If you like the idea of an old New England Yacht Club, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort at Walt Disney World may be the place for you. We stayed at this great resort last year and I wrote about several reasons you might want to stay there. Click here to read that article.
This year when we returned to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, we were surprised at the transformation of the guest rooms. While the rooms definitely felt more upscale this year, they also felt a bit more generic. My husband commented on how, if he didn’t know any better, he could be in any hotel chain, not in a Disney Deluxe Resort. If you’ve stayed at any of the Disney Resorts before, you’ll know that all of the resorts have their own story and the details have been carefully planned out to align with that story. At Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, you should feel as though you’ve entered the posh world of a grand New England-style yacht club. And you still do feel that formal grace in the lobby with its’ displays of ships and ships wheels and nautical décor. I even still felt it walking down the halls of the resort to our room. There were giant compasses on the carpet that leant to the story. However, once we entered our room, I felt the nautical impression disappear a bit. Gone are the blue and white and red color schemes. Simple wooden beds with white linens have replaced them. A faux wood floor that is surely easier for the resort staff to keep cleaner has replaced the carpet. On our previous stay, there were several nautical prints in the room. Those are mostly gone. There was only one nautical print in the room. There was a large mirror made to resemble a porthole, but you really had to think about it. There were heavy navy blue draperies with Mickey Mouse constellations that I really liked. But you had to really look carefully at them to realize the nautical emphasis. I felt as though the rooms were definitely updated and more modern. They weren’t quite as cheesy as before. But in the update, I felt like some of the whimsical fun was lost.
While the rooms may have lost some of their nautical charm, they were extremely functional and clean. In fact, upon reflection, they are sleek and streamlined like a sailing vessel. As you enter, there is a coffee and tea bar above the room’s refrigerator on one side and the bathroom on the other. There was plenty of storage space for the groceries we’d ordered and had delivered to the room above the coffee bar. Next, there was a closet with a full-length mirror inside and plenty of hanging space in case you decided to unpack. This whole area was done in a dark wood grain cabinet style. The dresser with the television on top as well as the desk was all done from this same dark wood. The bathtub now has a sliding glass door instead of a shower curtain. It was all very sleek and clean looking. I just felt it lacked the warmth and whimsy of the previous décor.
While I was disappointed with the lack of nautical detail in the newly refurbished rooms, I was NOT disappointed with the high level of service expected at a Disney Deluxe Resort. The staff was attentive and accommodating. We like staying at this resort principally for its location and ease of access into Epcot. When we go to Walt Disney World every year for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, it’s important to choose a resort that places us right at the back entrance to the theme park and all the fun that awaits us there.
If Epcot is your favorite park or if you’re attending one of the amazing festivals that are held there annually, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort just may be the right choice for you. I am a travel planner with Travel with the Magic and I can help you choose which resort is best for you. My services are FREE to my clients. Contact me today and let me help you book and plan your next Disney Destinations Vacation!
Jeri May
1-800-670-4312 x147
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