Disney's Beach Club Resort

I have an 8 year-old son that loves airplanes, hotels, Disney, great restaurants and just travel in general. We often take trips with the sole purpose of reviewing trip afterwards. The kid loves what he loves! This trip did not disappoint. We just returned from Disney’s Beach Club resort. We did a split stay with a few other resorts. The review below is more of a club-level review of the Beach Club that compares the club levels of the 6 Disney Deluxe resorts that we visited. The 5-Star rating is for Disney’s Beach Club Resort as a whole and of the club level. Overall, we were very impressed. I will note that we had a HUGE, disturbing annoyance with our magic bands. This problem started at the airport’s Magical Express and continued throughout our entire stay. None of those issues were resort specific, and the concierge cast members, Susan and Ashlyn, did all that they could to rectify the situation. Since this was more of a Disney/tech team issue, I will leave those factors out of this review. Disney Deluxe Resorts’ Club-Level comparison: Best Food-Grand Floridian Sugarloaf (Wilderness Lodge and Beach/Yacht second place by a narrow margin) Best Variety of food-Grand Floridian Sugarloaf(Polynesian second) Heaviest offerings of food-Grand Floridian Sugarloaf Cleanest club area-Contemporary Tower Club Best club views-Contemporary Tower Club (The Poly is a close second) Kindest club staff-Contemporary Tower Club and the Beach Club Best room amenities- Contemporary Tower Club Best Pool-Beach and Yacht Club Most plentiful seating-Wilderness Lodge Best resort floor plan on the club floor -Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge Least Crowded Club-Contemporary Tower Level Best club theming-The Polynesian and the Wilderness Lodge Heaviest crowd levels in club-Polynesian and Grand Floridian Sugarloaf 1st Place-The Contemporary Tower Club-The amenities in the room are just amazing. The truffles are a thoughtful touch. The boys were thrilled with the extras such as the shaving and teeth kit. The sunblock was also very helpful. The views are breathtaking, both on the lake side and especially of the theme park side. The balconies in the club lounge were my absolute happy place. It was the very best views of the fireworks that we have ever experienced. We also enjoyed the water parade from our lake-view room. The food was good and well stocked. The cast members are helpful while not lurking. The atmosphere invites you to make yourself at home. They are quick to serve, clear dishes, and clean up. We also found the cast members to be very fun and interactive with our children. Bottled water is readily available upon request, and they even offered to put a case in our room. The in-room bathrooms at the Contemporary are by far our very favorite are Disney. They are so well thought out. The beds are very comfortable and the in-room temperature control is perfect. We were so comfortable for our entire stay. The balconies are exceptional with comfortable seating. I would love to be there right now sipping my coffee in the morning or my cocktail in the evening as I soak in the views. The pool at the Contemporary is underrated I my opinion. It seldom makes the top lists for Disney pools, but my kids could have played there all day. The seating is plentiful, and there are lots of options for shade. It is easy to come and go and not far from the resort entrance. I also find the Contemporary to have one of the best floor-plans of all of the Disney resorts. Monorail access is convenient, fun, and so exciting for the kids. 2nd Place-The Beach and Yacht Club-These both hit second for us overall, but may actually be our first choice with future visits based on the convenient location for 2 parks and much lower price point compared to the monorail resorts. I am putting the 2 together in one review because they are very much the same as far as offerings, but I will say that we found the Beach Club cast members to be more interactive and helpful than the Yacht Club’s concierge team. However, we prefer the resort floor-plan of the Yacht Club over the Beach Club. I feel like we do a lot of back-tracking at the Beach Club. The pool that is shared by both is a tremendous draw for our family. My children would rather be there than in the parks. The rooms are upscale, clean, and thoughtfully laid out. Some rooms do have a balcony, which is a nice touch and convenient for drying swimwear too. The in-room temperature control is perfect. They used to give chocolates for club level visits, so we missed those this time. We were given Ghirardelli squares at turndown. I will say that these rooms feel less “Disney” compared to other hotels, but my kids did not miss that. I actually appreciate the upscale yet homey appeal of the rooms. The food is delicious and well stocked. While there were always a lot of people around, it never felt too busy for us and we always found a table. There was always a wide variety of tasty choices, and the cast members kept everything stocked very well. The ice cream freezer was a highlight for our family. How fun! We did not love that you can no longer get bottled water here. We like to carry them to the parks and pool. They do offer to-go cups with lids and water is always available. The Boardwalk area is just a fun place to be at Disney. There is always something to do, and food is so easily accessible. The boat rides to Epcot and HS are nice and relaxing, but honestly we love that both are easily accessed on foot. It is amazing to be able to just pop into Epcot to grab some sensational food. While AK is our favorite resort for dining, Epcot is a very close second. It is actually first for us during the Food and Wine festival. Hollywood Studios is also an easy walk. We like to pop in there late to enjoy some shorter lines and cooler temperatures. Overall, I think we have decided to call The Beach and Yacht Club home, but we have not stayed at the Boardwalk hotel yet. 3rd-The Wilderness Lodge-If this hotel were in a different location or had more transportation options, it could easily be our number 1. The club is very well laid out, seldom busy, and has lots of seating. The food was always delicious, plentiful, and offered great variety. The desserts were among the best we have had in Disney Clubs. The cast members were kind but less interactive and slower to clean up than what we have seen in other clubs. The theming of the hotel and club area is amazing and fun. The atmosphere is so relaxing. Our family loves the pool area. The pool-side seating is plentiful. Overall, we really love this resort and found ourselves missing it as soon as we got home. 4th- The Grand Floridian Sugarloaf Club-This may really just come down to personal preference and what it is that you want from a resort and the club area. The food is by far the most plentiful out of all of the clubs we stayed in. I do find the GF clubs to be the most crowded, but the food is kept fairly well stocked. It did get messy at times, but honestly that is likely unavoidable during busy rushes. Not only do they have Mickey waffles in the morning, they may be the most delicious waffles that I have had a Disney. The scones and desserts for afternoon tea are also a nice touch. Most clubs have very light mid-day offerings, yet the Grand had a hearty soup and much more to offer. The drink choices are abundant as well. We had mixed review of the cast members. Some were just extraordinary and others likely need to find a new career path. We really like the pools at the GF, but they do stay fairly crowded. We were always able to find a seat though. The pool with the slide is smaller than many other Disney main pools. My kids always want to be where the slide is. The area for young children is very nice. This would be a great resort if you have very young children. The view for the Fireworks is pretty grand, and there is a lot of room outside to sit down and enjoy the views. The rooms are nice, the beds are cozy, the temperature control was flawless, and the amenities were plentiful. I will say that the bathroom set-up at the GF is our least favorite among the deluxe resorts that we have visited. The water was warm with plenty of pressure though, so it is nothing that I would complain about. The fixtures and upscale touches around the property are amazing. This hotel certainly felt more upscale than any property we have stayed at in Disney World. 5th-The Polynesian-This review is specifically focusing on club-level stays. I love the Ploy overall as a resort, and if I were not staying club-level, it would certainly rise in ranking. The theming is incredible. Everything just looks and smells so good. It is a very inviting atmosphere. The rooms are gorgeous and well-themed. The bathrooms are our second favorite for all of the Disney properties. We personally have received more “magic” at the Poly than any other resort. We have never had any negative issues or complaints during our stay. With that said, the club level is just a bit underwhelming compared to other Disney clubs as well as to the 3 clubs at the Universal resorts. The area gets crowded and messy. The food choices are hit or miss, and the lay-out is cramped. The drinks are plentiful and well-stocked. The cast members are very kind and inviting. I think having the desk on the first floor but the club on the 2nd makes the staff seem more distant overall. It is certainly a fun and pleasant experience to stay in the Hawaii club building, but I personally don’t think it is worth the added expense. We love the pool at the Poly. It is certainly in our top 3 in all of Disney. The views are incredible from the grounds as well as from the club lounge. Overall, you cannot go wrong with this resort. Honestly, we kind of feel that the Poly is in a league of its own. It would be a sensational resort even if it was not on Disney property. Once my family has the opportunity to visit the clubs at the Animal kingdom Lodge and the Boardwalk, we will update this review to include all Disney Deluxe Resorts. Have a Magical Vacation. No matter where you choose, a club-level vacation is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

We are DVC members and have stayed at several Disney resorts. Until this vacation, Animal Kingdom has always been our favorite. We have now fallen in love with DBC resort! It is a beautiful resort, but one thing we were surprised with was the number of sitting areas all guests have access to.....along the halls, in little alcoves, rooms specifically for relaxing and visiting. The occasional coffee bar, iced water, and beautiful views make it the perfect place to relax and unwind. The resort is within waking distance to Epcot, and the Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, and Yacht resorts. We were concerned that we would have to walk to Epcot, but we felt it was a shorter distance than the walk from the bus to the front gate. The walk is also beautifully landscaped and partially shaded. We visited Epcot more this year than ever before and discovered a few new things on the back side of Epcot we hadn’t before. LOVE Japan! The resort offers a fabulous main pool in addition to several smaller, quieter pools, yoga on the beach, 2K race on specified days around the boardwalk, beach volleyball, several specialty restaurants, and billiards to name a few. One negative we felt was the fact that you can only get to Hollywood Studios via a boat. These boats stop running in severe weather, which we had. Apparently buses start to run at that point but there is really no way of knowing which to go to without picking one and hoping it is right. We chose wrong and had to walk over to the buses through pouring rain. Truly though, that was our only frustration with the stay.

This is a sprawling, huge property, spotlessly clean, quiet and generally pleasant, but like many Disney-owned resorts, upgrades/updates are sorely needed. As a "deluxe" hotel, I was surprised to see the threadbare carpets throughout, the cracks in the walls, dirty windows and other signs of wear... This was a birthday trip for my children - I called the hotel twice (on my dime since Disney does not have a 1-800 service!) to make sure of 2 things: to confirm our room choice (2-4th floor-no ground floor) and that the birthday events were in place...... arriving that afternoon at 1pm, we found that we were roomed in a ground floor suite and that they had no idea about the birthdays! Thanks Junior (front desk) for lacking any empathy. After talking to someone else on the phone, he said he could move us for an extra $100 per night...not happening....the manager, Allyson, was called..finally our original reservation was begrudgingly honoured....so, overall, how was the Resort: Good: exceptionally clean, friendly staff mostly (two thumbs up for Bridget and Grace at the front desk) and great location Bad: dirty pools (duck excrement everywhere!), worn facilities (toilet wouldn't flush and the bath plug was broken) and not the best place for young children... Would I return? No