Wind Waves & Wands Blog
Disney World has amazing themed resorts, but when people ask me which is my favourite, there is one that shines above the rest. Best pool on property, kitchen sink ice cream sundaes, and a lobby that smells like soft dreamy summer days!
Let’s Talk about the Beach Club Resort!
No one was more surprised than me that this hotel made the top of my list. I have stayed at many of the on property resorts including some of the most popular, and I only ended up at the Beach Club Resort because the option I wanted wasn’t available, but this hotel offers comfort, luxury and so much fun!
I wasn’t initially drawn to this location as it didn’t seem to have the theming I expect from a Disney Resort. Places like Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Polynesian or Wilderness Lodge are so fun and over the top and this one just looked to me like a standard hotel. After spending three nights here I can tell you there is nothing standard about the Beach Club Resort!
The Beach Club is sister to the Yacht Club and you can use the amenities of both. The two resorts share the fantastic pool, Storm Along Bay. Stepping into the lobby the first thing to hit me was the smell. I know, such a crazy thing to notice but my husband and I talk about it still! Sweet and subtle-y floral with a hint of sunscreen. The smell just instantly sent me into summer vacation mode! The lobby is filled with sunlight and soft colours, pretty decorations, and comfy chairs to just sit a minute to take it all in. The hallways are all carpeted and very soft and squishy. On days when we were regularly putting in 30,000 steps around the parks, those squishy carpets were a treat for our sore feet.
We stayed in a standard room and were very happy with that. The décor was again light and soft coloured and very comfortable. We loved our room and enjoyed sitting out on our balcony at the end of the day relaxing and taking in the sounds of the area.
Food options were also really great here. Here you can find the famous Beaches and Cream, where you can get delicious dinner food and ice cream treats, including the infamous Kitchen Sink sundae! We dined at Cape May for breakfast as well and it was one of our favourite meals. They offer a buffet breakfast with a huge assortment of traditional and comforting breakfast foods and all the coffee and POG juice you could hope for. This is a character breakfast where Minnie and friends join you in their beach party outfits! Later in the day the characters head home and Cape May transforms from offering breakfast to a seafood forward New England style buffet. Across at the Yacht Club you can also visit their upscale more adult friendly dining options including the Yachtsman steakhouse. The quick serve options are all also amazing and we really enjoyed Hurricane Hanna’s for kids lunches while hanging out at the pool.
One of the big reasons for staying here is the pool! But let’s be real, Storm Along Bay is more than a pool! This is a mini waterpark! The main pool has a zero-depth entry with sandy bottom which really makes it feel like a beach. This is a great spot for littles to splash around and play in the sand. Beside the sandy bottomed main pool the water opens up into a slow moving lazy river. I could have spent my entire day just floating along watching the kids play and occasionally hopping out to grab a snack from Hurricane Hanna’s pool bar. There are also a bunch of whirlpool hot tubs nestled into the rocks around the pool that you can poach in and relax your tired muscles. Poolside, the main event for my kids was the slide. It is long! Seriously long! You need to exit the pool area, cross the walking path that circles the lake and then climb to the top of a ruined pirate ship to take a trip down this incredible slide that takes you all the way back to the pool.
For me the biggest draw and the reason I will come back to the Beach Club again and again is the transportation and location. Beach Club is nestled right between Epcot and Hollywood studios. They have frequent boats into both parks which offers a nice alternative to the bus. Additionally, you are right beside the Skyliner and can easily hop on to get to Hollywood studios, other resorts, or even just to take a ride and get an amazing view from above. But none of these transportation options are even necessary as you can easily walk to several other resorts, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. The Epcot walk in particular was an absolute treat. From our hotel room which was right on the outer edge of the hotel, it was actually faster for us to walk to Epcot than it was to walk to the hotel lobby. Since we had hopper passes and there was a food festival running this gave us wonderful and easy dining options while staying here.
As with all the deluxe resorts at Disney, there are fun activities throughout the day, with games at the pool, movies under the stars and campfires on the beach where you can toast marshmallows. You can always check what activities are offered during your stay as these do change and you won’t want to miss out on something amazing because you didn’t know it was happening.
Beach Club resort really offered the complete package for my family. Beautiful space with so much to do and just the right amount of luxurious relaxation. Our family has a hard time booking any other resort when we visit Disney because this one just checks so many boxes for us. The staff were all wonderful and went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and pampered. You will not be bored, uncomfortable or hungry in your days at the Beach Club Resort.
