It had to happen sooner or later, didn’t it, folks? The Yacht Club’s displaced Captain’s Grille – the undeniable Walt Disney World hidden gem that had taken up residence in Ariel’s at Disney’s Beach Club Resort – is now closed.
Before we move on, let’s take once last glimpse at this esteemed venue in one of its very last days of relocation …
Fortunately, we shot those pics on a visit that we made in late August. We were paying our final respects, as it were. Poor Captain. You really were so under-appreciated.
When we were in WDW a few weeks ago, Mrs. All in WDW and I stopped over to Yacht Club to check on the status of the skipper’s soon-to-be-opened replacement – Ale & Compass Restaurant. Alas, nothing but construction walls … still.
Frankly, I thought we had a chance to catch their Opening Day! When we made the aforementioned visit to the Captain, two Cast Members told us that Ale could be open as early as the middle of October!
Maybe the Compass will open sometime later this month, but, in the meantime, their initial menus can be found on Disney’s web site.
Click here to view Ale’s dinner menu!
For those who are interested, no breakfast buffet is listed, by the way. Doug Davis, for one, will be very disappointed.
For my part, Ale’s dinner menu confirmed my worst fears. My friends, the Captain’s delicious Cabernet-braised Short Rib with Sweet Corn Risotto is history.
How incredibly sad. Replaced by Smoked Short Ribs with Vegetable Mash, what was once the very best dish on Disney property is now nothing more than Entry #4 in All in WDW’s Hall of Fame.
That’s right. This dish was that good! It joins Maelstrom, Off Kilter, and Wishes in our personal annals of WDW history! Yahoo!
Having said all of that, Ale’s menu is still quite interesting. Chowder, savory pies, a clambake. I’m sure it will all be very tasty. Hey, even the short ribs sound enticing. Maybe they’ll sub me in some risotto for that mash?
Frankly, even with that unique sweet corn risotto, a smoked dish just won’t be quite the same as the Captain’s cabernet-braised masterpiece. I’ll still give it a chance, though! I promise, I’ll have an open mind, and I’ll try it … at some point.
Meanwhile, let’s take one last look, shall we? Behold, my former favorite Disney dish! A new “Hall-of-Famer”, as it were. Yes, everyone, in late August, I did get a chance to say farewell to it, as well. Feast on this beast!
It's "All in WDW" 
My daughter and I ate a wonderful breakfast here last December – on our first WDW Christmas trip and stay at the Beach Club. The table service was old-school – real dishes and glasses, weighty silverware, condiments like butter, cream, jelly on the table in proper order, water in glasses, and the food was outstanding. It was truly a hidden gem. I was disappointed to hear of it’s closing. I’m hoping they don’t do the same to the Grand Floridian Cafe.
I hear you, Debbie. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we’re going to miss the Captain. I’ve long since said that Captain’s Grille is/was one of WDW’s hidden secrets. I, now, regret all of the times we passed it by without a care. So long, Captain.