Hello, from Disney’s Yacht Club Resort!

We decided to try breakfast at the table-service location Ale & Compass on our recent trip to Disney World. This restaurant is known for coastal, New-England style cuisine. We haven’t been blown away by this location in the past so we wanted to see how breakfast was holding up.

Atmosphere

As you walk up to the front desk, you can see several health and safety measures in place. There is a plexiglass barrier at the check-in desk, as well as several signs with requirements for entering the restaurant. Mobile Dine Check-In is in use here, as it is at most other locations around Disney World. Simply scan the QR code near the entrance and from your phone you can check-in, specify any special needs, and wait to be texted when to head to the podium to be seated.

When we hear the name Ale and Compass, the first thing that comes to mind is glossy varnished woods and boat-related chotchkies but that is the opposite of what this space looks like! Ale & Compass has a simplistic yet beautiful atmosphere. With tall white ceilings, and blue and gray hues, the color scheme is quite calming.

We especially love the gastro-pub style light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and walls.

Certain areas of the dining room are full of light from the windows. The furniture gives the restaurant a minimalistic mood with sleek and dark booths and chairs. Yacht Club houses a convention center, so this hotel is often bustling with business men and women. This place feels like it is here to cater to that clientele.

One of our favorite aspects of the restaurant is the open kitchen, however it is currently closed. Usually, you can see chefs hard at work as they prepare the restaurant’s food.

None of the tables have been removed from the dining room. To comply with physical distancing, many tables have signs stating that the table is not available. We have seen these at most of the reopened restaurants in Disney World.

There are a couple of options when it comes to tables, with standard tables and booths available to guests. We happened to sit at this particular booth in the corner of the restaurant which was VERY nice. We love a good cozy booth! The tables are currently not set when you go to sit down like they were before the closures. When our party was seated, we were given individual sets of utensils in cloth napkins.

The atmosphere is nice, especially with the natural light, but it is not the most exciting restaurant on Disney property. For those looking for a simplistic or more business-like meal, you will enjoy the feel of this restaurant. This definitely doesn’t scream “DISNEY” everywhere you look like other locations might!

Eats

The menu was posted outside of the restaurant, or there was a QR code option to scan. Hard copy menus are available upon request, however they are not handed out automatically to avoid another point of contact.

As for the breakfast menu, you’re looking at generic breakfast staples here. A breakfast platter, omelet, pancakes, waffles, etc.

The kids’ menu offers simple, approachable breakfast options. Most kids should have an easy enough time finding something they’d like.

We decided to start our meal with a cocktail. We ordered the Agua Fresca Libation for $12. This cocktail is made with Paul Cheneau Cava and Agua Fresca Strawberry and Hibiscus. 

This drink was light and bubbly! If you like bubbles but want a flavored sip a little more unique than a classic mimosa, this will fit the bill nicely. This drink was slightly sweet from the strawberry agua fresca, but not too much to handle. The red color matched with the strawberry topper is an Instagram photo waiting to happen. If you enjoy bubbly drinks with brunch, you’ll enjoy this drink! We certainly did!

To get a little caffeine, we also ordered a cup of coffee for $3.79. The coffee itself was fairly generic, but was a nice pick-me-up. Our favorite part of ordering the coffee is the cute bottle the half and half came in! CUUUUTE.

Before our food came out, we were given salt, pepper, and ketchup in individual containers. Salt and pepper shakers used to sit on the tables, but to create less points of contact, this is how seasoning and condiments are given to guests right now.

For our breakfast entree, we went classic and ordered the Eggs Benedict. This dish is made of poached eggs, slow-roasted barbecued pork loin, and roasted tomatoes. They’re served on a toasted English muffin with spiced herb hollandaise and breakfast potatoes. 

The thinly sliced pork loin was a fun and unique alternative to breakfast ham often used in this dish and was cooked very well. The creamy herbed hollandaise was decent. It was well prepared, but we didn’t get loads of herb flavor.

The eggs were poached perfectly and were super runny, like they’re supposed to be. If you are a big fan of eggs, these will likely make you happy. We thought these were some of the best poached eggs we’ve had at a Disney breakfast! They had that satisfying pop when you break through the whites and the yolk oozes out!

The potatoes were seasoned very well. They were a hearty counterpoint to the eggs, but they weren’t anything out of this world. They were your average breakfast potatoes. They weren’t something we’d turn down though!

While we enjoyed the hollandaise, we wished it was spicier, so we asked for some Tabasco sauce. Our server brought back a baby Tabasco bottle, which we thought was adorable. When we added the Tabasco to the dish, we finally got the kick we were looking for. Then we could admire the cute itty bitty widdle bottle!

If you are not a spice fan, you will enjoy the dish as is. If you like things a bit spicier, the bit of Tabasco sauce really kicks it up a notch!

Nosh or Not

You should dine at Ale & Compass if…

• You are staying at Yacht Club Resort or a surrounding resort
• You want to get away from the crowds for a midday break. It’s quite quiet in here!
• You’re looking for a little less in-your-face Disney feeling at your meals

You might want to skip Ale & Compass if…

• You want more unique flavors
• You are not staying near the Yacht Club Resort
• You have kids who want a more exciting atmosphere

Overall

Ale and Compass once again performs perfectly adequately but is by no means a destination restaurant. This feels like a restaurant put in a hotel to provide food for hotel guests (in this case, convention hotel guests). It’s trying it’s best, but the food is nothing remarkable. That said, the prices aren’t that bad. They’re in line with most casual table service spots in Disney World. You’d get a breakfast sandwich or plate of Mickey Waffles at many quick-service locations for about the same price as a plate of Eggs Benedict. Not terrible.

If we were staying at Yacht Club, this would be a totally acceptable spot to stop for a meal going to or from the parks but otherwise, we can get eggs benny at LOADS of other Disney World breakfast spots, and the drink, while tasty, was two things poured in a champagne flute. Nothing earth-shaking. If you find yourself in the Yacht Club on an early morning and feeling a bit peckish, this will do, but a short walk in literally any direction will likely land you just as good or better results.

Check out our review of the newly reopened Chefs de France

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Have you dined at Ale & Compass for breakfast? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Review! Is Ale and Compass Worth Your Time in Disney World? first appeared on the disney food blog.