All Aboard! If you’re like us and have never stayed on a cruise ship before, staying at the Yacht Club has a real ‘Grand Ship’ feel about it. The long, wide corridors that lead away from the lobby remind me of what I would expect a big ship to feel like. The wood floors and nautical ornaments line the walls leading you to your ‘cabin’!
Our stay at the Yacht Club was one of relaxation. It was probably our most relaxed stay to date. This was due to many different factors which I will talk about here. I will however start with the setting and location.
If you’re like myself and my wife, we don’t mind a walk. The Yacht Club is perfect for those that love to walk, be it leisurely or briskly. The location of the resort is right smack in between Epcot and Hollywood Studios with a clear walkway between the two. The walk to Hollywood Studios took us about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace whereas the walk to Epcot’s International Gateway took all of 5 minutes!
For us, the location was a big factor for choosing to stay here. It meant we could walk to our favourite park, Epcot, whilst also being able to spend more time around the Boardwalk area. Prior to this trip we had only ever glanced at the Boardwalk so we wanted to spend some more time here doing various things.
Our first morning was spent eating breakfast at the Captain’s Grille which served buffet style choices. They serve a really wide selection of foods here for breakfast which is great as I tend to go for a more ‘cooked’ helping whilst my wife opts for the more ‘continental’ style choice. Breakfast here will cost you a Table Service credit should you be on the Disney Dining Plan, but we do recommend it.
Due to the proximity of the resort to two of the major theme parks and other resort hotels there really isn’t a shortage of choice for different taste buds, morning, noon and night. In fact, after watching Illuminations at Epcot one evening, we decided we wanted Pizza and as luck would have it there is a Pizza Window right across the Boardwalk serving late into the evening.
On the subject of food, the Yacht Club resort is home to one of the best places to get a Steak on property: The Yachtsman Steakhouse. I have eaten my fair share of steak at Disney World and here was where I had one of the best. You can watch the cooks prepare the cutting of the meats whilst having pre-dinner drinks at the Crew’s Cup Lounge if you’re into that sort of thing too!
Want some Ice Cream? There aren’t many places better than at Beaches and Cream where you can indulge in the ‘Kitchen Sink’. A whole kitchen sink filled to the top with ice cream, we would never manage one between us but we spotted a few families that had one to share!
If you like your swimming and pool days then this resort should be no stranger to you also. The Yacht and Beach Club resorts share their resort pool, ‘Stormalong Bay’. The pool itself feels more like a water park than a hotel pool. With an ample sized Lazy River and Shipwrecked Slide which joins the pool from the opposite side of the pathway around the hotel, there are plenty of things to keep you busy, even for adults. The pool here was another main reason for choosing this resort and we made sure we spent plenty of time here.
The pool itself has a unique sand bottom to it making it feel like you’re actually at the beach! You can also play Volleyball here, in the pool, whilst there is also a volleyball court on drier land too.
One very unique feature of this pool area is the whirlpool spa. I know these are common place at most Disney resort hotels now but few give you the opportunity to watch the fireworks from them. We were spending one evening around by the pool, in particular at the spa, when Illuminations started at Epcot and to our surprise you could see the fireworks from inside the spa. This is a must for any couples wishing to spend a romantic evening together, even if it is in the pool spa!
If you’re a keen runner then this is also the place for you. Many a morning we saw plenty of motivated individuals taking a morning run around the boardwalk. We were too busy eating our morning pastry at the time…but there aren’t many places better to get your morning run in than Disney World right?
There are plenty of places to stop and take it all in, with a cocktail, around the resort too. The beach around the resort is beautiful, especially at Sunset and Sunrise hours (cocktails not advised at Sunrise…!). There are many New England style benches placed around the porch area of the resort too for you to stop and rest.
Overall the location and the amenities that the Yacht Club boasts are major reasons we chose to stay here and we didn’t regret it and we believe you won’t either!
