Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be fun but also complicated — especially when you’re trying to choose between 25 resort hotels. If you’ve narrowed down your choices to these two resorts, how do you make your final selection?

Well, we’re here to walk you through the similarities AND differences between Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Whether cost, room size, location, pools, and/or restaurants are most important to you, we share the information that you’ll need to make an informed decision. After all, we want you to stay at the hotel that is best for your traveling party!

Let’s get started and look at all the details so that you can plan your Disney trip with confidence.

There’s no doubt that Disney vacations are expensive, and no one wants buyer’s remorse when it comes to what can usually be the most EXPENSIVE part of your Disney trip. We’ll dive deeper into the details of these resorts by breaking down our analysis into five categories:

• Common Ground
• Theme/Rooms
• Pools
• Food
• Transportation

It takes a lot of research to plan a Disney vacation, but we’re here to help.

Common Ground

Before we mention their differences, let’s take a look at what Old Key West and Beach Club have in common. First, both have a relaxed vibe with an overall coastal atmosphere featuring tropical decor and landscaping.

While Old Key West has layout that consists of a central lobby building with outer buildings housings the actual hotel rooms. Beach Club is centralized in one building.

But what about cost per night?

For Old Key West, that means that for the cheapest room at the cheapest time to visit, you can expect to pay around $457 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts), and it goes up to $3,081 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts) for the most expensive rooms at the most expensive time to visit.

For Beach Club Villas, that means that for the cheapest room at the cheapest time to visit, you can expect to pay around $534 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts), and it goes up to $2,401 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts) for the most expensive rooms at the most expensive time to visit.

Extra Theme Park Hours Benefits for Disney World Resort Hotel Guests

Theme/Rooms

At Old Key West, the shimmering waterways lead to Disney Springs, while Beach Club is within walking distance to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Both resorts have bus transportation to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

These large resorts boast beautiful landscaping, but they do have some differences!

Old Key West

As a Deluxe Villa Resort, this hotel offers many unique perks. Villas can be booked by Disney Vacation Club members or cash-paying guests, and because of the immense size of Old Key West, rooms are often available!

Opened in October 1991, Old Key West features a relaxed, beach vibe (minus the ocean). Picture yourself vacationing at a Caribbean-style guest house in small neighborhood-type structures. Exteriors are painted in soft hues reminiscent of the Florida Keys. Guests return here year after year because of the laid-back atmosphere and large rooms.

Yes, this resort offers generous square footage in each studio or villa. Studios are furnished with two queen beds and a kitchenette. Take note of that balcony! Two-bedroom villas sleep up to nine people. The one-to-three-bedroom villas have a full kitchen, as well as washer and dryer. Rooms were last renovated in 2019.

Speaking of spacious accommodations, the 3 Bedroom Grand Villas at various Disney Vacation Club properties can sleep up to 12 people! These rooms typically come with 3 bedrooms, 3 (or more) bathrooms, a (very large) full-sized kitchen, living area, dining area, and a balcony. These rooms are available first for DVC members to book, so they’re pretty difficult to score and pricing is not readily available to the public (unless you call Disney to book for a specific date).

If you’re looking for convenience, these amenities might make your trip a whole lot easier!

Beach Club

Not to be confused with its up-tight and snooty sister resort, the Yacht Club, the Beach Club is where you can relax, let your hair down, and wander through the lobby in bare feet with your bucket of collected seashells.

The Beach Club steers clear of those bold nautical colors and embraces pastels and the soft tones of the beach at sunset.

Though we wouldn’t mind some more Disney touches, these rooms are soft, cozy, and embrace the beach cottage vibe of New England. Luckily, Disney heard our concerns and is planning to update and retheme the rooms to include some magical Disney references.

Until then, though, the Beach Club’s last renovatation and updated was back in 2016, for a more sophisticated appearance with simple features and softer coloring.  These rooms don’t have the personality that you can find at the Contemporary and Polynesian. So, if you’re looking for a room with some “character,” the Beach Club may not be your jam.

Room CHANGES Announced for Beach Club Resort in Disney World

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What type of accommodations do you prefer? Both offer a relaxing atmosphere. Yet, Old Key West has a sense of Victorian community, especially with repeat Disney Vacation Club guests.

If you need square footage, Old Key West might be better for your family. 

If you want the most recently refurbished rooms, try Caribbean Beach as renovations will hopefully be completed in 2023. And just a reminder, Beach Club Resort Rooms can sleep up to five guests, depending on bedding options.

NEWS! MAJOR HOTEL CHANGE Announced for Disney World

Pools

When the weather is HOT or you just need a break from park queues, head to your resort pool! After all, the pools have their own unique features and special theming. Feature pools at Walt Disney World hotels usually have at least one slide and also offer poolside activities. Look at the hotel’s recreation schedule for more information. Some Disney resorts are so spread out that they also offer leisure pools. These swimming spots are family-friendly with at least one whirlpool spa. Leisure pools are quieter than the more crowded and active feature pools.

Note that poolside towels are always complimentary.

Old Key West

Sandcastle is Old Key West’s feature pool near the Hospitality House. Here, a 125-ft. waterslide traverses through a large sandcastle. Guests will love the decorative dolphins that spout water into the large pool. There’s also a relaxing whirlpool spa as well as a dry sauna located inside the nearby lighthouse. Small children will enjoy the kiddie pool. Keeping with the Florida Keys atmosphere, there is also a sandy “beach”!

At this property, there are three leisure pools — Old Turtle Pond, South Point, and Miller’s Road.

Beach Club

The Beach Club may be understated when it comes to its lobby and resort rooms, but it is not to be outdone in the pool category. Disney’s Beach Club shares a pool complex with its neighboring resort, the Yacht Club, Stormalong Bay.

Stormalong Bay is a destination on all its own. This pool complex is almost like its own mini-water park, with sand at the bottom and even a lazy river! So, your kiddos can take advantage of the ‘shipwrecked’ themed water slide, while you leisurely float around the lazy river, so just relax on of the many lounge chairs.

Stormalong Bay is also nestled in close to Beaches and Cream, an iconic ice cream shop, providing over-the-top milkshakes, sundaes, and comfort junk food essentials like burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Results

There’s no real loser in this category if you’ve found relaxation and joy, but our heart leans towards the Beach Club, because that pool is just epic!

Toes in the sand, relaxing down a lazy river with a shipwreck-themed water slide. We’ll take the Beach Club’s pool oasis just tips the scale over the Old Key West’s pool situation.

10 Hidden Secrets About Disney World Pools

Food

Park days can be exhausting. Whether you’re taking a whole day to enjoy your resort, or you are relaxing after a shopping excursion at Disney Springs, once you’re at your Disney World hotel, you might not want to get back on a bus or boat for nourishment. So, you’ll want to know about the best options at your Disney World resort!

Take a look at the menus and decide which resort has the food that best suits your family.

Old Key West

Olivia’s Cafe is a relaxed and casual Table Service restaurant featuring flavors inspired by the Florida Keys.

It’s open for brunch and dinner.

Good’s Food To Go is Old Key West’s Counter Service option serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is unique with its outdoor setting made for more of a “to-go” style. However, Old Key West lacks a quick service food court with indoor seating!

The Conch Chowder is a guest favorite.

Gurgling Suitcase is a charming little bar where guests can also order full entrees from Olivia’s Cafe.

We love this little oasis.

Turtle Shack Snack Bar offers sandwiches, pizza and salads to be enjoyed poolside.

Grab a bite and spend some time at the pool!

Click HERE for our Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Old Key West Resort!

Beach Club

Hurricane Hanna’s is a pool bar, tucked under the Stormalong Bay waterslide that provides fixes for your hunger without having to wander too far from the pool.

The Beach Club is home to one lounge, one quick-service market, a table service option, and a Character dining restaurant. Not to mention its close proximity to Yacht Club and all of those dining options.

The Beach Club Marketplace is the quick service location and gift shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Once you make your way through the gift shop you’ll find yourself in the quick service dining area, complete with a sandwich counter. Guests will find basic staples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in addition to a dry goods section (think boxes of cereal, peanut butter, and other essentials you might need). This is also the location for filling your Refillable Resort Mugs.

Hot breakfast choices include a breakfast platter, pastries, and oatmeal. Lunch and dinner options include sandwiches, salads, and some truly tasty baked mac and cheese dishes. Oodles of tempting sweet treats are often found in the refrigerated cases, so keep an eye out for specialty cupcakes and more!

Ah, Beaches & Cream Soda Shop… THIS is the place to go for classic diner eats and GIGANTIC ice cream sundaes in Walt Disney World! Tucked between the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts, this authentic soda counter restaurant is decked out in pastels and is complete with a jukebox! Though the sundaes and shakes here are sizable no matter which sweet treat you order, Beaches & Cream is especially well known as being home to the famous Kitchen Sink: an eight-scoop ice cream sundae (made for sharing with the whole group) served up with EVERY TOPPING in the house! Beaches and Cream underwent a renovation to expand the dining space and reopened in late 2019, so this formerly small spot can accommodate many more guests these days. And you can always grab some ice cream (or hard shakes & floats for adults) at the Beaches & Cream To Go Window, too!

Cape May Cafe is located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, just inside the lobby! Cape May Cafe currently features an all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast buffet with Disney pals! Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast is one of the best places to see some of the most beloved Disney characters outside of the parks. Though characters may vary, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy can often be found at Cape May Cafe, all dressed up for a day at the beach!

Though Disney characters are not present during Dinner, the evening meal serves up something unique, as all-you-can-eat surf-and-turf gets the spotlight, with plenty for landlubbers and seafood fans to enjoy!

Located directly next to Cape May Cafe near the lobby of the Beach Club Resort, Martha’s Vineyard Lounge is a relaxing spot to get a bite and a drink in the evening hours. Specialty cocktails, craft drafts, wines, and a full bar menu are available. And, like Cape May Cafe, the cuisine (a small selection of appetizers) is inspired by a Northeastern clambake, with comforting seafood favorites like clam chowder served alongside a few pub classics like chicken wings.

Sometimes, Martha’s Vineyard Lounge will also host drawing or painting activities, so be on the lookout for those.

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First, we’re going to warn you — Old Key West has slim pickings, especially for counter service meals. However, you’re not far from Disney Springs, which has a ton of dining options. And if you are spending a lot of time out at the parks (or staying in a large villa so that you can prepare meals), this category might not be as important to you as others. If you plan on a vacation mainly at the resort and have no interest in Disney Springs, you may want to dine at the popular Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West as it offers table-service for brunch and dinner.

When looking at the variety of choices, Beach Club wins this category. Also, guests staying at Beach Club can take the Skyliner to several other resorts for more quick service options!

Transportation

Are there any transportation differences with these hotels? Both resorts offer bus transportation as well as one other mode of Disney transport.

Old Key West

If you are driving to Walt Disney World or renting a car once you get to Florida, Old Key West offers the convenience of parking right in front of your villa. And with all the walking that you’ll do on vacation, this might be the right choice for your weary feet. This is especially helpful when traveling with grandparents, young children, or anyone with mobility concerns.

To all theme parks, you’ll have to take a bus.

Beach Club

The Beach Club is considered an “EPCOT-area” resort. It sits on Crescent Lake, next to Yacht Club Resort, and across the lake from Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.  This resort is situated in between TWO Disney parks, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Yep, that’s right, you can walk or enjoy a relaxing boat ride on a Friendship Cruise boat to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

If Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs is your destination, then you can board one of Disney’s buses to transport you over to these parks.

And as if walkways, boats, and busses weren’t enough options for you, Beach Club guests are also within walking distance of the EPCOT Skyliner station. This means you have easy access to the other Skyliner resorts if you want to go exploring other resorts or just have a relaxing cruise through the sky.

Find our Guide to Disney World Transportation HERE

Results

Again, this is an easy win…. And the win goes once again to Beach Club Resort, which has earned major bragging rights in this category thanks to the Disney Skyliner!

The Winner!

So, where do we think you should stay? Sorry, that decision has to be up to you. It depends on the people in your traveling party and what your plans are during your stay at Walt Disney World. If larger rooms or shopping at Disney Springs are important to you, opt for Old Key West. 

You may also want to consider that Old Key West (except for three buildings) does not have elevators. If this is an issue for you, perhaps you should choose Beach Club.

If you’re looking for a convenient way to get to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then Beach Club might be the one to book!

Overall, these are both wonderful resorts, although Beach Club Resort definitely has bragging rights for lower cost as well as transportation and dining options.

Polynesian Village vs. Beach Club Disney World Resort Guide 2023

Where did you decide to stay? Share with us and your fellow readers!