Opinions PLEASE - BW or YC/BC or GF

[CrzyforPiglet]

So we've been to the Poly and WL and contrary to what I told my husband "I just want to see WDW at Christmas and I'll be happy" - I'm ready to begin planning and saving for next year! We loved the Poly and WL but want to keep trying out new resorts! I am thinking either Boardwalk or Yacht/Beach Club or Grand Floridian.

We stopped by the Grand Floridian during our last trip a couple of weeks ago and thought it was beautiful but maybe "too stuffy". We walked around BW and thought it could be too noisy. Our biggest concern with BW and YC/BC is transportation. It seemed to take forever to get to from MGM. I also didn't know if they would let you into Epcot from the International Gateway and let you walk through to get to the other side when Epcot opens b/c of the different times.

Lastly do BW & YC/BC have refillable mugs? We used our constantly at WL!

Thanks muchly!

 

[Demosthenes]

I'm a little confused by your remark that it took forever to get to MGM from YC/BC and BW. These resorts offer the best access to MGM of any at WDW, with a short wal or Boat ride to MGM from the resorts. Maybe ther boats were running real slow one day? Anyway, the international gateway will let you into Epcot, even when WS is closed (they just rope off the bridge to France and direct you to FW). As for the refillable mugs, all three resorts offer them. If you are worried about getting a quiet room, the BWI offers the best garden view rooms at Disney. No place else offers a Garden (though to the BWI that is a standard room) that offers a view of a Theme Park. DW and I loved the BWI. DW's favorite resort is the YC...no Poly...no YC...well, it changes. I prefer to be on the monorail loop (it just feels more "Disney" to me). You really can't go wrong with any of the resorts listed, but the YC/BC and BW offer better prices with better nightime activities (especially important in the off-season since Epcot is the only park open late, and the Boardwalk is right out your back door).

 

[JulesMom]

YC is my fav resort! We are staying at BC next week, so I'll be able to compare the 2

There is a boat to MGM. You can walk to Epcot--usually took us less than 5 minutes.

They do have refillable mugs, but it's not self service. You can refill them at Hurricane Hannah's--they close early--or Beaches & Cream-which can have quite a line. We didn't use ours as much at YC as we did at WL.

I'll post a review on the transportation when we get back.

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

Thanks for the responses!! As far as the boat to BW goes - the ones b/w WL and MGM seemed much quicker. Maybe we just used to them so that when we decided to take one from MGM to BW it seemed like a long ride. We ended up getting off at Swan & Dolphin and walked across the bridge which didn't seem bad.

I also agree about the nighttime activities. After only having 3 close choices at WL it seemed like staying at either BW or YC/BC would be incredible!!

Keep those opinions coming!

 

[MJS]

Our favorite resort is the YC/BC. Transportation is fine - a little long sometimes to Downtown Disney. We had no problems getting to the MK. The pool is great, and there are many, many restaurant choices in the area. There are refillable mugs.

We have stayed at the GF, and it is not "stuffy." The CMs around the resort (except the RPC) were great. If you plan to spend lots of time at the MK, it is a good choice.

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[Kallison]

We stayed at Contemp last trip and have done both POR and POFQ. We loved the CR, it was a quick 4 day trip and the transportation getting to all the Parks could not be beat. Next trip we are trying BC, because we would like to have quick access to Epcot and MGM and the kids want to try the pool. Plus I hate to swim so I can walk over to Epcot while they are taking their pool break. I guess it depends on which Park you will be concentrating your time at, or maybe split your stay. I don't think I would ever like the WL transportation.

 

[Calcio]

I'm a 46 year old male off on January 5 by myself for 5 days (Massachusetts winter is the pits), and I'm staying at the BWI for the following reasons:

1. Great resort, my favorite of all on site.

2. You can get what you want in rooms. If you want peace and quiet, a garden view room behind the facade is the way to go. These rooms have a balcony or sitting area (ground floor), and usually 2 queens. If you want more activity, get a room with a view of Cresent Lake, where you can sit and watch the world go by, especially in the evening. Although it is pretty active below you in one of these rooms, I've had no noise or sleeping problems once the glass door is closed.

3. Speaking of evenings, with the parks closing early in low season, the Boardwalk offers dining, libations, and music.

4. The location can't be beat if you're spending more time at MGM and EPCOT. A 5 minute walk to the International Gateway (where more dining options can be found), and probably 15 minutes by boat to MGM. This time I'll do the walk to MGM, which I assume I can do in 10 minutes. The bus service to MK has been great in my experience, but busses to Downtown Disney are slower and more uncertain.

These comments all apply almost equally to the Yacht Club and the Beach Club. I think the YC is the quietest of the 3 EPCOT resorts, with the BC more active like the BWI.

The Grand Floridian is really nice, and not stuffy in my experience. If you plan on spending the bulk of your time at the MK, I'd choose that option. But, if you're planning on relatively less time at the MK, the EPCOT resorts offer much more overall in my opinion.

Choose wisely!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Well, I've stayed at Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary, Polynesian, Beach Club, and the Grand Floridian, and I have to say that the Grand Floridian is my favorite of them all. Something about being able to see the castle from my room makes it all worth it.

I really like the Epcot Area, it is very nice. However, I still gotta go with the Grand.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Recently stayed at BCV for the first time, and had to comment on entering the International Gateway in the A.M. I entered at 9:00, and although they point you toward FW, no one pushes you along. To me, it was one of the most enjoyable times of day in WS. Sit on a bench, listen to the music,-I think that next time I'll just bring a book and my morning coffee and sit and read and drink my coffee.

 

[PamNC]

is our favorite. Yes, you can enter through the International Gateway in the a.m. Nothing is open in World Showcase of course but you can stroll by England and Canada right up to Future World. It's kind of neat being there when it's quiet. The other side is roped off. So, that should alleviate that concern.

MGM - the boat to MGM isn't quick by any means. But, it's a nice ride. It stops at the Boardwalk and Swan/Dolphin before going to MGM. The ride doesn't bother me at all. I'd say it's about a total of 20 minutes. Waiting at the resorts and everything. You can also walk to MGM - which is fun if you have the energy.

We enjoy the Epcot resort area so much. Love the boardwalk. Love Stormalong Bay. Yes, you can get refillable mugs but it's kind of a pain because the only place to get your drink is at Beaches & Cream. They have a specific line for that. We love to eat at Beaches & Cream but we don't do the mugs. We bring a cooler and fill it up with cokes, juice and water for our trip. But, we drive so that's easy to bring along in the car.

I think you'll be very pleased if you choose one of these beautiful resorts. We've never had a bad experience at either. In fact, we booked the Grand Floridian for our trip this year and only made it one night. Not because we didn't like the Grand, but we missed the Beach Club so much. Maybe we're nuts, but we couldn't help it.

Have fun no matter where you stay!

pamNC

 

[GoofyJim]

My two cents:

We just returned and split our stay between the GF and the Yacht club and we loved the GF but were tremendously disappointed with the Yacht Club.

The factors that differentiaited the two hotels are:

1.) Level of service: You are truly pampered at the GF and every cast member we encountered at the GF went out of their way to make sure you were having a magical vacation. The impression I got from the staff at the yacht club was that they were going through the motions and although the service was marginal it was not nearly what I would expect for the price of the rooms. Requests that were handled at the GF with a smile required numerous calls and waiting to get simple items like a crib, and luggage service.

2.) The transportation at the Yacht Club was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E!!! To share a bus with the Swan, Dolphin, Yacht, Beach, and Boardwalk was inadequate at best. Over crowded and long waits were the norm.


I have read many positive reports on the Yacht club which is why we tried the resort but personnally we did not like it nearly as much as the GF or the Poly. Perhaps a monorail bias!

On a positive note we did enjoy the convenient location to Epcot and MGM and the excitement that the BoardWalk brought. The pool was awesome (even though you needed winter jackets to get to the pool)