Loved Beach Club except for one thing

[disneyvoice]

We just got back from our 6/27-7/2 Beach Club trip. We LOVED the BC!! We got exactly what we requested and had a really nice room on the 4th floor with a full balcony that had a GORGEOUS tree with beautiful pink flowers spanning the whole balcony. We could see Spaceship Earth through the tree and we were so close to the fireworks it looked like they were going off right next to our room and we could hear the music loud and clear. We could also hear the band in England very clearly. We sat out on our balcony and had champagne several nights.

Beach Club is a gorgeous resort (and yes, it smells amazing). The proximity to Epcot can't be beat and it was nice to be able to just walk over to the Boardwalk. If you like to walk or run, the BC is the perfect place to stay. We got up really early and walked all along the Boardwalk and down to HS - we only passed an occasional runner and the WDW maintenance folks and landscape crews.

The only thing we thought was somewhat of a bummer was the QS food at the resort. Obviously they don't need to invest in a large area for QS because of how close you are to all the Epcot and Boardwalk options. This was a combined house-hunting trip and vacation. During the days we focused on house hunting and then planned to go to the parks in the evenings. Luckily we found a house on our first day (YAY!!) but the daily storms lasted much longer and were much heavier than usual (we lived in Tampa for a year so are used to the daily rain). We ended up opting not to go to the parks and to our scheduled park ADRs when it was forecasted to pour all night. We were able to get a last minute ADR at both Cape May and Beaches & Cream which were excellent. However, some nights when we just wanted to grab something quick we were very limited in our options. I didn't realize the QS location is actually located INSIDE the resort gift shop and is literally the size of my kitchen. They have an extremely limited menu. What we got there was good and we enjoyed it but I have to say that more than a few times we talked about how "nice" the many options at the food courts at the All Stars are. It wouldn't be a problem when there wasn't a torrential rain - you could just pop over to Epcot. It wouldn't make us think twice about staying at BC again though - we are actually heading back in October for F&W and are so excited about the proximity to Epcot.

 

[Farro]

We've stayed there a few times. Like you said, the proximity to other food destinations balanced it out (for us).

I do have to say that while we decided on Polynesian for this next trip, we almost want to make a stop at BC for the ham and gruyere sandwich!!! Soooooooooo good. We had it in 2014 and still talk about it!

 

[mickeynut1]

We just got back from our 6/27-7/2 Beach Club trip. We LOVED the BC!! We got exactly what we requested and had a really nice room on the 4th floor with a full balcony that had a GORGEOUS tree with beautiful pink flowers spanning the whole balcony. We could see Spaceship Earth through the tree and we were so close to the fireworks it looked like they were going off right next to our room and we could hear the music loud and clear. We could also hear the band in England very clearly. We sat out on our balcony and had champagne several nights.

Beach Club is a gorgeous resort (and yes, it smells amazing). The proximity to Epcot can't be beat and it was nice to be able to just walk over to the Boardwalk. If you like to walk or run, the BC is the perfect place to stay. We got up really early and walked all along the Boardwalk and down to HS - we only passed an occasional runner and the WDW maintenance folks and landscape crews.

The only thing we thought was somewhat of a bummer was the QS food at the resort. Obviously they don't need to invest in a large area for QS because of how close you are to all the Epcot and Boardwalk options. This was a combined house-hunting trip and vacation. During the days we focused on house hunting and then planned to go to the parks in the evenings. Luckily we found a house on our first day (YAY!!) but the daily storms lasted much longer and were much heavier than usual (we lived in Tampa for a year so are used to the daily rain). We ended up opting not to go to the parks and to our scheduled park ADRs when it was forecasted to pour all night. We were able to get a last minute ADR at both Cape May and Beaches & Cream which were excellent. However, some nights when we just wanted to grab something quick we were very limited in our options. I didn't realize the QS location is actually located INSIDE the resort gift shop and is literally the size of my kitchen. They have an extremely limited menu. What we got there was good and we enjoyed it but I have to say that more than a few times we talked about how "nice" the many options at the food courts at the All Stars are. It wouldn't be a problem when there wasn't a torrential rain - you could just pop over to Epcot. It wouldn't make us think twice about staying at BC again though - we are actually heading back in October for F&W and are so excited about the proximity to Epcot.

Glad you had a nice time and enjoyed the BC. I understand about the limited CS options. We've stayed at the BC once and while it is a beautiful resort, the CS options (or rather lack of) is a deal breaker for us. But I do agree that the BC is in a great location for Epcot as you can't beat being within a 5 minute walk .

 

[loves to dive]

Glad you enjoyed it, YC/BC is my favorite resort in all of WDW and we always stay at one of the Epcot resorts even if we can't get those two. As far as QS, I must be the odd man out because I'm not a fan. The food courts at the values and moderates tend to be too loud and crowded for me, the only time we even use them if we are staying in one is for breakfast, otherwise there are just so many other options at the parks we prefer to eat there. As far as rainy days, the deluxe resorts do offer room service, which I totally take advantage of. I was at CSR last year and a horrible downpour happened my first night around supper time. I had planned on just going to the food court instead of eating in the park because I had a late lunch. Well, wouldn't you know when I went to put on my rain jacket it had a huge hole right under the arm and up the back, I didn't have a duct tape with me or even a sewing kit (which I could have used in a pinch even though it was plastic). I had two umbrellas and 3 ponchos with me but they were in the car, which I just didn't feel like running through the storm to get to. That night I had left over travel food for supper, which was water, popcorn and trail mix. Just goes to show, even with a huge QS location, there were no advantages over not having much of one.

 

[disneyvoice]

I agree with you @loves to dive - we aren't big fans of QS either, we usually do TS (we do sometimes get something from QS places as a snack to share or if we decide to graze throughout the day instead of doing TS meals). We typically only utilize the food courts and QS at a resort if we have a change of plans and decide to head back to the resort earlier than planned. We did actually talk about room service but we didn't have any kind of information in our room, menu, etc. (in fact now that I think about it we didn't have the little folder of WDW info with the parks guides, resort information, etc. that we usually have in our rooms either). I could have looked up a menu online but wasn't sure that would be the most up to date info. We did find some good options at the QS place though - my hubby got a flatbread pizza one night and I got a Caesar salad, another night we shared hummus and veggies and a cheese/grapes plate.

 

[wdw4rfam]

We just got back from our 6/27-7/2 Beach Club trip. We LOVED the BC!! We got exactly what we requested and had a really nice room on the 4th floor with a full balcony that had a GORGEOUS tree with beautiful pink flowers spanning the whole balcony. We could see Spaceship Earth through the tree and we were so close to the fireworks it looked like they were going off right next to our room and we could hear the music loud and clear. We could also hear the band in England very clearly. We sat out on our balcony and had champagne several nights.

Beach Club is a gorgeous resort (and yes, it smells amazing). The proximity to Epcot can't be beat and it was nice to be able to just walk over to the Boardwalk. If you like to walk or run, the BC is the perfect place to stay. We got up really early and walked all along the Boardwalk and down to HS - we only passed an occasional runner and the WDW maintenance folks and landscape crews.

The only thing we thought was somewhat of a bummer was the QS food at the resort. Obviously they don't need to invest in a large area for QS because of how close you are to all the Epcot and Boardwalk options. This was a combined house-hunting trip and vacation. During the days we focused on house hunting and then planned to go to the parks in the evenings. Luckily we found a house on our first day (YAY!!) but the daily storms lasted much longer and were much heavier than usual (we lived in Tampa for a year so are used to the daily rain). We ended up opting not to go to the parks and to our scheduled park ADRs when it was forecasted to pour all night. We were able to get a last minute ADR at both Cape May and Beaches & Cream which were excellent. However, some nights when we just wanted to grab something quick we were very limited in our options. I didn't realize the QS location is actually located INSIDE the resort gift shop and is literally the size of my kitchen. They have an extremely limited menu. What we got there was good and we enjoyed it but I have to say that more than a few times we talked about how "nice" the many options at the food courts at the All Stars are. It wouldn't be a problem when there wasn't a torrential rain - you could just pop over to Epcot. It wouldn't make us think twice about staying at BC again though - we are actually heading back in October for F&W and are so excited about the proximity to Epcot.

This is the one reason I haven't booked here or OKW yet. Not looking for a food court, just maybe something comparable to the others.

 

[gillep]

I am another that prefers that the Y&BC doesn't have a large QS area, I prefer the options at the small QS that it does have to pretty much anything at the Value QS restaurants. If I want something more substantial than the marketplace offerings in the evenings I would just head to the Crew's Cup Lounge.

 

[karly05]

@disneyvoice that was my only negative with BC, too. I mostly use resort QS for breakfast and I want bacon and eggs and Mickey waffles and such. The BC QS in 2012 when I was there was even more limited than now and I went to Captain's Grille at YC 3 times on that trip for a "proper" breakfast. The food court breakfast options at POFQ were a big plus when I started staying there. Same for POP/AOA.

 

[Tulles]

This was our biggest issue when we stayed at the BC too. We were only there for 1 night since we extended our vacay last minute and got an amazing deal. Since we were early our park tickets/dining plan weren't beginning until the day after we checked out. Our only option for breakfast the next morning was the QS. We were all disappointed.

 

[wilkeliza]

We always just did the pool bar which has normal quick service food or beaches and cream to go. Even when raining you can get to the to go window dry.

 

[SpaceMtnGirl]

This was our only drawback to BC, too.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have to say that more than a few times we talked about how "nice" the many options at the food courts at the All Stars are.

See, especially since it sounds like you had a car, I'd have just headed over there!

We constantly go to different value food courts or to Riverside etc. or our fave, Sweet Tomatoes near Disney springs.

 

[Ninja Mom]

They just opened up a quick service location in the Yacht Club, which is a short walk away since the two hotels are connected. Josh from Easy WDW reviewed the new offerings on his blog. Here is the link to that review:
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/review-the-market-at-ale-compass-at-disneys-yacht-club/

Quick service meals at Disney Resorts are pretty much limited in what they offer no matter where the resort is. We get used to the food court option like the ones we find at Pop Century and then we feel limited by a Quick Service offering at a deluxe.

It's too bad that the Captain's Grill restaurant is closed for renovations because that was a real hidden gem of a restaurant. The structure of a Disney deluxe resort is one in which restaurants are offered as dining choices. The food court is skipped and then you have quick serve options.

So there are dining choices at the Yacht and Beach Clubs (remember the 2 resorts are connected) :

Beach Club Marketplace,
Beaches and Cream Soda Shop, = Also has a take out window for Ice Cream!
Cape May Cafe,
Hurricane Hanna's Waterside Bar and Grill,
Martha's Vineyard,
[URL='http://allears.net/dining/location/ale-and-compass-lounge']Ale and Compass Lounge,
Captain's Grille (closed for renovations),
Crew's Cup Lounge,
The Market at Ale and Compass,
Yacht and Beach Club In-Room Dining,
Yachtsman Steakhouse,[/URL]
[URL='http://allears.net/dining/location/yachtsman-steakhouse'][/URL]
Personally speaking I have enjoyed dining at everyone of these except for the newly opened The Market at Ale and Compass.

Hopefully the next time you stay at this resort you will also get to enjoy the offerings at these dining places at the resort.

~NM

 

[glocon]

We've stayed there a few times. Like you said, the proximity to other food destinations balanced it out (for us).

I do have to say that while we decided on Polynesian for this next trip, we almost want to make a stop at BC for the ham and gruyere sandwich!!! Soooooooooo good. We had it in 2014 and still talk about it!

They have that sandwich at BOG....
I agree-yum!

 

[Hopefully]

They just opened up a quick service location in the Yacht Club, which is a short walk away since the two hotels are connected. Josh from Easy WDW reviewed the new offerings on his blog. Here is the link to that review:
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/review-the-market-at-ale-compass-at-disneys-yacht-club/

Quick service meals at Disney Resorts are pretty much limited in what they offer no matter where the resort is. We get used to the food court option like the ones we find at Pop Century and then we feel limited by a Quick Service offering at a deluxe.

It's too bad that the Captain's Grill restaurant is closed for renovations because that was a real hidden gem of a restaurant. The structure of a Disney deluxe resort is one in which restaurants are offered as dining choices. The food court is skipped and then you have quick serve options.

So there are dining choices at the Yacht and Beach Clubs (remember the 2 resorts are connected) :

Beach Club Marketplace,
Beaches and Cream Soda Shop, = Also has a take out window for Ice Cream!
Cape May Cafe,
Hurricane Hanna's Waterside Bar and Grill,
Martha's Vineyard,
Ale and Compass Lounge,
Captain's Grille (closed for renovations),
Crew's Cup Lounge,
The Market at Ale and Compass,
Yacht and Beach Club In-Room Dining,
Yachtsman Steakhouse,
Personally speaking I have enjoyed dining at everyone of these except for the newly opened The Market at Ale and Compass.

Hopefully the next time you stay at this resort you will also get to enjoy the offerings at these dining places at the resort.

~NM

To clarify and avoid confusion:
Captain's Grille is not closed, it is temporarily relocated to the former Ariel's in the Beach Club while it is being refurbished.

 

[Disneylover99]

They just opened up a quick service location in the Yacht Club, which is a short walk away since the two hotels are connected. Josh from Easy WDW reviewed the new offerings on his blog. Here is the link to that review:
http://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/review-the-market-at-ale-compass-at-disneys-yacht-club/
~NM

I'm excited about this! It may bring me back to the YC/BC one day.

 

[Aurora0427]

I agree with everything you said about the BC! We loved staying there on children free trips- I think we ate at Epcot every night, and even when we didn't have an ADR, we'd go eat at quick service in World Showcase. But now we have two kids- a 6 year old and a 17 month old. So we really need a great quick service option. The 6 year old is finally at an age where she can hang and deal with pretty much anything, but not the one year old! We are staying at the Polynesian in August because of the great onsite dining options, but we can't wait to go back to the BC!

Sounds like you had a great trip and an awesome room!!!! Yay!

 

[klacey1]

OP, the lack of a true quick service is the only thing worrying me about staying at BC in two weeks. It seems every one of my trips, I make an unplanned visit to my resort's food court and I wish the BC had an option like Gasparilla or Captain Cook's.
If popping into Epcot isn't convenient for a quick meal, I plan on checking out Picabu at the Dolphin. I figure the 10 minute walk over there is about the same as the one I had when I stayed at an outer building at POR!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

OP, the lack of a true quick service is the only thing worrying me about staying at BC in two weeks. It seems every one of my trips, I make an unplanned visit to my resort's food court and I wish the BC had an option like Gasparilla or Captain Cook's.
If popping into Epcot isn't convenient for a quick meal, I plan on checking out Picabu at the Dolphin. I figure the 10 minute walk over there is about the same as the one I had when I stayed at an outer building at POR!

So to be clear, the BC does have a QS restaurant, Beach Club Marketplace. We typically stay at Yacht Club (which previously didn't have any QS option) and would sometimes walk over to Marketplace for food or grab something on our way back from the parks. Our daughter likes the salads and I thought the flatbread was decent. Of course, the options are somewhat limited. You've also got the pool restaurant which is QS. And both Yacht Club and Beach Club bars have good food.

 

[klacey1]

So to be clear, the BC does have a QS restaurant, Beach Club Marketplace. We typically stay at Yacht Club (which previously didn't have any QS option) and would sometimes walk over to Marketplace for food or grab something on our way back from the parks. Our daughter likes the salads and I thought the flatbread was decent. Of course, the options are somewhat limited. You've also got the pool restaurant which is QS. And both Yacht Club and Beach Club bars have good food.

Oh yes, I know! When I said they don't have a "true quick service" I just meant their option is extremely limited in terms of choices and in a gift shop rather than a dining setting. I think the Poly strikes the perfect balance of having an excellent main quick service with lots of options, table service restaurants, lounges that serve food, and a great pool bar that serves food.