Sandcastle Club experiences?

[DISNEY FIX]

The wife is not so subtley hinting at using the Sandcastle Club service for a few hours of sanity. I would have some guilt at leaving the kids there, not to mention the extra $$$$. What experiences good and bad have you guys had?
Thanks.

 

[Dum Jox]

We have used it (and the one's at the WL and the Grand Floridian) when the wife and I want a quiet dinner. They have all been great. It has gotten to the point that our kids (now ages 8 and 7) think of it as "Disney Camp" and insist on going for at least 2 nights each trip.

I think the cost is $10 per hour per kid, but you do get a discount with your DVC card.

For all of us, it is a great experience and we'll continue to use them.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

We have used it (and the one's at the WL and the Grand Floridian) when the wife and I want a quiet dinner. They have all been great. It has gotten to the point that our kids (now ages 8 and 7) think of it as "Disney Camp" and insist on going for at least 2 nights each trip.

I think the cost is $10 per hour per kid, but you do get a discount with your DVC card.

For all of us, it is a great experience and we'll continue to use them.

Not the answer I was looking to hear.
This means that the wife might be right.
Anyone else?

 

[Juliet25]

We dropped my DD off there during our May 2007 trip and she seemed to have a good time. I think we just used 3 hours. It was expensive but a nice break.

 

[carol1231]

Our kids have stayed at the all the clubs and love each of them. I think about half way thru the trip they are usually looking for a little time away from us. Depending on where we are eating dinner is how we choose the club location. That way we are close by.

 

[kaffinito]

My youngest stayed at Sandcastle Club on our last trip and he loved it too. (Sorry - but I think your wife is right!) Without membership it cost me $11.00 an hour and the final charge was a little under $40.

They have a lot of activities including arts and crafts and quiet/movie time. They also serve dinner. My son liked the mac 'n cheese he had there better than his meal at Raglan Road. My youngest is already asking me how many times he can stay there on our next trip in August.

It's none of my business but it is really nice to get out and have some couple time together on a vacation. Wives kind of like that sort of thing.

 

[vicki_c]

Oh no - our 2 kids were there for 5 hours (!!) and I forgot about the DVC discount! I can't keep track of the DVC and AP discounts -- I keep forgetting to ask!

Hopefully I'll remember in the future -- our bill was over $100, so a discount would have been nice!

Oh and the OP -- my kids LOVE the kids' clubs. They always have a great time.

 

[cokenut33]

Your wife will probably win this one!!! Our DD8's first "Disney Kids club" experience was at the Sandcastle (when she was 5) and she liked it alot, as well as the Cub's Den at VWL. But, her all time favorite is the Neverland Club at the Poly!! It is pretty awesome. They get to enter through the window, just like in Peter Pan!!

 

[bzzelady]

Not the answer I was looking to hear.
This means that the wife might be right.
Anyone else?

The wife is right...best money that I spend when we are at Disney.
We get a romantic night out...DD9 gets a break and gets to be a kid, doing some of the things she misses from playtime at home.
We love the Sandcastle Club at the Beach Club and the Cub's Den over at the Wilderness Lodge...she felt that Neverland Club was a bit too young for her and we have never done Simba's Club over at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

Ladies, you might be right, but your not helping..............








Just kidding.
Thanks

 

[culli]

I want to use this service but with 3 kids I just can't see paying $30 an hour that would ruin the magic for me. I have no doubt the kids would love it.

 

[mom2rb]

If you have a reservation at Shula's or the other nice restaurant at the Swan and Dolphin, the kids club is free. We did that once. The boys loved it and we had a nice, romantic, kid free meal.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

If you have a reservation at Shula's or the other nice restaurant at the Swan and Dolphin, the kids club is free. We did that once. The boys loved it and we had a nice, romantic, kid free meal.

Can you elaborate and do you have a review of the restaurant?

 

[dallastxcpa]

I want to use this service but with 3 kids I just can't see paying $30 an hour that would ruin the magic for me. I have no doubt the kids would love it.

There are also services that will come to your room to watch the kids. I believe the $/hr rate is cheaper that way. I have heard really good things about them, but have never personally used the service. I think they are Kids Night Out and Fairy Godmothers?

 

[mom2rb]

Can you elaborate and do you have a review of the restaurant?

We ate at Shula's. It is a steak house. The food was wonderful but pricey. When you book your reservation ask about the free kids club. Then they transfer you to make the appointment for the kids club. The boys ate dinner and played while we had a nice, romantic meal.

 

[carol1231]

We've eaten at Shula's and the kids stayed at the kid's club. They had a great time there. Dinner at Shula's is terrific! The kids were served dinner and then they closed the arcade to the general public and the kids were allowed to go into the arcade and play games (they supplied the tokens). I can't remember how long they played, but they came home with a bag of goodies from one of the machines. They also made some crafts. All this in two hours.

 

[ReneeQ]

My nephew loves the kid clubs! When he finds out we're going back to Disney, his first question is, "Will I get a night at the kid club??" He is an only child, and is wanting some kid-time by mid trip. He is 11, and has gone to a kid club one night on each yearly trip since he was 7. Honestly, I think he goes for the unlimited video games! Since it also includes his dinner, it's not really a bad deal price-wise. He usually goes for about 3 hours. He is dreading the day he is too old to go!

He has been to 3, and ranks them in this order -
Neverland Club at the Poly
Cubs Den at Wilderness Lodge
Sandcastle Club at Beach Club

Why did he rank Sandcastle Club last? He was the only boy there the night he went and all the girls were "flirting with me" (to use his words)!

 

[Starr W.]

We used the Sandcastle club last January. My now 7 yr old loved it, he was doing some craft project(making Mom a bracelet).

The 11 yr old is pushing the age limit, he was the oldest kid there last January.

Personally I think it's geared toward younger kids.

When we stayed at the Marriott Summit Watch in Park City they had a Pizza/Popcorn/Movie night for older kids to teenagers. It was $15 for the evening(2-3 hours can't remember). Both loved it, as Marriott had some really great people working the Activity center(even remembered the boys names).