Need more advice! BC vs. ??

[sandym718]

Hi all! I posted a few weeks ago about planning a WDW/Cruise trip in 2007. I got great responses, thanks for the help! Upon further research, though, I think that would make us have to go more "budget" then we'd like at Disney. Plus that's a lot all at once for the kiddos!

So, now our new plan is a 7 night, 7 day trip (just Disney, no cruise) - looking at arriving April 27th, 2007, departing early am May 4th. Our son will be 4 (almost 5), and our daughter will be just barely 3 (we may fudge on that, I know, I know - no flames please). We're going to get the dining plan too, which I'm very excited about! DH is a BIG eater - he can eat a 5 course meal and still be eating off our plates. Appetizers and desserts at lunch and dinner will be heaven to him. I'm a filet lover, too, but don't order it often due to $, so I think we'll come out way ahead! (Breakfast in the room, BTW).

Anyways, I'm really looking at the Beach Club. Mostly cause of that awesome pool! We're big pool people, the kids would just love the sand, and with 7 days, I think we'll definitely just want some pool time. The location seems good, but I'm wondering if we should consider a MK resort? I know we'll spend the most "park time" at MK, but I love Epcot and think we'll be eating dinner there a few nights. Should we think about WL? How long is the walk from BC, through Epcot to the monorail to get to MK? Any other suggestions? And, is Stormalong Bay really great - it looks to be! I'm not really concerned about view too much at BC (though a parking lot would probably not be great), but we do want a full balcony,not one of those funny things. We'd like to sit out there after putting the kids to bed at night or naptime. How hard is it to get one?

I just watched the Travel Channel show on BC/YC - looks like it will be a good fit for us, I also like that the Boardwalk is close. We did a family bike in Virginia Beach this year and the kids loved it. Just want to know if there's anything else I should be considering??

Thanks for any help!

Sandy

 

[Ilovestitch]

Beach Club sounds like a good fit for you. I've never stayed there but I would love to someday- its a beautiful resort and you HAVE to eat at Beaches n Cream (right near the pool area). It is a LONG walk through from BC through Epcot to the monorail, it would be quicker taking a bus- although I think the BC shares w/YC, BWI, Swan and Dolphin. That's one reason I haven't stayed at the BC- I'm spoiled by the transportation of other resorts like Poly and AKL(no shared busses).

Another resort to consider if you are thinking you'll spend a lot of time at the MK is the Polynesian resort. Most of the rooms have just been refurbished and I LOVE their volcano pool. The slide is awesome. You can sit in the pool and have a direct view of the castle- you can even watch Wishes at night.

Polynesian also has awesome transportation options- monorail, boat to MK and walking distance to the TTC.

Beach Club is a great choice, too, though. You'll have an awesome time no matter what you pick!

-Steph

 

[Hopefully]

We love the Beach Club area. I agree with the previous poster that it is a rather long walk through Epcot to the monorail. The bus is a good choice. In October many times we only shared a bus with the YC, but there were times when we also shared with the Swan and Dolphin. I didn't find it to be a problem.
The pool at SAB is awesome, the best pool on property bar none. It would be perfect for children of your ages. It is a sand bottem pool, and there is a large sand area at the "kiddie pool" for digging in the sand and playing.
We love the location of the BC. We enjoy walking through the International Gateway to Epcot, and we too find ourselves eating in WS on many nights. It is also close to MGM, either a medium stroll, or a boat ride away. The Boardwalk area is also a fun area to be in.
You are right, however, that you probably will be spending a lot of time in the MK. Proximity to the MK from the Poly would be very convenient. I have never stayed at the Poly (but I will be for the 1st time in April with my Grandkids!!) and it has a truly devoted following. It has easy monorail access to the MK, as well as the other monorail resorts for dining (and a drink in the evening!). You can also walk to the TTC and hop the monorail to Epcot.
As is so often the case at Disney, there are many, many good choices.
Good Luck with your decision.

 

[Tinkbellfan]

Sandy - I think you are on the right track with either BC or Poly. I like to be at BC for the evening (as you stated) to have dinner in WS. With little ones it's nice to walk back after dinner without having to fold up the strollers to get on a bus. Our touring plan usually has us do MK in the morning and then back to hotel for a nap/swim, then dinner out. One night you should try to go to MK for the parade or Wishes!

For the standard room , you can request a full balcony with a woods view (other options are parking lot or roof top!). The rooms have a small refridge and the Market Place is great for picking up food staples.

SAB - really great pool!

Would you consider a split stay between BC and Poly?

 

[MICKEEP]

We have stayed at both BC & WL and between the two of those I think you would be happier at BC.

But if you can swing the extra dollars for the POLY, then definitely go with that.

 

[sandym718]

Oh boy, never even CONSIDERED the Poly! For some reason, I had it in my head as Way too expensive. But looking at my AAA book (2005 rates), it would only be $67 more per adult for the entire trip than BC. So, only $134 more - not bad at all. Oh, decisions, decisions!!

So, I guess WL is ruled out - if I want convenience to MK, the Poly with the monorail is definitely great! And a walk to TTC - very good. I'm still so drawn to BC, though, with that great pool and sand. Hmmm... gonna have to look some more at Poly reviews/pics, since I haven't really much. Think I should also start thinking of a general (very general - it's still over a year away!) touring plan - having some idea of where we're going to spend our days/evenings might really help in the choice!

Thanks for the help! Any other opinions? Anyone been to both BC and Poly? With young kids?

Sandy

 

[jackmac]

One other option would be to rent points from a DVC member at the Beach Club. As of April DVC is now eligible for the dining plan. You would end up saving almost half of the cost of a room at the BC by renting the points. Rental is anywhere from $10 to $12 per point.

 

[Sammie]

You know, I noticed you are relatively new to the DIS; welcome and a friendly piece of advice.

If you are going to admit you might not buy your 3 year old a ticket, but you are thinking of booking a deluxe resort, I don't think I would share that info unless you are prepared for the comments.

 

[sandym718]

Well, Sammie, I really think people should just keep those comments to themselves! I didn't ask for advice on that and you, and others, do not know our situation! Obviously, not everyone was so concerned to mention this, since I've been getting advice. I have my own conscience, thank you very much, and don't need you to be mine. Maybe you think we're rich cause we're considering Deluxe, but we're not - we took a short vacation this year, will take none next year, do Disney in 2007 and then likely nothing till 2009 - we'll be really saving to do Deluxe and the dining plan. Also, DD would be 3 only by 1 month. Why not travel just before her bday? B/c my DH snowplows and can't get off work. Spring and late summer are really the only times he's allowed to take vacation. So, our only other option would be to go when she's just barely 2, which I don't think is a good idea and also doesn't give us enough time to save. I also feel that we'll be getting a bit gipped paying for DS - he won't yet be 5 and he's VERY small for his age ( hasn't been on the growth charts since he was 6 months old), so he won't be able to ride everything other kids his age could. Maybe Disney (and other places) should go by height, not age, since they do rides that way? DD is very small, too, we'd have the same thing with her. Unfortunately, that's not the way it is done. So, we need to make the choice that is best for our family. If it were just park ticket price, sure I'd go ahead and pay. However, once we state that she's 3, we'd have to also get the dining plan for her also, which would be a TOTAL waste of money - both my kids eat like birds. So, we'll do what's right for us, you do what's right for you and lets leave each other alone!! Thanks

 

[sandym718]

Back to the ORIGINAL topic - thanks, Jackmac, I need to look into BCV also! A suite would be GREAT - especially for naps and bedtime! Can you give me any more info on how the renting points thing works? I'm a little confused by it all.

Thank you, I appreciate the help!

Sandy

 

[srfrgrl07]

Wow, you were really prepared with that defense, huh? I don't think Sammie meant to offend you, just responded to something that you pointed out yourself in your first post.

As far as the resorts are concerned, I think you should view the virtual tours online and maybe make a pro/con list with the Beach Club and Polynesian as your options. I've stayed at both, and appreciate both for different reasons. As a pool person myself (I don't spend morning til night at the parks, I live in Orlando so I'm kinda spoiled with that ) I enjoyed the Polynesian much better because it was more relaxing and not as congested as Storm Along Bay. I visited the Polynesian pool on the last Sunday in September and Storm Along Bay the following Sunday so I don't know if occupancy/attendance played a factor or not.

I don't have children, but as I'm sure most would agree the Polynesian is convenient to the Magic Kingdom. Personally, I really like the location of the Beach Club in reference to Epcot, as that is where I prefer to visit most. This probably isn't helping you decide much, as I've stated pros and cons for both resorts; that is why I recommend compiling your own list and prioritizing your preferences. All of the Disney resorts have a great deal to offer and fit anyone's desires, so good luck with your decision and try not to second guess yourself...you'll enjoy it either way!

 

[DisneyBill]

You know, I noticed you are relatively new to the DIS; welcome and a friendly piece of advice.

If you are going to admit you might not buy your 3 year old a ticket, but you are thinking of booking a deluxe resort, I don't think I would share that info unless you are prepared for the comments.

Gee, aren't you glad you pointed out the obvious. I'd say by the OP reactions, she was prepared for the comments.

 

[srfrgrl07]

Gee, aren't you glad you pointed out the obvious. I'd say by the OP reactions, she was prepared for the comments.

I agree. No offense, but when you ask for advice be prepared to hear some things you don't want to hear. Honesty is sometimes brutal.

 

[sandym718]

Well, actually I wasn't really prepared for the comments - I hoped by acknowledging that there are other opinions out there, I could avoid that. obviously not! That wasn't a "prepared defense", it was my thought rationale for making the decision in the first place. It was/is something I'm really thinking about. Just thought I'd share it since someone seemed to be having issues with my decision (and felt the need to point it out). I didn't say "well, if I get comments, this is how I will defend myself" does anyone really do that? And I can understand honesty is brutal - if someome said duh, moron, the BC stinks (which I'm sure it does NOT), why are you even considering it? I would be OK with it -b/c THAT's what I asked for advice on! Not the other topic. I'm not gonna go to someone's post with a question regarding MK, that happens to mention they have 10 kids and one on the way (never saw one of these, BTW) and say, why on earth are you having another child? ( I don't really feel this way - just trying to use an example!) or even, why are you taking a newborn to Disney? They didn't ask, and wouldn't want my opinion on that subject! They're asking about MK!

Anyways, hopefully we can get back on subject here, sorry for my long-windedness. Srfrgirl07 - thanks for the advice on choosing. I'm gonna sit down this weekend and make up a possible "trip plan" then rate the pros and cons for each resort based on that (and our other wants/needs). You're so right about not second-guessing myself - that's something I so would do, so I need to just make a decision and be satisfied with it! I mean, they're both Disney resorts right??!!!

Anymore information on BCV and how renting points works? I'm gonna research this more this afternoon!

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[DisneyKidds]

Beach Club would be a great choice for you. So would WL. Poly is a good choice as well. Tough decisions.

What would I do? Well, what we just did, and always seem to do now. We split our stay between the BC and the WL. We just got back from our 8 night trip last weekend.....5 nights BC, 3 nights WL. It's like two vacations in one. We did most of our Epcot/MGM stuff while at the BC, and saved most of our MK stuff for the WL days. It worked out great.

The pool at the BC is wonderful for kids your ages. Ours are 7, 4, and 2 and they LOVE the pool there. Some of our kids favorite rides are in Epcot, so that location is great. The convenience is wonderful for us as well.

Of course the WL is wonderful as well. The kids love the streams, bridge, pool, guyser, boats etc. The boat transportaion to the MK is great. As an added benefit, for mom and dad the WL is perhaps the most relaxing resort on property.

We've stayed at the Poly as well, and the only reason we hadn't stayed there more is because it was usually substantially more expensive than the WL and even the BC. Only being $134 more than the BC, well, it would be hard to not consider that. The pool is zero entry and your almost 5 yo might like the slide if brave. The monorail is neat, but sometimes I think a bit overrated. When we stayed there the bellman told us that the boat launch was the quickest way to the MK......and he was right. Sometimes the monorail can take a while, even though you aren't going that far. it is fun to ride, though. The rooms are huge at the Poly, and that is nice.

But again, if it were me, I'd do 4 nights BC and 3 nights WL.......or 4 nights BC and 3 nights Poly. We would probably take WL over Poly just because Poly is likely to cost a good bit more, but isn't that much better of a resort.

For us the cost of rooms isn't a deciding factor any longer as we are DVC members and our stays are at the DVC resorts. So for us it would always be BCV and VWL. Renting points form a DVC member is a good option if you are willing to forgo some of the flexibility to cancel or change dates that you get when booking directly through Disney. If your dates are set you could save a bunch by going the DVC route.

For the stay you are looking at, BCV/VWL would require 131 points. At the going rate of $10 per point that would be $1,310. MYW tickets for 7 days with a the park hopper option would set you back $632. The dining plan would cost $609 ($37.99 per adult, $10.99 per child, assuming you only pay for three people). So you are looking at about $2,551 for a package of lodging, admission and dining. Cpmpare that ot the quotes your getting and see if it's worth looking into. Check the DVC rent/trade board for more info on renting points.

 

[Ladyhawke10]

For the stay you are looking at, BCV/VWL would require 131 points. At the going rate of $10 per point that would be $1,310. MYW tickets for 7 days with a the park hopper option would set you back $632. The dining plan would cost $609 ($37.99 per adult, $10.99 per child, assuming you only pay for three people). So you are looking at about $2,551 for a package of lodging, admission and dining. Cpmpare that ot the quotes your getting and see if it's worth looking into. Check the DVC rent/trade board for more info on renting points.

Just to add I've not been able to rent points for as low as 10$ a night--though I know that's the rate that's quoted on the boards a lot. I've found guaranteed ressies fairly late before the actual travel dates, but they've always been at 13-15$ a point, and I've found no other offers to beat that from anyone else. It's still a substantial savings over the regular deluxe prices, but I wanted to add my two cents because I've never found a bidder that offered me 10$ a night for my dates.

 

[JayCT]

We have stayed at YC and the Poly and I would definitely recommend going to the Poly with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. SAB is great but I do not think it is any better for a 4 year old than the Poly. SAB really is better when the kids are older and able to go off on their own a bit.

The entrance to slide at SAB is outside the enclosed pool area, so the kids disappear for several minutes when they go to use the slide by themselves. It can be nerve racking. The Poly slide entrance is right by the pool so you are able to keep your eye on the kids from your seat and you see them if they come back down the stairs. Plus the Poly has the monorail to MK which is a HUGE HUGE plus with young kids. You can hop the monorail or a boat back to the resort and be there in minutes. At YC/BC you take the bus and it can be a half hour or more trip. JMHO Jay

 

[DisneyKidds]

Just to add I've not been able to rent points for as low as 10$ a night--though I know that's the rate that's quoted on the boards a lot. I've found guaranteed ressies fairly late before the actual travel dates, but they've always been at 13-15$ a point, and I've found no other offers to beat that from anyone else. It's still a substantial savings over the regular deluxe prices, but I wanted to add my two cents because I've never found a bidder that offered me 10$ a night for my dates.

I suppose it does depend on what you are looking for, when you need it, and how far in advance you make the arrangements. I've both rented point from other and rented points to others at $10 per point. There are lots of post for points available at $10, and if you book well in advance it shouldn't be that hard to get.......but you never know. You can make DVC reservations up to 11 months in advance if the owner you rent points from owns at the resort you want.

 

[Ladyhawke10]

I suppose it does depend on what you are looking for, when you need it, and how far in advance you make the arrangements. I've both rented point from other and rented points to others at $10 per point. There are lots of post for points available at $10, and if you book well in advance it shouldn't be that hard to get.......but you never know. You can make DVC reservations up to 11 months in advance if the owner you rent points from owns at the resort you want.

Well, then that gives me hope that I can find that rate sometime. I'm sure it has to do with how far in advance you book and availability--I've rented points when there was no availability and taken over guaranteed ressies just a couple months or so in advance--so I didn't get that low rate--but it was still better than regular deluxe prices

 

[DisneyKidds]

Well, that's give me hope then that I can find that rate sometime. I'm sure it has to do with how far in advance you book and availability--I've rented points when there was no availability and taken over guaranteed ressies just a couple months or so in advance--so I didn't get that low rate--but it was still better than regular deluxe prices

I agree with you on this. Of course if the resort is sold out and someone has a confirmed reservation it is going to go for a premium. That is fair. Supply and demand, you know. As you said, it's still cheaper than rack rate for that time, if you could even find it.

I rented a confirmed reservation I couldn't use for Thanksgiving night this year, and I expected and received more than $10 a point. The person who rented it still got a $300 a night studio at a sold out resort for half price.