Disney's YACHT & BEACH CLUB RESORTS Information & Questions

[Stefne]

Speaking of things giving me pause, I don't mean to start the dreaded Dog Discourse but are they really very present at YC? We are drawing up pros and cons to both resorts and YC is edging out so far but for the pet factor. I did not spend much time there on my BC weekend besides eating at Crew's Cup so I couldn't make a fair assessment. But my phobia really is bad enough that it would be a dealbreaker for me.

Experiences always vary of course, but we only saw 1 dog over the course of our 9 night stay this fall.

 

[Wood Nymph]

For those who have stayed YC do you find it noisier in the room with the hard floor than BC with the carpetted floors (since carpet acts as a sound dampener and doesn't reflect noise as much)?

We didn't notice any additional noise from the hard floor in our room at the Yacht Club. But when we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside there was a lot of noise from the room above us that was a little louder because of the hard floor.

Speaking of things giving me pause, I don't mean to start the dreaded Dog Discourse but are they really very present at YC?

We saw a couple dogs at the Yacht Club when we stayed there in October, but they were well behaved and didn't bother us. The total time spent actually seeing dogs at the resort probably totally just a couple of minutes. We walked past a dog, we saw the same dog coming out of the elevator with its owner, and that same dog was in the hallway near our room. We also saw a second dog at the YC, but all of these encounters were very brief. They are not very present at all, imo.

 

[kylenne]

Normally I am very sensitive to smells. However, I have been in BC lobby many times and I have never noticed a fishy smell from Cape May Cafe OR a lovely smell which people like so much they search out products with the same scent. If debating YC or BC, I personally would not use “smells” as a criteria.

I know other people have different opinions.

I'd concur with this. I am super sensitive to smells. I'm actually allergic to 99% of perfumes and most Scentsy things for example I've gotten. I hate cooking fish at home because the smell bothers me, however I've never noticed a fishy smell in the BC lobby or the area of Cape May. To my knowledge they use the same scent products that Contemporary/BLT uses, which is an amazing smell! One of the few I'm not allergic to!

I mean that’s genuinely fantastic for you both but I was there in November and it bothered me. So it’s personally criteria for me...not high up but it is a factor and I wish it wasn’t, because I otherwise really enjoyed my short stay at BC, but it is what it is.

@kylenne - Perhaps a topic for another thread, but my most obtrusive/in your face dog moment at WDW to date was at GF Sugarloaf - a non-dog hotel! In the CL lounge for that matter. Much to the adoration of the CL CMs.

Anyway, to answer your question - I’ll occasionally see a dog or two or three at YC. I saw more than normal at YC over Labor Day weekend, but I chalked it up more guests who drove so can bring Fido along, shorter park hours so they’re not leaving Fido alone for hours on end, and a holiday weekend with potentially shorter stays. And I would say a good chunk of those sightings were when I was out running in the early AM.

Generally speaking (key word) I see more service dogs across property than I do pets at YC.

Experiences always vary of course, but we only saw 1 dog over the course of our 9 night stay this fall.

We didn't notice any additional noise from the hard floor in our room at the Yacht Club. But when we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside there was a lot of noise from the room above us that was a little louder because of the hard floor.

We saw a couple dogs at the Yacht Club when we stayed there in October, but they were will behaved and didn't bother us. The total time spent actually seeing dogs at the resort probably totally just a couple of minutes. We walked past a dog, we saw the same dog coming out of the elevator with its owner, and that same dog was in the hallway near our room. We also saw a second dog at the YC, but all of these encounters were very brief. They are not very present at all, imo.

This is all really reassuring to hear! After checking out some videos GF seems to like YC’s rooms better so it looks like we’ll be staying there. I just really hope Yachtsman and Crew’s Cup will be open again by then, I still have dreams about that burger at the latter!

 

[magicmountainmama]

This one is sometimes a debatable topic, and of course there’s no right or wrong when it comes to tipping habits, but I’ll tell you what we do.

You generally interact with two people during a cabana rental. One is a recreation CM - they set up the cabana, check you in, bring the sodas/water for the fridge (stocked pre-COVID, upon request at the moment), bring the fruit tray in the AM and desserts in the afternoon, and will generally check in on your during day. The other is a food/beverage CM - they are the ones taking food/drink orders.

For the food/beverage CM, they will keep a tab open so you can pay and add the tip with your preferred payment method just like if you were at a bar/restaurant.

That leaves the recreation CM. There is no financial transaction that occurs with this person, so if you opt to tip it needs to be cash.

Personally, I tip both CMs. When I’ve said that in the past someone will always be quick to come on here and say “the recreation CM is not a tipped position.” I don’t really know if they are or not, nor do I really care. If you’re going to bring waters all day, keep the fridge stocked, bring fruit and treats, and generally be a host for the day, you’re going to get a tip from us.

Just my two cents on the topic.

Thank you! This is what I was really wondering. I would absolutely want to tip the CM attending to the cabana and the CM bringing food. I’ll make sure to have cash on hand. Thanks again!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thank you! This is what I was really wondering. I would absolutely want to tip the CM attending to the cabana and the CM bringing food. I’ll make sure to have cash on hand. Thanks again!

Hope you enjoy your cabana day! They really are wonderful, IMO.

I will say, we did have one time where the cabana recreation attendant was really MIA most of the day. She set things up, brought the fruit and dessert tray, but was otherwise more interested in chatting with her fellow recreation CM at the gates than ever being around the cabanas. I was going to give a small thank you tip anyway, but I couldn’t even find her.

The other times we’ve had cabanas the recreation attendant was totally on it all day, very engaged, checking on us frequently, great conversation, and just generally ‘around.’ They have gotten the big tips, because I value how they contribute to our overall experience.

I’m trying to remember, I think I had to do the awkward “offer three times before they’ll accept it” thing once, which I guess is the rule for some positions. Just FYI in case someone really objects.

Have fun!

 

[North of Mouse]

Will I be kicked out of this thread if I say I haven’t necessarily missed Cape May or its evening fishy smell and would be OK if it stayed closed a little longer?



I’ll see myself out.

Consider yourself kicked out!

That is our #1 restaurant on property and the great 'fishy' smell is what you get when you steam shellfish. I take it you don't like seafood, and that's understandable. Actually we don't find the smell that strong. In fact, have never even smelled anything in the lobby except that great unique BC smell! Only passing along the restaurant in the hallway do I smell it at all.

So, 'sorry', but we want it back so bad (as it was) even though we have absolutely no plans for Disney until this Covid is well under control.

 

[Dug720]

Consider yourself kicked out!

That is our #1 restaurant on property and the great 'fishy' smell is what you get when you steam shellfish. I take it you don't like seafood, and that's understandable. Actually we don't find the smell that strong. In fact, have never even smelled anything in the lobby except that great unique BC smell! Only passing along the restaurant in the hallway do I smell it at all.

So, 'sorry', but we want it back so bad (as it was) even though we have absolutely no plans for Disney until this Covid is well under control.

Maybe thanks to COVID they will put in better ventilation and/or air purifiers to help remove the smell for those of us who do not like seafood (granted we may be more sensitive to it than people who like seafood). I've even found the smell lingering at breakfast, which isn't always the most appetizing addition to waffles and such.

 

[jen7233]

A chilly morning but crowds are not too bad, the Marketplace really isn’t too crowded and neither it seems in the resort. Lobby tree is so nice!

 

[bookbabe626]

Need opinions from the other YC/BC lovers out there...

We currently have YC booked for the MK anniversary week, Sept 28-Oct 5. Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 park days are all at MK, but we’d likely hop to Epcot or somewhere else for the evening at least two of those days. When staying at YC, we tend to walk to DHS and Epcot, and uber to MK (contemporary) and AK. We love YC, and pretty much everything about it.

DH is worried that the Contemp will be closed off that weekend, and we’ll be stuck with the buses or ubering to the TTC. Now that WL is opening, he asked about whether we should swap over there for that trip, so we could boat to MK and uber everywhere else. The other advantage to WL would be king beds as a bookable category and freshly renovated rooms. However, any time we stay anywhere else we miss the convenience of the YC location and the fabulousness of SAB.

Thoughts? Should we stay with what we love and risk transportation woes, or swap to our second choice hotel but guarantee easier transportation for the three MK days?

 

[Best Aunt]

Need opinions from the other YC/BC lovers out there...

We currently have YC booked for the MK anniversary week, Sept 28-Oct 5. Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 park days are all at MK, but we’d likely hop to Epcot or somewhere else for the evening at least two of those days. When staying at YC, we tend to walk to DHS and Epcot, and uber to MK (contemporary) and AK. We love YC, and pretty much everything about it.

DH is worried that the Contemp will be closed off that weekend, and we’ll be stuck with the buses or ubering to the TTC. Now that WL is opening, he asked about whether we should swap over there for that trip, so we could boat to MK and uber everywhere else. The other advantage to WL would be king beds as a bookable category and freshly renovated rooms. However, any time we stay anywhere else we miss the convenience of the YC location and the fabulousness of SAB.

Thoughts? Should we stay with what we love and risk transportation woes, or swap to our second choice hotel but guarantee easier transportation for the three MK days?

I am not a fan of Wilderness Lodge. The bus service from there to MK is good (better than the boat service from there to MK). But that's the only good thing about it. I felt very isolated there. Yes, I could Uber to the other parks. But I'm someone who likes to go to a park early in the morning, go back to the hotel early afternoon, relax, and then wander around to other hotels or Epcot to check out the gift shops, get something to eat, etc. There is no "wandering" from Wilderness Lodge. You want to eat something other than what's in the hotel? That's another Uber ride. You want to buy something and the hotel gift shop doesn't have it? That's another Uber ride.

You need to think about how you plan to spend your entire days and evenings, not just how you will get to the park in the morning. Would it be hotel to MK to Epcot to hotel? Or hotel to MK to hotel to Epcot to hotel?

 

[evlaina]

Need opinions from the other YC/BC lovers out there...

We currently have YC booked for the MK anniversary week, Sept 28-Oct 5. Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 park days are all at MK, but we’d likely hop to Epcot or somewhere else for the evening at least two of those days. When staying at YC, we tend to walk to DHS and Epcot, and uber to MK (contemporary) and AK. We love YC, and pretty much everything about it.

DH is worried that the Contemp will be closed off that weekend, and we’ll be stuck with the buses or ubering to the TTC. Now that WL is opening, he asked about whether we should swap over there for that trip, so we could boat to MK and uber everywhere else. The other advantage to WL would be king beds as a bookable category and freshly renovated rooms. However, any time we stay anywhere else we miss the convenience of the YC location and the fabulousness of SAB.

Thoughts? Should we stay with what we love and risk transportation woes, or swap to our second choice hotel but guarantee easier transportation for the three MK days?

I would split stay that trip if possible. Maybe sept 28, 29, 30, oct 1 nights at WL, and october 2, 3, 4 nights at YC? I would imagine there are major fireworks and other celebrations happening at MK and I wouldn't want to hop to Epcot at all at least October 1 and 2.

 

[kylenne]

Need opinions from the other YC/BC lovers out there...

We currently have YC booked for the MK anniversary week, Sept 28-Oct 5. Sept 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 park days are all at MK, but we’d likely hop to Epcot or somewhere else for the evening at least two of those days. When staying at YC, we tend to walk to DHS and Epcot, and uber to MK (contemporary) and AK. We love YC, and pretty much everything about it.

DH is worried that the Contemp will be closed off that weekend, and we’ll be stuck with the buses or ubering to the TTC. Now that WL is opening, he asked about whether we should swap over there for that trip, so we could boat to MK and uber everywhere else. The other advantage to WL would be king beds as a bookable category and freshly renovated rooms. However, any time we stay anywhere else we miss the convenience of the YC location and the fabulousness of SAB.

Thoughts? Should we stay with what we love and risk transportation woes, or swap to our second choice hotel but guarantee easier transportation for the three MK days?

I agree with @Best Aunt because what YC/BC have to offer and WL does are very different. If you love YC for the convenience, WL is kinda rough. Not easy to just casually walk to other places for more options in terms of food, etc. And I think your husband is on the money. We booked CR for that weekend just a couple of days or so after the 499 mark and were lucky to get CL Lake View. It's booked solid that weekend and I have to imagine they will be pretty strict about letting people Uber over there at least without a mobile order or ADR.

Would you be willing to split at all? Staying at WL for your MK days and then move to YC might be an idea.

 

[bookbabe626]

I am not a fan of Wilderness Lodge. The bus service from there to MK is good (better than the boat service from there to MK). But that's the only good thing about it. I felt very isolated there. Yes, I could Uber to the other parks. But I'm someone who likes to go to a park early in the morning, go back to the hotel early afternoon, relax, and then wander around to other hotels or Epcot to check out the gift shops, get something to eat, etc. There is no "wandering" from Wilderness Lodge. You want to eat something other than what's in the hotel? That's another Uber ride. You want to buy something and the hotel gift shop doesn't have it? That's another Uber ride.

You need to think about how you plan to spend your entire days and evenings, not just how you will get to the park in the morning. Would it be hotel to MK to Epcot to hotel? Or hotel to MK to hotel to Epcot to hotel?

I would split stay that trip if possible. Maybe sept 28, 29, 30, oct 1 nights at WL, and october 2, 3, 4 nights at YC? I would imagine there are major fireworks and other celebrations happening at MK and I wouldn't want to hop to Epcot at all at least October 1 and 2.

I agree with @Best Aunt because what YC/BC have to offer and WL does are very different. If you love YC for the convenience, WL is kinda rough. Not easy to just casually walk to other places for more options in terms of food, etc. And I think your husband is on the money. We booked CR for that weekend just a couple of days or so after the 499 mark and were lucky to get CL Lake View. It's booked solid that weekend and I have to imagine they will be pretty strict about letting people Uber over there at least without a mobile order or ADR.

Would you be willing to split at all? Staying at WL for your MK days and then move to YC might be an idea.

Split stays aren‘t really something we like, even to the point that we stopped doing an All-Stars night for arrival, even when we arrive after midnight. Just too much hassle for us, we’d rather settle in once and then not move until Tragic Express Time.

We have done WL in December for the holiday vibe, and really love it at that time of year. It helps, I guess, that it’s usually not prime pool weather, so we don’t miss SAB.

We normally aren’t rope drop or park close people, we tend to hit a park around 10am, stay until 2 or 3, back to hotel and the pool for a bit, then dinner at our evening park. I like parades and fireworks but DH could care less, and only stays if I really want to. No idea how our park pattern will change with the reservation system and new hopping guidelines. And it would make it easier if they’d release at least some info re exactly what’s going on at MK that week. I don’t want to swap hotels just for a souvenir button and the opportunity to buy a fancy cupcake.

Anyone remember what went on for the last big anniversary events at MK? Was Contemporary closed off for traffic? I think that’s our big fear, but I guess if it is we could uber to GF and walk from there now that the new pathway is open. Or even from Poly or the TTC if we had to. We often walk thru Epcot to the MK monorail even though it’s longer, just to avoid the buses. I think DH would much prefer a 30 min walk over a 15 min bus ride...

 

[lovingeire]

I mean that’s genuinely fantastic for you both but I was there in November and it bothered me. So it’s personally criteria for me...not high up but it is a factor and I wish it wasn’t, because I otherwise really enjoyed my short stay at BC, but it is what it is.

I'm sorry! It really does stink when there are smells that bother you. I didn't mean to be insensitive to it, as I know how rough that can be. I do eat seafood so maybe it doesn't bother me as much there? Who knows. We ate there last Nov, as it's my husband's favorite restaurant, and he's already complaining it's not open for our trip next month.

 

[kylenne]

Split stays aren‘t really something we like, even to the point that we stopped doing an All-Stars night for arrival, even when we arrive after midnight. Just too much hassle for us, we’d rather settle in once and then not move until Tragic Express Time.

We have done WL in December for the holiday vibe, and really love it at that time of year. It helps, I guess, that it’s usually not prime pool weather, so we don’t miss SAB.

We normally aren’t rope drop or park close people, we tend to hit a park around 10am, stay until 2 or 3, back to hotel and the pool for a bit, then dinner at our evening park. I like parades and fireworks but DH could care less, and only stays if I really want to. No idea how our park pattern will change with the reservation system and new hopping guidelines. And it would make it easier if they’d release at least some info re exactly what’s going on at MK that week. I don’t want to swap hotels just for a souvenir button and the opportunity to buy a fancy cupcake.

Anyone remember what went on for the last big anniversary events at MK? Was Contemporary closed off for traffic? I think that’s our big fear, but I guess if it is we could uber to GF and walk from there now that the new pathway is open. Or even from Poly or the TTC if we had to. We often walk thru Epcot to the MK monorail even though it’s longer, just to avoid the buses. I think DH would much prefer a 30 min walk over a 15 min bus ride...

In that case, I think I would probably stay at YC if I were you. Not sure it would be worth it to change resorts for a whole week solely for a couple of days on the trip. If you don't care about rope drop, you can always try to book an early breakfast ADR at one of the monorail resorts and Uber to them, I have a feeling Kona and Grand Floridian Cafe might be easier to pull off since it's a longer walk from those two resorts to MK, so probably won't be quite as popular as the Wave. Worst case scenario you can Uber to TTC and hoof it from there if you don't want to rely on Disney transportation and you don't mind the walk. I hear you about the buses, I walked through Epcot to take the monorail to MK myself.

 

[kylenne]

I'm sorry! It really does stink when there are smells that bother you. I didn't mean to be insensitive to it, as I know how rough that can be. I do eat seafood so maybe it doesn't bother me as much there? Who knows. We ate there last Nov, as it's my husband's favorite restaurant, and he's already complaining it's not open for our trip next month.

It's ok! I really do think whether or not you enjoy eating seafood makes a difference. My gf never really notices seafood smells that will knock me out, but she enjoys eating it and I don't at all. We have actually been trying to think of a compromise spot on this trip for one of our nice date nights so she can get her fix, but on our non Disney trips we run into the problem of seafood-centric restaurants having limited/crappy turf options. My unfamiliarity with the seafood places on property isn't helping lol! I was looking at Flying Fish for the YC half of our stay but am not sure.

 

[Dug720]

It's ok! I really do think whether or not you enjoy eating seafood makes a difference. My gf never really notices seafood smells that will knock me out, but she enjoys eating it and I don't at all. We have actually been trying to think of a compromise spot on this trip for one of our nice date nights so she can get her fix, but on our non Disney trips we run into the problem of seafood-centric restaurants having limited/crappy turf options. My unfamiliarity with the seafood places on property isn't helping lol! I was looking at Flying Fish for the YC half of our stay but am not sure.

Boathouse at Disney Springs has great options for seafood eaters and non-seafood eaters.

 

[jenmsmith]

For any of you that like an adult beverage and will be at YC or BCV in the next couple weeks, I highly recommend the spiked hot chocolate flight from the Beach Club marketplace. It was perfect on a cool morning.

 

[TNKim]

I've tried researching through this thread but info and photos on the Yacht Club deluxe rooms is outdated and vague at best. From what I can tell there are 2 deluxe rooms at YC, but there are no current or even old photos of the deluxe room. The photos here that are supposedly of the deluxe room 3201 (or renumbered 3209) have a separate bedroom so I don't think those photos are actually of a deluxe room. Has anyone stayed in a YC deluxe room recently and do you have photos? Does it contain 2 Queen beds plus a daybed? And where are the deluxe rooms located? From the map I saw, it looks as if they may overlook Stormalong Bay. Is this the corner that is over Cape May? I've heard of complaints of seafood odors in rooms above Cape May, so definitely take that into consideration. Of course, Cape May may still not be open by that time. We are booked in a BC deluxe room for end of May, but BC won't open until May 30, so I'm trying to narrow down my options, either do a split stay for the first half of the trip, then move to BC, or just move our reservation to YC deluxe. So any info out there on the YC deluxe rooms?

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I've tried researching through this thread but info and photos on the Yacht Club deluxe rooms is outdated and vague at best. From what I can tell there are 2 deluxe rooms at YC, but there are no current or even old photos of the deluxe room. The photos here that are supposedly of the deluxe room 3201 (or renumbered 3209) have a separate bedroom so I don't think those photos are actually of a deluxe room. Has anyone stayed in a YC deluxe room recently and do you have photos? Does it contain 2 Queen beds plus a daybed? And where are the deluxe rooms located? From the map I saw, it looks as if they may overlook Stormalong Bay. Is this the corner that is over Cape May? I've heard of complaints of seafood odors in rooms above Cape May, so definitely take that into consideration. Of course, Cape May may still not be open by that time. We are booked in a BC deluxe room for end of May, but BC won't open until May 30, so I'm trying to narrow down my options, either do a split stay for the first half of the trip, then move to BC, or just move our reservation to YC deluxe. So any info out there on the YC deluxe rooms?

There are some recent photos scattered in this thread and also the last few pages HERE
Some of the YC rooms have daybeds but not all of them. Some overlook the pool and some have garden or water views.