Planning a trip next year. Was thinking WL and GF split stay… now thinking an Epcot hotel and then a MK hotel would make more sense. Kids will be 4 abd 7. Beach club or yacht club? That pool looks fun! Also might do CL because we liked it at the Poly— any favorite CL resorts around Epcot? Is there any Disney theming in these hotels or is it just like any other beach resort?
Thanks for your tips! Great to hear first hand experience…
We stayed at the Boardwalk in 2017 then Yacht Club in 2018 and we were very disappointed in the Yacht Club. The pool is fun but huge. It really isn’t “disney” themed at all. Beach Club looked like cute beach-y theming. We are going back to Boardwalk this year because we love the area so much.
We are also going to BWI this year. Loved the YC but I agree it is not as themed and may not be as fun for little kids. Mine were teens at the time and we loved it because it was a quiet retreat, unlike BC, which was a lot more… active. 
They’re all great resorts. I love the EPCOT area, it’s really nice if you’re a park-hopper who wants to take an afternoon break. Much less bus time.
I think your idea of doing a split stay with a MK hotel and an Epcot hotel makes a lot of sense. We have stayed at all 3 Epcot resorts and like them all. With the ages of your kids I would think BC would be the way to go. It seems a bit brighter than the YC. With that said we loved our stay at the YC and we stayed CL. I felt that the CMs in the club were the some of best we have ever encountered.
DH and I were just talking… park
Hopper would make sense—- we will def have a long pool break but then we could head out to eat dinner. We really didn’t see world showcase last fall so
This would give us a chance to break it up a bit.
If you want to a have a pool break in the afternoon then doing YC or BC would be perfect. The pool is awesome. If you stay at the BC then you are a 5 min walk from the WS–it’s wonderful.
I worry about a loud resort… is it noticeably packed and crazy? Besides the fact that it’s Disney so kids are excited…
I feel the BC had a bit more energy than the YC–if that makes sense. But I don’t think either of the resorts was really loud. The pool is huge so even with a lot of people it didn’t feel crazy. The last two times we have been to the BC my kids played games with Disney characters at the resort–it was so fun.
Thanks so much for your help! Sounds like it might be a good pick!
I second the Beach Club - it’s my favorite resort. I.wpuld say it’s active, not crazy. There’s a lot of activity, but it’s not crowded or crazy. I’m going back 30 days from today, so I’m super excited. Its also unbelievably close to Epcot. We often will RD a park, blitz it until mid afternoon, come back to the resort for an hour or two, and then head out to World Showcase at night (maybe getting an extra FP to Soarin or TT if we can…). It’s literally a 5 minute walk to Epcot from the lobby.
Sounds like a dream! Ok time to start changing my proposed plans… being right next to Epcot would be a game changer…
Gotta put my two cents in for Beach Club, although I’ve never stayed at Boardwalk. BC is SO close to Epcot and I love the vibe. It’s not in-your-face Disney, but it’s definitely beachy. The pool is more like a water park and everything is easy to get to. It’s also easy to walk to the great restaurants at Yacht Club or take the boat to Swan & Dolphin for more out-of-the-way dining.
Thanks for your input! I think I’m booking it! As soon as it opens…
Question is there no quick service option? Or a place I can buy a cup of coffee? Being close to Epcot I wouldn’t worry much about other meals…
Only stayed at BWI near Epcot and that was years ago when they “let my kids into Beach Club Pool” Loved BWI. Have stayed at Poly - 33 years ago, CR 2 years ago (absolutely the best customer service of any resort in the bubble) and WL 1.5 years ago - Love WL for the ambiance (not the best customer service but GOOD)
The gift shop has a little quick service place (very limited menu). You can get coffee there.
There’s also the pool bar, Hurricane Hannah’s. Plus the YC which is next door.
We’re staying at the YC this sept. Originally we were booked at the BW, but my husband hates that pool, and there’s a good chance of getting a full size balcony at the YC, so we switched to there. We live in GA so we’re used to the heat - I love the idea of sitting out on the balcony after the kids are asleep and having some time to decompress with my husband. I’ve never stayed at any Epcot-area hotel and I’m so excited to see how it is! Idk if I’ll like it better than the AKL, but we’ll see 
We were thinking about trying AKL! But now being so close to Epcot just sounds nice. We didn’t see world show case at all last trip.
Boardwalk is my favorite.
Beach club smells like seafood and burnt yellow cake to me (I’m super smell sensitive)
Yacht Club is nice, but the Boardwalk is my jam. 100%.
Bunt yellow cake 
thanks for your thoughts! I stayed st the boardwalk as a teeenager and thought it was great. My kids are looking for lots of pool time/ that’s where I am torn on boardwalk.