Best Dining Deal on Property? Check Out the Ale & Compass Breakfast

Are you looking to grab the best dining deal on property? Head over to Disney’s Yacht Club for breakfast at the Ale & Compass Restaurant. 

 

Let’s face it; not many places are known for their high-quality food, exceptional service, and inexpensive prices. But Ale & Compass covers all of those bases. 

 

 

Plus, not many people know this little secret!

First, it’s pretty easy to score a reservation. While everyone is parading around with Mickey and company at the various character breakfasts, you can enjoy a great sit-down meal at the Yacht Club.

For the low price of $23 per person, you get to enjoy the buffet, a drink, and one entree. You could spend at least $20 on a standard breakfast for quick service. When it comes to Disney money, this price is not too bad  

 

Walking into the restaurant, you are greeted by a long buffet bar. Now when I say buffet, this restaurant is not like Boma. It’s not going to have 50 items on the bar. While that might sound disappointing for us who like to fill our plates, the items on this bar pack a big, flavorful punch.

Take a look at the food:

 

You can choose from cups of strawberry or vanilla yogurt and overnight oats. The oats seemed to be the most popular choice for today.

 

 

Of course, you need a few toppings for the yogurt or oats. The selections include grapes, strawberries with blueberries, pineapple, and granola. 

 

 

Next, we have the stars of the buffet: cheddar biscuits with sausage gravy. If you love biscuits and gravy, grab a few of these beauties. 

 

 

If you didn’t get enough carbs, add these warm cinnamon rolls to your plate, served in a cast-iron skillet. 

 

This section wasn’t marked, but Ale & Compass had a good selection of lemon pound cake, blueberry muffins, and chocolate muffins. 

 

Finally, you might think that all croissants are the same, but these babies are definitely worthy of a spot on your plate. Don’t forget the homemade jam, jelly, and little balls of butter. 

 

 

So I know how to pack a plate…

 

 

Let’s review this bad boy…

I’m not a fan of overnight oats, so I picked up the strawberry yogurt served in a glass jar. It was good, but to me, Disney yogurt always has a weird aftertaste – almost saccharin flavor. I’m not a regular yogurt person, preferring more of the Greek variety. I’ll give the yogurt a B.

Moving on to the “good for you” fruits, I felt a little tropical, choosing the pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries. Pretty standard fruits that were just the right amount of sweetness. I’ll rate them an A.

On to the carbs, the cake flavor was not listed. I’m thinking it tasted like a lemon pound cake. It was nice and moist, making a good “sweet” selection if you don’t want a cinnamon roll. I’m feeling generous and will hand out an A. 

I’m not from the South, but I can never turn down a plate of biscuits and gravy. I could’ve eaten an entire plate of them and not felt bad. The cheese biscuits were warm and flaky with a little bit of cheesiness.

Of course, you cannot have biscuits without the gravy. This one had a nice sausage taste without overwhelming your palate. The gravy itself was creamy and slightly thick – no water down gravy here. These two selections paired perfectly with each other. A++

Next on the plate was the croissant, strawberry jelly, and butter ball. I didn’t taste the croissant and automatically added my butter and jelly. But the croissant could’ve stood on its own. Buttery, soft, and flaky – it’s everything you would want in a croissant. Dare I say, it could rival the croissant selections in France. Plus, the homemade strawberry jelly and butter were just icing on the cake for this selection. Another A+ 

Finally, the cinnamon roll! I love cinnamon rolls, but this one didn’t hit the mark. Maybe it was under the lights for too long or overbaked, but it was dry with no flavor. So much potential, so little results. You disappoint me cinnamon roll – I award you a dreaded C.

 

A “Free” Drink

You do have a choice of one soft drink, coffee, tea, or juice. I didn’t have the coffee, but it seemed to be the standard Joffrey’s fare. My Mom said it was a little strong for her liking, even with the glass bottle of creamer added into the cup.

Okay, here comes a point of contention with this meal. I ordered the orange juice and could choose Minute Maid or the fresh-squeezed (for an up-charge). Of course, I wanted the fresh-squeezed – who doesn’t? I’m thinking I would pay the difference between the Minute Maid and the fresh OJ, but no, I was charged full price ($4.99) for the juice. And technically, I never had my “included” drink with the meal. Server mistake or Disney being Disney? Keep that in mind if you head over here. The fresh-squeezed was worth it though, like eating a fresh orange off the tree. A+

 

Moving On To the Entrees

Since you have a buffet and entree, I’m thinking it would be a “kid’s size” entree. Oh no, I was wrong! It is a full-sized plate of breakfast items. I’ve been on a shrimp and grits kick and wanted to try the Ale & Compass’ take on them. 

This entree is served in a huge tureen (crock?) of cheesy white cheddar grits. It was topped with charred tomato, onion, and corn mix. There was a sauce that had a smoky flavor – maybe chipotle.

For the meats, a couple of slices of chorizo and shrimp lined the top of the dish. To finish the dish, a poached egg nestled in between the shrimp and veggies.

You might think that the dish would be spicy, but the grits were perfectly creamy and blended well with the chorizo, tomato medley, and sauce. The shrimp felt like a bonus at this point. They had a nice mild taste with none of that extra “seafoody” flavor. Plus, these prawns had plenty of meat on them. 

Overall, a fantastic dish. I’m used to gritty grits that taste like gruel – lookin’ at you Cracker Barrel. For that reason, I’ve never been a fan of grits, but Disney does something right with them. The shrimp, sauce, tomato blend, and chorizo made the perfect meal to start your day. A+

 

Now the plan was to order two dishes with Mom and then split them. Well, once she saw the crab cakes, sharing was off the table. 

The breakfast potatoes hit a high mark. They had the right amount of doneness – not too mushy or hard. Along with that, these spuds had a nice flavor of garlic and onions. 

Underneath the hollandaise sauce, there were two perfectly poached eggs, a thin crab cake, arugula, and an English muffin. I had (was allowed) a tiny bite. The sauce had a good lemon flavor and the crab cake was flatter than your typical standard cakes. Mom said the dish was good, but the English muffin bread was overbaked, making it a little too chewy. Plus, she didn’t like the arugula, but that’s just Mom’s preference, not a reflection on the dish.

Additionally, the crab cake was a bit on the salty side. While she did like the overall dish, Mom felt it could have been better. She gave it a B+.

 

Final Report

Overall, it was a great meal at Ale & Compass. Both of the main entrees were big portions. Initially, I wanted to grab a plate off the buffet, enjoy my entree, and maybe get another biscuit with gravy. Honestly, I was full after this meal.

Plenty of big portions, full of flavor. I will define be back for another visit. Ale & Compass made the list of our secret breakfast places on Walt Disney property.

 

Before You Go

If you want to visit Yacht Club and Ale & Compass, keep these few points in mind.

• This resort is one that can be “funny” about parking on site. To avoid any hassles, make a reservation. 
• Speaking of parking, you can self-park or pay for valet. The self-parking lot can get full. At 8:30 AM, we barely found a spot. There is additional parking near the convention area.
• You can “chance it” and try to grab a walk-up reservation. Getting a table is not guaranteed with this option.
• For those coming from another resort (not nearby), you might want to Uber, Minnie Van, or drive over. Buses from Disney Springs don’t start until after 9 AM. Another suggestion – get an HS reservation and take the boat. With an Epcot reservation, you can walk over or take the boat.
• Finally, Ale & Compass does accept AP or Disney Visa discounts. You can save 10% on your total bill.

 

This restaurant is a definite must-eat on our list.

Have you dined at Ale & Compass or do you want to try it now? Let me know in the comments!