Just returned last night from 4 wonderful nights at the Yacht Club. This was our first stay at Yacht & Beach, though we’ve been to Disney 20+ times and have stayed nearby at both the Boardwalk and the Dolphin. It was a spur of the moment trip, booked only two weeks ahead using the early summer 25% discount.
Overall it was a great stay and I was very pleased with the Yacht Club. The only hiccup was our initial room assignment. We had made a primary request (both by calling in and by TP fax) for a room with a bathtub, as my son is disabled and cannot tolerate a shower. Our first room was in a gorgeous location overlooking the quiet pool, with a nice balcony and a daybed. Most people would have been thrilled! But alas, no bathtub. A quick call and we were moved to a room with a lovely bathtub, only 42 steps (I counted them!) from the Market at Ale & Compass. It proved to be perfect for us!
Other thoughts:
Market at Ale & Compass:
We did end up grabbing food, water, and snacks from the Market every day. The meal selection was limited, deli sandwiches and salads mostly, but everything we tried was good. It was a nice quick option when we wanted to eat light in the room during rest time. The cheese plate was great to snack on while winding down in the evenings, with a glass of wine of course! Small but adequate selection of pastries and fruit for breakfast, and a barista station up front with specialty coffees.
Ale & Compass Lounge and Restaurant:
We ate here on arrival night. After a flight delay and having to switch rooms, we were too hungry for our original plan of wandering to World Showcase in search of food. So I secured an immediate ADR via the
MDE app, and we headed down. While waiting for our table, we relaxed in the adjoining lounge, me with a Sam Adams. Service in the lounge was prompt and courteous. Good service in the dining room also. For my app I had the lobster corn chowder, with huge chunks of lobster, yum yum! My son had the Parker House rolls, which were delicious but wildly overpriced at $12 for four rolls! The waiter did see that he devoured them and brought three more
. For entrees, he had a cheeseburger and I had the seared scrod, all nicely prepared and delicious. Overall a great experience — one of the better non-signature restaurants we have tried, on par with The Wave at the Contemporary. Had our trip been longer, we would have been back!
Dogs:
We saw a couple of dogs during our stay, but they were quiet and well behaved. Heard no barking at all.
The Pool!:
Stormalong Bay was a hit, probably the only pool my son has enjoyed in years. He basically just sat in the shallow kid’s section, played with the sand and people watched, but he smiled more that I can ever remember him doing in a pool. It was a special experience! Despite the heat, the pool was never overrun and there always looked to be loungers available when we were there in the afternoon. We will probably stay here again just for the pool.
Housekeeping:
Housekeeping was great, they managed to service the room every day while we were out in the morning or early afternoon. One day, it was magically done while we were away for only an hour to the pool, and we never saw or heard a housekeeper. They did a good job cleaning up the sand that always followed us in despite our best efforts.
The Room:
The refurbed room was OK. I loved the closet space with shelves, and the bathroom. The large lighted mirror and side lamps gave plenty of light to apply makeup, and the storage shelves under the sink were very useful! Not a big fan of the hard flooring, though. It showed every crumb and grain of sand, not to mention you could feel all that underfoot while walking around the room. I was constantly wishing for a vacuum - on vacation.
Also missed having a full-length mirror somewhere in the room. But the beds and pillows were VERY comfy, which is the most important thing.
Final Thoughts:
It was a wonderful trip and we enjoyed the Yacht Club very much, so glad we tried it! Staff is wonderful, location is oh-so convenient, and the pool is absolutely fantastic for everyone, old and young. The “convention hotel” aspect did not bother me as there were still plenty of vacationing families around. The next time, though, I will be inclined to try the Beach Club, if only for the carpeted floor in the room.
Families who need a bathtub for little ones will need to make that a priority request, as apparently many rooms no longer have them. The shower was gorgeous, though, I would have loved it if it were just me!
Sorry for the long post, but hope it helps someone! Thanks everyone for the info here, it was a great help preparing for our trip!