In the fall of 2016, Stella and I had the privilege of visiting the Walt Disney World Resort for the first time. Before I learned of the awesomeness of Disney vacation planners, I ached over finding a resort that fit our needs. Searching online and reading different hotel reviews, we eventually found a deal for a Club Level Room at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is categorized as a Disney deluxe resort. For location, it is one of the EPCOT area resorts, along with Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. Yacht and Beach Club are actually connected and share the same amenities, such as the pool and dining restaurants.
Yacht Club is themed as a classic grand New England-style yacht club. Once you’re at the resort, its design is meant to echo the classic yacht clubs found throughout New England. Simply imagine the kind of club you pick up your yacht outside of Newport, Rhode Island. I know we all have our own yachts.
Overall, we enjoyed Yacht Club during our first stay at Walt Disney World. It was convenient when visiting EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. We had no issues with bus transportation to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Now is it my favorite resort? No, that distinction belongs to the Polynesian. But Yacht Club is still a great resort for any vacation.
The following review will look at Yacht Club’s theming, rooms, amenities, pool and restaurants.
Theming
Like I said above, Yacht Club is themed to a “formal grace” of a grand New England-style yacht club. The lobby is full of dark woods and nautical decorations. One can tell the resort is preparing for a sailing regatta. In the afternoon, guests are greeted from a yacht captain wondering around the lobby.
It’s clear Disney wants to take us to classic New England to prepare for a day of sailing. The whole resort echos sailing, boat races and old money. I’ve never been to New England, but from what I’ve seen in Newport Beach, California, I feel Disney’s take on “yacht culture” is accurate. Yacht Club is usually compared as the sterner, formal, older brother to its lively and more informal sister the Beach Club.
I liked the theme. I love tiki culture way more and prefer the 60s version presented at the Polynesian compared to a sailing and yacht theme. But Disney clearly had an idea of what it wanted to present and executes successfully. The theme also works since Crescent Lake is right outside with a marina, furthering enforcing the sailing metaphor.
Once you leave the lobby, the theme is almost nonexistent. I do wish it continued throughout the resort rather than just in the lobby, since I love theming. I gladly pay Disney boatloads of money to be sucked into a different world. To do so, I need strong theming. Yacht Club does well on its first impression, but loses out in the end. Still, the theming works when it needs to.
Rooms
As Club Level guests, we received a standard room on the 5th Floor (top floor) facing the main entrance. Our view was of the overhang right in front of the Magical Express drop off. The room included the standards deluxe hotel amenities: two queen beds, flat screen TV, coffee maker and a balcony.
Overall, we found the room to be okay. Like I said before, the theming stops once you leave the lobby. Our room looked like it could be at a Marriott or a Hilton. I think we had two sailing pictures and a sculpture of Mickey on one of our lamps. Other than that, you wouldn’t be able to tell it was a Disney room.
I was disappointed the room lacked a theme. The Disneyland Hotel does an excellent job scaling down the hotel’s overall feel of 1950s Disneyland in the rooms while still telling me it’s there.There is enough to tell me I am at Disneyland and we are celebrating Disneyland when it opened under Walt’s Supervision. Unfortunately, the Yacht Club is unable to capture the same kind of magic.
I don’t want to sound too negative. The room is still nice and it feels like a deluxe resort. The bed was comfortable and we found the room to be clean and modern. Now, the resort did undergo a refurbishment after we stayed. I’ve heard the rooms are better and the theming is more pronounced.
We haven’t had a chance to stay at the Yacht Club since the refurbishment but we plan to. The Yacht Club is also more geared towards business travelers as it hosts a convention center. Research also suggests this is why the theming is laid back.
Still, this is a Disney property. I want theming and I especially want it in my room. Anyways, the room was nice and we liked it. But more theming would be cool.
Amenities
Hands down, the best perk of staying at the Yacht Club is its distance from EPCOT. Once outside the hotel, it’s about a 5-10 minute walk to the International Gateway entrance of EPCOT. Not once did we experience much of line to get in via this entrance. At most, I think we had two groups in front of us as we passed security and walked to scan our Magic Bands.
If EPCOT is a major part of your trip, then Yacht Club (or Beach Club) is your ideal resort. Although EPCOT is slipping to become Walt Disney World’s least visited park, it will become competitive again once all its new attractions and experiences open over the next couple of years. With the vast size of Walt Disney World, its amazing to have a theme park within walking distance.
Plus, the Yacht Club is within walking distance of Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts and Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.
For those planning to spend time visiting the planet Batuu at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Yacht Club is in an excellent location to book a stay. It’s either a 15-minute walk to Hollywood Studios or a short ride on a Friendship boat.
The only other hotel that comes close outside of the EPCOT area for walking distance amenities is Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and it only includes a walking path to Magic Kingdom.
During our stay, its walking distance from EPCOT was awesome for quick breaks at our hotel as we “drank around the world”. Plus, it made our visit to Hollywood Studios easy and stress free. After spending years visiting Disneyland, it’s great to skip the Disney buses and just walk.
Additionally, as a Disney resort, those staying at Yacht Club are eligible for the standard lineup of perks:
- Magical Express transportation to and from Orlando International Airport
- Complimentary Magic Bands
- Extra Magic Hours
- Fastpass selections 60 days out from the first day of the reservation
- And for Club Level guests, 90 days out if paying the additional fee ($50/day per person for a minimum of three days)
- Merchandise delivery and pickup
- Free access to Disney transportation
- Online check-in
- Access to the Disney Dining Plan
The above perks are a necessity when visiting. And during our stay, we used all of them, minus the Disney Dining Plan (I do not recommend using it).
Pools
Outside of its location to two theme parks and four hotels, Yacht Club also has another major strength, its pool complex. Labeled as the best resort hotel pool complex at the Walt Disney World Resort, Stormalong Bay is a masterpiece. At three acres, the pool complex includes a lazy river, sand bottom pool, three spas, elevated tanning deck and to top it all off, a 230ft long water slide!
Stormalong Bay is awesome and a must when staying at Yacht Club (the pool complex is also shared with the neighboring Beach Club). During our stay, we were able to use the pool three times (although I wish we had time for more uses). After a long morning in the parks, its perfect to have lunch and then head to the pool to relax and swim during the late afternoon.
Fortunately, we didn’t find Stormalong Bay to be too busy. Each time, we were down at the pool by 3PM. We were able to find a table with shade and head straight to the waterslide. Now, my only complaint is accessing the waterslide.
I’m guessing this is due to its length, but the entrance to the slide is outside the main pool complex. You must exit the pool area, cross the main road that circles Crescent Lake and then enter the waterslide area. I wish you didn’t have to cross the main road but it is a minor inconvenience.
Once in the waterslide area, themed to a shipwrecked pirate ship, there is a small child slide before the entrance to the main slide, the Flying Jib Slide. After walking up a spiral staircase, there is a small staging area and the tunnel to enter the slide.
Once the lifeguard gives the okay, you’re off! You race down a tunnel, before taking a couple turns with mini waterfalls before emptying in a slide pool down below! The whole experience takes less than a minute but it is lots of fun.
For the most part, the line to the slide moved fairly quickly. A couple of times the line was all the way to the bottom of the staircase. If that was the case, we would just relax in one of the pools and wait for the line to die down before heading over.
The pool complex also has poolside activities during the afternoon, like dance competitions and games. One day, we saw Minnie and Goofy checking out the pool and waving at guests. They looked like they just left the character buffet and stopped by the pool on their way out. The pool also has a bar, Hurricane Hanna’s, and servers taking orders.
Stormalong Bay is amazing and a highlight of staying at Yacht Club. If you choose to stay at his resort, you MUST schedule some time to spend here. It is a mini waterpark at your resort hotel.
Restaurants
As a deluxe resort, Yacht Club includes a number of restaurants. As the resort hotel is connected with the neighboring Beach Club, they technically share the same dining options. Here is the full list between the two resort hotels:
- Yachtsman Steakhouse – Signature service restaurant located at Yacht Club serving dry rubbed steaks and seafood. Only open for dinner, we have yet to try it. However, our friends tried it during our most recent stay at Beach Club and said it was just average (and the seafood was not very good).
- Cape May Café – Located on the Beach Club side, it is a character buffet during breakfast hosting characters such as Goofy, Minnie and Daisy. At dinner, it becomes a seafood buffet without characters. We have not dined here.
- Beaches and Cream Soda Shop – Ice cream restaurant located between Yacht and Beach Club serving lunch and dinner options. Famous for its Kitchen Sink, a massive ice cream sundae using every available flavor and topping. We stopped by once and picked up some ice cream. I didn’t think it was anything special. The restaurant is closed until Winter 2020 undergoing a refurbishment and expansion.
- Ale & Compass Lounge – Bar lounge outside Ale & Compass at the Yacht Club. Serves typical bar foods and drinks.
- Ale & Compass Restaurant – Full service casual dining location located at Yacht Club. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a focus on seafood. We dined here when it was Captain Grille’s and thought it was just okay. Although I hear Ale & Compass is not as good.
- Crew’s Cup Lounge – Bar lounge located just outside Yachtsman Steakhouse. We’ve dined here multiple times and loved the truffle fries and buffalo wings. It was our go-to spot for lunch at Yacht Club but now it is only open during the evening.
- Martha’s Vineyard – Bar lounge located at Beach Club serving wines, drinks and bar foods. It is also only open during the evening.
- The Market at Ale & Compass – Yacht Clubs quick service location open for all three meals. It is also open for merchandise purchases.
- Beach Club Marketplace – Same concept as above, it’s Beach Club’s quick service eatery and merchandise shop.
- Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar and Grill – Bar located at Stormalong Bay. It serves drinks along with normal theme park foods, like burgers and fries. We’ve never tried the food but definitely enjoyed the drinks!
- Room Service – As a deluxe resort, Yacht Club offers full room service. During our stay, we ordered room service one morning and enjoyed it.
The resort hotel includes a solid lineup of dining choices. From quick service breakfasts to full-service dinners, Yacht Club has excellent dining choices. Plus, the resort is walking distance from all the dining locations at Disney’s Boardwalk and the numerous restaurants located at World Showcase in EPCOT. If dining is a major part of your vacation, Yacht Club is a solid pick (especially during EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival).
Conclusion
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is a great resort hotel located just outside of EPCOT. As a full-service resort hotel, Yacht Club is a solid pick for your next vacation. For strengths, it excels with its outstanding location, its three-acre pool complex, Stormalong Bay and its long list of dining locations and places to eat within walking distance. However, it struggles with its theming and its rooms lack the theming seen in the lobby.
Even with its faults, it is still a great place to stay. We enjoyed our six nights at this resort during our first stay in 2016. Just be mindful that as a deluxe resort, Yacht Club isn’t cheap. For our six-night stay as Club Level guests, we paid $362/night, back in 2016. That total includes tax and the 35% I saved as a member of the military.
With all the new experiences and attractions coming to EPCOT in the coming years, Yacht Club will be a great place to stay and experience all the new offerings. Until then, its still nice to be within walking distance of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, especially now that Galaxy’s Edge is open.
Thoughts?
Thank you for reading our review of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. We hoped this review helped your vacation planning needs. Don’t forget to read our EPCOT One-Day Itinerary HERE and check out our review of Via Napoli HERE.
Have you stayed at Yacht Club? What did you think? How does it compare to Beach Club? Is the Polynesian better? How do we feel about EPCOT? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!
