The 2009 Yacht & Beach Club FAQ Thread

[HockeyMomR]

I did the on line check in today. I was a little disappointed. Other than giving my credit card information, I do not see much time savings. I was able to request a refrigerator under the room request (the other choice was a baby bed). I wanted to request that there are no charging privileges on our KTTW cards. I guess that I will have to do that when I get there.

I am also curious about the online check in. Make sure to report back regarding this after your trip. Have a great time!!!

 

[Panotchr]

I am also curious about the online check in. Make sure to report back regarding this after your trip. Have a great time!!!

We did the online check in when we went to POR in June. All of my docs were ready. I just walked right up.. NO LINE.. and picked them up! I just had to switch one KTTW card. They had my 12 year old charging to the room and my husband not! That could have been good, huh?

What a wonderful anniversary present!!! I'll be there the day you check in. Can't wait to say hi!

Oh, I am thrilled. Where do I find you? I am going to have three shocked daughters with me!

Congrats on the DVC purchase - I'm a new owner too. We stayed at BC in June and are also going back in September, but to BLT. As for floats at SAB, you can bring your own, but if they are inflatable, they MUST be clear. We just brought noodles, which seemed to be exempt from the "clear" rule.

Have a wonderful visit at BCV - I hope to book it for next summer!

Thanks so much about the float info. My DH wanted to buy at BLT, but the deal for SSR was better. We can always stay there. I am leaning more toward staying at BCV every time Our friends stayed there this summer while we were there and I was envious of the pool!

Thanks again everyone. I am sure I will have another question before we leave.

xo

 

[TeenaS]

I am also curious about the online check in. Make sure to report back regarding this after your trip. Have a great time!!!

There are pros and cons as far as I'm concerned. You still have to wait in line to get to a front cast member. However, once you get to the front desk, your keys and registration card, etc. has already been printed out so all you need to do is show ID and sign and you are on your way. Definitely a bit quicker once you get to the cast member. They also of course have a list of those who have used online check-in and we know approximately what time to expect you. If you are coming in in the morning, we try to have a room assigned to you that is clean. The problem as I see it (and this is just my opinion) is that let's say we are almost full at the BC and you had requested a full balcony on the fourth floor close to the lobby. Your online check-in was completed and we expect you at 9 AM. Back 3 days ago you might have been assigned a room that met two of your requests. The morning you check-in, in an attempt to get you into a ready room (which is a goal of the resorts --- getting people into ready rooms as much as possible), we see that the room we assigned you isn't clean but there is one that is clean but it only meets maybe one of your requests. Chances are we will move you to a room that is ready to get you into a ready room. You of course can ask at check-in whether the room meets any of your requests and if they say "only one" and your room is ready, you have the option of asking for a room that is NOT ready now but meets another of your requests. However, that defeats the whole thing of making the online check-in fast. Now, you need to wait and they go back to the room assignor, and it could take 20 minutes to move people around, etc.

So my advice (and remember, this is just my opinion) is that if you are staying at the YC or BC (not the Villas) and you have some room requests and they are super important to you, then I would not check-in online. At the most, it's only going to save you 2-3 minutes. You still have to wait in the line the same as other people that didn't do the online check-in. However, if you have no room requests and you really want a ready room, then your best bet definitely is to do online check-in. No guarantee of course you will get a ready room ... that all depends on our occupancy and what time people checkout that morning. My opinion for the Villas is that the rooms are rarely ready in the morning. It's always 98-100% occupied so that makes it so hard to get in a room early (most people checkout at 11 AM) and doing an online check-in will save you a few minutes definitely once you get to a front desk cast member. Again, you still have to wait in line to get to the cast member. Because we are always so full there, the rooms are rarely changed from what the room assignors have assigned a few days before.

Hope that helps. And please remember, this is my opinion only. Some cast members might tell you they think you should do online check-in no matter what the circumstances.

 

[TeenaS]

Oh, I am thrilled. Where do I find you? I am going to have three shocked daughters with me!

xo

Right in the lobby greeting you as you walk in. I'm the old lady in the blue blazer and long white skirt.

 

[bookbabe626]

So my advice (and remember, this is just my opinion) is that if you are staying at the YC or BC (not the Villas) and you have some room requests and they are super important to you, then I would not check-in online.

Thanks for the info, Teena, it's really helpful.

Can I ask your advice? My DH and I have booked a short trip to BC for over Labour Day weekend. We've booked standard view, and our only request is for a king bed. I don't care about the view, etc. We're only there a few days, and I'll be either in the parks or in the pool, not looking out the windows of the room. It's also our first stay at BC, so any room is going to seem great as long as the bed is big enough. (Last year's trip we stayed at ASMu.)

We don't arrive until very late, though...our flight doesn't land until 10:30pm. Do you think we have a better chance of getting a king bed if we do the online check-in or if we wait until we arrive and do regular check-in?

Thanks for any advice you are able to share!

 

[TeenaS]

Thanks for the info, Teena, it's really helpful.

Can I ask your advice? My DH and I have booked a short trip to BC for over Labour Day weekend. We've booked standard view, and our only request is for a king bed. I don't care about the view, etc. We're only there a few days, and I'll be either in the parks or in the pool, not looking out the windows of the room. It's also our first stay at BC, so any room is going to seem great as long as the bed is big enough. (Last year's trip we stayed at ASMu.)

We don't arrive until very late, though...our flight doesn't land until 10:30pm. Do you think we have a better chance of getting a king bed if we do the online check-in or if we wait until we arrive and do regular check-in?

Thanks for any advice you are able to share!

WOW ... over Labor Day Weekend, I'd say your chance of getting a king bed is pretty low. Unfortunately we have very few and the chances of one being vacant on the day you check-in will be slim. That's the whole key! One has to be vacated on the day you check-in and since there are so few of them and only about a third of them are standard views, it will just come down to luck I'm afraid. Now if we happen to not be full and there is one vacant on your check-in day, since that's your only request, you'll probably get lucky.

As far as doing online check-in, since you are arriving late, it's not going to make any difference as far as your chances of getting that king bed. It will speed up your check-in once you get there ... that's it I'm afraid.

 

[HockeyMomR]

Teena - Thanks for the info regarding on line check in. Your opinion and wealth of info is so appreciated What you posted answered my questions and curiosity, thanks!

Rebecca

 

[bahtandkids]

We just returned yesterday from the Beach Club and it was great! My kids really enjoyed the pool. They tried to give my family of 5 two doubles and a roll away, but I asked the desk to please give us a room with two queens and a daybed since we were 5 people. They did move us and the room we ended up with had a full balcony facing some trees, it was very nice in the morning. We faced Epcot, but couldn't see it which was fine. We rode the buses on two days and they were fine, coming home from the park or DTD they were very crowded though. Beaches and Cream provided a place to get a quick service breakfast which was good as the marketplace didn't have too much of a choice. Really, though, I have no complaints, I would stay there again.

 

[bookbabe626]

As far as doing online check-in, since you are arriving late, it's not going to make any difference as far as your chances of getting that king bed. It will speed up your check-in once you get there ... that's it I'm afraid.

Thanks, Teena...at least now I know what to expect and can plan accordingly. You're a wealth of information...thanks for sharing it!

 

[scottish mum]

We're so excited just booked 14 nights at the beach club next october. My only request is to get a full balcony so hopefully we will get that.

I now need to find out everything I can about the beach club so any little tips I would love to hear

The kids can't wait for stormalong bay

 

[Tink_Or_Belle]

We just returned yesterday from the Beach Club and it was great! My kids really enjoyed the pool. They tried to give my family of 5 two doubles and a roll away, but I asked the desk to please give us a room with two queens and a daybed since we were 5 people. They did move us and the room we ended up with had a full balcony facing some trees, it was very nice in the morning. We faced Epcot, but couldn't see it which was fine. We rode the buses on two days and they were fine, coming home from the park or DTD they were very crowded though. Beaches and Cream provided a place to get a quick service breakfast which was good as the marketplace didn't have too much of a choice. Really, though, I have no complaints, I would stay there again.

hummm maybe I will have a room request 2 double beds would not be a good thing DH agreed to do deluxe because he hated the double beds at Port Orleans

are most rooms for 5 double beds or queen beds?

 

[TeenaS]

hummm maybe I will have a room request 2 double beds would not be a good thing DH agreed to do deluxe because he hated the double beds at Port Orleans

are most rooms for 5 double beds or queen beds?

There are only a very few rooms with double beds. Most are queens.

 

[bcuinohio]

Hi Teena,

I just wanted to tell you to have a good time on your cruise. We will miss you unfortunately during our stay (07/25-08/01). Thanks for all of your help.

 

[bcuinohio]

I am also curious about the online check in. Make sure to report back regarding this after your trip. Have a great time!!!

Will do. I am bringing my laptop so hopefully I can do a few updates while I am there.

My main concern about the online checking is that I wanted to request that none of us have charging privileges. That will eliminate any possibility of any of our meals being charged to the room instead of deducted from our meal plan.

 

[TeenaS]

Hi Teena,

I just wanted to tell you to have a good time on your cruise. We will miss you unfortunately during our stay (07/25-08/01). Thanks for all of your help.

Thank you so much. We're finding it difficult to pack (we got out the suitcases today). We checked the temperatures where we are going and it looks like rain and cold the whole time (which they say is normal). (Remember, anything under 70 is cold for us.) I'm afraid I don't own enough sweatshirts and long jeans for this trip. Those glaciers better be pretty unbelievable like people say they are ... otherwise putting up with cold and rain for a week is just crazy! That's why we retired to Florida - to get away from that stuff. We've always said we'd do an Alaska cruise and it's our 30th anniversary on 8/4 and with the "deals" out there this year, we're going for it. It's just very very strange to pack coats, gloves, sweatshirts, etc. We love our Caribbean cruises so this is a stretch for us. And we are accustomed to driving to the ship, not flying for 7 hours!

Anyway, hope you have a wonderful stay at the Y&B!!! I'm so sorry I won't get to see you!

 

[TeenaS]

Will do. I am bringing my laptop so hopefully I can do a few updates while I am there.

My main concern about the online checking is that I wanted to request that none of us have charging privileges. That will eliminate any possibility of any of our meals being charged to the room instead of deducted from our meal plan.

If you have a credit card attached to your reservation, your keys will have charging on them if you do online check-in. However, I always tell guests to request a printout of their meal plans at least every other day just to make sure a quick service didn't get taken off instead of a snack ... stuff like that. If there is a mistake made (whether it be a wrong charge like snack instead of quick service or if they charge a meal instead of taking it off the meal plan), you can quickly get it taken care of right away at the desk at the resort. And if you have charging privileges on your cards, it makes it so easy to just add the tip for the table service meals when you give them your key to take off your meal plan credits.

 

[ltl engine]

Hi!

We wanted to decorate our door at BCV, is the door metal?

TIA

 

[lilbluebird]

When you have a table service meal under the deluxe dining plan, does each person in the party give their key card in order to have it paid for/taken off the plan? If so, how does the tipping work? If we can charge the tip to the room with a credit card, does one person write in the tip? I want to be able to charge to my credit card, however, I don't think I want all of my family members to be able to do that. Do we have to carry any sort of ID with our cards? What happens if a card is lost... I know I'd realize it pretty quickly because I think you need the card for everything, but is there a way to cancel the card quickly? (I find that if I know what to do in case something unfortunate like that happens I don't panic, so knowing this info may help... but I'm sure I will not lose my card!) Also, where do you get a print out of the meal plan you've used up?

 

[TeenaS]

Hi!

We wanted to decorate our door at BCV, is the door metal?

TIA

Sounds like a normal wood door when you knock on it.

 

[TeenaS]

When you have a table service meal under the deluxe dining plan, does each person in the party give their key card in order to have it paid for/taken off the plan? If so, how does the tipping work? If we can charge the tip to the room with a credit card, does one person write in the tip? I want to be able to charge to my credit card, however, I don't think I want all of my family members to be able to do that. Do we have to carry any sort of ID with our cards? What happens if a card is lost... I know I'd realize it pretty quickly because I think you need the card for everything, but is there a way to cancel the card quickly? (I find that if I know what to do in case something unfortunate like that happens I don't panic, so knowing this info may help... but I'm sure I will not lose my card!) Also, where do you get a print out of the meal plan you've used up?

Here's an example: There are five of you at dinner at Cape May Cafe. You will be asked if you are under any dining plans, etc. You'll tell them "yes" and which dining plan. At the end of the meal, they will present you a bill. It will have what the meal would cost if you were to pay for it, and also give you a place on the bill to write in a tip (and it even calculates the different percentages out for you). You then hand them ONE of your keys and tell them to take off 5 table services and you can also give them back the bill with the tip written in and tell them to charge it back to your room. All five people do not hand them their keys.

If you are at the park and want three bottles of water and want to use your snack options for them, one person goes up, asks for three bottles of water, hands them one key and tells them to use snack options.

You can just have your key with charging privileges. You tell the front desk cast member at check-in that you only want charging privileges on your key.

If anybody in your party loses their key, just go to the front desk or the concierge desk and have a replacement key printed. The minute the replacement key is printed, the old key with that person's name on it is void.

I recommend you go to the concierge desk every other day and ask for a print out of your dining plan. You can also ask for a print out of your bill to see what charges have been charged back to your room. If there are any discrepancies on either the dining plan statement or your bill, it's alot easier to figure it out then and there rather than waiting until the last day of your vacation. It's very hard to remember what you did six or seven days ago (at least for me).