Yacht Club Newbie

[NEL]

Hello Everyone,

I will soon be departing to WDW for a long weekend and we will be staying for the first time at The Yacht Club. It will be me, my wife, and 8 year old son. We are very excited ! I am reaching out to fellow posters for reviews, tips, advise and information on the Yacht Club. Are there any must do's, any hidden secrets that should not be missed. And just any general information, reviews, tips, and advise.

Thanks in advance for all your help !!!

 

[s&k'smom]

My husband was just talking about staying at YC next trip!

 

[belledream]

Yacht Club is my favorite Disney resorts!! You will love it! Clearly, you 'must do' the pool - probably the best on WDW property - your son might like Stormalong Bay's waterslide. There are 'Movies Under the Stars' shown on the beach at night. Also some ducks roam the beach for entertainment. Definitely take time to just sit in the lobby and admire all the décor. The lighthouse makes for a great photo opportunity! There's also a convention center - maybe you can take a peak. It looks very nice. Enjoy the short walk to and from EPCOT from the International Gateway, or a boat ride to Hollywood Studios, and just soak it all in!

Along Crescent Bay, you can rent surrey bikes that hold up to 4, or you can spend a bit more for a private fishing excursion.

 

[LAM378]

I'm definitely not a YC expert, but I'll give you a few things I learned while I was there last month (and hopefully real experts will chime in!)

1- Fit in pool time, because Stormalong Bay is irresistible to pretty much everyone, especially 8-year-olds. It's easy to lose track of a kid in there, though, so if he's not a strong swimmer, keep an eye on him. (There are lifeguards, of course, but still.)

2- Unless you already know and love the food at Beaches & Cream, it's not a must-do. Have dessert there, definitely, but don't make a meal a priority, not with so many excellent lunch/dinner options nearby.

3- If you like coffee/tea in the morning, you'll be happy that the Ale & Compass lounge in the lobby is open at 6:30 a.m. They've got pastries and cereal too. I loved getting my coffee every morning and taking it to the back deck and enjoying the beauty and peace and quiet of the resort. The views are just excellent. If you want something more substantial, the Beach Club Marketplace is a short walk away and they open around 7 a.m.

You've also got a wealth of quick service options on the Boardwalk, including the excellent Boardwalk Bakery. It took me maybe 7 minutes to get there, and the walk is really pleasant.

4- I don't know what room category you've booked, but try to ask for a room close to the lobby (floor doesn't matter). YC is sprawling and the inner hallways are looooooong if you're placed at the far end of the resort. It's easier to take advantage of the pool and restaurants and feel like "part of the action" if your room is near the lobby.

5- I'm sure this can happen at any resort, but I had pretty bad luck last month with some Magicband charges being doubled. Every day, ask at the front desk for a copy of your room charges, and if you find any, the CMs will quickly and happily remove them. Just a heads up.

I hope you get more tips, because I'd love to read them too! My stay at YC last month was wonderful in every way, and I can't wait to get back there. You'll love it!

 

[NEL]

I'm definitely not a YC expert, but I'll give you a few things I learned while I was there last month (and hopefully real experts will chime in!)

1- Fit in pool time, because Stormalong Bay is irresistible to pretty much everyone, especially 8-year-olds. It's easy to lose track of a kid in there, though, so if he's not a strong swimmer, keep an eye on him. (There are lifeguards, of course, but still.)

2- Unless you already know and love the food at Beaches & Cream, it's not a must-do. Have dessert there, definitely, but don't make a meal a priority, not with so many excellent lunch/dinner options nearby.

3- If you like coffee/tea in the morning, you'll be happy that the Ale & Compass lounge in the lobby is open at 6:30 a.m. They've got pastries and cereal too. I loved getting my coffee every morning and taking it to the back deck and enjoying the beauty and peace and quiet of the resort. The views are just excellent. If you want something more substantial, the Beach Club Marketplace is a short walk away and they open around 7 a.m.

You've also got a wealth of quick service options on the Boardwalk, including the excellent Boardwalk Bakery. It took me maybe 7 minutes to get there, and the walk is really pleasant.

4- I don't know what room category you've booked, but try to ask for a room close to the lobby (floor doesn't matter). YC is sprawling and the inner hallways are looooooong if you're placed at the far end of the resort. It's easier to take advantage of the pool and restaurants and feel like "part of the action" if your room is near the lobby.

5- I'm sure this can happen at any resort, but I had pretty bad luck last month with some Magicband charges being doubled. Every day, ask at the front desk for a copy of your room charges, and if you find any, the CMs will quickly and happily remove them. Just a heads up.

I hope you get more tips, because I'd love to read them too! My stay at YC last month was wonderful in every way, and I can't wait to get back there. You'll love it!

Thanks for all the info. I am glad you enjoyed your stay, and hope that I do too. I have a question about the pool. Do they have lifevest for children like in the other Disney resorts. Also , online they mentioned that it has a lazy river? If so how is it and do they provide any flotation device like at water parks. Thanks again.

 

[LAM378]

Yes, they provide life vests. I noticed at least 2 racks of them--at the entry to the kiddie pool area closest to YC, and at the entry point nearest Beaches & Cream. I'm sure there are more that I just didn't notice. Towels are provided there, too.

The lazy river is pretty cool. It's not huge but it's a sweet little feature. You can rent tubes (not sure about rates). I saw lots of different style tubes so I assume you can bring them from home as well. The river isn't that big; swimming all the way around it took my brother maybe 2 minutes. But it's nice nonetheless!

 

[MadMax11]

Stayed there for the first time a couple of weeks back and loved it. My family loves EPCOT, and the proximity was amazing. Quiet resort...great little store...the pool of course is amazing. We typically stay at OKW every time we go with vacation club points...and then spend a few nights at a hotel we haven't stayed at before. Yacht Club was my wife's first choice, but I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again the next time we go.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

As a word of caution and I may be wrong here since I havent stayed at BCVs in a while... but I think the lazy river part of Stormalong is fairly deep( 7 or 8 ft). I know at least one part of the pool/complex is deeper than I expected. And yes lifevests are available as needed.

My kids loved the slide, however my wife was not a big fan of the sand on the bottom pool. Rent a racer boat and cruise with your son on the lake between DHS and YC/BC. Not a far walk from YC(and just past Dolphin) is the Fantasia mini-golf whihc is a fun thing to do if you have a free or pool day scheduled.

 

[Mr Toad]

As a word of caution and I may be wrong here since I havent stayed at BCVs in a while... but I think the lazy river part of Stormalong is fairly deep( 7 or 8 ft). I know at least one part of the pool/complex is deeper than I expected. And yes lifevests are available as needed.

My kids loved the slide, however my wife was not a big fan of the sand on the bottom pool. Rent a racer boat and cruise with your son on the lake between DHS and YC/BC. Not a far walk from YC(and just past Dolphin) is the Fantasia mini-golf whihc is a fun thing to do if you have a free or pool day scheduled.

Yes, the lazy river is 7 feet deep so be careful!

 

[Mr Toad]

Our family loved YC and want to stay there next trip. Countdown for 2017!