Ale & Compass Restaurant Review
Ale & Compass Restaurant in Yacht Club Resort is a mid-range table service dining option at Walt Disney World. It’s decidedly unremarkable, so boring you’ll be asking “where did we eat lunch?” by dinner time. About the only thing you could say it’s the best at is being the dullest table service restaurant at Walt Disney World.
Now, you might think that’s overly harsh. After all, there are a lot of bad restaurants at Walt Disney World. From Restaurantosaurus to Planet Hollywood Observatory, there are some options that leave a lot to be desired. However, none of those are flat-out boring like Ale & Compass. Those other restaurants might try and fail, but at least they try.
By contrast, it seems that Ale & Compass just tries to be as bland and unoffensive as possible. The decor is best described as a generic modern, with aspirations of being upscale. (It’s not.) If you were to show me photos of the interior and say it’s from the lobby lounge at the Kansas City Airport Courtyard by Marriott, I wouldn’t question that. It’s actually a bit shocking that so much time was spent on the refurbishment and this is the end result.
I know part of Yacht Club’s recent refurbishment was to make it more appealing to conventioneers. What this design tells me is that Disney views conventioneers as about the most vanilla people on the face of the earth, unable to appreciate anything with any semblance of character.
I don’t know–perhaps Disney performed a deep dive into analytics and determined that people spend more expense account money on booze if the the color scheme is dull grey and deep blue.
That really gets the liquor flowing, because you need more drinks to add a sense of excitement to the dull environment? (If that’s Disney’s logic…well played.)
The one interesting-ish addition to Ale & Compass Restaurant is the counter seating that looks into the open kitchen. The problem with this, at least during our visit, was that not much was happening in this open kitchen. It’s not the entire kitchen, just where minor, late-stage prep occurs and things are fired in the hearth oven. Kudos, Ale & Compass, you’ve even managed to make an open kitchen boring.
Now, I know there will be detractors who say that they like this style or appreciate something that isn’t garish and over-the-top “Disney.” If you like the style, I can’t argue with that. I’m sure this does appeal to some people and I definitely wouldn’t mind it in a $100/night real world hotel, but not at Walt Disney World.
With regard to the latter criticism, my response would be that there is middle ground between airport hotel lounge and Chef Mickey’s. Restaurants like Artist Point and Boatwright’s Dining Hall, two of many examples, manage to do understated decor that is thematically on-point but not over-the-top.
In fact, some of Imagineering’s thematic coups are when they manage to convey a different time and place without a heavy-handed approach.
As for the food, what we tried was definitely better than the theme, but it was still a mixed bag…
We started with the Oven-roasted Oysters with spinach and creamed Kale, white cheddar, and cornbread crumbs.
Think of these as oysters for people who don’t like oysters. The other flavors really dominated the dish, to the point where only the lingering salinity at the end of each bite. The crumbing had a good flavor, but there was too much of it.
One of our friends ordered the Lobster and Corn Chowder.
I was a bit taken aback by the price here, but I tried it and this chowder was actually quite good. It wasn’t too thick and heavy, and there were generous clumps of lobster. It was an interesting twist on chowder, and something I’d consider ordering on a cold day.
Here’s the Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Gruyère Cheeseburger, served on a parker house bun served with fries.
This was a satisfactory burger, but does not hold a candle to the cheaper Angus Chuck Burger with Truffle Fries that used to be served at Crew’s Cup Lounge (and could be ordered here, off menu). Nevertheless, if we reviewed things relative to extinct counterparts, we’d never step foot in Epcot again. This burger was good, but I wouldn’t get it again.
Here are the Fish & Chips.
I also found these to be satisfactory but, again, not something I’d go out of my way to order again. They’re not even enough of an upgrade over Yorkshire County Fish Shop to justify leaving Epcot.
Sarah ordered the Open-faced Skirt Steak Sandwich with caramelized onions, poached egg, fennel, watercress, and tomato salad with truffle vinaigrette.
She hit the jackpot. I was apprehensive that the poached egg was here to mask subpar steak, but that was not the case at all. The meat was tender and perfectly-prepared, and the sandwich came together incredibly well with a robust mix of savory and fresh flavors. This is one of, if not the, best sandwiches I’ve tried at Walt Disney World. It was the saving grace of our whole dining experience at Ale & Compass.
We’ve heard from others who have tried items from the dinner menu and raved about their meals. Given our experience with the Skirt Steak Sandwich, I am curious about items like the Pan-seared Trout, Broccoli Rabe, Cornbread Cake and even the Fried Chicken and Waffles.
Unfortunately, to try those items, we’d have to visit Ale & Compass Restaurant again, and the insipid interior makes that unlikely. We can dine at a boring restaurant with mediocre-to-good food anywhere, at Walt Disney World, we expect more in terms of atmosphere and theme.
Want more dining recommendations? Check out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. For info on whether the DDP is right for you, read our Ultimate Guide to the Disney Dining Plan. For comprehensive vacation advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Ale & Compass Restaurant? Where does it rank in terms of dining at Walt Disney World for you? Have any favorite foods here? Does the boring theme matter to you, or do you prefer an environment like this? Is there something we’re missing? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
My family walked over here from Hollywood Studios for a nice lunch. We had excellent service and thought the food was very good. The 4 of us shared the Parker House Rolls and spread appetizer and thought it was fun and delicious. Two of us had the Fish and Chips, and the others had the Sustainable Blackened Fish Tacos and the Grilled Cheese and Ham with Tomato Soup. I personally thought the fish and chips were as good as the ones sold at the Rose and Crown. Everyone was very happy with their meal and the only critique I heard was that the soup could have been a bit hotter but it was not so bad as to sending it back. The decor is nothing exceptional but it beats the heck out of most restaurants I’ve been to. Tom hit this one pretty hard as being boring but quite frankly, there are a lot of restaurants at WDW that are not themed to the extreme. The Grand Floridian Cafe, The Wave, Teppan Edo, China, Raglan Road, etc… are nice but not themed. Sure, it’s not Restaurant Marrakesh or T-Rex, but it was pleasant enough. Anyway, we spent just a bit more than we would have at a counter service restaurant such as Columbia house and had a much better meal. We made reservations on the fly and were glad that that this restaurant was there for our lunch. I would definitely recommend it for those who need to get out of the craziness of Epcot for a while and even for people like us, who walked over from Hollywood for awhile to get out of the parks. I recommend it.
My experience at Ale & Compass was great, just like yours – only for us it was over two meals (breakfast one day and dinner another). I knew when Tom put up his review for this restaurant earlier this year that I would like it. WDW just needs places like this. It’s easy to book at the last minute, the food is good to excellent, and the prices are about as ‘real world’ as you will find on property. I have to think that the convention center onsite (and all of the business people dining here) prevents the pricing shenanigans to some extent. It was so refreshing not to see the typical Disney $10 price spike per entree item here (from my trip last week, see Citricos, Le Cellier and Artist Point). A $25 entree felt like a $25 entree. I personally love the modern space, and the tranquility here that is not felt at the Beach Club. I’ll be sure to head back here and grab lunch on my next trip.
I’m glad I ate here before reading any reviews, as my expectations were my own – however they were low, based on prior sub-par experience with Captain’s Grill. I had breakfast here solo on May 17th and it was delightful. The decor is a little boring but it was calm and peaceful and that’s what I enjoyed the most. My server was wonderful and the other couple of servers I heard were doing a great job serving kids and adults alike. My waffle was delicious as was the press pot coffee. Overall, my expectations were easily overreached as it was an enjoyable, delicious, affordable and convenient pre-Epcot breakfast to replace our old favorite of Trattoria al Forno (which has now been ruined by doubling the prices and crowding the once calm dining room with hundreds of hyper little princesses!). I think this may become our new departure-day breakfast favorite. PS thanks for the honest review that has discouraged me from going out of our way to try lunch or dinner there!
We stayed at the Yacht club last weekend (March 2-5) and had a reservation for breakfast on Sunday. We think the hostess lost our reservation as it was half an hour later and we still were waiting outside. After a quick inquiry we were seated by the manager. We then waited 40 minutes (not kidding) for a water, bloody mary and a green smoothie which were ordered right away. An hour later (not kidding again) we received our meals missing extra sides. Our waitress was sparse but did apologize for the delay at the end of the meal. We noticed that everyone else in the restaurant had the same frustrated look on their faces that we did. Although the food was good it clearly didn’t make up for the long wait time, less than adequate service and overall poor experience. The manager of the hotel did take care of us after we expressed our concerns. I hope that this restaurant finds its bearings because we LOVE the Yacht Club and the other restaurants in this hotel.
PS. We LOVE your blog and find it extremely helpful!
I was on the fence on this one because we’re staying at an Epcot resort and it’s convenient, but this review threw me over the edge and I cancelled our reservation for this May. An average meal wouldn’t necessarily kill me, but I really don’t want to even encourage this kind of dullness.
We’ll go somewhere with better theming instead.
I loved my kale salad. My nephew was disappointed that the best burger at WDW was no longer on the menu and was not impressed with its replacement.
While I’d be angry if Disney redid Yachtsman Steakhouse that boringly, there’s just enough “Yacht not Beach” in here for me to assume that it’s still not as dull as Big River Grille & Brewing Works.
I used to be excited when I would read a review that I never experienced before, but it seems, that all too often, it is now rife with mediocrity. The logical conclusion that I draw is that Disney is now overly concerned with profit, and will offer a lower quality experience when they think it will get by. But on the plus side, continuance of such will eventually lead to lower crowd levels!
Have you read all the recent reviews Tom has written of the Disney Springs restaurants? Most of those are pretty glowing.
“I don’t know—perhaps Disney performed a deep dive into analytics and determined that people spend more expense account money on booze if the the color scheme is dull grey and deep blue.”
I guess Disney did that research more than a quarter century ago, because isn’t the entirety of Yacht Club’s exterior dull grey? I’m not a Yacht Club devotee, but it has to be one of the most out-of-the-way, you-don’t-stumble-upon-it properties in all of WDW. You only find yourself there if you make it a point to go there (even from the Beach Club). I haven’t eaten at Ale & Compass yet, but it’s for exactly the reasons you mention that I would seek it out for a walk-up meal sometime. Restaurants like these are essential in today’s ridiculous times of 180-day ADR’s and Dining Plans du jour. Sometimes a meal is just a meal, even at WDW. Thanks for the review though – I’ve put this place on my list as an alternative to Cape May Cafe (probably the main reason why people like myself never bother to venture over to Ale & Compass).
Yacht Club is within walking distance of Epcot’s International Gateway, so I’m not sure I’d call it one of the most out-of-the-way hotels at Walt Disney World.
With that said, I think you make a fair point about it being a good walk-up option, and from what I’m hearing in the comments (here and on Facebook), others have had some pretty good meals here. If that’s your primary concern and you’re fine with a low-key style, Ale & Compass could be a great option.
Ate breakfast here and completely LOVED my meal, though I ordered hot tea and they only offered two kinds of tea with caffeine (a must at breakfast), which is not something I generally experience at table service. But my meal was spectacular. Also, they served a Bloody Mary for $10 and one with a lobster claw for $14, which was tempting, but alas, didn’t partake. After hearing about the good quality of the lobster chowder, it was a choice I regret.
Completely understand the lack of theme. Would have appreciated the same colors, but maybe in a more yacht-ish style. Could still be contemporary, but more wood and brass would have been nice. Overall, my friend and I had a great experience, though. Clearly, it’s not popular (at least at 8 am), as we were one of three tables in the whole place…. which probably made us enjoy it more. We are definitely quiet seekers when it comes to meals!
We dined here twice during our January stay at the Beach Club, and enjoyed the ambiance (though dated) as well as the menu. This visit, we couldn’t believe how thoroughly they destroyed the architecture that remains. It is depressing deep, dark slate on more deep slate. Monotone-horrid. I guess they didn’t want to waste $ on painters doing detail work and just sprayed the entire area one color. Gone was all warmth and semblance of theme. The food wasn’t much better. Both lunch and dinner were bland &/or oversalted. Nice presentation, great servers. Sadly, we won’t be back to this charmless depression tank.
Ok, I admit you just made me change my June reservation. I think we are going to just stroll over to Epcot for lunch on our arrival day. Sounds like it is worth the extra few minutes to just pop over and sample another country.
Your review has got me intrigued!! We have a dinner reservation here for the end of April and we’re trying to decide if we wanted to keep it or not. We had drinks in the lounge in February and while “hotel bar” is probably the right way to phrase it the drinks were good and we loved the bartender and our waitress that night so we will probably go back and try the lounge one more time and maybe get food before we totally rule out Ale & Compass all together. But based on your review and some of the comments it sounds like not all menu items are alike so it could be a real hit or miss situation.
I was just happy that Ale & Compass had so many vegan meals that did not seem like an afterthought. They have tofu scramble for breakfast (I definitely have not seen that on a Disney menu before), vegan bacon cheeseburgers for lunch and vegan sausage bowls for dinner! I wish more Disney restaurants would have tasty, thought-out plant-based meals.
I probably wouldn’t come here if I was on vacation, but if I lived in Orlando again I would definitely stop by to try the lobster roll. Not sure if it’s changed since it became Ale and Compass, but Captain’s Grille used to serve a lobster roll that was actually pretty good, which is big praise coming from a lifelong citizen of Massachusetts. Plus, back then they offered 50% off lunch for cast members, so it was a great deal!
We ate here for dinner during our most recent trip and my family really liked it. We got the chowder, the pork chop, the short ribs and pan roasted trout. I do agree on the interior. Very bland, especially in the corner where we were seated — a round table for 7 that was weirdly set apart from the rest of the restaurant. Also our service wasn’t great but I think our waiter might have been new.
The opening paragraphs of this review are some of the most savage I’ve read on your site, and I’m here for it.
Based on all the pictures I’ve seen, you’re not wrong, and perhaps the only venue more sterile is The Market at Ale & Compass. At least the steak sandwich plate was special?
Is Modern and Inoffensive the new mission for room and restaurant at Disney and if so why????? Like you said we can get that at any Marriott Courtyard. We want imagineering and theme!!!
My wife and I visited here for the first time this weekend, and were very satisfied. We sampled completely different menu items than you guys did and honestly, it was probably one of the best meals of our weekend. We had the parker house rolls with spreads as an appetizer, and the spare ribs and bbq pork chop as entrees. The spreads with the rolls were delicious, and both of us thoroughly enjoyed our entrees. Everything was tasty, and we didn’t so much mind the theming or lack there-of in the restaurant. It was a nice Saturday night dinner for the both of us, and allowed us to stroll over to Epcot after so it was a nice win/win.
Sadly I think this is a trend that Disney will continue. After seeing pictures of my beloved Old Key West, that I have been visiting since a young kid and the most recent refurb. There is zero about the rooms that are Key West and the decor and furnishings look like I could pick them out of my local Lowes. Dissapointing…
Is there no longer a burger on the menu at Crew’ Cup? Wasn’t that your favorite burger on property? I had hoped to try it on a future trip.
My wife and I make special trips to get the crew cup burger.
I’m sad to report it, and mist of the Crew Cup menu, has also changed for the worse. Very sad.
Same here, Jolene. It sounds like you might have to trek to Disney springs if you want a decent burger.
Although looking at the Disney menu, it seems there still is a burger ont eh Crew cup menu? it’s expensive, but hopefully tasty.
Crew’s Cup still has a good burger, it’s just different, much more expensive, and can no longer be ordered with truffle fries (although I’m hoping that will change as I know kitchen work was still being done up until fairly recently).