Two Disney Deluxe resorts: choose the pool or the animals. Disney's Yacht Club Resort, from about $655, if you want Stormalong Bay's sand-bottomed pool, lazy river and 230-foot-long slide, with Epcot nine minutes' walk away; Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, from about $525, if you would rather have giraffes and antelope below a Savanna View balcony, at extra cost, and the Starlight Safari after dark.
A shingle-style yacht club on Crescent Lake, with Stormalong Bay's three-acre pool complex and Epcot a 9-minute walk away.
$$$From about $655 a night
Choose Disney's Yacht Club Resort if
Pool afternoons between park days
Epcot and Hollywood Studios on foot
Families with children who swim
Evenings at Epcot and the BoardWalk
The catch
The entry Resort View rooms look over gardens, rooftops or the car park, and guests have found theirs facing a roof or the bus stop. The Water View, over Crescent Lake or the quiet pool, cost $118 a night more on a February weeknight in 2027, and Disney sells the view over the Stormalong Bay lagoons only with Club Level.
A thatched game lodge on the edge of Walt Disney World, with giraffes and antelope outside the Savanna View balconies and zebras on some of its savannas.
$$$From about $525 a night
Choose Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge if
Children who love animals
Animal Kingdom days
Couples who want a themed base
Walt Disney World trips with a car
The catch
Disney sells the savanna only with the Savanna View rooms. The entry Resort View faces what Disney describes as rooftops or the car park, and on an early-February Tuesday the Savanna View costs $740 a night before tax against $527, $213 more.
Disney's Yacht Club ResortDisney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach & pool optionalBeach & pool central
Central & walkableRemote escape
CouplesFamilies
IntimateLarge resort
Smart spendSplurge
ClassicContemporary
FunctionalDesign-led
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
$$$
Typical rate
From about $655 a night
Rooms
Not confirmed
Opened
1990
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
No
Adults only
No
Restaurants
2
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Area
Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom area, United States
From the centre
5.9 km
Airport
39 min from MCO
Price band
$$$
Typical rate
From about $525 a night
Rooms
Not confirmed
Last renovated
2019 (opened 2001)
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
No
Adults only
No
Restaurants
4
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026
The verdict
Two Disney Deluxe resorts: choose the pool or the animals. Disney's Yacht Club Resort, from about $655, if you want Stormalong Bay's sand-bottomed pool, lazy river and 230-foot-long slide, with Epcot nine minutes' walk away; Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, from about $525, if you would rather have giraffes and antelope below a Savanna View balcony, at extra cost, and the Starlight Safari after dark.
Good questions about Disney's Yacht Club Resort vs Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney's Yacht Club Resort or Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge?
Two Disney Deluxe resorts: choose the pool or the animals. Disney's Yacht Club Resort, from about $655, if you want Stormalong Bay's sand-bottomed pool, lazy river and 230-foot-long slide, with Epcot nine minutes' walk away; Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, from about $525, if you would rather have giraffes and antelope below a Savanna View balcony, at extra cost, and the Starlight Safari after dark.
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.
Is Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge worth it?
Book Animal Kingdom Lodge for the savanna, and pay for a Savanna View room so that it is outside your balcony. Plan on Disney's buses or a car for the parks, and give Magic Kingdom days an early start. A large, heavily themed Disney resort where the savanna outside the window is the point and the parks are a bus or car ride away. Expect families, a relaxed pace and African cooking, and pay for the Savanna View to get what you came for.
Does Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge have a pool or a beach?
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
The pool one