Market at Ale & Compass Review

The Market at Ale & Compass is a counter service restaurant at Yacht Club, a Deluxe Resort at Walt Disney World. In this WDW dining review, we’ll share food photos, compare this to other places to eat at Beach Club & BoardWalk Inn, and cover whether we recommend the Market at Ale & Compass.

Despite its debut about a couple of years ago, readers have not exactly been clamoring for a review of the Market at Ale & Compass. Unlike many posts that are driven by “a lot of people have been asking about…” literally no one has inquired about this new-ish counter service option. And yet, here we are.

There’s probably a Walt Disney quote about giving people what they never knew they wanted instead of what they say they want. That quote is about as applicable here as putting “if you can dream it, you can do it” on the plate for the Chili-Cheese All-Beef Foot Long Hot Dog at All Star Sports.

In terms of basics, the Market at Ale & Compass participates in the Disney Dining Plan as a counter service credit. It does not accept the Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount. The Market at Ale & Compass is typically not a good value on the Disney Dining Plan, as most of the entree options are relatively inexpensive (see best value quick service DDP credit restaurants here). By contrast, it’s a good option, price-wise, for those paying out of pocket.

Even more basic, the Market at Ale & Compass is not the same as Ale & Compass Restaurant, which we reviewed here. Oddly, it’s not even at Ale & Compass, which is on the opposite side of the lobby. Unless you’re actively looking for the Market “at” Ale & Compass, you probably won’t find it, as it’s down a side hallway to the left of the front desk, located adjacent to the gift shop.

Thematically speaking, the Market at Ale & Compass is…well, it exists. Market-themed, I suppose. Maybe gift shop themed, if you look over that way. Is muted colors a theme? What about refrigerators?

Suffice to say, the Market at Ale & Compass is a utilitarian space, a counter service location carved out of a merchandise location to check that box on the amenities list.

So far we’ve got “hard to find” and “maybe refrigerator themed” for the Market at Ale & Compass. Given so much excitement early on in this review, it’s really hard to fathom why none of you cared.

Aside from the stuff in the fridges, everything served at the Market at Ale & Compass for lunch and dinner is a sandwich. This is a bit disappointing, as the Crescent Lake area is desperately in need of a robust counter service restaurant.

When the Market & Ale Compass was announced, we thought it might fill that void. Instead, it’s like a clone of Beach Club Market, which is similar in style.

Maybe we overestimate the demand for counter service dining at Yacht & Beach Club, but it still surprises us neither have a proper counter service restaurant. Close both of these markets and add something in between that’s actually worthwhile.

In any case, let’s move on to the food…

For mine, I ordered the Italian Panini: “Capicola, Mortadella, Ham, Provolone, and Giardinere.”

I liked this, but I’m a sucker for Italian sandwiches. It was oily and left my hands an absolute mess, but the flavors generally worked, the meats and cheeses were all good, and the sandwich was filling. I’d order it again if I were staying at Yacht Club and didn’t want to leave the hotel for a meal.

For her meal, Sarah had the Vegetable Sandwich: “Roasted Broccoli and Garlic, Kale, Almonds, Golden Raisins, Chao or Provolone Cheese, Whole Grain Baguette.”

She was not a fan, calling it flavorless and stale. It was also greasy and probably not all that healthy, which is a sad indictment of something that also didn’t taste good. Walt Disney World plant-forward and vegetarian options have been improving of late, but this is a definite exception to that general rule.

None of the baked goods or desserts looked appealing to us, so we didn’t bother. We did note that they had Halo Top ice cream, which is delicious.

This ice cream is also supposedly healthy, but I don’t buy that for a second. What, you think I didn’t see “the Non-Fat Yogurt” episode of Seinfeld?!

Overall, the Market at Ale & Compass is…there. No, not there at Ale & Compass, but over there, down that side hallway inside the gift shop. The sandwiches here are perfectly satisfactory, but absolutely no one should go out of their way to dine here. Even if you’re staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, you’re better off walking a bit to Epcot or another Crescent Lake resort unless you’re exhausted or are in a pinch time-wise. You were all right not to ask us about this one, as it’s right up there as one of the least-interesting dining options at Walt Disney World.

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Your Thoughts

Have you dined at Market at Ale & Compass? What did you order? Thoughts on the whole dining ‘experience’ here, from theme and atmosphere to cuisine? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

13 Responses to “Market at Ale & Compass Review”
  1. Laura October 15, 2019
    • Tom Bricker October 15, 2019
    • Laura October 16, 2019
  2. Kenr March 25, 2019
  3. Melody March 18, 2019
  4. Kevin March 17, 2019
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  6. Shannon March 16, 2019
  7. emily clement March 16, 2019
    • Dazed&Confused March 16, 2019
  8. Bill March 16, 2019
  9. Michelle March 16, 2019
  10. Things should be better March 16, 2019

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