Disney's YACHT & BEACH CLUB RESORTS Information & Questions

[Dave006]

Am I right in thinking there's no way to pay a premium to get a room (or style of room) and/or no way to know the room assigned a few days in advance?

Well 4241 is some what unique since it is at the end of the building. There are no real direct matches other than 3241. The closest on the 4th floor would be 4240 which is just across the hallway. Another match may be 4210 which is on a corner about 10 rooms away from 4241 in the same section of the hallway. It has 2 QB and a day bed.

There is no way to get a specific room or even know what room is assigned until you get the update Txt or update in MDE from the YC or Check-in at the Front desk. The room may be booked as an overlapping reservation (assigned to another guest) before you arrive.

Did you report any of these issues on your last visit during your stay?

Dave

 

[TeamSy]

Hi! This thread has so much info I’m a bit overwhelmed! Hoping someone can direct me to my exact answers. My husband and I stayed at beach club in 2010 so it’s been a long minute. We have a family now and the past two trips we’ve done regular hotel rooms at contemporary and AKL. We just booked a 1 bedroom villa through Disney (we are not owners and did not rent points). We love that this time we will have a full fridge and washer/dryer. We loved Contemporary but felt the AKL standard room was cramped. We will be starting our trip in a regular room at GF for a few nights and then moving onto the 1 bedroom at beach club.

Here are my questions.
- The past 2 years since returning to WDW we have not had a single issue with housekeeping. We are a bit nervous on what to expect here since it’s a DVC property, but I am assuming since we booked through Disney we will get daily housekeeping and be able to request towels as needed? We love coming back to a fresh room. We had no issues with this the past 2 years but have also never stayed on the villa side of things before.

- Years ago we stayed at a Marriott villa and they provided things like small dish soap, a small laundry detergent, and dishwasher soap. Does Disney do this as well?

- We have never stayed ground floor before anywhere ever until we stayed garden wing contemporary and we absolutely loved it. There was something about not getting into an elevator with our large double stroller that made the end of the day more tolerable lol. It was a straight walk to the room! It was also so quiet for being on the ground floor!! Can anyone recommend any request for a 1 bedroom ground floor vila that would be near the path to walk to either Epcot or HS without having to go back to the main building? This would be a standard view we booked. I didn’t realize the villas were in a separate building. Do you have to walk back to the main hotel always or is there a path you can take (stroller friendly) to the walkways to the parks?

- where can I find more info on the cabanas at stormalong bay? Can I choose my cabana in advance? I’m assuming you can book at 60 days out like everything else?

- when we split stay last year at AKL and Swan we could not get over how busy and cramped the AKL pool was compared to Swan. It was like night and day. It’s like you couldn’t swim at AKL. The stormalong bay pool looks much bigger. It was never crowded when we went in 2010 or in 2015 when we stayed at yacht club. Last year’s business at the AKL pool really threw us. What can we expect? Is there a popular centralized cabana? When I googled I found a map that showed 4 cabanas - are there only 4 of them?

Whoever made it this far thank you so much!!!!!!!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I'll only chime in regarding your YC/BC pool cabana questions. There are 4 cabanas, and when you book you can either have them assign you one, or you can ask for a specific cabana if you have a preference. #1 and #2 are by the sand, #3 and #4 are close by, but a little bit more private. They include a few perks, including a fruit tray, soft drinks, and afternoon sweets. If you have a room reservation at BC/YC/BCV, you can book a cabana 60 days out, plus the length of your reservation. You will call 407-WDW-PLAY. I believe the phone lines open at 7AM ET. Since you don't mention when you're going, be aware that Stormalong Bay pool is scheduled to be closed Jan the May/June, 2025 for refurb, so there will be no pool and no cabanas for many months.

 

[Raya]

Well 4241 is some what unique since it is at the end of the building. There are no real direct matches other than 3241. The closest on the 4th floor would be 4240 which is just across the hallway. Another match may be 4210 which is on a corner about 10 rooms away from 4241 in the same section of the hallway. It has 2 QB and a day bed.

There is no way to get a specific room or even know what room is assigned until you get the update Txt or update in MDE from the YC or Check-in at the Front desk. The room may be booked as an overlapping reservation (assigned to another guest) before you arrive.

Did you report any of these issues on your last visit during your stay?

Dave

We reported all of the issues. Maintenance came and fixed what they could (fixed the AC, swapped the fridge, but did nothing for the carpet). We received a verbal apology but there was no other action. Well, I guess that's not true...at one point when a fall on the rug caused an injury we did get a bandaid.

In both of our least stays when the room wasn't to our standards we tried to find a better fit. One time they moved us, the other time they couldn't.

 

[Dave006]

We are a bit nervous on what to expect here since it’s a DVC property, but I am assuming since we booked through Disney we will get daily housekeeping and be able to request towels as needed? We love coming back to a fresh room.

Yes you will receive daily housekeeping including towel service and replacement of kitchen, coffee, and bathroom consumables. However sometimes housekeeping confuses Disney booked cash rooms vs DVC stays and that may require you to call housekeeping if they miss your room any day after your check-in day. We have not experienced it often but on 1 visit it happened 1 day on a 8 day stay.

Dave

 

[TeamSy]

I'll only chime in regarding your YC/BC pool cabana questions. There are 4 cabanas, and when you book you can either have them assign you one, or you can ask for a specific cabana if you have a preference. #1 and #2 are by the sand, #3 and #4 are close by, but a little bit more private. They include a few perks, including a fruit tray, soft drinks, and afternoon sweets. If you have a room reservation at BC/YC/BCV, you can book a cabana 60 days out, plus the length of your reservation. You will call 407-WDW-PLAY. I believe the phone lines open at 7AM ET. Since you don't mention when you're going, be aware that Stormalong Bay pool is scheduled to be closed Jan the May/June, 2025 for refurb, so there will be no pool and no cabanas for many months.

We are going this summer. I am surprised there are only 4. I assume they are hot commodities in that case! We rented a long time ago cabanas at the water parks and had a great experience.

Is the sand area you mention the kiddie section or is that somewhere else? Is that a bit busier of an area?

 

[Wood Nymph]

We are going this summer. I am surprised there are only 4. I assume they are hot commodities in that case! We rented a long time ago cabanas at the water parks and had a great experience.

Is the sand area you mention the kiddie section or is that somewhere else? Is that a bit busier of an area?

There is sand in the kiddie pool. It lines the bottom of the pool. There is a bar of sand above the water that is there for kids to make sand castles, etc. There is some sand outside of the pool at the back near the cabanas. But it is only in a small area of SAB.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

The sand is in the kiddie pool. It lines the bottom of the pool. There is a bar of sand above the water that is there for kids to make sand castles, etc. The only sand outside of the pool is the sand that falls off people's feet as they walk.

That's not completely true. There is an entire flat area with chairs next to the kids' pool that has sand. 2 of the cabanas open to that sand area. There are perhaps a dozen or more lounge chairs available on the sand/beach area for guests.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We are going this summer. I am surprised there are only 4. I assume they are hot commodities in that case! We rented a long time ago cabanas at the water parks and had a great experience.

Is the sand area you mention the kiddie section or is that somewhere else? Is that a bit busier of an area?

Yes, only 4 cabanas, and they're not huge. I think they accommodate up to 6, and they are popular. You'll want to call the first morning your reservation allows, if you want one. You'll have to pay up front to hold it. When we had one earlier this year, it was around $275/$300, I think.

I don't know that the kiddie section is that much busier than the other parts of the pools. There's also the deeper lazy river and then what I would call the main pool, which is probably the busiest. Something about the cabanas - it's a private area, so the only traffic should be the families in a cabana that day. Although, the sand/beach area outside #1 and #2 is open to all, so folks will set up on chairs there. There's even a separate cabana exit/entrance you can use if you have a cabana.

 

[Wood Nymph]

That's not completely true. There is an entire flat area with chairs next to the kids' pool that has sand. 2 of the cabanas open to that sand area. There are perhaps a dozen or more lounge chairs available on the sand/beach area for guests.

Oops - I forgot they had some sand at the back of the kiddie pool. Thanks for the info.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Oops - I forgot they had some sand at the back of the kiddie pool. Thanks for the info.

Just familiar with it because the kids in our group love their sand toys outside the cabana!

 

[Best Aunt]

We just booked a 1 bedroom villa through Disney (we are not owners and did not rent points).

Here are my questions.
- The past 2 years since returning to WDW we have not had a single issue with housekeeping. We are a bit nervous on what to expect here since it’s a DVC property, but I am assuming since we booked through Disney we will get daily housekeeping and be able to request towels as needed?

- Years ago we stayed at a Marriott villa and they provided things like small dish soap, a small laundry detergent, and dishwasher soap. Does Disney do this as well?

- We have never stayed ground floor before anywhere ever until we stayed garden wing contemporary and we absolutely loved it. There was something about not getting into an elevator with our large double stroller that made the end of the day more tolerable lol. It was a straight walk to the room! It was also so quiet for being on the ground floor!! Can anyone recommend any request for a 1 bedroom ground floor vila that would be near the path to walk to either Epcot or HS without having to go back to the main building? This would be a standard view we booked. I didn’t realize the villas were in a separate building. Do you have to walk back to the main hotel always or is there a path you can take (stroller friendly) to the walkways to the parks?

For a 1-bedroom villa at Beach Club Villas:

Daily housekeeping:
Guests who are paying with points do not get daily housekeeping.
Guests who are paying with cash (well, credit card) are supposed to get daily housekeeping.
However, as PP mentioned, Housekeeping sometimes gets confused and forgets to service a room which was paid with cash.
If that happens, as PP says, you can call and ask them to come.

Extra towels:
Guests can call to request extra towels, whether they are paying with cash or points.

Dishwashing supplies:
A 1-bedroom villa has a dishwasher.
There will be packets of dishwasher soap in the cabinet under the sink.
There also will be a dish rack under the sink, if you prefer to wash the dishes by hand.
There will be a dish sponge and a bottle of dishwashing liquid next to the sink.
If you need more of the soap for the dishwasher or for handwashing dishes, you can call to request it, whether you are paying with cash or points.

Laundry detergent:
I think there is supposed to be 1 small container of laundry detergent (enough for 1 or maybe 2 loads) in the room when you check in. On occasion, I have found two. I don't know what their rule is about bringing you more. You can certainly call to request more and see what happens. Some people who don't do laundry on arrival day have been know to hide the laundry detergent, thinking that housekeeping is more likely to leave a new container if they don't see one. If for some reason they refused to bring more, you could always go to one of the laundry rooms and buy more from the vending machine.

Walking path to Epcot:
Edit:
My photo and explanation of the shortcut from BCV to Epcot is in Post # 10 of this thread.

Getting to DHS
You could take that shortcut if you are going to DHS, depending on how you plan to get there. If you plan to walk toward BoardWalk and onto DHS from there, I guess the shortcut would save you some time. If you plan to take the boat, the boat dock is near the Yacht Club, so I don't know if it would save you time over cutting through the BC main building.

Getting to AK or MK or Disney Springs:
If you are taking a Disney bus, you don't have to walk through the BC building to get to it. When you walk out the main entrance of BCV, you can walk directly to the bus stop.

Ground floor rooms:
If you have a ground floor room, you will have a door that leads to a patio. But you can't lock that door from outside, so if your whole group is leaving the room, somebody has to lock that door from the inside and then go out the regular door of the room. Also, usually there is landscaping in front of the patio which prevents you from going anywhere from your patio.

If you want a sense of where the rooms are located, you might find this helpful:
http://www.parkinfo2go.com/dvc-bcv/floor1.php

Views:
BCV rooms do not have booking categories based on views. If you are looking for "standard view 1-bedroom villas" to figure out where you might be located, you will confuse yourself.

Pools and cabanas:
I don't like to swim, so I will leave it up to others to answer those questions.

 

[TeamSy]

Yes, only 4 cabanas, and they're not huge. I think they accommodate up to 6, and they are popular. You'll want to call the first morning your reservation allows, if you want one. You'll have to pay up front to hold it. When we had one earlier this year, it was around $275/$300, I think.

I don't know that the kiddie section is that much busier than the other parts of the pools. There's also the deeper lazy river and then what I would call the main pool, which is probably the busiest. Something about the cabanas - it's a private area, so the only traffic should be the families in a cabana that day. Although, the sand/beach area outside #1 and #2 is open to all, so folks will set up on chairs there. There's even a separate cabana exit/entrance you can use if you have a cabana.

This is really helpful thank you! Which cabana in particular did you have and would you request that one again? Any tips? We are a family of 4 (2 little kids) and plan to call right when the window opens and hope for the best! Will they bring us lunch? I feel like we may come/go during our pool day and it would be great to have a home base reserved!

 

[val1234]

This is really helpful thank you! Which cabana in particular did you have and would you request that one again? Any tips? We are a family of 4 (2 little kids) and plan to call right when the window opens and hope for the best! Will they bring us lunch? I feel like we may come/go during our pool day and it would be great to have a home base reserved!

We have stayed in all four but prefer #1 or #2 with little kids because they are both right near the waters edge of the pool. The cabanas are great though and you will have a dedicated attendant that will take your orders and deliver food to you in your cabana. You will also get a stocked fridge with water, soda and apple juice boxes, a very nice fruit plate as well as a very yummy desert plate plus extra snacks like chips, cookies, blondies and Rice Krispie treats. They also brought more cookies and Rice Krispie treats to us upon request. Be advised that the cabanas sell out quickly! I book one for every trip we take to YC and I set my alarm to call on my 60 day at 6am. And even calling at 6am you have to be flexible and take what days and cabanas they have available.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

This is really helpful thank you! Which cabana in particular did you have and would you request that one again? Any tips? We are a family of 4 (2 little kids) and plan to call right when the window opens and hope for the best! Will they bring us lunch? I feel like we may come/go during our pool day and it would be great to have a home base reserved!

Agree with val1234. For a trip that includes little ones, we prefer 1 or 2. For an adults trip, we prefer 3 or 4!

 

[smallsy]

We check in to YC for the first time next week! I know there are mixed opinions on room requests (we have TP), so I'm not sure if we should put one in or not. We will arrive early morning so maybe I could just ask at the desk? We booked a water view room and are a family of 5 (so 2Q+daybed), and while we aren't super picky, we would prefer a room closer to the lobby and probably first floor. It seems like most people prefer higher floors for the balcony-- is there a reason I wouldn't want first floor?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We check in to YC for the first time next week! I know there are mixed opinions on room requests (we have TP), so I'm not sure if we should put one in or not. We will arrive early morning so maybe I could just ask at the desk? We booked a water view room and are a family of 5 (so 2Q+daybed), and while we aren't super picky, we would prefer a room closer to the lobby and probably first floor. It seems like most people prefer higher floors for the balcony-- is there a reason I wouldn't want first floor?

If you have the chance to get to the front desk earlier in the morning of check-in, I would do that. The cast member won't tell you the room number until it's ready, but they can see the room number and location. We have found there are times they can make room adjustments if your original room isn't what you're looking for. Sometimes they can't. For us, the higher floor is simple - we prefer to be on the top floor to avoid the issue of people running around in the room above us at 6AM! If you wish a first floor room, I hope you get it!

 

[smallsy]

If you have the chance to get to the front desk earlier in the morning of check-in, I would do that. The cast member won't tell you the room number until it's ready, but they can see the room number and location. We have found there are times they can make room adjustments if your original room isn't what you're looking for. Sometimes they can't. For us, the higher floor is simple - we prefer to be on the top floor to avoid the issue of people running around in the room above us at 6AM! If you wish a first floor room, I hope you get it!

We will likely be those people running around at 6am so maybe the lower floor request is good for both us and our neighbors.

 

[Best Aunt]

We check in to YC for the first time next week! I know there are mixed opinions on room requests (we have TP), so I'm not sure if we should put one in or not. We will arrive early morning so maybe I could just ask at the desk? We booked a water view room and are a family of 5 (so 2Q+daybed), and while we aren't super picky, we would prefer a room closer to the lobby and probably first floor. It seems like most people prefer higher floors for the balcony-- is there a reason I wouldn't want first floor?

I don't know exactly when rooms are assigned, but if you are checking in next week (and it's already Thursday), you might be too late. If you want to try, you can use Touring Plans. Or you can call 1-407-W-DISNEY.

You also might want to check the Disneyworld website. If YC is sold out for your first night, then I would guess that there's not a lot of likelihood for getting a different room that night if the rooms have already been assigned. (Even if it's not sold out, that doesn't mean you can switch because you don't know how long people's reservations are for.)

And if you do online check in and put in preferences at that time, it supposedly overrides any requests you make through Touring Plans or by phone. I don't know if that happens if you do online check in before you made requests, or only if you do it after you made requests.

Not everybody prefers the higher floors. People with strollers, scooters and wheelchairs sometimes like to avoid the elevators. People who are claustrophobic (or trying to avoid germs) sometimes like to avoid the elevators. And people who just plain don't like elevators sometimes try to avoid them. So you can't assume that "first floor" is a request that's likely to be met because people like balconies.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We got back last night from a very nice stay in a BCV studio. Now we have to leave tomorrow for our flight to California for a wedding on Sunday. Our flight home last night was delayed by almost three hours because of a huge storm.

One thing that was new since our last trip to the YC/BC was the microwave at the Beach Club marketplace has been moved from outside the doors of the marketplace to inside. It is now across from the refrigerator/freezer and no longer available when the marketplace is closed.