beach and yacht club disney world

Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club (Which to Choose)

The Beach Club Resort and its sister, Disney’s Yacht Club, are two of my family’s favorite hotels at Disney World. You really can’t beat the ideal location, family friendly restaurants, and deluxe amenities at these Walt Disney World resort hotels. But, you may be wondering which of the two deluxe resorts you should book for your upcoming vacation.

While it’s true the Beach Club and Yacht Club share almost everything, the two resorts are also very different from each other. For example, one of the resorts offers a quieter vibe and rooms with full balconies while the other hotel features closer access to Epcot and restaurants. If you are looking for a comparison of Disney’s Beach Club vs Yacht Club resort, this post provides a comprehensive guide to help you choose the best hotel for 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.)

Beach Club vs Yacht Club Rooms

Depending on availability for your vacation dates, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Yacht Club Resort offer several options for hotel rooms. If you’re comparing the rooms at Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club, we would crown Yacht Club the winner here .

The rooms at Disney’s Yacht Club have updated hardwood flooring rather than carpet. Also, the balconies at the Yacht Club are full balconies as opposed to the Beach Club where you will find standing only Juliet Balconies.

Standard View Rooms

Standard View rooms at the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts offer views of the rooftop or parking area. These rooms can sleep up to 5 adults since some of the standard view rooms have 2 queen beds and 1 daybed.

Garden View Rooms

Garden View rooms offer views of the garden, woods, or lawn area at Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club. These rooms can also sleep up to 5 adults as some provide 2 queen beds and 1 daybed.

Water View Rooms

Water View rooms at the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts offer views of one of the pools or of Crescent Lake. These rooms also sleep up to 5 adults if you have a room with 2 queen beds and 1 daybed.

Deluxe Room

Deluxe Rooms at Disney’s Beach Club offer more square footage than the regular hotel rooms. They can sleep up to 6 adults since they offer 2 queen beds and a queen sleeper sofa.

Club Level Rooms

The Club Level rooms at Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts offer standard, garden, or water views similar to the regular hotel rooms. However, you also receive special perks if you book a room in the Club Level. These are some of the benefits you will receive:

• concierge services
• Club Lounge with snacks and beverages
• complimentary health club access
• turndown service

Disney’s Beach Club Resort offers several options for suites.

• The 1 Bedroom Suite can sleep up to 4 adults with a king sized bed in the bedroom and a queen sleeper sofa in the separate sitting area. The 1 bedroom suite offers either garden or water views.
• The 2 Bedroom Suite can sleep up to 7 adults. It offers two separate bedrooms: one with a king bed and one with 2 queen beds. The 2 Bedroom Suite also has a daybed. Your views from this suite will be either of the garden or the water.
• The Nantucket VP Suite sleeps up to 2 adults with a king sized bed. It offers views of the water.
• The Newport Presidential sleeps up to 7 adults with 2 double beds, 1 king bed, and 1 daybed. It provides views of the water and Epcot.

Disney’s Yacht Club also offers a suite for guests. This 2-bedroom suite includes club level access and features two king beds and a queen pullout.

Room Requests

The rooms at Beach Club Resort come with a mini refrigerator. You can request a microwave when you check in as well. Other items you may request include bed rails, highchair, crib, and connecting rooms.

As mentioned above, it is important to note that not all of the rooms at Beach Club have FULL balconies. Many of them only offer the small Juliet type balcony. If a full-sized balcony is important to you, I HIGHLY recommend requesting this during online check in.

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 next door.

These two resorts are connected, so you can easily walk between the two and enjoy the amenities each hotel has to offer. One of the most popular amenities at these sister resorts is their elaborate pool: Stormalong Bay. Even though the check-in time typically is not until 3:00, guests of the resorts can use the pool before their room is officially ready.

One of our top reasons for choosing to stay at Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club is their prime location. Below, I will detail how to get from the hotels to each of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Since both of these resorts sit on the same property, there really isn’t much of a difference on their location .

When comparing the Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club, the Beach Club is slightly closer to Epcot while the Yacht Club is a bit closer to Hollywood Studios. The differences in distance are so small that I wouldn’t recommend basing your decision on that factor though . On a side note, if you are looking for tips on choosing the right Disney World hotel, join our Facebook group for personalized help on finding the best resort for your family!

If you are wondering how far Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club are from Epcot, you will be pleased to know it’s a short five-minute walk. You just stroll along the walkway near Crescent Lake and follow the signs for Epcot. You will arrive at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot, which is at the back of the park near the World Showcase.

to Hollywood Studios

If you are wanting to travel to Disney’s Hollywood Studios from the Beach Club Resort or the Yacht Club, you have several options to get there. You can walk along the scenic paths to the theme park, which takes about 20 minutes.

You can also take the water shuttle from the Beach Club to Hollywood Studios. Since the boat makes some stops along the way, this also takes about 20 minutes. You can also utilize the Skyliner from the International Gateway. This gondola ride will take you straight to Hollywood Studios.

to Magic Kingdom

If you want to access Magic Kingdom from the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts, you will need to board the Disney bus outside the lobby of one of the hotels. Depending on when you are visiting WDW, this shuttle bus may combine pickups by stopping at both the Beach Club and Disney’s Yacht Club. Magic Kingdom is about a 20-minute drive from Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

to Animal Kingdom

If you are looking to travel to Animal Kingdom Theme Park, you would need to board the Disney bus in front of the hotel. Each bus promptly displays where they are headed, so it’s super easy to catch the correct one. This ride is usually around 20 minutes long.

to Disney’s Boardwalk

Disney’s Boardwalk is super easy to access from the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts. The Boardwalk is located right across the lake from the hotels and is a short 5-minute walk. This area of Disney World is one of our favorites, and its close proximity to the hotels is a huge perk to staying in the Beach Club/Yacht Club area.

to Disney Springs

You would also need to drive or take the Disney shuttle bus to Disney Springs. This ride typically takes 20 minutes.

Activities Comparison

Disney’s Beach Club Resort and the Yacht Club offer many fun activities for families visiting with kids. Again, since these two hotels are sister resorts, guests staying at either hotel may experience activities at both hotels . In other words, the Beach Club and Yacht Club share the guest activities listed below.

The Beach Club and Yacht Club share an arcade that is located right by Stormalong Bay Pool. The arcade is full of fun video games and sports tables. This is a great rainy day activity!

Outdoor Movies

Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club resort show nightly movies outside on the lawn or sand. You can check out the entertainment schedule for the dates of your visit to determine which movies are playing. This activity schedule is usually released at the beginning of each month.

Kids love spending their evenings roasting marshmallows and making s’mores by the campfire. Sometimes Mickey’s friends even join in the fun!

Guests of Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s Beach Club Villas have access to three leisure pool areas (one at each resort). In addition, these three Disney resorts share a main pool, Stormalong Bay, which I will discuss in more detail below.

Stormalong Bay is a massive pool and water play area shared by Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts. If you have set aside time to enjoy this elaborate swimming area, note that pool towels are complimentary and available in the pool gates.

Stormalong Bay

Stormalong Bay offers lots of different spaces for swimming and playing in the water. Near the site of the large shipwreck model, you will find a kiddie pool perfect for little ones. This pool is in a contained area and is separate from the larger pool area.

This kiddie pool tends to be a bit quieter than the main pool. Stormalong Bay also has a sand bottom pool that is great for babies and toddlers . The super shallow water allows them to safely splash and play in the sand. You will find deeper areas of water to swim as well. Disney’s Beach Club Resort offers complimentary safety vests that little ones can use while playing and swimming.

In addition to the many swimming areas at Stormalong Bay, guests can enjoy the lazy river. You will find complimentary inner tubes available near the lazy river to make floating even more fun!

Water Slides

You will find two water slides at Stormalong Bay Pool. The larger of the two slides is a whopping 230 feet long. It begins atop the huge shipwreck model (pictured above) at the edge of the lake. This large water slide does not have a height requirement; however, there is a limit of one person at a time on the slide. This means that parents are not permitted to slide with their toddler or small child.

If you have an adventurous toddler who enjoys thrill rides, you can usually wait in the water at the bottom of the slide. This way you are available to grab your little one after he/she lands in the water. Children are permitted to wear complimentary safety vests on the slide as well.

*Note that you have to leave the main pool gates and climb many steep stairs to get to the top of this slide. Therefore, you will not want your toddler entering the slide area alone.

The smaller of the two slides is near the entrance to the larger slide. When you arrive in the shipwreck area, you will see a small, kiddie pool with a miniature water slide perfect for toddlers. Smaller kids should have no problem climbing to the top of this slide and sliding down to the pool below. You can clearly see them the whole time.

The shallow sand bottom section is perfect for toddlers and little kids to splash and dig. The lazy river is super fun and relaxing. The main water slide is a big hit for kids and adults. The kiddie water slide and pool area are great for toddlers and those who want a calmer sliding experience.

Price Comparison

Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts are typically priced similarly. My family and I often find that one may be a bit cheaper than the other for a specific set of dates, but a different set of dates may produce different results. If you are interested in experiencing all the great amenities of Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts for a fraction of the price, I recommend looking into renting Disney Vacation Club points for a stay at the Beach Club Villas.

These villas are located on the same property as the Beach Club/Yacht Club Resorts, and they have access to the same great restaurants and activities! You can check out the “cost calculator” at David’s Vacation Club Rentals to see how much you save on your vacation dates. I have personally used David’s rental services multiple times and have always had great experiences!

Things to Do Near the Resorts

Since Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts are located in such a great spot near the Boardwalk and other resorts, you will find lots of kid friendly things to do within walking distance of the hotel.

Epcot Fireworks

One of our favorite activities just outside Disney’s Beach Club/Yacht Club is to view the nightly fireworks show at Epcot. You can grab some ice cream from Beaches and Cream and choose a spot near the walkway to Epcot. This is a great way to enjoy the fireworks show without having to maneuver between the crowds of people inside the park. It’s also a nice activity to enjoy at Disney World without purchasing a park ticket!

The Skyliner is one of the newer additions to Walt Disney World. This gondola ride connects several of the resort hotels to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you are looking for a unique activity, take a ride on the Skyliner with your kids.

Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf is an 18-hole course themed off the movie Fantasia . Since this kid friendly activity is located near The Swan hotel, guests of Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club can easily walk to the mini golf course.

Restaurants

In addition to the easy access to the restaurants on Disney’s Boardwalk, guests at the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts have lots of dining options right at the hotel.

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop

Beaches and Cream is my personal all time favorite restaurant at Disney World. This diner offers all kinds of delicious options, including a tomato bisque that is out of this world!

Open daily for lunch and dinner, Beaches and Cream Soda Shop is located right beside Stormalong Bay Pool. They are famous for the ice cream concoction knows as The Kitchen Sink. Note that you are able to order some ice cream and to-go items from the window without actually going inside the diner.

Beach Club Marketplace

If you are looking for a quick stop on your way to the theme parks, Beach Club Marketplace is a great option. This dining venue serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its diverse menu offers something for everyone. Beach Club Marketplace is our go-to for a fast breakfast or a quick snack before heading out for the day.

Martha’s Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard is a lounge that serves all kinds of adult beverages. You can also order appetizers like clam chowder, chicken wings, and calamari from this venue.

Hurricane Hanna’s

Hurricane Hanna’s is located right outside by Stormalong Bay Pool. You can order your food and beverages from the counter and dine outside at the available tables.

Ale and Compass

Ale and Compass is a sit down restaurant located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. This dining venue serves family favorites for breakfast and options like seafood, chicken, and steak for dinner.

The Market at Ale and Compass

The Market at Ale and Compass is the quick service dining venue located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Similar to The Beach Club Marketplace, this restaurant is a great stop for a quick meal.

Cape May Cafe

Cape May Cafe is located near the lobby of Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This restaurant is buffet style and serves your favorite seafood options. Cape May Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, the restaurant takes on a different theme for breakfast when it becomes the site for Minnie’s Beach Bash.

Yachtsman Steakhouse

Yachtsman Steakhouse is a signature dining restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. You will find steak and seafood among other options on the menu. Since this is a signature dining experience, guests must adhere to a dress code .

Crew’s Cup Lounge

Crew’s Cup Lounge is located near Yactsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Here, you will find all kinds of adult beverages along with a few options for appetizers or snacks.

In Room Dining

Disney’s Beach Club Resort is one of the Walt Disney World hotels that offers room service. You will find an In Room Dining Menu in your hotel room with instructions on how to place an order.

The menu includes options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night dining. You can even pre-order your breakfast the night before, so your family can eat in the room as you get ready for the parks.

Character Dining

As mentioned above, Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort becomes a character dining experience each morning for breakfast. Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast is a super fun way to start your day! The breakfast is buffet style and has a wide range of items to choose. You will even find a stand serving made to order omelets!

Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy each walk around the dining areas to greet you at your table. The characters are decked out in their finest beach wear to continue the theme of the dining experience.

Beach Club and Yacht Club vs Other Disney Resorts

Since Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts are my family’s favorite hotels at Disney World, I will try to explain WHY we love them so much! Below, I will compare the Beach Club/Yacht Club to other resorts at Disney World, so you can get an idea of why we choose to stay at these resorts. If you would like to see more comparisons between other hotels, feel free to comment below with the resorts you are considering. I know how stressful and overwhelming planning a Disney World vacation can be!

vs Beach Club Villas

Like the Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Villas have access to all the restaurants, activities, and amenities at the Beach Club resort. My recommendation is to choose the cheapest option of the three resorts . As mentioned above, renting DVC points for Beach Club Villas is often the best way to save money.

vs Boardwalk Inn

If you stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, you get the perks of the awesome location near Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Boardwalk. You can also easily walk over to the Beach Club to enjoy the dining venues located there. The one big drawback to Boardwalk Inn is that you don’t get Stormalong Bay . Disney’s Boardwalk Inn has a really fun pool, but it just doesn’t compare to the elaborate swimming pool at the Beach Club.

vs Monorail Resorts

You may be wondering how the Beach Club compares to the monorail resorts: Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Polynesian . These three resorts offer really easy access to Magic Kingdom, which is a huge perk if you have little kids.

They all offer great theming and activities as well. However, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts get our pick because they’re usually priced significantly lower than the monorail resorts .

vs Caribbean Beach Resort

It is difficult to compare Disney’s Beach Club Resort with Caribbean Beach because they really aren’t similar at all. Even though the names may cause you to think differently, the two resorts do not have much in common. Caribbean Beach is a moderate hotel that is lovely, but it does not offer the amenities that the deluxe resorts do.

If you are not planning to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you can certainly look into Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. However, you will not have access to the prime location, restaurants, pool, and other activities that the Beach Club offers .

Final Review of Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club

Since these two resorts share EVERYTHING, it’s really a matter of personal taste when deciding between these two hotels. The Disney Beach Club has a more relaxed vibe, while Yacht Club seems more sophisticated . We find that Stormalong Bay Pool is reason enough to stay at these amazing hotels. Who can pass up the opportunity to experience the best pool at Disney World?!

In addition, the location, restaurants, and activities offered at these deluxe resort hotels help to make your vacation one you will never forget! If I were planning a trip to Disney World, I would choose whichever is cheaper between the two ! Don’t forget to join our Facebook group for personalized help on finding the best resort for your family! So, how do you think they compare? Which resort would you choose? Disney Beach Club vs Yacht Club? Comment below to share!

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Guide to visiting Walt Disney World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stormalong Bay pool complex

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evening movies on the beach

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

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

Magical Express Bus

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

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

Still-closed amenities

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Changes to expect at Disney World in 2021

Ale & Compass Restaurant

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

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

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

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

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

Related: These are the best restaurants at Disney World

Ale & Compass Lounge

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

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

The Market at Ale & Compass

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

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

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

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

Beaches and Cream Soda Shop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yachtsman Steakhouse

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

Overall impressions

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

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

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

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

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

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

Disney's Beach Club Resort

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What Makes This Resort Hotel Unique

Disney Skyliner Transportation

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

Outdoor Water Recreation Area

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

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

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

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

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

Beaches and Cream

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

Ship Shape Health Club

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

Room Types Sure to Suit Your Style

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

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

Room types offered at this Resort:

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

Villas feature:

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

Deluxe Studios feature:

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

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

More Magic for Your Stay

A More Magical Stay Starts with "Hey Disney!”

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

Disney Signature Services

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

Enhance Your Stay with the My Disney Experience App

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

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

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

Check In and Check Out with Ease

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

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

Plan, Play, Dine and Unwind

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

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

And that’s only the beginning!

Learn more about the My Disney Experience app .

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

Easier Trip Planning – Like Magic!

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

FREE Resort Nights & FREE Park Days

Hotel Address

(407) 934-8000

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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 

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

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

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!

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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!

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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

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The Family Vacation Guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early Genie+ Access

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Do the Yacht and Beach Clubs Have in Common?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Makes Disney’s Beach Club Different?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Dunes Cove Pool
• Volleyball courts

What Makes the Yacht Club Different?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More about our TFVG Author

James Brockbank

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

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

Disney 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? 

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

By Leigh Caldwell 2 Comments

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

Disney’s Yacht Club

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

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

Ale & Compass Restaurant

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

So much yum!

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

Click Here to Read Our Latest Review of Ale & Compass

Ale & Compass Lounge

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

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

Click Here for Our Latest Review of Ale & Compass Lounge

The market at ale & compass.

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

Chilled Options

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

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

Cape may cafe.

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

Minnie is ready for a day at the beach!

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

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

Beaches and cream.

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

Kitchen Sink Sundae

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

Learn more about Beaches & Cream here!

Beach club marketplace.

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

Rainbow Mickey Caramel Cheesecake

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

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

Martha’s vineyard lounge.

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

It’s a Candy Cane Mimosa!

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

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

Hurricane hanna’s .

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

Storm Chaser and Souvenir Cup

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

Click Here for Our Review of the Stormchaser!

Yachtsman steakhouse.

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

Filet Mignon at Yachtsman Steakhouse

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

Click Here for a Recent Review of Yachtsman Steakhouse!

Crew’s Cup Lounge

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

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

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

Epcot festivals.

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

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

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

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

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

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

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

The DFB Guide to Dining

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

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

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

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

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December 18, 2022 at 7:37 pm

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

January 31, 2023 at 11:56 am

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

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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

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11 Best Disney World Hotels for Families

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It’s easy to get overwhelmed when choosing a Disney World hotel for your family’s vacation. You might be wondering if it’s worth it to go all out on a Deluxe resort, or if you can save a few bucks and still experience the full Disney magic at a Value property.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is our top pick for families as it checks all the boxes of what a family wants from roomy accommodations to top-notch dining options. Plus, your kids will go wild when they can spot a giraffe from their balcony!

We dug through all the Disney details and have narrowed down the top choices whether you are traveling with teens or toddlers. Our list even includes a few properties that are perfect for a multi-generational family vacation.

Top 11 Best Disney World Hotels for Families

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Best Overall)
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Best Value)
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Best Theme)
• Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts (Best Waterpark)
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort (Best Transportation)
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Best Chill Vibe)
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (Best Luxury Resort)
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort (Best for Disney Adults)
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (Best Camping)
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort (Best for Large Groups)
• Disney’s Riviera Resort (Best New Property)

Best Disney World Hotels for Families

1. best overall – disney’s animal kingdom lodge.

You’ll be impressed by the over-the-top theming of this Disney-owned property from the moment you enter its opulent lobby. Book one of the savanna-facing rooms and you’ll feel like you are on safari with giraffes nibbling on trees nearby.

Animal Kingdom Lodge has one of the largest pools of the Disney World resort properties and it includes a zero-entry area and a waterslide. Uwanja Camp is the property’s interactive water playground with rope bridges, water canons, and waterslides. You’ll have a hard time tearing the kids away, especially on a hot day.

Boma – Flavors of Africa is regularly listed as one of the best buffets of the Disney World hotels, offering both African and American fare at a reasonable price.

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2. Best Value – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Families love this budget-friendly Disney World hotel for its larger rooms that sleep up to six guests with themes like Cars, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid , and The Lion King . It’s also where you’ll find the largest pool area of the Disney World hotels, featuring scenes from Finding Nemo , along with two other pools and a splash pad.

You’ll love being able to board the Disney Skyliner to get from the property to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These gondolas fit up to ten people and you can easily bring strollers inside, making it especially easy when juggling multiple kids.

3. Best Theme – Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Travel to the South Pacific when you stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. This property right on the monorail has easy access to Magic Kingdom and is a great place to stay if you want to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the comfort of your resort.

The pools are quite impressive with a massive volcano towering over the lava pool that also includes a zero-entry beach and a waterslide that kids love. This resort is also one of the few locations where you can enjoy a Dole Whip outside the parks.

Large families often choose this resort as the majority of the rooms sleep five or more people. Many of them also have kitchenettes which is super convenient when traveling with kids. There are plentiful dining options at this property with the Lilo & Stitch character breakfast at ‘Ohana getting top marks from the kids.

4. Best Waterpark – Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

The side-by-side Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort share one of the best waterparks you’ve likely seen—the 3-acre Stormalong Bay which includes a life-sized shipwreck, lagoons, lazy river, and more. Climb the mast to access one of the tallest waterslides at Walt Disney World Resort.

These resorts have easy walking access to EPCOT or you can hop aboard the Disney Skyliner to get there via gondola.

For the teens in your group, you can rent bicycles from these properties to explore the surrounding area. There is also a Fantasyland-inspired mini golf course nearby, sand volleyball courts, pickleball courts, and an arcade.

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5. Best Transportation – Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Guests of this property are blown away by its futuristic architecture with the monorail running through it. You can hop aboard to ride to Magic Kingdom or walk if you want to get in even more steps. At night, the Magic Kingdom fireworks are viewable from many locations in this resort—a selling feature for families with younger kids.

This property was one of the originals that Walt Disney designed in the 1970s and it retains much of the nostalgia of those early Disney years. Recent renovations have added Incredibles theming to many of the rooms in addition to other upgrades.

If you need some extra room for extended family or friends to stay with you, this property has villas available in its Bay Lake Tower and they sleep up to 12 guests.

6. Best Chill Vibe – Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

If you need a break from Mickey and all the Disney characters when you go back to your resort, you’ll love staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It feels more like you’re staying at a national park lodge with waterfalls, a roaring fireplace, and rocking chairs overlooking a creek.

One of the biggest draws for families is the Story Book Dining with appearances from Snow White and her seven dwarfs. Another family favorite at this property is the Old West-themed Whispering Canyon Cafe which offers all-you-can-eat dining with cast members serving up a bit of sass with your meal.

Lots of activities are offered on-property from campfire s’mores to movies under the stars. Wrap up your night by viewing the Electrical Water Pagent along the shoreline near the resort.

7. Best Luxury Resort – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

If you are looking for top-notch service, foodie-approved dining, and a prime location near Magic Kingdom, consider staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Ride the monorail or walk along the walking path to Magic Kingdom and then easily head back to your room for afternoon naps.

Victoria & Albert’s fine dining experience is so well-known that guests from other properties often come to the Grand Floridian just to experience its chef’s tasting menu. If you’re looking for something a bit more kid-friendly, Narcoossee’s offers seafood and steakhouse fare, along with an excellent view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks if you time your visit correctly.

8. Best for Disney Adults – Disney’s Port Orleans Resort

While all the resorts at Walt Disney World are kid-friendly, we especially like the French Quarter section of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort for guests who consider themselves “Disney adults.” You’ll feel like you are in historic New Orleans where the sounds of jazz and Mardi Gras vibes surround you.

King Neptune rules at the Mardi Gras-themed swimming pool and you can find horse-drawn carriage rides and surry bike rentals for getting out and exploring the nearby area. When the kids have gone to bed, the Scat Cat Club is a great place to enjoy a hurricane and live jazz performances.

9. Best Camping – Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

While most people don’t think of camping when they come to Walt Disney World, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort knows how to do camping right, especially when you’re visiting Disney with kids.

While tent and RV campsites are available for those who want to be one with nature, the property’s cabins offer all the comforts of home including a kitchen with a dishwasher.

Rent a golf cart to cruise around the property to the pools, archery area, ranch, arcades, playgrounds, and basketball courts. Be sure you plan a night to enjoy the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review, a spirited dinner show the whole family will love.

10. Best for Large Groups – Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

We give this property top marks for those traveling with larger families or multi-generational groups as it has rooms that sleep up to 12 guests. Full kitchens mean you can save a bundle on eating out and you can easily prepare meals for picky toddlers.

Separate bedrooms are great for toddlers and babies who are still napping, and they mean other family members can hang out on the private deck or living room area without disturbing them. An in-room washer/dryer goes a long way when traveling with kids who instantly spill a Dole Whip on themselves the moment they enter the theme park.

Lake Buena Vista Golf Course is located at this resort, offering guests the opportunity to golf at this gorgeous property that’s also been deemed a wildlife sanctuary.

11. Best New Property – Disney’s Riviera Resort

This Disney Vacation Club property opened in late 2019 and it is the newest on-site property at Disney World Resort. Families love the refined European vibes and the easy access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner gondola. All non-studio rooms at this deluxe resort have their own washer/dryer, a convenience that isn’t lost on parents.

Start your day off with Mickey and friends at the character breakfast “Breakfast a la Art” at Topolino’s Terrace, the rooftop restaurant at Disney’s Riviera Resort. You can also come back for dinner to view the fireworks display from EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Best Disney World Hotels for Families Guide

It’s a huge financial investment to book a Walt Disney World vacation, so you’ll definitely want to do your homework when considering where you should stay.

While we are pretty sure your kids will love staying at any of the Disney-owned properties, some have extras that will make your visit even more memorable. Here are the top considerations for families booking Walt Disney World properties:

Proximity to Parks

Do you plan to spend the majority of your time at the Magic Kingdom? There’s a lot to be said for booking a property that’s within walking distance like Disney’s Contemporary Resort. This makes it easy for you to return to your room in the afternoon for naps and then head back to the park for dinner and fireworks.

If you want to dine around the world at EPCOT, Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resorts are an excellent choice as both are within walking distance of EPCOT and also offer boat transportation to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

The Disney Springs resort area is farthest from the parks so you’ll have to allow extra time to get to and from the parks each day. Hotels in this area like Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort tend to have a more calm vibe, a nice break from all the action at the parks especially for over-stimulated kids.

Room Configurations

There are different schools of thought when looking at what room size your family might need at Disney World Resort. Do you want the smallest room you can find as you plan to only go to your room for sleeping, or do you want a little more space to spread out with a balcony and separate rooms for the kids?

The great thing about Disney World hotels is they typically have lots of space-saving features like Murphy beds that can be stored away during the day to make more room in the living spaces.

Features that families particularly enjoy are rooms with kitchens and a washer/dryer. There’s something to be said about being able to minimize your packing when you know you can do a load of laundry during your stay. And a kitchen can significantly reduce your eating-out budget, especially if you have picky kids in your crew.

Villas are a great option for larger families or those multi-generational vacations when Grandma and Grandpa come along. A number of properties like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort offer villas that sleep up to 12 people.

An easy way to narrow down your lodging options at Disney World Resort is to consider what you are willing to spend. Disney offers three different resort tiers: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. Value resorts are the least expensive option, followed by Moderate, and then Deluxe.

Value properties tend to have rooms that look like standard hotel rooms, though they do offer family suites as well. Rooms tend to be on the smaller size but these properties still offer quite a few on-site activities, along with amenities like pools and plentiful dining options.

Moderate resorts offer larger rooms with higher-end amenities. These properties have more room types with many of them sleeping 5 guests or more. Larger families often choose this resort level for the additional space. The Fort Wilderness also falls into this rate category but it is quite a different style property with cabins and tent/RV campsites.

Deluxe resorts have the most bells and whistles. They offer multi-bedroom suites and villas for larger groups and even have club-level options for those who want an upgraded level of service with a dedicated concierge. The Disney theming is over the top at these resorts with massive swimming pools with features like a volcano or a sandy bottom.

Restaurants at the deluxe resorts offer a higher level of service and you can also find character dining opportunities at these properties. Many of the deluxe properties have an on-site spa for those who want a little relaxation with their vacation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What parks are there at walt disney world.

Disney World is made up of four theme parks and two water parks:

• Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
• Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park

What are the benefits of staying at a Disney World hotel?

You can truly immerse yourself in the magic of Disney when you stay at an on-property hotel. Themed rooms, nightly fireworks, character breakfasts, and so much more are available when you stay at one of the Disney-owned properties.

One of the biggest benefits is that guests of the Disney-owned properties get a 30-minute head start from other park visitors through early theme park entry. This is perfect for families with little kids who tend to rise before the sun as it gives you first access to rides that tend to have long lines later in the day.

Select nights have extended hours for resort guests offering you access to attractions, dining, and shops after the park has closed to other guests.

Proximity to the parks is a huge perk of staying at a Disney World Resort property. You don’t have to plan extra time for traveling to the parks as you are so close by. These properties all have transportation to the parks and other properties via bus, monorail, Disney Skyliner, or boat, which lets you avoid parking fees. Plus, it’s a pretty fun way to start your day!

Can you stay at a Disney Vacation Club property without being an owner?

There are a lot of benefits to staying at a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) property from full kitchens to an in-unit washer/dryer. These units offer more space and dedicated bedrooms instead of traditional single-room hotel accommodations.

Disney Vacation Club is a timeshare program where members purchase points to stay at Disney properties. You do not have to be a DVC member to book a room at a DVC property. These rooms fall into the Deluxe Villas category and can be booked just like other rooms.

There’s so much that goes into planning a family vacation at Walt Disney World and staying at a Disney World hotel is one choice that will definitely make things easier for your family.

Our top pick for families is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge as we know the kids will go wild for all of the giraffes, flamingos, zebra, and gazelles that wander the surrounding savanna.

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Where to Find Easter Egg Displays at Disney World in 2024

Spring is nearly here, and so are the chocolate Easter egg displays at the Walt Disney World resorts!  Each year, the pastry chefs at the resorts masterfully design and hand-paint the eggs that are themed to various Disney characters, movies, and parks.  This year, you can find the displays in the following resorts starting on March 3.  

Grand Floridian

The most well-known Easter egg display is the one at the Grand Floridian .  This year, there are a few new ones to look for, including eggs themed after Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Disney Animation’s “Beauty and the Beast,” and Disney snacks. 

While you are there, be sure to visit the Grand Cottage for some yummy and festive treats.  On the menu this year are: 

• Bunny Pop Flower Pot: Chocolate flower pot filled with jelly beans and three chocolate bunny pops
• Fruity Cereal Mickey Pop: Mickey-shaped fruity cereal crisped treat
• The Easter Treat Box: Dark chocolate filled bunny, carrot blondie pop, marshmallow pop, carrot cake chocolate bark, confetti pop, and meringue nests
• Easter Marshmallow Pop: Three large marshmallows dipped in yellow chocolate coating topped with Easter quins
• Bunny Burrow Dirt Cup: Layers of chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, and cookies ‘n cream pieces with springtime décor (plant-based)
• The Grand Egg: White chocolate egg filled with jelly beans sprayed in spring colors

Contemporary

Across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Grand Floridian are additional Easter eggs at the Contemporary .  In the grand concourse of the resort, you’ll find the hand-painted eggs.  New this year are eggs that are inspired by the animated movies “Elemental” and “Hercules.”

Yacht Club and Beach Club

In lieu of the “Finding Nemo” eggs that were on display last year (pictured above), this year’s Easter egg display at the Yacht Club is inspired by “Moana.”  Each egg depicts either characters or scenes from the animated movie.  

Over at the Beach Club , the Easter egg display is themed after the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.  You’ll find eggs that are miniature versions of the festival’s topiaries.

It’s not too late to book a getaway to check out all the spring festivities from the chocolate Easter egg displays to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival!  Browse the confirmed reservations to find stays that DVC members have already booked. 

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The Billionaire Taking on Disney Just Wants Some Respect

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

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

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By James B. Stewart and Lauren Hirsch

• Published March 16, 2024 Updated March 19, 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ski Bum Turned Billionaire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Builder, Not a Breaker?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vitriol for Disney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

History as a Guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still Rocking the Boat

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

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

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

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

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

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

How we handle corrections

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

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

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