Nine Fantastic Reasons We Love Disney’s Beach Club Resort
When you plan to spend a lot of time at EPCOT during a Disney vacation, you should know where to stay.
Image: MickeyBlog.com
If you don’t, I’m here to tell you. Here are nine reasons to love Disney’s Beach Club Resort, one of the best overall hotels in Orlando.
The Theming
Some Disney resorts feature theming that requires an explanation.
For example, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn across the water celebrates early 1900s Coney Island and Atlantic City with its theming.
Disney’s Beach Club features a theme of…the beach! Yes, it’s super-simple but absolutely perfect.
You’ll know you’re near the hotel as you walk past the water and notice a beachfront area near an artificial lake.
A shipwrecked boat signifies that you’re nearly at the resort, which adds beachy touches everywhere.
When you stay here, you’re choosing a laid-back vacation approach wherein you spend part of your time hanging out at the pool.
Imagineers didn’t overthink it at this resort. You’re at Beach Club, and it feels like you’re on summer vacation no matter when you visit!
The Lobby
Back in the halcyon days of yore, waaaaaay back in 2019, guests had to do something weird. They had to check in at the front desk of the hotel.
While My Disney Experience has negated this need, I still think fondly of the many hours I’ve spent hanging out at Beach Club’s lobby.
The immaculate décor here feels the right kind of snooty, upscale but not oppressive.
Also, the seating here is ridiculously comfortable, so much so that my wife and I often argue about who must stand in line.
We both love to sit in the deep-backed chairs while the other one does all the work.
The lobby at Beach Club relaxes me with its homey vibe. It’s one of my top five favorite lobbies across Disney resorts.
Photo: Ashley Fasso
The Location
Saying that the location at Beach Good is good undersells the point. In fact, I’ll list three different reasons why I love it.
The first aspect of the location involves the walk to the Disney Skyliner. From the far side of the resort, you’re still just an eight-minute walk away!
Disney Skyliner gondola
Image Credit; Disney
When you’re on the closer side, you have sooo many options. You can walk to the Disney Skyliner, the International Gateway, or the BoardWalk!
Remarkably, you’re less than five minutes away from any of them! I’ve actually checked this on a Fitbit.
You’re 300 steps away from the BoardWalk, 400 steps from the Disney Skyliner, or 500 steps away from the International Gateway.
The world is your oyster when you stay at Beach Club! You can get to several resorts and two theme parks in a matter of minutes!
The International Gateway
This place once stood as one of the best-kept secrets at Walt Disney World.
When I talk about the International Gateway, I’m really referencing the back entrance to EPCOT!
I just mentioned how close Beach Club is to the International Gateway. What does that mean to hotel guests?
Photo: WDW Kingdom
You’re a brief walk from the trafficked park entrance. Once you enter EPCOT, you’re already in the World Showcase.
You can turn right to the France pavilion or go straight for the United Kingdom and Canada pavilions.
The convenience of Beach Club’s International Gateway access blows my mind.
Once, when my wife was sleeping in, I went to EPCOT, rode Soarin’, and was back in my hotel room within a half-hour of the park’s opening!
Beach Club’s private park access is fantastic!
The BoardWalk
Of course, you don’t always want to hop on the Disney Skyliner or visit EPCOT.
Sometimes, you want to go off the beaten path and spend some time at the less-heralded entertainment district at Walt Disney World.
Sure, Disney Springs receives all the hype. However, longtime Disney fans know that Disney’s BoardWalk turns magical at night.
Image: Disney Springs
The illuminated billboards and street entertainment create majestic photo ops and viral videos.
Plus, when the pandemic is done, we can dance the night away here!
Let the tourists go to Disney Springs. The Disney diehards know the BoardWalk is where it’s at!
The Seafood
Did you watch MickeyBlog’s recent videos from Cape May Café? One of the best Disney resort restaurants had stayed closed until recently.
Fans of the place went 14 months without some of the finest seafood at Walt Disney World.
Thankfully, the service has returned at breakfast and dinner, albeit with two modifications.
Minnie Mouse isn’t hosting a character breakfast right now, but the meal’s still terrific! Here’s a recent MickeyBlog breakfast visit.
The other change involves the serving style. This seafood place had always worked as a buffet until the pandemic ruined those for everyone.
So, cast members now serve the meal family-style, meaning that they bring it to your table. It’s still All You Care to Enjoy, though.
Cape May Café has always provided a delicious meal to guests. During its 2021 incarnation, it’s cheaper than it had been in recent years, too!
Photo: DisneyFanatic.com
Breakfast is only $25 per adult, while dinner is $42 each. That’s seriously $15-$20 less than before the pandemic.
The Kitchen Sink
Personally, Cape May Café is only my second favorite restaurant at Beach Club, though. I’m devout about the other place, Beaches & Cream Soda Shop.
This throwback 1950s joint relishes its theme, which is basically Arnold’s from Happy Days (google it, kids!).
You’ll eat burgers and select music from the jukebox, both of which I find soothing during a Disney trip.
However, the real star comes at dessert when guests order ice cream treats aplenty.
The granddaddy of them all is the Kitchen Sink. Here’s what it looks like from behind the scenes:
Folks, people eat that! When anyone orders the Kitchen Sink, the cast members make a huge deal of it, sounding an alarm as they serve it.
The whole thing is equal parts embarrassing and adorable. For large groups, it’s a marvelous challenge and tremendous bonding experience.
At some point in your life, you MUST try ordering the Kitchen Sink!
The Marketplace
I marvel at this place whenever I stay at the resort. Beach Club Marketplace embodies the swiss army knife style of hotel gift shops, only it’s so much more!
When you enter Beach Club Marketplace, you can shop for a new outfit or upgrade your swimsuit.
Roughly one-third of the store’s space goes to retail merchandise. On the opposite side, another third of it is a restaurant!
Yes, you can order sandwiches and other entrees here, including the legendary flatbreads. Pasta is plentiful at Beach Club Marketplace.
I’ve also enjoyed many breakfast platters here, as it’s grab-and-go perfection.
Meanwhile, the rest of the store sells a combination of memorabilia and cooking items, plus a heavy helping of snacks.
Disney has squished a restaurant, shop, and snack shop into one magnificent store. I’ve dropped a LOT of money here.
I also bought one of my favorite shirts ever at Beach Club Marketplace. For whatever reason, I really like the material used here.
Stormalong Bay
I’ve saved the best for last. Look, I love everything about Beach Club and have stayed here as much as any other Walt Disney World resort.
Photo: Disney
The place is in my overall top three, along with Disney’s Contemporary Resort and my beloved Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
When I plan to spend most of my time at Magic Kingdom, I stay at one of those two places. On EPCOT days, I want to be at Beach Club.
Credit: Disney
The primary reason why is that I love slipping out of the park to take a dip in the pool at Beach Club.
While I love the Quiet Pool here, I won’t bother selling you on that one. When you stay at Beach Club, you’re swimming at Stormalong Bay. Period.
Less a pool and more a water park, Stormalong Bay features everything you could want. It’s got a giant sunbathing section and a massive waterslide.
Also, Hurricane Hanna’s Grill serves full meals and delectable cocktails. It’s not a swim-up but instead a (large) restaurant kiosk with a bar area.
The real star is the pool itself, though. Stormalong Bay features sand-bottom flooring and a lazy river.
You can happily lose hours here and barely even notice. I speak from experience on this subject.
Image Credit: Disney
At an impeccable hotel, Stormalong Bay stands above as the best amenity. It’s at the top of the nine reasons we love Beach Club.
Feature Image Rights: Disney
