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Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa vs Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Magic Kingdom or Epcot, with Early Theme Park Entry every day and Extended Evening Hours on select nights at each. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, if you want one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, the water taxi back and fireworks across the lagoon; Disney's Yacht Club Resort, from about $655, if you would rather walk nine minutes to Epcot's International Gateway and spend afternoons in Stormalong Bay.

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: The resort across Seven Seas LagoonThe icon

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney's Victorian grand hotel on Seven Seas Lagoon, one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, with its fireworks across the water.

$$$$From about $855 a night

Choose Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa if

  • Magic Kingdom days
  • Fireworks over the lagoon
  • Young children and midday breaks
  • Anniversaries and milestone birthdays

The catch

The entry Resort View rooms look over the courtyard, the marina or the pools, and like the Water View and Theme Park View rooms they are in the outer lodges, not the main building. On a Tuesday in January the lagoon view costs about $60 a night more and the Magic Kingdom view about $200 more.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort: Stormalong Bay's sand-bottomed pool at duskThe pool one

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

A shingle-style yacht club on Crescent Lake, with Stormalong Bay's three-acre pool complex and Epcot a 9-minute walk away.

$$$From about $655 a night

Choose Disney's Yacht Club Resort if

  • Pool afternoons between park days
  • Epcot and Hollywood Studios on foot
  • Families with children who swim
  • Evenings at Epcot and the BoardWalk

The catch

The entry Resort View rooms look over gardens, rooftops or the car park, and guests have found theirs facing a roof or the bus stop. The Water View, over Crescent Lake or the quiet pool, cost $118 a night more on a February weeknight in 2027, and Disney sells the view over the Stormalong Bay lagoons only with Club Level.

Which of our lists each one is on

Best forDisney's Grand Floridian Resort & SpaDisney's Yacht Club Resort
Best pool hotels in OrlandoNot on the listOn the list
Best design hotels in OrlandoOn the listNot on the list
Best spa hotels in OrlandoOn the listNot on the list
Best hotels with a view in OrlandoOn the listNot on the list
Best hotels for food and drink in OrlandoOn the listNot on the list

Both hotels on the same scales

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & SpaDisney's Yacht Club Resort

Under the radarSee and be seen
Smart spendSplurge
ClassicContemporary
Food secondaryDestination dining
CouplesFamilies
Central & walkableRemote escape
Beach & pool optionalBeach & pool central

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Area
Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom area, United States
From the centre
5.5 km
Airport
39 min from MCO
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $855 a night
Rooms
Not confirmed
Last renovated
2025 (opened 1988)
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
6
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Area
Walt Disney World, Epcot area, United States
From the centre
1.1 km
Airport
38 min from MCO
Price band
$$$
Typical rate
From about $655 a night
Rooms
Not confirmed
Opened
1990
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
No
Adults only
No
Restaurants
2
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

The verdict

Magic Kingdom or Epcot, with Early Theme Park Entry every day and Extended Evening Hours on select nights at each. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, if you want one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, the water taxi back and fireworks across the lagoon; Disney's Yacht Club Resort, from about $655, if you would rather walk nine minutes to Epcot's International Gateway and spend afternoons in Stormalong Bay.

Questions people ask

Good questions about Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa vs Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney's Yacht Club Resort?

Magic Kingdom or Epcot, with Early Theme Park Entry every day and Extended Evening Hours on select nights at each. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, if you want one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, the water taxi back and fireworks across the lagoon; Disney's Yacht Club Resort, from about $655, if you would rather walk nine minutes to Epcot's International Gateway and spend afternoons in Stormalong Bay.

Is Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa worth it?

Book the Grand Floridian to ride the monorail one stop to Magic Kingdom and end the day with the fireworks over the lagoon. Pay for a Theme Park View room if the fireworks are the point, and plan on Disney buses for the other parks. A famous, classic and very expensive Disney resort where the lagoon, the monorail and the Victorian public rooms are the point, with a MICHELIN-starred dining room for the adults. Expect families and busy lobbies, and pay extra for the view of the park.

Does Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa have a pool or a beach?

It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.

Is Disney's Yacht Club Resort worth it?

Book the Yacht Club for Stormalong Bay and an Epcot and Hollywood Studios week on foot and by boat, and pay the $118 step to a Water View on the Crescent Lake side. Plan on buses for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. A large, classic Disney resort where a three-acre pool complex is the reason to book and Epcot is a short walk away. Expect families at the pool and Deluxe Disney prices for the room.

Does Disney's Yacht Club Resort have a pool or a beach?

It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.