Disney's Yacht Club

SIXTH LOCATION

Disney’s Yacht Club

What is this fancy place?

Raise the anchor! Hoist the sails! And get ready for a fancy high-seas adventure at the Yacht Club! Disney’s Yacht Club opened in 1990 and is based off of New England yacht clubs. It has a distinctly early 20^th century influence (which most of the EPCOT Area Resorts have), and is completely nautical-themed from the decorative portholes to the sand-bottom pool. So put on your captain’s hat and get ready to dive into formal fanciness of the hardiest kind.

First Impressions of the Fancy

The Yacht Club is stately elegance, robust polished wood, gleaming floors, fine leather, and tasteful albeit quiet decorations. When the doors slide open, and a line of courtly cast members welcome me home, I feel as if I am a captain stepping onto my ship, a ship fit for the likes of a king. Everything is shipshape: the crisp carpet; the snug lounge chairs; the prim and snappy cast member costumes, and the refined ship models. Everything has its place and nothing is out of place. In some ways, it reminds me of a museum, with its dignified architecture and assortment of exhibits.

The Yacht Club owns up to its name in other ways, besides resembling the cabin of a fine yacht. It has its own lighthouse, where boats pick up passengers and deliver them to other EPCOT Area Resorts, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios. Also, in front of the resort is a line of boats, all for rent. You can get a taste of true captaincy and take one of their ships on the lake.

Fancy Writing Spaces?

The Contemporary is the resort of my childhood; the Yacht Club is the resort of my adulthood. All of the times I’ve visited, I’ve always dreamed of curling up in one these leather armchairs and typing out a story. 

Today, my dream is realized. I set up my office: laptop in my lap, food from the vending machine on the table, feet kicked out, fingers ready to drag my story from imagination into reality.

 It’s a fairly comfortable place to relax. People come and go; the location is right by the second floor elevators and stairs to the lobby, so it can get some foot-traffic. But I don’t feel like I’m being intruded upon, nor do I feel like I’m intruding. These armchairs are located perfectly between the quiet guest areas and the busyness of the lobby. Hence, I’m not disturbed too often, but I’m not isolated either.

 

Other Spaces

There were some other spaces I looked at. These armchairs look snuggly and were in a quiet area away from the stairs and elevators, but still overlooking the lobby. However, I am always nervous using an outlet that’s already been claimed by something else, so I fled this area. 

Another curious area was this window seat. An outlet was handy nearby, but it felt odd to be writing in a walkway, with my back to the window, especially since cast members were stationed nearby and I felt weird with them watching me. So I scurried away to somewhere  more relaxing.

Fancy Details

I’m going to start including this section now, because I find so many little things fascinating and clever. I have the luxury of being able to leisurely explore these hotels, and I think the imagination and research that goes into these masterpieces really helps guests feel wrapped in the magic. It certainly helps me when I’m trying to find a place with a certain mood and tone as I write.

From lamps with anchors and stars, to trees and wreaths with model ships, to rows of ship layouts, the design and decorations will make you either feel like you're in a boating museum or...like you're at a Yacht Club!

If you want to know what a 'real' Yacht Club looks like, take a look at the pictures from Bay Head Yacht Club in New Jersey here. Look at that shingle roof and those beautiful white-poled balconies! Why does it seem so familiar? Hmmm... ;)

Fancy Extras


During the holidays there's a beautiful little train and village set up. There's little details that allude to the EPCOT Area Resorts, and Disney as a whole. There's a sign that says "New England Village", referring to places the resorts were themed after. 

Then there are signs like "Cape May" and "Peaches and Cream". Cape May is an island in New Jersey, is a rather famous beach resort, and part of what the EPCOT Area Resorts were based off of. Cape May is also a cafe in the neighboring Beach Club. 

Peaches and Cream is a dessert, often served ice-cream style; the resort's ice cream parlor (which is shared with the Beach Club) is called "Beaches and Cream". Coincidence? Maybe :) 

Bonus: Check out a yacht club from Cape May here!