Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Review
Yacht Club Resort is a luxury hotel at Walt Disney World within walking and boat distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios. This Deluxe Resort review features reimagined room photos, pool info, restaurant details, transportation benefits, other amenities, and pros & cons of these accommodations. (Updated August 21, 2020.)
During Walt Disney World’s phased reopening, Yacht Club Resort will be the first Crescent Lake area hotel to reopen. In fact, it’s nearby counterparts–Beach Club and BoardWalk Inn–don’t even have reopening dates set and may not reopen until sometime in 2021. (However, the Disney Vacation Club wings of each are already operating.)
After being one of the host resorts for the NBA’s bubble site, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort will reopen on August 24, 2020. When it does, some restaurants (including two favorites, Yachtsman Steakhouse and Crew’s Cup Lounge) will not reopen right away. Fortunately, most of the hotel will be operational, including Ale & Compass Restaurant and the Stormalong Bay pool complex. For a look at what’ll be different, see our Photos & Review of Walt Disney World Hotel Health Safety Modifications.
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is themed to a New England yachting club. It’s an elegant and refined hotel contrasting with its more airy and lighthearted sister resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort. The relationship between Yacht and Beach Club Resorts is an interesting one. They share facilities and are located next to one another, and are basically one giant resort complex.
However, despite their numerous similarities and shared features, Yacht & Beach Club are technically separate hotels. On the outside, the main noticeable differences for most guests will simply be color choices: Beach Club is light blue and Yacht Club is grey. It’s also abundantly clear when stepping into each lobby.
Yacht Club feels stately. With deep, masculine woods, dark colors, leather furniture, and an antique-looking globe, it reminds you of someplace that you’d imagine senators and titans of industry might have puffed on cigars and made power plays in the early 1900s.
By contrast, Beach Club is geared towards party-people who shout “I’M ON A BOAT!” from the bow of a ship. Okay, maybe not to those extremes, but the idea is that Yacht Club feels a bit more stuffy and refined in terms of theming, whereas Beach Club feels more relaxed and lighthearted.
Most people informally lump them together as one resort: Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club and overlook the thematic differences. We think this is a mistake. As we discuss in our Yacht Club v. Beach Club comparison, the differences in atmosphere are fairly pronounced, and this is likely driven in part by Yacht Club being one of Walt Disney World’s main convention hotels.
Let’s check out what the guest rooms offer…
These new rooms have been really divisive with Walt Disney World fans. Unpopular opinion, but we are big fans of the new look. Many fans have complained that they look drab and boring, but these are pretty consistent with the common areas of Yacht Club and there are a ton of subtle details and thematic touches.
We can understand why some people don’t like the new rooms given the colors now versus the patriotic color explosion of the old rooms (the old style was more cheery and lighthearted, but also off kilter with the resort’s otherwise stately appearance). The new Yacht Club rooms use of navy blue and beige contrasted against white, is really sharp in the context.
Beyond that, there’s an extensive use of dark woods, which really give the room an air of sophistication. It reminded me of the interior of a Brooks Brothers, oddly enough.
There’s also a variety of textures, the extent of which might be tough to ascertain from the photos. Our New Yacht Club Rooms Photo Tour shares more thoughts and images of the new rooms (including a different room style with a couch).
Much like BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club is also great for the dashes of Disney presented in a restrained manner. The only Disney characters in the entire room appear in star constellations hidden on the curtain.
There are numerous other thematic flourishes reinforcing the nautical style, but many people want something overtly Disney in their hotel room. If that’s what you’re looking for, Yacht Club is not the resort for you.
The restrooms are divided, with double sinks outside of the shower and toilet area. Pretty standard–no complaints or praise here.
In terms of amenities, there is a nice benefit in their proximity of the Crescent Lake resorts to one another: better and more amenities as a result of sharing.
Between the Yacht Club and Beach Club, there are some seriously excellent dining options, including Beaches & Cream, Cape May Cafe, and Yachtsman Steakhouse, putting them, collectively, right up there with the best of the Deluxes in terms of quality restaurants.
We’ve also slowly become big fans of Ale & Compass Restaurant, which is a newer addition to Yacht Club. This is home to the Best Value Breakfast at Walt Disney World, and we highly recommend it.
Add to that the nearby Swan & Dolphin Resorts and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, none of which technically share amenities but are so close that they might as well, and you have more high-quality restaurants within walking distance when staying at any of these resorts than at any other Walt Disney World hotel.
If dining is going to be a highlight of a trip, staying at one of the Crescent Lake resorts is the best option as there are numerous excellent dining options all within walking distance. This is especially true during Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, when you can graze and drink in World Showcase and then stumble back to your hotel!
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort has a ton of amenities, but it’s biggest selling point is Stormalong Bay. This is the crème de la crème of Walt Disney World pools. For those unfamiliar with Stormalong Bay, it is a sprawling 3 acre pool complex with sand at the bottom. That’s right, it’s a hotel pool with sand at the bottom!
Not only that, but it also has a lazy river, an excellent ‘shipwrecked’ water slide, tons of places for lounging, and an excellent poolside bar. While many Walt Disney World resort hotels now no longer allow “pool hopping,” this was the first that introduced the concept, and the pool that most vigorously enforces the no-hopping rule. The excellence of this pool really cannot be understated. It’s basically a mini water park. (For everything you need to know about Stormalong Bay and its policies, see our Guide to Pools at Walt Disney World: Rules, Info & FAQ.)
The close proximity to both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (we consider both walking distance, but most guests opt to take a boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios instead of the 15 minute walking path–even if the path is usually faster) is another huge benefit. Boat service is also available to both parks, and it’s a certifiable fact that boat transportation at Walt Disney World is awesome.
Additionally, there’s now a Skyliner station at Epcot’s International Gateway, which means guests staying at Yacht Club can walk there and take the gondolas to Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, Art of Animation, and Riviera Resorts. That can be useful in opening up other dining options. (Plus, the Skyliner is just plain fun.)
On the other hand, bus transportation is decidedly un-fun. Getting to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom via bus can be a hassle. There’s always some sort of shared bus service operating, but exactly how many buses share the service depends upon the season.
When you consider the prices guests are paying to stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel with “Deluxe” accommodations, it’s ridiculous that the buses make stops at multiple resorts. It’s frustrating that Pop Century, a budget hotel, has dedicated and efficient bus service but it can take an hour to get to Magic Kingdom via buses from the pricey Epcot-area resorts. (Although makes us happy when we pay the comparative bargain price to stay at Pop Century!)
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort offers other amenities, including a health club, volleyball court, arcade, marina, business center, babysitting, tennis courts, and other recreational facilities, but none of these measure up to Stormalong Bay. This pool complex is the ultimate trump card that makes Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts stand out from the other Deluxes.
All of this comes at a cost, as rates at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort start at around $400 per night and go up from there depending upon the season and room category. This puts it among Walt Disney World’s most expensive hotels, but still not as expensive as the Magic Kingdom area hotels. While we love the Yacht Club, we would not stay here without a 30% off room-only Walt Disney World resort discount or the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion.
Overall, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is a solid option for a Deluxe Resort stay at Walt Disney World. The pool is great, the restaurants are solid, and location is great for visiting Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Yacht Club is especially appealing if you’re a New Englander from Nantucket who wears an ascot aboard your vessels.
Joking aside, Yacht Club’s theme is a bit more taste-specific and adult. Those considering Yacht Club are probably also considering Beach Club. For us, the overall ambiance and laid back vibe of Beach Club screams “vacation” in a way that Yacht Club just doesn’t, and this ambiance appeals to us. Still, both resorts are great options–two of our favorites at Walt Disney World–and whether you should choose Beach Club or Yacht Club if considering the two should really only be a question of whether you prefer the elegant nautical look or the relaxed beach look.
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Check out our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews page, which offers quick-hit capsule reviews of the strengths and weaknesses of every Walt Disney World hotel, plus links to our reviews and photo pages for every hotel we have reviewed. Looking for comprehensive Walt Disney World vacation tips? Make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts
Do you agree with us that Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is one of the best Walt Disney World hotels? Do you think Stormalong Bay lives up to the hype? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Nothing magical about our first night at the yacht club. They screwed up our dinner reservations and offer no alternative at 8:00 pm with a family of five for dinner. Up since 3:00 am to get here and get settled and we can not ever find a plate of food. Great way to treat your guest Disney, we will save our money next time!
Do you have any idea why no Yacht Club Resort standard rooms are available now (March 2016) for a trip on Sept 4-9, 2016? I find this odd so far out and can’t find any information on large conferences or renovations that might be causing limited availability during that time period.
We stayed at the Yacht Club in December 2012. One of the best aspects of this resort is it’s close proximity to Epcot. We were on the 3rd floor overlooking the lake and lighthouse. The room was beautiful and large and we did have a balcony. The difference we noticed between the Beach and Yacht Club resorts was the amount of children. Many more families with younger children at the Beach Club and it seemed to be families with older children at the Yacht Club. I, for one, enjoyed the difference tremendously. I love kids, don’t get me wrong; but it seems a lot of the time when families are on vacation, they are on vacation away from parenting as well. What’s great about these two resorts is their close proximity to each other. You get to experience both atmospheres. We never experienced long waits for the bus transport to any park or vise-versa. One of the best trips we ever had was at the Yacht Club. I would go back there in a heartbeat, except i want to experience all the resorts, so it may be awhile.
Having just come back from the Yacht Club I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone in its present state.
The room we were placed in was damp (stank of damp, and felt very cold). On asking to change we were placed next door which unsurprisingly was just the same. After 2 more room changes (both with the same dampness), we were transferred to the Beach.
Yacht is in serious need of an update and I couldn’t recommend it until it’s been refurbished. The experience made me feel like a complainer, which I’m really not – this is the first time I’ve ever moved rooms. One caste member was super helpful, but I can’t say the same for the rest.
The location and pool area can’t really be beat, but in its current state I’d really stay at the Beach (just been refurbished) and avoid the Yacht.
First of all, your blog is fantastic! I have been entrenched for 2 days now! Thanks for so much attention to detail!
We are headed down in May for a 10 day stay. We will spend 2 days doing Universal. We are flying down and staying at Yacht Club and will not have our car. Do you know a bit about the options available to us to travel to Universal? We are not wanting to rent a car, but may change our minds depending on estimated cost for transport for the 2 days.
I know this is a non-Disney question, but seriously, you have such a fantastic blog that there are not many unanswered Disney questions! (and I apologize if you have answered my question already somewhere and I have not found it!:))
One option would be to rent a car from Alamo on-site at Walt Disney World for just those couple of days. Then, you have the cost of the car, plus parking at Universal.
Alternatively, you could take a shuttle, such as the one offered by Mears, at their per person rate: http://www.mearstransportation.com/
Your final option is taxi, but that’s probably the most expensive of the options.
Planning our 1st trip the end of May/ early June with my husband and our 12 and 13 year old children. This is our trip of a lifetime so we want to get it right! We were thinking of 3 nights in Wilderness Lodge on deluxe dining plan. We thought easy access to MK and DTD. Then moving to Beach Club for 8 nights on regular DDP. Easy access to Epcot and HS. Just take a taxi to AK. In your very experienced opinion does this sound like it would be a good in terms of transportation? We don’t want to waste valuable time on buses! Or instead of Wilderness Lodge would you recommend The Contemporary? We want to go to the 4 Parks, the 2 Water Parks and to Sammy Duvall Watersports. We want to do it all – is 12 nights manageable to do it all? We are hoping to move then to Portofino Bay Hotel for 3 nights so we can do Universal. If ANYBODY can help with advice, we would so much appreciate it. This trip is taking 4 long years of saving! We are travelling from Ireland. Love all of your reviews Tom, hope you can steer us in the right direction as regards accommodation, thanks in advance!
I stayed at Beach Club in February and it was very nice, but honestly, I really like Caribbean Beach just as much for 1/3 the price. Yes the pool was cool and restaurant options were great, but I think I am going to pay that much again, I would prefer the Contemporary.
My biggest issue with Beach/Yacht Club was the transportation – the only way to get to HS was boat or to walk and it started to downpour and the boats stopped running and it was not practical to walk in that weather. We had Fastpasses to make, so we ended up having to pay for a cab! The buses went to all the lake hotels and that took so much time. And we had to wait 45 min for a bus to Downtown Disney and missed the first 5 min of our movie bc we were so late. We thought an hour was enough time but we were wrong.
But I have nothing but positive reviews of the actual hotel and amenities. I just don’t know that its worth all that money when the moderate hotels are just as nice and way less money.
I agree with you that the transportation leaves something to be desired at Yacht Club, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch saying the moderates are “just as nice.” Still, I think you raise some good points, and it’s worth considering the Moderates if the location near Epcot doesn’t matter.
Great timing on this review! I’m planning my next wdw trip and am researching which Crescent Lake resort I’d like to stay at-thanks!
Our original family stay in 95 was at the still new Beach Club. Your review lists all the great reasons why both the Yacht & Beach Clubs are our favorite properties. We love the quiet atmosphere & quick, beautiful walk to parks. My husband & I continued staying as a couple at the more adult YC after our kids grew up. You are correct about the bus service. Originally it was quicker, growing more cumbersome as it served more hotels & guests. That is what finally chased us off property to a condo. However we will be back at the BC in Sept, as we escort our oldest grdaughter for her 1st official Disney World visit.
(Her mommy looks forward to sharing her first visit memories with her daughter, too.) We will all check out the bus status & the ease of visiting other parks…it used to be a favorite perk of staying at a Disney hotel!
We stayed at Yacht Club during the week of Memorial Day and had a wonderful stay! The location is fabulous. The rooms were large and comfortable, all with balconies! We did find the bus service to be a bit slow here. It was usually only shared with Beach Club, but it still never took us more than 30 minutes to get to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. Just plan accordingly. Also, be aware that there is no counter service restaurant in Yacht Club. There is one at Beach Club and at the pool. I agree that the Crew’s Cup staff were the friendliest around! Overall we loved Yacht Club and would most certainly return in the future!
I have to comment on the bus situation. We are DVC owners and our home resort is BCV. We have stayed here many, many times. We have NEVER shared a day time park bus with all 5 resorts. In our experience the YC and the BC share, and it has been fine. The YC is picked up and dropped off first. I usually have a seat, even as the second stop in the busy mornings.
The DTD buses are all 5 resorts and they are awful. We usually budget for a taxi for our evening at DTD.
Thanks
In our experience (also having stayed at the Crescent Lake resorts ‘many, many times’), all 5 resorts share park buses about half of the time, maybe a little less. This typically occurs when occupancy is lower or during the slower times of the year. Perhaps you’ve been lucky, or perhaps you visit primarily during busy seasons, but I can assure you that at various times, all 5 resorts *do* share park buses.
So I have yet to go in the Yacht club. I will go in October for a lunch at Captain’s Grille. However I am from Nantucket and am curious to see how the theming measures up. I am no ascot wearer myself but there are certain stuffy areas here, mainly the local Yacht Club. As I said I have yet to see it up close but am thinking it more resembles old Newport than anything else, because their photos of wood shingling are just not salty enough. 🙂
I don’t know my New England design styles well enough to differentiate between Nantucket and Newport. I was just throwing out some random names of places up there that sound like they’d be into yachting. 😉
You’re probably right that it’s more like old Newport than Nantucket. Being from around there, you’ll have to let us know what you think of the theming! 🙂
Our family loves the Captain’s Grille restaurant. It’s a great meal at only one dining credit. It’s also very easy to get a last minute reservation.
We’ve wanted to try Captain’s Grille, but it’s soooo hard to resist Beaches & Cream and Yachtsman Steakhouse (our two favorites there). Thanks for the recommendation!
I also recommend Captain’s Grille! It’s definitely a hidden gem for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast has some interesting Á la carte options (lobster omelet, lemon-ricotta hotcakes with blueberry compote and lemon curd, etc.) as well as a decently priced buffet. Lunch has some nice sandwiches, such as a lobster roll and a burger topped with crabmeat. For dinner, the crab cake (appetizer or entree) is great – very little filler!
Is it true that this is the hotel that Eisner stays at when he visits WDW? As you said, the lobby connotes absolute power and wealth and seems to be a statement of how Eisner saw himself during the era when Yacht Club was built.
I’ve heard that story about Eisner many times, and while I think there are a lot of stories about Disney and its executives that are myth, I’m inclined to believe this one.
Even if it’s not completely true, it’s at least partially so. Eisner’s input and micromanaging during the construction of the Crescent Lake resorts is well-documented, and these resorts held personal fascination for him due to his attachment to their themes. DisneyWar (http://amzn.to/1rOggo8) touched upon this.
Disney War is a great book, and that’s probably where I’d read that. I also remembered seeing something on his twitter feed not long ago and I went back and found it:
https://twitter.com/Michael_Eisner/status/448464130677420033
I know, BC and YC are different, but still… 🙂
I was sold… until the part about the bus system! I remember waiting hours as a kid on a family vacation circa 1989 for a bus at one of the non-monorail hotels. Can’t believe Disney hasn’t fixed those bus bugs decades later. This is why my family always stayed at the Polynesian for all our WDW vacations after that one fateful trip. But the Yacht Club pool sure is tempting, especially with little kids of my own now….
As others have mentioned, quite often it’s just Yacht Club and Beach Club sharing a bus, which is completely bearable.
Even if all of them are sharing a bus, the work-around of just getting off at the first stop and walking makes things much easier. If you park hop from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, the only bus you really need to worry about is Animal Kingdom.
In practice, the bus situation really isn’t that bad (it’s more annoying than anything)…unless you don’t prepare for it, which is why we brought it up! 🙂
Yacht Club is my new favorite resort! My first stay there were no room-only passholder discounts available at any of the other Epcot-area or Magic Kingdom deluxe resorts. I had not heard much about this resort, and I was very pleased with my accommodations and the service. Its proximity to all of the parks(except for Animal Kingdom) make it my top pick. Since I live two hours away, I always have my car, but it’s much easier to walk or take the monorail everywhere. I have never had time to really check out the pool, but it looks fantastic. When my husband and I are there again in October, we plan to take a half day to hang out at the pool and float down the lazy river.
We’ve stayed at the Beach Club and dined in the Yacht Club, and we definitely think that the Yacht Club is a tad stuffier. It’s still gorgeous, however! I agree that the Beach Club has a more “vacation-y” feel to it, which is the reason why we love staying there! Also, that pool is wonderful. Just putting that out there.
To avoid the annoying MK bus situation, we usually walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to MK, but this option only works if you have the added park hopper plan.
We stayed at Yacht Club a couple of week’s ago for an entire week and loved it. Getting to both MK and AK was a snap as the bus was only being shared with Beach Club while we were there.
The staff at the Crew’s Cup was phenomenal as well!!!
A couple of weeks ago…so before Memorial Day, right? Interesting, I would have pegged that as a moderate time of year in terms of crowds, and usually the bus-sharing situation is at its worst during slow-to-moderate times, crowd wise. Thanks for the feedback!
No worries!
We were there from May 7-15th so were pleasantly surprised as well – especially since we had stayed at Boardwalk two years ago starting the Sunday after Memorial Day and had to suffer the Boardwalk/Dolphin/Swan/Yacht/Beach routes. 🙂
Since you mentioned the horrific bus situation, which resort (ANY resort) is the best for transportation (NON-bus) to the parks. Yacht Club sounds like a fantastic option, but without taking a bus, how do you get to MK? We’re just 4 hours from Orlando, so we always drive and have the option to drive ourselves, but I wondered what your thoughts were. We have small children and buses seemed like a HUGE waste of time and my husband hated lugging the stroller on and off. And then there was always the chance we’d been standing and waiting for a bus and we might not even get on the one that came.
When we stayed at the Beach Club last fall, theYacht Club and Beach Club did not share a bus with any other resort for MK and we never had a problem with the buses.
We’ve always gone in July (call us crazy), and that’s when the bus situation is at its worst.
If you have the park hopper option, take a scenic walk through EPCOT and take the monorail from EPCOT to MK!
Lauren-
The best resort for non-bus transport depends on where you’re going. The Crescent Lake resorts (Yacht, Beach, Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin) are all good options to walk or boat to Epcot and DHS, but I actually prefer the Polynesian if you’re traveling with small kids. Poly has many ways to get to MK- boat, monorail- but the Transportation and Ticket Center is also right next door, so you can walk and board a direct monorail to Epcot and you don’t need to fold your stroller for the monorail. That’s the top two parks within easy access and no transfers. You also have the option of boarding the TTC boat to MK, which is huge and does not require strollers to be folded (the smaller boats at the Poly dock and the Crescent Lake boats require folding).
Totally agreed with this, and I’d also throw in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. It’s an easy walk to Magic Kingdom in the morning, and the first monorail stop on the way back from the Magic Kingdom (or an easy walk back, too). This is especially nice when lines for the monorail are long, or it’s down altogether.
So Epcot and MK are on monorail, you can access DHS by boat (?), and AK is bus only. Is that correct?
Great Yacht Club review! I agree with all your points here. I’ve stayed at Beach Club a few times, and my first Yacht Club stay is slated for later this year. The Epcot area resorts are tops in my book, for all the reasons you mention. The ability to walk to two parks is huge for me. While the bus service to MK is terrible, it’s a small trade-off in my opinion. The benefits of this location far outweigh anything on the monorail loop for me!
We go back and forth on MK resorts v. Crescent Lake resorts. At this time, we’ve decided that it depends upon the time of year. During fall, Crescent Lake is a no brainer because of Food & Wine Festival. Same for Spring because of Flower & Garden (and the beginning of Star Wars Weekends). At Christmas-time, MK resorts get the nod because they have better decor, and we spend more time at Magic Kingdom that time of year.
All other times of year, it really just depends. YMMV, that’s just us! 🙂