YC or BWI? And Club Level - what exactly do you get and is it worth it??

[Tink316]

Haven't stayed at either resort -- which is better for a girls' getaway? We will go to EPCOT and like DHS, but mostly looking for a relaxing getaway by the pool and Disney Springs. Or if you have a preference of one over the other -- why?

We have the option for Club Level at the YC -- should we?


Thanks!!

 

[Pinnochio]

Haven't stayed at either resort -- which is better for a girls' getaway? We will go to EPCOT and like DHS, but mostly looking for a relaxing getaway by the pool and Disney Springs. Or if you have a preference of one over the other -- why?

We have the option for Club Level at the YC -- should we?


Thanks!!

Since you said mostly pool relaxing, go YC....best pool in all WDW.....

 

[RoseGold]

SAB is lovely, but it's overrun with kids. I mean, it's Disney. I guess it depends what you mean by girls trip.

I'd go offsite for this. If you aren't park focused, the hotels are better outside of Disney.

 

[Her Dotness]

Club level is great fun.

"Free" continental breakfast with cold cereals and oatmeal as well as pastries and fresh fruit.

There is a variety of snacks at a couple of points later in the day with hot and cold finger foods in the evening. Free canned sodas and bottled water all day with beers, wine coolers and liqueurs in late evening.

More specialized services as well.

If you can manage the cost, a CL stay would be wonderfully pampering for your getaway, though the quiet pool might be preferable for a leisurely afternoon.

We've loved our CL stays.

 

[Best Aunt]

Both are great for going to Epcot and DHS.

Pool-wise, Yacht Club has access to Stormalong Bay, YC Quiet Pool, BC Quiet Pool, and BCV Quiet Pool.
BoardWalk has a big pool with a slide, and two quiet pools.

Getting to Disney Springs from either one is a long bus ride which always makes me motion sick.

Yacht Club (and Beach Club) have indoor access to shops and restaurants. At BoardWalk, the only things in the building are a very small gift shop (which I think is going away) and Belle Vue Lounge which has limited hours and limited food options. You have to go out onto the BoardWalk for the big gift shop and the restaurants.

Club Level depends on whether you like the food options and would be in the hotel during those hours. (And the drinks.)

 

[Ricguz]

Having stayed at YC a dozen times club level I have never had a bad experience. For the extra money, you get a pretty good breakfast, snacks at lunch, decent light dinner, deserts and cordials at night. Beer and wine are served at dinner but by request you can have them during the day. Nothing better than sitting in your full balcony with crackers/cheese plate with beer or wine or both overlooking the pool, bay, and fireworks. Also at YC you have a number of bars and at least four good restaurants, Yatchmen’s, Ale and Compass, Cape May and Beaches and Cream, plus Crew Cup Lounge, Ale and Compass Lounge and Martha Vineyard Lounge. You can have access to the spa at YC near the pool. The pool is the largest Disney has to offer with a water slide that starts outside of the yacht club on the walkway into the pool. Great atmosphere, two marketplaces, nice hideaway in the solarium where you could drink wine/beer/cocktails and have apps. Short distance to Epcot 5 min walk. HS 20 min walk or take the boat or skyliner 5 min away. Shops on the boardwalk plus other restaurants. YC would be my choice

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

CL will be nice at both resorts with some nice amenities and if you'll be at the resort a good bit of your stay, it can definitely be worth it if you maximize use of the lounge. As far as relaxing by the pool, SAB at YC is very nice but it's usually very crowded since it's such a great pool and very popular. You really can't go wrong with either resort but a smaller, quiet pool may be where it's at for your group if you aren't into riding the slide but then you will forego the pool bar which could be a negative unless you bring your own refreshments. The main pool at BWI is nice but not as expansive as SAB but also has a great pool bar too.

 

[CarolynFH]

For more information about Club level, check out this thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneys-club-level-cl-information-questions.3414590/.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Club level is great fun.

"Free" continental breakfast with cold cereals and oatmeal as well as pastries and fresh fruit.

There is a variety of snacks at a couple of points later in the day with hot and cold finger foods in the evening. Free canned sodas and bottled water all day with beers, wine coolers and liqueurs in late evening.

More specialized services as well.

If you can manage the cost, a CL stay would be wonderfully pampering for your getaway, though the quiet pool might be preferable for a leisurely afternoon.

We've loved our CL stays.

In case you aren't aware, and so others are,
Believe all the CL for Breakfast it includes that plus hot dish w/eggs and breakfast meats of some sorts such as bacon/ham, etc. Egg dish can be anything from basic scrambled eggs to frittatas to fancier things.
There are desserts late at night along with cordials.
Alcohol is out at evening service but available for the asking the entire hours the CL is open. It's not limited to evening only. Never seen a wine cooler if you mean the actual beverage. But if you mean a cooler with wine they do have those in some CL.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

My wife does a few 'girls getaways' CL trips each year and tends to do them at an Epcot resort for all the obvious reasons. I asked her and she said if the BWI rooms were renovated she'd pick BWI over YC 'for the better overall CL lounge food/offering experience', but that YC would likely get the nod given the rooms. That will change when BWI eventually gets renovated, but for now that was her input. They also will occasionally get a cabana, which is only available at BC/YC so that comes into play.

But she did say it could easily be a toss-up, price/availability would come into play, and she and/or a typical group would be happy at either as none of the pros/cons overwhelmingly outdo each other.

 

[holden]

If you are spending most of the trip at the resort, I'd definitely go CL.

 

[RoseGold]

If you really are looking for a club level experience, you should head to the CL thread to actually see what that means. Disney CL is not what you expect from CL at hotels of this price. The lunch is embarassing.

You have to get that experience off-site. Disney has been clear that it isn't even trying to compete in the top price category. All of these hotels are old and overrun with kids and don't have the level of service or amenities you expect at this price. If you are looking to splurge and mostly stay at the hotel, there are a lot of choices, I wouldn't put Disney in the top of the ranking at all, especially without kids.

 

[rwdavis2]

The one time we did club level (2012) at AKL the difference in price vs. non club level was $100 a night. I did not think club level provided $100 a day in benefits. We liked it but probably won’t do it again.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

The one time we did club level (2012) at AKL the difference in price vs. non club level was $100 a night. I did not think club level provided $100 a day in benefits. We liked it but probably won’t do it again.

If you can grab breakfast in the lounge and if you drink alcohol you can easily consume $100 worth, per person, per day, and more.
If you skip breakfast and dinner, even a few days, and don't drink, you are right, there's no benefit left.
You really have to be at the lounge for both breakfast and dinner most every day you are there to gain the benefit.
Replacing 2 meals a day x2 (or more people) can add up to exceed the cost of CL

 

[loves to dive]

As far as resorts go, I prefer YC to BWI. YC just feels more adult to me, but I usually just stay at whichever one is less. Like others have said, if you don't plan on going to the parks and just want to be pampered at a resort, I would probably go off site.

As far as CL, as previous poster mentioned, it depends on how much you plan on using it and how much the price difference is. For us, it's not worth the upgrade since we can eat for less than the upgrade costs elsewhere and don't tend to be at the resort during the times they set the food out.

 

[Rallard21]

CL at YC might be my bet. Pools, Views, and Food are better at the resort. BW is a short walk if you want to try. Views while having a drink on balcony is a great time. Agreed trip to DS is a hike either resort. Epcot is a short walk from either park. I'm bias to YC.

 

[Her Dotness]

Believe all the CL for Breakfast it includes that plus hot dish w/eggs and breakfast meats of some sorts such as bacon/ham, etc. Egg dish can be anything from basic scrambled eggs to frittatas to fancier things.
There are desserts late at night along with cordials.
Alcohol is out at evening service but available for the asking the entire hours the CL is open. It's not limited to evening only. Never seen a wine cooler if you mean the actual beverage. But if you mean a cooler with wine they do have those in some CL.

Club level has definitely changed recently if anything like scrambled eggs or frittatas with breakfast meats are served.

Admittedly, it's been seven years since we last stayed CL in the GF main building, but it never had anything like that level of cooked foods when we were there previously. Occasionally a bowl of hardboiled eggs and sometimes a cold platter of sliced cheeses, ham and turkey but never hot food such as you describe. It was a lavish continental breakfast, and designated continental breakfast, with only oatmeal that could be said to be hot food.

There were, however, both bottled beers and wine coolers in the fridge all day. That changed, I think I heard, shortly before the pandemic to request-only.

This is quite a change if there is now enough for a full breakfast and enough that one could make a dinner in the evening.

 

[CarolynFH]

Club level has definitely changed recently if anything like scrambled eggs or frittatas with breakfast meats are served.

Admittedly, it's been seven years since we last stayed CL in the GF main building, but it never had anything like that level of cooked foods when we were there previously. Occasionally a bowl of hardboiled eggs and sometimes a cold platter of sliced cheeses, ham and turkey but never hot food such as you describe. It was a lavish continental breakfast, and designated continental breakfast, with only oatmeal that could be said to be hot food.

There were, however, both bottled beers and wine coolers in the fridge all day. That changed, I think I heard, shortly before the pandemic to request-only.

This is quite a change if there is now enough for a full breakfast and enough that one could make a dinner in the evening.

Having seen some reports and photos of GF CL recently, I can say that it has definitely changed since your last visit.

 

[focusondisney]

Club level has definitely changed recently if anything like scrambled eggs or frittatas with breakfast meats are served.

Even before the Covid shut downs, YC for years had hot things like mini quiche, French onion tarts & frittata at breakfast. And serve yourself soup, salmon, chicken skewers & braised short ribs with mashed potatoes for evening apps. Along with multiple cold options every day. The hot meats at breakfast were added after reopening. But most of the other stuff has been offered for several years & is plenty for a meal.

It’s been several years since we stayed at RPC, maybe 2016 or 2017, but last time we did, they had someone making waffles & crepes in the mornings.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Club level has definitely changed recently if anything like scrambled eggs or frittatas with breakfast meats are served.

Admittedly, it's been seven years since we last stayed CL in the GF main building, but it never had anything like that level of cooked foods when we were there previously. Occasionally a bowl of hardboiled eggs and sometimes a cold platter of sliced cheeses, ham and turkey but never hot food such as you describe. It was a lavish continental breakfast, and designated continental breakfast, with only oatmeal that could be said to be hot food.

There were, however, both bottled beers and wine coolers in the fridge all day. That changed, I think I heard, shortly before the pandemic to request-only.

This is quite a change if there is now enough for a full breakfast and enough that one could make a dinner in the evening.

Oh, you can 100% have a full breakfast in the AM and dinner in the evening. Evenings are small plates but no limit on the number you can eat. 2 or so of each is enough though.
Not sure how long it's been that way exactly, all the time we've done CL, started with DGD and her 5th birthday trip at WL, she'll be 15 this March
Granted, your touring plans need to fit the hours of service and not everyone likes to do that but if you can, it works great
We only dine out 1 meal a day when we stay CL, if that. Some days even CL food makes do for us.
But a typical day is a TS meal for lunch with CL for breakfast and dinner. We save most all our alcohol for the lounge too.