Why You Should Consider Disney’s Yacht Club Resort for Your Next Walt Disney World Vacation

Last Friday night (October 23) my daughter and I enjoyed a hosted stay at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.  I was so impressed by this resort. Whether you plan to hit the theme parks, want a relaxing vacation, or a combination of both, Disney’s Yacht Club has all that and more.

I’ll start with location. Disney’s Yacht Club is located on Crescent Lake in the Epcot Resort area. It does not get more convenient than that! It is a short walk to Epcot, and a longer one to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (There’s other transportation to those two parks, but for us walking was faster and easier; plus we burned calories.) It is also an easy walk to the Disney Skyliner station, which opens up even more possibilities. Disney’s BoardWalk (my favorite place in Florida!) is also a short walk away. Things are kind of calm at Disney’s BoardWalk right now because it’s only open for DVC, but it was a great destination before COVID, especially in the evenings.

The Walt Disney World Resorts all have incredible pools, but Disney’s Yacht Club has Stormalong Bay! It’s home to one of the most creative hotel pool slides that you will ever see, and that slide is a blast. There is also a lazy river, and plenty of other water fun. We spent a lot more time than we planned at Stormalong Bay, it is that good. Disney’s Yacht Club and Disney’s Beach Club Resorts share the complex, but there’s plenty of room for all.

Our dining experience Friday night at Ale & Compass Restaurant was nothing to write home about, but I’ve dined there a few times before and loved it, so I’ll just assume that they were having an off night. If you want to dine elsewhere, there are restaurants open at the other Crescent Lake resorts. Before our dinner we walked over to AbracadaBar for mocktails, it is always a great place to unwind for a little while. If we were to stay at Yacht Club again I’d probably try to get a reservation at Beaches & Cream instead of Ale & Compass.

The staff at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort was incredible. There were plenty of Cast Members around to help out if you needed something, but they wouldn’t jump down your throat if you just wanted to look around or sit and relax. Again, the only part where this wasn’t necessarily true was at Ale & Compass Restaurant, but once we were seated our server was great. Everyone else was fantastic. You can sometimes tell that people are smiling under their masks, and I don’t doubt that most of the Cast Members were doing exactly that.

Just like our recent stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, there were extra safety measures. There is plenty of hand sanitizer in the lobby. There is also a dispenser by the elevator on the first floor, as well as a container of disinfectant wipes. The TV remote was sealed in a bag marked “cleaned”, and the room was spotless. The mouse-keeping staff was friendly as well. That’s a tough job, made tougher by COVID-19, and they deserve a little extra praise.

We didn’t have the incredible view this time, but I still loved sitting out on the balcony. In the distance from our room we could see Disney’s BoardWalk on one side, and the Eiffel Tower at Epcot on the other. We could also see the top of the shipwreck slide. It wasn’t a clear view, there was a tree in the way (plus we were directly over a roof, which is the majority of what we saw) but I still loved it. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I thought it was a beautiful view.

I’ve been to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort several times before, but I had never stayed there. I am so glad that we finally had the chance! The nautical theme is fun without being overwhelming, and there is a special feel to all of it. I hope that someday I’ll be able to stay there again. If you are trying to decide where to stay and looking for a resort that has it all, seriously consider Disney’s Yacht Club. For us, it was close to perfect.