7 Things To Know About Ale & Compass Restaurant at Disney World

Walt Disney World’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts hold some of our very favorite restaurants between these two sister resorts that share several amenities. We’re always up for a meal at Beach Club’s Cape May Café, or even a satisfying sweet-tooth dessert at Beaches and Cream Soda Shop. And who could pass on the outstanding entrees offered at Yacht Club Resort’s Yachtsman Steakhouse? Well, we are pleased to have tried this eatery within the Yacht Club Resort known as Ale & Compass Restaurant and would like to share seven things you’ll want to know before dining there!

1 – Yacht Club Takes On An “Ale & Compass” Dining Theme

In October 2017, Yacht Club Resort began a dining transformation, unifying the quick-service dining, lobby lounge, and lobby restaurant with a general “Ale & Compass” dining theme. The Market at Ale & Compass is located down the hall from Yacht’s lobby (in the gift shop), and is a bright and modern quick-service option that is perfect grab-and-go food. When entering the Yacht Club lobby, look to the left to find the elegant and sleek Ale & Compass Lounge with Ale & Compass Restaurant right next door. The overall Ale & Compass theme across all three locations is modern and sleek but keeps that nautical Yacht Club Resort feel.

2 – Transformation from Captain’s Grille to Ale & Compass Restaurant

When Captain’s Grille closed in 2017 for “refurbishment”, we were more intrigued than disappointed. While we enjoyed the occasional meal at Captain’s Grille, it wasn’t a must-do on our list and more of a restaurant selection if it fits into our plans. While the restaurant was bright and airy, it was definitely lacking in décor with much-outdated carpets, tables, and chairs. It honestly was falling behind in what one would expect of a Yacht Club Resort restaurant. Ale & Compass opened on November 21, 2017, with a much-needed face-lift to the entire space. From floor to ceiling, the décor alone is a huge improvement, as is the menu and taste of the food.

3 – A New England Atmosphere With A Modern Twist

Like Captain’s Grille, Ale & Compass Restaurant is still in a lighthouse shape with multiple circular windows and large open windows to the resort lobby and hallway. The new colors inside exude a nautical feeling with a dark blue hue overall. The seating transformation is awesome, with a combination of bench seating mixed with chairs. The lighting and open floor plan offer a bright and airy space, but it still makes for what could be an intimate meal. Wine glasses and blue cloth napkins dress the table for what feels like a high-end restaurant while still being a family-friendly location. Upon entering the restaurant, the focal point is the open hearth oven area with a bar top option and a few seats available. Also near the entrance is an open doorway where guests can enter the neighboring Ale & Compass Lounge.

4 – Three Different Meal Menus

Something we love about Ale & Compass is that breakfast, lunch, and dinner are totally different menus. We especially love when resort restaurants offer different meal options so you can have a totally different experience at each mealtime if you want!

• On a typical day, breakfast is served between 7:30 am-11:00 am. All of your usual breakfast dishes are served up with a slight New England flare, like the Dark Chocolate Waffle or seasonal French Toast. Go light with yogurt and granola or heavy with pancakes and cinnamon rolls. A great variety, especially for a breakfast menu!
• Lunch is served between 11:45 am and 2:00 pm. The stars on the menu are the seafood items like the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. However, we enjoyed some non-seafood dishes like the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup and the Bacon and Vermont Cheddar Burger.
• Dinner is served from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm. The menu transforms into more signature style dishes such as the Cabernet-braised Short Ribs, Sustainable Catch of the Day, and New England Seafood Pot Pie to name a few.

Excellent selections for all three meals! Our kiddos especially loved the kid’s cheeseburger and pasta. Plus, our gluten-sensitive family was impressed at the number of gluten-friendly options Ale & Compass offered.

5 – Dessert and Beverages To Be Remembered

What meal is complete without dessert?! Lunch and dinner dessert highlights include the Warm Apple Cobbler and the Twelve-Layer Chocolate Cake. After all, the restaurant is ALE & Compass Restaurant, so you can expect to find refreshing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. Alcoholic breakfast beverage recommendations would have to be the Bloody Mary or the Mimosa. Lunch and dinner drink menus offer a great variety of fantastic ale, wine, and cocktail selections. We enjoyed the Seaworthy Breeze Cocktail, including Yacht Club Vodka, grapefruit, and cranberry juices.

6 – On-Point Cast Member Service

We were pleasantly pleased with Ale & Compass Restaurant’s Cast Members. The hostess was super friendly and eager to seat us right away. Our server was exceptionally helpful. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and was a huge help with our family’s gluten allergy. We especially loved how attentive she was to our children. She even brought them Mickey straws just for fun! The food arrived fast, and the Chef must have been well-trained because the food looked and tasted wonderful.

7 – Ease of Reservations

While we always recommend making Advanced Dining Reservations 60 days in advance of your dining date, we will say we were surprised to find dining reservations readily available for Ale & Compass Restaurant. While waiting to be seated for our lunch, we saw several people walk in with no reservations. Keep this resort restaurant in your hip pocket if you are in need of a last-minute dining option. You’ll experience a relaxing atmosphere, great service, and excellent food and beverages!

Have you tried Ale & Compass Restaurant? We’d love to hear about your experience!