Once my wife and I had finally decided to celebrate our anniversary with a vacation at Disney World we began researching resort choices. We realized that we wanted to wake up at a Disney Resort, travel around the resort via Disney transportation, and experience the various Disney Restaurants. Therefore, staying on property made sense. And, our travel agent explained to us that there are many perks at a Disney Resort.
We were looking for a resort that would afford us the convenience and amenities to relax during our vacation, not just give us a room to sleep in between visits to the parks. At first my wife and I had considered Disney’s Grand Floridian Deluxe Resort & Spa. Based on the Disney website, this hotel seemed very romantic and opulent. However, we quickly realized that it was not as centrally located as we wanted to be, and that it was more costly than we had budgeted for this particular trip. With the help of our travel agent, who explain the pros and cons of the other Disney resorts, we finally decided to plan our vacation around Disney’s Beach Club.
The location of the Beach & Yacht Club Resort, between Epcot and Hollywood Studies, was perfect for our vacation plans. And, as New Englanders, we really appreciated the seaside theming. This hotel has all the amenities we usually look for when planning our vacations: a white sandy beach, pools (it has 3), and a comfortable room. We chose to stay in the Beach Club Villas, which afforded us a small kitchenette, and a large room with a balcony. One evening, early in our trip, we noticed from our balcony fireworks off in the distance. We realized that we were watching the Wishes display that was happening in the Magic Kingdom, 6 miles away.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort was definitely the right choice, for us. It is smaller than the other resorts, with fewer guests. There are numerous out-of-the way places we discovered to eat a quick service meal. We enjoyed the quiet of the Solarium on a few occasions.
The theming at the Beach Club was comfortable and authentic to the coastal resorts in the northeast. On several occasions we spent a few hours at the “quiet” pool behind the Villas, which our room overlooked. There were only a few people there with us, which afford us some time to get away from the crowds and relax.
We took full advantage of the free transportation available to our resort. One afternoon we walked to the front of Epcot by way of the International
Gateway of the World Showcase. Once there, we boarded the monorail to the TTC, transferred, and rode the resort monorail loop to the Contemporary for dinner. From the Yacht & Beach Club pier we rode a boat to Hollywood Studios for a morning tour of the park. And, due to the smaller size of our resort, the bus stop for the other parks was just a short walk away.
As a mature fan of Walt Disney World, what Disney Resort have you experienced? What were your reasons for choosing a specific resort for your vacation? If you are planning your first trip to Walt Disney World as a mature traveler, what resort have you booked for your vacation, and why? Please post your comments and keep the conversation going.
In the next chapter of The Mature Mouse™ I will take a look at our experiences making advanced dinning reservations, ADRs, months before our trip.
The Mature Mouse™ 
We travel to WDW 2x a year. I go with my adult (20’s) daughter. Husband has no interest!! Going twice a year January is usually a moderate. Our fav is POR. Love the beautiful landscaping, and peaceful atmosphere. Boat to DTD, & evening entertainment in lounge.
August is usually a Deluxe stay. We’ve stayed at WL x3, AKL X2, Poly, GF x2, BC & YC. I’ve enjoyed them all, each one has something special to offer.
Where we stay is a big part of our vacation, we spend time at our resort, taking mid day breaks, and a resort day or 2. We may just stay at a park till 2 then return for the day and enjoy our resort. We aren’t at the parks from open to closing. B
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Someday, I hope to visit WDW at least once a year.
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My wife and I always stay at one of the five value resorts. We only need a place to sleep and shower; we don’t use the pools. We are up and out to a table service breakfast and then hit the parks. Our break during the day is not going back to our room, but rather a leisurely late meal at a table service restaurant. Then it’s back into the parks followed by a late meal. We are not thrill ride enthusiasts so we are not part of the long lines. The value resorts offer just what we need– a clean, comfortable bed, a hot shower, and the free Disney Magical Express bus service. We visit the luxury resorts during the days and often find a quiet alcove to rest for a while. While we are probably not the norm, the value resorts serve us just fine.
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Rodney: It is great to hear about adults choosing the value resorts. We avoided them on our first trip because we thought we would be surrounded by families with small children. There will come a time we will bring our grandchildren to WDW, and the value resort seems perfect for those visits. Which of the values is tour favorite?
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