This review of our stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort won’t be an all inclusive listing of all this resort has to offer, but rather an account on all the things we experienced while we were there. We’ll highlight the things we feel made a difference on our stay both positively and negatively.
Our trip was a few months ago, and at the time, the rooms at the Boardwalk Villas were showing a good amount of wear and tear. At no point did we feel uncomfortable during our stay, but there was a scuff mark or scratch in just about any gaze. There was scuffed trim, scratches on the coffee table, and a wardrobe cabinet with clunky doors that you could never seem to close just right. Having said all of that, just as we’re writing this article, Disney has begun a months-long refurbishment on all the Villas that will continue until the end of the year. We look forward to seeing the brand new look.
Our room had something that made it all worth the price regardless of the fixtures: our balcony view. I could see Spaceship Earth from our bed. You’ll come to find on this website that we feel very strongly about having a good balcony view. At times, this is a make or break item for any Disney room. Having a view of the castle or pool or fireworks can easily make up for a stain on the carpet or fridge that doesn’t cool very well.
The view is the first thing I look at when we first walk into our room. When you have kids (or a wife) that loves to nap, or love a view with your morning meditation, there is nothing better than a good view at Disneyworld. I would put sitting on the balcony with a great view at Disney while I sip some amazing coffee in my top 5 things to do in life. Well, maybe not top 5, but you get the point. The Boardwalk Resort has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to rooms or amenities, but some of its balcony views are among the very best on property.
Our room was a Deluxe Studio Villa Garden View, and we ended up with a great view of the Boardwalk. I never asked if we were upgraded or if this was just one of those lucky views. It’s also worth mentioning that for this particular stay we were cash booked guests. Thus we had the option for daily housekeeping, in contrast to DVC member guests who only have the option for service every 4 days. During our stay, housekeeping service was exceptional. While we appreciated the daily vacuum, trash empty, and towel replacement, the staff always did one extra thing to bring some magic into the room. Some days, there would be a towel animal on our bed, and other days our kids’ stuffed animals and blankies would be placed into a fun scene. This extra step of care for our stuff and our room is NOT common across other Disney resorts. There was even a day we requested the room be remade as late as 6pm to accommodate some midday naps, and they were happy to oblige. Housekeeping at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort is the new standard for us, and we hope for future trips the other Disney properties can live up to the bar they’ve now set.
Our kids can’t get enough of a Disney pool. If asked, they would probably admit they like it more than the actual theme parks. So naturally when we’re at Disneyworld, we spend A LOT of time at the pool. Some but not all Disney pools have a waterslide, and Boardwalk’s waterslide is a fun one. As parents to two young kids, we liked the slide for one key reason: The pathway leading up to the top of the slide is enclosed within the pool area and completely viewable from the ground, so you can keep a constant eye on your kids. Some parents are surely more relaxed on this matter than we are, but for us it’s an important observation.
For me, I did find the pool very average, and here are a couple reasons why. We LOVE a zero entry area to a pool. We never knew we needed a zero entry section in a pool til we had one and now we really can’t go without. It’s an area where the kids can SAFELY play and a great spot for adults to bask in the sun. We also LOVE a splash pad area. While the Boardwalk Resort has a smaller pool for the infants and toddlers, it’s still no splash pad. There is a dry playground located right next to the pool that one would think could very easily be transformed into a splash pad area, and this seems like a great opportunity for Disney to “plus” Luna Park Pool somewhere in the future. To end on a more positive note, we found the pool bar to be fantastic. Its proximity to the pool was perfection. The bartender crafted drinks tasted great. They had fresh salads ready for order, and the service from the servers was impeccable.
You may hear many at Walt Disney World celebrating the savannah at Animal Kingdom Lodge or others gushing about the pool at Yacht and Beach Club, but what you don’t hear enough of is people championing the boardwalk at the Boardwalk Resort. If you never have, I would implore you to walk the boardwalk the next time you’re on your trip. Nighttime is when this area comes alive. There’s a warm ambiance created by the long strings of Edison bulbs. You’ll spot people strolling with their scoops of ice cream in hand or see people sat for al fresco dining at the signature dining spots. The scenery is charming Atlantic City style buildings on one side and the gorgeous Crescent Lake on the other. Besides the soothing sounds of the boats coming in and out of port, you’ll hear the roars of laughter and cheers from the nightly magicians and jugglers. Stopping to catch a boardwalk act is a “Must-Do.” There is nothing better than the boardwalk, most especially on a hot Florida night.
Other than the Boardwalk, the biggest selling point of this resort is it’s proximity to everything. You may be staying at the Boardwalk, but the Yacht and Beach Club are just a short walk away, so it will feel like all their amenities are also part of your stay (minus Stormalong Bay). It doesn’t hurt to have a short walk to places like Beaches & Cream or Yachtsman Steakhouse. We aren’t the biggest fans of the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, but if you like any of their shops or restaurants, the walk is doable. I wouldn’t say the walk is short enough for coffee every morning, but short enough to try one of their dining options. So when we’re at the Boardwalk Resort, it does feel at times like you’re getting five resorts for the price of one.
Looking beyond hotels, no one will forget the ease of walking to Epcot when they stay here. For some, that might be reason #1 for choosing any resort on Crescent Lake. There is no better feeling than walking past the incredibly long line to the Skyliner at the end of the night, knowing that your bed is just another 5 minute walk. The Epcot festival booths feel like their an easy option for lunch or dinner. You don’t have to worry about how many margaritas you get at the Mexico pavilion when your trip back to your room doesn’t involve a car. I’ve even ran into Epcot in the morning solely to get a coffee from Joffreys.
What I personally love most about the proximity of the Boardwalk resort is the walk to and from Hollywood Studios. I wouldn’t recommend the walk too often, and definitely not during those hot summer days. I would however recommend the walk after you just enjoyed Fantasmic. Again, everyone is loading up into a car or skyliner while you have just a peaceful 15 minute walk. Some may choose to always take the boat back to the Crescent Lake resorts from Hollywood Studios. We love that idea too. But it is a nice option if you just missed the boat, or if the line looks long enough that you aren’t sure your whole party will make it on. We’ve done our best to “beat the boat” back to the resort on many nights. The boat does seem a hair quicker, but the walk is an easy, stress free option, and for those stroller pushers out there, a good opportunity to roll those little ones to sleep. We choose to walk back after Fantasmic every time.
When you’re in the parks all day and closing each night out with fireworks, it can be hard to get up the next morning to do it all over again. Therefore, for us, a heavily weighted category in the hotel review is going to be the coffee! Does the resort have good coffee? And is there a cafe? In regards to the Boardwalk Resort, the answer to both of those questions is “yes.” If you have your refillable mug, you’ll be headed to the Boardwalk Deli each morning for the Joffrey’s roast. We found the coffee to be hot and plentiful. They open at 7am, and if you asked me, that is a little late for some of us to get our first sip. Carousel Coffee is the hotel’s new dedicated space for coffee, barista crafted drinks, and pastries. It is hard for me to dislike any effort Disney makes to bring more coffee options to the resorts. I did try their Cinnamon Bun frozen blended coffee. I would say the drink scores a 6 out of 10. It had a solid coffee flavor, wasn’t too sweet, and the texture of the blend was very good, but it wasn’t enough to rave about. While I found their drinks to be very average, I will continue to go there with my dollars of support, because I want to encourage this trend. Every resort needs a standalone coffee shop. I do think Disney needs to extend the hours of it’s hotel coffee shops. Right now Carousel Coffee closes at 3:30pm, but I think it would be welcomed to have a closing time closer to 7pm.
Disney’s Boardwalk resort relies on the Boardwalk for most of your dining options. They may have more restaurants than other resorts, but it would feel mostly geared towards “dining in” instead of “grab and go” back to your room. With us having two kids under 10, we like our dining to be more flexible. We usually find ourselves eating mostly at quick service places as opposed to signature dining. Even with all the restaurants, it still feels like the Boardwalk is lacking a large quick service location for its guests. The Boardwalk Bakery is supposed to be your primary destination for quick food but we didn’t care for much of what they had to offer. Important side note, Mickey Waffles are hard to find at any of the Boardwalk food locations. In fact, from what we can tell, the only way you’re starting your day with those waffles is if you’re dining at Trattoria al Forno. We did however LOVE the Boardwalk Pizza. This pizza is great, and especially tasty at 10pm after a long day in the parks. They no longer advertise a whole pizza on their menu board. It’s all by the slice now, but a cast member will quickly encourage you to simply order 4 slices and that will make it an entire pizza for you and yours. It’s not the cheapest pizza, but it’s a great option.
We also really enjoyed the Boardwalk Ice Cream Shop. I would highly recommend the “Strawberry Splash Shortcake.” I wish the ordering process in this place was easier and more efficient, but their ice cream hits the spot and it’s best enjoyed sitting on the Boardwalk at night watching the boats come in and out of the Boardwalk pier. So you don’t need to walk all the way to Beaches & Cream for some late night dessert. I would recommend you save your steps for the parks.
The Boardwalk is supposed to have another dining destination soon: The Cake Bake Shop and Bakery. This will be located on the very end of the boardwalk just before you start heading towards Epcot. I am not particularly thrilled to see this place come to completion. While my sweet tooth loves the prospect of more desserts, I feel the Cake Bake shop doesn’t fit in with the rest of the Boardwalk’s charm. I’m not sure pink and gold pastels, sparkling wine, and tea service really fits. And at the pace in which the construction is progressing, I wouldn’t be shocked to hear it isn’t happening at all, but I have no inside information on this.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. We continue to feel strongly that staying “on property” is the way to go when doing a Disneyworld vacation. Disney resorts provide that extra level of magic you cannot get elsewhere, and really helps keep every moment of your day in vacation mode. We have many favorites when it comes to Disney hotels, and the Boardwalk resort is certainly in that category. Where does it rank you might be asking? Be on the lookout for a future article that counts it down from 10 to 1 of what we feel is the top 10 best resorts at Disneyworld. If you’re planning a trip, you can’t go wrong with choosing any of the resorts on Crescent Lake. While the Boardwalk remains a favorite of ours, what do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!
