• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Additional menu

The Family Vacation Guide

The Family Vacation Guide

disney yacht club versus beach club

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.

disney yacht club versus beach club

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.

disney yacht club versus beach club

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. 

disney yacht club versus beach club

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.

disney yacht club versus beach club

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.

disney yacht club versus 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

disney yacht club versus beach club

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

disney yacht club versus beach club

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

disney yacht club versus beach club

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 yacht club versus beach club

The Park Prodigy

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I change or modify my reservation?

disney yacht club versus beach club

Where Should I Stay? Disney Yacht Club Vs Beach Club Comparisons Guide

yacht-club-or-beach-club

So you’re planning your 2024 Walt Disney World vacation and stuck between the Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club. Both the Disney Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort are deluxe hotels found on the Walt Disney World Boardwalk. These two resorts share the shame building space and are commonly confused as the same Disney Resort, especially with their similar themes. That’s why we have taken the time to break out everything you need to know about both Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club.

We hope you find this post helpful, and if you are planning a trip to Disney World be sure to check out our other FREE vacation planning tools. Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next vacation. This includes helping you find the best time to buy Disney World tickets  as well as book amazing  Walt Disney World vacation packages!

So if you’re ready to decide if you would prefer to stay at the Disney Yacht Club or Beach Club read on!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Walt Disney World be sure to check out our Disney Crowd Calendar! 

Disney Crowd Calendar

Disney’s Yacht Club Vs Beach Club

When deciding between the Disney Yacht Club and Beach Club for your vacation, it’s essential to understand their unique features and the subtle differences that might influence your choice. Both resorts offer luxurious accommodations with a nautical theme, sharing many amenities, including the acclaimed Stormalong Bay pool. However, their distinct styles, room options, and proximity to Disney parks set them apart.

Thematic Differences

  • Disney Yacht Club: Features a more formal, sophisticated theme inspired by the seaside cottages of the Northeast, with a color palette of modern greys and whites. It’s designed to offer an elegant experience reminiscent of a yacht club.
  • Disney Beach Club: Boasts a relaxed, cheerful vibe with a design influenced by New England-style family resorts of the 1920s. Bright colors and a playful atmosphere make it feel more casual and family-friendly.

Location and Proximity to EPCOT

  • Beach Club Advantage: Closer to EPCOT, making it a shorter walk (about five to ten minutes) from the majority of its rooms to the park entrance.
  • Yacht Club Proximity: Slightly further from EPCOT than the Beach Club but offers closer access to shared amenities like Stormalong Bay. It’s also marginally nearer to Disney’s BoardWalk area, enhancing its appeal for guests prioritizing this entertainment district.

Room Types and Accommodations

  • Both resorts offer rooms that are similar in size and start at a standard rate of approximately $522 per night . The main distinction comes in the form of Beach Club Villas, which are designed to accommodate larger groups and families, offering amenities like in-unit washers/dryers and fully equipped kitchens.

Dining Options

  • Each resort houses unique dining experiences, with about five restaurants each, ranging from casual bites at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club to fine dining at Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club.

Shared Access: Guests of both resorts enjoy easy access to additional dining options on the Disney World BoardWalk , alongside quick walks to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

Why should I choose the Beach Club or Yacht Club?

  • For a Vibrant, Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Choose the Beach Club for its lively colors, casual ambiance, and villas suited for larger groups.
  • For Sophistication and Elegance: Opt for the Yacht Club if you prefer a more refined environment that echoes the luxury of a yacht club experience.

In conclusion, while both the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts offer exceptional service, amenities, and convenience for visiting Disney World, your choice might ultimately come down to personal preference regarding the theme, atmosphere, and specific accommodation needs. Whether you’re drawn to the elegance of the Yacht Club or the playful charm of the Beach Club, both promise a memorable stay.

Related Post: Complete Guide to the Walt Disney World Boardwalk 

Difference in Rooms at Yacht and Beach Club Resort 2024

beach-club-vs-yacht-club-rooms

If comparing the room size is part of your deciding factor for the Beach Club vs Yacht Club, we will have to call this a tie.  The rooms at the Yacht and Beach Club are pretty much identical when it comes down to size.

We will say the one advantage that the Beach Club has that the Yacht doesn’t is the addition of the Walt Disney World villas . If you are looking to enjoy a room that’s accommodating for larger groups you’ll want to take a look at having your very own villa. Having a villa can provide many benefits, if it fits in your budget. For instance, most villas have in-unit washer/dryers along with a fully equipped kitchen and living room. Villas are not for everyone, so if you don’t require one and don’t otherwise care for the color and pop of Beach Club, perhaps the Yacht Club will be a better choice. 

What is the difference between Disney Beach Club and Beach Club Villas?

As a general rule of thumb the Beach Club Villa rooms are located in a completely separate building when compared to the regular Beach Club or Yacht Club. This is actually the set up for a majority of the villas located at Walt Disney World as they are all part of the Disney Vacation Club.

Related Page: Guide to the Virtual Queue at Disney World

Location When Comparing Beach Club Vs Yacht Club 

average price for disney vacation

One of the aspects that everyone should look at before picking out a hotel at Walt Disney World is the location. Location is key. Thankfully, when deciding between the Beach Club vs Yacht Club the location should not be  a factor. Both resorts are relatively close to Epcot, however, there are some advantages to each resort over the other.

For instance, the Beach Club Resort is a few minutes closer to Epcot. With this in mind, you are also that much closer to the Disney Skyliner Station which can then take you over to Hollywood Studios.

While the Yacht Club Resort is not that much farther away, if you have young ones or even elderly people with you who may need to do less walking, the Beach Club Resort may be the best option. Depending on where you stay at the Yacht Club Resort, you might be closer towards Disney’s Boardwalk than the Beach Club may be. This may not be true for all rooms, but certain rooms are indeed closer. If having quick access to the Boardwalk is a requirement for you, then maybe the Yacht Club is the best option. 

Related post:  The Complete Guide to the Disney Skyliner Route

Dining at Beach and Yacht Club Resort 2024

yacht-club-beach

Is having access to the best Disney World restaurants your deciding factor between the Disney beach club vs Yacht club? You’ll be happy to find that both resorts provide an array of dining options. As we discussed though given that the resorts are essentially connected, you’ll have a ton of options close by.

When you look at the resorts separately each resort would have about five restaurants each. One thing that might be useful in deciding where you want to stay is where the restaurants are actually located. If there is a particular restaurant your family wants to eat at, maybe consider the resort that is closer towards that particular restaurant. Below is the complete list of restaurants at each resort. 

What are the Disney Beach Club restaurants?

  • Cape May Cafe
  • Martha’s Vineyard
  • Beaches & Cream Soda Shop
  • Hurricane Hanna’s

What are the Disney Yacht Club Restaurants ?

  • Yachtsman Steakhouse
  • Crew’s Cup Lounge
  • Ale & Compass
  • Market at Ale & Compass

Related post:  Complete Guide to the Disney World Boardwalk in 2022

Disney’s Yacht Club vs Beach Club – In Conclusion

disney's-beach-club-disney-package

In conclusion, there are not a lot of differences between each resort. The pool for instance, is shared between both resorts. While very subtle, they do have certain advantages/disadvantages over one or the other. When deciding on whether or not to stay at the Beach Club vs Yacht Club , hopefully these factors can benefit you in deciding which resort to stay at!

We think that either Disney’s Yacht Club or Beach Club would be a wonderful choice for families looking for incredible dining and entertainment, or even couples looking for a romantic night out on the BoardWalk. We love how close both the Beach Club and the Yacht Club to EPCOT, and only a boat ride away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios .

Related post: Disney Memory Maker Guide : Disney World Pictures and Disney PhotoPass

When is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Our   Disney  World Crowd Calendar  is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down   the best time to visit Disney World   based on specific times of the year and special events.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a  Disney World Travel Agent   for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a  Free Quote  for all  Disney World Vacation Packages .  The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your  Walt Disney World Tickets ,   and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as  Boo Bash Halloween Party Tickets and  Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets .   If you’re brand new to Disney vacation planning we recommend our  Walt Disney World Planning Page!   Learn more about Disney hotels by reading our  Walt Disney World Hotels Review page .

Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today , as well!

Who We Recommend

disney yacht club versus beach club

Ticket Subtotal: $325.45

Ticket Price Including Tax:

* Your magic rewards program points are automatically calculated into all theme park ticket prices!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Michael Belmont

Michael Belmont is the owner at Theparkprodigy.com, an authorized Disney and Universal travel agent. He specializes in Disney and Universal theme park tickets and vacation packages, as well as daily park plans to help optimize vacation time. Michael and The Park Prodigy have been featured on ABC’s Florida affiliate, WTFV, as well as over 10 Disney focused blogs. As owner, Michael manages The Park Prodigy blog and social media, a Disney themed podcast, and a Disney and Universal focused YouTube channel. Prior to starting The Park Prodigy, Michael was a long time Disney and Universal enthusiast, frequent visitor of the parks, and even served as a Walt Disney World Cast Member in Orlando, Florida!

RELATED PRODUCTS

disney yacht club versus beach club

Walt Disney World Tickets

Save time and money on your next Walt Disney World vacation with The Park Prodigy. With our discounted Walt Disney World theme park tickets guests can choose from the following parks!

  • Magic Kingdom Park
  • Disney’s Holywood Studios
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom

disney yacht club versus beach club

Universal Orlando Tickets

Save up to three hours at Universal Orlando with free vacation planning tools and added benefits. With our Universal tickets guests can choose from the following parks!

  • Universal Studios
  • Islands of Adventure

disney yacht club versus beach club

Disneyland Tickets

Save time and money with our your next vacation with The Park Prodigy. With our discounted Disneyland tickets guests can choose from the following parks!

  • Disney’s California Adventure Park

Footer Background

disney yacht club versus beach club

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 Yacht Club Resort

disney yacht club versus beach club

How to Choose Between Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts

by Stephanie Shuster | May 7, 2020 | Walt Disney World Resorts , WDW Blog

Stormalong Bay

Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts are unique at Walt Disney World—while most hotels stand on their own, these two sister resorts are more like twins—side by side with lots of shared features and a few distinct personality traits all their own.

You can use the amenities of BOTH resorts if you stay at either one , which makes these properties a great value since you have more to enjoy!

It also lets you escape for date night or to a pool party just for a few hours if you want a taste of something new.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort lobby

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort lobby. Photo by Danny Shuster.

But if you’re going to stay here, how do you choose between the #YachtSide or the #Beachside (okay, that’s not quite as catchy as Light Side/Dark Side, but let’s toll with it young padawans… I mean, sailors!).

Captain Hook's Pirate Crew Beach Club

Captain Hook’s Pirate Crew location. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Who’s going with you?

If you’re traveling adults only, consider the Yacht Club —it’s quieter, more romantic, and has a conference facility with added business amenities.

If you’re visiting for work, on a trip with your spouse, traveling solo or in an adult group, this is a great choice.

Families will probably prefer the Beach Club —it’s got more easy/casual dining options, extra amenities for kids, and if you’re a DVC member this is where you’ll want to stay to use those points!

Adults may prefer this side too, based on personal taste, DVC status, and whether you’re planning to walk to and from the Epcot festivals on your trip.

Where are you eating?

Dining options are quite different at the resorts.

Ale & Compass Lounge

Bar seating in the Ale & Compass Lounge. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Over at the Yacht Club, imagine fancy steak dinners, a sleek gastropub, and a dark bar that makes you feel like you’re in the hull of a ship. There’s also a simple grab-and-go option here, but if service is what you’re looking for you’ll have some of the best.

ale and compass lounge

It’s cool and cozy in the Ale & Compass Lounge. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Beaches and Cream decor Beach Club

Beaches and Cream decor. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Over at Beach Club, you’ll find quick service spots at Beach Club Market Place and Hurricane Hannah’s, an ice cream window and full 50s diner experience at Beaches and Cream (including GIANT sundaes!) , and a casual buffet that serves seafood (and more) in the evening and hosts a character breakfast in the morning.

Beaches and Cream seating Beach Club

Beaches and Cream seating. Photo by Danny Shuster.

What’s your pool plan?

The main pool complex is shared between the two resorts, but it’s vast and your room location could put you much closer (or further) from the poolside you seek.

Stormalong Bay cabanas

Stormalong Bay cabanas. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Cabana rentals are available at Yacht Club for the most serene experience, plus the marina is steps away if you prefer sailing on Crescent Lake to floating in a pool. 

Stormalong Bay

Stormalong Bay. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Beach Club offers more energy with a lazy river, pool games, and a pirate ship waterslide that exists into a beach front pool.  Plus as the sun goes down, it’s closer to the beach front campfire—roasted marshmallows after an afternoon at the pool, anyone?

What it boils down to:

Are you looking for a quiet, refine seaside escape with adults in mind, or an easygoing getaway to the beach?

This chart will help you compare the amenities at each resort— but remember, you can use any of them even when you’re staying at the other property!

yacht and beach comparison chart

So, which is right for you? Disney’s Yacht Club Resort with its sophisticated atmosphere and gourmet dining options, or Disney’s Beach Club Resort with its relaxed family vibe and pool fun proximity?

Truth be told, they’re both lovely properties, and it’s easy enough to stay at one while enjoying the amenities the other offers only steps away from your room.

Does Stormalong Bay and all that Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts have to offer sound like the perfect summer escape? Book your dream getaway today— just fill out this form to get a quote on your stay from our partners at Destinations to Travel!

Thanks to Disney for hosting us on a 3-night Resort Showcase where we got to tour and experience many of Walt Disney World’s resorts and restaurants, including Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Ale & Compass Restaurant. #wdwresorts #deliciousdisney

Latest Posts

The Best (and Worst) Parts of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Family of real life tiana to be among the first to ride tiana’s bayou adventure, disney skyliner map: how to get to epcot, hollywood studios, & skyliner resorts, disney skyliner: a complete guide, what to pack for disney world in the summer: the top essentials, hotels near disney world that won’t make you regret staying off-property, posts by stephanie shuster.

epcot-clothing_creations-shop_chiu

Authored by Stephanie Shuster

Enjoy FREE SHIPPING on orders over $100. Dismiss

  • Disclosures
  • California Adventure
  • Disneyland Park
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Hollywood Studios
  • Magic Kingdom WDW
  • Packing Lists
  • Height Restrictions
  • Disneyland Video Tips
  • Walt Disney World Video Tips
  • Reviews & Giveaways

Disney’s Beach Club or Yacht Club – Which Resort is Right for You?

by Disney Magic Diva | Feb 2, 2021 | Deluxe , Dining Reviews , First Timer Tips , First Trip Tips , Resort/Hotel Tips & Reviews , Trips with toddlers , Vacation Planning Guides , Walt Disney , Walt Disney World , Walt Disney World , Where to stay? | 0 comments

Disney’s Beach Club or Yacht Club – Which Resort is Right for You?

by Disney Magic Diva

Disney’s Beach Club Resort

We’ve always been a “Rope-Drop-til-Kiss-Goodnight” type of family. Our typical plan is to enjoy the parks, and not focus much on the pool or other resort amenities. It’s always been one of my biggest Disney regrets, because I know what fabulous activities are available for families and adults alike outside the parks.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

So on our most recent visit, we decided to change things up. We were bringing our two grandkids, and we knew a mid-afternoon nap was going to be essential for our 3-year-old grandson. Since we scored a great deal on airfare, we decided to splurge a bit on the room and book a stay at the Disney’s Beach Club Resort   so we could finally experience the amazing Stormalong Bay pool. (Read Nick the Disney Devo’s article here )  But in booking our room, I discovered that it would save us money if we booked Beach Club for the first few nights, then move to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort for the remainder of our trip.

Beach Club lobby

Since the resorts share Stormalong Bay, we thought it would be a great opportunity to try a split stay and compare both resorts! (Click here to read about how we dealt with a split stay.)

Yacht Club lobby

Having the chance to cross both of these marvelous deluxe resorts off our Disney Bucket List on one trip was more than a little magical. It was so fun to spend time at the resorts, and constrast and compare the two experiences. Here’s what we found:

Resorts: While the Yacht and Beach Club resorts are sisters, there are naturally some differences. Beach Club is located closer to Epcot; Yacht is closer to Boardwalk and Hollywood Studios.

Beach Club room

Beach Club has a slightly more casual, open- air feeling. Its décor has soft teals, tans, and whites – exactly the colors you’d expect to find at the beach. Yacht Club is a little more “masculine” with jewel tones of navy, burgundy and gold. Some reviews had mentioned a “stuffy” feel to it, but we never experienced that. Everyone was gracious, relaxed, accommodating, and fun! Our room at Beach Club was quite a distance from the lobby.

Daybed in our Beach Club room. It was perfect for a child!

We had to go down several long hallways with multiple turns (so long and winding that there were small lounge areas along the way!) to get to our room.

Yacht Club room

Notice the hidden Mickey at the top of the mirror and the Mickey lamp. Magical details in our Yacht Club room.

One of the small lounge areas connecting long hallways at Beach Club

The hallways were narrow and felt somewhat dark because there wasn’t really much natural light along the way. Our Yacht Club room was quite a bit closer to the lobby, although still not what I’d term “close.” The halls here were noticeably wider and brighter, which I found somewhat ironic since the overall décor of Beach Club had a lighter feel.

The hallways at Yacht Club were brighter and wider than Beach Club

Beach Club is one of the Disney Vacation Club properties while Yacht Club has a conference center attached to the resort. Neither of those attributes impacted our trip in the slightest, but worth mentioning if you want a true comparison of the resorts.

View from our room at Beach Club

Rooms: Both resorts are considered deluxe, and so naturally they both have fabulous accommodations. We booked standard rooms, but were pleasantly surprised by having a pool view at both! At Beach Club we had a view of Stormalong Bay, albeit you had to look over the gravel-covered flat rooftop which was

View from our room at Yacht Club

immediately outside our balcony. At Yacht Club we were treated with a view of one of the quiet pools. From both rooms we could see the Star Wars: A Galacatic Spectacular  – something we enjoyed immensely! Our room at Beach Club had two queen beds and a day bed which was quite the treat. Our grandson loved his own special bed! The room at Yacht only had the two queens, so there was a little disappointment, but without the daybed we had extra floor space for playing – so all was good.

Beach Club bathroom. There was a very discrete hidden Mickey in pattern design of the shower curtain

Both had beautiful double vanities with granite countertops, showers/tubs with tiled walls (ceramic tile that looked like wood planks at Beach, marble tiles at Yacht), and countless perfectly themed details. I thought the beds at Beach were more comfortable, and overall had a more updated feel. The draperies, carpet and other minor things were showing their age in our Yacht Club room.

Yacht Club bathroom

Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at Cape May Cafe

Dining: Yacht and Beach Club share restaurants, so there is no advantage or disadvantage to staying at one resort over another when it comes to dining. There are four table service restaurants between the two resorts. At Yacht Club, The Yachtsman’s Steakhouse is the only signature restaurant and is well known as a top choice for a fabulous steak dinner. (Read Darlin’ Diva’s review here. )  Captain’s Grille is also located at Yacht Club, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Disney Diva’s review can be found here .)  Over at Beach Club is Cape May Café, which serves Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast, a delightful character breakfast. We opted to try this on our get-away day, and loved it! Cape May also serves a fabulous Seafood-and-More Dinner Buffet for dinner. (Beauty and the Beast Diva tells you about here .)  Finally Beach Club is home to Beaches and Cream Soda Shop which serves lunch and dinner, but is more famously known for its ice-cream and desserts.

TIP: Beaches and Cream is an extremely small restaurant, so if you want to dine here I would highly suggest reservations. The Kitchen Sink should be on every Disney fan’s “must-do” list at least once!

All the restaurants at the Yacht and Beach Club resorts accept the Disney Dining Plan, although The Yachtsman’s Steakhouse is two dining credits.

If you are looking for a quick service choice, your options are slightly more limited. Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar and Grill is perfect for a poolside lunch or dinner. The kids’ meals are served in a plastic beach pail – precisely what you need for an afternoon of sandcastle-building fun! Beach Club Marketplace is the other quick service location. This is a small “take-out” style location where you can get pizza, sandwiches, soup or salad as well as some limited grocery items. Both restaurants accept the Disney Dining Plan. If you have the resort refillable mugs which came with your Disney Dining Plan package (or you purchased separately), you can refill them at either of these quick service restaurants.

TIP: If you plan on using your refillable mugs frequently during your stay, you may want to choose Beach Club instead of Yacht. Both Hurricane Hanna’s and Beach Club Marketplace are considered Beach Club Resort locations. While Hurricane Hanna’s is poolside, and therefore pretty centrally located, the food service and beverage station there closed by 8:00 pm each night (the bar stayed open later.) So the only option to refill our mug in the evening was walking all the way over to Beach Club Marketplace, about a 20-30 minute roundtrip walk from our Yacht Club room.

Friendship Boats can take you to Epcot or Hollywood Studios

Transportation: Yacht and Beach Club share Disney bus transportation. Yacht Club was the first stop, but we never had a problem getting on a bus while we stayed at Beach Club. The bus drop-off/pick up location for both resorts was near their respective lobbies, so depending on where your room is the walk to the bus can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes. One advantage of staying at either Beach or Yacht Club is that you can pretty much stay under cover from the sudden Florida downpours the entire way from your room to the bus stop. With two little ones in tow, that was a tremendous bonus!

Another perk of staying at Yacht and Beach Club is the option to use the boat transportation to Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk and Epcot. Right outside Yacht Club, you can catch a boat which will take you to any of these locations. On a hot summer day, a cool trip on Crescent Lake can be a welcome respite!

Of course, if you are in a hurry, the fastest way to get from Yacht and Beach Club to Epcot, and perhaps Hollywood Studios, is by walking! Epcot is about a 5 minute walk from Beach Club, and maybe an 8 minute walk from Yacht Club. Hollywood Studios is a little further – reportedly about 20-30 minutes – although we didn’t get a chance to try it for ourselves.

Campfire on the beach! Disney provides complimentary roasting sticks and marshmallows!

Recreation and Amenities: If you have somehow found a way to squeeze more than 24 hours in a day, then maybe you’ll have time to enjoy all the activities available at Yacht and Beach Club resorts. As I noted, we chose these resorts so we could play in Stormalong Bay when not in the parks. And we absolutely enjoyed every moment of it! The grandkids made some new friends, and enjoyed the poolside activities (Disney Junior Pool Party, Mickey Tie-Dye, Bingo, Chalk Art, Trivia Challenge) led by the Recreation Staff. And of course building sandcastles. And more sandcastles.

But if swimming isn’t your thing, maybe you’d like a game of tennis or volleyball; a surrey bike ride or a run around the lake. Maybe you’d like to take home a memory of “the one that got away” and embark on a guided fishing tour. Or rent a motorboat. Or hit the fitness center. Maybe the kids (or you!) want to play in the arcade, or attend Ratatouille Cooking School, or take a Pirate Adventure Cruise. Had a long day in the parks? Relax by roasting marshmallows around a campfire then catch a movie under the stars. Or maybe enjoy a grown-up evening out while the kids build a paper volcano at Sandcastle Club and watch it explode. There truly is something for everyone at Yacht and Beach Club!

Do you wanna build a … sandcastle?

As you may be able to surmise, we loved both Yacht and Beach Club. Each has it’s own unique magic, and I’m looking forward to our next visit! Which resort will you choose? Contact  Patricia at All for Dreams Travel  to find the best fit for your next Walt Disney World vacation. And build a sandcastle for me!

Share on facebook

Looking for more like this?

  • Split Stays: How to Enjoy Multiple Walt Disney World Resorts During One Vacation
  • Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at Cape May Café
  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – The Grandest Resort of All
  • Stormalong Bay at Walt Disney World’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Use Patricia at All for Dreams Travel, the OFFICIAL travel agent of Tips from the Magical Divas & Devos!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Advertisement

Looking for a wdw stroller rental.

disney yacht club versus beach club

DVC Resale Market

Discounted disney tickets, shop at target today.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Tips from the Disney Diva

Share Buttons

What it's like staying at Disney's Beach Club Resort — and why it's now my favorite place to stay

Tarah Chieffi

  • Every hotel at Disney World has something special to offer, but it's hard to beat Disney's Beach Club, which is within walking distance of two theme parks and has what is essentially a miniature water park.
  • Stormalong Bay is shared with neighboring Yacht Club but easily comes in as the nicest pool at Disney World with waterslides, a sand bottom and a lazy river.
  • On top of all of that, it also has some of the most entertaining places to eat, including an on-site character meal experience and an ice cream shop with sundaes as big as the kitchen sink.

Walt Disney World Resort has more than 20 on-site hotels, and each one has its own brand of Disney magic. I've loved my stays at value resorts like Disney's Art of Animation Resort with its movie-themed rooms and massive "Finding Nemo"-themed pool. I've also equally loved staying at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort for its proximity to the Magic Kingdom and abundance of Dole Whip.

However, after my most recent Disney World vacation, you'd have a hard time convincing me to go back to any of those hotels rather than my new favorite Disney hotel: Disney's Beach Club Resort.

What is Disney's Beach Club Resort?

disney yacht club versus beach club

Disney's Beach Club Resort is one of Disney World's top-tier Deluxe resorts. Disney Deluxe resorts are often in prime locations, have larger rooms and offer more activities and amenities than other Disney resorts. This resort is designed to resemble a classic coastal New England-style resort, with Colonial architecture, a muted color scheme and a nautical flair.

When you stay at Disney's Beach Club Resort, you also have access to the restaurants and amenities at Disney's Yacht Club Resort , which is just next door. The resort is also within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, as well as the dining and nightlife along Disney's BoardWalk.

How to book Disney's Beach Club Resort

disney yacht club versus beach club

As with other Disney World hotels , it's sometimes best to book direct through Disney. You can do this through Disney's website, over the phone or by using an authorized Disney vacation planner . Disney vacation planners can help you get the best price by searching for available discounts at the time of booking and up until your trip.

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

In addition to booking through Disney or a vacation planner, you can also use miles from your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card .

As a Walt Disney World annual passholder, I took advantage of a special offer of 30% off the regular room rate for a resort view room at Disney's Beach Club Resort. I paid $391 per night (plus taxes and fees) instead of the regular rate of about $660 per night (plus taxes and fees).

This is near the high end for a standard room at Disney World, and the rate can climb even higher during holidays or busy times of the year. Disney's Beach Club Resort also offers club-level rooms with lounge access.

But notably, it is also bookable for studios, one- and two-bedroom suites via Disney Vacation Club . Even if you aren't a DVC member, you can rent DVC points at a rate that can be much lower than what you'd pay in cash by booking through Disney. Studios here start at 14 DVC points per night, which would be $294 to $322 using points rented from David's Vacation Club, depending on how far in advance you book.

Related: Rent DVC points via David's Vacation Club

Easy access to Disney's theme parks and more

disney yacht club versus beach club

Disney's Beach Club Resort is conveniently located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. From the hotel lobby, you can walk to the Epcot International Gateway (near the back of the park) in about five minutes or head in the other direction and be at Hollywood Studios in 10 to 15 minutes.

With all the walking you do during a day at Disney, it's also worth noting Disney's Beach Club Resort offers complimentary boat transportation to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, too, plus bus transportation to the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs and Disney's water parks. There's also a Disney Skyliner station near the Epcot International Gateway, which can get you to Disney's Hollywood Studios or to four of Disney's other resort hotels if you want to sample the dining and amenities across Walt Disney World.

Spacious, upscale rooms

disney yacht club versus beach club

I've stayed at every tier of Disney resorts, and you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to room size. Our room at Disney's Beach Club Resort was spacious enough for our family of five, with plenty of storage for our luggage and a sofa bed where we could relax during the day and one of our children could sleep at night.

Related: How Disney renovated more than 22,000 hotel rooms in 5 years

The Disney theming was limited to a few paintings on the wall that portrayed Disney characters enjoying the resort. Otherwise, the room had a "lived-in luxury" vibe with comfortable, understated furnishings. Outside, there was a wrought-iron patio set where we spent many mornings and evenings before or after a day of Disney fun.

The bathroom had a large double vanity with a door that separated the vanity area from the shower and tub combo and the toilet. In the entryway, there was a minifridge, a coffee and tea station and a closet with an iron and an ironing board. The flat-screen TV sat atop a large dresser with plenty of storage for our three-night stay.

A variety of dining options

disney yacht club versus beach club

Disney's Beach Club Resort has dining options that range from character meals to poolside dining to the best ice cream shop at Disney World (and probably beyond). Character dining takes place during the breakfast buffet at Cape May Cafe ($45 per adult and $29 per child, plus tax and gratuity). Cape May Cafe also serves a seafood-forward, New England-inspired dinner buffet without character appearances.

The Beach Club Marketplace is a quick-service dining location with staples like eggs, bacon and Mickey waffles for breakfast and soup, salad, sandwiches and pasta for lunch and dinner. The marketplace also sells snacks and alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. It's adjacent to the hotel gift shop, where you can stock up on souvenirs or forgotten necessities like swimsuits, sunscreen and toiletries.

Related: The best restaurants at Disney World in 2023

Outside by the Stormalong Bay pool, you can grab a drink at Hurricane Hanna's Waterside Bar and Grill or have your food and libations delivered to your pool chair. I had the grilled chicken sandwich with provolone and an avocado spread ($12.29) and a frozen pina colada ($15.50). It was just what I needed to energize myself for an afternoon of swimming.

The highlight of our many meals at Disney's Beach Club Resort was Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. This is the most popular ice cream spot at Disney World because of its unique ice cream creations and old-fashioned soda shop vibes.

At Beaches & Cream, I had the No Way José peanut butter and hot fudge sundae ($11.50), but for the ultimate Beaches & Cream experience, you must get the Kitchen Sink sundae ($36). It has eight scoops of ice cream, tons of toppings and a whole can of whipped cream. What's really fun about it, though, is the show the server puts on when you order it. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so just take my word for it and give it a try.

Take your pick of fitness and recreational activities

disney yacht club versus beach club

Guests of Disney's Beach Club Resort can use the 24-hour fitness center next door at Disney's Yacht Club Resort. It's only about a five-minute walk from the Beach Club lobby and has a variety of fitness equipment, including strength machines, cardio machines, free weights, medicine balls and kettlebells.

Related: 8 Walt Disney World experiences that don't require a park ticket

Disney's Beach Club Resort has a lot of other fun fitness opportunities, too. There's a sand volleyball court, tennis courts (tennis and pickleball equipment is available at the front desk) and a nearly 1-mile-long running trail. Disney also recently added on-demand fitness videos for kids that you can watch on the TV in your room.

The best pool at Disney World

disney yacht club versus beach club

Aside from a room that sleeps five, the 3-acre Stormalong Bay pool complex was the reason we stayed at Disney's Beach Club Resort.

Stormalong Bay is shared between the Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts and features a sandy beach area for kids, a lazy river, a hot tub, an activity pool with a volleyball net, swirling whirlpools, a 230-foot-long shipwreck-themed waterslide and two smaller waterslides for kids.

Related: Splash into fun: The 14 best hotel pools in Orlando

The hotel provides complimentary life jackets for kids to use at the pool and free tubes for the lazy river. The activities team also hosts daily poolside games and, in the evening, poolside movies under the stars. We spent an entire day swimming and playing in the water and went back for more after dinner. It's almost like having a small water park just for hotel guests.

During our visit, getting somewhere to sit in the shade wasn't a problem, thanks to the number of trees in the area to supplement the umbrellas. That said, getting there early is always a good strategy if you want first dibs on a good spot.

Family fun outside Disney's theme parks

disney yacht club versus beach club

Another bonus of staying at Disney's Beach Club Resort — or any Deluxe resort — is the wide variety of activities you can enjoy during your time away from Disney's theme parks.

Pick up a monthly activities guide when you check in to see exactly what's on offer during your stay. Guests can make crafts, attend a painting class, make s'mores at the nightly campfire, rent a boat or fishing equipment (or both) and more.

From the resort, you can easily walk to Disney's BoardWalk, where you'll find restaurants, a dueling piano bar, bicycle rentals, carnival games and other downtime activities.

Accessibility

All Disney hotels strive to be accessible to guests with disabilities.

Disney's Beach Club Resort offers both wheelchair- and hearing-accessible rooms. Additionally, public areas of the hotel also have accessible paths between the lobby area and restaurants, shops, meeting rooms, pools, fitness centers and laundry facilities, and pools have wheelchair lifts.

Checking out

disney yacht club versus beach club

After staying at Disney's Beach Club Resort, it moved to the top of my "favorite Disney hotels" list. I loved that my family had enough space to spread out in our room and that there was so much to keep us busy around the resort.

I have no problem staying in one of Disney's more budget-friendly hotels when we are going to go hard in the parks or water parks. However, if I want to splurge for a hotel that has just as much fun (and good food) to offer as Disney's theme parks, you'll find me booking another stay at Disney's Beach Club Resort.

Related reading:

  • Are the Disney Visa credit cards worth it?
  • Can you really save hundreds of dollars at Disney World by renting DVC points? We tested it to find out
  • How to use points to buy Disney tickets
  • New swan on the block: A review of the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

AEN Banner

Accommodations

Theme parks, disney cruise line – what you need to know, cruise line ships, recent walt disney world, recent disneyland, all reviews, recent reviews, allears style, newsletter home, recent disney and florida attractions news blog.

  • We’re Spilling the TEA on an UNDERRATED EPCOT World Showcase Souvenir
  • NEWS: TWO Popular Shows CANCELED at CBS
  • Souvenir ALERT: An EPCOT Prize CHANGES (Again) at 2024 Flower and Garden Festival
  • A NEW ‘Bluey’ SURPRISE Episode Just Dropped on Disney+, and Fans Can’t Stop Talking About It
  • I’ve Overheard Some Wicked Good Tips From Magic Kingdom Cast Members, and These Are My FAVORITES!
  • ( view all posts )

Six Walt Disney World Resorts The Experts Choose (And WHY!)

disney yacht club versus beach club

Sooooo…you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World , and with so many places to choose from (close to thirty Disney resorts last time we counted!)  it can feel a bit like rappelling down Big Thunder Mountain without a safety net trying to pick the right one! Even when you’ve made your selection, you’ll likely have to fight off some serious FOMO about the resorts you didn’t select!)

disney yacht club versus beach club

So how do you make the best decision for you, your fam, and your budget? You call the experts!  We’ve got the skinny on these six Walt Disney World Resort hotels that the pros always choose — and here’s why!

Yacht and Beach Club Resorts

You’ll often see Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts lumped together as one single entity, but they’re actually a secret Disney World two-for-one!  These two adjacent resorts are more than just close neighbors; they share many amenities and some tasty dining options, too. By choosing one of these resorts, you actually get to have the best of both worlds!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Both Yacht and Beach Club are deluxe resorts and share an exclusive pool (it’s actually more like a water park!)  called  Stormalong Bay ! This “pool” — (again, we use the term “pool” loosely here since this place is totally bonkers!) has a lazy river; a totally decked out shipwreck-themed waterslide; a sandy bottom pool with zero entry; and tons of other stuff you’ll just have to see for yourself! It’s super fun for all ages (especially the littles!) and it’s only for guests who stay here! If you’re hip to giving yourself a “Resort day” to rest between trips to the Disney parks, you’ll have a blast chillin’ out at Stormalong Bay!

disney yacht club versus beach club

The Yacht and Beach Club is also super close to Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas (just a quick walk or Friendship Boat ride away!)  AND  Disney’s Swan and Dolphin hotels — yet ANOTHER reason the pros choose Yacht and Beach Club — you’re literally just steps away from tons of great restaurants that these neighboring resorts have to choose from!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Oh, and can we take a sec to rave about   Beaches & Cream ? It’s conveniently located right near Stormalong Bay and is THE BEST place to get some classic diner eats (we’re talkin’ burgers, grilled cheese, chili cheese fries…even their tomato soup is delish). And you’re not going to believe your eyes when you see some of the fantastic ice cream confections they have — namely the magical Beaches & Cream creature dubbed the Kitchen Sink!   Find out what you’re missing here !

disney yacht club versus beach club

Remember the  BoardWalk Inn we mentioned earlier? Well, this place is home to some awesome nightly entertainment at hotspots like Jellyrolls ( oh hello, dueling pianos!) and Atlantic Dance Hall!  Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT’s International Gateway also make the Yacht and Beach Club’s locale amazingly convenient for hopping over to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a nightcap at Oga’s or a quick jaunt around the World Showcase!

disney yacht club versus beach club

And now the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts are just a short walk away from the  Disney Skyliner , too! They’re linking up with several other resorts, including  Disney’s Riviera Resort  and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, so now you’ll have MORE Resorts to explore. Riviera’s rooftop Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera offers a great view of nearby fireworks shows, and Sebastian’s Bistro at Caribbean Beach shows off some tasty Caribbean eats!

Disney pros know timing is everything, and from Yacht and Beach Club, you have convenient, easy access to just about everything you could need or want! Staying here means you can you’ll be able to get around a lot more freely and not have to rely so much on the sometimes unreliable Disney bus transportation to get around. The Friendship Boats connect the resorts to BoardWalk Inn, the Swan and Dolphin hotels, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT — or you could just do what we do, and hoof it!

That’s right: Disney’s put in several handy-dandy walkways to connect the two Parks and five Resorts , putting you literally just steps away from near-limitless dining and entertainment options! Just make sure you’re wearing comfy shoes!

Wilderness Lodge

In the pantheon of Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World, Wilderness Lodge is beloved for many reasons. Its warm and rustic feel is eternally welcoming and SO COZY! Its location is top-notch, and it tends to be a little less expensive than other Deluxe resorts. (And aside from its year-round National Parks cabin feel — which we love — you’ve GOT to see this Resort during the Christmas holidays, too! GORG!)

Wilderness Lodge is located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, and it’s just a short little boat ride away from the iconic park. This means if you’re planning to spend a lot of time cruising “it’s a small world”, you’ll be conveniently located to do that to your heart’s content! (Um, translation: at least five times each!)

From the Wilderness Lodge marina, you can also embark on a guided fishing excursion on Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. Disney World practices catch-and-release, and excursions are booked for two or four hours. If you’ve ever wanted to live that outdoorsy life but just can’t bring yourself to leave the Disney bubble, this is your chance!

Likewise, if you want to get behind the wheel of a small boat during your Wilderness Lodge vacation, you can live your best boat captain life at Disney World, too! There are boats of up to two, up to six, and up to ten passengers, so there’s an option for just about everyone.

The dining at Wilderness Lodge is also great across the board. Whispering Canyon Cafe is a fun, family-oriented restaurant where asking for a straw might mean you get twenty, or downing a glass of soda might get you a GIANT refill and a fast pass to the restroom (literally)! The hijinks here are part of the appeal, and guests from all over Walt Disney World travel to Wilderness Lodge to experience it. Stay at Wilderness Lodge, and you’ll only have to cross the lobby!

Storybook Dining at Artist Point lets guests dine with Snow White, some of her Dwarf friends, and the Evil Queen — and it actually has great food, unlike a lot of other character meals! And the Resort’s Quick Service spot, Roaring Fork , serves up some awesome Mickey Waffles (and it’s one of the only places to get them LOADED with toppings!). Oh hai, Dopey!

There’s even great nearby dining at Fort Wilderness, which is an easy walk or boat ride away. Trail’s End Buffet  is a satisfying belt buster and tends to be a little less crowded and chaotic (and much less expensive) than other buffet options on property. And Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue is a rip-roarin’ guest favorite dinner show, which can be highly enjoyed by all ages. Note that we recommend booking Tier 1 or 2 tables versus Tier 3 (which doesn’t have as good a view of the stage) — trust us, you’re gonna want a good seat for this party!

But the tipping point for a lot of families when it comes to Wilderness Lodge is the price. For the location, amenities (the pools are so fun!), and dining options, this Deluxe Resort usually comes in under the price of comparable Resorts — by as much as $200 or more per night for standard view rooms. (The only Deluxe that regularly costs less is Animal Kingdom Lodge.) For that reason, the pros know Wilderness Lodge is a great value.

Coronado Springs Resort

If a Moderate Resort is more your style, you can’t do better than the value of Coronado Springs . This Resort is a favorite of convention-goers, so it often goes under the radar for families and couples. But being popular for conventions also means Coronado Springs has Deluxe Resort-level amenities for way less money! Gotta save that paper where we can, people!

disney yacht club versus beach club

We’re talking two spas and fitness centers (one brand new in the lower level of Gran Destino Tower!), a full-service salon, and SO. MUCH. FOOD!!!

Since the opening of Gran Destino Tower in 2019, the Resort has featured Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood , its rooftop restaurant, and Dahlia Lounge , its rooftop lounge. These spots offer sweeping views, Spanish-inspired cuisine, and lots of exclusive signature drinks, bb! They also feature incredibly artful interior designs that must be seen IRL to be truly appreciated — and you don’t even have to be staying in the Tower to enjoy these prime spots!

In addition to Gran Destino Tower, guests will also find recently renovated rooms in the rest of the Resort, too. Such luxury!

And if you’re traveling with someone who’s less of a Disney fan than you are, Coronado Springs rooms offer just a touch of Disney — a hidden Mickey here, a fun print there. So if you get burnt out on all the characters, color, and chaos of the Parks, you can really find a retreat here!  Is that the three Caballeros we spy?

Another perk of Coronado Springs Resort? The club-level amenities in Gran Destino Tower mirror those of the Deluxe Resorts — but you don’t have to pay the Deluxe BUCKS to enjoy them! Chronos Lounge is stunning, has expansive views, and offers a stylish getaway within the Tower.

The pros know you get more for your money at Coronado Springs, so even though it’s a trek from the parks, it can be just the budget-friendly (for Disney World, anyway!) oasis you’re looking for.

Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter

Another Moderate Resort the pros pick is Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter . This Resort is one of the smallest Moderate Resorts in terms of guest rooms (only the Cabins at Fort Wilderness have fewer rooms, and that Resort’s sort of in a class of its own) with just over 1000. But the charm of the Resort is what makes this Resort a HUGE Pro PICK!  It’s a BIG ol’ dose of the BIG EASY in a little package!

Styled after New Orleans’ classic exteriors, you’ll find colorful buildings, endless wrought iron, and distinctive hardscape and landscape. Guest room buildings are even given a multi-layered, thoughtful design to give them that New Orleans vibe — and also we just think the pastel colors are soooo pretty!!

The size of French Quarter is also part of its charm. Being on the small side, it has just one bus stop (the other Moderates have two or more), which means you get to the parks FASTER. Dining can be found in one convenient location — and Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory , the Resort’s quick service food court, offers flavorful food that you won’t find everywhere else! (Did somebody say Mickey Beignets?)

Yup! This is the one spot on Disney World property where you can sink your teeth into the deliciousness that is the Mickey Beignet! Other popular dishes here include traditional New Orleans recipes like Po’Boys and Jambalaya, gumbo, and barbecued ribs.

Additional dining includes Scat Cat’s Club Cafe where guests (and visitors) can order up some of the Resort’s specialty Mickey Beignets — as if they couldn’t get any better, somehow they did! Must be because you can get them with BOOZE too!

disney yacht club versus beach club

And Scat Cat’s Club offers dining, drinking, and entertainment — all fabulous in the Moderate Resort category. A few years ago,  Scat Cat’s moved to a larger space, meaning there’s even more space to laissez les bons temps rouler !

But if that’s not enough dining and fun for you, French Quarter’s sister resort (just a quick walk or boat ride away), Port Orleans — Riverside , brings guests to the bayou in its Riverside Mill food court .

disney yacht club versus beach club

Looking for a table-service meal that’s priced right and close-by? Port Orleans — Riverside offers dinner at  Boatwright’s Dining Hall , a down-home restaurant with southern and bayou classics like jambalaya, corn bread, and some seriously good butter cake (here’s hoping it’s on the menu when you’re there!).

disney yacht club versus beach club

And don’t forget — while you’ve got an incredible Sea Serpent pool and splash pad at Port Orleans — French Quarter, you’re also welcome to swim over at Ol’ Man Island, Port Orleans — Riverside’s pool, where they also have a little dock for pole fishin’ in the river! Two pools for the price of one Moderate Resort? Yup, that’s yet another reason why the pros love to dip their toes here! Us pros are all ’bout the TWOFERS!

Plus, it’s never a bad idea to spend an evening exploring Riverside’s winding pathways with views of the Sassagoula River! So beautiful!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Speaking of which, one of the sweetest amenities at French Quarter is the Sassagoula River Cruise , a water taxi that connects the Port Orleans Resorts with Disney Springs. This relaxing boat ride is the perfect way to unwind before enjoying all that the dining, shopping, and entertainment district has to offer. And it’s free to use.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Want to really drive home the historic New Orleans charm? French Quarter also offers carriage rides (for a fee) that will roll you around the Resort for a relaxing ride — perfect for riding in with your Prince Charming!

Basically, this resort has a lot of fun and unique charms!

Caribbean Beach Resort

Caribbean Beach Resort is another terrific Moderate Resort option that the pros know just seriously raised its stock!

disney yacht club versus beach club

With the 2019 opening of the Disney Skyliner gondola system, Caribbean Beach is now a hub connecting EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts, and Riviera Resort.

This system can transport guests from station to station in as few as three minutes, and guests have reported appreciating the system’s efficiency and views. (Skyliner has not been without its snags, however. Click here to read about one such incident. )

Caribbean Beach Resort is also a spacious resort. It’s spread waaay out, with guest rooms in smaller themed buildings strewn across 200 acres. That means some areas of the Resort can be very quiet and secluded which we LOVE. For travelers looking for that kind of atmosphere, this is a great choice! The two-story buildings of Caribbean Beach definitely have a Resort feel, like somewhere you’d call home in the real Caribbean. But, you know, with more Hidden Mickeys. 😉

disney yacht club versus beach club

Thanks to a recent refurbishment of the entire Resort, guest rooms have a fresh feel, and dining options were refreshed, too! Table service restaurant Sebastian’s Bistro offers some terrific, Caribbean-inspired cuisine, while Banana Cabana is easily a destination-worthy pool bar. I mean, even the name makes us giggle with delight!

Speaking of which, the Fuentes del Morro Pool is loads of fun. It’s themed to a Caribbean-style fortress, and its design means even the smallest pirates in your party can enjoy it!

Low cost? Check. Great pool? Check. Direct (and FAST) access via Skyliner to two Disney World theme parks? Check. Updated and refreshed dining options? Check. Yep, Caribbean Beach has come a long way from the under-construction-and-people-had-to-eat-in-a-huge-tent past few years… and the Disney pros know it.

Art of Animation Resort

When the pros stay at a Value Resort at Walt Disney World, they stay at Art of Animation .

This Resort is a combination of typical Value Resort rooms and family suites. Those suites will fit six (plus an under-3 in a portable crib!), so your whole crew can stay together — and can we just say how totally in love with the Cars-theming we are. Yeah, Disney, you really brought it with this one!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Even better: the family suites at Art of Animation have two full bathrooms (one with a tub-shower combo and one with a luxurious walk-in shower) and a true master bedroom with a door that closes to the rest of the family suite (cue: putting on a Disney movie for the kids in the living area and taking a nap in the master bedroom). Anyone who’s traveled with kids knows what a gem it is to be able to escape to an actual room with actual LIGHTS ON after bedtime instead of sitting in the bathroom with the door closed to read our book and sip a glass of chardonnay. (Sound familiar?)

disney yacht club versus beach club

Art of Animation has convenient access to everything a family needs, too. The Landscape of Flavors food court serves up a wide variety of eats from classic chicken nuggets and fries to fresh-made Asian-style stir fry. The Ink & Paint Shop sells souvenirs and essentials like toothbrushes, diapers, and sunscreen, just in case you’ve forgotten something at home — and all of this is just a short walk from your room!

The amenities at this Value Resort aren’t as extensive as you find at Moderate and Deluxe Resorts, but the pools here are fantastic. The Resort as a whole is meticulously themed (from buildings to landscaping!) to celebrate four classic Disney animated movies: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King , Finding Nemo , and Cars . Three of these have associated pools, the most lauded of which is the Big Blue Pool . This Nemo-themed pool is the largest at Walt Disney World and also has an adjacent splash pad and play area. It’s fun for the whole family.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Another great feature: Art of Animation and its sister Resort Pop Century share a Skyliner station (located at Generation Gap Bridge between the two Resorts). This means the large Resorts and their many guests can access Hollywood Studios and EPCOT without using the Disney bus system. This alleviates some of the pressure these Resorts experience at their bus stops. And the pros know if you can avoid waiting in a long bus queue and awkwardly standing with your folded stroller all the way to EPCOT, your day is already off to a great start!

Are you ready to vacation like a Disney World pro? You got this, baby!

Let us know which of these Resorts you love and why you’ll be staying there on your next trip! Comment below!

Ranking All the Magic Kingdom Resort Hotels — Click Here!

Join the allears.net newsletter  to stay on top of all the breaking disney news you'll also get access to allears tips, reviews, trivia, and more click here to subscribe, trending now.

disney yacht club versus beach club

There's a shocking amount to see and do in this EPCOT World Showcase Pavilion.

disney yacht club versus beach club

We've got some of the BEST Cast Member tips just for YOU!

disney yacht club versus beach club

How will Disney manage the crowds at the sure-to-be-popular NEW Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern?...

disney yacht club versus beach club

We asked and you responded -- THIS is the best Disney World hotel according to...

disney yacht club versus beach club

Cast Members got EXCLUSIVE Tiana's Bayou Adventure souvenirs.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Disney wants to make a movie about THIS ride? We are intrigued.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Don't miss out on these super low prices on Amazon for a bunch of cool...

disney yacht club versus beach club

Take a look at some of the amazing Dapper Day outfits in Disney World!

disney yacht club versus beach club

We're taking a look at what will remain closed in Disney World this week!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Universal just posted a sneak peek at NEW Epic Universe rides!

disney yacht club versus beach club

We checked out one of the cheapest hotel rooms you can reserve at Disney World!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Do we have a hint as to when Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open?

disney yacht club versus beach club

We don't want to make traveling more stressful, but be aware if you get SSSS...

disney yacht club versus beach club

I go to Disney World alone A LOT, and these are the restaurants that never...

disney yacht club versus beach club

Mickey Shorts Theatre will be closed for most of May.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Let's talk about those souvenir photos that scream “This Is My First Trip to Disney...

disney yacht club versus beach club

We use these seven cheats at Disney World's EPCOT all the time.

disney yacht club versus beach club

We've become quite fond of these new (and very popular) bags, which is why we're...

disney yacht club versus beach club

Here's how to get a FREE Disney+ streaming bundle!

disney yacht club versus beach club

If you have a Universal Orlando Pass, you'll want to know about these SPECIAL benefits...

Sarah Fournier

Sarah is a former high school English teacher, mom of three, and a (nearly) life-long writer. She's worked with AllEars.net since 2018 and loves sharing the Disney magic with AllEars.net readers.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

9 Replies to “Six Walt Disney World Resorts The Experts Choose (And WHY!)”

Ugh. Coronado Springs?? Literally one of the bottom resorts 1. AKL 2. Contemporary 3. Ft Wilderness 4. Carribean Beach 5. Art of Animation 6. Boardwalk

1) Beach Club Villas 2) Boardwalk Villas 3) Bay Lake Tower 4) Old Key West 5) Riviera 6) Kidani Village

We stayed Caribbean Beach preferred in October. No hot water despite multiple service calls. Will never stay again.

I once counted the table service restaurants one could walk to from Epcot resorts such as Yacht and Beach Club. It came out to almost exactly HALF of all table service restaurants in Disney World!

Soooooooooooooo, what was the number?

If a pro is staying at Art of Animation is a standard room I wouldn’t listen to their advice. Both the farthest away and most expensive standard rooms. Stay at either All-Star Sports for cost and proximity to Animal Kingdom or stay at Pop Century for rooms with Skyliner access.

Exactly who are the pros and experts and what makes them such?

What has happened with the food court at Caribbean Beach that has been under refurbishment? Is it open yet?

Hi Kate! The Caribbean Beach’s food court opened last fall, check out our first look here! http://allears.net/2018/10/08/caribbean-beach-resorts-centertown-market-sebastians-bistro-and-banana-cabana-bar-open/

Follow us on Social!

Click here to subscribe

Shop the Disney Store | AllEars® Merchandise | Shop Amazon | Press Room | Contact Us

Read more About us or Advertise with us . We respect your right to privacy. Please take a moment to review our privacy policy and terms of use .

Copyright ©1996-2024 AllEarsNet, LLC, All Rights Reserved. AllEars.Net, AllEars® Newsletter and any other properties owned by AllEarsNet, LLC are not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with, The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. All Disney artwork, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and trade names are proprietary to Disney Enterprises, Inc. or, its subsidiary, affiliated and related companies. For official Disney information, visit http://www.disneyworld.com

Swan & Dolphin v. Beach Club

disney yacht club versus beach club

There are several hotel options near Epcot at Walt Disney World, including two third party options–the Swan & Dolpin–that present an intriguing alternative to official resorts. In this post, we’ll compare those to Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which we previously dubbed the best of the official Crescent Lake options.

For many Walt Disney World fans, we know choosing a third party hotel is a non-starter. Part of the Walt Disney World experience is staying in the “Disney Bubble,” and there’s no doubt that it’s not quite the same at the Swan & Dolphin. Even as partners with Walt Disney World that offer some on-site perks, they’re Marriott hotels that have plenty of differences from Disney-owned hotels.

However, as on-site hotels that are within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it’s impossible to ignore them. Especially given that they have their own distinct styles and aren’t just generic hotels that you could find anywhere in the United States….

With that aside out of the way, let’s get to the comparison of the Swan & Dolphin and Beach Club. As with our previous Walt Disney World ‘versus’ posts, we use 6 elements of two different resorts to determine which is “the best.”

disney yacht club versus beach club

Theme: Beach Club – For a lot of Disney fans, this is the threshold issue that’s difficult to get past. Beach Club has “Disney” theming, whereas the Swan & Dolphin do not. Or so the argument goes. We’ve already covered how 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, with Beach Club’s theme meant to recreate the seaside resort cottages scattered around New England in the early 20th Century.

However, I’d argue that the Swan & Dolphin have themes resulting from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s obsession with architect Michael Graves and his striking and unique style. Let’s call it “Gravesitecture.” Love or hate it, these hotels are probably the pinnacle of Gravesitecture, and there’s nothing else quite like them in the world.

They blend postmodern and whimsical designs with contemporary design in a way that’s not thematically-rich, but arguably is not a whole lot different than Disney’s Contemporary Resort. I’d further argue that it’s very difficult to assert the Contemporary “feels” like Disney theming whereas the Swan & Dolphin do not. (Totally different than thinking the Contemporary looks nice whereas the Swan & Dolphin are ugly.)

With all of that said, when making a value judgment about theme, as we’re doing here, Beach Club wins handily. Aside from time travelers visiting from the year 1992, Gravesitecture appeals to about 2.37% of the population, and those folks probably still wear L.A. Lights and carry Walkmans. 😉

disney yacht club versus beach club

Rooms: Swan & Dolphin – Once we get past that threshold issue of theme, this becomes a much tighter race. Following a $125 million refurbishment of its 2,267 guest rooms, the Swan & Dolphin are feature sleek, modern design and excellent features. The “Heavenly” beds, in particular, are the best at Walt Disney World, and the bathrooms and furniture are similarly nice. There’s no pretense of theme beyond “modern,” but if you’re looking for quality, it’s tough to beat these guest rooms.

Beach Club likewise just finished a large refurbishment to its rooms, and scaled back their theme in the process. They are now indistinguishable from something you’d find at a trendy hotel with a beach motif anywhere, and don’t feel distinctly “Disney.” This is troubling because Disney doesn’t put the same emphasis on luxurious bedding, bathrooms, or other touches, meaning theme necessarily must be top-notch for it to hold its own against real world competitors. It does not, and as such, these new guest rooms are not as good as the Swan & Dolphin’s.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Dining: Swan & Dolphin – Both resorts have their upsides and downsides in terms of dining. The upside of the Swan & Dolphin are an impressive lineup of higher end restaurants and bars . As it does a lot of convention business and caters far less to families, the Swan & Dolphin do sophisticated and adult restaurant options really well and at more competitive price points than Disney-owned competitors. Not being on the Disney Dining Plan helps in this regard, too. On the other hand, family options and counter service dining are woefully poor at the Swan & Dolphin (The Fountain is overpriced and not that good).

Beach Club is similarly weak in terms of counter service options, with Hurricane Hanna’s being its strongest option…which isn’t really saying much. The upside to Beach Club is that it offers better mid-range and family options. In this case, we think it’s fair to include the Yacht Club restaurants, too, as we are including all restaurants at both Swan & Dolphin. Even with that in mind, Swan & Dolphin get a slight edge thanks to quantity and quality, particularly thanks to some of the top-rated restaurants in all of Orlando.

All Crescent Lake resorts should be rebuked for the district’s pathetic counter service choices. Additionally, and as we’ve mentioned before, the restaurants throughout Crescent Lake are so incredibly easy to access from one another that we don’t think dining is an outcome-determinative factor.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Transportation/Location: Push – With all Crescent Lake resorts, location is one of the biggest selling points. They are all easy to stumble back to after a day of Drinking Around the World at Epcot , enjoying wine seminars during the Food and Wine Festival, or drowning your sorrows after having spent a full day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Both within walking distance to Epcot via the International Gateway and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a big deal, and a huge advantage–but it’s one shared by all of these resorts. Friendship boat service is also available from all of these resorts, to that’s another push. Unfortunately, bus service is poor at the Crescent Lake resorts, but once again, that’s a shared disadvantage.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Pools: Beach Club – Swan & Dolphin have some of the most underrated pools at Walt Disney World. However, even their very good pools that would rank highly as compared to most Walt Disney World resorts are far surpassed by Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts.

We probably sound like a broken record at this point, but Stormalong Bay is the gold standard of Walt Disney World pools. This sprawling pool complex 3 acres in size with sand at the bottom, a lazy river, pleasant lounging space, and 230-foot water slide is in a league of its own. This is one of the best amenities in all of Walt Disney World.

Swan & Dolphin’s beautiful grotto pool with rock-work and a waterfall that overlooks a white sand beach is the second-best pool at the Crescent Lake resorts, and there are 4 other pools in addition to it. There are also poolside restaurants, kiddie pools, whirlpools, and more. Still, unless you are an adult who would prefer fewer kids around, this slate of pools cannot add up to Stormalong Bay.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Cost: Swan & Dolphin – If theme is the threshold issue for some Disney fans making the Swan & Dolphin a non-starter, price is the threshold issue for others making Beach Club a non-starter. On any given night of the year, rack rates at Beach Club are at least double the price of Swan & Dolphin. On many nights, that’s closer to 2.5 to 3x the cost. It would take Free Dining with 4 adults in a room at the Beach Club to begin bridging that gap, but even then, Swan & Dolphin offers better value. (With discounts, we’ve managed to book Swan & Dolphin for ~$150/night.)

Things that must be factored in if you’re considering the Swan & Dolphin are the resort fee (currently $25/day). There’s also potentially parking if you have a rental car, but that charge is now at both resorts. Disney’s Magical Express also is not offered to Swan & Dolphin, so you’ll either be more likely to have a rental car here (thus paying that above fee) or paying for Uber to get from the airport.

As regular readers of this blog know, I abhor resort fees and strongly recommend consumers fight back against them . With that said, even after factoring in all of these nickel-and-diming fees, the Swan & Dolphin are still considerably cheaper than Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Verdict: Swan & Dolphin – I know some hardcore Disney fans are going to view this result as a betrayal. Yes, the Swan & Dolphin’s exterior is garish (counterpoint: when you’re staying inside the hotel, you see it less than those at the Beach Club with views of the Swan & Dolphin 😉 ) and it doesn’t have the same caliber of theme. For me, the difference between a ~$200/night resort (after fees) and a ~$400/night resort (after modest discounts) is too significant to ignore. (This is particularly true as someone who travels elsewhere, earning and redeeming Marriott rewards.)

For most readers who do not view this as heresy, this probably will come down to price v. theme & pool. If money is no object or if you’re one of those families of 4 traveling during Free Dining, Beach Club is a compelling option. We have made no secret of our frugality; as someone with such a perspective, my verdict shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Beyond that, for me Swan & Dolphin do a “good enough” job with some semblance of theme–or at least Walt Disney World “bubble immersion.” Staying at the Swan & Dolphin feels to me like staying at a Walt Disney World resort, and the significant amount of money saved helps me sleep easier at night. (Oh, and those Heavenly beds help, too.) This is a divisive topic among Walt Disney World fans, so your mileage may vary.

None of this is to disparage Beach Club or any of the Crescent Lake resorts. We love all of them, and when given the option to use our DVC points at Beach Club or pay out of pocket for Swan & Dolphin, we’ll pick Beach Club every time. Likewise, if money were no issue, we’d also choose Beach Club. Or, if we had kids and wanted it to be a special trip for them. Actually, the list of “exceptions” to my verdict could go on and on. ( Finally, I should note that although I’ve used the word “our” at some points in this blog post, these opinions are my own–Sarah does not agree with the outcome of this comparison. )

While we hope this post is helpful in offering a head-to-head comparison of the most crucial elements of each Walt Disney World resort experience, we know it’s not definitive or the final word for every guest. In addition to reading the comments before making your own decision, we suggest supplementing this with our full review of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts and our Disney’s Beach Club Resort Review .

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

Is money the deciding factor for you, or is theme? Does Stormalong Bay provide enough value for you to help bridge the price gap? Is there another “exception” you can think of to make Beach Club the better pick? Are we missing a key variable that could, potentially tilt the scales in Beach Club’s favor? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

' src=

Written by Tom Bricker

' src=

Our family does a big Disney vacation about 2 times a year. Obviously 2020 is a little different. We do have only one child and typically 5 -6 adults so that may be why The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is hands down our favorite resort. I am not sure when this article was written but even though Swan and Dolphin is a Marriot hotel, they are a Walt Disney World Resort and have the same benefits including character dining. Which is another thing I did not understand about this article. Though there are TONS of of upscale dining options, there are still plenty of family friendly and grab and go options. Picabu is a good grab and go option and where my niece and I would run to on our way to Hollywood Studios. The Fountain, is a place we actually look forward to. Their burgers are great plus unique and not to mention the shake and float options from the creamery they have. The Garden Grove has the character dining and the cabana bar and beach club…. lets just say anytime someone is willing to bring me a drink and nachos while I am in the pool, I am happy. I get that the pool at the Beach Club may be better if you have a lot children but if a ton of screaming children isn’t your thing (Not my thing while I am on vacation), the several pool options at Swan/Dolphin are great. They have 4 large pools, 4 whirlpools, kiddie pool, and a beach area for volley ball, building sand castles, and just laying by the water. Again, I do not know when you wrote this article or when you booked your room, but any time we start planning a trip, the rooms here are $400 + a night. We normally watch until we get closer to the day when the price starts to drop a little, get our special rates and end up at about $250/night before resort fees. I have seen the beach club easily hit the price, again depending on when you book. But I do not know why I argue that since price is a plus. LOL. Just seems that maybe all the research was not done for this comparison or maybe a lot has changed since you went. Though you mention the renovations so I assume it could not have been that long ago.

' src=

We most recently stayed at Swan & Dolphin last October and will likely stay again this September. Right now, there are nights this month when the Dolphin is $93-$130/night via Priceline Express Deals. (More info: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/tips-priceline-express-deals-disney-world-hotels/ )

As you point out, there’s nothing “normal” about current circumstances and demand, and those prices are abnormally low. However, deals are pretty common in the $200 range–sometimes cheaper (especially in the off-season). All depends upon when you’re traveling! 🙂

' src=

“L.A. Lights and carry Walkmans.” Heck yes.

' src=

I have a balcony room booked at $225 a night for this September after Labor Day – which I thought was cheap. How do I get a room there for only $150 a night? Even the base rooms are at $185 a night. Thanks

' src=

Hi, can anyone tell me what the breakfasts are like at The Dolphin? Should I be packing my instant oatmeal? Thanks.

' src=

I must be in that very small percentage of people that find the decor very appealling and I love love love the outside more than the inside. But I love many things from the 70’s to early 90s. The hotel on the top of my bucket love is the Contemporary! Probably will never stay at any of them because even the values are out of my price range.

' src=

I have not stayed at the Beach Club, but was *very* disappointed in my one and only stay at the Dolphin in December 2016. Here’s my (very anecdotal) experience: We were doing a split stay (2 nights POR, 3 nights WL, 2 nights Dolphin). I was actually very excited to stay at the Dolphin, 100% because I vividly remember driving past the Swalphin as a kid in the 90s and thinking that those two hotels were the epitome of beauty (ha!). Well, when we arrived at the Dolphin to check in, we were given a HARD sell by the front desk to upgrade to a “preferred” room. As we had full park days planned, we weren’t planning to spend a ton of time in the hotel, and so were not interested in paying an extra $30 per night. It took us about 20 minutes to convince the employee that we really weren’t interested in an upgrade, which was pretty annoying in itself. Then, when we were assigned a room, it was literally the furthest room possible from the lobby, in what felt like a dank underground hallway (in reality, it was ground floor, but it was very poorly lit and smelled moldy). The room smelled musty, the sheets felt slightly damp, and everything was dated and worn. After going through the aforementioned process at the front desk, it most definitely felt like we had been “punished” for not agreeing to the upgrade. In retrospect, we should have gone back to the front desk and asked to be moved, but we were exhausted and just crashed. It was a distinctly non-magical experience, and felt particularly stark after spending the previous 5 nights fully inside the “Disney bubble.” We were clearly not in a refurbished room, which I’m sure are lovely, but the whole experience left a very bad taste in my mouth and we are unlikely to stay Swalphin again.

' src=

*Architecture student here.* I would argue that the pinnacle of Graves’ buildings is actually the Walt Disney Studios Building with the seven dwarfs as columns – Post Modernism at its greatest. It pains me that Post Modernism is so Gravely misunderstood by the general population.

I know there was a controversial end to the Eisner era, but he really did pick Disney back up. And I really appreciate that he saw the value in architecture.

' src=

A great battle! Price is big in S & D’s column, but… There is just “something” about being “Official Disney” during a stay! 😉

' src=

In the way of more useful tips, worth mentioning that last minute rates at S&D can be exceptional. This is espeially on dates that were formerly blocked for booking by conferences (or highly expensive as a result – $300+), but which at a late date they realised they couldn’t fill. When that happens, I’ve seen S&D for $100 or under.

My strategy therefore is to always book a refundable reservation off site, and switch to S&D if the net cost (including money saved through ditching the rental car) is “only” about $20/night more than the offsite alternative (threshold increases or decreases depending on how long it was since I last stayed onsite 🙂 ). The math works out in favour of S&D more often than you might think (about 50% of the time on my visits).

Great tip! While I haven’t seen Swalphin under $100 in the last several years, I can confirm having seen $120/night last minute rates already this year.

You’re right, it is more like $120. I was thinking in GBP (my most recent stay was £93 a night, which works out at around $120). Sorry for any misplaced optimism..! 🙂

I must be one of the few who is a real fan of Michael Graves’ architecture. I honestly think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and feel similarly of the Hotel New York in DLP.

I guess there is the discussion of whether design can substitute for theme… given that the wider resort areas (SSL, CL) themselves are not themed, I think it can. The best parallel is the much loved (by me too!) Contemporary resort. That’s visible from the magic kingdom, and it’s a welcome sight.

(On a tangentially related point, if you love the architecture of the contemporary, walk through the (very extensive) lower level conferencing facilities. They are brilliantly designed, and there are doors leading outside to internal forecourts giving you really unique views of the building.

“I must be one of the few who is a real fan of Michael Graves’ architecture. I honestly think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and feel similarly of the Hotel New York in DLP.”

Yes, you most definitely are.

I appreciate Graves architecture for its place in history, and being an interesting pursuit in the 1990s. However, I think that’s firmly the era in which it exists, and should have stayed. Interesting fodder for architecture books, but not something I’d want to experience in a hotel…in 2017.

With that said, art is subjective, and just because I (or even the vast majority) don’t like it doesn’t invalidate it. Plenty of things I don’t like that others do.

' src=

I have stayed at several disney resorts and personally love the swan and dolphin. The staff treat you like family, the rooms are great, there is transportation to the parks. We only stay there now, We love it ❤️❤️

' src=

10 years ago, when first researching where to stay at Disney, Swan/Dolphin was my obvious choice… you get a Deluxe resort at Moderate prices, AND you’re right on one of the LAKES (imho, nothing beats Crescent Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon Hotels for location and convenience). S/D are very unique in this regard. BUT, I eventually chose Beach Club (and I’m so glad I did). I rented points and stayed during labor Day week, and that made the cost difference MUCH easier to bear. Stormalong Bay was a Huge hit with the kids. BUT, I must say, if S/D started offering Magical Express, I think my opinion might swing the other way.

' src=

It’s hard to argue that the Beach Club is “worth” a much higher price than the Swan/Dolphin — It’s difficult to argue that any of the on-site Disney hotels are “worth” the money compared to off-site. But I’ll mildly disagree with a couple of your points — I don’t think location is quite a push. There is nothing closer than Epcot-Beach Club. Staying the evening at World Showcase, watching the fireworks, you can be back to Beach Club in 5-10 minutes. At the end of the day, especially with kids, there is a big difference between a 5-10 minute walk, versus a 20-30 minute walk (or slow cramped boat transportation). Swan/Dolphin is closer to DHS — but not as close as Beach Club is to Epcot. So if you’re spending a lot of evenings at Epcot, Beach Club has a nice advantage.

There is also something tangible/intangible about being totally within the Disney bubble, instead of partially outside. You mentioned some of the tangibles — no Magic Express, no dining plan. Putting aside the $$$ significance of those factors, there is also an intangible significance. Getting off the plane in Orlando… and already essentially being at Disney… Magic Express taking care of you, etc.. instead of arranging for your own transfers, paying additionally for them.. not yet being on your vacation. I’m not a huge fan of the dining plan — But there are those who feel it adds to the vacation. Not just in a $$$ sense, but in the sense that it feels more all-inclusive. (and free dining for a family of 4 can bridge the gap in costs between Beach Club and Swan/Dolphin) And the obvious pro-con — That Beach Club still “feels” more Disney… From a value $$$ perspective, it’s hard to disagree with your conclusion.

But putting aside the money, I prefer Beach Club.

' src=

Don’t know why I thought Swan and Dolphin would be expensive, but those resort fees and parking fees would be a deal breaker for me (we usually drive down from NJ).

' src=

I would have to agree. The big difference in price would drive me to choose Swan and Dolphin. I like to go to Disney multiple times a year and if I was paying Beach Club prices every time, that wouldn’t be possible. I will say, if you rent DVC points and get a fantastic price ($12/night) you can get yourself in a Beach Club studio for $180/night. Just a thought.

' src=

We are going to WDW in November. They whole family (in-laws, extended, you name it) is going, and we have one group staying at Caribbean Beach and the other two groups are staying at Coronado Springs. I would still love a comparison post of those two resorts, even with the construction going on. We all booked back in January and the group at Caribbean Beach didn’t get the gift card offer I’ve seen you post about.

' src=

Your party at the CB should be receiving gift cards. The only peopke who arenr getting them as those who booked after the 20th wont get it

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

You will be redirected to your dashboard shortly. We will also call you back in 24 hrs .

  • Beaches In Moscow: 10 Spots To Get The Sunscreen Out In The Winterland

23 Mar 2023

Moscow is really a wow destination when it comes to tourism in Russia. And adding up to its attraction, there are awesome and breathtaking beaches in Moscow that describe this depart in the special light. The summers in the city Moscow are quite mild.

Moscow is well-known globally for its massive deserts, high-rising mountains, affluent heritage sites, natural & eye-catchy geyser fields, and astonishing art & architecture but more than that there are various beaches near Moscow.

Top 10 Famous Beaches In Moscow

From the soft to sub-tropical white sands on the beaches, take a glimpse at these faultless Moscow beaches that must be added to your summer holiday in Russia. Without any further ado, here is the comprehensive list:

  • Serebryany Bor
  • Rublyovo Beach
  • Chyornoye Ozero
  • Bolshoi Gorodskoi Prud
  • Levoberezhny Beach
  • Meshcherskaya Recreation Area
  • Beloye Lake
  • Shkolnoye Lake

1. Troparyovo

small beach

Image Source Troparyovo is a small beach which is located in the large grounds of the Troparyovsky Forest Park. This beach is one of the favorite Russian beaches in Moscow among local individuals. Moreover, this beach is considered as an ultimate place to gain a swimming experience and calm down in the south-west corner of the city. Moreover, the Troparyovsky is a well-liked preoccupy for the Moscow’s younger people as most of the visitors can hire catamarans, bicycles, rollerskates, and boats for an unassuming sum.

The place is more adventurous and exploratory — or the individuals who are interested to know about – what the hamster experiences like — they can attempt their hand at the water sorbing on this lake. Moreover, there are many other facilities that get on this place such as – a big sports field, free Wi-Fi, and a wide children’s play region that add a lot to the charm. The place doesn’t have any kind of flashy services such as the beach resort, thus, it is the ultimate place for spending a tranquil day with your family. Also, there is a big car parking facility which is just next to the Ulitsa Akademika Vinogradova, if you are coming from your car. Moreover, it is a short walk distance from the metro.

Location : 12 Akademika Vinogradova St, Moscow, Russia Famous For : Sports Things To Do: Bicycling, rollerskating, swimming

Must Read: 15 Interesting Things To Do In Moscow: Trekking, Opera, And More

Europe Holiday Packages On TravelTriangle

Explore the most beautiful places to visit in Europe, from Paris to the Venice canals and from the Greek islands to the Swiss alps. Book customized packages by expert agents on TravelTriangle. Inclusive of airport transfers, cab, resort, sightseeing and meals. Best holiday experience Guaranteed. Book Now

disney yacht club versus beach club

Magnificent Switzerland Holiday 6D/5N Package @ Rs 69,999

Plan your trip today!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Magnificent Europe Tour 7D/6N Package @ Rs 70,975

Get quotes from multiple travel experts.

disney yacht club versus beach club

France & Switzerland Tour Package 8D/7N @ Rs 90,000

Compare & customize quotes before booking.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Scintillating Spain & Portugal Tour 11D/10N @ Rs 101,150

Have Questions? Talk to our travel experts today.

disney yacht club versus beach club

6 Country Europe Tour Package 12D/11N @ Rs 118,650

Best prices guaranteed. EMI option available.

disney yacht club versus beach club

See more at TRAVELTRIANGLE.COM

3. Rublyovo Beach

curvy beach side

Image Source Rublyovo Beach is known as Russia’s most esteemed regions that offer a relaxing experience with rich and beautiful surroundings. From beach games to wakeboarding and for the special foam party, there is something for everybody to take pleasure in this upscale and fashionable resort. Kids gain a lot of fun for many hours in the special and huge children’s area which is featuring from the remarkable waterfall.

Moreover, most of the Saturdays in the summer season the club also hosts the late-night beach parties for the young revelers. The water is very clean, the sand is too much silky as well as there are a plethora of beach relaxing chairs. Thus, get a dip and enjoy the most relaxing atmosphere of this place. The entrance cost of this place is 200 rubles.

Suggested Read: Shopping In Moscow: 14 Top Places That Will Make You Believe The City Is As Classy & Chic As Milan

4. Chyornoye Ozero

Cycling on beach

Image Source This picturesque and charming beach is situated on the edge of the forest which is located at the east of the city, Moscow. If we translate the name of this lake in English, the meaning is “black lake”. The ‘black lake’ admittedly sounds similar to the name of a worthless horror movie than an alluring beach resort. But don’t go with the name. Despite its misty appearance which is generally caused by the peat on the bottom of this lake – the water of this lake is very clean and also it is perfect for the summertime swim. There are also a plethora of cafes, restaurants, hire boats on rent, and many other facilities that are more upscale than this beach club offers.

Once you are established in your beach costume, you will experience like a shelter of tranquil, far from the busy streets of the city. There are a wide playground and the lifeguards which mean you do not need to be anxious if you go with your kids. This beach is also free for all visitors. Thus, the place offers a more relaxing atmosphere to have fun, enjoy a picnic, and swim in water this summer.

Location : Zelinograd, Microdistrict 6, Moscow, Russia Famous for : Black Lake Things to do : swimming, cafes, boating

Suggested Read: 20 Fascinating Places To Visit In Moscow That Reflect The Real Russian Beauty!

5. Bolshoi Gorodskoi Prud

beach

Image Source Bolshoi Gorodskoi Prud pond and beach is most popular in Moscow, due to its location, pristine condition, and size. This beach is located in the west region of Moscow. The entrance to this place is free. Moreover, on the hottest summer season, you get the space on the sand to ground your parasol.

The place offers many activities such as sunbathing and swimming. In fact, people can play air hockey, billiards, volleyball, ping-pong, and even hire a boat on rent and discover the bursting length of this pond. This area is ideal for the families as the place offers a particular kid’s zone with many aquatic attractions, such as water slides, swings, and more.

6. Levoberezhny Beach

Betterton beach

This sunny beach is lined with multiple cafes and restaurants, volleyball courts and soccer pitches to have a good time out in the sun with your beach pals. The beach here has grassland and does not have sand, you can take a riverboat tour and purchase tickets for these from the station.

Location : 5 Pribrezhny Lane, Moscow, Russia Famous for : Riverboat Tour, Picnic spot Things To Do : Picnic spot, Riverboat tour, cafes, restaurants, volleyball courts, soccer pitches

7. Meshcherskaya Recreation Area

BEACHES

A small recreational spot, it can be thoroughly enjoyed with your friends who will have a great time hiding away from the sun in the woods. The beach occupies a tiny spot with sand and a grassy patch along with woods in the background as it is located in a village.

Location : 5 Voskresensky St, Moscow, Russia Famous For : Boating Things To Do : Boating, Biking

8. Beloye Lake

Lake View

Beloye Lake is the only Lake in Moscow where swimming is officially allowed and locals can also enjoy fishing as the lake has plenty of them. The water is said to be cleaner and there is a famous landmark, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in its proximity.

Location : 2/6 Zaozernaya St., Moscow, Russia Famous For : Swimming Things To Do : Fishing, Swimming

9. Beach Club

Beach Clubs View

Everybody deserves to pamper themselves after a hectic day at work. To beat the heat and escape the scorching sun, head to the Royal Beach Club to cool off and revive yourself after a stressful week of work. As fancy as it sounds, the Beach Club is slightly heavy on the pockets but, the facilities available at this club are top-notch. You can even rent a room for the night and enjoy the tranquil sunrise just before your morning swimming session. The pools are heated, there are VIP areas and the white sand is frequently renewed which is brought in from the Maldives.

Location : 39 Leningranskoye Highway, Moscow, Russia Famous for : Watersports, Wedding Photoshoots Things To Do : waterskiing, dining-in

10. Shkolnoye Lake

Ulsoor Lake

With an interesting history behind this lake, this small pond makes for a perfect spot for all recreational activities located amidst the urban chaos. You can find cafes nearby to grab a quick bite and kill your hunger pangs.

Location : Zelinograd, Microdistrict, Moscow, Russia Famous for : Swimming Things To Do : Swimming, Boating

Further Read: With The Red Square Turning White, Snowfall In Moscow Hits A 100-Year High!

Thus, this summer season plans your vacation to these interesting and offbeat places. Though, when the climate gets warm the local populace goes off for the swim as there are many beaches in Moscow that offer you a unique Russian vacation experience.

Beaches in Cape Town Nude Beaches In Thailand Beaches In Jordan

p.box-links a { display: inline-block; margin-right: -2px; font-size: 13px; -webkit-box-sizing: content-box; -moz-box-sizing: content-box; box-sizing: content-box; border: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -o-text-overflow: clip; text-overflow: clip; background: #98eae3; -webkit-transform: skewX(-20deg); transform: skewX(-8deg); text-decoration: none !important; padding: .2em .6em .3em; margin-top: 2px; } p.box-links a:hover { background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; }

Looking To Book An International Holiday?

Book memorable holidays on TravelTriangle with 650+ verified travel agents for 65+ domestic and international destinations.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Trip to Sri Lanka at Rs 13,500/-

Plan Your Vacation Today!

disney yacht club versus beach club

Trip to Singapore at Rs 20,499/-

Get Quotes From Local Experts

disney yacht club versus beach club

Mauritius Holiday Starting at Rs 65,000/-

Talk to Our Experts Today

disney yacht club versus beach club

Maldives Honeymoon Trip at Rs 39,800/-

Pay with easy EMI Option

disney yacht club versus beach club

Europe Trip at Rs 89,999/-

All Inclusive Deals

disney yacht club versus beach club

Vacation in Dubai at Rs 27,499/-

disney yacht club versus beach club

Hong Kong Holiday at Rs 24,999/-

Money Safe Guarantee

disney yacht club versus beach club

Thailand Holiday at Rs 7,999/-

Flights Excluded

Recent Posts

disney yacht club versus beach club

8 Small Towns In Russia One Must Never Forget To Explore

disney yacht club versus beach club

Saint Petersburg In June 2023: A Comprehensive Guide To The Venice Of The North

disney yacht club versus beach club

If You Are Wondering Why Moscow In April Is A Good Time To Visit, Here’s Why It Is

statue of mother land russia

The Motherland Calls: A Perfect Epitome Of Cultural & Structural Excellence

Cover for Summer in Russia

Summer In Russia: For Soaking In The Country’s Most Splendid Vibes On Your Next Trip!

Cover for Hostels In Moscow

8 Best Hostels In Moscow To Have A Perfect Budget Holiday In This Glorious Russian City!

Trending Blogs

disney yacht club versus beach club

20 Mysterious Places In India To Visit In 2023 More Bizarre Than The Bermuda Triangle

disney yacht club versus beach club

10 Scariest Roads In India That Are A Driver’s Nightmare

disney yacht club versus beach club

101 Places To Visit In India Before You Turn 30 in 2024

Skiing In Krasnaya Polyana

35 Exotic Places To Visit In December In India 2024 To Enjoy A Surreal Vacation

a couple in front of taj mahal

60 Best Honeymoon Destinations In India In 2024

Best honeymoon destinations in the world

95 Best Honeymoon Destinations In The World In 2023 For A Romantic Escape!

Best Places To Visit In India By Month

Best places to visit outside india by month.

  • TravelTriangle
  • Destinations » Russia »
  • Tour Packages
  • Honeymoon Packages
  • Family Packages
  • Budget Tour Packages
  • Luxury Tour Packages
  • Adventure Tour Packages
  • Group Tour Packages
  • Kerala Tour Packages
  • Goa Tour Packages
  • Andaman Tour Packages
  • Sikkim Tour Packages
  • Himachal Tour Packages
  • Uttarakhand Tour Packages
  • Rajasthan Tour Packages
  • Tour Packages From Delhi
  • Tour Packages From Mumbai
  • Tour Packages From Bangalore
  • Tour Packages From Chennai
  • Tour Packages From Kolkata
  • Tour Packages From Hyderabad
  • Tour Packages From Ahmedabad
  • Kerala Tourism
  • Goa Tourism
  • Sikkim Tourism
  • Andaman Tourism
  • Himachal Tourism
  • Uttarakhand Tourism
  • Rajasthan Tourism
  • Hotels in Kerala
  • Hotels in Goa
  • Hotels in Sikkim
  • Hotels in Andaman
  • Hotels in Himachal
  • Hotels in Uttarakhand
  • Hotels in Rajasthan

Mom's Plan-it Vacation Blog Logo

Disney’s Beach Club Villas Review (with Tips)

outside view of Disney's Beach Club Villas

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

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

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

(This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.)

Restaurants at Disney’s Beach Club Villas

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

Beach Club Marketplace entrance

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

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

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

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

Studios and Villas

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

resort pool with text Disney's Beach Club Villas Review

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

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

Disney’s Beach Club Villas Price

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

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

outside view of Disney's Beach Club Villas

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

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

Activities at Disney’s Beach Club Villas

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

pool at Disney's Beach Club Villas

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

  • Build Sandcastles – Did you know that Stormalong Bay features a shallow, sand bottom pool and beach area? Kids love digging in the sand and splashing around in this section of the pool.
  • Float on the Lazy River – The Beach Club’s main pool, Stormalong Bay, offers many fun features. One of our favorite things to do at the pool is to grab (free) tubes to float along the lazy river.
  • Join a Pool Party – Each afternoon, Stormalong Bay hosts fun poolside activities like hula hoop competitions and limbo. 
  • Play on the Waterslides – Stormalong Bay features two separate water slides for guests to enjoy. The main waterslide stretches from the pirate ship and across the Beach Club boardwalk to the main pool. You’ll also find a smaller slide that’s perfect for toddlers and small kids at the entrance to the main water slide.
  • Swim Laps – If you’re looking for a quieter poolside experience to swim laps or relax, check out the leisure pool at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. You’ll also have access to the quiet pools at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
  • Enjoy a Character Meal – Check out Cape May Cafe during breakfast/brunch when it becomes Minnie’s Beach Bash. Guests can meet Goofy, Minnie, and Donald while they dine at the breakfast buffet.
  • Eat Ice Cream – Disney’s Beach Club is home to one of our favorite WDW restaurants, Beaches and Cream . While reservations can be difficult to snag at this popular dining spot, you can access the walk-up window to order shakes and ice cream to-go.
  • Watch the Epcot Fireworks – We recommend walking to the bridge that connects the Disney Boardwalk to the Beach Club Resort to enjoy the nightly Epcot fireworks show. You can even grab some ice cream to enjoy during the presentation.
  • Go Fishing – Book a fishing excursion on Crescent Lake for a truly unique experience while staying at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
  • Ride the Skyliner – Since the Disney Skyliner sits just outside of Epcot’s International Gateway entrance, you can easily access it from the Beach Club Resort. Just take the short (less than five minutes) walk toward Epcot and hop on the Skyliner for free!
  • Ride the Water Taxi – The Disney water taxi picks up visitors near the Yacht Club. You can ride this free boat to the Disney Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Epcot entrance, and Hollywood Studios entrance.
  • Play at the Arcade – Lafferty Place Arcade offers lots of fun games for kids and adults to enjoy. This is a particularly great place to spend time at Disney when it’s raining.
  • Rent a Pontoon Boat – Spend time on Crescent Lake on your own private pontoon boat. Guests can rent boats from the marina near the Yacht Club.
  • Roast Marshmallows – Visit the nightly campfire to roast marshmallows during your visit. You can even purchase S’mores Kits for a few dollars.
  • Workout – Disney’s Beach Club offers a large fitness center for guests to use during their stay. Ship Shape Health Club is even open 24 hours a day, so you can squeeze in a workout at any time.
  • Visit the Disney Boardwalk – The Disney Boardwalk is full of amazing activities and entertainment options and is just a short walk away from the Beach Club. 
  • Play Mini Golf – Stroll over to Fantasia Gardens and Miniature Golf Course where you’ll find two 18-hole courses. This fun spot is located near the Dolphin and Swan Resorts.
  • Explore the Jogging Paths – If you’re not into running or jogging on vacation, you can spend time strolling along the jogging paths at the Beach Club. You’ll find lots of great spots to take pictures and may even catch some surprises along the way.
  • Play Beach Volleyball – As you walk along the boardwalk in front of the Beach Club, you’ll notice a sand volleyball court. This is a great spot to pick up a game with friends or family. You can also often join a game of volleyball at Stormalong Bay Pool.
  • Watch a Movie – Each evening, Disney Beach Club guests can watch a movie under the stars. These family friendly movies are a great way to unwind after a long day.
  • Play Tennis – Guests can find tennis courts near the Yacht Club’s quiet pool. While technically located at the sister hotel, the tennis courts are just a short walk away for Beach Club guests and are free to use.
  • Take a Fireworks Cruise – Take in the sights and sounds of the Epcot fireworks show from your pontoon boat on Crescent Lake.
  • Read a Book in the Breezeway – Even if you don’t have time to sit and read a book at the Beach Club Villas, we highly recommend stopping by the Breezeway. You’ll definitely want to stop in to admire this beautifully decorated spot. And if you need a quiet place to read or work, this area of the resort is a great option!

Beach Club Villas Directions

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

Disney skyliner

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

Disney’s Beach Club Villas vs Resort

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

large, bright room with seating area

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

Final Review of Disney’s Beach Club Villas

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

resort pool with sand bottom

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

David's Vacation Club Rentals banner

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

Shari is an experienced planner and organizer for Disney vacations, cruising, and U.S. travel. Her family vacation information, reviews, and tips provide insight for moms and dads everywhere. You can read more about her story, including her journey through breast cancer, in the about me page.

Similar Posts

Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club (Which to Choose)

Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club (Which to Choose)

Free Printable Disney World Packing List

Free Printable Disney World Packing List

Honest Review of Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Honest Review of Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Full List of Disney World Characters (Free Printable)

Full List of Disney World Characters (Free Printable)

Choosing a DVC Rental Site: David’s vs DVC Rental Store

Choosing a DVC Rental Site: David’s vs DVC Rental Store

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Review (Is it worth it?)

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Review (Is it worth it?)

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

R&K Insider

Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay. Free to sign up.

A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Featured city guides.

Kings of Russia

The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

  • Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
  • by Kings of Russia
  • 8 minute read

disney yacht club versus beach club

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

disney yacht club versus beach club

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

disney yacht club versus beach club

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

disney yacht club versus beach club

Afterparty: if by 5AM  you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

disney yacht club versus beach club

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.

Related Topics

  • moscow girls
  • moscow nightlife

disney yacht club versus beach club

The Top 3 Cities in Ukraine for First Timers

  • Posted on July 7, 2018 August 4, 2019

You May Also Like

best expat blogs for Moscow

  • Uncategorized

The Best Expat Blogs for Moscow

  • Posted on May 31, 2020 June 1, 2020

Moscow Russia

Finding a Russian Bride: How and Where to Meet Her

  • Posted on August 9, 2019 August 9, 2019

meeting women in Moscow

Meeting Women in Moscow: Dating Perspectives on the World’s Most Beautiful Women

  • Posted on August 5, 2019 August 9, 2019

Meeting Russian women

Meeting Russian Women: Top 5 Locations

  • Posted on August 3, 2019 June 1, 2020

Moscow vs St. Petersburg

Moscow vs St. Petersburg – Which One to Visit?

  • Posted on July 31, 2019 August 3, 2019

hot russian girls

Hot Russian Girls – Where to Find & Date Them

  • Posted on March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019

A Guide to Teaching English in Russia

  • Posted on August 11, 2018 October 9, 2019

disney yacht club versus beach club

How to Attract Russian Girls

  • Posted on July 15, 2018 August 4, 2019

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

IMAGES

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

    disney yacht club versus beach club

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

    disney yacht club versus beach club

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

    disney yacht club versus beach club

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

    disney yacht club versus beach club

  5. Yacht vs Beach Club at Walt Disney World

    disney yacht club versus beach club

  6. Yacht Club v. Beach Club

    disney yacht club versus beach club

VIDEO

  1. Disney Yacht Club Resort

  2. Disney Yacht Club 2016 cape may minnie mouse

  3. Disney Beach club and yacht club boat dock view at night 

  4. DISNEY BOARDWALK: NIGHT BOATS

  5. Disney Resort Hopping-Disney Yacht and Beach Club resort tour and Skyliner ride (Episode 3)

  6. Disney Yacht Club Construction 2017

COMMENTS

  1. Disney's Beach Club vs Yacht Club: Which Should You Choose?

    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.

  2. Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club (Which to Choose)

    Beach Club vs Yacht Club Location. The Beach Club Resort at Walt Disney World sits near Epcot Theme Park and Disney's Boardwalk entertainment district. Since this resort is located on Crescent Lake, you get amazing water views and sandy beaches where your kids can play. Beach Club's sister resort, Disney's Yacht Club, is located right ...

  3. Disney's Yacht Club vs Beach Club 2024

    So you're planning your 2024 Walt Disney World vacation and stuck between the Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club. Both the Disney Beach Club Resort and Disney's Yacht Club Resort are deluxe hotels found on the Walt Disney World Boardwalk. These two resorts share the shame building space and are commonly confused as the same Disney Resort ...

  4. Resort Showdown! Beach Club vs. Yacht Club: Which is Better For Your

    Beach Club is beachier while the Yacht Club is based on a New England- style yacht club. The Beach Club has an actual beach while the Yacht Club has a dock with power boats for rent. You can rent the boats at the Bayside Marina and take them through designated waterways. Most guests feel the difference in theme is one of mood.

  5. Yacht Club v. Beach Club

    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 ...

  6. Disney Yacht Club vs Beach Club

    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 ...

  7. How to Choose Between Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts

    Families will probably prefer the Beach Club —it's got more easy/casual dining options, extra amenities for kids, and if you're a DVC member this is where you'll want to stay to use those points! Adults may prefer this side too, based on personal taste, DVC status, and whether you're planning to walk to and from the Epcot festivals on ...

  8. Disney's Beach Club or Yacht Club

    Transportation: Yacht and Beach Club share Disney bus transportation. Yacht Club was the first stop, but we never had a problem getting on a bus while we stayed at Beach Club. The bus drop-off/pick up location for both resorts was near their respective lobbies, so depending on where your room is the walk to the bus can be anywhere from 5-10 ...

  9. A review of Disney's Beach Club Resort

    Disney's Beach Club Resort is one of the best Disney hotels for families, with the largest pool at Disney World, easy access to Disney's theme parks and plenty of dining options and activities to choose from. ... Stormalong Bay is shared between the Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts and features a sandy beach area for kids, a lazy river, a hot ...

  10. Your Guide to Disney's Beach & Yacht Club Resorts

    Accommodations at Disney's Beach and Yacht Club Resorts. Disney's Beach and Yacht Club are home to over 1400 Guest Rooms, more than 275 Villas, and over 20 Suites and you! Credit: Disney

  11. Disney's Yacht Club, Beach Club, or BoardWalk: Which EPCOT Resort Is

    Disney's BoardWalk Inn. Our number one pick for best EPCOT-area Resort is Disney's BoardWalk Inn, a whimsical turn-of-the-century-style Resort with oceanside offerings. To us, the BoardWalk feels a lot less stuffy than Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts while still providing an elegant backdrop to a Disney stay.

  12. Disney's Yacht Club Resort Review (Is it worth it?)

    In our post on Disney's Beach Club vs Yacht Club, you'll read about why these balconies are a major pro for Yacht Club compared to its sister resort. Disney's Yacht Club Bathroom. Disney's Yacht Club features standard rooms and club level rooms. If you book a room with Club Level benefits, you get access to the Regatta Club.

  13. Review of Disney's Yacht Club Resort

    August 1, 2023. In this post, we'll review Disney's Yacht Club Resort, a deluxe resort at Disney World situated in the Boardwalk area between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. We'll cover everything you need to know, from pricing to transportation to special perks. Read on to learn all about Yacht Club at Disney World!

  14. Yacht Club v. Beach Club v. BoardWalk Inn

    None of these are cheap in any way. But Yacht Club and Beach Club have lower prices than BoardWalk, generally. Here's a look at some 2024 pricing (you can always find this information at MouseSavers): Early Feb — Yacht/Beach $569 vs. BoardWalk $641. Mid April — Yacht/Beach $721 vs. BoardWalk $738. Christmas — Yacht/Beach $1043 vs ...

  15. Six Walt Disney World Resorts The Experts Choose (And WHY!)

    Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. You'll often see Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts lumped together as one single entity, but they're actually a secret Disney World two-for-one! These two adjacent resorts are more than just close neighbors; they share many amenities and some tasty dining options, too. By choosing one of these resorts ...

  16. Disney's Yacht Club vs. Beach Club: Where Should YOU Stay?

    In this video we answer the question, should you stay at Disney World's Yacht Club vs Beach Club Resort? As you will see, there are so many pros and cons whe...

  17. Honest Review of Disney's Beach Club Resort

    While the Walt Disney World website states that the average cost of a room at Beach Club is over $800, we have never come across such high prices. Disney's Beach Club Resort Lobby. My family and I typically stay at the Beach Club for under $500 per night. Sometimes, this price is well under $500.

  18. Swan & Dolphin v. Beach Club

    Theme: Beach Club - For a lot of Disney fans, this is the threshold issue that's difficult to get past.Beach Club has "Disney" theming, whereas the Swan & Dolphin do not. Or so the argument goes. We've already covered how 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, with ...

  19. Beaches In Moscow: 10 Places To Chill Out When In The Capital

    Meshcherskaya Recreation Area. Beloye Lake. Beach Club. Shkolnoye Lake. 1. Troparyovo. Image Source. Troparyovo is a small beach which is located in the large grounds of the Troparyovsky Forest Park. This beach is one of the favorite Russian beaches in Moscow among local individuals.

  20. Disney's Beach Club Villas Review (with Tips)

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

  21. 21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

    1: Off-kilter genius at Delicatessen: Brain pâté with kefir butter and young radishes served mezze-style, and the caviar and tartare pizza. Head for Food City. You might think that calling Food City (Фуд Сити), an agriculture depot on the outskirts of Moscow, a "city" would be some kind of hyperbole. It is not.

  22. The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

    There's the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you'll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus. Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That'll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys ...

  23. Birds restaurant & club

    Daybreak at an altitude of 354 meters above the waking city in the highest restaurant and club in the world — BIRDS. The highest restaurant, bar and night club in the World - BIRDS, Moscow City. Top kitchen in Moscow, best chefs, unique service, breathtaking view. BIRDS - your unforgettable impressions from Moscow.