The Top 5 Things to Love about Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Recently I had the chance to stay at Disney's Yacht Club Resort and it has been added to my list of must-stay-here-again deluxe resorts. The resort has a different vibe from its sister resort Beach Club, and is located just a short walk from the International Gateway entrance of Epcot.


Top 5 Things to Love about Disney's Yacht Club Resort


Yacht Club, along with its sister hotel Beach Club, is easy to love thanks to its location, amenities, recreation, and yes even some of the dining. Today we'll look at what there is to love about the resort.

Top on my list of reasons to love Yacht Club has to be the location. The resort is a short walk away from Epcot, which is great if Epcot is a park you like to spend a lot of time in (I do). And if you aren't up for a walk you can always catch a ride on a Friendship Boat to the park.

Hop on a Friendship Boat for a quick ride to Epcot or the Studios!

The Friendship Boats will also transport you to Disney's BoardWalk (if you don't feel like walking) where you'll find several great dining options including Flying Fish and Trattoria al Forno, in addition to the new AbracadaBAR and Ample Hills Creamery. I highly recommend a visit (or five) to Ample Hills as the ice cream is AH-mazingly delicious. You can also catch a Friendship Boat to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Ice cream at Ample Hills Creamery on Disney's Boardwalk

Next we need to talk about Stormalong Bay. This 3-acre pool is more like a water wonderland thanks to the sandy bottom, lazy river, and the water slide (housed in a shipwrecked pirate ship, the slide is one of the highest hotel water slides).

Stormalong Bay is hands down the best swimming pool on property (in my humble opinion). You'll find ample seating all around the pool, Hurricane Hanna's Grill, and it really is a great place to hang out for an afternoon (or for a whole day if that's your thing).

Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club

The themeing of Yacht Club might not be as amazing as say Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it is charming and quite lovely. The lobby is elegant and has a yacht club vibe (of course) and it smells incredible. No really, the lobby smells SO good! It is the first thing I noticed as we walked in. And for some reason the lobby also just feels "calm" and not rushed.

My favorite feature of the lobby is the giant globe that greets you as you enter. You'll also find nice sitting areas inside the lobby. It's hard to explain, but walking in to the Yacht Club relaxes me. Maybe it's the color scheme, or maybe it's the laid-back vibe. Whatever it is, I want to spend more time at Yacht Club.

The Yacht Club lobby

Having stayed at Beach Club before and being very disappointed by the size of the "balconies" (you can't really call them balconies at Beach Club...they're so TINY), I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the FULL balconies at Yacht Club and the views from our hotel room.

We had requested a room with a garden view and I was thrilled when we discovered our room looked out at Crescent Lake! We could see a lovely gazebo right outside our room (room 2097 if you're wondering), in addition to gazing out toward Crescent Lake, the BoardWalk, and even the Eiffel Tower from Epcot's France pavilion.

The view from room 2097 at Disney's Yacht Club

We could also see some of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth from our room (but not too much thanks to a strategically placed tree that blocked much of the show). Honestly, I would be happy with any of the rooms that faced Crescent Lake as the BoardWalk is so gorgeous when it is lit up at night. Also, I love listening to the horns from the Friendship Boats.

And no resort overview would be complete without talking about the food. Yacht Club is home to several really good dining spots including the Yachtsman Steakhouse (a Signature Dining location), the Crew's Cup Lounge (a great spot to stop for a nightcap), and of course Beaches and Cream which is located closer to Beach Club but it still counts.

You gotta go to Beaches and Cream!

We grabbed breakfast at the Captain's Grille and it was a solid breakfast choice. It's a good place to grab a quick buffet or order off the a la carte menu before heading to the parks. The overall look of the Captain's Grille isn't spectacular (it is closing in May for a refurb) but it's one of those spots where you can usually get a table and enjoy good food. The best part of my breakfast: Mickey Waffles topped with Bananas Foster Sauce.

I would recommend always visiting Beaches and Cream for a meal or just for ice cream. This spot is home to the No Way Jose (a favorite) and the almost world-famous Kitchen Sink Sundae.

Kitchen Sink Sundae at Beaches and Cream

The one negative when it comes to food at Yacht Club is the lack of a quick service restaurant. Currently if you're looking for a quick service meal you need to walk down to the Beach Club Marketplace (which has never been the best quick service spot at Disney World) or out to Hurricane Hanna's Grill. However, there is hope on the horizon as a new grab-and-go spot is rumored to be opening soon near the hotel's gift shop. This would be a great addition to an otherwise wonderful hotel.

A view of the beach at Disney's Yacht Club...just because

Overall, Disney's Yacht Club is definitely one of the Deluxe Resorts where I would stay at again. It has a lot going for it thanks to its location, the amazing pool area, and the views. And if I can get my morning coffee fix without walking all the way down to Beach Club, then it will be perfect.

Five reasons to love Disney's Yacht Club

Have you stayed at Disney's Yacht Club Resort? Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought of the hotel.

Many thanks to the Disney Food Blog for use of their photos.