Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is known for its convenient location, large pool area, and easy access to EPCOT. This guide covers what to expect, what’s worth knowing, and tips to help you plan your stay.

About

Location

If you asked me what was the best thing about staying at Disney’s Yacht Club, I’d have to give you two answers: the hotel’s location and Stormalong Bay. As far as location, the resort is within walking distance (or a boat ride) of Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That means you can quickly get to and from both theme parks, regardless of the crowds. The proximity allows the opportunity to visit the parks to do select things and still have time to enjoy the resort.

For us, those select things include experiencing Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, eating at the Hollywood Brown Derby, or making a few laps around the World Showcase. We always recommend having a park-hopper upgrade when you stay this close to a theme park. It will give you a good amount of freedom to come and go as you please.

As an example, you might spend a day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and get back to the resort at 6:00 p.m. By this time, you could feel exhausted. But after a two-hour break and dinner, you might be surprised that you feel up to walking to Epcot and seeing the evening fireworks. Imagine entering Epcot at 8:30 p.m., seeing the fireworks at 9:00 p.m., and then getting back to your room within 10 minutes after the evening spectacular. When you walk past the line for the Skyliner on your way back to the room, you’ll know without a doubt that you made the right resort choice.

Stormalong Bay

Sitting on Crescent Lake, Disney’s Yacht Club is the sister resort to Disney’s Beach Club. Both resorts share amenities, including Stormalong Bay, a three-acre area with multiple pools, lagoons, a lazy river, a waterslide, hot tubs, and waterfalls. Most of the pool area features a sand bottom, which is oh-so-nice on the feet!

While we are fans of Disney’s water parks, we don’t usually visit them when we stay at either of these hotels. Of course, Stormalong Bay doesn’t have significant thrills like the water parks, but it’s nice to “stay home” for the day and enjoy the resort’s pool.

On the flip side, some might find the large pool area overwhelming when traveling with little ones. Thankfully, guests have the option to use the three additional quiet pools between the Beach and Yacht Club. That said, one entire end of Stormalong Bay is a wading pool with a large pile of sand in the center. Children adore digging in the sand all day. A separate kiddie pool with a mini-slide is also available in the shipwreck.

Deluxe Resort Benefits

You’ll receive many benefits as a guest of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. There are two, however, that you’ll want to be aware of and incorporate into your itinerary ahead of time regarding park hours.

Early Theme Park Entry: This perk allows resort guests to enter any Walt Disney World theme park 30 minutes before officially opening to the general public. This early entry provides several advantages:

1. Lower Crowds: Being among the first to enter the park allows you to experience popular attractions with shorter wait times. This will help you to check off must-see rides and experiences ahead of the crowd.
2. Photography Opportunities: If you love capturing the magic of Disney, the early hours provide a fantastic opportunity for photos in front of iconic landmarks with fewer people in the background.
3. Cooler Temperatures: Morning hours are often cooler, making outdoor activities more comfortable. But if you visit during cooler weather, don’t forget a jacket.

Extended Evening Hours: On specific evenings, Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort guests, including those staying at Disney’s Yacht Club, can enjoy extra time in select theme parks. During extended evening hours, these parks stay open later than their regular closing time, usually for two more hours. Extended evening hours are typically offered twice a week.

This benefit offers several advantages as well:

1. More Ride Time: You can enjoy additional nighttime rides and attractions when lines are often shorter.
2. Magical Nighttime Atmosphere: The theme parks take on a unique and enchanting ambiance at night, with beautifully lit landscapes. So you’ll have time to savor the nighttime magic longer with fewer crowds. 
3. Less Rush: Explore the park at a relaxed pace.

Other Resort Amenities

Here are a few other resort amenities.

• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary Parking
• Valet Parking (Extra Cost)
• Online Check-In (You can usually go straight to your room upon arrival with this service, as long as your room is ready. We stay in the resorts often and have had good luck with early check-in.)
• Dry Cleaning Services (Check with the front desk or bell services.)

For more amenities specific to the resort, see our Disney’s Yacht Club Amenities Guide.

Dining Options

You’ll have plenty of options between the resort and neighboring Disney’s Beach Club. Here is a summary of the dining options on the Yacht Club side of the resort.

The Market at Ale and Compass: This location is part gift shop, part quick service. You can get various items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s a great place to grab a specialty coffee or refill your Rapid Fill mug. But when it comes to dining, the options are lacking. Unfortunately, the entire Epcot Resort area has limited options for quick meals. (The Market at Ale and Compass Review)

Ale and Compass Lounge: Speaking of bread service, Ale and Compass Lounge offers Parker House Rolls with a delicious assortment of spreads like pub cheese, bacon jam, and citrus butter. They’ll also let you order off the restaurant’s dinner menu without the formality of a reservation. On a recent stay, I stopped in for dessert only—the 12-layer chocolate cake. It was delicious! See our Ale and Compass Lounge Review for more details.

Crew’s Cup: This is not your ordinary lounge. It’s more of a family-friendly restaurant that takes walk-ups. We have dinner here often, and they even have a kids’ menu that is not advertised online. You’ll want to try an order of bread service from the Yachtsman next door. It’s on the menu! (Learn More: Crew’s Cup Review, or you might also see Where to Find Prime Rib Sliders at Disney World?)

Ale and Compass Restaurant is the resort’s primary table service restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We eat at Ale and Compass more than at any restaurant on the property. If you want to learn more, you might enjoy these reviews:

Ale and Compass Breakfast Review
Ale and Compass Dinner Review
Ale and Compass (To Go Orders)

Yachtsman Steakhouse: This signature restaurant offers premium steaks and seafood selections, including filet mignon, New York Strip, ribeye, and roasted prime rib. You’ll want to secure reservations for this fine dining experience. 

Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar and Grill: Pick up a beverage, beer, wine, or cocktail along with select quick-service menu items at this poolside location. During the busier portions of the day, cast members are available to wait on guests from their chairs and tables on the pool deck. (Learn More: Can You Dine at Hurricane Hanna’s If You’re Not Staying at the Resort?)

Refillable Mugs at Disney’s Yacht Club: Find out where to purchase a Rapid Fill mug at Disney’s Yacht Club, along with beverage locations and drink options.

Coffee at Disney’s Yacht Club: Find out every location and coffee selection at and near the Yacht Club.

Transportation

Regarding transportation, guests can walk to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Epcot is within a short distance of Epcot (about 10 minutes), while Hollywood Studios is a bit further (about 15 minutes). If you prefer, you can take a Friendship Boat to either theme park or the surrounding resorts. However, the walk to Epcot’s International Gateway will be shorter than the boat ride. Browse more details below.

Walk from Disney’s Yacht Club to the following:

• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Boardwalk
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin (and Swan Reserve)
• Fantasia Mini Golf Course

Take a FriendShip (Boat Service) from the Lighthouse to the following:

• Disney’s Boardwalk
• Epcot
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Learn more about Disney’s Friendship Boat Service.

Disney’s Bus Service is provided from the Yacht Club to the following destinations:

• Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disney Springs
• Disney Water Parks

⬇️ Read the following guide for average bus times we’ve recorded during our stays.

🚶 Bus Routes with Average Times for Disney’s Yacht Club

The Disney Skyliner is within walking distance of Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. You can also walk to the Disney Skyliner station. It runs between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You might take it to Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, or Art of Animation Resorts.

Tip: Make sure to get a copy of our To and From Disney’s Yacht Club (Mini-Pocket Guide): Save this pocket guide to your mobile device and use it as a cheat sheet during your vacation. You might also like to save a copy of our Yacht Club transportation map to locate where to access transportation.

Club Level

Disney’s Yacht Club is home to the Regatta Club, a concierge lounge dedicated to club-level guests on the resort’s fifth floor. This upgraded room category allows guests to access the lounge and complimentary food and beverage selections throughout the day between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.

We have the following reviews of select club levels:

• Stone Harbor Club Review at Beach Club
• Chronos Club Review at Gran Destino Tower
• Kamehameha Club Review at the Polynesian

You might also enjoy our guide: Staying Club Level at Disney World. It provides a list of club levels and what to expect during your stay.

More Planning

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Check out some of our resources, like our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of everything you need to know about the Disney Resort Hotels. For dining, our Disney World Dining Guide is an excellent place to start. Our Disney World Transportation Guide is an excellent resource for planning your routes. It’s one of our most popular resources. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Lastly, our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks.