Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club (Which to Choose)

Comparing the Rooms

Depending on availability for your vacation dates, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Yacht Club Resort offer several options for hotel rooms.

• Standard View Rooms– offer views of the rooftop or parking area. These rooms can sleep up to 5 adults since some of the standard view rooms have 2 queen beds and 1 daybed.
• Garden View Rooms– offer views of the garden, woods, or lawn area. These rooms can also sleep up to 5 adults as some provide 2 queen beds and 1 daybed.
• Water View Rooms– offer views of one of the pools or of Crescent Lake. These rooms also sleep up to 5 adults if you have a room with 2 queen beds and 1 daybed.
• Deluxe Room– Deluxe Rooms at Disney’s Beach Club offer more square footage than the regular hotel rooms. They can sleep up to 6 adults since they offer 2 queen beds and a queen sleeper sofa.
• Club Level Rooms– offer standard, garden, or water views similar to the regular hotel rooms. However, you also receive special perks like concierge services, access to the Club Lounge with snacks and beverages, complimentary health club access, and turndown service.
• Suites– Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Yacht Club offer several options for suites from one-bedroom suites to elaborate 2 bedroom suites that sleep up to seven guests.

My family and I were lucky enough to stay in a Garden View room at Beach Club that overlooked the EPCOT fireworks show. You can read my full review of our Beach Club hotel room here! It is important to note that not all of the rooms at Beach Club have FULL balconies. Many of them only offer the small Juliet type balcony. If a full-sized balcony is important to you, I HIGHLY recommend requesting this during online check in.

If you’re comparing the rooms at Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club, I would crown Yacht Club the winner here. This is based solely on their full sized balconies. I have never NOT received a full balcony at Disney’s Beach Club after requesting one. However, I typically stress over the balcony situation until I get my room assignment.

Location

The Beach Club Resort at Walt Disney World sits near Epcot Theme Park and Disney’s Boardwalk entertainment district. Since this resort is located on Crescent Lake, you get amazing water views and sandy beaches where your kids can play. Disney’s Yacht Club Resorts is located right next door, and you can easily move between the hotels.

One of my top reasons for choosing to stay at Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club is their prime location. Below, you can see just how easy it is to get from the hotels to popular parks and attractions.

Epcot– Epcot is roughly a short five-minute walk. You just stroll along the walkway near Crescent Lake and follow the signs for Epcot. You will arrive at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot, which is at the back of the park near the World Showcase.

Hollywood Studios– You can walk along the scenic paths to Hollywood Studios, which takes about 20 minutes. You can also take the water shuttle, which also takes about 20 minutes since it makes stops. Additionally, you can utilize the Skyliner from the International Gateway. This gondola ride will take you straight to Hollywood Studios.

Magic Kingdom– You can board the Disney bus to Magic Kingdom outside the lobby of one of the hotels. Depending on when you are visiting WDW, this shuttle bus may combine pickups by stopping at both the Beach Club and Disney’s Yacht Club. Magic Kingdom is about a 20-minute drive from the resorts.

Animal Kingdom– You would also need to board the Disney bus to Animal Kingdom. Each bus promptly displays where they are headed, so it’s super easy to catch the correct one. This ride is usually around 20 minutes long.

Disney Springs– You would also need to drive or take the Disney shuttle bus to Disney Springs. This ride typically takes 20 minutes.

Disney’s Boardwalk– Disney’s Boardwalk is super easy to access from the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts. The Boardwalk is located right across the lake from the hotels and is a short 5-minute walk. This area of Disney World is one of my favorites, and its close proximity to the hotels is a huge perk to staying in the Beach Club/Yacht Club area.

Since both of these resorts sit on the same property, there really isn’t much of a difference in their location. When comparing the Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club, the Beach Club is slightly closer to Epcot while the Yacht Club is a bit closer to Hollywood Studios. The differences in distance are so small that I wouldn’t recommend basing your decision on that factor though.

Activities Comparison

Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Yacht Club offer many fun activities for families visiting with kids. Again, since these two hotels are sister resorts, the Beach Club and Yacht Club guests share the activities listed below.

Arcade– The Beach Club and Yacht Club share an arcade that is located right by Stormalong Bay Pool. The arcade is full of fun video games and sports tables. This is a great rainy day activity!

Outdoor Movies– The resorts show nightly movies outside on the lawn or sand. You can check out the entertainment schedule for the dates of your visit to determine which movies are playing. This activity schedule is usually released at the beginning of each month. We have never found huge crowds at the outdoor movies, so you should be able to easily snag a spot.

Campfire– My kids love spending their evenings roasting marshmallows and making S’mores by the campfire. Sometimes Mickey’s friends even join in the fun, especially during peak season!

Pools– Guests of Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s Beach Club Villas have access to three leisure pool areas (one at each resort). In addition, these three Disney resorts share a main pool, Stormalong Bay, which I will discuss in more detail below.

Stormalong Bay– Stormalong Bay is a massive pool and water play area shared by the Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts. If you have set aside time to enjoy this elaborate swimming area, note that pool towels are complimentary and available in the pool gates. Stormalong Bay offers lots of different spaces for swimming and playing in the water.

Stormalong Bay has a sand bottom pool that is great for babies and toddlers at Disney World. The super shallow water allows them to safely splash and play in the sand. You will find deeper areas of water to swim as well. Disney offers complimentary safety vests that little ones can use while playing and swimming.

In addition to the many swimming areas at Stormalong Bay, guests can enjoy the lazy river. You will find complimentary inner tubes available near the lazy river to make floating even more fun!

Near the site of the large shipwreck model, you will find a kiddie pool perfect for little ones. This pool is in a contained area and is separate from the larger pool area. It tends to be a fairly quiet spot for little ones to swim around. Parents can usually wait in the water at the bottom of this small slide. This way you are available to grab your little one after he/she lands in the water. Children are permitted to wear complimentary safety vests on the slide as well.

My kids also love the large water slide that is a whopping 230 feet long. It begins atop the huge shipwreck model at the edge of the lake. This large water slide does not have a height requirement; however, there is a limit of one person at a time on the slide. This means that parents are not permitted to slide with their toddler or small child.

My only complaint about the large slide is that you have to leave the main pool gates and climb many steep stairs to get to the top of this slide. So, if you have adventurous, young kids, you may feel more comfortable walking them back and forth between the slide entrance and where it ends.

Price Comparison

Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts are typically priced similarly. My family and I often find that one may be a bit cheaper than the other for a specific set of dates, but a different set of dates may produce the opposite results. My biggest tip for budget conscious travelers who want to stay at the deluxe resorts is to look into renting Disney Vacation Club points for a stay at the Beach Club Villas.

These villas are located on the same property as the Beach Club/Yacht Club Resorts, and they have access to the same great restaurants and activities! You can check out the “cost calculator” at David’s Vacation Club Rentals to see how much you save on your vacation dates. I have personally used David’s rental services multiple times and have always had great experiences!

Things to Do Near the Resorts

Since Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts are located in such a great spot near the Boardwalk and other resorts, you will find lots of kid friendly things to do within walking distance of the hotel.

One of my family’s favorite activities just outside Disney’s Beach Club/Yacht Club is to view the nightly fireworks show at Epcot. You can grab some ice cream from Beaches and Cream and choose a spot near the walkway to Epcot. This is a great way to enjoy the fireworks show without having to maneuver between the crowds of people inside the park. It’s also a nice activity to enjoy at Disney World without purchasing a park ticket!

The Skyliner is one of the newer additions to Walt Disney World. This gondola ride connects several of the resort hotels to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you are looking for a unique activity, take a ride on the Skyliner with your kids!

Additionally, Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf is an 18-hole course themed off the movie Fantasia. Since this kid friendly activity is located near The Swan hotel, guests of Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club can easily walk to the mini golf course.

Restaurants

In addition to the easy access to the restaurants on Disney’s Boardwalk, guests at the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts have lots of dining options right at the hotel.

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop– Beaches and Cream is my personal all time favorite restaurant at Disney World. This diner offers all kinds of delicious options, including a tomato bisque that is out of this world! Open daily for lunch and dinner, Beaches and Cream Soda Shop is located right beside Stormalong Bay Pool. They are famous for the ice cream concoction knows as The Kitchen Sink. Note that you are able to order some ice cream and to-go items from the window without actually going inside the diner.

Beach Club Marketplace– If you are looking for a quick stop on your way to the theme parks, Beach Club Marketplace is a great option. This dining venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its diverse menu offers something for everyone. Beach Club Marketplace is our go-to for a fast breakfast or a quick snack before heading out for the day.

Martha’s Vineyard– Martha’s Vineyard is a lounge that serves all kinds of adult beverages. You can also order appetizers like clam chowder, chicken wings, and calamari from this venue.

Hurricane Hanna’s– Hurricane Hanna’s is located right outside by Stormalong Bay Pool. You can order your food and beverages from the counter and dine outside at the available tables.

Ale and Compass– Ale and Compass is a sit down restaurant located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. This dining venue serves family favorites for breakfast and options like seafood, chicken, and steak for dinner. We sometimes order to-go from this spot and enjoy our food out by the pool.

The Market at Ale and Compass– The Market at Ale and Compass is the quick service dining venue located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Similar to The Beach Club Marketplace, this restaurant is a great stop for a quick meal.

Cape May Cafe– Cape May Cafe is located near the lobby of Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This restaurant is buffet style and serves your favorite seafood options. Cape May Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, the restaurant takes on a different theme for breakfast when it becomes the site for Minnie’s Beach Bash.

Yachtsman Steakhouse– Yachtsman Steakhouse is a signature dining restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. You will find steak and seafood among other options on the menu. Since this is a signature dining experience, guests must adhere to a dress code.

Crew’s Cup Lounge– Crew’s Cup Lounge is located near Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Here, you will find all kinds of adult beverages along with a few options for appetizers or snacks.

Character Dining– As mentioned above, Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort becomes a character dining experience each morning for breakfast. Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast is a super fun way to start your day! The breakfast is buffet style and has a wide range of items to choose. You will even find a stand serving made to order omelets!

Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy each walk around the dining areas to greet you at your table. The characters are decked out in their finest beach wear to continue the theme of the dining experience.

Beach Club and Yacht Club vs Other Disney Resorts

Since Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts are my family’s favorite hotels at Disney World, I will try to explain WHY we love them so much! Below, I will compare the Beach Club/Yacht Club to other resorts at Disney World, so you can get an idea of why we choose to stay at these resorts. If you would like to see more comparisons between other hotels, feel free to comment below with the resorts you are considering. I know how stressful and overwhelming planning a Disney World vacation can be!

You can also reach out to me in my Facebook group for personalized help on finding the best resort for your family!

vs Beach Club Villas– Like the Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Villas have access to all the restaurants, activities, and amenities at the Beach Club resort. My recommendation is to choose the cheapest option of the three resorts. As mentioned above, renting DVC points for Beach Club Villas is often the best way to save money.

vs Boardwalk Inn– If you stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, you get the perks of the awesome location near Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Boardwalk. You can also easily walk over to the Beach Club to enjoy the dining venues located there. The one big drawback to Boardwalk Inn is that you don’t get Stormalong Bay. Disney’s Boardwalk Inn has a really fun pool, but it just doesn’t compare to the elaborate swimming pool at the Beach Club/ Yacht Club.

vs Monorail Resorts– You may be wondering how the Beach Club compares to the monorail resorts: Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Polynesian. These three resorts offer really easy access to Magic Kingdom, which is a huge perk if you have little kids.

They all offer great theming and activities as well. However, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts get our pick because they’re usually priced significantly lower than the monorail resorts.

vs Caribbean Beach Resort– It is difficult to compare Disney’s Beach Club Resort with Caribbean Beach because they really aren’t similar at all. Even though the names may cause you to think differently, the two resorts do not have much in common. Caribbean Beach is a moderate hotel that is lovely, but it does not offer the amenities that the deluxe resorts do. If you are not planning to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you can certainly look into Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. However, you will not have access to the prime location, restaurants, pool, and other activities that the Yacht Club and Beach Club offer.

Final Thoughts

Since these two resorts share EVERYTHING, it’s really a matter of personal taste when deciding between these two hotels. The Disney Beach Club has a more relaxed vibe, while Yacht Club seems more sophisticated. I find that Stormalong Bay Pool is reason enough to stay at these amazing hotels. Who can pass up the opportunity to experience the best pool at Disney World?!

In addition, the location, restaurants, and activities offered at these deluxe resort hotels help to make your vacation one you will never forget! If I were planning a trip to Disney World, I would choose whichever is cheaper between the two! So, how do you think they compare? Which resort would you choose? Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club? Comment below to share!