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Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Bring Turn-of-the-Century
New England to Vacation Kingdom
The grand, turn-of-the-century summer homes of
Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are recalled in Disney's Yacht
Club Resort and Disney's Beach Club Resort, two
deluxe-category hotels at Walt Disney World Resort.
Guests can walk or go by tram from the resorts
to Epcot, or travel by water taxi to Disney's Hollywood
Studios. Convenient bus service transports guests throughout
Walt Disney World Resort.
The luxury club hotels on the shores of
25-acre Crescent Lake are designed by noted architect Robert
A.M. Stern, best known for his East Coast seaside homes. The
resorts take guests back to the 1890s with fancy-cut shingles,
French doors and other post-modern embellishments that are the
trademark of Stern's work.
The imagery follows through in Stormalong Bay,
a 2 1/2-acre water recreation area reminiscent of a Nantucket
beach with a life-size shipwreck with water slides, snorkeling
in a sandy lagoon and a meandering swimming area that
seemingly flows into the surrounding lake.
There is also a 73,000-square-foot convention
center adjacent to the resorts that includes a
36,000-square-foot ballroom capable of seating up to 2,800 for
dinner.
Complementing each other, the three-, four-
and five-story club hotels nonetheless have distinctive
architectural styles. Each hotel has its own entrance motif,
main lobby, restaurants and retail shops.
New England Echoes in Disney's Yacht
Club Resort
Oak floors, antique chandeliers and rich millwork and brass
evoke memories of New England summer days in Disney's Yacht
Club Resort. Cast members in navy blue blazers greet guests as
they check into the silvery-gray clapboard hotel.
The nautical theme carries through in the
hotel's restaurants. With porthole windows and a picturesque
wall of moving sailboats, Captain's Grille features
regional New England foods like chowder, fresh fish and
home-baked breads along with sandwiches, steaks and chicken
specialties.
Yachtsman Steakhouse is inspired by
Northeastern eateries with a glassed beef-aging room, open-air
kitchen and hardwood-fired grills for meats and vegetables.
The dining area features a spacious rotunda room as well as a
private room with seating for 12.
For hors d'oeuvres and drinks, rustic Crew's
Cup Lounge offers beers from around the world in frosted
mugs. The room is designed in reclaimed Southern pine with
copper accents, and the walls are lined with art and
memorabilia of Ivy League rowing teams.
The 621-room hotel offers luxurious suites,
including presidential and vice-presidential suites. Spacious
rooms decorated in blues and whites carry through the nautical
theme. All have French doors that open onto porches or
balconies.
An expansive croquet lawn at Disney's Yacht
Club Resort goes with the relaxed, leisure spirit of the
1870s, and the resort's marina lighthouse welcomes guests home
after a day in the Walt Disney World theme parks.
Stormalong Bay
Guests can splash through three lagoon areas -- including one
specifically designed for younger water-lovers, with a depth
of 2 to 3 feet.
A spiral stair on board the life-sized
shipwreck ascends to a 150-foot mast, broken and askew to
serve as a flume plummeting toward a rocky outcropping where
another 150 feet of spins complete a fast-moving thrill slide.
Each hotel also features a "quiet
pool" in alcoves far removed from Stormalong Bay. There
also are motorized watercraft at the resort marina.
A tile-lined, 12-person Jacuzzi, reminiscent
of the famous old health spas, is the centerpiece of the
4,750-square-foot Ship Shape Health Club. A steam bath, sauna
and massage rooms also are included. A weight room and
aerobics room both have staff trained to assist guests.
The centrally located Beaches & Cream
old-fashioned ice cream parlour is the place to head after a
swim or workout, where guests can order burgers and decadent
desserts like banana splits, frozen hot cocoa, floats, shakes
and malts.
Meeting Space Themed to Disney's Yacht
Club Resort
A 73,000-square-foot convention center carries through the
oyster-gray color and architecture of Disney's Yacht Club
Resort, with elegant, "patriotic" red, white and
blue interiors. Largest space is the 36,000-square-foot Grand
Harbor Ballroom. The remaining space may be divided into more
than a dozen meeting rooms.
The convention center is joined to Disney's
Yacht Club Resort by a covered walkway. |
