My children would probably pick Yacht Club because they adore the "sand pool" section of Stormalong Bay. They could stay there for hours building. They also like the beach section and the there is a great mini slide for younger kids.
Animal Kingdom has a nice pool or if you stay in the Kidani section a great water play area and of course you have the animals. Do you think your grandsons are more into animal watching or pools? If pools are their thing I give Yacht Club the edge.
Both resorts have kid's clubs (Yacht's is at the Beach Club) and kid activities. Some of the activities at Animal Kingdom have more of a cultural element which could be fun.
From Animal Kingdom you are busing or driving everywhere. From Yacht you would only bus to MK and AK. DHS is a boat ride and Epcot is a walk in. You also have the option of walking through Epcot and monorailing to MK. If you plan on spending most of your time at Magic Kingdom, I don't think it makes much of a difference but if you plan on a lot of Epcot time you may prefer Yacht.
AgentC listed a great bunch of points. We have stayed at both several times and each is wonderful in its own rights. One plus of YC is the proximity to BW which has additional dining options to add to what your home resort would offer. We have never minded that AKL is isolated from the busyness..love the peacefulness of the resort..very quiet after a busy day in the parks.
2008 Oct-POR & BC
2009 Oct- CS
2009 Dec- AKL & CRB
2010 April - Dolphin
2010 Oct- BWI
2011 April - POR
2011 Oct - AKL
2012 April - Poly
2012 Oct - AKL & YC
2013 April - WL
2013 Oct - AKL
2014 Jan - CS
2014 April - YC & POR
2014 Oct - WL & YC
2014 Dec - PORFQ
2015 April - BC
YC has the best pool on property. When you combine that with the location - within walking distance to Epcot and a long walk or boat to HS, YC would be my choice.
First Trip ¨¨*:•
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground - June, 1974
Last Trip ¨¨*:•
Port Orleans/Saratoga Springs - March, 2017
It really depends on how you plan to spend your time and how the locations of the resorts fit into that. There is no doubt the pool at BC/YC is the best on property, but the two pools at AKL are pretty nice, as well. The animals at AKL are a plus for kids.
But if you plan to spend a lot of time at EPCOT and/or DHS, the YC location can't be beat. When our boys were younger, they would have preferred the AKL. But the truth is, these are 2 exceptionally nice resorts - you don't have a bad choice!
i'd add that with the Yacht you also can walk to the boardwalk at night and see the street performers. my kids have always loved this. s'mores and a movie on the beach each evening too, but guessing AK has something similar. but my kids LOVE the boardwalk at night and it is incredibly relaxing to let the kids sit and watch while you grab a bench and chill.
We just got back from Yacht Club and had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend it and I doubt we will ever stay anywhere else. But my kids were looking to swim everyday. And 2 hours just wasn't enough if you know what I'm saying. So like others have said it just depends on what you are looking to do. If you don't have time to devote to the pool daily it may not be the best fit. We also spent alot of time at the Boardwalk. There is so much to do in that area. Mini Golf is also a short walk. Oh and one more thing to add boat service is awful! It took over an hour to get to DHS by boat. Epcot is a short 5 minute walk. DHS is about 10 minutes. If your grand kids aren't walkers that could cause an issue.
Yacht Club May 2015
AoA Holiday 2013
Pop Century May 2012, July 2011, May 2008, and May 2006
All Star Music Sept 2007
All Star Movies May 2006
Many Trips as a Child Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Swan, Dolphin, and Board Walk
Yacht Club. Best location at WDW. So much to see and do right around that lake. Bonus awesome playground located at the Swan hotel. Great for little kids!
Natalie INTERCOT Staff: Disneyland Resort-California, The Water Cooler
Share This Thread On Social Media: