Disney’s Beach Club Resort Review

Disney’s Beach Club is one of the most desirable hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort. Between its stellar amenities and prime location, staying here is hard to top.

In this Beach Club Resort review, we’ll examine the entire resort. Since I’ve stayed here many times as a guest, I’ll provide detailed accounts from multiple stays. In addition, we’ll look at the rooms, dining, amenities, and all the extras this resort has to offer.

Staying at Disney’s Beach Club is like having the best of both worlds. First, you are privy to the hotel’s long list of amenities. Secondly, the resort’s location is within walking distance of two theme parks. And that’s only the icing on the cake for this charming vacation destination.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to stay at the Beach Club many times. And without hesitation, I can tell you that I’m always prepared to return.

The resort offers a calm, serene feel that whispers welcome home as soon as you enter the front door. From the florals in the lobby to the seashell accents and carpets mimicking the depths of the ocean, Beach Club welcomes you.

It’s the kind of place that you never really want to leave. And often, many end up wondering when they will be able to return.

They say, “home is where the heart is.” So please allow me to share with you the one piece of real estate at Disney that I care about more than any other.

Before we get too far into this review of Disney’s Beach Club, let’s look at the hotel’s map. Beach Club is on the right-hand side of the map with the brown-tone roof. Sister resort Yacht Club is on the left side.

Related: Disney’s Yacht Club Review

While separate, the two resorts combine to make one large resort, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club. Anyone visiting that has their car might want to note the address. 

Disney’s Beach Club Address: 1800 Epcot Resorts Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, FL

This review was last updated on February 10, 2022.

Disney’s Beach Club Review

Location for most is a huge factor when considering each of the Walt Disney World Resorts. For me, the Beach Club gets a full 10/10 for location. It’s tough to find fault here.

Disney’s Beach Club is located on stunning Crescent Lake in the Epcot Resort Area. Beach Club is next door to Epcot and across the lake from the Boardwalk Resort. It takes approximately 10 minutes to walk over to the Boardwalk, or you can take a Friendship boat if you desire.

Related: Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Review

Additionally, walking from the Beach Club’s back door to Epcot’s International Gateway takes approximately five minutes. That is the back entrance to the theme park.

Perhaps the most significant factor is the ability to walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Most guests spend at least two days of their vacation at Hollywood Studios with hopes of experiencing the newer Rise of the Resistance attraction.

Being able to walk to the theme park leaves you in control of when you arrive instead of relying on alternate transportation. By this, I mean you won’t be sitting at a bus stop or in line for the Skyliner at park opening while everyone else is taking advantage of early morning lines.

Walking from the Beach Club to Disney’s Hollywood Studios takes approximately fifteen minutes. It’s a scenic walk, and I always prefer it over the boat.

Not only that, but it’s such a great place to decompress after leaving the park. The walkway is never crowded, and it’s quiet with plenty of fresh air.

As far as proximity to the other parks, guests can take Disney bus transportation to reach Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Additionally, bus transportation is provided to Disney Springs and both water parks.

Aside from location, there are many other good things going on at Disney’s Beach Club. While the resort is large, its spread out over a sizable area, leaving most of the public spaces private and serene.

Beach Club offers 577 rooms and suites. The exterior of the main resort is a soft blue with white trim. Its design was inspired by the look of New England beachside cottages during the mid-1800s.

One of the busier spots at the resort is its lobby. The lobby features beautiful French limestone flooring, and fresh flowers are on display at most times. It makes for a warm and inviting space to return to after a long day in the theme parks.

During Christmas at the Beach Club, you’ll be delighted by the life-size gingerbread carousel that sits in the center of the lobby. Guests come from all over the property to see it.

Below we have The Little Mermaid Gingerbread Carousel from 2021.

This year we have a new carousel theme featuring Disney Princesses.

Related: 2022 Gingerbread Carousel at Beach Club

Additionally, the decor throughout the resort is gorgeous.

The Beah Club is also home to a Disney Vacation Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Villas. The villas have a soft mint green exterior and a separate quiet pool.

The other huge factor that Beach Club Resort has is the amount of recreation available. We’ll get to that a little further down. But know this property can provide a complete vacation experience without visiting a theme park. There’s just that much to do here!

Rooms

Below we’ll look at all the room categories available at Disney’s Beach Club. There are several options when deciding what room or view to choose. The sky is pretty much the limit, from standard guest rooms to an upgraded water view or villas with kitchens. Here are the room views:

• Standard View
• Garden View
• Water View

Most of these rooms come with two queen beds. However, some rooms have one king bed. Additionally, some rooms will have a day bed that sleeps a fifth guest.

Below are the types of rooms:

• Standard Guest Room
• Deluxe Room
• 1 Bedroom Suite
• 2 Bedroom Suite
• Nantucket VP Suite
• Newport Presidential Suite

Additionally, club level upgrade is available.

Related: Club Level (Stone Harbor Club) Review

Lastly, these Disney’s Beach Club Villa rooms are available:

• Deluxe Studio
• 1 Bedroom Villa
• 2 Bedroom Villa

Related: Beach Club Deluxe Studio

For this review, we’ll look at a standard guest at Disney’s Beach Club. A standard room sleeps up to four guests and offers two queen beds.

The walls are a neutral gray palette with complimenting seafoam greens and blues. Unfortunately, Beach Club’s last room renovation was before solid surface flooring in hotels became popular.

With that being said, the carpet is a high-quality grade. Additionally, there’s a neat little bench to use when removing your shoes, with room to store them underneath.

A standard guest suite offers two queen beds. For reference, the deluxe studios at the villas come with a queen bed and one sleeper sofa. In addition, the villa rooms have a small kitchenette.

We often utilize this desk with the chair shown below when we stay here. The table tucked underneath actually rolls out. And you can move it around the room as needed.

Most of the rooms at Disney now provide a variety of outlets and USB ports for charging. Note there are a few here on the back of the desk portion.

Another win is the bath area. The water closet is separate, and the double vanity provides a nice counter space. There is also a ledge above the counter that comes in handy for storing smaller items.

Underneath the vanity, there’s an additional large, open storage area. Again, the colors and solid surface counters make for a clean-feeling space.

Below is the tub with shower combination.

You will find a coffee bar and counter area between the closet areas with a mini-refrigerator. I love the artwork with Mickey and Minnie Mouse staring out into the ocean.

Here is a closeup of the different items on top of the coffee bar area.

There is a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall with drawer space underneath.

The balcony provides a nice place to step outside and take a breath of fresh air. If I’m staying here and planning some resort-only days, a balcony is a must for me.

When I’m going to be in the parks a lot, I don’t mind so much. However, I find it’s always nice to step outside and check the weather when the temperature might be a little iffy. Also, I recommend using this space to apply spray-on sunscreen before heading out for the day.

Not all rooms at Disney’s Beach Club offer a full balcony. If this is important to you, make a special request when online check-in is available.

Recreation

This Disney’s Beach Club review wouldn’t be complete without looking over the extensive recreation list. There is plenty to do here outside of the theme parks.

Perhaps, one of the things this hotel is most known for is its massive pool area, Stormalong Bay. Additionally, you will find other activities like volleyball courts and movies every evening on the lawn.

Stormalong Bay is the main pool at this Disney resort. I say pool lightly, but the reality is that it’s more of a mini-water park. The feature pool has three lagoon-style areas and an enjoyable water slide.

Related: Disney Resorts with Water Slides

If you have a family that enjoys spending time at the pool, Beach Club is the place for you. The setting is serene, and even when it’s crowded, there are plenty of swimming areas and loungers for everyone. It comes in as our top choice for pools at Disney!

Related: The Best Pools at the Disney World Resorts

Children and more adventurous adults will thoroughly enjoy the waterslide. There is also a tiny sand island in the kiddie pool. You can find a spot nearby and watch your kids play and build sandcastles all day long. They probably won’t even want to go to Disney World.

Here is a look at the pirate ship waterslide. The entrance to the slide is across the walkway, and the staircase comes out of a pirate ship.

Additionally, you’ll find a second kiddie pool area with a miniature slide inside the ship.

The slide shoots back across the walkway and empties into Stormalong Bay.

There are several different hot tubs spaced throughout the area. And I failed to mention prior that the majority of the pool’s floor has a delightful sand bottom.

Stormalong Bay has a lazy river with inner tubes. A warning here, the lazy river has a swift current and deep water.

Therefore, children and non-swimmers need to avoid this area. Thankfully, this area is more to itself, and you’ll usually find a good number of lifeguards in the area.

For more information about this excellent pool area, check out this article, Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Stormalong Bay.

Another thing you might want to consider is renting a cabana during your stay. Disney’s Beach Club offers four cabanas that average $300.00 a day.

We recently had the opportunity to try one out and found the experience enjoyable. Not only that, I felt the rental was well worth the money for a mid-vacation resort day.

Read More: Disney World Cabana Rental Review

Those looking for a little more privacy will enjoy the two quiet pools available to resort guests:

• Tidal Pool (faces Crescent Lake)
• Dune’s Cove Pool (DVC villa area)
• Admiral’s Pool (Yacht Club side)

Below is a look at the Dune’s Cove Pool.

Related: The Pools at Disney’s Beach Club

Another one of my favorite places to spend time in this area is the man-made beach that sits in front of Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club.

During the daytime, this area is bright and cheerful.

Guests can use the beach at their leisure to lounge. The beach is also where the nightly movies are held. It’s tough to describe how much I enjoy the area.

The beach is pretty expansive. Sometimes you might even see portions of it closed off for weddings or other private events.

I have spent many a sunset on this swing. I might even be guilty of watching a few Hollywood Studios fireworks from it. (You can’t see them that great from here, but it’s still just as pleasant.)

Disney’s Beach Club offers a fully equipped gym like a regular deluxe resort. Ship Shape Health Club is located on the exterior walkway between the resorts.

The gym has a sauna, weights, machines, and an aerobics area.

I enjoy taking the time to get a workout or two in when I stay here. It’s rarely crowded, and there is plenty of equipment available.

The gym has a nice variety of free weights and a stair climber. Beach Club’s television system is provided on all the machines, so don’t forget to bring your earbuds.

Related: Hotels with Gyms at Disney World

The Lafferty Place Arcade entrance is next door to Ship Shape Health Club and Beaches and Cream Soda Shop.

The arcade is not as large as it used to be since part of the space was used to expand the Beaches and Cream restaurant next door.

But there are still many options if you find yourself hanging out here on a rainy day. For example, most Disney hotels, including the value resorts, will have an arcade.

Resort Campfire Activities

As the day fades away, you might find yourself around a campfire roasting marshmallows at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This activity is usually offered daily at most deluxe and moderate resorts.

Movies Under the Stars

If you have an evening off and enjoy watching Disney movies, Movies Under the Stars is worth stopping by and experiencing. Cast members set up a giant movie screen out on the beach of Crescent Lake. A lot of times, they provide fresh popcorn for guests’ enjoyment. Just pull up a lounge chair and settle in for an outdoor movie experience.

Here is a sample of a recent movie calendar:

• Sunday–Tarzan 9 p.m.
• Monday–Alice in Wonderland 9 p.m.
• Tuesday–Brother Bear 9 p.m.
• Wednesday--Inside Out 9 p.m.
• Thursday– Sleeping Beauty 9 p.m.
• Friday– The Lion King 2, Simba’s Pride 9 p.m.
• Saturday– Peter Pan — 9 p.m.

In the past, I know I’ve been so busy trying to pack things in at the park to enjoy these types of things. I have often stopped along the walkway and lingered here, watching clips of whatever movie was playing. It’s one of those unexpected things that’s worth taking the time to enjoy.

*The movie schedule above and times change monthly.

Other Activities

While there’s plenty to do at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, there are a few other fun things on the property or within short walking distance. They include:

• Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf (Less than a 10-minute walk)
• Pirate Adventure Cruise
• Tennis (Admiral Pool Area)
• Motorized Boat Rentals (Located by the Friendship Boats)
• Volleyball (Lawn)
• Fishing
• Jogging Trail (This is a favorite place to run on Disney property.)

These items are subject to availability, and most include an additional cost.

Dining

I wanted to briefly summarize dining options in the immediate area for this review. One of the benefits of the Epcot Resort Area is the numerous Disney dining choices. Types of restaurants at the Beach Club include counter service, a lounge, and a table service restaurant.

First is Beach Club Marketplace, the main counter service option. Inside Marketplace, you’ll find the gift shop, a quick-service dining location, and a grab-and-go market.

Related: Disney’s Beach Club Gift Shop

Here is an idea of the selections you might find in the refrigerated section.

Marketplace’s menu offers breakfast items on average from 7:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Entrees for lunch and dinner are served on average from 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.

In addition, Beach Club Marketplace is an excellent place to pick up those Mickey Waffles for breakfast!

The table service restaurant at the resort is Cape May Cafe. The restaurant is located off the lobby.

They offer a Disney character dining experience at breakfast. In the evenings, it transitions to a reasonably popular seafood buffet. Both of these meals do require reservations and can fill up quickly.

Beaches & Cream Soda Shop is another classic restaurant at Disney’s Beach Club Resort! It’s a cross between a burger joint and an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

Beaches and Cream is on the exterior walkway between Beach and Yacht Club. The restaurant offers indoor and some outdoor seating. They do take walk-ups when availability allows. But you might want to secure a reservation.

In addition, a separate walk-up window is available to order ice cream. It’s a pretty popular spot!

One day during a reasonably significant storm, I stopped in one day and had a patty melt with onion rings. It was quite a guilty pleasure.

Related: Disney’s Beaches and Cream Review

Hurricane Hanna’s is the second counter service location and serves as the pool bar. You’ll find it on the exterior walkway that wraps around Crescent Lake.

The quick service sits on the outskirts of Stormalong Bay, accommodating both resort guests and passers-by. Anyone can order a meal here and eat at the provided tables. They will also box your meal to go if you desire.

Additionally, cast members are usually available during the busier portions of the day to wait on guests using the pool. I can’t tell you how often we’ve spent pleasant days here. It’s so nice to spend time lounging in the area and have someone bring you a drink or maybe even lunch or dinner—best days ever.

Related: Hurricane Hanna’s Review

Martha’s Vineyard is the lounge for Disney’s Beach Club. It is located past Cape May Cafe, down the interior portion of the hallway between the resorts.

Martha’s Vineyard offers appetizers, soups, entrees, and drinks. So don’t let the name “lounge” scare you away from grabbing a bite to eat here.

I came through in December and took an updated photo of the menu.

They have fantastic seafood chowder when it’s available.

Additionally, the neighboring Yacht Club provides several dining options only a few steps away. These include Ale and Compass restaurant, Ale & Compass Lounge, Yachtsman Steakhouse, and Crew’s Cup.

In fact, I highly recommend having breakfast at Ale and Compass while you are staying at Beach Club. Usually, they offer an enjoyable brunch-style breakfast with a buffet that serves as an appetizer to an entree selection. Unfortunately, not all buffets are available right now, so make sure to check out the chocolate waffles.

Related: Dinner at Ale and Compass

Additionally, you’ll find a large number of signature dining options within walking distance:

• Yachtsman Steakhouse
• Shula’s
• Todd English’s Blue Zoo
• Il Mulino
• Flying Fish

You can preview all of your options for meals here on Disney’s site with menus.

Transportation

It wouldn’t be a full Disneys Beach Club Resort review if we didn’t take a look at the three forms of transportation available to guests. The first form is the Disney Friendship Boats.

The Friendship boats specifically service the Epcot Resorts Area and transport guests to:

• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Boardwalk
• Swan and Dolphin
• Beach and Yacht Club

Disney bus service is available to the following:

• Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Blizzard Beach
• Typhoon Lagoon
• Disney Springs

To access the bus stop, you’ll walk out the resort’s front door. There you’ll find a walkway across the canal on the left-hand side. Follow the covered path, and it will take you straight to the bus stop.

The Disney Skyliner is the newest form of transportation available to Disney’s Beach Club. It is a short walk from Disney’s Beach Club Resort over to the International Gateway at Epcot to access the Skyliner.

Related: Disney Skyliner Resorts with Travel Times

You can take the Skyliner to the following:

• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Pop Century Resort

Technically, you could take it to Hollywood Studios, but it would be out of the way.

Lastly, it’s important to remember that one of the main factors for staying here is the walkability of the Crescent Lake area. For example, from the back door of Disney’s Beach Club, you can walk to the following locations:

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

Related: Transportation Options at Disney’s Beach Club

Theming

What you won’t find at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is a whole lot of Mickey Mouse. Like all moderate and deluxe resorts, there is only subtle Disney-theming. However, if you look closely, you will find plenty of hidden Mickey’s.

With that being said, the Beach Club offers a softer, feminine style that’s not girly either. Overall it is very calming and relaxing in decor without all the formality.

There are plenty of spaces to spend leisure time here as well.

Below is the solarium.

It’s located diagonally across from the Marketplace. I find it a good place to have a cup of coffee and read my favorite blog or sometimes a book.

At the end of the long hallway is a large gathering area. If you have friends in town coming for a visit, this makes a great place to meet them. The solarium offers plenty of space to sit and catch up, play a game, or hang out.

And since I visit often, I can almost guarantee there won’t be too many people around. It’s usually empty, like in the picture above.

I always find it funny because sometimes the lobby and hallway outside will be buzzing full of people, and this quiet nook is just right around the corner. I get the feeling most guests aren’t aware it’s there.

Outside you’ll find a covered eating area. This special spot looks out into the garden. I have seen people enjoying meals while playing cards and having a lovely time out here.

Back inside, The Marketplace doubles as Disney’s Beach Club’s gift shop.

The gift shop usually carries a good selection of resort-specific merchandise. In addition, Disney Vacation Club members will also find merchandise specific to their membership.

To date, my favorite Disney Vacation Club Resort stay has been at the deluxe studio at the Grand Floridian Villas. But I enjoy the Beach Club Villas too.

The popular Ariel statue sits in front of the main entrance of the Beach Club Villas.

If you’re looking for a few of the comforts of home in your hotel room, you might consider a stay here.

Final Thoughts on Disney’s Beach Club Resort Review

I hope you enjoyed this review of Disney’s Beach Club and were able to find some beneficial information for planning your stay. There are many positive reasons to stay here on your Walt Disney World vacation.

Of course, pricing is on the higher end, as with the majority of the higher-end resorts. I always recommend checking with an authorized Disney travel agent to get the best price available. The one we recommend is listed at the bottom of this review.

If the price is a concern, but you still want to stay at a deluxe resort, you might read the Animal Kingdom Lodge Review. That resort usually offers more reasonable pricing than the other upscale resorts.

For more information about Disney’s Beach Club, you can visit all of our articles related to the resort here. Additionally, you might enjoy browsing our other resort reviews. Some of our top picks for planning include:

• Benefits of Staying at a Disney World Resort
• Best Off-Site Resorts Near Disney World
• Planning Split Stay at Disney World
• Best Breakfasts at Disney World

Disney’s Beach Club has the most beautiful atmosphere inside and out. And I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to share a little piece of my heart with you.

In the comments: What are your thoughts on staying at Beach Club? Did you find this review of Disney’s Beach Club informative? Have you had the opportunity to stay here yet, or are you considering this resort for a future stay?

I value your comments and opinions, especially when it comes to Disney’s Beach Club.