traditions because A.) it’s loud and we have young kids, B.) we like sports, and C.) we like to eat junk food on vacation.
There was no wait, and we were quickly shown to a table. We strapped Matthew into a high chair and took turns coloring with him so we could look at the menus and figure out what Andrew wanted for dinner and what Nick and I wanted. We placed Andrew’s order and ordered drinks – juice for Andrew, water for me and a beer for Nick (I just looked at our receipt and noticed I didn’t get one, which is surprising).
Matty was getting antsy, so Nick told me what he wanted to eat and took him into the attached shop so he could “explore.” Soon Andrew’s food came out, and ours wasn’t far behind. Luckily Matthew cooperated during the meal – I think his crankiness was partly due to hunger.
And, you know, the fact that he was completely out of his element and off his normal routine. Sigh. I know that’s common in young kids, but it’s so much easier when they get a little older and more adaptable!
Anyway, Andrew had chicken tenders with fruit, Nick had a burger with cucumber salad, and I had a Caesar salad, which was huge but kind of hard to eat. The romaine leaves were whole, and I had to saw through them and my chicken before I could eat. Our server brought out Andrew’s cupcake while Nick and I were finishing up, and Matthew was getting cranky again so we asked for our check. We got our check quickly, but then it took forever for her to come back and scan my MagicBand.
Finally we left ESPN Club. There was a show going on nearby (the juggler/magician/comedian), so we wandered over, letting Matthew walk to burn off some energy. That made him so happy! I swear, the kid just doesn’t like to sit still -- not even for a family selfie.
Take one... (The boys were looking at the turtles and fish in the water.)
Let's try this again, shall we?
Better! Except for the fact that we only got 3/4 of Nick's face in that one.
We spent some more time watching the turtles and fish, and we watched the rest of the show. Both boys love watching this guy (is there more than one? I feel like we always see the same performer), and we all got a kick out of him “teasing” little kids. The cutest thing was seeing Matthew “applaud” at the end … but of course I’m biased.
We strolled back to Beach Club and spent some time on the beach, letting the kids play in the sand while we took turns chasing them and relaxing on one of the swings.
Before heading up to our room, we popped into the Marketplace. I was looking for a gentle sunscreen for the kids’ faces since we’d forgotten ours at home, and of course Andrew wanted a toy. We let him look since he’d been a good boy and helped Nick with Matthew while I was traveling for work, and he picked out a tube of sea creatures. We told him he could get it if it was under $10, and it rang up for $9.95. Lucky kid.
Then it was upstairs and to our room for our three B’s: baths, books and bed.
!!!
