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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

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• Excellent 1,719
• Very Good 846
• Average 306
• Terrible 86
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" Cannot use the bus service…horrible. "

" Don't book this hotel. "

" Get a hotel refillable cup Take plenty of pain killers as they cost a fortune in the shop "

" Awesome location and options for transport. Not a ton to do for kids except the awesome pool. "

" Ask for a kettle for your room Get a room with a view Try and get a room close to reception "

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DISNEY'S YACHT CLUB RESORT - Updated 2024 Prices & Reviews (Orlando, FL)

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The Ultimate Disney Yacht Club Review + Insider Tips

February 8, 2021 //  by  Kimberly Jones //   2 Comments

Disney’s Yacht Club opened back on November 5, 1990. Its sister location is the Beach Club located right next to it. The Yacht Club is a beautifully themed resort with nautical and beach themes. We are going to tell you everything you need to know about this wonderful resort in our Ultimate Disney Yacht Club Review + Insider Tips! 

There are so many great aspects to this resort such as its location, pools, transportation options, and amenities. If you are thinking about staying at the Yacht Club, read on to find out if this resort is a good fit for you!

Where Is The Yacht Club At Disney Located?

One of the best reasons to stay at Disney’s Yacht Club is the fantastic location! This resort is within walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios . There are also several different transportation options to all of the parks, Disney Springs , and the water parks .

The Yacht Club is directly next to the Beach Club, and they share the pool. Now you not only have access to all of the Yacht Club’s restaurants and amenities, but you also have access to the Beach Club’s! 

The Yacht and Beach Club are right across the water from Disney’s Boardwalk Resort . It is a short walk away to enjoy everything the Boardwalk has to offer! There are some fun restaurants, bars, and shops to explore there.

The Yacht Club is also very close to the Swan and Dolphin Hotels. There is a pathway to take you right over to these hotels for some extra fun as well! 

Not only are there other resorts within walking distance of the Yacht Club, but there are also resorts that are a quick Skyliner trip away! Taking the Skyliner from Epcot’s International Gateway, you can visit Disney’s Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century , and Art of Animation! 

Disney’s Yacht Club is in a very prime location with quick access to two of the parks and multiple resorts!

Checking in to The Yacht Club At Disney

Checking into the Yacht Club is extremely easy, and it doesn’t even require you to visit the front desk! The day of your reservation, you can check in to the resort from the My Disney Experience app . The app will let you know when your room is ready and what your room number will be! If you have magic bands or even your phone , you can head straight to your room and unlock the door. 

Of course, you can always go the old school route and check-in at the front desk. All the cast members at Disney’s Yacht Club are extremely friendly and accommodating! A great tip to keep in mind is you can always see if there are any upgrades available for your room. We were able to get a free upgrade from a standard view to a water view! 

The lobby is also absolutely amazing here. It has a very adventurous and nautical theme to it. You can find everything you need right in this area, such as the restaurant, lounge, bell services, and the front desk. 

Right outside the backside of the lobby, there is a boardwalk that will lead you to the boat transportation to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Transportation Options From The Yacht Club

We love all of the transportation options the Yacht Club has to offer, and we’re sure you will too! As mentioned before, there are walking paths to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The Epcot walking path is very short and will get you to the International Gateway in about 5 – 10 minutes. The entrance at International Gateway is on the back side of Epcot by World Showcase . 

The walking path to Hollywood Studios is a little bit longer than the Epcot one. This one can take 20 minutes or more. However, there is boat transportation to Hollywood Studios if you don’t want to walk! You can find boat transportation right behind the lobby that will take you to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. 

If you don’t want to walk or take the boat to Hollywood Studios, you can always take the Skyliner! There is a Skyliner location right outside International Gateway that will take you first to Disney’s Riviera Resort, and then to the Skyliner central hub at Caribbean Beach Resort. From here you will get off the Skyliner and get in line for a different Skyliner track to take you to Hollywood Studios. 

So there are so many options to get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but what about the other parks? Disney has bus transportation from the Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Spring, and the water parks. 

If you plan on spending a lot of time at either Epcot or Hollywood Studios, the Yacht Club is one of the best resorts to stay at.

Disney Yacht Club Room Review

There are several different room options at the Yacht Club. There is Standard View, Water View, Garden or Woods View, and 2 Bedroom Suites. All of the view rooms also have club level options. 

I was able to stay in a Water View room. The room was absolutely delightful! It had a nautical theme to match the rest of the resort, and it was quite spacious. The room had two queen beds and a pull out couch, so it was able to sleep up to 5 guests. We only had 4 guests in our room, but I could imagine the pull out bed might make the room feel a little more cramped.

The room had large closets with space to hang clothes, and a big sink and bathroom area with two sinks. The shower had a sliding glass door, which I prefer over a curtain. 

I really liked that this room had wood flooring compared to carpet. It added to the nautical theme very well. The room also had a balcony that looked over the back entrance of the lobby and the water. Overall, the room was very nice, and I thoroughly enjoyed its set up! 

Yacht Club rooms average in price anywhere between $400 to over $3000 per night depending on what room you stay in and what time of the year you visit. 

Dining Options At The Yacht Club

There are some really great and delicious dining options at the Yacht Club. This resort has two restaurants, two lounges, a quick service restaurant, a restaurant located in between the Yacht and Beach Club, and a pool bar. 

The two restaurants at the Yacht Club are Ale & Compass and Yachtsman Steakhouse. Yachtsman Steakhouse is currently temporarily unavailable, but Ale & Compass is open for breakfast and dinner. This restaurant follows the nautical theme with a relaxing atmosphere and some delicious coastal eats. 

The Ale & Compass Lounge is located adjacent to the restaurant. Here, you can order off the lounge menu and even the restaurant menu. This lounge can fill up quickly at night though, so make sure to grab a seat early if you want to eat or drink here.

The other lounge, Crew’s Cup Lounge,  is right next to Yachtsman Steakhouse and is also temporarily unavailable. We hope that the lounge and restaurant will open soon! 

The quick service location shares a spot with the Yacht Club’s gift shop. When you enter the Market at Ale & Compass, on the right is the gift shop and on the left is the quick service restaurant. They serve coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and more. This is a great place to stop for a quick bite to eat to or from the parks! 

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop is the hidden gem of the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts! This restaurant is located in between the two resorts and serves some wonderful food! They are open for lunch and dinner and they serve sandwiches and burgers. My favorite is their Grilled Cheese sandwich, its delicious! 

However, save room for the best part of this restaurant. The ice cream! They have shakes, floats, and sundaes! You can’t go wrong with whatever you choose. If you’re feeling really brave though, try the Kitchen Sink sundae. This sundae is meant for 4 or more people, and includes every topping and a whole can of whipped cream! I have attempted it twice, and I still haven’t been able to finish it. Maybe you can! 

Hurricane Hanna’s Grill is the pool bar located right next to Stormalong Bay. They have a few food items and some refreshing drinks. 

If you’ve tried everything at the Yacht Club and want something different, head over to the Beach Club! Here you can find even more restaurants and tasty eats!

Yacht Club Swimming Pools

The Yacht and Beach Club have hands down the best swimming pools on Disney World property. It’s considered more of a small water park than swimming pools because it’s so large! 

Stormalong Bay is 3 acres of refreshing fun! It includes a large sand bottomed pool and a lazy river. There are waterfalls, a volleyball net in the pool, and a water slide. 

This water slide is no joke. You climb a large shipwrecked ship all the way to the top and then slide down this long and exciting slide! Stormalong Bay even has a “beach” area with sand to play with! After all that fun, go relax in one of 3 whirlpool spas.

Right by the entrance to the water slide is a small kid play area with a mini water slide. This is a great introduction to the big slide for nervous kids! 

Don’t need all the excitement of Stormalong Bay? There are also 3 leisure pools at the Yacht and Beach Club for guests to enjoy.

If you plan on staying at the Yacht Club, you must plan a resort day into your schedule! Make some time for this awesome mini water park and relax away from the parks! You won’t regret it. 

Amenities At The Yacht Club Resort

There are so many fun amenities and things to do at Disney’s Yacht Club. When it comes to activities, there are fishing excursions, a tennis court, a sand volleyball court, jogging trails, motorized boat rentals, an arcade, and a fitness center. Just ask the front desk if you’d like to book a fishing excursion or rent a boat to go out on the water! 

The Yacht Club even has a spa! Ship Shape Massage Salon is a full service spa that can do massages, facials, hairstyling, and nails. We all need a relaxing day every once and awhile! Why not enjoy the spa on your day off from the parks?

The resort also has campfire activities, movies under the stars, and a Pirate Adventure Cruise (which is unfortunately temporarily unavailable at the moment). The Yacht Club is within walking distance of the Fantasia Gardens & Fairways Miniature Golf. Go show off your mini golf skills at this adorably themed course!

This resort really has a lot of fun things for you and your family to enjoy! You will definitely want to take a day away from the parks to enjoy this amazing resort! 

Overall Thoughts On Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

We at Disney Trippers absolutely love Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. The whole place is incredibly peaceful and beautiful. It has the perfect mix of being family friendly and adult friendly with lots of things to do. So whether you’re traveling with a bunch of adults or your kids, everyone will enjoy it! 

Most everything is in super close distance to this resort. The only time you will have to take the bus is to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Spring, or the water parks. The other parks and some resorts are really easy to get to, making this a top notch location for a resort.

If you have a day off from the parks, make sure to enjoy all of the amenities the Yacht Club has to offer. You could spend a whole day just having fun at the resort! You definitely don’t want to miss out on this place!

Have you ever stayed at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort? If so, did you enjoy it as much as we do? What do you liked to do while staying there? We want to hear your opinions on this Disney resort! 

Reader Interactions

February 23, 2021 at 3:18 pm

We stayed at the Disney Yacht Club the last time we were at DW. We loved it. The staff was outstanding. It was an adult family vacation, and due to different work schedules, some family members had to fly in at different times. The staff accommodated each one and made them feel as if they already knew them. We loved the location as we could walk to different locations. We tried the Kitchen Sink sundae, but couldn’t finish it. We sure had fun trying. We actually took one day to enjoy the resort and were not disappointed. We spent time in the swimming pool, which was amazing with the sand bottom. Lunch was an delicious lobster roll and we finished off at the steakhouse. I would certainly recommend this resort to all who are considering a trip to Disney World.

February 23, 2021 at 9:27 pm

Thank you for sharing!!!! We LOVE this resort too!!!

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Hotel with the best pool complex at Disney World: Review of Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

When you think of a Florida theme park hotel, I'd bet you probably don't think of deep, rich colors, hardwoods and a refined turn-of-the-century, New England-style nautical-themed resort.

And when you think of a hotel pool, you likely don't conjure up images of a 3-acre waterpark complete with a life-size shipwreck replica that is home to a long, twisting, turning waterslide.

But all this, and actually a lot more, is precisely what you'll find at what has to be one of the best hotels at Disney World , Disney's Yacht Club Resort. In fact, when we picked this resort for a short Florida getaway, we actually considered not spending any days in the Disney theme parks to go along with it. We amended that plan for one day at Epcot, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to do an entire vacation here without getting on a single ride. In this case, the resort could be the destination.

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Disney's Yacht Club (1990) opened in the same era of rapid Disney World development as Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (1988), and both share a type of ocean theme. However, the two couldn't be more different from one another. With just over 600 rooms (compared to more than 1,500 at Caribbean Beach), this deluxe Disney resort offers guests a vacation within a vacation both in terms of comfort and amenities.

After a recent stay at the property, it was all I could do to not add another night when the time to check out unfortunately arrived. And while not everything is postcard-perfect at this Disney resort at the moment, I promised myself (and my kids) we'd be back. It's that special.

Let's start with some bad news: Disney's Yacht Club is often expensive.

This is one of Disney's deluxe resorts and there is no Disney Vacation Club wing of this hotel. This means you can't rent DVC points to potentially book a room for less the way you can at places such as Polynesian Village Resort. (Note that you can do this at the neighboring Beach Club Resort.)

If you can snag a room during a sale or with a solid discount, you can probably get the rate down to $350-$400 per night, but it's unlikely to go much lower. It's common for rooms here to go for $500 and up, especially once standard rooms are sold out and you need to pay even more for a water view, which is precisely what I had to do. The view itself is (in my mind) not actually worth an upcharge, but sometimes that's all that's available.

While I booked during a 30% off sale, my water-view room at the Yacht Club still came to just over $500 per night. There are some ways to use points for Disney World vacations , such as using miles from the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to offset the expense at a 1 cent = 1 mile valuation , but there's no way to get outsize value for your credit card points at Disney properties.

If you do decide to book a Disney resort like this one, it can make sense to go through a Disney Vacation Planner as that doesn't add to your cost and they do a great job staying on the lookout for sales and discounts and keeping track of all those ever-changing components of a trip to Disney World.

Related: How much does a trip to Disney World cost?

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

No doubt it sounds a touch insane to spend $500 for a theme park-adjacent hotel room, but the location is one reason why Disney's Yacht Club commands that rate (and often sells out).

This hotel is just a 5-10 minute walk from the World Showcase entrance of Epcot. It is also within walking distance of Disney's Hollywood Studios, or you can hop on a boat to take you there since that walk is a bit longer.

Being so close to Epcot also means that the Skyliner stop at Epcot is within very easy reach, opening up even more Disney locations such as the Riviera Resort , Caribbean Beach Resort and more.

Yacht Club is also an incredibly short stroll away from the BoardWalk, which is home to even more shops and restaurants.

I'm happy to save money and stay off Disney property on the first night of the trip, or for trips when we aren't going for an all-in Disney family vacation. But when we do go all-in on Disney World, I want to be in the "Disney bubble." Staying at Yacht Club puts you in the heart of the Disney bubble, well-cushioned in your own deluxe nautical-themed space, but just an arm's reach from lots of great Disney dining and entertainment options.

Related: Guide to visiting Walt Disney World

We arrived at Disney's Yacht Club in the early afternoon, after starting the vacation off with a character brunch at Topolino's Terrace at the top of the nearby Disney Riviera Resort . (Which I highly recommend you add to your to-do list if you love characters and can snag a reservation.)

Since we arrived a few hours before official check-in time, I didn't have high hopes our room would be ready, given the era of pandemic precautions, but that became the first pleasant surprise of the trip when Room 2077 was ready and waiting for us several hours early.

Check-in is also where we were informed that while room service has returned as an option for breakfast and dinner, regular housekeeping had not yet returned to Disney resorts . Towels and trash would be attended to every other day. For our two-night stay, that meant there would be no formal housekeeping services, though we could ask for more towels and such.

If you are able to manage stairs, you can easily access the second level of the resort — where we stayed — via the lobby without using the elevators.

In fact, heading up the lobby stairs reveals some fun touches, such as a ship's wheel, among other themed decor.

Our room was a bit of a walk down several hallways, so if that's an issue, ask for a room closer to the lobby if available.

Inside a room at Disney's Yacht Club, you aren't going to find bright colors, Disney characters or loud decor. If that's what you want, I recommend Disney's Art of Animation , which has plenty of color and characters.

Yacht Club was renovated in recent years to appeal not only to traditional Disney vacationers but also to conventiongoers who frequently stay at the resort during normal times. And in this case, everyone won with a redesign that maintained the overall theme but upgraded the offerings.

The rooms still carry out the resort's high-end nautical theme, but in a way that is elegant and more refined than the previous 1990s-era version.

Like with other Disney resort upgrades, the beds are now raised and the floors are now hard instead of carpet. As Disney renovated rooms across its properties, this has been the standard it is changing to.

There's a pullout sofa that can be used as a sleeper and a small writing desk.

Most notably, there were outlets everywhere. We travel with a lot of things that need charging and we didn't come close to using them all up. Some furnishings may be made to look like turn-of-the-century New England, but they are loaded with modern-day power.

The two queen beds were perfect for a good night's rest after a busy day at Disney.

In the room, you'll also find a minifridge and Keurig.

We were impressed with the amount of storage the room had in the form of shelves, racks, cubbies and drawers. We were able to stay far more organized than normal with a family's worth of stuff, thanks to the storage options.

There was a balcony with two chairs that overlooked a well-manicured green lawn and technically some water. Remember, this was a pricier water-view room after all.

I adored the drapes, both because they did a great job keeping light out in the morning but also because they were adorable and perfect for the room, featuring constellations.

Like at many other similar Disney resorts, the bathroom had a vanity with two sinks located in a cubby between the main room and the bathroom, so it could be used while someone was in the shower.

The bathroom area had a sliding door for both the room itself and the tub/shower combo. There were plenty of Disney H2O+ bath products in the shower and bathroom area.

We found the room incredibly nice, but do know that it doesn't take much to hear what's going on in the hallway or other rooms around you. If you like total silence, you'll be well-served to pack some earplugs and a white noise app to go along with your Mickey ears.

Related: Why you need more than just a ticket to get into Disney World this summer

The Yacht Club room is plenty comfortable, but that's probably not why you stay at Disney's Yacht Club — it's certainly not why we paid what we did to stay here.

Stormalong Bay pool complex

What makes this resort so special is the 3-acre pool complex shared with the neighboring Disney Beach Club Resort.

Dubbed Stormalong Bay, this pool complex has everything from a 230-foot waterslide to a lazy river, whirlpool, shallow splash area, toddler slide, hot tubs and more. It even has a sandy bottom in some of the areas, which feels so much nicer on your tired Disney feet than a hard surface.

This pool area is almost a mini-waterpark and certainly worthy of planning some time in your schedule just to enjoy it. Right now, it can get busy to the point where there is no way to get in during peak times.

However, we had a blast also going late at night after the parks closed, when there were very few people in the pool at all. While the hours can vary, it was open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. during our stay.

There are four cabanas at the pool you can book if you want extra space and service, but you need to reserve well in advance if you want those because they go quickly.

Getting into the pool requires verification you are a resort guest and you're then assigned the colored wristband of the day to wear. There's plenty of towels at the pool, as well as a small army of lifeguards keeping a close watch on the various areas of the pool.

Stormalong Bay is adjacent to Hurricane Hanna's Waterside Bar & Grill, so it's pretty easy to pop over there and order a snack or cocktail. The $12 seafood roll turned out to be a perfect snack for us.

My 11-year-old gave the $6 Lava Smoothie (made of raspberry, coconut and pineapple flavors) high marks and my $14 Frosé was excellent.

Whether your group is made up of adults, some teens, tweens or toddlers, this pool area is truly excellent, especially if you build in some time to enjoy it when most people are sleeping, eating or in the Disney parks.

Evening movies on the beach

Several nights per week at 8 p.m., a Disney movie is shown along the "beach" at the Yacht Club. This is free to enjoy and the week we were there the films showing were "Zootopia," "Sleeping Beauty," "A Bug's Life" and "Disneynature: Earth."

I'll never fully understand who needs a treadmill at Disney when it's normal to walk 10 miles a day in the park, but Yacht Club has those and more in its gym that overlooks Stormalong Bay.

Magical Express Bus

Until the end of 2021, if you want to take the included Magical Express Bus transportation to and from the Orlando airport, that's available to those who stay at this and any other full-fledged Disney resort hotel. If you decide to self-park at Yacht Club, it's going to cost you $25 per night. The upside is that the fee also gives you access to parking at the Disney theme parks at no additional charge.

The Magical Express Bus stop is right in front of the hotel entrance, and the bus stop to go to the various Disney theme parks is just to the side of the hotel entrance.

Still-closed amenities

If you remember when I mentioned there are still some small bumps at Yacht Club, here's where they begin.

Those looking for the ultimate, once-in-a-lifetime Yacht Club experience may want to hold off a tiny bit longer if you want to experience all the amenities. The Club Lounge remains closed, as does one of the main sit-down restaurants.

On top of that, the onsite Ship Shape Salon is still closed, along with the Lafferty Place Arcade.

Normally, you can rent boats or even sign your kids up for a pirate-themed adventure that leaves from the dock outside of the Yacht Club, but all of that is also still on pause.

We had plenty to do for a few days without any of those amenities, but just keep in mind that some things remain shuttered for now.

Related: Changes to expect at Disney World in 2021

Ale & Compass Restaurant

Just off the lobby of Yacht Club is a dark, subdued restaurant called Ale & Compass. While you do need reservations to eat breakfast or dinner here, it's one of the easier reservations to get at Disney World.

Described as "Yankee comfort food," this menu has options such as lobster-and-corn chowder; a fantastic salad called the Ale & Compass salad with additions such as pumpkin seeds and beets; steak; pasta; and a burger with bacon and Vermont cheddar served with thick fries.

Getting good photos in the dark restaurant was next to impossible, but we enjoyed our salad and burger.

And while we didn't eat breakfast here, I've heard good things about the dark chocolate waffles.

Our service here was quite friendly but incredibly slow. The wait for our reservation was pretty extensive, followed by another wait for a server to arrive at our table to start the meal-ordering process. This is likely at least in part due to the restaurant having a brisk business of to-go orders that you can make from the Disney app, along with the other sit-down restaurant at the hotel remaining closed.

Related: These are the best restaurants at Disney World

Ale & Compass Lounge

Another alternative to the restaurant is the adjacent Ale & Compass Lounge, which also has a sleek, updated, but pretty dark look once day turns to night.

In the back of the lounge is a bar, with the front portion offering a variety of seating options and a reduced menu that still includes the burger and chowder.

The Market at Ale & Compass

In the gift shop area of the hotel is the Market at Ale & Compass, where you can order grab-and-go options in the Disney app.

We tried the $12 breakfast bowl that had a little bit of everything on it and was actually almost enough food for myself and two kids for a quick pre-park breakfast.

The $7 ham and cheese breakfast sandwich on a pretzel roll also looked really solid.

In the afternoon and evening, you'll find a variety of sandwiches, a hot dog and a panini on the menu.

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop

If you're going to splurge cash on staying at the Yacht Club, I highly recommend also splurging some calories at Beaches and Cream. You're going to need to make a reservation here well in advance (dining reservations are accepted 60 days before your trip) or get very lucky.

We planned our trip pretty close-in and were never able to snag advance reservations, but got lucky with timing that they had an outdoor table available for us to order the most exciting item on the menu ... the Kitchen Sink.

This $35 sink of ice cream is made of eight scoops (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream and mint) along with every single topping in the house. Oh, and there's also an entire can of whipped cream on top.

It's epic, huge, ridiculous and a lot of fun.

The three of us barely put a dent in it but certainly had fun trying.

There are more regular-sized ice cream options on the menu, too, but if you're doing a once-in-a-lifetime trip, try this once-in-a-lifetime dessert.

Should you want more than just sugar for your meal, this is also where you'll find burgers, sandwiches, chili and other 1950s classic-style treats.

Yachtsman Steakhouse

This second sit-down restaurant has not yet reopened, but when it does, this is where you can go for those post-convention expensed sales dinners ... or a very nice meal out for two. The menu features a $135 seafood tower, prime porterhouse, lobster, filet mignon, elk, lobster and other similar entrees that start around $50.

Overall impressions

I'm a total and complete sucker for a well-themed, well-located Disney World resort. Resorts such as this one, along with Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and others, have me hook, line and wallet.

For me, the resort hotel isn't just a place to sleep at night, it's also a destination much like the theme parks themselves. I enjoy the scent in the lobby, the storyline of the property, the Disney touches throughout and the convenience of being fully immersed in Disney magic.

While my kids vetoed the idea, I'd have been totally happy having Disney's Yacht Club Resort serve as our actual final destination for the weekend with no park time at all. However, since it is such an easy walk to Epcot, adding that park on was actually a whole lot of fun, too.

If what you want is just a decent bed close to the parks, don't stay here. You're probably overpaying to stay at Yacht Club if you don't truly value the Stormalong Bay pool area. You can stay at the next-door Disney Swan and Dolphin for a fraction of the cash if you're just after location.

And right now, with some amenities still closed, I don't recommend staying here if you are going to be upset when things aren't 100% full service and perfect. The prices are as high as ever to match demand, so don't expect a reduced price to match the reduced amenities.

But if you can overlook a few things and what you want is a fun, slightly grown-up hotel theme, a great location, access to the best resort pool at Disney World and easy access to multiple restaurants, Disney's Yacht Club Resort is now officially one of my favorite Disney hotels — and one that I can't wait to return to in the coming years.

Yacht Club v. Beach Club

Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts are two Crescent Lake hotels at Walt Disney World, both within walking distance of Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and across the water from Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. In this post, we’re going to continue our ongoing Walt Disney World hotel comparison series with an entry featuring these two so you can decide which is a better option for your vacation.

Yacht and Beach Club are sister resorts that are physically connected to one another, but this does not mean they should be viewed as a pair. Debunking this “myth” of sorts is basically our main motivation for writing this comparison. In fairness, their interchangeably does apply in some regards, such as transportation, location, dining, and amenities; in terms of theme, they are stark contrasts.

We think this is very important. When you stay in a Walt Disney World resort hotel, you’re paying a significant premium over a real world venue, and that’s largely for two things: location and theming. Given that, we think choosing a theme and resort atmosphere that appeals to you is incredibly important…

Setting aside the general ‘nautical-ness’ of each resort, the theme and ambiance of Yacht Club and Beach Club and significant departures from one another. If anything, Beach Club is more comparable to BoardWalk Inn from an atmospheric perspective, whereas Yacht Club is (arguably) more like a nautical Grand Floridian.

Suffice to say, the resort theme (and by extension, the room theme) should be a significant deciding factor in this showdown. As such, the first two variables in this Walt Disney World hotel comparisons. Unlike our other entries into this series, we do not use all six elements of two different resorts to determine which is “the best.” In fact, this comparison seeks less to crown a definitive champion and more to compare and contrast…

Theme/Atmosphere: Beach Club – While technically sister resorts, I think the theme and tone of each resort is dramatically different. Beach Club has a theme resulting from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s obsession with his childhood vacations in the seaside communities of the Northeast. Its theme is meant to evoke the seaside resort cottages scattered around New England in the early 20th Century.

Beach Club is very laid back; both in the substance of the theme, and the styles used. There are a lot of light colors and pastels, and this makes for a relaxing environment. The only thing slightly at-odds with this is that the lobby is sometimes noisy and chaotic, moreso than the Yacht Club lobby. All things considered, though, I’d say Beach Club shares more with BoardWalk Inn in terms of theme and atmosphere than it does with Yacht Club.

By contrast, Yacht Club feels like an actual high-society yachting club set in turn of the century New England. If I were to describe it in a single word, I’d call it “stately.” The color scheme is much more muted and darker, and there’s also an abundance of deep woods, nautically-themed antiques, and rich furniture throughout the resort. The environment could pass for a place where the Kennedys and other elites might have met for liquid lunches and made power plays.

This environment can be off-putting for some families. While I think it stops well short of being stuffy or unfriendly to families, it’s definitely more sophisticated and less laid back. You’re also more likely to see business people and conventioneers around Yacht Club, since it’s adjacent to the (huge) Convention Center.

Our take is that both of these resorts offer exceptional attention to detail and do an incredible job of conveying their respective themes, and setting a tone for the resort via those themes. Which is “better” will largely be a matter of personal preference–whether you prefer refined or laid back. Our personal take is that Beach Club is a hair better from an objective perspective, and the exterior common areas (shared between the resorts) are also more in keeping with the vibe at Beach Club. Your mileage may vary.

Rooms: Yacht Club – Both resorts recently completed room refurbishments, replacing some fairly dated rooms for more modern ones. In our estimation, the end result at Yacht Club is dramatically superior. Not only is the room more well-appointed, but it does a much better job of offering a thematic extension of the resort’s common areas. As a result, the new rooms are much darker than the old ones.

Beach Club’s new rooms are nice, but bland. They remind us of mid-grade chain hotel rooms you could find pretty much anywhere, except with a light beach motif. They are not necessarily bad, but feel uninspired to us. (The Beach Club Villa rooms are better, but still not great.) Not quite what we expect given the price points of Beach Club.

With that said, both sets of rooms are very much an extension of the style of their resorts. If you find the lobby of Yacht Club ‘stuffy and drab’ you’ll feel the same way about the guest rooms. If you enjoy the ‘light and airy’ nature of Beach Club, you’ll find that extended into the guest rooms.

One caveat I figure I should mention up front, because I know it’s going to come up in the comments is that Yacht Club has a small number of dog-friendly rooms. Thus far, very few guests have brought their pets to Yacht Club, but this seems like a very big deal to some guests.

Transportation/Location: Push – This is a really poor basis for choosing between the two, but Beach Club is slightly closer to Epcot. On the other hand, that means Yacht Club is slightly closer to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Most people will probably take a boat there, though.) We’re talking a 1-5 minute difference, at most.

In terms of boat transportation, the two are equal as they share a boat dock. They’re also equal(ly bad) for bus transportation, with shared buses.

Amenities: Push – For this, we’re talking dining and pools, since those are usually separate categories. Since all pools and restaurants are shared between these two sister properties, there is no meaningful distinction between any of these.

With that said, it’s always worth noting that Stormalong Bay is awesome, and is a good basis for choosing either (or both!) of these resorts.

Cost: Push – Standard room rates are identical, with higher tiers seeing some differences.

Historical discounts show better offers for Yacht Club in the recent past, but that was also during the resort’s refurbishment, so we view that unlikely to continue going forward (especially with Yacht Club seeks to cater to more business travelers).

Verdict: It Depends – This is a first for us. Even in other hotel comparisons that were really close calls, we went ahead and crowned a winner. In some cases, that required really splitting hairs, or even a bit of subjectivity.

The problem here is two-fold. First, these resorts share so many amenities that it’s downright impossible to crown one victorious without splicing them down the middle and only counting those locations physically within each resort. That’s a nonsensical approach given the shared grounds, and the fact that some rooms in Yacht Club may be farther from that resort’s amenities than some Beach Club rooms (and vice-a-versa).

Second, this verdict ultimately comes down to your personal take on the atmosphere. While I would give Beach Club a slight hair in this regard objectively, the subjective side matters far, far more. A lot of families are going to dislike Yacht Club and love Beach Club, and perhaps some older couples will prefer the refined elegance of Yacht Club. (This is not to say the inverse won’t be true, too–as mentioned, it’s a lot of personal preference.)

Really, the single element of the two resorts where we think there’s a decisive advantage is in terms of room quality, where Yacht Club prevails. However, even there, we’ve encountered a lot of people who prefer the new rooms at Beach Club because of their vibe and atmosphere. So once again, even that will largely be decided by subjectivity.

Just in case you’re really indecisive, here’s our normal poll so you can see how other Walt Disney World fans feel about these two resorts:

Considering theme, atmosphere, rooms (and probably nothing else since the rest is shared), which of these two Walt Disney World hotels do you prefer: – Disney Tourist Blog (@DisTouristBlog) December 11, 2017

We’re predicting a decisive victory for Beach Club. It seems to be Disney fans’ cup of tea much more so than Yacht Club, and the new dog-friendly policy of Yacht Club will certainly cost it a few votes, too.

Ultimately, for us, Beach Club is the winner. We really enjoy both–but prefer the Yacht Club rooms–but the vibe at Beach Club is more to our tastes when on vacation. Read our full Disney’s Yacht Club Review and Disney’s Beach Club Review to see more photos of each, which can help determine which will appeal more to you.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Which resort do you prefer, Yacht Club or Beach Club? Any other considerations we didn’t take into account? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Any questions we can help you answer about these hotels? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

What about the pervasive seafood smell in The Beach Club lobby? I’ve read that the smell can be very strong, and I am not a seafood (or seafood smell) lover.

Yacht club is a very nice place awesome rooms . Would recommend it

We had reservations at the Yacht Club. We arrived very early and was not allowed check in until almost 2 p.m. :-(. When we entered the room it was a train wreck! The door to the nightstand fell off, the room faced a bunch of dead trees and brush and it had wall safe with a key (ancient). We went to the front desk and asked for a better room. The manager was extremely nice and found us a water view room at the BC. It was great! The pool and restaurants are difficult to get around in/to. We always stay at the Grand and love it!

They accommodate early check ins when possible but the stated check in time is 3pm. Getting to check in an hour early is hardly something to be upset about.

Do you have any opinion or comparisons on the concierge lounges at these two resorts? I’m hoping to spend two nights at either in the near future. I’m finding it harder to find info or comparisons to the comfort, ambience, and offerings in the club lounges of these two resorts in particular.

First off, they are both excellent, so we really splitting hairs. That said, a few things to consider. Both were renovated in the last few years, but YC is newer having been completed within the last year. As mentioned in the general review, YC tends to attract a somewhat older crowd, so slighty fewer kids there. YC is also influenced a lot by conventions. If there is one at YC, the concierge level sees more activity – especially in the evening. The staff at both Clubs is excellent however YC’s is very experienced having been there a long time. Both clubs, and for that matter all of Disney’s concierge levels, have worked hard to improve the food offerings in the last year or so. I personally think the BC chef is excellent and very creative. In the end for us at least, it comes down to availability and what we have planned for that particular trip. For what it’s worth, we will be at BC Club level next week 🙂

First off, they are both excellent, so we really splitting hairs. That said, a few things to consider. Both were renovated in the last few years, but YC is newer having been completed within the last year. As mentioned in the general review, YC tends to attract a somewhat older crowd, so slightly fewer kids there. YC is also influenced a lot by conventions. If there is one at YC, the concierge level sees more activity – especially in the evening. The staff at both Clubs is excellent however YC’s is very experienced having been there a long time. Both clubs, and for that matter all of Disney’s concierge levels, have worked hard to improve the food offerings in the last year or so. I personally think the BC chef is excellent and very creative. In the end for us at least, it comes down to availability and what we have planned for that particular trip. For what it’s worth, we will be at BC Club level next week 🙂

First, I think that one point you mentioned in passing that I feel influences these resorts quite a bit is YC and the convention center and BC and DVC. My feeling ( I have stayed at both and will be at BC next week) is that this affects both the clientele and the atmosphere to a significant degree at each resort. I agree with your conclusion that with many essentially shared areas, it is a matter of taste. Second, while in this case I think you would have another tie, I feel that evaluating the Club levels at the Deluxe resorts is an significant delineator. They are an important, and with the continued blurring of lines between hotel categories, perhaps one of the few distinguishing characteristics of the deluxes. I know your argument about expenses, but your reviews would be a lot more complete if you included the Club levels. I know it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

I will probably never stay at YC because of DVC, so I’ll give BC my vote, lol.

As a couple with no kids, we always choose Yacht because it feels so much quieter and relaxed, with a serene atmosphere similar to that of the Grand without the (often excruciatingly) high price point. This offers a great reprieve from the parks while still being themed exquisitely, and there’s something to be said for a Disney resort that is geared toward adults while still maintaining a perfectly Disney vibe. The Beach is great, but I’ve never found it to be all that “beachy” – I suppose maybe it’s because when in Florida, I don’t want to feel like I’m on a New England beach; I much prefer a tropical vibe a la Old Key West. I also don’t find that the Beach’s theming “transports” the guest to another time or place quite resorts such as the Boardwalk, AKL, WL, OKW or even the Yacht, and this is key for us when choosing a Disney resort. One more point – the bus system at the Yacht for us has always been consistently better than the Beach at all times of year because the Yacht is picked up first. I can’t count how many times we have had a full bus by the time we get to the Beach and there is no room left for Beach guests. Both resorts have their place but I’d take the Yacht any day!

Good point about the busses! I’ve had that happen on other busses and am glad to know YC gets 1st pick up, which can make for a better experience. I am going next month on our first solo trip without the little ones and we’re staying at the YC for the same reasons you describe. Fingers crossed and thanks for the review. It helped ease any small concerns I had!

We just stayed almost 2 weeks at BC. One note about the bus transportation. They pick-up at the YC first. Then BC. With that said. There were many times that the Bus would show up at BC basically already full from the YC. This made it difficult to make it to reservations/fast passes on time, even when you showed up at the bus stop on time or ahead of time. If fact we didn’t want to “lose” our Be Our Guest reservation one night and had to use the Minnie Van service. (Which I might add was excellent!) We actually joked that we should catch the bus at YC.

I am older now, and opt for the serenity of the Yacht Club. (Although, even when younger, I was drawn to the Yacht Club’s subdued atmosphere more than The Beach Club). My son and daughter-in-law, however, who have six year old triplets and an eight year old, stay in a two bedroom Villa at The Beach Club, mostly because they need the room. I guess sometimes it’s more a case of need than want. Plus, they feel the location is perfect because they can hit three theme parks without taking buses.

Tom – You wrote “Yacht Club has a small number of dog-friendly rooms”. I thought I had read somewhere, perhaps on your site, when the new policy came out recently, that dog-friendly resorts could potentially have any resort room used as a dog-friendly room. However, you seem to be indicating that only specific rooms, or perhaps specific parts of a resort, have been set aside. Do you know which is actually true? This can be an issue for those who can stay in a resort that is dog-friendly but cannot necessarily stay in a room that a dog has lived in.

Separately, while we have been to the Beach and Yacht Clubs numerous times due to the wonderful Cape May buffet, we have never actually stayed there nor seen the guest rooms. We decided a long time ago that if we were to stay there, we would only stay at the Beach Club, due to a strong preference for the light pastel colours over the dark colours at the Yacht Club in the public areas.

I can’t believe you did not point out the highly localized potentially dangerous weather on Stormalong Bay outside these resorts. This is, of course, where Hurricane Hanna hit many years ago and caused that big shipwreck on the Beach Club’s beach that Disney still has not cleared away (unlike the non-imagineered Hurricane Irma which you actually encountered earlier this year). Always a handy excuse if you are late to an ADR at the two resorts.

I’m pretty sure that only a few hotels have dedicated dog friendly rooms now. So it’s not an “any room could potentially have had a dog” situation.

Yes, it is an any room could have a dog situation. Our friends stayed at POR and arequested a dog free room/bldg. They were told that would happen. When they got to POr they were put in bldg 24, which is the designated dog bldg. They were moved to the 30’s. Then they spotted a dog dong it’s business right outside their non dog bldg room. When they went to guest services and asked why? they were told “well, those guests booked online and wanted that bldg, so…… It states that any room or bldg could have dogs in them in the test resorts. And apparently the designated dog rooms/bldgs is not really true when it comes down to it.

We have booked Yacht Club for our June 2018 visit (crazy time of year, but only time we could coordinate with my cousin’s family when all our kids are out of school, etc), and I’m really looking forward to it. Based on the photos of the rooms, we like the look of Yacht Club better, and we can easily hang in the lobby & public areas of either resort if we feel like it. So we chose the nicer rooms. Decision made, as we view all else as being equal. Can’t wait to get a chance to play at Stormalong Bay! Given the weather in June, we figured a hotel with a good pool was vital! Thanks for all your great posts on this blog! Cheers.

The opening of the (really, really good) C&A Lounge must surely give a further nod to YC’s lobby. It has an incredible sense of atmosphere, and puts the “Club” in club, if you will.

Now, a more interesting comparison (although totally useless) would be to throw NPB into the mix. It really feels like a “boutique” version of YC.

I’ve stayed at BC and BCV only. I have visited YC’s lobby many times plus I have had drinks at Crew Cup Lounge. I love both resorts theming and atmosphere, my pick is BC/BCV because I prefer the dining (Cape May is one of my favorite buffets whereas Yachtsmen Steakhouse is too pricey) , closer proximity to Epcot and Boardwalk, and I love the Solarium, Drawing Room, and Breezeway areas of BCV.

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The Family Vacation Guide

Disney’s Beach Club vs Yacht Club: Which Should You Choose?

posted by James Brockbank on September 3, 2022 // last updated on September 19, 2022

One of the best parts of planning a family vacation to Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida , is choosing where to stay.

Disney owns and operates more than 20 resorts and other accommodations on their central Florida property, in addition to the dozens of others nearby.

If Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort are among your options, you might be wondering which is better. After all, they’re located directly next door to each other, and the theming is similar. 

Despite having much in common, these two hotels have some key differences that make them distinct. Below, we’ll talk about the perks of staying in one of Disney’s hotels and what the Yacht and Beach Clubs have in common. Then, we’ll dive into what makes them distinct. That way, you can make the best choice for your family vacation.

Early Genie+ Access

Transportation, on-site guest relations, deluxe resorts, the skyliner, the boardwalk, room accommodations, entertainment and recreation, disney vacation club villas, recreation and entertainment, convention center, which should you choose: disney’s beach club or yacht club, perks of staying in a walt disney world hotel.

Experienced Disney vacationers will tell you that staying “on-property” has many advantages that can help you get the most out of your time in the most magical place on earth.

Each day, the four theme parks in Walt Disney World– Magic Kingdom , EPCOT , Hollywood Studios , and Animal Kingdom –open 30 minutes early for resort guests. That means you can get to the park in the morning and head to a couple of your favorite attractions without worrying about crowds.

At times in the past, Disney had offered “Extra Magic Hours” when parks opened even earlier or stayed open late in the evening for resort guests. While Disney isn’t offering them now, it certainly could return in the future.

Genie+ is the paid reservation system that allows guests to reserve times to visit top attractions. Time slots become available to park guests when the park opens for the day. 

However, guests with resort reservations linked to their accounts can make their first selections at 7 AM. That’s a distinct advantage over everyone else. What’s more, reservations for some of the most popular rides sometimes go quick.

Disney provides regular, reliable transportation from all of its hotels to its four theme parks, two water parks, and Disney Springs shopping and entertainment district. Buses run to each destination from every hotel about every 30 minutes.

In addition, there are boats and water taxis, the Skyliner gondola system, the monorail, and walking trails from several resorts. Below, we’ll talk about what’s available at the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

An often-overlooked advantage of staying at a Disney hotel is on-site guest relations. You can visit this desk to take care of a range of questions and issues before visiting the parks. You can purchase or verify tickets, make and confirm park and dining reservations, and schedule tours and special events.

Of course, guest relations is available at the entrance to all theme parks and water parks. However, there can be long lines, especially at the beginning of the day. What’s more, visiting the desk in the park takes away from your time enjoying attractions.  

What Do the Yacht and Beach Clubs Have in Common?

If you’ve done your research, you may already know that the Yacht and Beach Clubs are next to each other. They’re also often discussed together since they share so many amenities and features. 

Before we discuss what makes them unique so you can choose between them, it’s helpful to look at what they share. That way, you can get a total picture of what it would be like to spend your family vacation there.

Both the Beach Club and Yacht Club are Disney Deluxe Resorts . This is the top tier of hotels on Disney property, ahead of value resorts like Art of Animation and All-Star Sports and moderate resorts such as Coronado Springs and Port Orleans Riverside.

As you might expect, deluxe resorts have the best of everything. The rooms tend to be larger, the hotel lobbies and fixtures more opulent, and the theming is more detailed. There are better pools (with slides), more amenities (such as spas and shops), and more dining options.

Deluxe resorts have several unique features and perks. Sometimes, Disney parks stay open late for guests of deluxe resorts. They tend to have great locations with better access to the parks and transportation options. Of course, it all comes at a price. Deluxe resorts start at around $450 and increase sharply from there. 

The location is one of the best things about staying at the Yacht or Beach Club. They are two of the three resorts located directly near EPCOT. 

If you enjoy the thrilling attractions in Future World or a leisurely stroll through the World Showcase, you might like the Yacht and Beach Clubs even more than the Magic Kingdom monorail hotels–The Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, and the Contemporary.

Let’s zoom in on the three things that make this location spectacular.

The Yacht and Beach Clubs are about a ten or 15-minute walk from EPCOT . One of four theme parks in Walt Disney World, EPCOT has so much to offer. It’s split into two major worlds, and they almost feel like two separate worlds.

Future World has some of the most thrilling attractions in any of the parks, including Soarin’ , Test Track , and the brand new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, Cosmic Rewind . 

Then, there’s the World Showcase, with pavilions from 11 countries around the world. Sample food, drink, merchandise, and culture without leaving central Florida.

The new Skyliner transportation system is just before you reach the World Gateway entrance to EPCOT. The Skyliner is a gondola system that connects several popular spots around the “world,” including Hollywood Studios, Riviera Resort, and several other hotels.

The Skyliner has revolutionized how people get around Walt Disney World. Many guests hated waiting for and riding buses to and from the parks, but the Skyliner has turned that experience into a ride in itself.

Guests at the Yacht and Beach Club can easily walk to the Skyliner. The Beach Club is a bit closer, but it only takes about ten minutes from the Yacht Club lobby.

The Boardwalk Hotel is on the same walking trail as the Yacht and Beach Club. In addition to the hotel is the Boardwalk entertainment area. While it’s much smaller than Disney Springs, you can find shops, restaurants, and entertainment. 

One of the Boardwalk’s favorites is Jelly Rolls, a dueling piano bar. The Atlantic Dance Hall opens nightly for drinks and dancing.

Most room accommodations at the Yacht and Beach Club are the same. Standard rooms include one king or two queen beds, and some have a pull-down bed under the television. 

Daily housekeeping is included, and guests can choose from water, pool, and garden views. In addition, both hotels have suites and a club or concierge level.

The best part of staying at the Yacht or Beach Club is arguably the main pool. The most popular on Disney property, Stormalong Bay encompasses three acres of space. There’s a lazy river, three whirlpool spas, and a life-size replica of a shipwreck with a 230-foot waterslide. It’s partially sand-bottom, and there’s a sandy beach to play on.

If you prefer a quieter poolside experience, there are three more leisure pools for use by guests at the Beach and Yacht Clubs: the Admiral Pool, Dunes Cove, and the Tidal Pool. All three have whirlpool spas and other amenities.

The Yacht and Beach Club share transportation, and the great news is how easy it is to get around Walt Disney World from both of these hotels.

The bus stop is located outside the main lobby of the Yacht Club. Buses run about every 30 minutes to the parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. The bus is the best way to get to Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the Magic Kingdom.

There is also a boat launch behind the lobby of the Yacht Club on Crescent Lake. The boats take guests to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios and are a leisurely way to get to both parks.

As mentioned above, the Skyliner is about a ten-minute walk from the Yacht and Beach Clubs. The Skyliner takes guests to Hollywood Studios and is the fastest way to get there. 

We mentioned walking into EPCOT from these resorts, but you can also walk to Hollywood Studios. The path winds for about one mile around the water.

Finally, while the Yacht and Beach Clubs aren’t located on the monorail, you can access the monorail through EPCOT. You will need a theme park reservation at EPCOT or a park hopper ticket (useable after 2 PM) to access the monorail. However, it can take you to the Magic Kingdom.

The two resorts also share much of the same entertainment and recreation options. Moreover, guests at either hotel are almost always welcome to use amenities at the other one.

The resorts jointly host nightly campfires (weather permitting) and movies under the stars (indoors in inclement weather). There are tennis courts, volleyball courts, jogging trails, arcades, boat rentals, and fishing. There’s also a full fitness center and salon at Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness. 

What Makes Disney’s Beach Club Different?

Now that you know all the things that Disney’s Yacht and Beach Clubs share, we can look at meaningful ways that they differ. 

One of them is written right into their names. Even though the themes at the resorts are similar, they are distinct from each other. The Beach Club is reminiscent of classic Atlantic and New Jersey seaside resorts around the turn of the 20th century. 

It’s bright and cheerful, with light pastel colors throughout. You’ll notice elements of gingerbread-style and Victorian architecture, almost like an upscale beach cottage. The atmosphere is designed to be more relaxed and calming.

There are several other important ways that the two hotels differ. Here’s what’s unique to the Beach Club.

One thing that makes the Beach Club distinct is the presence of Disney Vacation Club villas. Disney Vacation Club is a vacation ownership company that sells timeshares in select Disney resorts worldwide. It also offers exceptional experiences, excursions, and reciprocity with RCI for members in good standing to use their annual allotment of points.

There are only 282 villas at the Beach Club, making it among the smallest in the collection. There are studios with kitchenettes and one, two, and three-bedroom villas with full kitchens.

You don’t need to be a DVC member to book the villas. In fact, many non-members love the villas for family reunions and space to spread out. They typically cost more than standard rooms per night.

You don’t have to be a guest at the Beach Club to dine in any of its restaurants. Anyone can make a reservation or drop in for table availability, but guests of this resort will be closer and find it easier to eat at these.

Cape May Cafe is a popular buffet spot for breakfast and dinner. Beaches and Cream Soda Shop has diner offerings for lunch and dinner and is known for its incredible ice cream. Martha’s Vineyard serves lunch but is best known for its bar service and wine selection. Finally, the Beach Club Marketplace offers counter-service and grab-and-go dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Some guests prefer the Beach Club’s location because it is closer to EPCOT and the Skyliner. It takes about five or ten more minutes to get there from the Yacht Club, depending on where your room is situated. However, most of the rooms at the Yacht Club are closer to Stormalong Bay than at the Beach Club.

Even though guests of either resort can use all the amenities, it’s worth mentioning the ones that are located at the Beach Club:

• Dunes Cove Pool
• Volleyball courts

What Makes the Yacht Club Different?

Several elements distinguish the Yacht Club from the Beach Club, and the first is the theme. While the Beach Club is designed to look and feel like a relaxed yet refined seaside resort, the Yacht Club is more stately.

The Yacht Club is reminiscent of a grand, exclusive New England yachting or boating resort, visited by titans of industry, politicians, and some of the oldest families in America. It is elegant, plush, and nautical. In contrast to the whimsical pastels at the Beach Club, you’ll see dark blues and wood tones against white finishes. 

Perhaps because of the prestige, the Yacht Club’s prices tend to be slightly higher than the Beach Club’s, though not substantially. The rooms at both resorts follow their themes but are around the same size.

While the Beach Club has Disney Vacation Club villas, the Yacht Club has a convention center, which frequently contributes to the more formal atmosphere at the Yacht Club. In fact, the resort itself was designed to host conventions, and its setup is conducive to that.

The convention center has more than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. The hotel has almost 2,000 guest rooms, most of which are standard. Nearly 140 are located on the club level, perfect for executives. Couples also often hold weddings at the Yacht Club, and the nearby wedding gazebo is a convenient ceremony space. 

There are several dining options at the Yacht Club, and true to its theme, most of them are more formal than the ones you’ll find at the Beach Club. The main restaurant is the Yachtsman’s Steakhouse , a traditional New England steakhouse. It is one of the more formal restaurants in Walt Disney World and is only open for dinner. 

In addition, the less-formal Ale and Compass restaurant is a gastropub serving Yankee comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Marketplace at Ale and Compass offers counter-service and grab-and-go dining options.

Finally, two bars offer drinks and light snacks: the Ale and Compass Lounge and the Crew’s Cup Lounge. 

These are the recreation and amenities offered at the Yacht Club:

• Admiral Pool
• Tennis courts
• Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness

If you plan to spend the bulk of your Florida vacation in Walt Disney World, we strongly recommend staying at a Disney hotel for all the reasons discussed above. But which is better–the Beach Club or Yacht Club?

As you can see, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Yacht Club Resort have a lot in common and share many of the same amenities and perks. However, they have distinct themes that create different atmospheres. The Beach Club is more relaxed and refined, while the Yacht Club is more stately and elegant.

Regardless of where you and your family decide to stay, the most important thing is that you enjoy your time together at Walt Disney World. And don’t forget to check out Stormalong Bay–it’s the best part of either hotel!

More about our TFVG Author

James Brockbank

A seasoned traveller, Dad, and avid sports tourist, James foundered The Family Vacation Guide to share his expert vacation experiences- especially when it comes to being a travelling family man.

Featured in Travel articles such as Travel + Leisure, TripSavvy and SFGate, you know you're reading some of the best vacation tips online.

Disney's Beach Club Resort

View Gallery  View an image gallery of Disney's Beach Club Resort- Opens Dialog

What Makes This Resort Hotel Unique

Disney Skyliner Transportation

This gondola system offers a bird's-eye view as it whisks you and your family away to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Outdoor Water Recreation Area

Discover a life-size shipwreck, pools, lagoons and more at Stormalong Bay—a 3-acre water wonderland. Read More

Discover a life-size shipwreck, pools, lagoons and more at Stormalong Bay—a 3-acre water wonderland.

Climb the mast and zip down one of the highest hotel waterslides at Walt Disney World Resort. Catch currents on an inner tube in the lazy river, unwind in one of 3 whirlpool spas and relax on the elevated tanning deck. Children can wade into the main pool from a gentle slope and splash about in 2 kiddie pools—including one with a miniature waterslide.

Prefer a more tranquil experience? Explore 3 all-ages quiet pools—each with a whirlpool spa—located throughout Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.

Learn more about recreation at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Beaches and Cream

Bring your sweet tooth to this newly renovated, boardwalk-style ice cream parlor where every day is sundae.

Ship Shape Health Club

Indulge in a massage and exercise on state-of-the-art equipment at this 24-hour fitness center.

Room Types Sure to Suit Your Style

Choose from a wide array of accommodations, from rooms and suites—some offering Concierge service—to home-like options in the villa section of the Resort. Read More

Choose from a wide array of accommodations, from rooms and suites—some offering Concierge service—to home-like options in the villa section of the Resort. All room types share the same Resort amenities, including pools, dining and recreation.

Room types offered at this Resort:

• Rooms and Suites (sleep up to 6 adults)
• Rooms and Suites with Club-Level Service (sleep up to 7 adults)
• Deluxe Studios (sleep up to 5 adults)
• 1- and 2-Bedroom Villas (sleep up to 8 adults)

Villas feature:

• A fully-equipped kitchen , so you can prepare meals and snacks from the comfort of your villa
• Spacious living and dining areas where your family can share even more quality time together after you return from the parks
• Separate bedrooms that offer space, privacy and tranquility – so it’s easy to rest, relax and recharge your spirit after each exhilarating vacation day
• A washer and dryer , so you can pack lightly and always have fresh, clean clothes

Deluxe Studios feature:

• A kitchenette , so you can prepare meals and snacks from the comfort of your studio
• A sleeper sofa , in addition to one queen bed and one pull-down bed

Visit the Room Rates page to see what's available for your stay!

More Magic for Your Stay

A More Magical Stay Starts with "Hey Disney!”

The "Hey Disney!" voice assistant experience features tons of character fun plus a helpful host, who can order you extra towels and answer lots of your park questions.

Disney Signature Services

Guests staying in Club-level rooms and suites are eligible for personalized vacation-planning support.

Enhance Your Stay with the My Disney Experience App

Simplify your arrival, access your room and discover a world of fun with this helpful app. Read More

Simplify your arrival, access your room and discover a world of fun with this helpful app.

Be sure you have the latest version of the My Disney Experience app to enjoy these handy features during your stay.

Check In and Check Out with Ease

Enjoy a simplified arrival at your Disney Resort hotel! Use the app to begin the check-in process , view your room number and even unlock your door .

At the end of your stay, there’s no need to stop by the Front Desk if you have a valid payment card on file or a zero-dollar balance on your account. Instead, check out of your room via the app by visiting My Reservations or your Hotel Account.

Plan, Play, Dine and Unwind

There are many more ways to enhance your stay! With the app, you can:

• Make vacation plans during your stay—and review existing plans
• Enter the theme parks (with a valid park reservation and valid admission) using Disney MagicMobile service
• Order food and beverages with mobile order service
• Check park schedules
• Get directions
• Explore transportation options
• View your Disney PhotoPass photos

And that’s only the beginning!

Learn more about the My Disney Experience app .

Available for iPhone®, iPad® and smartphones for Android™. Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations and features may vary by handset or service provider. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc .

Easier Trip Planning – Like Magic!

Once you’ve settled in, let Disney Genie service summon the attractions, entertainment and dining experiences you love the most. Plus, as a Disney Resort hotel guest get early access to purchase individual Lightning Lane entry for up to two different attractions each day.

FREE Resort Nights & FREE Park Days

Hotel Address

(407) 934-8000

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The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts

By Leigh Caldwell 2 Comments

There are LOTS of Disney resorts , and it can be hard to choose which one to stay at.

Disney’s Yacht Club

If you’re a big Disney food fan (like we are!), the restaurants at each resort may influence your decision. Allow us to make that decision easier for you! Let’s head over to Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts for The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts!

There are 10 places you can eat at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Let’s take a look at the tried-and-true favorites at each location!

Ale & Compass Restaurant

Ale & Compass is known for its New England-inspired comfort food. It is part of a larger complex that includes the Ale & Compass Lounge and a small market. If you’re a fan of sweet breakfasts, don’t miss the Dark Chocolate Waffle, which is served with Cherry Compote and Espresso-Mascarpone Cream.

So much yum!

At dinner, the New England Seafood Pot Pie (with shrimp, scallops, crab and vegetables in a flaky crust) is a favorite. You’ll also find classics like steak, roast chicken, and burgers on the menu.

Click Here to Read Our Latest Review of Ale & Compass

Ale & Compass Lounge

The Ale & Compass Lounge just off the Disney’s Yacht Club Resort lobby is a great place to grab a drink and an appetizer. It was remodeled a few years ago, and the look now is modern and sleek, with nautical touches.

It just seems right to drink a Dark & Stormy or a Regal Manhattan in this classy space. Food is served here from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly, and while it is labeled as appetizers, you can get a burger or a flatbread that is definitely large enough to serve as dinner.

Click Here for Our Latest Review of Ale & Compass Lounge

The market at ale & compass.

This quick-service location has a focus on grab-and-go items such as cold sandwiches, fruit cups, and salads. But there is a coffee bar, and there are hot items available here, as well.

Chilled Options

Best bets here include the Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich served on a Pretzel Roll , or the Cuban Sandwich for lunch or dinner. The Market is also a great place to find special, themed cupcakes and other treats around the holidays.

Click Here for Our Review of a Seasonal Cupcake from the Market at Ale & Compass

Cape may cafe.

Cape May Cafe is home to a popular character breakfast — the Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast. You can usually find Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy here — and they are all dressed up in adorable beach wear! The buffet is pretty standard breakfast fare, with the Salted Caramel “Beach Buns” as a highlight.

Minnie is ready for a day at the beach!

At dinner, the Cape May dinner buffet features New England seafood favorites, including Clam Chowder, snow crab legs, and fried seafood. Do not miss the Oreo Bonbons among the dessert selection here. They are a cookies-and-cream mousse-filled bonbon on top of an Oreo cookie, and they are a perennial DFB favorite!

Click Here for Our Latest Review of the Cape May Cafe Character Breakfast!

Beaches and cream.

There’s one place to go when you want large and over-the-top ice cream treats, and that’s Beaches & Cream ! We particularly love the No Way Jose Sundae and Kitchen Sink offerings.

Kitchen Sink Sundae

We suggest grabbing the Kitchen Sink only if you’re with a group because it’s a LOT of ice cream to finish! This giant treat includes a scoop of every ice cream on their menu, along with every single one of their toppings , so it really is a challenge! While you do need a reservation to dine inside the restaurant , the to-go window offers ice cream to take with you to your final destination. You can also grab a burger and fries here for lunch or dinner!

Learn more about Beaches & Cream here!

Beach club marketplace.

Like The Market at Ale & Compass, Beach Club Marketplace is a quick service location where you will find both hot food and grab-and-go options. The Steak and Egg Breakfast Sandwich with Swiss Cheese and Garlic-Peppercorn Ranch Dressing is a specialty in the mornings.

Rainbow Mickey Caramel Cheesecake

This is another good place to look for fun seasonal treats, like this Rainbow Mickey Caramel Cheesecake we found there for Pride Month. If you’re looking for an inexpensive dinner option, the Half-Roasted Chicken Dinner with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and cornbread is big enough to split and less than $15.

Check Out These BEAUTIFUL Cupcakes We Found at Beach Club Marketplace!

Martha’s vineyard lounge.

We suggest the wings and mussels at Martha’s Vineyard . And if you’re a fan of out-of-this-world drinks, this is a place you will want to check out. The space is designed to be reminiscent of a New England beach house, but we will say that the theming here isn’t great compared to other lounges on the property.

It’s a Candy Cane Mimosa!

We’ve seen candy cane mimosas and jelly bean cocktails at this location before , so Martha’s Vineyard may be a fun place to check out.

Are These Drinks at Martha’s Vineyard a Little TOO crazy? You Tell Us!

Hurricane hanna’s .

Hurricane Hanna’s is the pool bar for the Yacht and Beach Club’s Stormalong Bay pool. You should know that you cannot swim in the pool unless you are a guest of the Yacht Club or Beach Club, but anyone can enjoy a drink or a snack at Hurricane Hanna’s.

Storm Chaser and Souvenir Cup

The food here will not be the best thing you eat on the trip, but it is decent for a day enjoying the sunshine. Kids’ meals are served in a plastic sand bucket with attached shovel, which is a fun treat that can then be put-to-use playing in the sand! We DO love a good blue drink, and the Storm Chaser — made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Bacardi Superior Rum, Blue Curaçao and Sweet-and Sour topped with Sprite — is a fun reason to spend some time watching the action in the pool here.

Click Here for Our Review of the Stormchaser!

Yachtsman steakhouse.

We highly recommend Yachtsman Steakhouse as the place you can find some of the best steaks on Disney World property. You will get a traditional steakhouse experience here — one that caters to nearly all tastes.

Filet Mignon at Yachtsman Steakhouse

We definitely recommend ordering the Cognac-Truffle Butter for your steak, and the Truffle Mac and Cheese is a side dish that would please just about anyone. We find the size of the side dishes to be big enough for two — so keep that in mind when ordering here!

Click Here for a Recent Review of Yachtsman Steakhouse!

Crew’s Cup Lounge

The Crew’s Cup Lounge is right next door to Yachtsman Steakhouse. We love the cozy vibes here! While you won’t find a lot of specialty drinks, the Crew’s Cup Lounge is a good place for beer or a glass of wine, and stocks several scotches and cognacs . It’s also a good place to watch a game if you’re missing watching sports while on vacation.

Starting at 5PM, Crew’s Cup serves a limited menu of favorites from the steakhouse next door. We recommend the Yachtsman Signature Bread (especially the onion pull-apart rolls!), and the Lobster Bisque .

Click Here for a Recent Review of Crew’s Cup Lounge!

Epcot festivals.

You can walk to EPCOT from this resort, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that some of best eats available to you could be right inside EPCOT’s International Gateway if there’s a festival going on!

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

EPCOT festivals truly have a plethora of different options , so it’s great if no one in your group can decide on one place to eat, or if you have many items to check off your festival list anyway! Check the pages below for the latest dates, menus and information on EPCOT’s festivals:

• EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
• EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
• EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
• EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays

Walking around Disney’s BoardWalk is also a great option, as it’s really close by and has some great restaurants as well .

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World . We have reviews, pictures and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2022 at checkout for 25% off !

The DFB Guide to Dining

If you’re looking for all the latest Disney food news, be sure to stay tuned to DFB!

Beware — these will be the hardest dining reservations to get in 2023!

Need disney restaurant advice we’ve got everything you need to know, the only disney dining planning tool you’ll need is here – get the dfb guide to walt disney world dining, see our complete disney world restaurants guide, the best magic kingdom restaurants, the best epcot restaurant restaurants, the best restaurants in disney’s hollywood studios, the best restaurants in disney’s animal kingdom, the best disney springs restaurants, the best (and worst) disney world hotel restaurants, check out dozens of disney dining tips and tools, learn all about tipping at disney restaurants, how to use mobile order in disney world, join the dfb newsletter to get all the latest disney food news right in your inbox click here to subscribe.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at a Disney World hotel? Let us know in the comments!

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December 18, 2022 at 7:37 pm

It is hard to beat Ale and Compass for a delicious breakfast and we love lunch at Beaches and Cream…especially the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Yum! Both of these restaurants are good reasons to stay on the Boardwalk as far as we are concerned!

January 31, 2023 at 11:56 am

Looking forward to our lunch at Beaches and Cream next month. Lunch choices will probably be chicken sandwiches, followed by dessert (No Way Jose and Strawberry Shortcake). We usually order burgers or grilled cheese, but the chicken sandwich sounds so delicious, so we decided to be a bit different; but we need our favorite desserts.

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Disney Yacht Club vs Beach Club – what’s the difference?

W hen traveling to Walt Disney World, one of the first things you need to decide is where you’ll stay. But there are so many options, how do you choose?! We have so many posts about Disney resorts and choosing the right one . So, we decided to dive a little deeper into some of the resorts that guests sometimes have a hard time choosing between to help you find the right resort for you. Today we are comparing Disney’s Yacht Club vs Disney’s Beach. What’s the difference and which is right for you?

Disney Yacht and Beach Club

Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club are often considered one in the same. Which is easy to see why. But they’re actually different resorts, with different room types and different vibes. Yes, they share many things. Their famous pool complex, Stormalong Bay, is a big reason why many guests choose to stay here. Transportation is exactly the same as are many of their other amenities like the arcade, resort gym and Movies Under the Stars. Situated right next to each other, their lobby doors are no more than 5 minutes away from each other. Making it easy to enjoy all that both resorts have to offer when staying at either location. 

So let’s take a quick look at each one and compare these two deluxe resorts at Disney World . 

Disney’s Yacht Club

Disney’s Yacht Club is the series of gray buildings with the little red awnings on Disney’s Boardwalk. Known for a more upscale theme than its sister resort, the Beach Club, the Yacht Club is sometimes considered a bit stuffy. We don’t find that to be the case at all, but it definitely has a more high-end vibe than Beach Club. It’s themed to a New England Yacht Club, which makes sense that it would feel a bit more elite. 

Yacht Club is home to Ale and Compass Restaurant and Yachtsman Steakhouse. And also has Ale and Compass Lounge and the Marketplace at Ale and Compass. Though guests staying at either resort can easily take advantage of the quick service and lounges at both resorts since they are so close together.  

Disney’s Beach Club  

Disney’s Beach Club Resort is the closest resort to Epcot Park. Located about a 5-minute walk from the International Gateway and the Skyliner, you just can’t get any closer. Known for its dreamy blue buildings and laid-back vibe, this resort tends to be a guest favorite. Disney’s Beach Club technically has beaches, and Yacht Club technically does not.  But we don’t really consider that, as the beaches aren’t really resort specific, as anyone can use them, and they are still quite close to Yacht Club. Beach Club is also a DVC property, which means it has a lot of room types to offer. Standard rooms, along with studios and villas give guests a lot more options here. 

Beach Club houses its main dining, Cape May right off the lobby. This is both a good thing and a not-so-great thing in our opinion. For guests visiting, it’s easy to find. Which is great! But generally, when the main restaurant is in a resort lobby at Disneyworld, we notice that the lobby tends to be more chaotic for guests staying there. And while anyone is welcome to visit any resort at Disney, resorts with popular restaurants on the main floor will almost always be more crowded than those without, or with their restaurants in a different location. 

What’s the difference? Disney Yacht Club Vs Beach Club

First and foremost, the biggest difference between these two is the theming. They are generally about the same distance to Epcot. Though Beach Club is definitely closer, the amount is minimal. And since it is larger than Yacht Club, the location of your room can make a big difference in terms of how long it may actually take you to get to the Park Entrance. 

Aside from this, the vibe and atmosphere is another determining factor. Beach Club is going to be more kid focused, with its character restaurant Cape May right in the lobby. And a more fun and whimsical theme. Yacht Club, though still good for families, is a more grown up feel and has no character meals that would draw families from outside of the resort. 

One of the big differences we noticed between these two resorts is the room layouts. For their standard rooms, Yacht Club is set up with the beds in one area, and the ability to close off the area with the vanity, bathroom and shower. This is not the case with Beach Club. Their rooms don’t close off the vanity section, which is a bit odd and can make getting ready in the mornings a bit more difficult. 

The things that are exactly the same between the two resorts are the bigger considerations, like the price, pool, food courts, location and transportation. 

Yacht Club vs Beach Club: Which is best?

For us, Yacht Club feels like a more elevated experience and feels more “worth it” as a result. It’s quieter, in better upkeep and has better room layouts for its standard guest rooms.  We like the food court here better than at Beach Club, as it offers more hot foods. Though the quick service restaurants at either resort are not super impressive, Yacht Club’s choices are better. 

We love a laid-back vibe, but due to Beach Club’s closer location and having one of the best character breakfasts on Disney property , the lobby here can often get a little crowded and feel somewhat chaotic. The same goes for Christmastime when the Beach Club puts up their stunning Gingerbread Carousel for the holiday season at Disney . And unfortunately, the resort is in some serious need of TLC. The room layout at Beach Club was also not our favorite. And we think it has one of the worst quick service options at Disney. Which isn’t a big deal because you have easy access to food anywhere on Disney’s Boardwalk . But it also can be really inconvenient when you’re just trying to find food quickly. 

As you can see, it all comes down to personal opinion. For many people, Beach Club takes the cake. For us, we think Yacht Club has a slight edge and will likely tend to choose it over Beach Club in the future.  Do you have a favorite? 

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Resort Amenities

In-Room Floral & Gifts

Delight that special person in your life with a personalized in-room surprise—such as vibrant flowers and fun gifts! Read More

Delight that special person in your life with a personalized in-room surprise—such as vibrant flowers and fun gifts!

Whether celebrating a birthday, anniversary, first visit or romantic occasion, In-Room Floral & Gifts are sure to bring joy.

Choose from beautiful gift baskets, snack baskets, themed balloon bouquets and enchanting floral arrangements—all designed to celebrate your special moments while visiting Walt Disney World Resort.

Explore great gifts and surprises —or call (888) 814-8718 to learn more!

Order In-Room Floral & Gifts Order online anytime for delivery to any Disney Resort hotel and other select locations.

Deliveries are available 7 days a week. For same-day delivery, please order by noon.

Resort Transportation

Get around Walt Disney World Resort with ease using these convenient, complimentary transportation options. Read More

Get around Walt Disney World Resort with ease using these convenient, complimentary transportation options.

Disney Skyliner Transportation This new gondola system offers a bird’s-eye view while connecting Guests to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios from select Disney Resort hotels. A Disney Skyliner station is conveniently located at the International Gateway to EPCOT—just a quick stroll away from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

Learn more about Disney Skyliner transportation.

Disney Bus Transportation Most areas throughout Walt Disney World Resort—including theme parks, water parks, Disney Resort hotels and the Disney Springs area—are accessible by complimentary bus transportation. The bus stop at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is located a short walk from the lobby.

Learn more about Walt Disney World bus transportation.

A More Magical Stay Starts with "Hey Disney!”

The "Hey Disney!" voice assistant experience features tons of character fun plus a helpful host, who can order you extra towels and answer lots of your park questions.

Minnie Van™ Service

Dash about in Disney style with Minnie Van service Connected by Lyft for travel within Walt Disney World Resort. Please note: this service is separate from your vacation package and subject to additional charges.

Learn more about Minnie Van service.

Complimentary Wi-Fi Internet

Explore parking options at this Disney Resort hotel. Read More

Explore parking options at this Disney Resort hotel.

• Overnight self-parking is complimentary to Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels at Walt Disney World Resort.
• Valet Parking is $39 per night (includes sales tax)
• Standard self-parking is complimentary for day Guests while they enjoy select dining, shopping, entertainment and recreation experiences at this Disney Resort hotel.

Services and fees are subject to change without notice.

Learn more about parking at Walt Disney World Resort.

Online Check-In

A 24-hour ATM is located near the Front Desk.

Learn more about ATMs at Walt Disney World Resort.

Visit the Front Desk to exchange foreign currencies.

Business Center

Fax, copy, print, ship and more at the Business Center, located just inside the Convention Center.

Learn more about Business Center services and locations at Walt Disney World Resort.

Designated Smoking Areas

Disney Meetings & Events

Planning a meeting? Read More

Planning a meeting? The Convention Center at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts offers 73,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space for events large and small. Between meetings, your team can rent motor boats, relax on white-sand shores and enjoy mouthwatering cuisine.

Learn more about Disney Meetings & Events .

Housekeeping Service

When you stay at a Disney Resort hotel, enjoy peace of mind knowing that your room will be thoroughly cleaned prior to your arrival and will receive full housekeeping service daily for the duration of your stay.

Learn more.

Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services

Enjoy 24-hour self-service laundry rooms near Admiral Pool, plus dry cleaning and valet laundry services.

Learn more about laundry and dry cleaning services at Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

Mail Services

Send pre-stamped postcards and letters from the Front Desk, as well as pre-packed, pre-labeled packages. Read More

Send pre-stamped postcards and letters from the Front Desk, as well as pre-packed, pre-labeled packages. Stamps are available for purchase at Beach Club Marketplace.

Learn more about mail services at Walt Disney World Resort.

Club Level Concierge

Visit the Club Level Concierge to purchase tickets, make dining reservations and more. Read More

Visit the Club Level Concierge to purchase tickets, make dining reservations and more.

Learn more about Resort Concierge services at Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney Signature Services

Guests staying in Club-level rooms and suites are eligible for personalized vacation-planning support.

Spa & Fitness

Get toned at Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness —a full-service facility featuring equipment, massages and more.

Learn more about Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness.

Save Up to 25% at Disney Resort Hotels in 2024

Hotel Address

(407) 934-7000

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The Market at Ale & Compass

Lunch and dinner menu.

Quick Service Restaurant

• The Market at Ale & Compass Breakfast
• The Market at Ale & Compass Lunch And Dinner

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Disney rapid fill refillable mug, easter exclusives, easter chocolate mickey egg, hot sandwiches, foot-long all-beef chili-cheese hot dog, cuban sandwich, grilled chicken panini, ham and cheese sandwich, cold sandwiches, roast beef sandwich, spicy italian sandwich, turkey and brie sandwich, chicken caesar salad, garden salad, greek salad, kids' disney check meals, ham sandwich, turkey sandwich, pb&j uncrustable, kids' meals, grilled cheese, macaroni & cheese, cookies 'n cream trifle, gluten/wheat-friendly fudge brownie, fresh fruit, pineapple cup, strawberry fruit cup, caramel cheesecake, cinnamon bun, muffin assortment, chocolate chunk cookie, allergy-friendly cookies, nestlé® mickey premium bar, cereal with milk, mickey crisped rice treat, mixed berry fruit cup, apples with caramel, allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookie, carrots and celery with ranch, hard-boiled eggs, assorted chips, kind bar - almond apricot, kind bar - dark chocolate sea salt, white cheddar popcorn, fruity gummy bears, m&m’s® milk chocolate, m&m’s® peanut, snickers® original, chocolate cookie sandwich, smartwater®, monster™ energy, monster™ energy zero ultra, simply® orange, bodyarmor sports drink - 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Your Complete Disney World Zip Code and Address List for Orlando Florida 2024

Preparation is key to a successful Disney World vacation in Orlando, Florida. One of the most critical aspects of planning your trip is knowing the address of your Disney World resort. The address serves as a point of reference for various purposes, including shipping items to your resort or providing directions to your resort for pick-up and drop-off purposes. By using this guide you will find all of the Disney World zip code information and addresses for all the resorts, Disney Springs Hotels and all the Disney Parks too.

So, before you embark on your next Disney adventure, be sure to know the address and zip code of your resort and enjoy the magic of Disney World .

Walt Disney World Resorts – Zip Codes and Addresses

The magic kingdom resorts.

These resorts are all located near the Magic Kingdom theme park. These resorts offer unique themes, dining experiences, and accommodations for guests.

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground 

Epcot Resorts

These resorts are all located near the Epcot theme park. The Epcot Resorts include: 

• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort. 

These resorts offer convenient access to Epcot theme park and the adjacent Disney’s Hollywood Studios .

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Resorts

These resorts are located near Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park and offer whimsical theming, spacious accommodations, and fun amenities.

• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resorts

The Animal Kingdom Resorts include these resorts offer guests a chance to experience the beauty of nature and the magic of Disney.

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. 

Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels in Orlando Florida

These hotels are all located near Disney Springs, a shopping, dining, and entertainment district. These resorts provide guests with easy access to Disney Springs and other nearby attractions.

What is the zip code and address of Disney World’s ticket office in Orlando?

The Disney Ticket Center is located at Disney Springs in the Town Center area.

The address of the Disney Ticket Center is: 

• 1524 Buena Vista Dr, Orlando, FL 32830, United States.

What is the address of the Walt Disney World Resort corporate office in Orlando Florida?

The address of the Walt Disney World Resort corporate office is: 

• 1375 Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.

Walt Disney World Park Addresses and Zip Codes

Below you will find the address and zip code for each Walt Disney World park as well as Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida.

What About ESPN Wide World of Sports

The address for the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex address and zip code is: 

• 700 S Victory Way, Orlando, FL 34747, United States

More Helpful Information

• Walt Disney World Phone Numbers List
• How Far is Miami from Disney World
• How Far is Kissimmee from Disney World
• The Distance Between Universal and Disney World
• How Far is Orlando Airport from Disney World

Knowing the address of your Disney World resort is essential for various reasons, including shipping items and getting directions. Here are some frequently asked questions about Disney World Resort addresses:

What is the importance of knowing Disney World Resort addresses and zip code?

Knowing the address of your Disney World resort is crucial for several reasons, such as shipping items and providing directions to your resort for pick-up and drop-off purposes.

Do I need to know the address of my Disney World resort if I am using Mears Connect Bus Service?

No, if you are using the Mears Connect service, you do not need to know your resort’s address as it will be provided to the driver.

What should I do if I get lost while trying to find my Disney World resort?

You can contact your resort for directions or use a GPS tool to help navigate your way.

Can I use GPS to navigate to my Disney World resort?

Yes, GPS tools are a reliable and convenient way to navigate to your Disney World resort. You can also use the My Disney Experience App which has maps and shows your current  location on Disney property.

Are there any transportation options available from the airport to my Disney World resort?

Yes, Mears Connect paid shuttle service that transports guests from Orlando International Airport to their Disney World resort.

Can I use a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft to get to my Disney World resort?

Yes, ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are available for transportation to and from your Disney World resort.

What should I do if I need to ship something to my Disney World resort?

You can ship packages directly to your Disney World resort . Be sure to include your name and the dates of your stay in the address.

Can I receive mail at my Disney World resort?

Yes, you can receive mail at your Disney World resort. The resort will hold your mail until you arrive.

Wrapping Up – Disney World Addresses and Zip Codes in Florida

Knowing your Disney World resort address and zip code is an essential aspect of planning a successful vacation. Whether you need to ship items to your resort, provide directions to transportation services, or receive mail during your stay, having this information on hand can enhance your Disney World experience. 

More Disney World Planning

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How to Plan for a Disney and Universal Vacation

Disney Friendship Boat Transportation

About the Author

Darren Cater

I’m Darren, the editor of nextstopwdw.com. With years of Disney World adventures and countless memories made, I’ve mastered the art of planning a Disney World vacation. My articles are fueled by experience and a love for Disney World, aiming to turn your dream trip into a magical reality.

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The Billionaire Taking on Disney Just Wants Some Respect

The longtime corporate agitator feels misunderstood. Maybe his fight with Disney could change that.

Nelson Peltz, 81, has been battling the Walt Disney Company over its corporate strategy. Credit... Ahmed Gaber for The New York Times

Supported by

By James B. Stewart and Lauren Hirsch

• Published March 16, 2024 Updated March 19, 2024

At age 81, with over four decades of dealmaking and corporate cage-rattling under his belt, Nelson Peltz would seem to have pretty much everything.

He’s a billionaire. Until the hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin came to Palm Beach, Fla., Mr. Peltz had the largest property tax bill in town, with an oceanfront estate estimated to be worth $334 million. His 130-acre property in Bedford, N.Y., known as High Winds, has its own helipad, indoor ice rink and waterfall. He has use of his company’s jet. (But so far, he owns no yacht — he rents one instead.)

He also has an undeniably full life apart from his business: He has two children from his first marriage. He also has eight children (including two sets of twins) with his wife since 1981, the former model Claudia Heffner. His eldest child from that marriage, Matt, is a partner and co-chief investment officer at Mr. Peltz’s Trian Partners.

His photogenic younger children have thrust him into the tabloids and onto the Hollywood red carpet. Nicola, an actress (“Bates Motel,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Welcome to Chippendales”), married Brooklyn Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, in a splashy wedding at the Peltz Palm Beach estate in 2022. Will is also an actor (“Unfriended,” “Euphoria,” “Manifest”). Brad played hockey for Yale and was drafted by the Ottawa Senators.

And yet Mr. Peltz yearns for something that continues to elude him: the respect from the corporate elite, which he craves and feels he deserves. Could admittance to the inner sanctum of one of the best-known and most respected companies in the world — the Walt Disney Company — deliver that?

On and off for almost a year and a half, Trian Partners has waged an intense corporate fight by controlling a $3.5 billion stake in Disney and pushing for two board seats and influence over the company’s strategy. Mr. Peltz’s ammunition is a barrage of criticism of Disney’s management and board: The stock has plunged; costs have spiraled out of control; a string of big-budget film flops has raised questions about the company’s creative engine — problems that Mr. Peltz says he can reverse with his operational skills and strategic insight. While he concedes he has no experience in entertainment, his opinions, he says, are informed by his children and their high-powered friends, including Elon Musk, who has been critical of Disney.

The proxy battle has pitted him against Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, one of the media industry’s most powerful executives and someone Mr. Peltz once considered a good friend. Mr. Iger and Disney’s board have pushed back hard, even enlisting the support of the Disney family , including Abigail Disney, who has long complained about Mr. Iger’s lofty compensation. The increasingly bitter contest is hurtling toward a climax on April 3, when Disney will hold its annual shareholder meeting and proxy votes will be counted.

That this fight is over far more than a couple of board seats, or even a multibillion-dollar stake in the company, was abundantly clear in a series of interviews with The New York Times at Trian’s offices on Park Avenue and in Palm Beach, and over the phone.

During the interviews, Mr. Peltz — who has had numerous similar run-ins with corporate giants such as Procter & Gamble, Heinz and Unilever — repeatedly lamented his reputation as a provocateur and “activist” investor, a thorn in the side of chief executives and their boards.

He hates being mentioned in the same company as a rogues’ gallery of activists, buyout operators and corporate raiders, as he often is. He thinks he should be compared to someone he admires and tries to emulate: Warren E. Buffett.

“Does Nelson feel misunderstood? He probably does,” said Arthur Winkleblack, who was chief financial officer at Heinz when Mr. Peltz waged a successful proxy contest there in 2006 and joined the board. “Not all activists are the same. There are activists who are not nice people. There are activists who are.”

Whatever label is attached to him, there’s little chance that Mr. Peltz will be embraced by the august members of the Business Roundtable, the Washington-based lobbying group of elite chief executives, given his long track record of public criticism of boards and chief executives, and his efforts, when rebuffed, to elbow his way into America’s boardrooms.

Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase and a former chairman of the roundtable, recently came out against Mr. Peltz in the Disney proxy fight, citing the disruption that activist investors can bring to a board. JPMorgan is advising the company in its proxy defense. Disney has paid JPMorgan over $160 million in fees since 2014 as a client, according to LSEG, a financial data provider.

One measure of Mr. Peltz’s continuing notoriety is the reluctance of many people who have worked with him to speak on the record — even people he counts as friends and admirers, some of whom he recommended The Times interview for this article. That’s especially true in the midst of the Disney fight; several people said they didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire between Mr. Peltz and Mr. Iger, let alone Mr. Dimon. Both chief executives cast long shadows in the entertainment and business worlds.

“He’s like the uninvited guest who crashes a dinner party,” said Charles Elson, a former director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. “No matter how charming, he’s not going to be welcome.”

Ski Bum Turned Billionaire

Mr. Peltz can be funny and self-deprecating: He recently told The Times that he was the only person he knew who had gained weight while taking Ozempic, which seems to be popular in his Palm Beach neighborhood (The tanned, fit-looking Mr. Peltz shows no obvious need to lose weight.)

Mr. Peltz, who was born and grew up in Brooklyn, traces his social skills to his student years at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was president of his hard-partying Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. “Classes screwed up my day,” he said.

He left Wharton before graduating to pursue a passion for skiing, but en route to a job as an instructor at Oregon’s Mount Hood, he was pressed by his father into a two-week stint at the family’s small Bronx-based frozen food distribution company. He was soon brimming with ideas for building the business, investing in the stock market and staying. (He also shaved off his beard at his father’s request. He sports a neatly trimmed beard again today.)

In the decades that followed, Mr. Peltz’s career mirrored the history of modern dealmaking. His successful effort to buy out the notorious corporate raider Victor Posner from National Can in 1985 was the first all-junk-bond tender offer, using the low-rated, high-yielding bonds once shunned by conservative investors. It was also the start of Mr. Peltz’s relationship with the junk bond pioneer Michael Milken. (Mr. Peltz balked at Mr. Milken’s initial invitation, for a 5 a.m. meeting in Beverly Hills; Mr. Milken grudgingly moved the appointment to 6.)

Mr. Peltz forged a close friendship with another controversial raider, Saul Steinberg, who introduced him to Mr. Milken and whose own hostile run at Disney ended with a much-criticized greenmail payment in 1984. (Greenmail is a payment to a corporate raider in return for dropping a hostile takeover bid.)

After the National Can deal, Mr. Peltz’s Triangle Industries swallowed the rival American Can’s packaging division in 1986. He then sold Triangle to France’s Pechiney for $4.2 billion in 1988, including debt. The deal was widely acknowledged as one of the most successful leveraged buyouts, or deals largely funded by debt, and it established a model subsequently embraced by a generation of financiers.

Suddenly wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, and only 46, Mr. Peltz considered an early retirement. But he was quickly bored by golf. He went on to a series of other leveraged acquisitions, buying Snapple from Quaker for $300 million in 1997 and then selling it and some other brands three years later for $1.45 billion. (Mr. Peltz’s success at Snapple is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study .)

“He would often suggest new flavors — and he would push us to come up with different forms and different bottles,” said Ken Gilbert, who was Snapple’s chief marketing officer at the time. “We were spinning out new products every month — it was crazy. And he loved it.”

Mr. Peltz helped found Trian in 2005 to pursue businesses that “weren’t well run but were too big for us to buy,” he said. He and Peter May, his longtime partner, his friend and a former public accountant, courted outside investors and embraced a lucrative compensation model, taking both a management fee and a percentage of the fund’s gains, a model that soon swept the world of alternative investing and that has minted numerous billionaires.

A Builder, Not a Breaker?

For all Mr. Peltz’s business and financial success, not to mention longevity, his early associations with people like Mr. Posner (who pleaded no contest to tax evasion and fraud in 1988) and Mr. Milken (who pleaded guilty to multiple felonies in 1990 and was pardoned by President Donald J. Trump in 2020) no doubt tainted his reputation, fairly or not.

Even before then, he was turned down by the co-op board when he tried to buy an apartment at 740 Park Avenue in Manhattan, and not because he couldn’t pay in cash. The building, on the Upper East Side, is a residential haven for the corporate elite: His friend, Mr. Steinberg, lived there. And Blackstone’s Stephen A. Schwarzman subsequently bought Mr. Steinberg’s apartment, once home to John D. Rockefeller Jr. (The board later approved a purchase by Mr. May, Mr. Peltz’s partner and the president of the New York Philharmonic.)

On more than one occasion Mr. Peltz, who is Jewish, has encountered what he considered at least a whiff of antisemitism. He recalled that his arrival in London in the 1980s was greeted with a tabloid profile headlined “The Wild and Rocking World of Nelson Peltz.” The first sentence, he said, called him a “Jewish boy from Brooklyn,” and the British business establishment closed ranks against him.

Mr. Peltz, long a fierce critic of antisemitism, said he stepped down from his role as chairman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in December because after 40 years in the position, it was time for a change. But The Wall Street Journal reported that he left after the center called for a boycott of Ben & Jerry’s. The center had deemed posts by the company’s chairman to be pro-Palestinian after the Hamas attack on Israel. Mr. Peltz is a board member of Unilever, the owner of Ben & Jerry’s.

His fellow billionaire Henry Kravis, the buyout pioneer, is one of the few Jewish members of Palm Beach’s old-money Everglades Club, but not Mr. Peltz. Mr. Peltz said he had “refused to set foot” in the club until it had a Jewish member and, now that it does, has had lunch there several times. (Mr. Peltz belongs to the Palm Beach Country Club, which has long accommodated members excluded from more restrictive Palm Beach clubs.)

Mr. Peltz’s reputation as a corporate troublemaker also cost him his longtime relationship with his Manhattan law firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. In 2019, the firm cut ties with him even though he had been one of its biggest clients for decades. Paul Weiss handled his estate planning and other matters; a Paul Weiss partner left the firm to become his general counsel. But after Paul Weiss expanded its elite corporate practice in recent years, the firm told him that it could no longer represent activist investors, including him.

Mr. Peltz countered that he wasn’t an activist, he was a “constructivist” — someone who worked with management, not against it. He had never mounted a hostile takeover, he said, or even fired a chief executive. Paul Weiss was unpersuaded. “They dropped me like that,” Mr. Peltz said. “I was probably their oldest living client.”

Vitriol for Disney

Mr. Peltz’s argument that he’s not an activist has also fallen on deaf ears at Disney.

Before the proxy fight, Mr. Peltz had breakfast with Mr. Iger at the Beverly Hills Hotel on occasion when Mr. Peltz was in Los Angeles, and Mr. Iger visited Mr. Peltz in New York. Disney’s pension fund also invested in Trian.

When Elliott Management, led by the activist investor Paul Singer, took a stake in AT&T in 2019 and agitated for change, Mr. Iger asked Mr. Peltz to address the Disney board. Topics on the agenda, according to records reviewed by The Times: “What made AT&T vulnerable?” and “Who will be the winners and losers” as big technology companies move into entertainment and media content production?

But early last year, after Mr. Peltz bought roughly $1 billion in Disney shares and threatened a proxy contest for a board seat if Disney rebuffed his proposals, Disney attacked Mr. Peltz, saying he did “not understand Disney’s businesses and lacks the skills and experience to assist the board in delivering shareholder value in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem.”

Even though Mr. Iger and the Disney board had seemed eager to tap Mr. Peltz’s expertise in 2019, Mr. Iger only grudgingly gave him 45 minutes on Jan. 10 last year to present his plans. Mr. Peltz’s reception was frosty — only Mr. Iger asked a perfunctory question.

Little more than a month after Mr. Peltz started his campaign, Disney pledged $5.5 billion in cost reductions (later raised to $7.5 billion) and said it would resume paying a dividend. Mr. Peltz said the changes aligned with Trian’s goals, and he backed off the proxy fight.

By December, he was back. Frustrated by the ensuing slide in Disney stock— from over $110 a share in February 2023 to below $80 in October— and what he deemed Disney’s failure to follow through with its pledges, Mr. Peltz and Trian renewed their campaign.

This time, Mr. Peltz increased the pressure by allying with two Disney veterans with intimate knowledge of the company: Ike Perlmutter and Jay Rasulo.

Mr. Rasulo, a former Disney chief financial officer and theme parks head, was considered a potential successor to Mr. Iger until he was passed over for the chief operating job in 2016. Mr. Rasulo and Mr. Peltz are Trian’s nominees for the Disney board.

Mr. Perlmutter is the sometimes irascible former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, which Disney bought in 2009 for $4 billion in cash and stock, making him one of Disney’s largest shareholders. He remained chairman of Marvel Entertainment after the deal, but Mr. Iger sidelined him in 2015 by revamping Disney management. Mr. Perlmutter was unceremoniously laid off last year and has since been a vocal critic of Mr. Iger.

Mr. Trump introduced Mr. Peltz to Mr. Perlmutter in 2016 at Mar-a-Lago, where Mr. Perlmutter usually commands a prime dining room table next to Mr. Trump’s. Mr. Perlmutter has been a prominent financial backer of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaigns. Mr. Peltz, too, was a Trump supporter and raised $10 million for him at his Palm Beach estate in February 2020. But the two stopped speaking after Mr. Peltz went on CNBC and denounced Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and incite violence on Jan. 6, 2021, as a “disgrace.” His antipathy has only grown since, and Mr. Peltz said he would not raise more money for Mr. Trump.

Still, the falling-out hasn’t dented Mr. Peltz’s friendship with Mr. Perlmutter.

Mr. Perlmutter has entrusted Mr. Peltz to vote his Disney shares, inflaming tensions with the entertainment company. In its defense against the Trian campaign, Disney accused Mr. Perlmutter of bearing Mr. Iger “personal animosity” and blaming him for being fired.

Disney has also suggested that Mr. Peltz is motivated by a grudge against Mr. Iger, a claim that Mr. Peltz has vehemently denied. The company recently told investors that the men were never close friends, and that Disney ended its investment in Trian in 2021, angering Mr. Peltz, because the fund had underperformed the S&P 500 on an annualized basis over eight years. A spokesman for Mr. Peltz and Trian said they didn’t comment on client matters.

Lacking the information that he’d be privy to as a board member, Mr. Peltz doesn’t purport to have a novel solution to the streaming losses that have bedeviled Disney and other media companies trying to make the difficult transition to the direct-to-consumer digital era. He has been frank about his lack of direct experience in entertainment — something Disney has highlighted. But he said experience wasn’t everything. “They just put out five movies in a row that were big losers,” he said.

In Disney, he sees a company with great assets. But he also believes it’s a business crying out for greater operational accountability, more efficiency and better board governance. He considers Disney to be not that different from consumer-facing companies that he has helped turn around, like Heinz and Procter & Gamble.

Mr. Peltz also has better visibility into Disney’s operations than most of his past targets thanks to his alliance with Mr. Rasulo. Many were surprised that Mr. Rasulo would go up against Mr. Iger, his former mentor, in such public combat.

But Mr. Rasulo said in an interview that Mr. Iger’s abrupt departure in 2020 and the choice of the little-known Bob Chapek to replace him left him (and many others) mystified. So did Mr. Chapek’s sudden ouster and Mr. Iger’s return in 2022. Streaming losses soared, and Disney stock plunged.

“I was always a Disney guy,” said Mr. Rasulo, who spent three decades at the company, and the decline was painful to witness. “Something obviously went radically wrong.”

Mr. Rasulo didn’t know Mr. Peltz when they met for breakfast in Los Angeles a year and a half ago, but he said he had liked what he heard. He conducted his own interviews with people who had dealt with Mr. Peltz, and his research bore out what Mr. Peltz had emphasized — that he was a long-term investor looking to fix the company, not break it up.

Mr. Rasulo said he had no ambition to take Mr. Iger’s place as chief executive. He said he believed he could be an objective “voice of clarity” on the board as well as someone with intimate familiarity with the company’s operations and legacy. (Disney has countered that Mr. Rasulo left eight years ago and is out of touch with a radically changed media landscape.)

Mr. Peltz, too, said he looked forward to working closely with Mr. Iger if he gained a board seat. But that hasn’t stopped him from publicly criticizing Mr. Iger’s leadership. Waging his campaign on CNBC, in other media and in a recent whirlwind of visits to major shareholders, Mr. Peltz has argued that Disney grossly overpaid for 21st Century Fox assets in 2019, a $71 billion deal that saddled the company with enormous debt; that Mr. Iger and the board have repeatedly bungled succession planning; and that Mr. Iger has overseen an alarming decline in quality and financial results at the company’s core Disney animation, Pixar and Marvel entertainment units.

“The fact is, the emperor has no clothes,” Mr. Peltz said.

There have been no invitations from Disney to address the board this time.

In a statement for this article, a Disney spokesman said Mr. Peltz “has failed to demonstrate that he comprehends Disney’s strategic position in the modern media business, or to offer any compelling ideas, and we believe his presence in the boardroom would be disruptive and destructive.”

History as a Guide

A recurring issue in the Disney proxy fight will be Mr. Peltz’s investment record, which remains a closely guarded secret. Various academic studies have found that activist investors, on average, don’t generate superior returns over time.

Trian maintains that federal rules prohibit it from publicizing its results. But the firm said that from the time Mr. Peltz joined a company’s board — 11 in all — through the end of 2023, Trian’s investments in those 11 companies generated a 17 percent annualized rate of return. The S&P 500 has returned an annualized 9.5 percent since 2005, when Trian was founded.

Trian said it used that measure — from the date Mr. Peltz joined a board to the present — because the fund took a long-term approach and often continued to own shares after Mr. Peltz or one of his Trian partners left a board. If returns were measured until the date they stepped down, the returns would be slightly higher, it said.

Annualized returns in those companies range from 47 percent (Legg Mason, acquired by Franklin Templeton in 2020, a year after Mr. Peltz joined the board) to 3 percent (Unilever, which was Trian’s most recent investment before Disney and whose board Mr. Peltz joined in 2022).

Trian argues that these returns are what’s relevant to shareholders of the target companies, including Disney. Trian’s own investors haven’t reaped annualized gains that large, in part because the fund isn’t always fully invested and holds cash and shares in other companies.

One investor said Trian gained 12 percent in 2023 (well below the S&P 500’s 24 percent rise) and lost 10.6 percent in 2022 (when the S&P dropped over 18 percent). Disney said Trian’s annualized returns for its pension fund trailed the S&P 500 by 500 basis points, or 5 percent, over eight years. (Trian said that it offered multiple investment and fee options, and that individual investor results therefore varied.)

Still, many investors have been satisfied: Trian’s assets have gone from less than $1 billion when it was founded in 2005 to over $10 billion. Mr. Peltz attributes his investment success to his operational skills and long-term perspective.

“We’re not activists,” he insisted. “We’re not private equity. We’re not looking to just leverage up a business and sell. We’re looking to build a business over the long term. That’s what’s fun.”

Mr. Peltz noted that the average holding period for a Trian position was six years— long by activist standards, though about the same as private equity funds. Some holdings, like Wendy’s, have been much longer.

The Times interviewed a dozen former executives at companies targeted by Mr. Peltz, and all said he had bolstered results, even those who said they had no particular fondness for him and declined to be quoted.

Mr. Winkleblack, who orchestrated Heinz’s defense in the proxy contest, thought it possible, even likely, that he’d be fired once Mr. Peltz gained a board seat. On the contrary, he stayed in his role after he met Mr. Peltz one on one.

“We fought a good fight,” Mr. Peltz told him. “Now let’s go make money for shareholders.” That, in essence, is Mr. Peltz’s philosophy, Mr. Winkleblack said.

After an extensive listening tour, Mr. Peltz backed Heinz’s chief executive, William Johnson, and his turnaround plan. Mr. Peltz subsequently proposed Mr. Johnson, whom he now calls a “great friend,” for the PepsiCo board, and Mr. Winkleblack now serves as a Trian representative on Wendy’s board.

Mr. Peltz’s battle against DuPont was in some ways the beginning of modern-day activism: evolving into a full-blown fight in which an influential proxy firm, ISS, sided with Mr. Peltz while index funds, decisively, sided with the company’s management.

Though Mr. Peltz lost the proxy fight in 2015, DuPont’s chief executive, Ellen Kullman, stepped down not long after. Her successor, Edward D. Breen, developed a warm relationship with Mr. Peltz and embraced much of his strategy.

Mr. Peltz said Trian intended to remain a major Disney shareholder and keep up the pressure even if it lost the proxy battle, and pointed to DuPont as a precedent.

Procter & Gamble put up a spirited defense to Mr. Peltz’s proxy campaign but, after a narrow loss, reluctantly welcomed Mr. Peltz into the boardroom in 2017. Two years later, Mr. Peltz and the company’s chief executive, David Taylor, were heaping praise on each other.

“We’d rather be rich than right, and David has that same attitude,” Mr. Peltz said at a conference sponsored by CNBC and Institutional Investor. “That’s why we’re getting along so well.”

Several executives who have faced Mr. Peltz’s attention said they saw a common theme: He accelerated existing recovery plans, and then reaped credit for the success. Chief executives who get along with him have to swallow their egos — something that might prove difficult for someone as prominent as Mr. Iger, especially given all the recent vitriol.

Many also said that the care and feeding of Mr. Peltz was time-consuming. After Mr. Peltz joined the board of the snack food maker Mondelez International, then-chief executive Irene Rosenfeld created a new executive position to handle some administrative duties while she dealt with Mr. Peltz and other activist shareholders. Still, Mondelez shares rose an annualized 11 percent while Mr. Peltz was on the board, Trian said.

No one The Times interviewed could recall Mr. Peltz’s arriving on a board with bold ideas that no one else at the company had ever thought of.

“He’ll offer thoughts. He’ll have a thesis,” as one former chief executive said. “But the reality is no one can come from the outside and really know a well-managed company. They’re not going to walk in and tell them something they’ve never thought of.”

Still Rocking the Boat

Which is why, when all is said and done, Mr. Peltz may never escape the unsavory reputation that still dogs him, at least in some quarters, and why it’s unlikely he’ll ever be mentioned in the same breath as Mr. Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway acquires companies only in friendly deals.

Mr. Peltz seems oblivious that even when he is invited onto a board, it’s often under duress: better to have him on the inside, with a director’s duty to shareholders, than on the outside waging a proxy war.

Mr. Peltz “may be a very smart investor and a very savvy operator, but he rocks the boat,” Mr. Elson the governance expert said. “People who rock the boat are naturally going to cross swords with the establishment.” (Mr. Elson’s family is also a pillar of Palm Beach high society; his father, Edward, was U.S. ambassador to Denmark in the 1990s, and his mother, Susie, was chair of Palm Beach’s Society of the Four Arts.)

“No one likes to be told you’re doing something wrong. That’s just human nature,” Mr. Elson continued. “When that happens, you’re viewed as a dissident, an irritant. Irritants aren’t loved.”

Loved or not, Mr. Peltz has Mr. Elson’s admiration, he said, even if he doesn’t always agree with Mr. Peltz’s approach. “Irritants,” he said, “are important to the proper functioning of a capitalist society.”

A previous version of this article misidentified Charles Elson. He is a   former director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, not its director.

How we handle corrections

James B. Stewart has been a reporter and business columnist for The Times since 2011, focusing on the human drama of the business world and the struggle for corporate power. More about James B. Stewart

Lauren Hirsch joined The Times from CNBC in 2020, covering deals and the biggest stories on Wall Street. More about Lauren Hirsch

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Directions & Parking – Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best  driving routes to Walt Disney World Resort?

It's easy to drive to Walt Disney World Resort. We're located southwest of Orlando, off Interstate 4, west of Florida’s Turnpike. View our interactive map for detailed driving directions to Walt Disney World Resort .

Here are some sample routes from major United States and Canadian cities:

Atlanta, GA

I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits

I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits

Chicago, IL

I-65 South to I-24 East I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits

Columbia, SC

I-26 East to I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits

I-20 East to I-49 South to I-10 East to I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits

Hilton Head Island, SC

US 278 West to I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits

Montreal, QC

take I-87 South to I-287 South to I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits

New Orleans, LA

I-10 East to I-75 South to Florida’s Turnpike South toward Orlando to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits

New York, NY

From 416, take 401 South, 137 to the border to I-81 South, connect to I-83 South, then I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits

Raleigh, NC

Toronto, ON

Take I-90 South to I-90 West to I-79 South to US-19-Alt South to I-64 East/I-77 South to I-26 East to I-95 South to I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits

Washington, DC

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