Hi everyone! Just got back from an amazing stay at YC, our 4th time staying at this resort, and our 5th time to Disney as a family. I wanted to give a recap of the YC pointing out the highlights, and areas that might need room for improvement. Overall we had a spectacular week and enjoyed bonding as a family, we are exhausted at the same time and it's good to be home sweet home now!
Positives:
- Love the new room design, very well appointed rooms and tons of shelves, hangers, drawers, space to put everything away so you can keep your room pretty tidy and clutter free.
- Bed is sooo absolutely comfortable, I seriously want the same bed in my house. Room was nice and dark with curtains pulled, we definitely had to set our alarm as I could see myself easily sleeping in because it was so comfortable!!!
- Loved the keurig, used it every morning along with the to go cups
- Figured out midweek that there were healthier choices in the cooler at the Market at Ale & Compass (instead of ordering at Hurricane Hannahs). I loved the cheese and charcuterie boxes to go, and I had a tasty turkey sandwich with brie and pears. We also loved the beverage machine to refill and customize drinks.
- We did see probably 6 or 7 dogs, none of which bothered us and they made us miss our pooch at home.
- While our room was not near the lobby as we requested, it was at the end of a hallway which made it extremely quiet! We didn't hear much the whole trip other than some trucks beeping from time to time.
- Some of the pool greeters really had a personality this time around- enjoyed their humor and upbeat personality.
- There were hug tubs of bug spray by the pool, and complimentary aloe in the rooms which I thought was a nice touch.
- Hubby and I enjoyed a glass of wine after the parks at the Ale & Compass lounge and it's a nice relaxing place to unwind.
- I loved all of the vineyard vines merchandise but didn't buy any bc it was just standard apparel. I wish they had disney touches on them, or even yacht club and then I would definitely splurge on something to bring home!
Negatives:
- The biggest downside was that our room request wasn't really honored, which I know is not guaranteed. However, we landed at 11:30 and went right to the hotel. We did online check-in so I received a msg that we would be notified when the room was ready. On all paperwork and apps it says that the check in is at 3 so we had hoped for earlier, but at the very latest 3. We planned our day so we would hang at the pool, then check in and hit the parks. Unfortunately, our room was ready at 4, an HOUR past check in time, and when we went to our room our magical express bags were not there either (the magical express driver said they take up to 3 hours, but at this point we were going on almost 5 hours since landing). This screwed our whole night up, and on top of it, our room was not close to the lobby which was pretty much our only request. (I also asked for a balcony which is almost a guarantee at YC and 2 beds since we traveled with our son). Anyhow, just a frustrating start to our vacation and I don't think I would do online check in again.
- The downside of the new design is it's nice and elegant, but not very "disney" and that might turn some people off. I remember staying at the Contemporary when my son was 2 and it was a little cold in it's design, and although I don't need in your face Disney, some hidden mickeys here and there, or other character decor would be nice. We could have been staying at an offsite hotel, you could barely see any disney touches anymore. Also, the signature smell of the YC seemed very faint to me this time. We walked over to BC today and their smell is almost overpowering but you can recognize it. This year the YC just seemed subdued in a lot of ways.
- The service at Hurricane Hannah's was very poor I'm afraid to report. Even during non busy times, it just seemed like the staff didn't know what was going on and it was very chaotic and unorganized unfortunately.
- Pool piggies are in full force, even though there is a sign at every entrance stating that you are not to reserve seats with towels, etc. We got a table one evening, and only because it was pretty late. It's a pain when you want to sit and eat your lunch and see that all of the tables are "reserved" and no one is sitting at them.
- Lastly, we were a little disappointed with mouse keeping...we were not in the room very often at all, but maybe bc we were at the end of the hall we were overlooked? One day they came super late, and another day a gentleman knocked even through we had the sign on the door. We told him we needed service and we would be leaving in 10 min and they never came back, weird. Also, on the first floor hallway we saw chocolate covered strawberries from room service that sat in the hallway for 2 days?!?! I'm sorry but that's pretty unacceptable for the amount this hotel charges, it was pretty gross!
I'm sorry my list of negatives outweighed the positives but just some kinks that may need to be worked out. Overall, we were happy with our stay and my son wanted to hang out at Stormalong Bay every day all day, which is completely a reason to stay if we ever come back again. Let me know if you have any questions ,sorry so lengthy but it's all fresh on my mind right now!
I also have a sideways view of Crescent Lake. We are having a great time and have spent a lot of time at SAB. The grandsons love playing volleyball in the pool and all the other fun stuff. It has been hot, though and us Northerners are having a tough time lasting more than a couple hours at a park. But that means more time for the pool. We had a really good meal at Ohana tonight and the rest of the family took the monorail to Epcot after dinner. This was my first chance to spend a little time relaxing before I head into Epcot to meet up for Illuminations.
Had a funny experience, though:
