Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is a Deluxe resort conviently located between EPCOT and Hollywood studios on Crescent Lake. It brings guests back to the glory days of the New Jersey ocean side boardwalk of the early 1900s. The themeing, amenities and most of all location make this a very popular resort among Disney guests.
The Boardwalk is one of our favorite resorts. As EPCOT fanatics, the location can’t be beat. We recently stayed on the Inn side of the resort for the first time in a 2 Queen Resort View room for 5 nights. All the rooms on the inn side of the resort are recently renovated in modern Disney fashion – that is to say a little more typical, but with the unistakeable disney touches. Overall we had another great stay, but there are areas for Disney to improve on to make the Boardwalk Inn and Villas appeal to more guests.
Room
The recent room renovation at the Boardwalk has been a bit polarizing, but that’s really par for the course with Disney room renovations these days. We are firmly in the camp that views these room renovations positively. Though I wouldn’t argue too hard with anyone who said the rooms now feel sterile, I’d say that sterile isn’t all bad here. Gone are rugs and more plush furniture that trapped smells, stains, and moisture and in are more hard surfaces and resilient furniture. I think this is a good thing. The rooms should hold up better and more importantly be easier to keep clean and fresh. There is nothing worse than finding old non-distinct stains on on the chair.
Another favorite feature of the renovated rooms are the raised platform beds. The ability to store items underneath the bed is a game changer. This space is more valuable in value and moderate rooms that have less square footage, but was useful even in a deluxe sized room.
There was ample closet and counter space:
We also really loved the artwork that adorned the space:
Overall, we found the room had the right balance of form and function with plenty of outlets and usb/usb-c charging capabilities.
I’ve been following a rule of no room requests. My research tells me they are rarely honored and so it feels like a set up for disappoinment. Instead, I like to try to find the positives in any room I get. In this case, I didn’t have to try too hard. We were assigned room 2270. While technically on the second floor, this is the main floor at the Boardwalk. We were less than 30 seconds from Belle Vue lounge, which means about the same to the lobby and Boardwalk itself. Having stayed at the literal last room from the lobby on the Villas side before, this was a real treat. Having quick access to amenities like the cafe, lounge, and quick service food on the Boardwalk was top notch and we didn’t have any residual noise once inside the room. Our view was pretty and peaceful.
My minor complaint is that some of the finishings felt like they were hung low. The light switches and towel shelf in the bathroom felt low. This is admittedly very nit-picky for the most part, except I did hit my head on the towel shelf over the toilet when trying to turn on the shower for the first time. It was just the perfect head butting height – so maybe not that nit-picky! Overall though the room gets a solid 8/10 for me. I’d love to have soon a bit more Disney and a little more refinement.
Resort
The Boardwalk resort itself is a bit of an enigma in my opinion. Depending on location the resort can be both quaint and chaotic. The interior sections of the resort gets almost no foot traffic on the Inn side. There is no reason to be there unless you’re going to the quiet pool or staying in one of the cottages. Conversely, the Boardwalk side of the resort is a flurry of activity until well into the evening – Abracabar and the Pizza Window are both open until Midnight for example. The Boardwalk offers soemthing for everyone, which is a positive, but if you strongly prefer peace and quiet you may find yourself struggling in a Boardwalk view room.
Continuing with the ying and yang theme, the vibe of the Boardwalk during nice weather can’t be beat. In the rain or other inclement weather it’s a bit of a curse. You’re relying on the Boardwalk for access to some key amenities, including dining and resort shopping. Whereas, most other deluxe resorts have interior access to these things, the Boardwalk dose not. You’re going to have to go outside, often quite briefly, but still 10 seconds in a driving Florida rain can be all it takes to ruin one’s mood if unprepared.
While you are inside the Boardwalk Inn the interior spaces are clean and subdued. One of the cutest finishes in both the hallway and rooms was the lampshades that had character silohouettes encircling them. I loved it!
We don’t find the burden of going outside to be much of a negative and love the feel of the Boardwalk inside and out. I’d like to see them expand the lounge a bit though, that got easily packed and would become extremely loud. We found the Abracabar on the Boardwalk to be a better option for a quiet cocktail and conversation.
The pools at the Boardwalk are a little underwhelming compared to most Deluxe resorts. The main pool is large and has a large slide, but doesn’t have the wow factor of a Stormalong Bay or pools a the Polynesian. We found the quiet pool on the Inn side to be the perfect Oasis for a quick dip and soak in the hot tub and were more than happy with that option.
Dining
This is undoubtedly a negative for this resort. The lack of a go-to quick service option is a dealbreaker for some, especially those with dietary restrictions or picky eaters. For example, there are no good quick service breakfast options outside of breakfast sandwiches at The Boardwalk Deli or pastries at the Cafe in the main lobby area. We found the quality at both to be good if you do go that route though. You can get a table service breakfast at Trattoria al Forno if you want a more complete breakfast spread.
For lunch you have the option of sandwiches at the Deli, Pizza at the Boardwalk Pizza window (surprisingly passable and large slices), or hot/cold sandwiches, hot dogs, and the like (but notable no Burgers) at the pool bar, Leaping Horse libations.
Dinner time brings the opportunity to dine at one of the best restaurants onsite – Flying Fish. We’ve been there twice and had impecable experiences both times. We highly recommend this as a splurge time meal. The food and service are both top tier.
For us, the dining options are perfectly fine but that won’t be the case for everyone. The proximity to EPCOT means you can easily get almost any cuisine which is a huge positive, if you can get into the park. If you can’t, then the dining options at the Boardwalk are definitely lacking overall compared to most Deluxe resorts. Your dining requirements should be a strong consideration when deciding if this is the right resort for you.
Transportation
This is an area where the Boardwalk shines in my opinion. You have direct access on foot to two theme parks; EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The flexibility this offers is impossible to quantify without experiencing it for yourself. We walk fairly briskly but we can be at EPCOT in about 7 minutes and Hollywood Studios in about 12-15 depending on location within the resort. Imagine leaving your room at 7:50 to be at EPCOT to line up for Early Access by 8 am. Others are leaving their room at 7 or earlier if they need to rely on Disney busses.
There is also boat transportation to and from EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and other resorts on Crescent Lake via the Friendship boats. If you catch these just right they are quicker than walking, if not you’re probably better offer walking if willing and able. It is very nice to have this option after a long day of touring or just for the scenic travel.
Similarly, there is the option of the Disney Skyliner from the international gateway to get to Hollywood studios and 4 different resorts; Riviera, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation. It’s a unique way to travel for sure, but the practicality is limited unless you want to go to one of the resorts directly. This is probably most applicable to Riviera for the dining options, but resort hopping is always fun!
Travel to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks is by bus only. When we were there, the bus to and from Animal Kingdom was shared with Beach and Yacht club. Boardwalk was the last to be picked up and dropped of on this route. The bus to Magic Kingdom was always dedicated in our experience. During our trip we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to or from the park. You can use the Disney World app to see bus arrival times under the My Resort panel. The accuracy is suspect, but it can be useful to see if you just missed a bus.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this trip only reinforced our love of the Boardwalk resort. While it doesn’t have everything for everyone, the location is perfect for us. Walking to and from EPCOT whenever we’re ready is a true game changer that only 2 other resorts offer. The fine dining offered at Flying Fish is perfect for a “night out” mere steps from your door.
That last point actually made me consider how the proximity to the parks causes me to prioritize time in parks when at this resort. It’s tempting to know I can be in EPCOT in minutes for dining or some of my favorite rides, so I don’t slow down at the resort quite enough. This revelation has be considering a different deluxe next time even though my love the Boardwalk is as strong as ever. I think this reflects a change in how I want to experience Disney World more than anything about the resort. I’m finding that I want to experience Disney World from a perspective other than Parks First for my next 1 or 2 trips at least. Again, nothing against the Boardwalk, but for me being so close to EPCOT means I won’t slow down!
What are your thoughts about the Boardwalk or being close to the theme parks in general? Is it a resort that fits how you like to experience Disney? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
