(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, see this.)
ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S YACHT CLUB RESORT
All Disney deluxe resorts have standard rooms; concierge rooms, which Disney calls “club” rooms; and suites. (See this for more on suites at Walt Disney World.)
At Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, standard and club/concierge rooms sleep either four or five, in two queen beds, or two queens and a day bed. Standard rooms are covered in detail earlier in this review. King bed rooms that sleep two or three (the third on the day bed) are also available.
CONCIERGE ROOMS, DELUXE ROOMS, AND SUITES AT DISNEY’S YACHT CLUB RESORT
I generally advise against special room types for first-time visitors, as they won’t be spending much time in their rooms. However, they may be well worth it for families intending to spend more time at the Yacht Club Resort than implied by this site’s itineraries.
TikimanPages.com has a great discussion of the value of concierge rooms here. Though focused on the Polynesian, it applies to any deluxe resort.
Most Yacht Club concierge rooms (Disney calls them “club” rooms) are the same size as the rest of the resort’s rooms. However, there’s also an option called a “Deluxe” rooms, and several types of two-bedroom suites.
Deluxe rooms don’t offer any more sleeping capacity–they just give you more space, and more separate spaces, for your family to live in. Deluxe rooms (which used to be called junior suites) are about 60% larger than standard rooms, and include two queens and a semi-private sitting area.
The two-bedroom Turret Suites have an unusual shape and layout–with one of the bedrooms connecting the other spaces.
There’s also two-bedroom Presidential and Admiral suites, each with ~2000 square feet and the two-bedroom Captain’s Deck Suite, with ~2400 square feet.
For more on suites, see this, and for more on larger families seeking deluxe options, see this.
Note that to all the capacity figures above you can add a child under three in a crib. A crib fits nicely between the dresser/TVÂ and the closet.
THE THEMING OF DISNEY’S YACHT CLUB RESORT
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort opened in November 1990, and in 2009 completed a major renovation. Word is that a badly-needed refurb is coming soon.
According to Disney World’s website, the Yacht Club
“…[features] lush landscaping and the formal grace of a grand New England yacht club.
Designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern—known for his East Coast beach houses—this splendid 5-story Resort transports Guests to the summertime Shingle Style hotels of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. (Sister resort Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a more relaxed, pastel-toned edifice next door; the 2 share many amenities.)
Public areas, guest rooms and suites are adorned in dark wood and wicker furniture, portholes and simulated captain’s wheels. Cast Members are decked out in ship’s crew regalia, including navy blazers and captain’s hats.”
The architect (and former Disney board member) Stern on his own website also talks about the Yacht Club in its context with the Beach Club:
“While both hotels draw their inspiration from America’s architectural past, each has a unique identity.
The Yacht Club is reminiscent of the rambling, shingle-covered seaside resorts that were built toward the end of the last century in New England towns such as Newport, Marblehead, and Bar Harbor.
The Beach Club is lighter, more airy in expression. It is modeled on the many Stick Style cottages and resorts that could be found in towns like Cape May, New Jersey.”
(For more on Stern’s role in Walt Disney World, see this.)
Well, I have a couple of issues with this.
First–and yes, do laugh at me for arguing with Stern, the master, about his signature Shingle Style–vernacular Shingle Style has a few more curves than the Yacht Club. Rounded turrets and eyebrow dormers are common elements missing in the Yacht Club.
But more to the point–these two resorts just aren’t that different.
Yes, the Yacht Club (above) is a tad more formal, and yes, the Beach Club (below) is a hint lighter. …but some of the discussions about these two resorts make it sound as though they were comparing the Grand Floridian and the Wilderness Lodge.
In fact, the Yacht and Beach Clubs are more like one another in theme, style, decor, layout, and rooms than are any other pair of deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World.
And this makes a bit of sense, considering that they are really just one building with mirror-image hotel wings.
See the map.
The Yacht Club rooms and lobby are on the left, the Beach Club rooms and lobby on the right, and in between is shared space used for restaurants, kitchens, and other shared support activities.
Above this central shared space on the map is the shared convention center, and below it the shared spectacular pool, Stormalong Bay.
Note that the room wings are essentially mirror images of each other, and of course the room layouts themselves are identical.
What’s different between the two resorts in terms of theme is a set of small choices of decoration and decor, which do establish a difference but just don’t add up to much.
Here’s what we say about this in our book:
So yes, the Beach Club is the better choice for most families. Â But if you need Stormalong Bay or the easy access to Epcot, but can’t get into the Beach Club, don’t let the talk of formality keep you from bringing your kids to the Yacht Club. Yes, there is a tiny difference, and yes the Beach Club is preferable–but the Yacht Club is just fine for families!
MORE ON DISNEY’S YACHT CLUB RESORT
The Yacht Club Resort is one of 5 (or 7, if you count the Disney Vacation Club resorts separately) resorts within walking distance of Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
(Boats also go to the both; most take the boat to the Studios–no faster than walking, but easier.)
These resorts–the Beach Club, Yacht Club, BoardWalk Inn, Swan, Dolphin, and the DVC Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club Villas–share a number of strengths thanks to their location.
The biggest strength for first time family visitors with kids is the ease of access to Epcot and (to a lesser extent) the Studios. The other theme parks are served by buses with multiple stops.
Another great strength is their pools. All these resorts have fun, kid-friendly pools. The pool shared by the Beach and Yacht Club, Stormalong Bay, is the most kid-appealing among the Disney owned and operated resorts.
A strength they share for adults is their easy access to table-service dining options. These include the restaurants within the nearby resorts as well as those along the BoardWalk, and for those with tickets and/or park hoppers, the dining venues in Epcot itself.
Another strength for adults is a convenience store with normal, not Disney, prices within walking distance.
Dining options for kids, and counter service in particular, are more of a problem.
The three Disney resorts have exactly one counter service location among them–a thin set of offerings in the Beach Club’s gift shop.
Of the table-service restaurants, only Beaches and Cream, a soda, ice cream and burger shop near the Beach Club part of Stormalong Bay, has delightful kid appeal, but it is tiny hard to reserve, and commonly packed.
(Character dining is available in the Beach Club for breakfast, but is uninteresting compared to most other character meals.)
The Yacht Club Resort’s strengths for first time family visitors are Stormalong Bay and its easy access to Epcot.
The Yacht Club Resort’s principal negatives for first time family visitors are its relative lack of kid appeal and its poor access to counter-service dining options.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR DISNEY’S YACHT CLUB RESORT
Disney’s Official Yacht Club Web Page
PAGES: Previous  |  1  |  2  | 3  | 4  | 5
MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this
- For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
- For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
- Military/DOD families should look at this
- Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this
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4 Comments on "Review: Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Page 5"
Cool! Wear it out…and post a review on Amazon if you haven’t already!
I thought about that, but it was $500 more for a view, and with Epcot and Hollywood Studios within walking distance, and Stormalong Bay beckoning, I decided the money was better spent on Doofenschlurpers and poolside adult beverages. 😉 By the way, we’re using the HECK out of the 2015 guide for planning where to eat and how best to see the fireworks!!! It’s definitely coming with in the carry-on!!!
Yayyy Jennifer! I haven’t stayed in these concierge rooms, but I have at the Beach Club, and by analogy I believe–but am not sure, and haven’t found anything definitive–that the YC concierge rooms are on the fifth floor pretty much above the lobby. So they are in the rough center/Epcot side of the YC. If I’m right, some of these rooms will have weak parking lot/convention center views, so you might avoid standard view rooms.