Disney's Beach Club Villas Review (with Tips)

If you’re looking for reviews of Disney’s Beach Club Villas, you’re in luck! This beautiful Epcot resort sits in a prime location near the Disney Boardwalk, theme parks, and several Disney hotels. While many families flock to the monorail resorts like the Grand Floridian and Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the Disney Beach Club Villas can often get overlooked.

This is why my family and I consider Disney’s Beach Club Villas to be a hidden gem at WDW. With its beautiful rooms, amazing amenities, and numerous dining options, the Beach Club Villas definitely hold a spot near the top of our list of the best deluxe resorts at Disney World. Whether you’re looking for a hotel that offers easy access to the Disney parks or you are planning to spend a significant amount of time at the resort, Disney’s Beach Club Villas really checks all the boxes.

In the post below, we will provide a full guide to the Beach Club Villas at the Walt Disney World Resort, including an overview of the rooms, list of activities, and guide to restaurants. So continue reading the Disney’s Beach Club Villas review below for everything you need to know before your trip!

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Restaurants at Disney’s Beach Club Villas

Many first timers to WDW don’t realize that Disney’s Beach Club Villas is a separate hotel from the Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Both the Villas side and the Resort side of the property share restaurants and amenities with each other. Because of this, the two buildings are classified as “sister resorts.”

Beach Club Marketplace entrance — Entrance to the Quick Service Restaurant at Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is also considered to be a sister resort to the Beach Club properties since it shares amenities and restaurants as well. Below, we will include a list of the restaurants you will find at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. Although, it’s important to note that you will need to make the short walk to one of the sister properties to find each dining venue.

That being said, you can easily move between the sister properties via the covered walkways. So, you don’t have to worry about rain or inclement weather as you walk around the resorts. These are the dining options you’ll find:

Cape May Cafe – offers a character meal breakfast buffet and sit-down dinner with no characters
Beach Club Marketplace – features to-go items and menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Beaches and Cream – available for lunch and dinner with reservations highly recommended
Martha’s Vineyard – offers appetizers and full bar
Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar and Grill – pool restaurant with full bar and lunch/dinner options
Ale and Compass – sit-down restaurant in the Yacht Club that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (also available to-go)
The Market at Ale and Compass – quick service restaurant at Yacht Club with to-go items and menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Yachtsman Steakhouse – fine dining restaurant at the Yacht Club that is open for dinner
Crew’s Cup Lounge – bar at the Yacht Club that features a small dinner menu and full bar

When staying at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, you’re also just a short walk away from the Disney Boardwalk. At this super fun spot, you’ll find additional restaurants and activity options. You can read all about Disney’s Boardwalk, including the numerous restaurants available there in our Ultimate Guide to the Disney Boardwalk.

Studios and Villas

Disney’s Beach Club Villas has several room types you can choose from when making a reservation. The Deluxe Studio resembles your typical hotel room. This studio includes a queen bed, double pull-out sofa, and a small pull-down bed that’s great for a kid. This room can sleep up to 5 guests.

resort pool with text Disney's Beach Club Villas Review

You may also see an option to book a 1-bedroom villa at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. This room offers a full kitchen and dining area as well as a living room with a sleeper sofa. In these one bedroom villas, the king bedroom is separate from the living space, and there’s a laundry closet with a washer and dryer. You’ll also find a huge split bathroom that offers lots of space to get ready.

2-Bedroom Villa at Disney’s Beach Club Villas

Additionally, Disney’s Beach Club Villas feature a 2-bedroom villa with even more space. This room includes a full kitchen and living room with two separate bedrooms. One bedroom holds a king bed with a full bathroom. The second bedroom includes 2 queens with a full bathroom. You’ll also find sleeping space for two in the living room, which means these two-bedroom villas sleep up to 8 guests.

Disney’s Beach Club Villas Price

Since Disney’s Beach Club Villas is considered to be a deluxe property, it usually comes with an increased price tag compared to some of the other hotels at Disney World. That being said, there are lots of ways to find great rates for Disney resorts, including our personal favorite way of finding discounts – through the Disney Vacation Club.

The Beach Club Villas are part of the Disney Vacation Club timeshare program. While it’s possible to book a room at the Villas via the official WDW website, you can actually save money by reserving a room through a timeshare holder. Obviously, you won’t want to entrust a complete stranger to secure a reservation for you, so that’s where a rental company comes in.

outside view of Disney's Beach Club Villas — Disney’s Beach Club Villas

My family and I have used David’s Vacation Club Rentals on multiple trips to Disney World to find rooms at the Disney Villas for a fraction of the regular rate. In fact, when reserving a studio room, we typically pay the price you would see advertised at a moderate level resort. Since you save so much money when booking a room through David’s Vacation Club Rentals, you can actually often upgrade to a suite for the price of a regular sized room on the official website.

We often use this trick to reserve a one-bedroom villa since it includes a full kitchen and a washer/dryer. If you are planning a visit to any of the Disney hotels, we highly recommend using the cost calculator on David’s website first. This will show you exactly how much your preferred room costs for the dates of your trip. Additionally, you can find out more about how this process works in our post on DVC Rental Sites.

Activities at Disney’s Beach Club Villas

One of the biggest draws to the Beach Club Villas and her sister resorts is the impressive Stormalong Bay Pool. This gigantic swimming pool easily wins the award for the best pool at Walt Disney World.

pool at Disney's Beach Club Villas — The pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas is smaller and quieter than the main pool, Stormalong Bay.

Below, we will include a list of our favorite things to do at the Disney Beach Club Villas pool as well as other activities you’ll find on property.

Build Sandcastles – Did you know that Stormalong Bay features a shallow, sand bottom pool and beach area? Kids love digging in the sand and splashing around in this section of the pool.

Float on the Lazy River – The Beach Club’s main pool, Stormalong Bay, offers many fun features. One of our favorite things to do at the pool is to grab (free) tubes to float along the lazy river.

Join a Pool Party – Each afternoon, Stormalong Bay hosts fun poolside activities like hula hoop competitions and limbo.

Play on the Waterslides– Stormalong Bay features two separate water slides for guests to enjoy. The main waterslide stretches from the pirate ship and across the Beach Club boardwalk to the main pool. You’ll also find a smaller slide that’s perfect for toddlers and small kids at the entrance to the main water slide.

Swim Laps – If you’re looking for a quieter poolside experience to swim laps or relax, check out the leisure pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. You’ll also have access to the quiet pools at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Enjoy a Character Meal – Check out Cape May Cafe during breakfast/brunch when it becomes Minnie’s Beach Bash. Guests can meet Goofy, Minnie, and Donald while they dine at the breakfast buffet.

Eat Ice Cream – Disney’s Beach Club is home to one of our favorite WDW restaurants, Beaches and Cream. While reservations can be difficult to snag at this popular dining spot, you can access the walk-up window to order shakes and ice cream to-go.

Watch the Epcot Fireworks – We recommend walking to the bridge that connects the Disney Boardwalk to the Beach Club Resort to enjoy the nightly Epcot fireworks show. You can even grab some ice cream to enjoy during the presentation.

Go Fishing – Book a fishing excursion on Crescent Lake for a truly unique experience while staying at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Ride the Skyliner – Since the Disney Skyliner sits just outside of Epcot’s International Gateway entrance, you can easily access it from the Beach Club Resort. Just take the short (less than five minutes) walk toward Epcot and hop on the Skyliner for free!

Ride the Water Taxi – The Disney water taxi picks up visitors near the Yacht Club. You can ride this free boat to the Disney Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Epcot entrance, and Hollywood Studios entrance.

Play at the Arcade – Lafferty Place Arcade offers lots of fun games for kids and adults to enjoy. This is a particularly great place to spend time at Disney when it’s raining.

Rent a Pontoon Boat – Spend time on Crescent Lake on your own private pontoon boat. Guests can rent boats from the marina near the Yacht Club.

Roast Marshmallows – Visit the nightly campfire to roast marshmallows during your visit. You can even purchase S’mores Kits for a few dollars.

Workout – Disney’s Beach Club offers a large fitness center for guests to use during their stay. Ship Shape Health Club is even open 24 hours a day, so you can squeeze in a workout at any time.

Visit the Disney Boardwalk – The Disney Boardwalk is full of amazing activities and entertainment options and is just a short walk away from the Beach Club.

Play Mini Golf – Stroll over to Fantasia Gardens and Miniature Golf Course where you’ll find two 18-hole courses. This fun spot is located near the Dolphin and Swan Resorts.

Explore the Jogging Paths – If you’re not into running or jogging on vacation, you can spend time strolling along the jogging paths at the Beach Club. You’ll find lots of great spots to take pictures and may even catch some surprises along the way.

Play Beach Volleyball – As you walk along the boardwalk in front of the Beach Club, you’ll notice a sand volleyball court. This is a great spot to pick up a game with friends or family. You can also often join a game of volleyball at Stormalong Bay Pool.

Watch a Movie – Each evening, Disney Beach Club guests can watch a movie under the stars. These family friendly movies are a great way to unwind after a long day.

Play Tennis – Guests can find tennis courts near the Yacht Club’s quiet pool. While technically located at the sister hotel, the tennis courts are just a short walk away for Beach Club guests and are free to use.

Take a Fireworks Cruise – Take in the sights and sounds of the Epcot fireworks show from your pontoon boat on Crescent Lake.

Read a Book in the Breezeway – Even if you don’t have time to sit and read a book at the Beach Club Villas, we highly recommend stopping by the Breezeway. You’ll definitely want to stop in to admire this beautifully decorated spot. And if you need a quiet place to read or work, this area of the resort is a great option!

Beach Club Villas Directions

When you stay at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, you gain easy access to several of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Below, we will include our favorite ways to get from the Beach Club Villas to other places on Disney property:

Disney skyliner — Disney Skyliner Stop at Epcot’s International Gateway Entrance

To Epcot – Exit the Beach Club Villas toward Crescent Lake and turn left. Epcot sits just a five minute walk away. You’ll notice the Disney Skyliner and the bridge to the Disney Boardwalk while walking to Epcot.
To Disney’s Hollywood Studios – You have several options for getting to Hollywood Studios. We find the quickest option is usually to walk. Hollywood Studios sits just under a 20 minute walk from the Beach Club Villas. You can also ride a Friendship Boat to Hollywood Studios. However, by the time you wait on the boat to make stops, this method can take longer than walking. You could also walk toward Epcot to catch the Disney Skyliner. With this method, you should be able to reach Hollywood Studios in just over twenty minutes. Personally, my kids prefer to take the Skyliner since it’s an experience in and of itself.
To Magic Kingdom – You can access the Disney buses in front of the Beach Club. The ride to Magic Kingdom should take 15-20 minutes.
To Animal Kingdom – You can hop on one of the Disney buses to get to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. This is roughly a ten-minute ride.
To Disney’s Boardwalk – You can make the five-minute walk around Crescent Lake to easily reach the Disney Boardwalk.
To Disney Springs – You can take a bus to Disney Springs, which typically takes 15-20 minutes.

Disney’s Beach Club Villas vs Resort

When comparing Disney’s Beach Club Villas vs the Beach Club Resort, you’ll find several pros and cons for each property. The Beach Club Resort provides closer access to the main amenities and dining options, which is a definite positive. However, many of the guest rooms at the Beach Club Resort feature juliette style balconies. This means they are standing-only balconies that don’t have space for chairs or sitting.

large, bright room with seating area — Breezeway at Disney’s Beach Club Villas

If an full outdoor balcony is important to you, we recommend booking a room at the Beach Club Villas. Overall, we don’t heavily prefer one of the resorts of the other though. Typically, my family and I choose the whichever one of the properties has the best price tag for our preferred dates!

Final Review of Disney’s Beach Club Villas

Overall, Disney’s Beach Club Villas is one of my family’s favorite resorts at WDW. We love the layout and the style of the studios and villas as well as the quiet atmosphere of the hotel itself. While it’s true that you have to walk out of the hotel to find restaurants, we don’t mind the short walk. In fact, when we stay at the Beach Club properties and the Yacht Club resort, we often move between the hotels on a regular basis anyway.

resort pool with sand bottom — Stormalong Bay Pool and other amenities are shared between the Yacht and Beach Club properties.

My kids are obsessed with the main pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas as Stormalong Bay offers so many fun sections. You can easily spend a full day enjoying the sand bottom pool, lazy river, and water slides. My husband and I love the prime location of the Beach Club Villas. We highly appreciate the 5 minute walk to Epcot and the easy access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner, water taxi, and walking path.

Finally, the path around Crescent Lake and the Disney Boardwalk make Disney’s Beach Club Villas a great property to take leisurely strolls or to sit and enjoy the views. We hope you enjoy the property as much as we do! Have a magical stay! Do you have a review of Disney’s Beach Club Villas? Comment below to share your thoughts!