Disney World Beach Club Resort Review and Guide

Disney’s Beach Club Resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida in a Deluxe Resort located in the Crescent Lake area of Disney World. Beach Club, along with it’s sister resort Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, are themed like a New England-styled resort hotel. We stayed at Beach Club Resort in December 2021 and this is an in-depth review of our experience and a guide for what to expect!

Beach Club Resort Location

Beach Club Resort is considered a deluxe resort and one of the things that really makes it stand out is… location, location, location!

There are a number of Disney Resorts in the Crescent Lake area of Disney World. Beach Club, its sister resort Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn, and the partner hotels by Marriott- the Swan and Dolphin Resorts.

Any resort located in the Crescent Lake area is fantastic! Not only is the view of the lake really gorgeous, but all of these resort hotels are located within walking distance of both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Depending on which resort you are staying at, you will be closer to Hollywood Studios or closer to Epcot. But each of these resorts are no more than a 10-15 walk to the gate of each theme park.

Beach Club in particular is the absolute closest hotel to Epcot’s International Gateway Entrance. You can easily walk to Epcot in less than 10 minutes and after a long day of walking in Epcot, you and your family will be grateful for the short walk back to your room.

To put this into perspective, it is closer to walk from the France/Morocco/Japan/UK area of Epcot to Beach Club than it is to walk from anywhere in the World Showcase to the bus transportation or monorail at the front of the park.

Because of the close proximity to Epcot, you can easily see the Luminous fireworks if you wanted to each night. Seriously, you can walk out to the sandy beach and catch them. You can see them from the resort pool area. And if you time it right you can see them from the Friendship Boat as you come back from an evening at Hollywood Studios. It’s downright magical!

Beach Club Resort Transportation Situation

Due to Beach Club’s fantastic prime location, there are a number of different transportation options you have based on which park you want to visit. Some of them are glorious and the best in all of Walt Disney World. Some of them are… not as great.

Walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios

This might be the best no-brainer on a deluxe resort ‘pro’ list. The walk to Epcot is a very quick walk. I am not going to lie and say there are no hills or inclines. But they are so gentle and sloped that you will only notice at the end of the night when you feet are already killing you. The ‘slope’ is really just walking over the bridge from the Crescent Lake area to Epcot’s International Gateway Entrance. That means that once you pop over that bridge, it’s downhill to your room.

You can also easily walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is a super pleasant walk along the shores of Crescent Lake. You will walk past Yacht Club Resort, Swan and Dolphin, and then wind around past the Friendship Boat Launch, the Skyliner.. and poof! You are now at the entrance to Hollywood Studios. The distance from Beach Club to Hollywood Studios is 1.2 miles. Depending on how fast you can walk (or want to walk) this will likely take you about 20-25 minutes to walk. So, it’s not the easiest solution, but it exists.

Boat Ride to Hollywood Studios… and Epcot?

If walking is the perfect option for Epcot, then taking a short boat ride is the perfect option for Hollywood Studios. Again Beach Club is a prime location for taking the Friendship Boat to Hollywood Studios.

The Friendship Boat has a dock smack dab in between Beach Club and Yacht Club. The boat arrive and take off every 15 minutes or so. Depending on the direction you are headed you will pick or drop off passengers at the other resorts in the Epcot Resort Area and then it’s a nice leisurely ride to Hollywood Studios. This transportation option is also super convenient for a midday break or getting back to the resort at the end of a long day.

Technically you can take the Friendship Boat to Epcot as well. But really, why? Depending on where your room is, you would walk more to get to the boat pier than to actually enter Epcot’s International Gateway.

Take Advantage of the Skyliner!

I don’t think Beach Club Resort is considered a Skyliner Resort, but it definitely gets honorary mention. For real, depending on where you are staying on some of the Skyliner Resorts, you walk to the Skyliner from Beach Club could be significantly shorter (looking at you Caribbean Beach Resort!).

The Skyliner terminal is right before Epcot’s International Gateway, so you can hop right on. This makes a super convenient option to either get to Hollywood Studios or come back to the resort from Hollywood Studios. Also

Can you access the Monorail?

Well, not really. The monorail is at the front of the Epcot and Beach Club is situated at the back of Epcot near World Showcase and the International Gateway. That being said, you can still use the monorail to get to Magic Kingdom if you are willing to walk through Epcot. We did this on a park day where we park hopped from Epcot to Magic Kingdom. We had a slow morning in Epcot and then when we got to the front of the park, we jumped on the Monorail to finish the day at Magic Kingdom.

You could do this in reverse as well, but Epcot often closes earlier than Magic Kingdom so that direction might not work as well.

Disney Bus Transportation

This is the ‘not so great’ transportation option at Beach Club. Unless you are walking to the front of the park to catch the monorail, you will need to take a Disney bus to either Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom Park. Actually, there is no choice but to take the bus to Animal Kingdom. It’s not that the bus isn’t nice. It’s just not nearly as nice as the other transportation options.

And honestly, depending on the day or time of day, you could wait a really long time for your bus to or from the parks. Scratch that– in my experience, catching the bus to the park in the morning tends to go very smoothly. But waiting in line forever to get the bus home after a long day can sometimes kill all your joy.

Beach Club Resort Pool- Stormalong Bay

Ok, if you thought the location of Beach Club was the best perk of this deluxe resort, you were wrong. By far, the best perk is the Beach Club Resort Pool Complex- Stormalong Bay

Stormalong Bay is the pool area shared between Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and it is hands down the best pool complex on all of Disney World’s property. This is really not just a pool, it’s a mini waterpark. And you have to be a registered guest at Yacht or Beach Club to gain access to the pool. Trust me.. they check.

Why is Stormalong Bay so fantastic? Where do I start?

The main pool has a number of different areas. There are whirlpool spas and hot tubs for adults only and a family friendly whirlpool near the kiddie pools. The Kiddie Pool has a gentle slope and sandy bottom. Yep.. sand. How fun is that?

There is a lazy river that is so fun and relaxing. The resort provides inner tubes and you can just float away all the stress of jostling thousands of fellow visitors.

Kids (and thrill seeking adults) will totally dig the shipwreck pool and water slide!

Of course, not everyone will be jazzed about Stormalong Bay. It can definitely get crowded. If you want (or need) a more tranquil experience you can hang out at one of the quiet pools on property.

For Beach Club resort guests can hang out at the Tidal Pool, and even though this is technically a Disney’s Beach Club Villas pool, guests can also utilize the Dunes Cove pool.

Beach Club Resort Dining Options

Quick Service Dining

Let’s get this bad news out of the way right away. Beach Club’s Quick Service game is pretty lame. I mean, it’s not horrible from a food standpoint. But nothing really stands out. Beach Club Marketplace is the one quick service option and if you need your Mickey Waffle fix for breakfast, it will be fine.

But there is no seating area. Beach Club Marketplace is order and pick up only. So, you can eat in your room or in the lobby? For lunch and dinner there are a few sandwich options, but not much more than that. It’s sad. Ha.

Table Service Restaurants

Where quick service options are lacking, table service restaurants are fantastic! Here is a quick rundown of the table service restaurants.

Cape May Cafe

This is considered one of the best character breakfasts at Disney World. The food is solid and you can interact with Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy!

Beaches and Cream

Beaches and Cream is a whimsical soda shop themed restaurant. For the main course you can get a selection of burgers and sandwiches.

I personally think the grilled cheese and tomato bisque soup here is one of the best (if not the best) in Disney World (for me it’s a toss up with Woody’s Lunchbox).

But you are not eating at Beaches and Cream for the grilled cheese. Dude, you must score a dining reservation for this soda shop because of the ginormous ice cream sundaes! Don’t let the menu on the Disney My Experience website fool you. There are a lot more over the top sundae options like the No Way Jose, the original Kitchen Sink sundae, Fudge Mud Slide, Snickers Sundae, and more!

Ale & Compass

This is a great option for a more substantial meal at Yacht Club Resort. We ate here for breakfast and the dark chocolate waffles were sooooo good!

Yachtsman Steakhouse

This is widely considered one of the best steakhouses at Disney World!

Beach Club Resort Standard Rooms

So, what is the actual hotel like? What are the rooms like?

We stayed in a standard queen resort view room. The room had two queen bed, a couch, plenty of closet space a nicely sized bathroom, and a balcony.

For all Disney Resorts you can use your My Disney Experience App to check in for a simplified arrival. If you are worried about where your room is, you can see a Disney cast member at the front desk for a more traditional check-in process. Even though the app check in is super convenient, we often check in at the front desk because they can adjust the location of your room. And, in numerous instances, we have been pixie dusted room upgrades (which is a nice way to start your vacation!).

Standard guest rooms are approximately 381 square feet. The Beach Club rooms were renovated in August 2023 (after we stayed at Beach Club) but they don’t look a lot different then they did in 2021. The floors are carpeted and the beds are super comfortable. Each room also has a flat screen TV.

I love that mousekeeping makes Mickey-shaped towels. This is Such a magical touch!

The bathroom is fairly standard but not small. Our room had a tub and double vanity.

When we stayed at Beach Club the bathroom amenities included the H2O+ brand, which many guests loved. Since the renovations, I believe there is a new brand, but it is probably comparable. The point is, some of the toiletries are in big vats in the bathroom (shampoo and conditioner) but some are in single serving containers you can take with you!

A note about Resort Room Location

This is the view from a resort view balcony.

Our room was a 5-10 minute walk from the lobby. So, not as far as say.. Animal Kingdom Lodge, but not close either. That being said, we could get to our room pretty quickly after an Epcot day because it was one of the closer buildings to Epcot.

The only downside to being that close to Epcot was… the fireworks. I know I said fireworks was a perk earlier. It is. But if you are trying to sleep (or your young child is trying to sleep), the Epcot fireworks are so loud they shake the room. My 9 year old was actually a little scared of how loud they were.

If this is something that will bother you, I would ask for a room on the Yacht Club side of the resort (which is closer to the pool anyway), or a room that is further away from the lake side.

Benefits and Amenities

One of the ‘not advertised’ benefits of staying at Beach Club Resort was that we got to accidentally see Pluto and Goofy. Now that we have stayed at a few Deluxe Resorts I know characters can pop in to the lobby from time to time. But we were definitely surprised!

A Cast Member told us characters in training often visit the resorts to practice being their character. That is so cool!

Beach Club at Christmas

Beach Club at Christmas is really quite splendid. I know Grand Floridian gets much of the press, but this carousel is really impressive. It is made out of gingerbread! And the horses are edible too! And the carousel moves around. If you are in Disney during the holiday season you must make the time to come see the Gingerbread Carousel at Beach Club Resort!

Other Beach Club Resort Amenities

Most Disney resorts have extra activities and amenities. Deluxe resorts tend to have more extras. In addition to Stormalong Bay there is an actual beach you can hang out on. You can’t swim in Crescent Lake, but the sandy beach is a nice touch!

There is a small arcade (most resorts have an arcade) and a fitness center.

Beach Club offers campfires (and you can purchase a s’mores kit) and Movies Under the Stars.

You can play tennis near the Admiral Pool at Yacht Club and of course, you can jog/walk around Crescent Lake on the walking path.

Additional Benefits for Beach Club Resort Guests

There are so many reasons to stay on a Disney resort during your Disney World vacation. At some point I will write a post about that, but in the meantime, here are the quick hits.

Benefits for all Disney Resort Guests

Make Advanced Dining Reservations for Table Service Restaurants at 60 days before your vacation starts for your entire stay.
Make Multipass and Single Pass Lightning Lane Reservations 7 days before your vacation starts for your entire stay.
You are in the Disney bubble for your entire stay (if you choose to stay at Disney)
Early Theme Park Entry. You can enter the park 30 minutes before park opening to get a head start on select rides.
FREE Disney World Transportation. No parking, complementary shuttles (and other transportation options), and Disney buses/etc.. are closer and have easier access to the parks.
In 2025, you get FREE access to one of Disney’s waterparks on the day of your check-in.

Benefits for Disney Deluxe Resort Guests

Extended Evening Hours: 2 Extra hours for Deluxe Resort guests for select parks on select nights. Typically this is Epcot on Mondays and Magic Kingdom on Wednesdays. However during the Fall and Winter Magic Kingdom Party Season, Extended Evening Hours often is moved to Hollywood Studios or even Animal Kingdom.
6PM additional Virtual Queue availability for Extended Evening Hour Event.
The ability to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass to get a Lightning Lane to ride every ride in the park you purchase it for one time.

Disney World Beach Club Resort Review and Guide

Beach Club Resort Location