We love the Boardwalk area at Disney World and are always on the lookout for a good deal at one of the resorts in that area. Being able to easily walk to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios is a huge plus for us. And we can finally say we have officially stayed at every resort on Disney’s Boardwalk! Disney’s Yacht Club Resort has been on our radar for some time now and we recently had the opportunity to stay at this resort and experience everything it has to offer. Read on for our full Disney Yacht Club Resort Review!
Contents
- 1 Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World
- 2 Yacht Club Resort Rooms
- 3 Disney Yacht Club Resort Pools
- 4 Yacht Club Transportation Options
- 5 Yacht Club Dining and Restaurants
- 6 Gift Shop at Yacht Club
- 7 Movies Under the Stars at Yacht Club Resort
- 8 Yacht Club Resort Amenities and Recreation
- 9 Map of Yacht Club Resort
- 10 Disney Yacht Club Resort Review
Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World
Yacht Club is a deluxe resort at Walt Disney World that is situated in Disney’s Boardwalk area, near EPCOT. With an elegant New England style Yacht Club theme, this nautical resort is the perfect place to relax and unwind. While its sister resort, Disney’s Beach Club, is known more for its beachy, cottage type feel, Yacht Club transports you to a place that feels like luxury.
Home to several restaurants and the Stormalong Bay pool complex it shares with Beach Club, let’s take a look at this resort and see if it’s right for your next Disney Vacation.
Yacht Club Resort Atmosphere
The atmosphere is Yacht Club is laid back but feels slightly more elevated and upscale than Disney’s Beach Club. Some think it feels a bit “stuffy”, but it’s nowhere near as sophisticated as say, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. The resort feels nautical. And has the lovely scent of Green Clover and Aloe filling the lobby and hallways.
Since Yacht Club doesn’t house any character meals and is slightly farther from EPCOT than Beach Club, it’s often quieter and less chaotic feeling in general as well.
Yacht Club Resort Rooms
The rooms at Yacht Club resort are modern and simple. They have small Disney details. But nothing that is in your face Disney. One of the best parts about the rooms at Yacht Club is that they sleep five. Much like the rooms at the Contemporary, these rooms include two queen beds and a couch that converts into a twin bed. The twin bed is large enough to fit a small to average sized adult. So this makes them great for families needing a little extra space. Or for larger parties that don’t want to splurge on a family suite or villa.
The Yacht Club rooms have the classic room and bathroom setup. The vanity area is able to be closed off from the rest of the room by closing the door. And the toilet and shower are also able to be separated as well.
We booked a resort view, which can mean a variety of things and were pleasantly surprised at our view! See above for photos from our balcony. We could see EPCOT’s fireworks from our balcony and that felt like a huge added value, as we happened to be traveling during January for this trip. Which meant that we often had earlier nights in.
The Yacht Club Resort’s rooms feel spacious, clean and updated. And though there’s not a ton of Disney theming, if you look closely, you can see some very cute Disney touches that match the decor. Hidden mickeys in the photographs. And Disney characters in the shape of constellations on the curtains.
Yacht Club Resort Grounds
The resort grounds at Disney’s Yacht Club are fairly limited to the Boardwalk area. With palm trees and white sandy beaches that it shares with Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and its amazing pool, Stormalong Bay, the actual resort is quite compact. This makes getting around super easy. Though Yacht Club does have tennis courts and some green space, it’s not an expansive resort by any means.
Disney Yacht Club Resort Pools
The pool at Disney’s Yacht Club is the main attraction. And one reason so many people are willing to pay the cost to stay here. It really is the best pool at Walt Disney World. With a sandy bottom, lazy river, very cool pirate ship slide and plenty of room, both for swimming and for lounging, you could come to Disney just for the pool and be happy.
There is also a pool bar, Hurricane Hannah’s, that offers drinks and small plates. You can order these from one of the servers at the pool area. Or walk up to the counter and order that way.
The pools at Yacht and Beach are pretty strict when it comes to who can use them. Guests are required to scan in with a cast member before being allowed to enter. And will receive a wrist band at the gate to prove that they’re allowed to be there.
Disney’s Yacht Club also has a quiet pool called the Admiral Pool, located around the back of the resort near the tennis court.
Does the Beach Club and Yacht Club Share Pools?
Yes they do! Stormalong Bay is the main attraction here. And is one of the reasons the two resorts are so popular. Guests of the Beach and Yacht Club Resorts share the pool at Stormalong Bay, and you do need to scan in with a cast member to use the pool.
Yacht Club Transportation Options
Transportation at Yacht Club is fairly simple and straightforward. They have ferry service that goes from the Yacht Club to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, as well as the resorts in the immediate area. You can take Disney’s Skyliner to Hollywood Studios or any of the Skyliner Resorts. And you can also walk to the back entrance of EPCOT to enter at the International Gateway and walk to Hollywood Studios via the walking path.
Disney busses will take you to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs. The buses are usually shared between Yacht Club Beach Club and Boardwalk Inn, so be aware that you may want to account for extra time when traveling to these locations.
Yacht Club Dining and Restaurants
One of the biggest challenges with staying in a Boardwalk area resort is finding hot food on the go. Neither Beach or Yacht Club have a full kitchen in their quick service locations, so hot food options are very limited. Yacht Club does do a little better here though, as they have hot breakfast sandwiches and Mickey waffles. And we love that you can get specialty lattes and coffees here as well.
Ale and Compass
Ale and Compass is the main restaurant at Yacht Club Resort. Though there are always mixed reviews of this place, we love the chocolate waffles. And feel it’s one of the best breakfasts you can get at Disney for $15. We have seen inconsistency be an issue at Ale and Compass, especially when it comes to the flatbreads. But overall, we enjoy this restaurant and love that you can get food to go!
Ale and Compass Lounge
If you’re looking for a lounge with an upscale feel, great drinks and service and some delicious bites, look no further than Ale and Compass Lounge. We are big fans of this lounge at Disney World. And even come here on days when we aren’t staying in the area but just need a break from EPCOT.
You can find the full menu for Ale and Compass Lounge here.
The Market at Ale and Compass
The Market at Ale and Compass is the resort’s quick service commissary. This is where you’ll find grab and go foods, specialty coffees and where you can fill up your refillable mug or grab a soft drink. One thing that’s hard to ignore is that it’s sometimes difficult to find good hot food to go in this area of the Boardwalk. Or really, on most of the Boardwalk in general. There are plenty of grab and go options for colder food like premade treats, sandwiches and salads. But if you want something made fresh and hot, your options will be a bit more limited.
We think the Market at Ale and Compass tends to do just a little bit better than Beach Club with its hot offerings. But you won’t find a full hot menu here like you would at most of the other resorts.
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Yachtsman Steakhouse is Yacht Club’s upscale restaurant. Serving steaks, seafood, chicken and more, this is a perfect place for a date night, or any other time you’re looking for a special meal. We’ve never eaten here before mostly because it’s quite pricey. That being said, if you’re a steak lover, this place gets great reviews and is worth looking into for a special occasion.
Crew’s Cup Lounge
Crew’s Cup Lounge is a full bar, located right next to Yachtsman. Many people stop by here before heading to the steakhouse for pre-dinner drinks, but you don’t have to be a guest of the restaurant to visit. While Ale and Compass serves brighter and lighter flavors, Crew’s Cup is big with the Scotch crowd. If you’re looking for Scotch at Disney, this is the place to go. They also have a wide variety of coffee cocktails if that’s your thing, and a few options for small plates as well.
You can see the full menu for Crew’s Cup Lounge here.
Gift Shop at Yacht Club
The gift shop at Yacht Club is a bit more upscale than you’re probably used to for a Disney resort. Not only do they carry the standard Disney apparel, mugs and souvenirs, but they also carry high end brands like Vineyard Vines and sometimes Lilly Pulitzer. They are located in the right side of the Market at Ale and Compass.
Movies Under the Stars at Yacht Club Resort
We love Movies Under the Stars at Disney! And we especially love it at Yacht Club because of its location here. Movies Under the Stars here is shared with Beach Club. And is usually shown on the beach near the Pirate Ship Water Slide. During times of inclement weather, it can be held indoors at the Solarium, which is technically located at the Beach Club.
Yacht Club Resort Amenities and Recreation
Disney’s Yacht Club has plenty to do! With an arcade filled with games, resort activities for all ages and of course, their fantastic pool, spending some time at the resort is a great way to spend a non-Park day at Disney.
Fitness Center at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Like all deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World, Yacht Club has a fitness center that it shares with Beach Club. Located between the resorts, near the pool and right next to the arcade, this gym has a good variety of equipment including free weights, treadmills, bikes and more.
Laundry Facilities at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
There are two places you can do laundry while staying at Disney’s Yacht Club. The first is by the Admiral pool. Go past the Marketplace at Ale and Compass and keep walking until you reach the end of the hallway. You’ll find a door leading you to the back of the hotel. The laundry room is by the pool, which can be found right next to the tennis court. There are six washers and dryers here, and it always looks clean and is easy to use.
The second set of washers and dryers is a small room on the first floor, right across from room 1063. This laundry room is likely not the most convenient for many people, but if you’re staying near in this area, it could be nice to not have to go outside to get your laundry done.
Yacht Club Club Level
Club Level at the Yacht Club can be found at The Regatta Club Lounge. This is located on the 5th floor of Yacht Club and can only be accessed with your Magic Band if you’re staying in a club level room. We haven’t experience yet, so we can’t give it a review. But if you’re interested in club level at Disney World, feel free to check out this post!
Map of Yacht Club Resort
How much does Disney’s Yacht Club Resort cost?
Prices for Disney’s Yacht Club Resort start at $537 per night for 2024. This is the rack rate, so this is the price you can expect to pay before any discounts or promotions. And often times, you’ll find this much higher depending on when you’re traveling.
Is Yacht Club good for families?
While I do think Yacht Club is good for families, I think Beach Club is likely better for most families. Mostly just because it feels a bit less intimidating. However, both resorts give you access to the main pool, which is the real draw anyway. So yes, this resort is great for families.
Is Yacht Club worth the price?
That depends! We got an excellent price on our room and felt it was 100% worth the price. Between the convenience to EPCOT, the quiet feel, the view from our room and the upscale atmosphere, Yacht Club was worth it for us. Add in the fact that they have by far the best pool at Disney World, and we were very happy with what we paid for it. Keep in mind we traveled here in January, and you can usually find some pretty good deals during this time.
A lot of this will likely depend on what type of Disney experience you appreciate or plan to have. If you’re planning to spend most of your time in the Parks, we rarely feel deluxe resorts are worth it. But if you’re looking for a more relaxing experience, with time to enjoy your resort, it may be worth it for you. In terms of pricing, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is generally going to be less expensive than Yacht Club, and the more elevated atmosphere may not be for everyone.
We felt this resort was a much better value than Beach Club. Beach Club had a lot of issues when we stayed there including stains in the lobby, tears on the wallpaper in the hallway and it just felt kind of….old and shabby.
Yacht Club feels expensive and we felt that lended a bit more to its price.
Does Disney’s Yacht Club have a fridge?
Nope! All standard rooms, including those at deluxe resorts, only have what is known as a beverage cooler. These don’t get cold enough to hold food that require colder temps for food safety. But they can keep your drinks at a cooler temperature.
Does Yacht Club at Disney have DVC rooms?
They don’t! One of the big differences between Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club is the fact that the Beach Club is a DVC resort, and Yacht Club is not. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort only offers standard rooms.
How far is the walk from Yacht Club to EPCOT?
This will depend on your location in the resort. However, since Yacht Club isn’t that large of a resort, most guests can expect to get the back entrance of EPCOT in about 8-10 minutes. There is also a ferry from the Yacht Club dock that will take you to the same entrance if you prefer to get around that way instead.
Does the Disney Skyliner go to the Yacht Club?
Kind of! Though the Skyliner won’t take you directly to the Yacht Club, you can take Disney’s Skyliner to the back entrance of EPCOT and walk to Yacht Club from there.
Disney Yacht Club Resort Review
Overall, we loved Yacht Club. The food at Ale and Compass and the Market at Ale and Compass was always good, and very easy to get thanks to Mobile Order. The drinks and service at the Ale and Compass Lounge was great. And though we didn’t experience the same welcoming atmosphere at Crew’s Cup, we were fine with it because Ale and Compass is more our style anyway.
Our room was spacious, comfortable and clean. The view from our room was fantastic for a resort view. And we loved being able to see the fireworks from our room. Especially since it was pretty cold during our trip, which meant we usually had a earlier nights.
The bus service is still a point of contention for us, as the buses seem to take forever at this resort. However, since it’s walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, we rarely used the bus service here anyway.
Would we stay at Yacht Club again?
Yes we would! We would need a very good deal again, as this resort is usually out of our budget. But if the opportunity arose, we would happily stay here again. Though we never thought we’d say this, we prefer the Yacht Club over the Beach Club in terms of theming and atmosphere.
We hope this post has helped you decide if Yacht Club Resort at Disney World is right for you!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
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