w. Most Recent Stuff - 388/439 - yourfirstvisit.net

This is the fourth page of this review of Disney’s Beach Club Villas. For the first page of this material, click here.

THE THEMING OF DISNEY’S BEACH CLUB VILLAS

Disney’s Beach Club Villas opened in 2002 as the fourth on-site Disney Vacation Club resort.

According to Disney’s web page on the Beach Club Villas, they

“…wrap leisure, elegance and romance into a full-service New England-style Disney Deluxe Villa Resort…

…The nautical allure of the Eastern Seaboard comes alive with architecture that features intricate wooden accents and a soft pastel color palette. Retreat to one of our stately Studios with kitchenettes or one of our spacious Villas complete with a kitchen, living area and a host of home-style amenities. Enjoy charming views from your windows and private porch or balcony.”

Designed by the architect who did the rest of the Epcot resorts, Robert A.M. Stern, the Beach Club Villas share the charming “Stick” architecture of sister resort the Beach Club, but are even more graceful and lovely than the sister resort is.

The Beach Club Villas are in fact as lovely as any other resort at Walt Disney World, and are at least comparable in beauty to the Grand Floridian…and perhaps, because of their smaller scale, even more charming.

The smaller scale, angled facade, and more playful detailing of the Beach Club Villas help it better reflect its roots in domestic architecture.

For example, some of the facades include not only the clapboard siding common at the resort but also towers designed with board and batten siding. A small thing, but one that hints at having a domestic history rather than being a monolith.

The Villas are a lovely sea green, a warmer and more inviting color than the (still-nice) cooler blue of the Beach Club.

Interiors spaces are just as nice, especially the main entry lobby through which guests will walk many times as they access the Beach Club, Epcot, Crescent Lake, and the BoardWalk.

The Beach Club Villas have many strengths for first time visitors, bringing together the positives of the DVC resorts–extra, more livable space, full kitchens–with those of the Beach Club: access to Stormalong Bay, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The weaknesses of the Beach Club Villas are also shared–many families won’t be in these rooms enough to enjoy their amenities, and the architecture, lovely to adults, is dull to kids.

PAGES: Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this

For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this

For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this

Large families should look at this, and also at

Military/DOD families should look at this

Tightwads should look at this

Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this

For the first page of this review of the Caribbean Beach, see this.

A PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT THE CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

Update: as part of a refurb that began in late spring 2014, the old full beds are being replaced with queen beds in standard Caribbean Beach rooms. As of 9/14, Jamaica is done, Aruba is almost done, and Barbados has started. See this for more!

Caribbean Beach rooms are accessed from an outside corridor. You enter into the living area, with the bath at the back.

As you enter the room, on the bed side you’ll find two full beds, brightly decorated with a Nemo theme.

Here’s a close-up of the bed.

On the wall between the bed and bath there’s Disney Cruise Line art.

On the opposite side of the room, you’ll find a dresser with a built-in mini fridge and a flat screen TV. Next to it is a chest.

Closer view of the table…

…the dresser and its storage capacity…

…and the mini-fridge.

The bench and coat hooks are the last bit before the bath…

…the bench containing another good-sized drawer.

A curtain gives a little privacy between the bath and the sleeping area.

Further back in the room you’ll find a split bath. One part has double sinks…

…and a clothes hanging area…

…the other has a tub and toilet. Note the colored tiles…

…fun shower curtain…

…and nice detail incised into the shower wall.

Update: as part of a refurb that began in late spring 2014, the old full beds are being replaced with queen beds in standard Caribbean Beach rooms. As of 9/14, Jamaica is done, Aruba is almost done, and Barbados has started. See this for more!

PAGES: Previous | 1 | 2 | 3

Scurrilous rumor mongers–like me–have been claiming that Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue will be closed from October 1 2012 through December.

Never mind.

Word from multiples sources (see this, this and this) is that Hoop Dee Doo bookings for those dates will open later this week–as early, possibly, as June 12.

The times will be different: 4p, 6.15p, and 8.30p. I’ll update my itineraries and to-do lists this week.

Note that those planning to get to Hoop via the boat from the Magic Kingdom for the 4p show should be at the boat dock by 3p at the latest, to avoid the risk you’ll get trapped in the crowds returning to Fort Wilderness after the 3p parade.

For the first page of this review of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, see this.

FAMILY SUITES AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

Note: guests at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and for early access to its paid individual system for access to certain rides, but NOT for its Extended Evening Hours.

Resorts are ranked on this site based first on kid appeal, and then on convenience in carrying out the site’s recommended itineraries.

Based on that, the 6 person Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation resort rocket ahead of their only comparable rooms, the Family Suites at All-Star Music.

That said, the Music suites are much less costly (on average in 2020, $160 less per night), and are currently in a refurb that looks likely to eliminate one of their biggest negatives–uncomfortable beds.

REVIEW: DISNEY WORLD’S FAMILY SUITES AT THE ART OF ANIMATION RESORT FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS

Art of Animation accommodation buildings are in four different areas, each themed to one beloved Disney movie.

Family suites are found in the Cars, Lion King, and Finding Nemo areas. The Nemo suites are a little more central, and a little more expensive than the Cars and Lion King suites.

(Standard four person rooms are in the fourth area, the Little Mermaid-themed section; there’s no family suites in the Little Mermaid area, and no standard rooms in the Cars, Lion King, or Finding Nemo areas.)

Note that the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Art of Animation or anywhere else–contact her using the form at the bottom of the page.

THE CARS AREA AT ART OF ANIMATION

On the map, the Cars area is at the far right.

Here’s you’ll find three buildings, each with a major depiction at its entry.

Building 1 has Mater…

…Building 3 Luigi…

…and Building 2 is fronted by stars Lightning McQueen and Sally Carerra.

The Cars Family Suites themselves are also deeply themed to Cars (there’s many more room photos later in this review)…

…as is the general environment in the courtyard created in the middle of the three buildings.

THE FINDING NEMO AREA AT ART OF ANIMATION

On the map, the two Finding Nemo buildings are just above the central services buildings and surround the largest pool at the resort.

Building 4 is fronted by Mr. Ray, and Building 5 by Crush. I love to take pictures of him, day…

…or night.

The stairs are themed to the seagulls…

…also fun at night…

…and the courtyard created between the two buildings, besides holding the main pool (more on the pools later), is themed to make you feel like you are underwater with Nemo and Friends.

The rooms continue the Finding Nemo theme (many more room shots are later in this review).

THE LION KING AREA AT ART OF ANIMATION

The two buildings just to the left of the Finding Nemo area on the map, numbers 6 and 10, are the Lion King Buildings.

The courtyard between has parts themed to a savanna…

…and parts themed to a jungle.

You’ll also find all the key Lion King characters here:

Rooms continue the African theming. Many more Lion King room photos are here.

THE BEST AREAS TO STAY

Although the Nemo rooms are a bit more expensive, choices as to which group of buildings to book will, in many families, simply be guided by which of Cars, the Lion King, and Finding Nemo is their favorite film.

For those open to any of the three, go for Lion King. You can book the Lion King, Cars, or Nemo suites directly on Disney’s site.

More specifically, go for a 2nd floor or higher Hourglass Lake view room on the Finding Nemo side of Building 6 in the Lion King area. This will yield the least noise, best view, and relative closeness to the main services and bus stop.

The long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Art of Animation or anywhere else–contact her using the form below.

Name*
Where Would You Like to Go?*
Phone*
Email*
# of Guests by Age: Aged 18+
Aged 10-17
Aged 3-9
Aged 0-2
Hotel
Check In*
Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY
Check Out*
Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY
Other Thoughts You'd Like Us to Know
I consent to my submitted data being collected, stored and forwarded to agents at Destinations in Florida*
- Yes

ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE FAMILY SUITES

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

NEWS ON HOOP DEE DOO, FOOD AND WINE, AND THE CANDLELIGHT PROCESSIONAL

All-star commenter DisneyDiningAgent has recently sprinkled a lot of key information about upcoming dates and renovation schedules (e.g. here, here and here.)

To make this great new info more findable, I thought I’d bring it all to one page. [Read more →]

June July August September October November December

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JUNE 9 TO JUNE 17, 2012

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.

(For more on June 2012 at Walt Disney World, click here.)

[Read more →]

Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

Review: Disney’s Beach Club Villas, p4