My family of 4 spent $650 a night at Disney's Yacht Club Resort, and it was totally worth the price tag
- My family of 4 stayed at Disney's Yacht Club Resort for $650 a night, and it's my favorite hotel.
- The pool area was perfect for my boys, and we spent some time there every day of our trip.
As a travel agent at Marvelous Mouse Travels, my first decision when planning my clients' trips (and my own) is picking the perfect place to stay.
I visited Disney World with my family of four for the 50th-anniversary celebration, and we chose the Yacht Club Resort for its prime location, expansive pool, and beautiful theming.
Even though it cost $650 a night, here's why it was totally worth it:
The resort makes you feel like you've been transported to the New England seaside
After flying in from Chicago and riding the Magical Express to the resort, check-in went smoothly.
The lobby is beautiful, with nautical decor and daily fresh flowers.
The whole place smells like the seaside, and the exterior is impeccably kept.
The attractive landscaping gives it the look of a sweeping New England escape.
Our room was bright and inviting, and it even had a balcony
Our standard room was clean and bright, with a pool view, hardwood floors, and nautical accents.
It had two queen beds, plenty of storage for all our clothes, a safe, and a TV. Plus it was equipped with a mini-fridge and a single-cup Keurig coffee maker.
There was also a bathroom (stocked with toiletries) with a double sink and separate areas for the shower and toilet.
The best part of the room was the balcony overlooking the pool, where I sat every morning to have my coffee.
The pool is a major selling point of the resort
The Yacht Club's pool, Stormalong Bay, is by far the best on Disney resort property.
We spent some part of each day at the pool. My kids loved the sand play area, pirate-ship slide, and volleyball court.
We also ate at the pool's quick-service restaurant, Hurricane Hannah's, at least once a day. The bacon cheeseburger and chili-cheese fries aren't to be missed.
One day of our trip, we rented a cabana at the pool and enjoyed being pampered with individualized service — including drinks and treats.
Nothing is better than being sandwiched between Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and the BoardWalk
The Yacht Club's location is its best amenity.
It's adjoined to the Beach Club Resort, which offers an ice-cream shop, arcade, and additional restaurants.
It's also less than a 10-minute walk to Epcot, which allowed us to go back and forth throughout the day and pop over in the evenings for the park's Harmonious dinner event and International Food and Wine Festival.
The hotel is a short walk from Disney's BoardWalk, where we enjoyed dinner, carnival games, and ice cream.
One day, we also walked over to play a morning round of mini golf at nearby Fantasia Gardens.
Basically anywhere we wanted to go, our transportation options were plentiful.
There were walking paths to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, boats to Hollywood Studios and resorts, Skyliner gondolas to Hollywood Studios and resorts, and buses to the other parks (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom) and Disney Springs.
We had a great experience and never had to wait more than five minutes for a bus. The My Disney Experience app was particularly handy for tracking when the next ones were set to arrive.
Like any good resort, the Yacht Club also has incredible dining options
The Yachtsman's Steakhouse is the resort's fancier table-service restaurant, and there's also the Ale and Compass, which serves breakfast and dinner.
We ate a delicious breakfast at Ale and Compass one morning before heading to the parks — the blueberry pancakes were especially good. There's also a lounge next door that's great for evening drinks.
The Yacht Club Market, connected to the gift shop, is another quick-service option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The breakfast sandwiches and bowls were quick and great for early mornings.
We also topped off our refillable mugs at the Market every day.
Overall, the location, amenities, and theming of the Yacht Club make it my favorite Disney resort.