CR or BC

I am having such a hard time deciding which resort to stay at. Technically we already have a reservation for CR and that’s walkable to MK. After booking that and then planning like crazy, we are contemplating switching to BC for the pool. Will we even have enough time to swim? Ugh, how do you guys make up your mind.

Honestly, I think this was one of the hardest aspects of my trip planning. We started off at CS, then PORFQ, then CR and are now staying at AKL. HA! Once DH and I decided we wanted to make this our big vacation for the year, we upgraded to CR mainly because he loved the idea of having the monorail right there. Then, when the fall specials were released and we realized we could save A LOT by considering a different resort, we researched and made the decision to reserve at AKL. I received a lot of feedback here about which rooms to look at and why, which helped me make the final change.
If the only reason you are looking to switch to BC is for the pool, then I would say you want to make sure to set aside time to spend at the resort. If you are hoping to be in the parks from RD to close, then you are probably better off keeping your current reservation at CR.

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I had this self-same dilemma.

I originally booked BC, mostly for the pool and the walkability to Epcot and DHS.

But then I switched to CR, mostly for the theme park view and walkability to MK.

But then I cleverly booked next year’s trip at BC.

So basically my advice is: stay at both!

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If you have hoppers and are spending 1/2 your time or less at MK, I’d stay at any of the Epcot resorts. So convenient for 2 parks and still easy to get to the others.

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Both are great resorts. I think it depends which parks you will spend more time at.
We like to take afternoon breaks from the parks and tend to swim then. Sometimes we have a day of no parks and spend the day at the pool. If you stay at the BC definitely set aside time to swim.

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@classykat22 This is hard! I know either one we will not regret as they both have so much to offer. At this point I think CR is winning for less expensive, just a smudge, and all the dining it has to offer on the monorail. But that Stormalong Bay…

@profmatt - I’ve read you had this dilemma. I don’t know if we will go back. Maybe after this trip it will be hard for DH to say no to another trip. Whichever resort we don’t stay at, I hope we’ll be able to stay at someday.

@nslappin - At this point we don’t have PH. If we move to BC, we will have to get them because I think we’ll end up eating there most nights.

@DreamLaughImagine - It’s 50/50, two full days at MK, and two at HS & EP. Actually I think we will spend more time at MK. However we may spend less if we stay at CR and can go back for breaks. We would stay in MK longer if we stayed at BC because it’s a bit further away.

I guess, I’ll have to sleep on it and make a few more mock plans. I have to make my ADR’s soon so I want to make a decision before that time. DH is fine with whatever I pick, so no help in making a decision. Actually he likes whatever is cheaper. :joy:

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Just my two cents…

I have stayed at both. 3 times at Beach Club, once at Yacht Club (same access to Stormalong Bay) and twice at Contemporary. My next vacation I’m booked at Beach Club for Food and Wine Festival!

Beach Club is my all-time favourite. I love Stormalong Bay, the atmosphere, and especially the short distance to Epcot with all the amazing dining options in World Showcase.

Last December I stayed at Contemporary for the second time for a very short stay, basically to experience MVMCP, so the proximity to MK was a must. But the experience was not great… The monorail was a big letdown! Epcot monorail was shut down during the day and we experienced many delays. Not magical! The experience of getting to the hotel lobby with the monorail… the dream… a nightmare! More than 1 hour to transfer from Epcot. The longest wait I had during my entire trip!

The Theme Park view from the tower in Contemporary is simply amazing! It is very nice to see Cinderella castle from your bed, but I think HEA doesn’t work very well from the balcony… Wishes was much better to watch from such distance.

I don’t see myself staying at Contemporary in the future… but I dream about Beach Club and the relaxed atmosphere, walking distance to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios… and the amazing Stormalong Bay…

Well, if you have any specific questions regarding these two resorts to help you decide, feel free to ask.

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My two cents. DS9’s favorite resort is the Contemporary, mainly because he loved the monorail. My favorite resort is Beach Club because of the easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, the quiet resort (we found the Contemporary to be very loud with Chef Mickey and the water parade) and of course, Stormalong Bay (I could spend my entire trip here and be happy!). I’m not a fan of the food options in Beach Club, but it’s a quick 5 minute walk to Epcot and you have all the options in World Showcase. Even the smell of the Beach Club lobby makes me happy!

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Thanks for all the feedback. I like that Beach Club gets a lot of love. I know we wouldn’t regret staying there. However since this our first trip, we decided to stay at the Contemporary to be near Magic Kingdom. Hopefully the monorail won’t be down too often while we are there. DH thinks this will be our only trip, but when “I” go back with the kids, we’ll book Beach Club for sure!

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The monorail was never down the week we stayed there last year - and it even ran early enough to get us to Early Morning Magic hours at the Magic Kingdom one day!

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Why not do a split stay. This way you do both in one trip.

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That would be a good idea in theory, but then I can’t get my FPP for FOP and TSL unless I switch after FP time. Also, since the kids have never been we were planning starting and ending with MK and a garden dessert party. Walking back to MK after HEA would be magical, which is another reason we decided to stay and why we booked CR in the first place. We aren’t night owls.

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Yay, that’s great to hear. DD said she must ride the monorail!

How old are your kids as well? I have heard that Stormalong Bay is better for older kids who are stronger swimmers since it is so spread out, etc. Sounds like a good plan for your “next” trip!

They are older (almost 10 & 13) and strong swimmers. I’m glad we got the trip in before they youngest became a Disney adult! The whole BC came along when I switched my plan around taking out a water park day and adding Epcot. The kids will still like the pool and slide at CR. Originally we were on the fence between CSR and CR and CR is stretching the budget a bit. BR is more than CR! There’s always extra costs associated with everything so best to stick with original plan.