yacht club disney parking

Yacht Club Resort

By: Author Heather Thomas

Published: November 21, 2017 Updated: December 14, 2021

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is a Deluxe Resort with stunning views, popular dining, and a fan-favorite swimming pool that guests can’t get enough of. Yacht Club is also located right next to Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which is accessible just by walking.

In this article

Located in the Epcot Resort Area, Yacht Club isn’t just within walking distance of the Beach Club, but Epcot itself. There is a path that leads directly to the International Gateway. What’s better than that?

It’s definitely a pricier resort, but for good reason. Based on location, sharing several amenities with Beach Club, just a boat ride away from Hollywood Studios, access to the Skyliner at Epcot, and much more, Yacht Club has a lot to offer. 

Plus, the New England-style resort sits on the water and truly is a gorgeous resort right on property. Here’s everything you need to know.

View Yacht Club Resort Maps

Rooms And Bathrooms

Yacht Club offers a variety of rooms that can sleep up to 6 people, depending on the type of room you book.

Each rooms offers your standard amenities, like a hairdryer, TV, free WiFi, a coffee maker, telephone, in-room safe, iron and ironing board, and a mini-refrigerator. Plus, there’s a range of views, including a view of the water, pool, garden, woods, rooftop, or parking area.

There’s even a selection of rooms that feature Club Level Service , which we go over in more detail below.

And, don’t worry, there are plenty of outlets and USB ports for charging all of your devices. Better yet, there’s plenty of storage for your belongings, including space under the bed, drawers, and closet space. 

The bathrooms have storage underneath the sink and vanity area, as well, which is also separate from the shower and toilet area. 

Let’s go through the types of rooms available to book.

Standard Rooms

• Standard View : Views of Rooftop or Parking Area; 2 Queen Beds and 1 Day Bed or 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin-Size Sleeper Chair and 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed or 1 King Bed and 1 Day Bed

• Water View : Views of Crescent Lake or Quiet Pool; 2 Queen Beds or 2 Queen Beds and 1 Day Bed or 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin-Size Sleeper Chair and 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed or 1 King Bed and 1 Day Bed
• Garden or Woods View : Views of Garden; 2 Queen Beds or 2 Queen Beds and 1 Day Bed or 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin-Size Sleeper Chair and 1 Day Bed or 1 King Bed

Rooms And Suites With Club-Level Service

These rooms and suites have the same amenities provided in the rooms above, in addition to Club-Level Service perks. They include:

• Evening turndown
• Secured key access to the club-level lounge (serves refreshments 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily)
• Complimentary fax assistance
• Club Level Concierge – Regatta Club
• Complimentary health club access
• Complimentary newspapers in Club Level lounge

Guests also have access to a DVD Player and Disney Signature Services for personal assistance with your trip.

Here are the rooms:

• Standard View Club-Level : Views of Rooftop or Parking Area; 2 Queen Beds or 1 King Bed

• Garden View Club-Level : Views of Garden; 1 King Bed or 2 Queen Beds or 2 Queen Beds and 1 Day Bed
• Water View Club-Level : Views of one of the Stormalong Bay Lagoons; 1 King Bed or 2 Queen Beds and 1 Day Bed or 2 Queen Beds or 1 King Bed and 1 Day Bed

• 2 Bedroom Suite – Club-Level Access : Views of Stormalong Bay or Crescent Lake; 2 King Beds and 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa

Note: There are also both wheelchair and hearing accessible rooms available that include accessible bathrooms and visual alarms.

You can check out room layouts below.

Pet-Friendly Policy

Yacht Club is pet-friendly , but there are certain conditions that must be met. First, there’s a limit of 2 dogs per room. In order to bring your dog with you, you’ll need to call (407) 939-7539.

There’ also a day and overnight kennel care at  Best Friends Pet Care  located on property.

Checking In And Out

When it comes to checking in and out, you have a few options: at the front desk, online through the official Walt Disney World website, or via the My Disney Experience app.

The front desk is located in the lobby of the main building. Even though the front desk is there to assist guests, especially with checking in and checking out, all Disney World Resort guests are encouraged to check-in online  or by using MDE.

• Checking-In : After you check-in online or using the app, you’ll receive a room-ready notification via next. You can then use your MagicBand or MDE’s digital key feature to  unlock your room door .
• Checking-Out : Currently, guests will automatically be checked out of their rooms. But, if you have unresolved charges to your hotel folio, you’ll need to visit the front desk.

Note: Guests also have the option of to chat virtually with resort Cast Members via MDE for any assistance. 

The lobby is a nice size, with plenty of seating. Ale & Compass Restaurant and Ale & Compass Lounge are nearby, along with the Crew’s Cup Lounge . 

Magical Express pickup and the bus stop are also right outside the main lobby, along with  luggage storage  for those who have checked out or are waiting to check in.

Note: Resort Airline Check-In is no longer available.

Parking is available at Yacht Club. There is a standard $25 overnight self-parking fee  (including tax) that is applied to guests’ hotel folio upon check-out.

Valet parking is also available for $33 per night.

Complimentary standard self-parking is available for non-resort guests exploring dining, shopping, entertainment, and other experiences during the day.

We also have a complete  Walt Disney World parking  guide you can browse.

Important: Valet parking might not always be available.

Pros And Cons

[resortdetail id=’18224′]

Amenities And Shops

From gift shops, to on-site laundry services, to spa and fitness, there are several amenities offered to guests at Yacht Club.

Important note: Some of the following amenities might not be available at all times.

• Beach Club Marketplace Gifts : An all-purpose shop with souvenirs, apparel, grab ‘n’ go food items, beverages, and more.
• Marketplace at Ale & Compass : Find everyday essentials, souvenirs, beverages, and snacks.
• Laundry Services : There are 24-hour  self-service laundry facilities available near Admiral Pool.
• Dry Cleaning Services : Dry cleaning and valet laundry services are also an option.
• Movies Under the Stars : Watch complimentary Disney movies in the Solarium or on the lawn outdoors near the volleyball courts.
• Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness : Full-service exercise facility with fitness equipment and spa offerings.
• Childcare Services :  In-room babysitting  for children 6 months to 12 years old.

Pools And Recreation

Yacht Club has one main feature pool and two leisure pools. If you need a non-park day, we recommended spending the day at your hotel and enjoying a Disney Resort pool .

Important note: Some of the pools and recreation options might not be available at all times.

Feature Pool

• Stormalong Bay : A sand-bottomed pool with a lazy river that also has a life-size shipwreck replica. It has one of the highest hotel waterslides. There’s pool covers three acres. Guests can also enjoy the pool bar and grill, Hurricane Hanna’s Waterside Bar and Grill.

Leisure Pools

• Yacht Club : The Admiral Pool is located in the garden area near the tennis court. Located in the garden are
• Beach Club : The Tidal Pool is in the garden area near the volleyball court. 
• Beach Club Villas : Yacht Club guests are allowed to use the Beach Club Villas’ leisure pool, the Dunes Cove Pool.

All of the leisure pools also have steaming whirlpool spas. Guests can also rent pool cabanas , which are exclusively for Yacht and Beach Club guests.

Some other recreational options include:

• Lafferty Place (arcade games)
• Motorized Boat Rentals
• Jogging Trails
• Campfire to roast marshmallows

There are also specialties for an additional price, including:

• Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf : Two 18-hole miniature golf courses inspired by Fantasia .
• Pirate Adventure Cruise : For those 4 to 12 years-old. The pirate adventure follows clues to discover hidden treasures.

How to get from Yacht Club to anywhere at Disney World

You can choose from several forms of complimentary Disney transportation at Yacht Club, including buses (takes you to all the parks and Disney Springs), the Disney Skyliner at the International Gateway (walk the Epcot path), and a boat to Hollywood Studios (you can also take a 20-minute walk here). 

The bus stop is right outside the main entrance. All of the different ways to get from Yacht Club to anywhere in Disney World is detailed below.

Dining options at Yacht Club

Yacht Club has a variety of dining options. You can find Quick Service and Table Service options, along with lounges and the Beaches & Cream Soda Shop, which is a popular place to snag some delicious ice cream. The Market at Ale & Compass does offer Mobile Order. 

Beaches & Cream Soda Shop and Ale & Compass Restaurant also offer Mobile Dine Check-In, meaning you’ll check-in using the My Disney Experience app rather than going to the host stand. When your table is ready, you’ll be notified to proceed to a specific location.

Ale & Compass Restaurant also has Table Service To Go , which allows guests to Mobile Order and take their meal back to their room. You can read more about the dining options below.

[restaurants-new resort_location=’at’ resort_name=’18224′]

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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Resort Amenities

In-Room Floral & Gifts

Delight that special person in your life with a personalized in-room surprise—such as vibrant flowers and fun gifts! Read More

Delight that special person in your life with a personalized in-room surprise—such as vibrant flowers and fun gifts!

Whether celebrating a birthday, anniversary, first visit or romantic occasion, In-Room Floral & Gifts are sure to bring joy.

Choose from beautiful gift baskets, snack baskets, themed balloon bouquets and enchanting floral arrangements—all designed to celebrate your special moments while visiting Walt Disney World Resort.

Explore great gifts and surprises —or call (888) 814-8718 to learn more!

Order In-Room Floral & Gifts Order online anytime for delivery to any Disney Resort hotel and other select locations.

Deliveries are available 7 days a week. For same-day delivery, please order by noon.

Resort Transportation

Get around Walt Disney World Resort with ease using these convenient, complimentary transportation options. Read More

Get around Walt Disney World Resort with ease using these convenient, complimentary transportation options.

Disney Skyliner Transportation This new gondola system offers a bird’s-eye view while connecting Guests to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios from select Disney Resort hotels. A Disney Skyliner station is conveniently located at the International Gateway to EPCOT—just a quick stroll away from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

Learn more about Disney Skyliner transportation.

Disney Bus Transportation Most areas throughout Walt Disney World Resort—including theme parks, water parks, Disney Resort hotels and the Disney Springs area—are accessible by complimentary bus transportation. The bus stop at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is located a short walk from the lobby.

Learn more about Walt Disney World bus transportation.

A More Magical Stay Starts with "Hey Disney!”

The "Hey Disney!" voice assistant experience features tons of character fun plus a helpful host, who can order you extra towels and answer lots of your park questions.

Minnie Van™ Service

Dash about in Disney style with Minnie Van service Connected by Lyft for travel within Walt Disney World Resort. Please note: this service is separate from your vacation package and subject to additional charges.

Learn more about Minnie Van service.

Complimentary Wi-Fi Internet

Explore parking options at this Disney Resort hotel. Read More

Explore parking options at this Disney Resort hotel.

• Overnight self-parking is complimentary to Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels at Walt Disney World Resort.
• Valet Parking is $39 per night (includes sales tax)
• Standard self-parking is complimentary for day Guests while they enjoy select dining, shopping, entertainment and recreation experiences at this Disney Resort hotel.

Services and fees are subject to change without notice.

Learn more about parking at Walt Disney World Resort.

Online Check-In

A 24-hour ATM is located near the Front Desk.

Learn more about ATMs at Walt Disney World Resort.

Visit the Front Desk to exchange foreign currencies.

Business Center

Fax, copy, print, ship and more at the Business Center, located just inside the Convention Center.

Learn more about Business Center services and locations at Walt Disney World Resort.

Designated Smoking Areas

Disney Meetings & Events

Planning a meeting? Read More

Planning a meeting? The Convention Center at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts offers 73,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space for events large and small. Between meetings, your team can rent motor boats, relax on white-sand shores and enjoy mouthwatering cuisine.

Learn more about Disney Meetings & Events .

Housekeeping Service

When you stay at a Disney Resort hotel, enjoy peace of mind knowing that your room will be thoroughly cleaned prior to your arrival and will receive full housekeeping service daily for the duration of your stay.

Learn more.

Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services

Enjoy 24-hour self-service laundry rooms near Admiral Pool, plus dry cleaning and valet laundry services.

Learn more about laundry and dry cleaning services at Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

Mail Services

Send pre-stamped postcards and letters from the Front Desk, as well as pre-packed, pre-labeled packages. Read More

Send pre-stamped postcards and letters from the Front Desk, as well as pre-packed, pre-labeled packages. Stamps are available for purchase at Beach Club Marketplace.

Learn more about mail services at Walt Disney World Resort.

Club Level Concierge

Visit the Club Level Concierge to purchase tickets, make dining reservations and more. Read More

Visit the Club Level Concierge to purchase tickets, make dining reservations and more.

Learn more about Resort Concierge services at Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney Signature Services

Guests staying in Club-level rooms and suites are eligible for personalized vacation-planning support.

Spa & Fitness

Get toned at Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness —a full-service facility featuring equipment, massages and more.

Learn more about Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness.

Save Up to 25% at Disney Resort Hotels in 2024

Hotel Address

(407) 934-7000

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The Yacht Club Resort is a Siamese sister to the Beach Club Resort. Both share the common theme of turn-of-the-century New England. The resort's brightly colored clapboard exteriors with gingerbread details look like a well-cared for club on Martha's Vineyard...albeit a great deal larger. The Yacht Club side is a bit more so, but both resorts tend to the formal side. Hardwood floors, wainscoting, and brightly polished brass nautical knick knacks and decor, all lend themselves to the sea-side themeing.

The Yacht Club Resort is well-known as one of WDW's premier hostelries. The resort is located just a short walk from Epcot and directly across from Disney's Boardwalk and adjacent, of course, to the Beach Club Resort. This provides many options for meals and recreation right in close proximity to your hotel room.

General Information

Address: 1700 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, FL, 32830

Resort Phone #: 407-934-7000

Resort Fax #: 407-934-3450

Reservation #: 407-934-7639

Date Opened: November 5, 1990

Resort Category: Deluxe

Room Information

# of Buildings: 1 building

# of Rooms: 630 rooms

Room Rates: All rooms either have a standard view or a water view (towards the lagoon and other area resorts). See the official Disney page for the Yacht Club for current room rates.

Services Information

Concierge Service: Yes

Valet Parking: Yes ($12/day)

Room Service:

Internet: Wired in-room ethernet port. $9.95 for 24-hours. Wi-Fi access is available in certain public common areas.

Laundry: A self service laundry room is provided near the quiet pool at the back of the resort.

Pools and Swimming: There is one quiet pool at the far end of the building. Yacht Club shares the Stormalong Bay swimming area with the Beach Club resort and it includes several different areas as well as several Jacuzzis and real sand in the pool. A children's wading pool is also available at Stormalong Bay.

Gym and Exercise: The Ship Shape Health Club is also shared with the Beach Club Resort and has strength machines and aerobic equipment. Trails in the area are safe for jogging; volleyball and tennis courts are also available on site.

Spa: Massages are available, by appointment, at the Ship Shape Health Club.

Turndown service: Yes

Owner's Locker

MousePlanet partner Owner's Locker provides a highly useful service for repeat Walt Disney World visitors. It will allow you to to store a large amount of your "only-in-Florida" belongings on-site between your visits. Owner's Locker will deliver your locker to your resort early on the morning of your arrival and pick it up the day that you leave. Your locker will stay in climate-controlled storage until you return on your next visit. Owner's Locker delivers to resorts throughout the Orlando area, not just to Walt Disney World. Some of the many things that Owner's Lockers have been used to store are full-sized liquid containers to avoid the TSA hassle, clothing, holiday decorations for annual visits, pool playthings, and more. Visit their site and check them out for yourself, or order now !

Transportation Information

On foot: From the Yacht Club resort, you can easily walk to Beach Club resort, the Boardwalk resort, and Epcot. A path along the canal also allows for a longer walk to Disney's Hollywood Studios as well as the Swan and Dolphin hotel.

Bus: Busses allow direct access (without transferring) to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks as well as the Beach Club and Boardwalk resorts. Buses to Downtown Disney also stop at the two water parks; from Downtown Disney you can transfer to busses for all other destinations.

Monorail: Accessible by walking through Epcot.

Ferries: A dock at the juncture of Beach Club resort with Yacht Club resort serves a ferry that stops at Epcot, Boardwalk resort, Swan and Dolphin hotels, and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

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Captain's Grille — Breakfast offers the option of a small buffet or ordering standard breakfast items from the menu. Lunch and dinner tend towards seafood and chicken in the sailing-themed environment.

Yachtsman Steakhouse — Exactly what you'd expect from a nice steakhouse with just enough other options to ensure the whole family can find something to eat.

• Other dining — The Ale Compass Lounge and The Crew Cup are lounges that serve drinks and light appetizers. The dining options at the Beach Club and Boardwalk resorts as well as Epcot's World Showcase are within easy walking distance.

Entertainment and Amenities

• Other than swimming, the Lafferty Place Arcade has video games and the Bayside Marina offers various watercraft rentals. Bike and surry rentals are also available.

Stores and Shopping

Fittings and Fairings Clothes and Notions — A standard hotel sundries and gift store.

Related Articles

Transportation Options and Tips for Disney’s Yacht Club (The Expert’s Guide)

Staying at Disney’s Yacht Club means you’ll have access to several modes of transportation from the resort. But what is the most efficient way to get from the resort to where you’re going?

We’ve got the answers. Below, we’ll discuss every transportation tip you need to know for planning a vacation at Disney’s Yacht Club. We have stayed at this resort countless times and know all the ins and outs!

We recommend reviewing this entire guide in preparation for your trip. Then save it if you need a quick reference while on-site. But if you’re already there, here are a few quick links to some of the main destinations at Walt Disney World from the Yacht Club.

• How to Get from Disney’s Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom 
• How to Get from Disney’s Yacht Club  to Epcot 
• How to Get from Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• How to Get from Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• How to Get from Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney Springs

Can you imagine sitting at a bus stop at Walt Disney World and waiting for a bus that’s not coming? I would be willing to bet that scenario happens daily at Disney’s Yacht Club.

Over the years, we’ve often witnessed guests waiting at the bus stop for a bus to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. Sometimes, they’ve been waiting a while. Other times, they get to the bus stop, start looking at the wait signs, and immediately realize they’ve made an error.

Time is precious at Walt Disney World, and while we can’t control how long we have to wait for anything, we can learn how to use transportation to our advantage. So let’s learn how to navigate our ship, in this case–the little Friendship boats that dock immediately behind the resort!

Disney’s Yacht Club Transportation Options

The following forms of transportation are available at Disney’s Yacht Club:

• Friendship Boats
• Disney’s Bus Service
• Skyliner (within walking distance)

*You can also walk to two theme parks from the resort, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom

For Magic Kingdom, you’ll want to take the bus. Yacht Club’s bus stop is conveniently outside the resort’s front doors.

Disney’s Yacht Club shares its bus service with Disney’s Beach Club, its sister resort. So when you board the bus at the Yacht Club, you’ll stop at the Beach Club. After that, you’ll continue to the park.

Disney’s Yacht Club is the first stop when returning to the resort from Magic Kingdom. So you’ll be at an advantage on the return trip.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Epcot

You can get to Epcot from Disney’s Yacht Club in two ways. Since Disney’s Yacht Club is part of the Epcot Resorts Area , you are within short walking distance of Epcot.

#1 Walking to Epcot from the Yacht Club

How short is the walk to Epcot? Most will be able to walk out the back door of the Yacht Club and arrive at Epcot’s International Gateway in less than 10 minutes.

When you exit the resort’s lobby (on the resort side), you’ll take a left at the lighthouse and continue straight until you reach Epcot. As you can see from the picture below, it’s a gorgeous walk along stunning Crescent Lake.

#2 Taking a Friendship Boat to Epcot from the Yacht Club

Alternatively, you can continue straight to the lighthouse when you exit the Yacht Club. You can board one of Disney’s Friendship Boats and take it to Epcot from there. However, the boats take longer than walking.

The boat departs Yacht Club and continues across the lake to Disney’s Boardwalk. There, it will stop and unload before continuing to Epcot. This route takes approximately 15 minutes. You’ll board on the left-hand side of the dock if you decide to take the boat to Epcot.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Similar to traveling to Epcot, you’ll have two options for traveling to Disney’s Hollywood Studios from the Yacht Club.

#1 Walking to Hollywood Studios from the Yacht Club

First, you can walk to Hollywood Studios. However, I would caution that you know the length of the walk. We’ve mapped it, and it’s approximately 1.25 miles between Disney’s Yacht Club and Hollywood Studios.

This is one of our favorite “long” walks at the Walt Disney World Resort, but it’s not for everybody. Some days, it’s not even for us, especially when the sun is beating down so much that you might have two seconds to enjoy an ice cream cone before the entire thing turns into a–happy snowman.

That said, the serene walk is one of the best ways to escape crowds on the way back to the resort. Take it slow and allow yourself to decompress.

#2 Taking a Friendship Boat to Hollywood Studios from Yacht Club

When taking the boat to Hollywood Studios, you’ll want to board on the right-hand side of the dock. On this route, you’ll stop at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotel to load and unload. Then, you’ll continue to Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Friendship Boats are a pleasant way to travel. There is one row of exterior seats on the back of each boat, but most of the seating is inside. So, if you get in line early, you might be able to snag a seat outside.

On the return trip from Hollywood Studios, you’ll stop at the Swan and Dolphin first before arriving at the Yacht Club. We have a complete guide that discusses Disney’s Friendship Boat routes if you want to learn more.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Animal Kingdom

You’ll take a bus from the Yacht Club to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It takes approximately 15 minutes to travel from the resort to Animal Kingdom. However, loading and unloading can take extra time when you stop at the Beach Club. Again, you’ll be the first stop on the return trip.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney Springs

You’ll also need to take a bus from Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney Springs. On our last visit, this was the longest route because the bus stopped at Yacht Club, Beach Club, and then at the Boardwalk.

While this isn’t always the case, I wanted to mention it because the resorts may share buses during slower parts of the day. Regardless, you’ll be the first stop on the return trip from Disney Springs.

Accessibility at Disney’s Yacht Club

Most transportation options at Disney’s Yacht Club accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Disney provides an overview of each form of transportation on their website.

All bus stops have a separate spot for guests in wheelchairs and ECVs to wait. Additionally, the Friendship Boats accommodate most wheelchairs and ECVs. Disney has an excellent resource on their site if you want to learn more: Transportation and Mobility Disabilities at Disney World

Disney’s Yacht Club to Typhoon Lagoon

You’ll have to take a bus from the Yacht Club to Disney Springs to reach Typhoon Lagoon. At Disney Springs, you’ll board a transfer bus to Typhoon Lagoon.

You will return this same way. However, when you return to Disney Springs at the end of the day, you’ll have to locate the bus stop for Yacht Club.

Previously, Disney offered direct bus service to and from the resorts to the water parks. If this changes, signage at the bus stop will indicate which bus to take.

You may notice in the photo below under Typhoon Lagoon it says, “Take the Disney Springs bus and transfer.” You’ll want to confirm this when you arrive at the Yacht Club’s bus stop.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Blizzard Beach

You’ll also take a transfer bus to Blizzard Beach. However, you’ll take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for this water park. When you exit the Disney’s Animal Kingdom bus, you’ll board a transfer bus to Blizzard Beach.

On return, you’ll take a bus from Blizzard Beach to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You’ll have to locate Disney’s Yacht Club’s bus stop from there.

Side note: When we stay at Disney’s Yacht Club, we typically like to spend an entire resort day at Stormalong Bay . So we rarely visit the water parks.

However, driving to the water parks is much easier (or taking a car service) than using the buses. While the transfer buses aren’t the end of the world, they are a pain. That’s especially true when everyone is tired at the end of the day, and you’ve got wet swimsuits in tow, among other things.

Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney’s Boardwalk (and Epcot Resorts)

Those staying at Disney’s Beach Club will likely visit Disney’s Boardwalk Inn at least once during their vacation. Disney’s Boardwalk has several excellent restaurants. We have a list with an overview of the restaurants at Disney’s Boardwalk if you want to learn more.

You’ll have two options for getting to the Boardwalk. First, you can walk. It takes about 10 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Or you can take the Friendship Boat (on the Epcot side) and exit at the Boardwalk. This will only take a few minutes, plus how long you must wait for the boat.

You can also walk or boat to the Swan and Dolphin Hotel. If you’re visiting the Swan Reserve, you can still walk. But if you boat, you’ll exit at the Swan and Dolphin and then walk to the Swan Reserve.

Since Disney’s Beach Club Resort is connected to the Yacht Club via an indoor/outdoor walkway, you can easily walk back and forth between them. If it’s raining on the walk back from Epcot, you’ll want to enter the Beach Club’s lobby and take the covered walkway back to the Yacht Club.

Disney’s Yacht Club to the Monorail Resorts

Additionally, most guests will want to visit the  monorail resorts  for dining or touring. You can take a bus from Disney’s Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom to do this.

From there, you will have to walk through security at Magic Kingdom. Then you can walk, boat, or monorail to the following resorts:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (walk, boat, monorail)
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (boat, monorail, technically can  walk via the Grand Floridian walkway to Magic Kingdom)
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort (walk or monorail)

Disney’s Yacht Club to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness

If you want to visit Fort Wilderness or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you can take a bus to Magic Kingdom. You’ll then take a boat from Magic Kingdom to either resort.

Of course, these are not the only ways to travel back and forth to the above-mentioned resorts. You could always take a boat or walk to Hollywood Studios and then board a bus to any of those resorts as long as it’s within the park’s operating hours.

Disney’s Yacht Club to the Skyliner Resorts

Additionally, at some point, you might want to ride the Disney Skyliner or visit the Skyliner Resorts . Skyliner stations are available near the entrance of Hollywood Studios and at the Epcot’s International Gateway .

Epcot will be the nearest location to Disney’s Yacht Club. From there, the Skyliner travels in this order:

• Epcot International Gateway
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach

At Disney’s Caribbean Beach, you must exit the Skyliner and reboard another line to one of the following:

• Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Or you could always return to Disney’s Riviera and Epcot.

Yacht Club to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

For visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, we usually take a bus from the Yacht Club to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Then, we’ll take a bus from the Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Note that the bus makes two stops at the Lodge. The first is Kidani Village, and the second is Jambo House. You’ll want to know which location is your intended destination.

You can also boat or walk to Hollywood Studios and take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Disney’s Yacht Club to the Disney Springs Resorts

If you would like to visit one of the resorts near Disney Springs, you can take a bus from the Yacht Club to Disney Springs. You’ll have these options:

• Walk or take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Disney’s Saratoga Springs
• Take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Old Key West Resort, Port Orleans-French Quarter, or Port Orleans-Riverside.

If you do not want to walk across Disney Springs and boat to these resorts, an alternative would be to take a boat to Hollywood Studios (during hours of operation) and then take a bus to that resort. 

Related:  Disney Springs Transportation Guide

Airport to Disney’s Yacht Club

Lastly, when traveling from the Orlando International Airport (MCO), you’ll need to arrange transportation to the resort. Disney no longer offers transportation between the airport and the Walt Disney World Resort. 

Tip: If you find yourself in need of travel outside of complimentary transportation hours, you can order a car service (i.e., Lyft, Uber, Taxi, or Minnie Van). We try to avoid the extra expense as much as possible. But if we had late dining reservations or comparable, we would take a car service back to our hotel.

Final Thoughts on Transportation at Disney’s Yacht Club

Hopefully, this article gives you a good idea of how to get to and from your desired destinations. Walt Disney World is a tremendous place and can be overwhelming when you’re unfamiliar.

As for Disney’s Yacht Club, you might enjoy a few other articles;

• Disney’s Yacht Club Review
• Restaurants at Disney’s Yacht Club
• Room Tour: Standard Guest Room at Yacht Club
• Laundry at Disney’s Yacht Club

Or you can preview our entire list of Disney World Transportation Guides .

What Do You Think?

Did you find this transportation guide for Disney’s Yacht Club helpful? Do you have any questions about the transportation options at this resort?

Hi, I'm Amber the owner of Resorts Gal . We have stayed at every single Disney Resort Hotel. Our philosophy? We believe you can have an incredible time at the resorts without ever setting foot in a theme park. We live near the parks and visit weekly and would love for you to follow along.

Wonderful , concise advice! My family of 6 will be staying at the Disney Yacht Club for 5 days beginning Nov 7…our 1st visit to Disneyworld! Coming from Massachusetts we will be arriving at Orlando @ 10am and would like to take transport all together to resort. How can we reserve transportation from airport to Yacht Club?

Thank you! Many people use Mears Connect, a bus service from the airport to Disney: https://www.mearsconnect.com/

You could also use a private car service to get to and from the airport.

Thank you for all detailed information. But I realized that we won’t have many options coming from After Hour at Hollywood Studios. We’ll probably drive a car, if we don’t want to walk at 1am.

You are welcome! We walked back to the Yacht Club when we did After Hours. I didn’t know it at the time, but was told later that bus service is provided to Beach, Yacht, and Boardwalk at the end of After Hours. I assume it starts after the boats finish.

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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Last updated: March 18, 2024

The Yacht Club's nautical beach theme includes model ships and antique navigation instruments. The Resort's best features are its top-rated pool, walking paths to EPCOT and the Studios, and Skyliner access.

$598 - $4,093

Lodging Area

Boat, Bus, Skyliner, Walk

Guest Overall Rating

Based on 303 surveys. (See our Ratings and Research page for details)

Lighting: A

modal#open click->video-modal#modalVideo">Club Level at Yacht Club

modal#open click->video-modal#modalVideo">Yacht Club Room Review and Tour

Best pool complex of any WDW resort

Excellent staff/service

Walking distance to EPCOT and DHS

Close to many BoardWalk and EPCOT dining options

Well-themed public spaces

Bright and attractive guest rooms

Boat and Skyliner transportation to DHS

Views and balcony size are hit-or-miss

Bus service to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, water parks, and Disney Springs is shared with other EPCOT resorts

Our stay at Yacht Club was great. Room was good sized, as well as nicely designed and decorated. Without exception, all cast members encountered displayed helpful, courteous and friendly attitudes.

Our stay at Yacht Club was great. Room was good sized, as well as nicely designed and decorated. Without exception, all cast members encountered displayed...

April 7, 2021

We chose to stay at Yacht Club and couldn't have been happier.

May 5, 2018

Rooms at Yacht Club are lovely. The laminate floors are not noisy at all (if we had neighbors above us, we never heard them). Soundproofing on the balcony is good. Lots of USB ports.

Rooms at Yacht Club are lovely. The laminate floors are not noisy at all (if we had neighbors above us, we never heard them). Soundproofing on the balcony is...

October 10, 2017

We love the Yacht Club! We picked it the first time based on details - distance to the parks, reviews, etc - were not disappointed.

November 27, 2016

The Yacht Club's rooms are decorated in white with blue and brass accents. The most recent update also replaced carpeting with vinyl "hardwood" floors, freshening the rooms' look.

• Room with Queen Bed(s) and en-suite bathroom
• Balcony or patio
• Dresser with drawers
• Full-length mirror
• Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi)
• Flat-panel TV
• Coffee maker and starter supply of coffee pods
• Ironing board and iron
• Digital thermostat
• In-room safe
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bar soap

Most rooms are 381 square feet and have two queen-size beds. All upper-floor rooms have full balconies, while ground-floor rooms have patios.

Yacht Club Standard Room

Yacht Club Dresser and TV

Yacht Club Fold Down Bed

Yacht Club Desk and Chair

Yacht Club Closet and Storage

Yacht Club Fridge and Coffe Maker

Yacht Club Standard Room Bathroom

Yacht Club Room 4073 View

We’ve mapped and taken photographs of the views from every single room on Walt Disney World property! Our Room Finder helps you find the perfect room for you and then request that room from Disney.

Dining isn't a strength at Yacht Club, but tons of options are short walk away at EPCOT or the four other resorts.

Ale & Compass Restaurant The cuisine is advertised as “New England comfort food.” Reader ratings have improved substantially over the years, without compromising the diversity of the menu.

Yachtsman Steakhouse Open for dinner only, Yachtsman Steakhouse serves up steak, seafood, and sides. This is a signature restaurant that tries to create an atmosphere, so expect high prices and to adhere to a minimal dress code.

Market at Ale and Compass A small spot carved out of the gift shop, the Market has coffee, pastries, and other small items.

Ale and Compass Lounge Ale & Compass is a competent restaurant, the kind of place you'll be happy to find at dinnertime if it's raining and you don't want to go outside; or everyone is starving and you need to eat right now. Ale and Compass is a better choice for breakfast. You'll find something for everyone in various combinations of eggs, potatoes, bacon, tofu, French toast, and so on, with a la carte options if you just want a quick bite.

Crew's Cup Lounge The Crew’s Cup Lounge is one of the better bars in Walt Disney World, although the reason for that statement is hard to explain. The entire room just feels...well, cool. It starts when you approach the door, which is found in the Yacht Club’s hallway, heading towards the Beach Club Resort. One of the things that makes Crew’s Cup cool is the understated sign hanging in the hall, a few steps up, as well as a plain door. The facade is easily overshadowed by the Yachtsman Steakhouse, but that secret, speakeasy style entry makes it a little hard to find, and we all know that the coolest places don’t need to advertise. Walking in you immediately notice the theme, which is rowing, but are not overwhelmed by it. There are a few images of rowers here and there and a few oars along the walls, but it is mostly just a quaint, slightly dark, overwhelmingly wood-paneled lounge. The rowing theme obviously fits in with the Yacht Club Resort and the Crew’s Cup looks as if it would be a place that a crew team would hang out after practice. While many Americans do not think of crew or rowing as major sports, it certainly has a long history in the United States. It began as soon as the English landed, having been popular there several centuries prior. Yale University boast the oldest American college crew club, started in 1843, and the Harvard versus Yale regatta is the oldest intercollegiate sport in the U.S. It is so old in fact (started in 1852), that it had to be paused during the American Civil War! The entire Crew’s Cup Lounge hints toward this history. The shell (or boat to you landlubbers) hanging from the ceiling is a common place for storage when there are no racks. The oars along the walls are each painted differently, which is how a team identifies itself (although these oars match no teams that we could find). Even just the exposed rafters and craftsman touches point toward a New England style around the year 1900. For those interested in what goes on in a kitchen, there is a window that looks into a section of the Yachtsman Steakhouse’s back of house. Often during dinner time you will see a prep chef getting ready for the mealtime rush. Once you decide to have a seat, there are a few different options, with seats at the bar, a handful of booths, a few tables and chairs, and also a few couches. Whether you are there for dinner, relaxation, or to watch the television, you will find a seat to match. Speaking of dinner, there is both food and drink aplenty, although the drink list is our one big knock on The Crew’s Cup as it follows the standard Disney drink menu. The food here is above average and consists of hearty appetizers, burgers, and chicken tenders. Nothing fancy, but good quality and decently priced (for Walt Disney World). The Crew’s Cup Lounge is not often mentioned as a favorite spot, and we will hope it stays that way because that just means more room for us. After all, if everyone knows it might stop being so cool.

Fittings & Farings Fittings & Farings is Yacht Club's souvenir shop. A small selection of snacks, drinks, and other groceries are available.

Refillable Mugs Allows guest self-service soft drink refills from quick-service locations in hotels ( NOT in theme parks ) for $21.99 for the length of stay.

SWIPE TO EXPLORE

Yacht Club has Disney World's best pool - Stormalong Bay with a lazy river, fabulous water slide, and acres of water fun. Three other pools are available across Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts, for use by both Beach and Yacht Club guests.

Lafferty Place Arcade arcade is near Stormalong Bay between the Yacht and Beach resorts. It features relatively recent video games of all kinds.

Free Disney Movies Under the Stars are shown most evenings, weather-permitting, either at the Beach Club Beach, or in the Solarium.

The Ship Shape Fitness Center has weights, treadmills, and other equipment for your workout. Hours are typically 6 AM to 9 PM. Joggers will enjoy the 0.8-mile loop around Crescent Lake too.

The Beach Club Beach hosts marshmallow roasts around 5:30 PM nightly. It's really great during the cooler months of the year.

Disney resort guests get into each theme park 30 minutes earlier than off-site guests, every day.

Those staying at Disney's Deluxe and Deluxe Villa hotels can buy Lightning Lane via Individual Purchase at 7:00 a.m. each day. Others cannot make that purchase until the official park opening time.

Disney's Deluxe and DVC resort guests get two extra hours in select theme parks on certain days of the week. The schedule changes, so check with the front desk.

Practical Matters

Check-in is 4:00pm Check-out is 11:00am

All Disney resorts participate in Disney’s Online Check-In program. If you’ve checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.

These rubber and plastic wrist bands can function as your room key, park admission, charge card, and more! MagicBands cost money, but if you'd like a free option you can use the official Disney World app on your phone or request an RFID-embedded card at the front desk.

Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Disney or via our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator . However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the concierge desk in the hotel lobby.

Dining reservation are best made online in advance or on your phone or tablet during your visit. You can also use our Disney World Reservation Finder .

Washers and dryers are availabile in laundry facilities at each Disney World hotel. Cost is $3 per wash, and another $3 per dry cycle. A small selection of soap, fabric softener, and dryer sheets are also sold, for around $1 each. Only credit/debit cards can be used for payment. For more information, see our Disney World Laundry Facilities page.

If you lose something in a theme park or during your stay at a Disney-operated hotel, visit Disney's Lost and Found website or call (407) 824-4245.

Disney hotels have gifts shops near their lobbies with a decent collection of Disney-branded souvenirs. You will also find basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. Resort hotels with Deluxe Villa rooms offer an assortment of groceries, as well.

Disney recommends a third party company, Kid's Nite Out , to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney World Child Care page for more information.

The Yacht Club is located in the EPCOT Resort Area. All modern GPS apps, and Google Maps, will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward the EPCOT resorts (not EPCOT) once you're on property, and then look for signs for the Yacht Club once you're close.

Disney Skyliner gondola system has a station at EPCOT's International Gateway entrance. The ride to Hollywood Studios is about 12 minutes (plus waiting time in line).

Disney provides free bus service to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs from the bus stop at the front of the resort. Buses run about every 20 minutes. For all destinations except the Magic Kingdom, it's probably faster to drive or walk.

If you have your own car , it's faster to drive yourself to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, and Disney Springs. Disney's transportation system is faster to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

EPCOT is a short walk from the Yacht Club, and the walk to Hollywood Studios is just a little longer.

Disney provides free boat service to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios from the resort.

You can walk between the Beach Club, Yacht Club, BoardWalk, Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin. Boat service is available to all of those, too, except the Swan Reserve. The Skyliner at EPCOT's International Gateway can take you to Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, and Art of Animation. For all other resort destinations, the fastest option is an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. Disney's bus service is free but slow, and will probably require you to use an intermediate destination like Disney Springs, to get to your destination. And that can take a couple of hours each way if you're unluckly.

if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.

tabs#change">Driving to the Resort

tabs#change">Getting to the Parks and Disney Springs

tabs#change">Getting to Another Hotel from Yacht Club

tabs#change">Getting to Universal Orlando

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Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Review

Hoping for a chic place to stay at Disney World where the kids can still feel at home? At Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, sophisticated style, refined restaurants, and an epic hotel waterpark make for the perfect stay for families and couples alike.  

So, how does the Walt Disney World Yacht Club Resort compare to the other deluxe hotels? Is this spendy stay worth the price of admission? Grab your captain’s hat and a compass as we set sail to find out. (Updated September 7, 2022)

Staying at the Disney World Yacht Club Resort

Yacht clubs may typically be for the rich and famous, but you don’t need to be the owner of a swanky ship to stay at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Overlooking Crescent Lake towards Disney’s BoardWalk , it’s the more dignified stay of the Disney Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, perfect for an adult Disney trip , kid-friendly perks like the best Disney hotel pool, and a convenient location in the middle of the Epcot & Hollywood Studios Resort Area . 

With quaint grey buildings trimmed in white and a lighthouse guiding Friendship Boats to the marina, this deluxe resort is styled like a stately yacht club along New England’s coastline. Only a short walk from the International Gateway entrance at Epcot with a covetable spot on the Disney Skyliner route, it’s an ideal stay for families hoping to maximize their time at Hollywood Studios or adults stumbling back to the room after a day spent drinking around the world . 

Disney World Yacht Club Rooms & Suites

The Walt Disney World Yacht Club Resort touts a 4.5 on TripAdvisor. As with other deluxe resorts at Disney World, it has a variety of room types to choose from including standard rooms, Disney club-level rooms , and even a 2-bedroom suite. If you’re picky about the view and don’t want to get stuck with uninspired scenes of the resort’s rooftops, choose from a relaxing garden-view or water-view room instead.

A far cry from the outdated, on-the-nose guestrooms of the past, rooms here use more contemporary elements like dark woods, strong lines, crisp linens, and nautical touches for a more refined take on classic coastal style. With sky-chart-inspired curtains, a mirror reminiscent of a porthole, and a feature wall with menswear flair, a stay here feels like stepping into the captain’s quarters on a posh mega yacht. 

In general, all standard rooms and suites at the Yacht Club come with the following amenities: a hairdryer, iron, ironing board, mini-refrigerator, coffee maker, in-room safe, telephone with voicemail, and free Wi-Fi. 

Standard View Room

• Comes with 1 king bed or 1 king bed & 1 day bed or 2 queen beds & 1 day bed or 1 queen bed & 1 day bed & 1 twin-sized sleeper chair
• Sleeps between 2 to 5 adults 
• Views of the parking area or resort rooftops

Garden or Woods Room

• Comes with 1 king bed or 2 queen beds or 2 queen beds & 1 day bed or 1 queen bed & 1 day bed & 1 twin-sized sleeper chair
• Views of the gardens or forested areas

Water View Room

• Comes with 1 king bed or 1 king bed & 1 day bed or 2 queen beds or 2 queen beds & 1 day bed or 1 queen bed & 1 day bed & 1 twin-sized sleeper chair
• Views of Crescent Lake or the quiet pool

2 Bedroom Suite

• Comes with 2 king beds and 1 queen-sized sofa sleeper
• Sleeps up to 6 adults 
• Views of Crescent Lake or Stormalong Bay

Rooms with Club-Level Service at the Walt Disney World Yacht Club

Club-level guestrooms at Disney’s Yacht Club offer the same handsome interiors and thoughtful amenities (see above for details) as the standard rooms and suites, plus a DVD player, as well as the following benefits at the Regatta Club: complimentary access to the health club, complimentary fax assistance, complimentary newspapers in the Regatta Club, evening turndown service, and access to Disney Signature Services and a personalized front desk. Club-level guests are also able to access the Regatta Club with their key when refreshments are served between 7 AM and 10 PM.  

Standard View – Club Level Room

• Comes with 1 king bed or 2 queen beds 
• Sleeps between 2 to 4 adults 

Garden View – Club Level Room

• Comes with 1 king bed or 2 queen beds or 2 queen beds & 1 day bed
• Views of the gardens 

Water View – Club Level Room

• Comes with 1 king bed or 1 king bed & 1 day bed or 2 queen beds or 2 queen beds & 1 day bed
• Views of Stormalong Bay

Disney Yacht Club Resort Prices

Ready to book your reservation at the Walt Disney World Yacht Club Resort? You’re probably wondering how much it’ll cost you to stay there. With sophisticated rooms, an unbeatable location, and arguably the best hotel pool at Disney World, a night here doesn’t come cheap.

In fact, even if you stay in the most basic room of the bunch during the slowest time of year, you’ll still end up dropping at least $500 a night. So, if you’re traveling on a shoestring, one of Disney’s All-Star Resorts might be more your speed. Or save on your hotel stay without skimping on little Disney luxuries, stay at one of the charming Disney Port Orleans Resorts or another moderate resort instead. 

If you’re ready to treat you and your loved ones to a stay at Disney’s Yacht Club, room rates will depend on a few different things like what time of year you’re traveling, how many people are staying, and what you want to see when you look out your window. For example, while watching the Christmas fireworks from your water-view room on the Regatta Club level will run you almost $1,400, staying during the slow season in a room with a less-than-picturesque view of the roof will net you around $900 in savings . 

With rates spanning from the mid-$500s during the slow season to the mid-to-high $900s, basic standard-view rooms without access to the Regatta Club are the most affordable option. Contrastingly, if your clan is large or you’re looking to splurge, prices for a 2-bedroom suite with keys to the club-level lounge start in the low $2,000s and top out in the high $3,000s. 

Below are some examples of room rate ranges for stays in 2023 , arranged by starting price, for each of the room types available at the Yacht Club (expect slightly lower rates in 2022 ) :

• Standard View Room: $542 to $986
• King Bed: $549 to $991
• Garden or Woods View Room: $586 to $1,034
• Water View Room: $684 to $1,118
• Standard View – Club Level: $796 to $1,378
• Garden View – Club Level: $828 to $1,398
• Water View – Club Level: $939 to $1,566
• 2 Bedroom Suite: $2,182 to $3,877

Disney Yacht Club Hotel Amenities

Although room rates at Disney’s Yacht Club are on the spendy side, as a deluxe resort , you’ll have access to some of the best hotel amenities on Disney property. Unlike staying at Disney’s Art of Animation or one of the other value resorts, there are more than enough things to do at the Yacht Club at Walt Disney World to keep you entertained all vacation long.

Disney Yacht Club Dining

Just like the elegant yacht clubs that dot the New England coast and the rest of the United States, Disney World’s Yacht Club Resort offers an array of tempting dining options. As this is one of the more grown-up resorts at Walt Disney World, don’t expect any seafaring-themed Disney dinner shows or character dining starring Donald Duck in his iconic sailor outfit here. Instead, you’ll find everything from a grab-and-go market to a prime steakhouse.   

Best of all, with the Beach Club right next door and Disney’s BoardWalk only a short stroll away, you’re minutes away from a smorgasbord of other Disney World restaurants that are perfect for pleasing even the pickiest of eaters. 

Ale & Compass Lounge

Attached to the table-service restaurant of the same name, the Ale & Compass Lounge is a distinguished spot to grab a drink after a long day exploring the parks. With its dark blue paneling, plush furniture, and tin ceiling accents, you almost feel as if you’re in a classy cruise ship lounge. Stop by for elevated appetizers like Lobster and Corn Chowder and a Bacon and Vermont Cheddar Burger; stay for the old-school and updated craft cocktails . 

Ale & Compass Restaurant

With both a to-go menu and a handsome, expansive dining room, the Disney Ale and Compass Restaurant is a welcome stop whether fueling up for a day of adventures or dropping anchor after hours in the parks. Serving up both breakfast and dinner, this table-service restaurant styled after an inviting lighthouse is a beacon for hungry guests both day and night.

In the morning, tuck into seaside breakfast favorites like Shrimp and White Cheddar Grits, Crab Cake Benedict, or a Maine Lobster Roll. At dinnertime, dig into a selection of comfort food classics with a coastal twist like New England Seafood Pot Pie and Short Rib “French Dip” Flatbread. 

Crew’s Cup Lounge

With its warm wood beams, Craftsman-style elements, and a convenient location next door to the Yachtsman Steakhouse, Disney’s Crew’s Cup Lounge is a cozy place for a drink before heading to dinner or on your way back to the room. While you could just come for a glass of wine or a boozy coffee cocktail, this hotel bar also offers an extensive menu with dishes from the neighboring steakhouse, making this an excellent alternative if you can’t score a reservation. 

The Market at Ale & Compass

Serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner – as well as a substantial selection of Disney souvenirs, snacks, and sundries – The Market at Ale & Compass is the place to go for a fast meal at Disney’s Yacht Club. This quick-service restaurant serves up pretty standard AM fare such as Mickey Waffles and breakfast sandwiches in the morning before transitioning to light bites like sandwiches and salads in the afternoons and evenings. 

Yachtsman Steakhouse

No yacht club in the Hamptons is complete without a ritzy steakhouse slinging surf-and-turf favorites. Warm and welcoming with seaworthy touches like knotty pine and porthole-inspired windows, the Yachtsman Steakhouse feels more laidback than stuffy, although a dress code is required (no flip-flops here!). 

Cut into carnivorous classics like the 28-oz Porterhouse for Two or the Roasted Prime Rib or stick to fresh-from-the-sea fare like Seafood Cioppino or a Chilled Admiral’s Tower for Two overflowing with lobster, crab, mussels, and more. End your meal on a sweet note with desserts like Yachtsman’s Chocolate Cake or Crème Brûlée. 

Disney Yacht Club Pools 

Like to get in the water as much as you like to get on the water? Well, you’ve come to the right place. One of the resorts with the best hotel pools at Disney World , Yacht Club is home to the only waterpark at a Walt Disney World hotel: Stormalong Bay. Sprawling across 3 glorious acres on the shores of Crescent Lake, this aquatic paradise is the perfect spot for a beach day – no trip to the coast necessary.  

Splash down the 230-foot-long waterslide, let your cares drain away along the lazy river or in one of the whirlpool spas, sink your toes into the sand-bottomed pool, or even discover the ruins of the resort’s resident shipwreck. Yachting is all about luxury, so splurge on a full-service cabana for you and your crew (reservations required). 

As you can imagine, Stormalong Bay can get pretty busy during the day. To skip the crowds, try visiting one of the 3 different leisure pools shared by Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort. 

Other Recreation at Disney’s Yacht Club 

The WDW Yacht Club Resort may be the Disney hotel with the best pool, but there are plenty of other recreational activities to keep you busy all vacation long. While you don’t need the keys to your own Sunseeker to gain entrance to Disney’s Yacht Club hotel, you can rent some out by the half-hour for everything from a 2-person Sea Raycer to a 10-person pontoon boat from the resort marina – one of our top things to do outside the theme parks . Or for other on-the-water fun, go on a guided fishing excursion or pirate adventure cruise instead. 

Rather keep both feet on dry land? The youngest resort guests will love watching some of their favorite Disney flicks during Movies Under the Stars or toasting marshmallows around the campfire, while grown-ups can keep their exercise routine intact on the jogging path or during an intense match on the volleyball or tennis courts.  

Getting cabin fever? Take some time to explore the resort’s incomparable location. The Disney World Yacht and Beach Club is just a short walk from the tasty restaurants, entertaining nightlife, and turn-of-the-century appeal of Disney’s BoardWalk complex. Or for wholesome thrills the whole family can enjoy, work on your swing at Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course across the street from the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts. 

Disney Yacht Club Merchandise Locations

For those searching for that perfect souvenir, set a course for The Market at Ale & Compass. This one-stop shop is a convenient spot to pick up forgotten essentials, Disney merchandise, and provisions for a day in the parks. As the location of the resort’s quick-service restaurant, table-service restaurant, and to-go outlet, it’s also an ideal pitstop before cruising to the parks or back to your room. 

Disney Yacht Club FAQs

Want to know more about Disney’s Yacht Club Resort? Read on for answers to some commonly asked questions. 

Is Disney Yacht Club kid-friendly?

Yes! Despite the more grown-up vibe, Disney’s Yacht Club can be a great place to stay for families with children of all ages. While the guestrooms aren’t exactly overflowing with pixie dust, you’ll still find plenty of kid-friendly activities to keep little ones feeling the magic, from splashing around in Stormalong Bay to watching Disney Movies Under the Stars. And if there aren’t enough options to please the picky eaters in your life at the Ale & Compass, there definitely will be at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop next door at Disney’s Beach Club. 

When was Disney Yacht Club refurbished?

Rooms at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort were renovated rather recently in 2017, a welcome update from the previous guestrooms’ dated design touches like nautical headboards and white-painted furniture. 

Can you see fireworks from Disney Yacht Club?

Yup! While you won’t be able to watch the entire show, thanks to its covetable location in the heart of the Epcot and Hollywood Studios Resort Area, you will be able to catch some of the higher fireworks from both nighttime spectaculars. In fact, aside from the beach at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort , it’s also one of our top spots to watch the Disney World fireworks outside the parks . Just head to the resort’s lighthouse on Crescent Lake. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to catch glimpses of the show from the comfort of your hotel room.  

Can you walk from Yacht Club to Hollywood Studios? 

Yes! If you’d rather not take the bus, Friendship Boat, or Disney Skyliner , there is a walking path that connects the Epcot Resort Area to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Roughly 1-mile long or around a 15 to 20-minute walk, the walkway runs from between Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort to the main entrance to Hollywood Studios. 

How long is the walk to Epcot?

Walking to the International Gateway entrance at Epcot from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort will only take around 10 to 15 minutes depending on your pace. If you’re not in a hurry, you can also enjoy a leisurely 20-minute ride from the hotel to the park on one of the Friendship Boats . 

How long is the bus ride from Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom? Animal Kingdom?

Taking the Disney bus from the Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom typically takes around 20 minutes, as does the bus to Animal Kingdom . If you’ve really got some time on your hands and are looking to take the scenic route, you can also take the Monorail from the front of Epcot to Magic Kingdom Park.

However, as you will need to walk all the way through World Showcase and Future World just to reach the Monorail, this hourlong route definitely isn’t for the faint of heart or those short on time. Keep in mind that you will need a park ticket (and currently, also a park reservation) to get to the Epcot Monorail from Disney’s Yacht Club. 

Well, crew, that concludes our cruise around Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. With its adult ambiance, convenient location, classy style, delicious restaurants, and a boatload of recreational activities (including the best hotel pool at Disney World), it’s an excellent choice for everyone from families with children (especially older kids and teens) to couples. 

While you’re there, make the most of your time at the resort’s two closest parks with our 1-day plans for Epcot and Hollywood Studios . Or since you indulged in a deluxe resort, why not save some cash with our discounted Walt Disney World tickets . 

Have you ever stayed at Disney’s Yacht Club? Which room type or restaurant is your favorite? Is the Regatta Club worth it?  Where is the best place to watch the Epcot fireworks ? Let us know in the comments!

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Transportation to Magic Kingdom: Efficient Options and Tips

Spread The Word

Guests staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to Magic Kingdom have several transportation methods at their disposal: buses, water taxis, the monorail, ride-sharing, taxis, personal vehicles, the Minnie Van service, and car services. Each method offers its own advantages, from scenic views to convenience and speed, which one is right for you?

• How frequent are the bus services, and what’s the average journey time?
• Given the Skyliner doesn’t connect directly to Magic Kingdom, what’s the best alternative for a scenic route?
• With the monorail requiring a transfer at Epcot, is it a time-efficient option for reaching Magic Kingdom?
• For guests preferring to walk, how feasible is it from the Yacht Club Resort?
• What are the comparative benefits and costs of ride-sharing versus traditional taxis?
• For those driving, what are the parking policies at Magic Kingdom?
• The Minnie Van service offers Disney-themed transportation, but how does its cost compare to other options?
• Are car services worth the premium for your vacation travels?

This guide will equip you with all everything you need to know to choose the right transportation option for your Disney adventure, balancing efficiency, enjoyment, and cost.

Bus Transportation from the Yacht Club to Magic Kingdom

When staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, you have access to complimentary bus transportation that efficiently connects you to Magic Kingdom Park.

Extensive Coverage and Frequency

Bus : A motor vehicle designed to transport large numbers of passengers along a set route. At Walt Disney World Resort, the bus transportation system encompasses an extensive network of routes, ensuring that Disney World Resort guests can reach their destination at Magic Kingdom with ease.

• Routes : Buses servicing Disney’s Yacht Club Resort cover all areas of the Walt Disney World Resort, including the Magic Kingdom Park. You’ll find that buses run regularly from the resort to various destinations within the Disney property.
• Schedule : Catch a bus approximately every 20 minutes from the Yacht Club’s designated bus stop. Start your journey early, as buses begin operating 45 minutes prior to park opening and continue until one hour after park closing.

To use the bus transportation, simply head to the bus stop located outside the resort’s main entrance. Await your ride under the shelter provided, where a digital board displays real-time bus arrival information. Look for the bus marked with “Magic Kingdom” to ensure you’re on the correct route to the park.

Water Transportation Options from the Yacht Club

There is no direct water-based transportation from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom theme park. While it’s true that guests staying at the Yacht Club Resort can use water transportation for destinations within the Epcot resort area (like taking a water taxi to the Boardwalk or to the International Gateway at Epcot and even Hollywood Studios), but for traveling to Magic Kingdom, they would need to utilize other forms of Disney transportation, such as buses or the monorail system, which would require a transfer from a nearby location. The water taxis and ferries do not provide a direct route between these two specific points.

Monorail System

Guests staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort cannot take the Monorail directly from the Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom theme park. To use the Monorail, guests would first need to get to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) where they’d then need to transfer to the Express (or Resort) Monorail that serves the Magic Kingdom directly. This would involve a multi-step process that could include walking or taking a boat to Epcot, entering the park through the International Gateway, and then traversing through Epcot to reach the front of the park where the Monorail station is located. From there, they would take the Epcot Monorail to the TTC and then transfer to the Monorail line that goes to the Magic Kingdom. However, this route requires valid admission to Epcot and may not be the most efficient way to travel from the Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom.

Efficient Park-Resort Connection

If you decide that that part of your Disney adventure is in the journey to get there (as we ourselves have done numerous times) there are several ways to do this. As mentioned, you can take the short walk through Epcot, entering at the International Gateway and head to the front of the park and head for the main entrance where the Epcot Monorail Station awaits.

Otherwise, you can hop on a bus that will take you to the front of Epcot and board the Monorail there. While at the bus depot you could, should you so choose, hop on a connecting bus to one of the resorts that are on the Monorail line that serves the Magic Kingdom. These resorts are on the monorail loop – the Contemporary Resort, the Polynesian Village Resort, or the Grand Floridian . Once you arrive at one of these resorts you can access the Monorail platform and board the train.

• First , locate the Monorail station through the lobby of the Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, or Grand Floridian.
• Second , wait for the arrival of the sleek and iconic trains, typically every few minutes.
• Third , step on board and find a comfortable spot as the Monorail glides to the Magic Kingdom.
• Finally , exit at the Magic Kingdom station, just a few steps away from the park entrance.

You’ll see the Monorail effortlessly pass through the Contemporary Resort, offering you a unique and futuristic experience, which is really cool if you’ve never done it before (us Disney veterans can sometimes take these things for granted!). While aboard, enjoy the scenic views of the Seven Seas Lagoon, the other resorts and all the great visuals riding on the Monorail delivers.

Disney Skyliner

The Disney Skyliner is an aerial gondola system that provides transportation between Disney’s Yacht Club Resort via the very nearby International Gateway, and several other locations within Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, at least at this time, there is no direct path so g uests cannot take the Disney Skyliner directly from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom theme park. The Skyliner’s routes connect Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with four resort hotels: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. To reach the Magic Kingdom from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort via the Skyliner, guests would have to take a considerable detour. They would need to walk or take alternative transportation to a Skyliner station at either Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then travel to a Skyliner hub station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and from there, they would still need to find alternative transportation to the Magic Kingdom, as the Skyliner does not service the Magic Kingdom park. This indirect route isn’t practical for guests aiming to travel to the Magic Kingdom.

Walking Paths

Walking to your destination at Disney resorts offers a pleasant and even sometimes quicker alternative to waiting for other transportation options. When traversing from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom, walking is not a direct option, but two notable walking paths to other areas are available for your enjoyment.

Direct and Enjoyable Routes

Epcot: A walkway connects Disney’s Yacht Club Resort directly to the Epcot theme park entrance. To reach Epcot, head towards the resort’s back exit and follow the signage directing you towards the park. This walk is approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) and takes about 10-15 minutes, providing you with tranquil views of the resort’s landscape and Crescent Lake. The path is well-paved and picturesque, ideal for a leisurely stroll or a brisk walk.

BoardWalk Inn: For an alternate scenic route, you can walk to Disney’s BoardWalk Inn , situated alongside Crescent Lake. You begin by exiting the Yacht Club Resort towards the Epcot walkway but then continue along the lakeside path that leads to the BoardWalk Inn. This journey is just under a mile and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Along the way, you pass by vibrant entertainment, dining options, and charming views of the waterfront, providing a delightful backdrop to your walk.

Ride-Sharing Services

You’ll find that using ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft provides a flexible and direct means of transport from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom.

Flexible and Direct Travel

Opt for ride-sharing when you seek a no-fuss, direct route to the Magic Kingdom. Begin by downloading the Uber or Lyft app on your device. Once installed, enter your location—Disney’s Yacht Club Resort—and set Magic Kingdom as your destination. Rides are usually available within minutes. Expect travel times to vary based on traffic conditions, but typically, the journey should take around 15-20 minutes.

• Uber : A well-known platform that enables you to choose from a range of vehicle options—standard, SUV, or luxury.
• Lyft : Similar to Uber, Lyft offers various levels of service, including shared rides for cost savings or private vehicles for more comfort.

Before your trip, you can estimate your fare on both services’ apps, and options for larger parties are available if you’re traveling in a group. Payment is straightforward through the app, and tipping your driver is optional. Remember to ensure that the car and driver match the details provided in the app to confirm your safety.

Taxi Services

Taxis provide a paid transportation service, utilizing a vehicle and driver for hire to take passengers between locations of their choice.

Readily Available Transportation

Your journey to Magic Kingdom from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort can be quick and convenient with taxi services. Upon exiting the resort, you will typically find taxis waiting at the hotel’s main entrance, ready to transport you directly to the Magic Kingdom.

• Locate a Taxi : If you see no taxis available, ask the resort concierge to call one for your convenience.
• Travel Time : The travel time to Magic Kingdom by taxi usually ranges from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
• Estimating Cost : Taxi fares may fluctuate, but you can expect to pay approximately $20 to $30 for the one-way trip.
• Planning Your Budget : Remember to factor in the possibility of tipping your driver, which can add 10-20% to the total cost of your taxi journey.

Personal Vehicle Parking

When staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, you have convenient parking options for your personal vehicle during your vacation.

Resort Access and Parking Options

Parking is an essential service provided by Disney resort hotels, allowing guests to store their vehicles securely. Upon your arrival, you’ll find accessible parking readily available. Self-parking is available for guests with the following fees:

• Standard overnight parking: $25 per night
• Accessible parking: Complimentary for guests with disabilities

Firstly, approach the security gate and present your reservation confirmation to gain access to the resort grounds. As a guest, you have in-and-out privileges, meaning you can come and go from the parking facility as needed. For the standard parking , remember that your room key serves as a parking permit, so keep it handy when re-entering the parking area.

Guests requiring accessible parking spaces will find them close to the main entrance. Make sure you display a valid disability parking permit. These spaces are designed to provide convenience and ease of access to the hotel’s entrance and facilities. If assistance is needed, contact the front desk; they offer services to make your stay more comfortable.

For added ease during your vacation, consider using Disney’s complimentary transportation options for park access. Various shuttles, boats, and buses are available to take you to Magic Kingdom and other destinations within the Walt Disney World Resort.

Minnie Van Service

Minnie Van Service is a personalized ride service operated by Disney that allows guests to travel around Walt Disney World Resort, including from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to the Magic Kingdom.

Premium On-Demand Transit

When you seek a more exclusive mode of transportation within Disney property, the Minnie Van Service stands out as a preferable choice. This service ensures that you reach your destination with ease and comfort. Here is how you can utilize this service:

• Reserve your Minnie Van ride through the Lyft mobile app, where you can request a ride on demand or schedule one in advance.
• The prices are typically higher than standard ride shares due to the convenience and enhanced experience, including direct access to Disney locations and a Disney-trained cast member as your driver.

Remember, Minnie Van Service vehicles are distinctly themed with the iconic polka dots, making them an instantly recognizable option for transport throughout your Disney vacation.

Exclusive Car Services

For guests seeking a premium and private transport experience, car services are available through a variety of providers. Check with your Resort Concierge for details on what they recommend.

Luxurious and Personalized Traveling

Your journey to the Magic Kingdom can be both luxurious and personalized with the exclusive car services provided by Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. These services offer a high level of comfort and convenience, with various transportation options available to meet individual preferences and needs.

• Reservation : You should book your exclusive car service in advance to ensure availability. This can usually be done through the resort concierge or a preferred transportation provider affiliated with the resort.
• Transportation options : You can choose from a range of vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, and limousines, depending on the size of your party and your desired level of luxury.
• Cost : Prices vary based on the vehicle selected and the distance traveled. It is advisable to confirm the cost at the time of reservation to avoid surprises.
• Location : The pickup and drop-off points for the exclusive car service are conveniently located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, ensuring a smooth and efficient start and end to your journey.

Engaging an exclusive car service enhances your overall theme park experience, removing concerns about navigation and parking, and allowing you more time to enjoy your day at the Magic Kingdom.

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Disney's Yacht Club Resort

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Featured Room

• Standard Rooms - Beverage Cooler
• In-Room Safe
• Internet - Free WiFi Service
• Coffee maker
• Suites – Mini Refrigerator
• Iron & Ironing Board
• Telephone with voicemail

Views of Crescent Lake or Quiet Pool

1 King Bed or 1 King Bed and 1 Day Bed or 2 Queen Beds or 2 Queen Beds and 1 Day Bed

Sleeps up to 5 Adults

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Rooms and suites, resort view.

View of Garden, Rooftop, or Parking Area

2 Bedroom Suite - Club Level Access

Views of Stormalong Bay or Crescent Lake

2 King Beds and 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa

Sleeps up to 6 Adults

Rooms and Suites with Club-Level Service

• Complimentary health club access
• Secured key access to the club-level lounge, serving refreshments 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily
• Club Level Concierge - Regatta Club

Includes All Room Amenities, Plus:

• Daily Housekeeping Service
• Access to Disney Signature Services—for personal assistance with your vacation. Call: 407-939-7777
• Personalized Front Desk and Guest Services

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1 King Bed or 2 Queen Beds

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Views of One of the Stormalong Bay Lagoons

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Disney World Adds Another Way To Get into Parks Earlier (And Stay Later)

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Disney has finally added another resort to its lineup of those eligible for Extended Evening Hours.

Unlike Extra Magic Hours, Extended Evening Hours – which were introduced to Walt Disney World Resort post-COVID – are only available to those staying at select Disney World resorts (by which we mean the most expensive hotels ).

Until now, these have included the following Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.

Disney Deluxe Resorts

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Guests at select other hotels can also enjoy Extended Evening Hours , including Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green on Walt Disney World.

Related: Disney World Breaks First 2024 Record as Guests Pay the Price

Now, however, another hotel has joined the lineup. When The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort open to guests on September 27, 2024 , they’ll also guarantee access to Extended Evening Hours on select evenings at Disney World parks.

When a park offers Extended Evening Hours (the days of which can be checked on the Walt Disney World Resort website ), only select attractions, merchandise, and restaurants are available. As of March 2024, Extended Evening Hours are only available at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios.

Like guests at other Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, those staying at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort will also be able to enjoy Early Entry at all four theme parks (including Animal Kingdom) 30 minutes before the scheduled opening time. Unlike Extended Evening Hours, this perk is available to all Disney hotel guests – whether they’re staying at a Value Resort or a Deluxe Resort.

The newly reimagined Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort haven’t been totally well received by Disney fans . Prior to their refurbishment, these cabins were renowned for their rustic, cozy interiors, which have since been swapped out for a relatively untamed interior.

“Ok so now we’re just completely doing away with the theme of resorts in a themed resort? Ok,” said one unimpressed parkgoer. Another joked that “it’s giving mobile classrooms,” while one said the cabins look like “cheap Airbnbs.”

Related: Iconic Piece of Disney World History Sold and Hauled Off for $50k

In the meantime, if you really (and we mean really ) miss the OG Fort Wilderness cabins , you’re in luck. In February, several old cabins were listed on Facebook Marketplace for a cool $49,900. These can be delivered to anyone within 45 minutes of Orlando, which technically means any guest could order one as a keepsake (although explaining the delivery to your hotel concierge and getting it through TSA may be easier said than done).

Do you prefer the original or new Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort? Let us know in the comments!

Tass Says It Relied on Children for Account of UFO’s Landing

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A correspondent of the Tass press agency who wrote that an unidentified flying object landed in the city of Voronezh admitted today that he did not see the landing and interviewed “about 10” youngsters as the source of his report.

The report by correspondent Vladimir Lebedev, transmitted by Tass on Monday, said tiny-headed aliens up to 13 feet tall terrified the residents of Voronezh when they and a robot escort took nighttime strolls through a park after landing in their UFO.

Lebedev, 59, a 20-year Tass veteran, said he heard of three landings in September, with the last on Sept. 27, in the city about 300 miles south of Moscow.

Asked whether he had seen any of the landings, he said, “No,” and asked how he confirmed the story, he said that he spoke to “about 10 youngsters aged 12 to 13.”

“No more were needed,” he said.

Igor Efimov, a deputy editor at Tass, said experts were being sent to Voronezh. But he noted that among the two dozen witnesses of the reputed landings there were no scientists, no officials and no militiamen.

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March 21, 2024

Deadly attack on Moscow concert hall shakes Russian capital, sows doubts about security

March 23, 2024

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The Billionaire Taking on Disney Just Wants Some Respect

The longtime corporate agitator feels misunderstood. Maybe his fight with Disney could change that.

Nelson Peltz, 81, has been battling the Walt Disney Company over its corporate strategy. Credit... Ahmed Gaber for The New York Times

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By James B. Stewart and Lauren Hirsch

• Published March 16, 2024 Updated March 19, 2024

At age 81, with over four decades of dealmaking and corporate cage-rattling under his belt, Nelson Peltz would seem to have pretty much everything.

He’s a billionaire. Until the hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin came to Palm Beach, Fla., Mr. Peltz had the largest property tax bill in town, with an oceanfront estate estimated to be worth $334 million. His 130-acre property in Bedford, N.Y., known as High Winds, has its own helipad, indoor ice rink and waterfall. He has use of his company’s jet. (But so far, he owns no yacht — he rents one instead.)

He also has an undeniably full life apart from his business: He has two children from his first marriage. He also has eight children (including two sets of twins) with his wife since 1981, the former model Claudia Heffner. His eldest child from that marriage, Matt, is a partner and co-chief investment officer at Mr. Peltz’s Trian Partners.

His photogenic younger children have thrust him into the tabloids and onto the Hollywood red carpet. Nicola, an actress (“Bates Motel,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Welcome to Chippendales”), married Brooklyn Beckham, son of David and Victoria Beckham, in a splashy wedding at the Peltz Palm Beach estate in 2022. Will is also an actor (“Unfriended,” “Euphoria,” “Manifest”). Brad played hockey for Yale and was drafted by the Ottawa Senators.

And yet Mr. Peltz yearns for something that continues to elude him: the respect from the corporate elite, which he craves and feels he deserves. Could admittance to the inner sanctum of one of the best-known and most respected companies in the world — the Walt Disney Company — deliver that?

On and off for almost a year and a half, Trian Partners has waged an intense corporate fight by controlling a $3.5 billion stake in Disney and pushing for two board seats and influence over the company’s strategy. Mr. Peltz’s ammunition is a barrage of criticism of Disney’s management and board: The stock has plunged; costs have spiraled out of control; a string of big-budget film flops has raised questions about the company’s creative engine — problems that Mr. Peltz says he can reverse with his operational skills and strategic insight. While he concedes he has no experience in entertainment, his opinions, he says, are informed by his children and their high-powered friends, including Elon Musk, who has been critical of Disney.

The proxy battle has pitted him against Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, one of the media industry’s most powerful executives and someone Mr. Peltz once considered a good friend. Mr. Iger and Disney’s board have pushed back hard, even enlisting the support of the Disney family , including Abigail Disney, who has long complained about Mr. Iger’s lofty compensation. The increasingly bitter contest is hurtling toward a climax on April 3, when Disney will hold its annual shareholder meeting and proxy votes will be counted.

That this fight is over far more than a couple of board seats, or even a multibillion-dollar stake in the company, was abundantly clear in a series of interviews with The New York Times at Trian’s offices on Park Avenue and in Palm Beach, and over the phone.

During the interviews, Mr. Peltz — who has had numerous similar run-ins with corporate giants such as Procter & Gamble, Heinz and Unilever — repeatedly lamented his reputation as a provocateur and “activist” investor, a thorn in the side of chief executives and their boards.

He hates being mentioned in the same company as a rogues’ gallery of activists, buyout operators and corporate raiders, as he often is. He thinks he should be compared to someone he admires and tries to emulate: Warren E. Buffett.

“Does Nelson feel misunderstood? He probably does,” said Arthur Winkleblack, who was chief financial officer at Heinz when Mr. Peltz waged a successful proxy contest there in 2006 and joined the board. “Not all activists are the same. There are activists who are not nice people. There are activists who are.”

Whatever label is attached to him, there’s little chance that Mr. Peltz will be embraced by the august members of the Business Roundtable, the Washington-based lobbying group of elite chief executives, given his long track record of public criticism of boards and chief executives, and his efforts, when rebuffed, to elbow his way into America’s boardrooms.

Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase and a former chairman of the roundtable, recently came out against Mr. Peltz in the Disney proxy fight, citing the disruption that activist investors can bring to a board. JPMorgan is advising the company in its proxy defense. Disney has paid JPMorgan over $160 million in fees since 2014 as a client, according to LSEG, a financial data provider.

One measure of Mr. Peltz’s continuing notoriety is the reluctance of many people who have worked with him to speak on the record — even people he counts as friends and admirers, some of whom he recommended The Times interview for this article. That’s especially true in the midst of the Disney fight; several people said they didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire between Mr. Peltz and Mr. Iger, let alone Mr. Dimon. Both chief executives cast long shadows in the entertainment and business worlds.

“He’s like the uninvited guest who crashes a dinner party,” said Charles Elson, a former director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware. “No matter how charming, he’s not going to be welcome.”

Ski Bum Turned Billionaire

Mr. Peltz can be funny and self-deprecating: He recently told The Times that he was the only person he knew who had gained weight while taking Ozempic, which seems to be popular in his Palm Beach neighborhood (The tanned, fit-looking Mr. Peltz shows no obvious need to lose weight.)

Mr. Peltz, who was born and grew up in Brooklyn, traces his social skills to his student years at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was president of his hard-partying Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. “Classes screwed up my day,” he said.

He left Wharton before graduating to pursue a passion for skiing, but en route to a job as an instructor at Oregon’s Mount Hood, he was pressed by his father into a two-week stint at the family’s small Bronx-based frozen food distribution company. He was soon brimming with ideas for building the business, investing in the stock market and staying. (He also shaved off his beard at his father’s request. He sports a neatly trimmed beard again today.)

In the decades that followed, Mr. Peltz’s career mirrored the history of modern dealmaking. His successful effort to buy out the notorious corporate raider Victor Posner from National Can in 1985 was the first all-junk-bond tender offer, using the low-rated, high-yielding bonds once shunned by conservative investors. It was also the start of Mr. Peltz’s relationship with the junk bond pioneer Michael Milken. (Mr. Peltz balked at Mr. Milken’s initial invitation, for a 5 a.m. meeting in Beverly Hills; Mr. Milken grudgingly moved the appointment to 6.)

Mr. Peltz forged a close friendship with another controversial raider, Saul Steinberg, who introduced him to Mr. Milken and whose own hostile run at Disney ended with a much-criticized greenmail payment in 1984. (Greenmail is a payment to a corporate raider in return for dropping a hostile takeover bid.)

After the National Can deal, Mr. Peltz’s Triangle Industries swallowed the rival American Can’s packaging division in 1986. He then sold Triangle to France’s Pechiney for $4.2 billion in 1988, including debt. The deal was widely acknowledged as one of the most successful leveraged buyouts, or deals largely funded by debt, and it established a model subsequently embraced by a generation of financiers.

Suddenly wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, and only 46, Mr. Peltz considered an early retirement. But he was quickly bored by golf. He went on to a series of other leveraged acquisitions, buying Snapple from Quaker for $300 million in 1997 and then selling it and some other brands three years later for $1.45 billion. (Mr. Peltz’s success at Snapple is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study .)

“He would often suggest new flavors — and he would push us to come up with different forms and different bottles,” said Ken Gilbert, who was Snapple’s chief marketing officer at the time. “We were spinning out new products every month — it was crazy. And he loved it.”

Mr. Peltz helped found Trian in 2005 to pursue businesses that “weren’t well run but were too big for us to buy,” he said. He and Peter May, his longtime partner, his friend and a former public accountant, courted outside investors and embraced a lucrative compensation model, taking both a management fee and a percentage of the fund’s gains, a model that soon swept the world of alternative investing and that has minted numerous billionaires.

A Builder, Not a Breaker?

For all Mr. Peltz’s business and financial success, not to mention longevity, his early associations with people like Mr. Posner (who pleaded no contest to tax evasion and fraud in 1988) and Mr. Milken (who pleaded guilty to multiple felonies in 1990 and was pardoned by President Donald J. Trump in 2020) no doubt tainted his reputation, fairly or not.

Even before then, he was turned down by the co-op board when he tried to buy an apartment at 740 Park Avenue in Manhattan, and not because he couldn’t pay in cash. The building, on the Upper East Side, is a residential haven for the corporate elite: His friend, Mr. Steinberg, lived there. And Blackstone’s Stephen A. Schwarzman subsequently bought Mr. Steinberg’s apartment, once home to John D. Rockefeller Jr. (The board later approved a purchase by Mr. May, Mr. Peltz’s partner and the president of the New York Philharmonic.)

On more than one occasion Mr. Peltz, who is Jewish, has encountered what he considered at least a whiff of antisemitism. He recalled that his arrival in London in the 1980s was greeted with a tabloid profile headlined “The Wild and Rocking World of Nelson Peltz.” The first sentence, he said, called him a “Jewish boy from Brooklyn,” and the British business establishment closed ranks against him.

Mr. Peltz, long a fierce critic of antisemitism, said he stepped down from his role as chairman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in December because after 40 years in the position, it was time for a change. But The Wall Street Journal reported that he left after the center called for a boycott of Ben & Jerry’s. The center had deemed posts by the company’s chairman to be pro-Palestinian after the Hamas attack on Israel. Mr. Peltz is a board member of Unilever, the owner of Ben & Jerry’s.

His fellow billionaire Henry Kravis, the buyout pioneer, is one of the few Jewish members of Palm Beach’s old-money Everglades Club, but not Mr. Peltz. Mr. Peltz said he had “refused to set foot” in the club until it had a Jewish member and, now that it does, has had lunch there several times. (Mr. Peltz belongs to the Palm Beach Country Club, which has long accommodated members excluded from more restrictive Palm Beach clubs.)

Mr. Peltz’s reputation as a corporate troublemaker also cost him his longtime relationship with his Manhattan law firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. In 2019, the firm cut ties with him even though he had been one of its biggest clients for decades. Paul Weiss handled his estate planning and other matters; a Paul Weiss partner left the firm to become his general counsel. But after Paul Weiss expanded its elite corporate practice in recent years, the firm told him that it could no longer represent activist investors, including him.

Mr. Peltz countered that he wasn’t an activist, he was a “constructivist” — someone who worked with management, not against it. He had never mounted a hostile takeover, he said, or even fired a chief executive. Paul Weiss was unpersuaded. “They dropped me like that,” Mr. Peltz said. “I was probably their oldest living client.”

Vitriol for Disney

Mr. Peltz’s argument that he’s not an activist has also fallen on deaf ears at Disney.

Before the proxy fight, Mr. Peltz had breakfast with Mr. Iger at the Beverly Hills Hotel on occasion when Mr. Peltz was in Los Angeles, and Mr. Iger visited Mr. Peltz in New York. Disney’s pension fund also invested in Trian.

When Elliott Management, led by the activist investor Paul Singer, took a stake in AT&T in 2019 and agitated for change, Mr. Iger asked Mr. Peltz to address the Disney board. Topics on the agenda, according to records reviewed by The Times: “What made AT&T vulnerable?” and “Who will be the winners and losers” as big technology companies move into entertainment and media content production?

But early last year, after Mr. Peltz bought roughly $1 billion in Disney shares and threatened a proxy contest for a board seat if Disney rebuffed his proposals, Disney attacked Mr. Peltz, saying he did “not understand Disney’s businesses and lacks the skills and experience to assist the board in delivering shareholder value in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem.”

Even though Mr. Iger and the Disney board had seemed eager to tap Mr. Peltz’s expertise in 2019, Mr. Iger only grudgingly gave him 45 minutes on Jan. 10 last year to present his plans. Mr. Peltz’s reception was frosty — only Mr. Iger asked a perfunctory question.

Little more than a month after Mr. Peltz started his campaign, Disney pledged $5.5 billion in cost reductions (later raised to $7.5 billion) and said it would resume paying a dividend. Mr. Peltz said the changes aligned with Trian’s goals, and he backed off the proxy fight.

By December, he was back. Frustrated by the ensuing slide in Disney stock— from over $110 a share in February 2023 to below $80 in October— and what he deemed Disney’s failure to follow through with its pledges, Mr. Peltz and Trian renewed their campaign.

This time, Mr. Peltz increased the pressure by allying with two Disney veterans with intimate knowledge of the company: Ike Perlmutter and Jay Rasulo.

Mr. Rasulo, a former Disney chief financial officer and theme parks head, was considered a potential successor to Mr. Iger until he was passed over for the chief operating job in 2016. Mr. Rasulo and Mr. Peltz are Trian’s nominees for the Disney board.

Mr. Perlmutter is the sometimes irascible former chairman of Marvel Entertainment, which Disney bought in 2009 for $4 billion in cash and stock, making him one of Disney’s largest shareholders. He remained chairman of Marvel Entertainment after the deal, but Mr. Iger sidelined him in 2015 by revamping Disney management. Mr. Perlmutter was unceremoniously laid off last year and has since been a vocal critic of Mr. Iger.

Mr. Trump introduced Mr. Peltz to Mr. Perlmutter in 2016 at Mar-a-Lago, where Mr. Perlmutter usually commands a prime dining room table next to Mr. Trump’s. Mr. Perlmutter has been a prominent financial backer of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaigns. Mr. Peltz, too, was a Trump supporter and raised $10 million for him at his Palm Beach estate in February 2020. But the two stopped speaking after Mr. Peltz went on CNBC and denounced Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and incite violence on Jan. 6, 2021, as a “disgrace.” His antipathy has only grown since, and Mr. Peltz said he would not raise more money for Mr. Trump.

Still, the falling-out hasn’t dented Mr. Peltz’s friendship with Mr. Perlmutter.

Mr. Perlmutter has entrusted Mr. Peltz to vote his Disney shares, inflaming tensions with the entertainment company. In its defense against the Trian campaign, Disney accused Mr. Perlmutter of bearing Mr. Iger “personal animosity” and blaming him for being fired.

Disney has also suggested that Mr. Peltz is motivated by a grudge against Mr. Iger, a claim that Mr. Peltz has vehemently denied. The company recently told investors that the men were never close friends, and that Disney ended its investment in Trian in 2021, angering Mr. Peltz, because the fund had underperformed the S&P 500 on an annualized basis over eight years. A spokesman for Mr. Peltz and Trian said they didn’t comment on client matters.

Lacking the information that he’d be privy to as a board member, Mr. Peltz doesn’t purport to have a novel solution to the streaming losses that have bedeviled Disney and other media companies trying to make the difficult transition to the direct-to-consumer digital era. He has been frank about his lack of direct experience in entertainment — something Disney has highlighted. But he said experience wasn’t everything. “They just put out five movies in a row that were big losers,” he said.

In Disney, he sees a company with great assets. But he also believes it’s a business crying out for greater operational accountability, more efficiency and better board governance. He considers Disney to be not that different from consumer-facing companies that he has helped turn around, like Heinz and Procter & Gamble.

Mr. Peltz also has better visibility into Disney’s operations than most of his past targets thanks to his alliance with Mr. Rasulo. Many were surprised that Mr. Rasulo would go up against Mr. Iger, his former mentor, in such public combat.

But Mr. Rasulo said in an interview that Mr. Iger’s abrupt departure in 2020 and the choice of the little-known Bob Chapek to replace him left him (and many others) mystified. So did Mr. Chapek’s sudden ouster and Mr. Iger’s return in 2022. Streaming losses soared, and Disney stock plunged.

“I was always a Disney guy,” said Mr. Rasulo, who spent three decades at the company, and the decline was painful to witness. “Something obviously went radically wrong.”

Mr. Rasulo didn’t know Mr. Peltz when they met for breakfast in Los Angeles a year and a half ago, but he said he had liked what he heard. He conducted his own interviews with people who had dealt with Mr. Peltz, and his research bore out what Mr. Peltz had emphasized — that he was a long-term investor looking to fix the company, not break it up.

Mr. Rasulo said he had no ambition to take Mr. Iger’s place as chief executive. He said he believed he could be an objective “voice of clarity” on the board as well as someone with intimate familiarity with the company’s operations and legacy. (Disney has countered that Mr. Rasulo left eight years ago and is out of touch with a radically changed media landscape.)

Mr. Peltz, too, said he looked forward to working closely with Mr. Iger if he gained a board seat. But that hasn’t stopped him from publicly criticizing Mr. Iger’s leadership. Waging his campaign on CNBC, in other media and in a recent whirlwind of visits to major shareholders, Mr. Peltz has argued that Disney grossly overpaid for 21st Century Fox assets in 2019, a $71 billion deal that saddled the company with enormous debt; that Mr. Iger and the board have repeatedly bungled succession planning; and that Mr. Iger has overseen an alarming decline in quality and financial results at the company’s core Disney animation, Pixar and Marvel entertainment units.

“The fact is, the emperor has no clothes,” Mr. Peltz said.

There have been no invitations from Disney to address the board this time.

In a statement for this article, a Disney spokesman said Mr. Peltz “has failed to demonstrate that he comprehends Disney’s strategic position in the modern media business, or to offer any compelling ideas, and we believe his presence in the boardroom would be disruptive and destructive.”

History as a Guide

A recurring issue in the Disney proxy fight will be Mr. Peltz’s investment record, which remains a closely guarded secret. Various academic studies have found that activist investors, on average, don’t generate superior returns over time.

Trian maintains that federal rules prohibit it from publicizing its results. But the firm said that from the time Mr. Peltz joined a company’s board — 11 in all — through the end of 2023, Trian’s investments in those 11 companies generated a 17 percent annualized rate of return. The S&P 500 has returned an annualized 9.5 percent since 2005, when Trian was founded.

Trian said it used that measure — from the date Mr. Peltz joined a board to the present — because the fund took a long-term approach and often continued to own shares after Mr. Peltz or one of his Trian partners left a board. If returns were measured until the date they stepped down, the returns would be slightly higher, it said.

Annualized returns in those companies range from 47 percent (Legg Mason, acquired by Franklin Templeton in 2020, a year after Mr. Peltz joined the board) to 3 percent (Unilever, which was Trian’s most recent investment before Disney and whose board Mr. Peltz joined in 2022).

Trian argues that these returns are what’s relevant to shareholders of the target companies, including Disney. Trian’s own investors haven’t reaped annualized gains that large, in part because the fund isn’t always fully invested and holds cash and shares in other companies.

One investor said Trian gained 12 percent in 2023 (well below the S&P 500’s 24 percent rise) and lost 10.6 percent in 2022 (when the S&P dropped over 18 percent). Disney said Trian’s annualized returns for its pension fund trailed the S&P 500 by 500 basis points, or 5 percent, over eight years. (Trian said that it offered multiple investment and fee options, and that individual investor results therefore varied.)

Still, many investors have been satisfied: Trian’s assets have gone from less than $1 billion when it was founded in 2005 to over $10 billion. Mr. Peltz attributes his investment success to his operational skills and long-term perspective.

“We’re not activists,” he insisted. “We’re not private equity. We’re not looking to just leverage up a business and sell. We’re looking to build a business over the long term. That’s what’s fun.”

Mr. Peltz noted that the average holding period for a Trian position was six years— long by activist standards, though about the same as private equity funds. Some holdings, like Wendy’s, have been much longer.

The Times interviewed a dozen former executives at companies targeted by Mr. Peltz, and all said he had bolstered results, even those who said they had no particular fondness for him and declined to be quoted.

Mr. Winkleblack, who orchestrated Heinz’s defense in the proxy contest, thought it possible, even likely, that he’d be fired once Mr. Peltz gained a board seat. On the contrary, he stayed in his role after he met Mr. Peltz one on one.

“We fought a good fight,” Mr. Peltz told him. “Now let’s go make money for shareholders.” That, in essence, is Mr. Peltz’s philosophy, Mr. Winkleblack said.

After an extensive listening tour, Mr. Peltz backed Heinz’s chief executive, William Johnson, and his turnaround plan. Mr. Peltz subsequently proposed Mr. Johnson, whom he now calls a “great friend,” for the PepsiCo board, and Mr. Winkleblack now serves as a Trian representative on Wendy’s board.

Mr. Peltz’s battle against DuPont was in some ways the beginning of modern-day activism: evolving into a full-blown fight in which an influential proxy firm, ISS, sided with Mr. Peltz while index funds, decisively, sided with the company’s management.

Though Mr. Peltz lost the proxy fight in 2015, DuPont’s chief executive, Ellen Kullman, stepped down not long after. Her successor, Edward D. Breen, developed a warm relationship with Mr. Peltz and embraced much of his strategy.

Mr. Peltz said Trian intended to remain a major Disney shareholder and keep up the pressure even if it lost the proxy battle, and pointed to DuPont as a precedent.

Procter & Gamble put up a spirited defense to Mr. Peltz’s proxy campaign but, after a narrow loss, reluctantly welcomed Mr. Peltz into the boardroom in 2017. Two years later, Mr. Peltz and the company’s chief executive, David Taylor, were heaping praise on each other.

“We’d rather be rich than right, and David has that same attitude,” Mr. Peltz said at a conference sponsored by CNBC and Institutional Investor. “That’s why we’re getting along so well.”

Several executives who have faced Mr. Peltz’s attention said they saw a common theme: He accelerated existing recovery plans, and then reaped credit for the success. Chief executives who get along with him have to swallow their egos — something that might prove difficult for someone as prominent as Mr. Iger, especially given all the recent vitriol.

Many also said that the care and feeding of Mr. Peltz was time-consuming. After Mr. Peltz joined the board of the snack food maker Mondelez International, then-chief executive Irene Rosenfeld created a new executive position to handle some administrative duties while she dealt with Mr. Peltz and other activist shareholders. Still, Mondelez shares rose an annualized 11 percent while Mr. Peltz was on the board, Trian said.

No one The Times interviewed could recall Mr. Peltz’s arriving on a board with bold ideas that no one else at the company had ever thought of.

“He’ll offer thoughts. He’ll have a thesis,” as one former chief executive said. “But the reality is no one can come from the outside and really know a well-managed company. They’re not going to walk in and tell them something they’ve never thought of.”

Still Rocking the Boat

Which is why, when all is said and done, Mr. Peltz may never escape the unsavory reputation that still dogs him, at least in some quarters, and why it’s unlikely he’ll ever be mentioned in the same breath as Mr. Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway acquires companies only in friendly deals.

Mr. Peltz seems oblivious that even when he is invited onto a board, it’s often under duress: better to have him on the inside, with a director’s duty to shareholders, than on the outside waging a proxy war.

Mr. Peltz “may be a very smart investor and a very savvy operator, but he rocks the boat,” Mr. Elson the governance expert said. “People who rock the boat are naturally going to cross swords with the establishment.” (Mr. Elson’s family is also a pillar of Palm Beach high society; his father, Edward, was U.S. ambassador to Denmark in the 1990s, and his mother, Susie, was chair of Palm Beach’s Society of the Four Arts.)

“No one likes to be told you’re doing something wrong. That’s just human nature,” Mr. Elson continued. “When that happens, you’re viewed as a dissident, an irritant. Irritants aren’t loved.”

Loved or not, Mr. Peltz has Mr. Elson’s admiration, he said, even if he doesn’t always agree with Mr. Peltz’s approach. “Irritants,” he said, “are important to the proper functioning of a capitalist society.”

A previous version of this article misidentified Charles Elson. He is a   former director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, not its director.

How we handle corrections

James B. Stewart has been a reporter and business columnist for The Times since 2011, focusing on the human drama of the business world and the struggle for corporate power. More about James B. Stewart

Lauren Hirsch joined The Times from CNBC in 2020, covering deals and the biggest stories on Wall Street. More about Lauren Hirsch

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A guide to Indian Lake, hammered by Thursday's storms

The Indian Lake area of Ohio was torn by storms Thursday night . Here's a guide to the lake:

Where is Indian Lake?

Indian Lake is in Logan County, about 70 miles northwest of Columbus.

How big is Indian Lake?

The lake is about 5,100 acres, making it the third largest lake in Ohio, behind Grand Lake St. Marys (13,500 acres) in Auglaize and Mercer counties and Mosquito Creek Lake (7,850 acres) in Trumbull County, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. In addition, Pymatuning Reservoir, which straddles Ohio and Pennsylvania, covers 14,000 acres.

Is Indian Lake natural?

Indian Lake is man-made. According to the ODNR , it began in 1851 as "Old Indian Lake," a feeder lake for the Miami & Erie Canal. A bulkhead completed in 1860 allowed the lake, then called Lewiston Reservoir, to grow to more than 6,300 acres. Although Indian Lake is very shallow, with an average depth of 6 feet, it has largely been spared the algae that has stained other Ohio lakes because of the Indian Lake Watershed Project, established in the 1990s to keep the water clean.

How many people live on Indian Lake?

About 1,300 people live in the lake's largest town, Russells Point, and another 1,200 live down the road in Lakeview, both on the lake's southern shore. Hundreds more live around the lake, many of them in seasonal trailer parks and campgrounds, making the area vulnerable to storms.

What is Indian Lake best known for?

For decades, an amusement park and dance halls along the lake's southern rim drew visitors from miles around and provided the lake's nickname, the "Midwest's Million Dollar Playground." The last bits of the amusement park were torn down in the early 1980s; only the I ndian Lake Rollarena in Russells Point provides a hint of the lake's entertainment past.

Was the 1960s hit "Indian Lake" about this lake?

No. The Cowsills' 1968 Top 10 hit "Indian Lake" is thought to be based on a lake in Upstate New York.

What is housing like around Indian lake?

Much of Indian Lake's homes remain trailers in campgrounds, especially on the north and west sides of the lake. But a growing number of large new homes have been built on the lake this century, especially on the lake's multiple islands and eastern shore. Many of the older, modest homes still sell under $100,000, but newer homes can command more than half a million dollars. The lake's real-estate landed it a spot on the HGTV shows "Island Life" and "Island Hunters."

What impact did the storms have on the lake's state park?

The ODNR has closed Indian Lake State Park, on the west side of the lake, until further notice. "ODNR staff and other emergency crews will assess the impact of the storm and reevaluate the status of the park later today," the department posted Friday . The 8,400-acre park is one of Ohio's four original state parks, created in 1949.

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THE 10 CLOSEST Hotels to Voronezh Central Park

Hotels near voronezh central park, property types, distance from, traveler rating, hotel class.

• Best Value Properties ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data, including traveler ratings, confirmed availability from our partners, prices, booking popularity and location, as well as personal user preferences and recently viewed hotels.
• Traveler Ranked Highest rated hotels on Tripadvisor, based on traveler reviews.
• Distance from Voronezh Central Park See properties located closest to the place of interest first with confirmed availability for your dates from our partners.

1. Petrovsky Passage Hotel

2. Hotel Degas

3. Hampton by Hilton Voronezh

4. bronzovyy kaban, 5. azimut city hotel voronezh, 6. apartment "house 213", 7. degas lite hotel, 8. art hotel voronezh, 9. marriott voronezh hotel, 10. ramada plaza by wyndhamvoronezh city centre, 11. russia hotel, 12. solemio, 13. mercure voronezh centre, 14. benefit plaza congress hotel, 15. marton city, 16. voronezh hotel, 17. cosmos smart voronezh, 18. chalet hotel, 19. phoenix hotel, 20. apart hotel faraon, 21. sozvezdiye teltsa, 22. petrovsky hotel, 23. versal hotel, 24. autoplaza, 25. tibet hotel, 26. amaks park-hotel, 28. hotel №1, 30. uyutny dom, hotels near voronezh central park information.

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