Is Stormalong Bay Worth It?

[WiltshireBen]

So having finally agreed that we ARE going back to Orlando next year , we're now deciding which Disney hotel to choose.
Really we're looking at either CBR or BC, but the difference in price is over £3k for a two week stay, and my question is 'Is Stormalong Bay worth the difference'.

Otherwise I think the two are fairly evenly matched, both have great access to HS and Epcot, both are themed really well, restaurants look good and both have recently been refurbished.

We love a water park, and having our 'own' onsite is a big draw, but it's pretty much doubling our hotel bill so need to know it's worth it!

[Bozza]

We love Beach Club and keep returning there.

I wouldn't rate them equally on access. Being able to and from walk to two parks is a great benefit for us. We could leave our room and be in France with a boozy slushy in our hands in about 6-7 minutes. Also, if the weather turns bad, the Skyliner will close and you may have a very big wait for a bus. On our last visit an incredible storm rolled in one evening and we were able to make a dash from the Studios back to the hotel.

Stormalong Bay is good, but probably not £3k worth of good. For us, Beach Club is more a sum of the parts than one particular feature.

£3k is a reasonable chunk of cash though - only you can determine whether that is worth it for you.

[MrsBC]

We love the Y&BC and the Crescent Lake area in general and like Bozza, we just keep going back - but this year, with no included DDP to offset the cost, we've booked a lake view room at the Dolphin for much less than half of the BC cost and we're in the same location with the same access to the 2 parks, the Boardwalk and Y&BC if we choose to visit.

[Dr.JumbaJookiba]

Originally Posted by Bozza

I wouldn't rate them equally on access. Being able to and from walk to two parks is a great benefit for us. We could leave our room and be in France with a boozy slushy in our hands in about 6-7 minutes.

Stormalong Bay is good, but probably not £3k worth of good. For us, Beach Club is more a sum of the parts than one particular feature.

£3k is a reasonable chunk of cash though - only you can determine whether that is worth it for you.

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I agree, for me it's not the pool it's the whole location. Two parks for daytime and loads of restaurants for dinner all walkable.

[caj]

Not for the pool, but BC is walkable, so easy to come and go to both DHS and Ep. Is that worth 3k for you?

[POR34]

I agree, location of BC is everything. I've stayed in both and wouldn't return to CBR, difficult transport and it just hasn't got the vibe of the Boardwalk. We only used Stormalong Bat once so I'd say the cost doesn't justify staying there for the pool only.

A good alternative is the Swan - great hotel! I didn't care for the Dolphin, it's a convention hotel and was too big for my liking.

[miked1e]

For us it is worth it... not just for Stormalong Bay but as people have mentioned the location and also the size of the resort.

You are within walking distance from many great eateries and drink locations. A night on the boardwalk is fantastic (of course depends if adult only or with kids )

The only disappointing bit is the lack of a food court with a grab and go only... so I guess CBR wins on that front, but you are close enough to Boardwalk and QS in Epcot too.

[Bozza]

The only caveat I'd belatedly add to my post above is the Park Reservation system could potentially impact our enjoyment of the Beach Club location and being able to spontaneously pop to a park on a whim, even if it's just to pick up a favourite drink or food item.

[loldis]

For me, it's not worth 3k. With the very limited extra amount included in the dining offer for deluxes over moderates, I'd rather put that money towards food and go visit the waterparks.

I'd agree with the others that the main draw of the Boardwalk area hotels is the ability to walk to two parks. Particularly Epcot for the dining/drinking options. But as Bozza pointed out, being so close to Epcot but not being able to just nip in because of the reservation system is likely to take a big part of that appeal away.

[DonkeyCentreArf]

Originally Posted by Bozza

The only caveat I'd belatedly add to my post above is the Park Reservation system could potentially impact our enjoyment of the Beach Club location and being able to spontaneously pop to a park on a whim, even if it's just to pick up a favourite drink or food item.

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That's a great point. One of the reasons we have chosen the Swan is that it gives us options to stroll into EPCOT for a wider choice of food around World Showcase as well as the Boardwalk.