Hotels near Epcot/DHS

[foreverducky]

I'm looking for opinions.

I'm trying to plan a trip for myself and my parents (along with maybe a few other family members). I am mainly trying to decide on a hotel for my parents and I. I think that the Epcot/DHS hotels are fantastic. They always say it's location, location, location, and well, I believe that.

I've stayed at the Dolphin, but none of the others in that area. What's everyone's opinion on the hotels in the Epcot/DHS area?

[Keith]

I'm looking for opinions.

I'm trying to plan a trip for myself and my parents (along with maybe a few other family members). I am mainly trying to decide on a hotel for my parents and I. I think that the Epcot/DHS hotels are fantastic. They always say it's location, location, location, and well, I believe that.

I've stayed at the Dolphin, but none of the others in that area. What's everyone's opinion on the hotels in the Epcot/DHS area?

Gosh, great question!

So many great choices all very individual. I've had many a debate with people over these ;-)

Personally.....
Dolphin brilliant... love the "normal" hotel in the middle of disney feel although its not as disney as a disney hotel. Love the 24hr shop/food place
swan smaller but I preferred the dolphin personally

boardwalk - weird ;/ great views sometimes but noisy and kinda weird :/
yacht club - expensive and I wanted to like it but we just didn't. Our room was just up the stairs as you walk in and so every day we just walked out and didnt really feel there was much actual hotel. Dark, our room overlooked, well, nothing much. Perhaps if we'd had a better view? wouldnt do again
beach club - closer to epcot and we're trying it for the first time this year

[foreverducky]

Thanks for the input Keith. Too bad about the Yacht Club. I would love to hear how you like the Beach Club.

The only thing I didn't like about the Dolphin were the buses. Sometimes it seemed to take forevvvverrrrrrr! However, those beds really were heavenly.

[Johnie]

I stayed for a weekend at The Beach Club this past Labor Day weekend. I absolutely loved it!!! I would stay there again in a heartbeat.

You also cannot beat the price for Swan and Dolphin.

[Tink]

Looooooove, lovety, love the Beach Club. It's a beautiful resort (reminiscent of my childhood years in Maine, color scheme and style wise). Staff are great, and location is the closest to EPCOT.

Don't like the Yacht Club. Really wanted to, and it's very well done to put you in the mood of being on a Yacht, but that's where the "good" ends.

Really, really don't like the Boardwalk Inn. LOATHE the clown pool. The Inn itself is set up oddly, with those forever walks to the rooms. The staff are the least pleasant on property and if you are going to be treated badly it will be there. It's noisy! Too weird, but true.

The Swan and Dolphin are just neat. Never stayed though, but relatives have.

So! It's BC all the way!

[foreverducky]

What are the differences between the Beach Club resort rooms and their villas?

[Tink]

Major differences. The resort rooms (the hotel proper) are luxury hotel rooms. They have two doubles, or two queens (can't honestly remember!) or a king. No coffee maker, many have a full balcony, some have a standing only balcony.

The Villas (DVC portion) are either studios or one or two bedrooms. They all have some level of kitchen facility (with studio having a kitchnette [micro/coffee maker/small refrigerator/sink] and all others having full kitchen).

The Villas are separate from the Resort, with their own parking lot. There isn't much of a view for the villas, to be honest. They have their own quiet pool, but you can use any BC pool regardless of where you are staying on BC property. There is another quiet pool for the resort (and of course the large Storm Along Bay).

Does that help at all?

[foreverducky]

Major differences. The resort rooms (the hotel proper) are luxury hotel rooms. They have two doubles, or two queens (can't honestly remember!) or a king. No coffee maker, many have a full balcony, some have a standing only balcony.

The Villas (DVC portion) are either studios or one or two bedrooms. They all have some level of kitchen facility (with studio having a kitchnette [micro/coffee maker/small refrigerator/sink] and all others having full kitchen).

The Villas are separate from the Resort, with their own parking lot. There isn't much of a view for the villas, to be honest. They have their own quiet pool, but you can use any BC pool regardless of where you are staying on BC property. There is another quiet pool for the resort (and of course the large Storm Along Bay).

Does that help at all?

It does. But is there a reason as to why someone would want a villa over a room (other than the kitchen stuff)?

[Tink]

Well, that would be my first though. Someone who wants a microwave, refrigerator, and coffee maker handy (for the studio) would choose a studio villa. Definitely choose a villa if you want a full kitchen, a jacuzzi bath, an in-villa laundry room, and more space than a resort room.

That's mostly what has happened to us. Once we stayed in DVC villas we simply are not happy with a "regular" resort hotel room any longer, if only for the coffee maker being in the room. I do like my coffee first thing in the morning, especially when there is a private "porch" to sit on and enjoy it in peace and quiet.

DVC villas are more spacious than resort rooms, too. If more than one person, or one couple is staying together, than DVC really makes a difference space wise, not to mention extra closet space, etc. Now, I'd not stay in a studio with anymore than two, regardless of how many they are supposed to accommodate. Studios really are just larger resort rooms with that kitchenette thing.

[foreverducky]

Thanks Tink!

Decisions, decisions!