Disney’s Boardwalk Inn vs Yacht Club – The Best Resort?
So you’ve narrowed your Disney World Resort list down between two options: the Boardwalk Inn and the Yacht Club. But which one is the best option for you and your family?
Well, in this article, I’m going to let you know what each resort has to offer its guests, and outline some notable pros and cons of each hotel, as well. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll walk away with a good idea of which resort won the battle of Disney’s Boardwalk Inn vs Yacht Club!
Boardwalk Inn vs Yacht Club
Let’s begin this by discussing resort type.
Resort Type
Both the Boardwalk Inn and Yacht Club are considered to be “Deluxe Resorts” by Disney’s standards. In short, this means they are considered to be in the best resort category when looking at resorts on Disney property.
As a deluxe guest, you will have access to early park hours, as well as extended park hours. This is one reason why some people will only stay at a deluxe resort. Besides that, the deluxe class of resorts are beautiful and offer great amenities and theming.
Location
If you’ve narrowed your choices down to either Boardwalk or Yacht Club, chances are that you’ve decided you want to be close to Epcot.
Situated on Crescent Lake, both of these resorts are within walking distance to Epcot. You’ll also have easy access to the Skyliner that will get you to Hollywood Studios.
This is a great mode of travel, and you will have quick access to both parks. You can even take a longer stroll by walking directly to Hollywood Studios (though I do not recommend this).
However, for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, you will have to rely on the bus to get you there from these resorts.
The location overall is fantastic for both options, with no real clear winner here.
Yacht Club Dining Options
As both of these resorts are walking distance to one another, I’m only going to focus on dining options that are contained within each resort. Bear in mind, though, that if you want to skip over to one of the other resorts restaurants, you can very easily do that.
We will start with the Yacht Club. Since the Yacht Club is connected to the Beach Club, I will also include some of those options here.
For casual dining with an American seafood bias, Ale & Compass is a great choice for breakfast or dinner. The prices are on the lower side of most upscale dining options, so this is a good restaurant that offers a lot of value for money.
Next door at then Beach Club, we have the beloved Beaches & Cream. This is a staple for many families that visit Disney World. This is your classic American diner food option, like cheeseburgers and French fries. They also offer many milkshake and sundae options, hence the “Cream” part of the name.
Crews Cup Lounge is a great place to cool off with a cocktail after a long day in the parks. This laid back bar lounge also serves up quick bites to eat with their tasty drinks.
The Yachtsman Steakhouse is one of the best Steakhouses on Walt Disney property. Le Cellier barely beats it out by my vote, but this steakhouse is fantastic signature dining. And it’s located right at the heart of the Yacht Club Resort. This is a must try if you are staying at the resort.
Boardwalk Inn Dining Options
Moving on over to Boardwalk Inn, we’re going to start with one of my favorite Italian restaurants — Trattoria al Forno. Here you can enjoy a character breakfast for the kids, and at dinner you will have a host of Italian options to choose from that are sure to please.
For a great quick service lunch option, look at the Pizza Window. The name implies exactly what you are going to get—hot pizza delivered to you at a window. Don’t let that fool you though, this pizza joint serves up a great slice of pie when you are pressed for time.
For a nice cocktail to wind down after a long day, look at making a trip over to AbracadaBar. This quick service bar harkens back to the magicians and illusionists from ages before. They have some really great drinks, and you can also grab a quick bite to eat if you are in a pinch.
For your signature dining at the Boardwalk, Big River Grille & Brewing Works offer a great entree paired with a huge beer selection. And yes, it’s actually a brewery! So you can get beer that you will not see anywhere else, and also eat a great steak in the process!
A quick tip for one of my favorite sugary treats: you can visit the Funnel Cake Cart and grab a hot, ready to eat Funnel cake. Make sure and add this to your list if you are staying at the Boardwalk!
Pools
I’m going to come right out and say it—Yacht Club (and Beach Club) have the best pool, in my humble opinion, on Disney Property.
Stormalong Bay is a 3 acre beachside pool area that sits in the middle of Yacht & Beach Club.
With 3 leisure pools and a sandy bottom beach pool, you will be hard pressed to find an area at Stormalong Bay where you can’t enjoy a relaxing moment to yourself.
Surrounding the pools is also a lazy river that will let you float around the whole 3 acre area while you sip your favorite cocktail that you can pick up at the beachside cabana.
To cap it all off, there is a 230’ waterslide that races you down from Crescent Lake to Stormalong Bay.
Though this contest is easily won by Yacht Club, we have to mention the pool over at the Boardwalk Inn.
The Luna Park Pool is a carnival themed water escape, with a 200 foot waterslide. Here, there are all sorts of statues that harken back to the 1920 amusement parks.
They also have a nearby lounge for refreshments.
I can’t mention the pool here and not bring up the crazy clown that looks like something directly out of a horror film. Thankfully Disney took notice, and removed the clown, so you don’t have to worry about him haunting your dreams, should you choose the Boardwalk Inn.
Pricing
It’s hard to narrow down the price difference here, as the price points are ever changing throughout the year.
What I can say, however, is although they both go up and down depending on the season, the prices are usually relatively neck and neck.
So I don’t think it’s terribly important to put a lot of attention on this. If you are looking at these two resorts, the money you will save will be negligible, so the better option is to pick the best one for you and your family based on the other elements.
Rooms
Yacht Club has relatively newly designed and revamped rooms. Though some people complain that it reminds them of a cramped cabin on a boat (which is part of the theme, hence “Yacht Club”) they are still spacious enough that you won’t feel too tightly packed in.
I think that feeling is generated mostly due to the low ceilings, but the room really shines everywhere else. Sporting a sleek and modern look, I suppose one could argue the rooms look too dark or modern. I find them personally to be in line with my tastes, and I enjoy the more updated designs.
Over at the Boardwalk Inn, they have some of the oldest rooms situated around Crescent Lake. With a serious lack of outlets, these rooms are not as functional as the ones you’ll find at Yacht Club.
The design is a bit old and outdated, though some people find them beautifully executed. You’ll have to be the judge here and check out the pictures for yourself.
Final Thoughts
This is an easy choice for me. If you haven’t figured it out by now, if I had to choose between these two deluxe resorts, I’d be putting my money toward the Yacht Club.
With the bonus addition of being a double resort connected to Beach Club, you also get access to the best pool on Disney Property along with some of the best signature dining options around.
And while I prefer Yacht Club in this Boardwalk Inn vs Yacht Club battle royale, this does’t mean that the Boardwalk Inn is the wrong choice for you and your family.
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