Yacht Club, Walt Disney World, December 1990
Today's photos were taken by GDB honorary General, Lou Perry, and were scanned and shared with us by his daughter, Sue B. These are from 1990, which doesn't seem that long ago. But... well, you can do the math. Our friend Andrew wasn't even born yet.
The pictures show the area near Disney's Yacht Club Resort, which had opened only a few weeks earlier: Disney's Yacht Club Resort is a New England nautical-themed resort at Walt Disney World. First opened on November 5, 1990, it is one of the several Epcot Area Resorts. Disney's Yacht Club is located next to a sister resort, Disney's Beach Club Resort, and across Crescent Lake from Disney's BoardWalk Resort. The resort is owned and operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. It was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
Since I already live on a 200-foot yacht, I would probably not stay at this resort. But for regular people, it is probably awesome! From the official Disney website: Delight in the formal grace of a grand New England-style yacht club at this lakeside hotel. Relax in the inviting elegance of a plush lobby replete with nautical touches, explore the whimsical Stormalong Bay and rent a variety of watercraft from Bayside Marina. Sharing many amenities with its pastel-toned sister, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is walking distance to EPCOT and a convenient boat ride to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
An old ship was beached long ago, and is now a local attraction. If you look up on deck, to the right, you can see one of the silly reindeer that we usually would enjoy in a Christmas Parade. Next to the reindeer, a Mary Poppins penguin?
This ship looks a bit rough, but a little Murphy's Oil Soap and some spackle will fix it right up. Does anybody know if the vessel is still there in 2024?
Speaking of Christmas, there's Santa Goof! He's following his most annoying and bossy elf, Melvin.
Well, I can't say I love the look of this hotel, but I guess it was built in a fashionable style of the time. The 90s, am I right? But it's big, I tells ya, BIG! The pool has no takers in December, even though I thought that Florida could be warm and muggy even in the Winter.
THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!
13 comments:
Major-
Ahhh... the Ya-CHIT Club - a fine, venerable resort. I see in the 3rd image what appears to be a sand bag, a short, rolling equipment cabinet, or two - possibly for a mobile sound system, or a small production set-up for who knows what. Another view of the equipment can be seen in the 4th image.
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
Back in a momentarily flush period I stayed across the lake at the Boardwalk on two different trips. That was supremely cool because you had the boardwalk itself, lined with eateries, drinkeries, and shopperies; plus the option of boating or even walking to and from Epcot and MGM Disney Studios. If you had a park hopper pass and the time, you could saunter through Epcot to the front gate and take the monorail to Magic Kingdom.
You also had the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan, and Dolphin in plausible ambling distance for additional opportunities to overconsume.
As I've said too many times, one of the huge attractions of WDW and Disneyland is the ability to largely dispense with cars and traffic. There are even restaurants that don't overlook parking lots. To a child of California sprawl, that means something.
I was at Walt Disney World January 1991 and there was a massive cold spell … resort landscapers rushed around placing these cloth blanket like things around the bases of trees - mostly palm trees and smudge pots for extra heat were placed around plants and trees. We were staying at The Contemporary Resort and because of the extreme cold the Luau Show and dinner was canceled and so was the Electrical Water Pageant. I had a new leather jacket that was very “Rocketeer” looking ( very popular in the early 90’s) and the cold weather made the jacket so stiff it was like I was wearing a horse saddle.
The Yacht Club was loosely themed to New England beach resorts of the teen thru the 1920’s …. But the architect was king of the Post Modern architecture movement that started in the 1980’s … a mix of contemporary massing and groupings with traditional elements like clapboard siding , louvered vents , shutters and multi pane window were typical .
Is there anyplace that Lou Perry didn't go and document the occasion with outstanding photos?... Apparently not!
1) Something tells me that white sand beaches are not normally found in Florida. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the sand was, not just trucked in, but was also man-made. The scene does look nice though, in an augmented, Disney sort of way. That sign in the middle of the white sand probably says, "DO NOT TOUCH THE WATER! Because, a) You might get eaten by a gator, b) You might get eaten by a brain-eating amoeba."
2) OK, I'm stumped. What is that long dark tube going across the roadway? Not sure why, but I'm a little bothered by the knowledge that each and every palm tree was curated and placed, just so. It makes the scene too artificial, IMO.
3) The 'old ship' has a masthead figure. I wonder if she's someone in particular or just a generic figure? Still not sure what that large tube is. I guess it's supposed to be a broken mast... but why?
4) "This ship looks a bit rough". It's the Black Pearl! And it's full of ghostly pirates!
5) 'Melvin' looks sorta like Macaulay Culkin... on a good day. I'm sure there's a story in this pic, bit I have no idea what it could be.
6) Hmm, I have to agree with you on the architectural style of this hotel. I know it's intended to be "New England", but it just seems too busy, like it's made of pick-up sticks.
Thanks again, Mr. Perry. And thanks to Sue and Major too.
In August this year I stayed at the similarly-themed Beach Club hotel which is next door to the Yacht Club and shares the pool area. I was very pleasantly surprised at the hotel and was particularly impressed by the five minute walk into Epcot's World Showcase area and to the Skyliner station. The wrecked ship is indeed still there – it serves as the entrance to the pool's slide which you can see as that tube stretching above the walkway.
I just checked, and that "shipwrecked" boat is still there. We can't see it in these photos, but there is a swimming pool on the backside of the ship.
I've taken the boat from EPCOT to the Disney Studios park, and it goes past all of the hotels in this area. I was not a fan of the architecture on any of these hotels, but especially the very ugly Swan and Dolphin Hotels. I thought I was taking a quick boat ride so I could "park hop" from EPCOT to the Studio park, but the ride took FOREVER, because it is not an "express" trip. The boat stops multiple times at docks in front of the various hotels, picking up and dropping off hotel guests. On my next trip, I just walked! The walking path (which DBenson also mentioned) can be seen in the first two photos. The walk was longer than I thought it would be, but it still took less time than the boat ride.
Now I'm wondering if they make more of an attempt to keep the alligator population down in that waterway, than they do with the Seven Seas Lagoon in front of the Magic Kingdom. Either way, I bet the beach in that first pic now has warning signs. Or maybe the beach is now blocked off completely?
Apparently, Disney's Yacht Club is running a deal right now. The special rate is only $402 per night. Book me for two weeks, please!
Thank you Lou, Sue, and Major!
It all looks very pristine, right up to the employee with old school grooming standards intact. It all doesn't look horrible, but it does give the essence of "Standard Marriott Anytown USA". Not that it's a bad thing, and I'm sure it's all very nice: but I'd rather stay in an actual Marriott for less...and just a few steps down the road. In addition to google eyed reindeer and Poppins penguin you can see the tops of a backside of Mickey. The shipwreck is totally odd, but I'm sure kids love it, and as I kid I would have loved it too. I am not the target market for any of this, so my critiques mean nothing. The white sand does look very lovely...I don't last particularly long in the Florida sun, but indoors I wear a coat and a hat. I can't say that the Yacht Club emulates an actual New England club...however...it gives the vibe. The club near me isn't anywhere near as glamorous....and oddly...it IS painted these exact same colors. I don't understand the weird structure on top of the building, but I'm sure the designer does...maybe it's an "implied lighthouse" (?). Could be? If they really dug deep this could have been the "Passamaquoddy Hotel/Resort/Salon." Pete's Dragon was a wee painful, but I look back at it with some whimsy: Elliot is always a fan favorite. Thanks Lou and Sue and Major for the trip 30+ years ago! WOW!
Ha, Disney got top design talent for this resort. Robert Stern was very well known for his work in this style, but these photos (thank you Lou and Sue!) look like he had an off day, or maybe subbed out the design to less talented staff. Oh well, even Homer nods.
This does sound like a fine destination based on the no-car comments. Driving everywhere and then hunting for parking sure gets tedious.
Thanks Major!
JG
Nanook, “Ya-CHIT”?? And wow, how in the world did you even notice that sand bag?
DBenson, I have no doubt that staying at a hotel “on property” has many advantages, and ideally that’s what I would like to do. But… $$$$. I know they have less-expensive options, but even those are probably pricey. I remember a podcast reviewed a Toy Story hotel; at night, the pool area was still blasting high-energy music when people were theoretically trying to sleep. Hmmm. As for sauntering into Epcot… sauntering is my favorite thing! I’ve never warmed to the look of the Swan and Dolphin buildings, it’s just my own personal taste I guess. I never thought about how most restaurants overlook parking lots, but it’s true!
Mike Cozart, I’ve seen photos of Florida orange trees covered in ice, so I do know that it can get cold there. The fact that it was so cold that it even half-froze your leather jacket is mind-boggling. I know that Eisner was all-in on post-modern architecture, with Michael Graves being a big favorite of his.
JB, I think I read that the white sand from the beaches was actually dredged up (from where exactly?) on site. It’s so odd to look at older adds that encourage water skiing, swimming, etc. Between the amoeba and the gators, no thank you. The dark tube carries sewage, of course! The figurehead is OK, I almost think it should look more crudely-carved, but that’s a nitpick. Was the live action “Pirates” movie out yet in 2001? I could look it up, but the Internet is way *over there*. Melvin is trying to get that promotion, none of his coworkers like him. But he doesn’t care.
Pegleg Pete, a five-minute walk to Epcot’s World Showcase would be pretty nice, from what I have read, a guest can spend a lot of time commuting from one part of WDW to another. I wouldn’t mind the commute if it involved riding a Monorail, but busses… not great. It’s cheap and works, I guess. A waterslide?? So that tube does NOT carry sewage??
TokyoMagic!, ha, see my comment to DBenson, I think the Swan and Dolphin hotels are ugly. But they’re huge, so they make lots of money! Walking those distances might ultimately be faster, but it sounds like you could typically walk many many miles in one day. Good question about controlling the gator population, I wonder about that myself. Back when those creatures were somewhat scarce, it was obviously not an issue, but my brother watches fishing videos, and there are canals that are full of so many alligators that it is downright creepy. No wonder they’ve made their way to WDW. $402 a night is bad, but for that park, it almost does sound like a bargain.
Bu, I agree, the look of this area has that kind of sterile, generic appearance that I find a bit unappealing. Maybe it’s nicer in person? Good eye on Mickey’s ears, I see them now! I do like a good water slide, and maybe that straight shot lets you pick up some serious speed. That “weird structure” is where guests can go if they want to experience a lightning strike up close and personal. I thought that it might represent a tower where you could watch for the ship of your loved one to return from three months of whaling. I’ve never seen “Pete’s Dragon”, but it’s weird because my grandma bought me the soundtrack album, so I know the songs very well.
JG, I can’t think of too many Robert Stern buildings that make me go “Wow” when I look at them. Of course, now that I live in 15 Central Park West (in a six-bedroom unit) I am more of a fan! It would be quite a thing to take a multi-day vacation without having to drive anywhere. On my last three-day trip to Disneyland, my car never left the parking structure of my hotel, which was pretty cool.
Bu, you have great observation skills -- I didn't see MM til you mentioned him. Thanks!
"A waterslide?? So that tube does NOT carry sewage??"
Major, it's both. (I beat JB to it.)
"Good question about controlling the gator population, I wonder about that myself."
Back in 1994, we were up real late during one night, talking to some hotel staff and they confirmed that WDW had a crew who went out on a boat and searched the waters for beady eyes to capture and remove, every night. And, yes, it's odd how WDW promoted water sports and activities.
Glad you like these shots.
Lou and Sue, Bu has Mouse-dar! Hmmm, a waterslide and a sewage line - think of the savings. Mr. X has told me that he’s seen boats out on the water looking for “eye shine” (the eyes of gators reflect light vividly). Not sure if they kill the animals or if they try to catch them.
I've never stayed at the Yacht Club, but I've eaten at some of the restaurants there. One time, we hired one of those "Sun Catcher" party barge boats from the marina (you can see the pier at the left of pic 1) attached to the resort. The driver took us under a bridge into the Epcot lagoon (all of these bodies of water are connected) to watch the Reflections of Earth fireworks show up close. Expensive, but worth it. I have no idea if the current fireworks show at Epcot is as good, though.
Major, the WDW staff told us the alligators were relocated, but after some internet research now - I read that the alligators are killed. Narcoossie's [restaurant] at the Grand Floridian in WDW served alligator sausage at the time we were there in 1994. It was tasty, but I didn't realize, at the time, that it was 'home-grown.' :o(
If you do some searching on YouTube, you'll find videos of alligators IN the Magic Kingdom, in different 'waterways.'
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