Yacht Club - worthwhile "splurge" if looking for a resort close to a park?

ewasilau

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
We haven't been to WDW in 4.5 years, and our kids will be 14, 12, and 10 at the time we are planning our trip for (May 2018). Last time we went, we stayed at POR and really liked it (we've also stayed at AKL and POFQ long ago) but talked about how much fun it would be to be able to walk to either Epcot or MK. Also, the thing we liked least about POR was the availability of dining choices once we returned to the resort. We didn't love the quick service there. We love the idea of walking over to Epcot for dinner. Yacht Club is closer to our price range than anything else neat Epcot or MK during the week we are considering, and our kids love pools too. Of course, CBR is way cheaper, but with the construction seems like not a good deal. Would Yacht Club fit the bill like I think it might? Is it worth $400+/night for a splurge? Is it truly close to Epcot? We only have 5 nights/6 days and would want to maximize our time too.

Thanks for any advice!
 
Its a 10 minute walk to epcot and the pool is great. The new rooms are nice as well. However i would be lying if i said i didnt miss the grand floridian , polynesian , wilderness lodge and even port orleans riverside. To me it felt like a normal hotel with close proximity to disney and a nice pool. It felt like i was offsite even though it was close to epcot. I didnt FEEL likei was at disneyworld. Not sure how to describe it. Where as the poly, grand floridian, port orleans and wilderness lodge have that special magical feeling that you only get at disney. If i were to splurge id pick a different resort. However, there are alot of people here that love yacht and beach club.
 
We stayed at YC in Dec 2016, our first Epcot resort. It was such an easy walk or boat ride to Epcot and DHS. It shares a bus with BC to MK and AK but it is the first stop and the bus service was great! We love breakfast at Cape May!
 
We love the Yacht Club! The ability to walk to Epcot and DHS is priceless!

Your kids are good ages to really enjoy the pool there, Stormalong Bay. I would totally do it.
 


Its a 10 minute walk to epcot and the pool is great. The new rooms are nice as well. However i would be lying if i said i didnt miss the grand floridian , polynesian , wilderness lodge and even port orleans riverside. To me it felt like a normal hotel with close proximity to disney and a nice pool. It felt like i was offsite even though it was close to epcot. I didnt FEEL likei was at disneyworld. Not sure how to describe it. Where as the poly, grand floridian, port orleans and wilderness lodge have that special magical feeling that you only get at disney. If i were to splurge id pick a different resort. However, there are alot of people here that love yacht and beach club.

Echoes my own thoughts. I just came back from my first stay at YC, and just thought the world of the staff and accommodations there -a wonderful time. That said, it did lack that specific "Disney Magic" I feel at the MK resorts, and it probably comes down to preference. While others feel like being able to walk to Epcot seals the deal for them, I feel like nothing can parallel being able to walk to or take the boat to MK. I "grew up" staying at Fort Wilderness, which was just incredible in terms of recreation outside the parks. Maybe consider a cabin there?
 
We loved the Yacht Club when we stayed there! Yes, it is truly close to Epcot, you can see some of the countries from the resort. Being able to walk to Epcot and not have to deal with huge crowds at the front gate is so nice. We were there pre-refurb, and thought the rooms were great, so I'm sure they are even better now. Also, Stormalong Bay pool is awesome! We also liked being able to take the boat to DHS.
 
YC is one of our favorite resorts. We love the easy access to Epcot and DHS. There a lot of dining options when you include BC and BW, which are just a short walk away. My favorite dining options are Beaches and Cream, and Crew’s Cup Lounge.
 


Yacht Club is great for a family with teens and tweens because of the awesome pool and proximity to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

Definitely look to see if you can find a discounted rate for the time of your trip. There is a subforum on the Resorts Boards, Disney Discounts Codes and Rates that discusses the various deals you can find. Worth a look!

::yes::
 
Asking for a friend!

No really!

But yes, this info would be helpful for me as well...

I have a friend staying at BCV right now. Her mom is having difficulty getting into bed. Does anyone know if housekeeping for the villas (or the YC, for that matter, since there is an issue there with high beds, as well) has stepstools available for guests to borrow?

TIA!

:goodvibes
 
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You also have the option of walking to DHS.

Unless you're on the dining plan, don't overlook the close access to the restaurants at the Swan/Dolphin also.
 
FWIW, my DD (14) says YC is her favorite resort. Like you, we have also stayed at AKL and POFQ (among others). Proximity to Epcot and DHS is very nice. With Epcot, BC, YC, BW, and Swan/Dolphin, you should have plenty of nearby dining options. Although, few of those options will be as cheap as the POFQ QS. The pool is also great.

We stayed briefly last year using a great Hotwire deal and are looking forward for a longer stay in a couple of weeks (due to a nice AP discount).
 
We really enjoyed the YC. BC is our favorite but YC would have to be a close second. Your kids will love that pool! We probably spend at least half of our trip at Stormalong Bay. I would say it's less than a 10 minute walk to Epcot and about 15-20 to HS, depending on where your room is. There are a lot of great dining options with all the Epcot area resorts and World Showcase. They just finished renovating all the rooms and they are so beautiful.
 
YC is my favorite resort on all of Disney property and the only ones I haven't stayed in are WL, SSS, POFQ, ASMu, ASMovies and AoM. Is it worth it is subjective, I always stay in an Epcot resort because we love being able to walk to two parks. I will admit, I just book at whichever one is less during the time I'm booking. Lately, that has been Swan/Dolphin. Even once you add on the resort fee and the parking (I drive) it's often less than a moderate. There is not a lot of Disney theming there but the rooms are nice, the pools are great, good food options, and walking distance to two parks.
 
We stayed at the BC when our kids were 15 and 9. We actually did a split with Poly first and then over to the BC. My kids absolutely loved the BC. They enjoyed the Poly but BC won out. They loved the atmosphere and the area. The pool is amazing and they are big pool kids. My son chose to stay in the pool with other teens who were playing pool volleyball while we hit the parks. Actually one evening they stayed at the pool, got dinner at HH and went back to the room while my SO and I hit Epcot.

This next trip we are renting points for BWV. We just LOVE the Epcot area resorts.
 
Yacht Club is our favorite resort. Our first onsite resort was POR (Dixie Landings back then) & we would stay at either PO resort if we had to. However, we just stayed at CBR last month. Let me tell you, if you did not like the food court at PO, you will probably not be happy with the options at CBR. I assume you know there is major construction going on there & the food options are very limited. Basically there is a very limited buffet at breakfast & dinner plus a few food trucks. There are also some cash & carry options in make shift stores scattered around the resort. But we found there is very little variety, the buffet was small & adequate but we would not do it more than once. There is no comparison between the food options at CBR & what you would have staying at YC. Just MHO in case that helps in your decision.
 
Thanks so much for all of the useful information. I think it sounds fun, even if not as immersed in Disney as some of the other resorts. I think the Polynesian might be my dream resort, but it always comes up as costing more than YC or the other resorts near YC (maybe because we are a family of 5?). I think we'd really like to be able to walk places. But trying to decide if it's worth the extra cost over POR if we go in summer (not sure if it is if we could stay longer by going to POR). In May though, POR doesn't seem to be an option.
 
Another related question - what is the difference between Yacht Club and Beach Club? Any reason to be at one over the other? BC might be a little cheaper - but not sure what the difference is between the resorts.
 
Another related question - what is the difference between Yacht Club and Beach Club? Any reason to be at one over the other? BC might be a little cheaper - but not sure what the difference is between the resorts.
YC and BC are sister resorts. They share the same amazing pool area (Stormalong Bay), as well as restaurants, facilities etc.; they are connected to one another, with most of the walk between the two being indoors.

The BC is about a 5 minute walk to the International Gateway at Epcot, as well as to the Boardwalk. Add a few minutes more, if coming from the YC. The FriendShip boat dock for catching the boat transportation to Epcot, Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin and DHS is right out the back door of the YC; it's less than a 5 minute walk from the back door of the BC to the dock.

The BC has more of a family vibe, than the YC, which has more adult and business/convention guests, so the BC lobby is more lively. The guest rooms at both resorts were recently refurbished. Rooms at the YC have laminate flooring, while the BC rooms have carpet. The bed height at the YC is about 5" higher than normal. There are currently ceiling fans in the BC rooms, while the YC rooms no longer have any. Each resort has its own quiet pool and hot tub. Almost all of the YC rooms not on the 1st floor have large balconies with chairs and a small table, while only about half of similar rooms at the BC have the larger balconies, with the other half only having smaller, standing room balconies. Most of the ground level rooms at both resorts have patios with chairs/table.

If you have not already done so, I suggest you look at:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...questions-room-refurbs-complete-2017.3400342/

I personally believe that you can't go wrong with either resort.
 
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Another related question - what is the difference between Yacht Club and Beach Club? Any reason to be at one over the other? BC might be a little cheaper - but not sure what the difference is between the resorts.

Theme basically. Both resorts are lovely, and location is relative, IMO. 5 minute walk vs 10. The quote below captures the differences perfectly, IMO.

YC and BC are sister resorts. They share the same amazing pool area (Stormalong Bay), as well as restaurants, facilities etc.; they are connected to one another, with most of the walk between the two being indoors.

The BC is about a 5 minute walk to the International Gateway at Epcot, as well as to the Boardwalk. Add a few minutes more, if coming from the YC. The FriendShip boat dock for catching the boat transportation to Epcot, Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin and DHS is right out the back door of the YC; it's less than a 5 minute walk from the back door of the BC to the dock.

The BC has more of a family vibe, than the YC, which has more adult and business/convention guests, so the BC lobby is more lively. The guest rooms at both resorts were recently refurbished. Rooms at the YC have laminate flooring, while the BC rooms have carpet. The bed height at the YC is about 5" higher than normal. There are currently ceiling fans in the BC rooms, while the YC rooms no longer have any. Each resort has its own quiet pool and hot tub.

If you have not already done so, I suggest you look at:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...questions-room-refurbs-complete-2017.3400342/

I personally believe that you can't go wrong with either resort.

I agree with all you said. I like the ambiance of the BC over that of the YC, but the theme is personal preference,
 

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