Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Disney World. Not my first trip to Disney, but it was my first time staying in the Beach Club Resort. And. I. Loved. It! Let me tell you more ...
The moment you walk into the Beach Club Resort, you are enveloped in the feeling of being at a true “beach club.” The lobby is beautifully and richly appointed, and brings to mind the days of the early twentieth century, when those who could were beginning to spend their summers on the beach. The furnishing are inviting; there were always guests relaxing there. I will admit that I would love to have some of the pieces for my house! It is a lobby in constant use; even when I arrived after 10:00 the night I checked in, the lobby was bustling with activity.
The Beach Club provides, to this urbanite, an absolutely perfect location. An Epcot resort, it is close enough to walk to the park. You can also walk quite easily to the Boardwalk, which was one of my favorite activities first thing in the morning while my family was still getting ready to go, or after we returned in the evening and the others were ready to call it a day. I love having shopping and activities within walking distance; this was a major selling point to me.
If you are in the mood to swim, you’ve come to the right place. The pool was a huge favorite among my family, particularly the “beach” section, complete with sand. My nieces loved playing in the sand! The vast majority of that section of the pool is two feet deep, so my three-year-old niece was never in water over her head. They have lifejackets available for use; with her lifejacket, she was free to swim all around that area of the pool.
The pool has more than sand. There is a water slide that begins in a “shipwreck” and ends in a deeper area of the pool. A volleyball net stretches across one section of the pool, awaiting a pick up match. Three hot tubs dot the pool area. And, a restaurant / bar, Hurricane Hanna’s, is located poolside, ready for when you need a bit of refreshment.
While we’re talking about restaurants at the Beach Club, there are two special places that I absolutely loved. The first is the Cape May Cafe, which features a buffet breakfast complete with a crepe making station, and a seafood buffet dinner. The breakfast was wonderful - the food was good, but the best part was the Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy all stopped by to join us for breakfast. They were fantastic breakfast companions - they were systematic in their rounds of the dining room, making sure each table had an equal amount of time with them. And, they were so great with the girls - Donald even had my nine month old niece laughing and grabbing his beak and face. The girls - and the adults - loved the experience.
My other favorite was Beaches and Cream Soda Shop. It is an ice cream shop and grill restaurant that serves lunch, dinner, and, I can’t stress this enough, ice cream. I won’t lie - I didn’t try anything beyond the ice cream. If you’re looking for a place to sit down for lunch or dinner, I’d try to make a reservation - they didn’t have tables available during peak dining times. However, Beaches and Cream has a carry out entrance where you can order ice cream to go. My favorite treat was the ice cream sandwich. You choose the flavor of ice cream, and the staff will put a generous helping of it between two chocolate chip cookies.
If you’re looking for some family-friendly evening activities, the Beach Club has you covered. Each evening kicks off with a campfire on the beach, along with roasting marshmallows, making s’mores, and singing songs. Chase your sugar high with a movie - the resort shows a different Disney movie on the beach or in the solarium every night. I didn’t have the chance to sit down and watch a movie, but I walked past and saw plenty of guests snuggled up with their families, enjoying the evening entertainment.
The Disney magic is everywhere at the Beach Club Resort. After my first stay there last week, I already can’t wait to go back! I know you’ll love staying there as much as I do.
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