Welcome back to another Disney Top 5.
Hot dog! I’m going to Walt Disney World in about a week!
Yes indeed. It’s been just over a year since we were last there and what a long year it’s been. Finally the countdown to magic has entered the single digits! As you can imagine, I’m bursting at the seams with anticipation. Everything is planned and organized. The magic bands have arrived. The yellow Magical Express tags are waiting to be lovingly wrapped around our luggage handles. The eBay order of trading pins came just the other day and aside from physically packing our bags, we are all ready to go.
So, aside from the obvious overdose of happiness and magic, what am I looking forward to this time around? Is it my first ride on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? Definitely. How about the new Magic Kingdom parade, Festival of Fantasy? You betcha! Ice-skating at Hollywood Studios? Why not? Taking one final ride on Maelstrom before Anna, Elsa and Olaf take over? Sad… but yes, that’ll be a must-do for us. It’ll be all those things and much, much more, but is there something that I’m looking forward to most of all? Yes, there certainly is. For the first time in five years, we’ll be staying in one of our favorite Disney resorts: the Yacht Club.
Five years ago 18 of us descended upon the Yacht Club for a long September weekend. What a weekend that was! Now my family and our new favorite Disney travel buddies, the Farley family, are making the trek back to Crescent Lake for the first time together. Nestled on its “shores” we’ll find Disney’s Yacht Club and its sister resort next door: Disney’s Beach Club. Together, they make up one of those oh-so-perfect spots that make Walt Disney World…and I hate to overuse the cliché, but hey—when the adjective fits I use it…so magical.
So what is it exactly that’s drawing me back to the Yacht Club Resort? What am I looking forward to most once we come ashore there? Let’s take a look with my Top 5 Things to Look Forward to at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
5 – Nautical Theming
The lobby of Disney's Yacht Club Resort. Photo by Sue Holland.
I grew up on an island. Believe it or not, despite the obvious name, most people here seem to forget that Long Island is indeed an island – completely surrounded by water. Not only did I grow up on Long Island, but I also spent a lot of time just off the island in—and on—the water. My family had boats. Some of my extended family had boats. My in-laws had boats. My friends had boats. Currently residing in my garage are six surfboards, two windsurfers, one kayak, one Sunfish sailboat, and a multitude of wetsuits, boogie boards and everything else imaginable to keep you entertained in the sea. The Yacht Club theme feels a lot like home to me. Even though Walt Disney World certainly is a landlocked destination, when you’re at this resort, it feels like you’re on the waterfront. The rich detailing throughout the resort drives the theme home in just the right way. It’s perfectly done.
4 – Walking or Taking the Boat to Hollywood Studios
The Yacht Club Friendship Boat dock. Photo by Sue Holland.
As if being able to walk into Epcot wasn’t reason enough to stay here, you’ve got yet another of the four Walt Disney World parks a short stroll or boat ride away. Admittedly, Hollywood Studios is my least favorite park, but there are several attractions that I just can’t miss. Star Tours, Toy Story Mania, and my beloved Muppets make my trip to the Studios worthwhile. A beautiful walk along the water in the morning to get there and a pleasant boat trip home make it that much nicer for me when staying here.
3 – Walking to and from Epcot
Epcot is just a short walk away. Photo by Julie China.
Speaking of walking to a Disney park; what could be better than spending an evening in Epcot’s World Showcase walking through the countries…eating dinner in Mexico, enjoying crepes in France for dessert, and then watching Illuminations from your favorite spot, perhaps along the lagoon in Germany? How about being able to leisurely walk home? That’s the true joy of the Crescent Lake resorts: the wonderfully close proximity to Epcot. I adore the Polynesian, but boy—I wish I could walk back there after a night in the Magic Kingdom just like I can walk back to my room after a night at Epcot. It can’t be beat.
2 – Stormalong Bay
One of the many views of Stormalong Bay. Photo by Sue Holland.
Is there any better pool complex on Walt Disney World property? Scratch that. Is there any better pool complex at any hotel…anywhere? Stormalong Bay makes it hard to leave the hotel grounds. It’s that good. The lazy river. The bridges. The seaside theme. The sandy bottom. It all pulls together for one heck of a swimming experience, more akin to a private waterpark than a pool complex. Climb up to the top of the Flying Jib Slide at sunset for a truly unique Walt Disney World memory. What a fantastic view! I can’t wait to spend my midday breaks in Stormalong Bay with my wife and kids, acting like even more of a kid than I do when I’m in the parks. Pack the swim trunks and leave the grown-up in you behind.
1 – A Certain Level of Much Needed Tranquility
The Yacht Club's beautiful grounds add to the overall peaceful atmosphere of the resort. Photo by Sue Holland.
Last year we stayed at the BoardWalk Resort across the lake from the Yacht Club. While I did enjoy our time there I had several bad experiences having my “Disney Bubble” popped along the boardwalk. Leaving Epcot on Sunday afternoon on our last day and running into a massive crowd of screaming football fans spilling out of the ESPN Zone definitely wasn’t how I wanted to end my trip. Just the night before that unfortunate moment we had taken the bus back to the Yacht Club from the Magic Kingdom because the BoardWalk bus was packed. We figured we’d take a nice peaceful stroll around the boardwalk to get home. When we arrived at the Yacht Club, it was indeed peaceful. We commented on how tranquil the atmosphere there was. It wasn’t until we rounded the corner approaching the BoardWalk Resort that a drunk spilling out of Jellyrolls’ doors ruined that moment and started making creepy comments to my 14-year-old daughter. It was the most un-Disney-like moment on any of our many trips.
I remember the stroll back to The Yacht and Beach Club from Epcot as always being nice and peaceful with no nightclubs disturbing the peace. My wife felt the same way on her early morning runs. We always felt like we were happily inside our safe, tranquil, magical “Disney Bubble.” I didn’t always feel that way at the BoardWalk last year, and I can’t wait to experience that unique serenity again next week at the Yacht Club. Staying in that bubble is what it’s all about for me, and from what I can recall, the Yacht Club does an awesome job at delivering that feeling.
So there you have my Top 5 Things to Look Forward to at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. I’m smiling ear to ear as I write this because I know that in about a week’s time I’ll be there and the magic will wash over me yet again and…well…you know. I don’t have to explain it do I?
Needless to say…I simply can’t wait to be back.
As always, I’d like to hear your thoughts on my list. Click on the link below; let me hear what you have to say about Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and I’ll see you next time with another Disney Top 5.
