by: Tara McClure, Owner of Magical Memories and the Mouse!
Boardwalk Villas side of things...this resort is massive and has so much to offer!
See look at the whole massive resort! I love it!
Recently, I was lucky (when going to Disney one is always lucky) to stay at the Boardwalk in the EPCOT Resort Area. I was a bit apprehensive about staying there because I had read a few reviews talking about how far some of the rooms are from the lobby and that it can mean a lot of extra walking, etc. But, I thought, how far can it be? And lucky enough, I did not have to figure that out because we had a GREAT room location. We were on the 1st floor and our patio opened up to the big clown pool (if you are afraid of clowns might not be the best pool for you but they do have other pool options). Anyway, we had to walk one little corridor and we were outside under the building and a hop, skip and a jump away from the boat docks, bakery, pizza by the slice, etc.
Clown Pools can be scary!
Clearly hiding from the clowns when taking photos...but kids LOVE it.
When we got to our spacious, beautiful one bedroom we loved the decor. I know it is supposed to be reminiscent of the Atlantic City Boardwalk and maybe back in the day, but modern-day similarities make me think of the Coastal Carolinas...light pastel, colors, and furniture, and lots of sun in the rooms!
A one-bedroom suite at the Boardwalk Villas is composed of a separate bedroom, huge closet, living area, kitchen and a connected bathroom with vanity and large jacuzzi tub. The living room and kitchen are open concept and the bathroom connected to there is a toilet, shower and sink. The two pieces of the bathrooms connect into one big bathroom with everything! It is nice to separate so as one person showers - the other person can use the sinks and vanity without getting a steam shower of their own. The jacuzzi has an opening with a sliding screen that allows you to open it and watch TV or see into the bedroom. It is a great layout in my opinion and lots of room.
Honestly, this room was nicer than the Grand Floridian and actually my favorite room in all the Disney resorts. Full disclosure - I have not stayed at Yacht Club so maybe that would win my own room contest...but until then Boardwalk is #1, at least for now - this seems to change a lot.
Next reason I hearted Boardwalk was how easy it was to get anywhere and everywhere. First, we were there for Star Wars weekend and knew we would be spending more time in Hollywood Studios than perhaps normally we do. Also, being an adults only trip the proximity to EPCOT was a big draw. Both of the boats for HS and EPCOT turned into such nice transportation options. We always get a rental car (I have a bus issue - way before Disney but it does mean I rent a car at Disney as well). I did try the bus system once but it was not for me...maybe I hit it on a bad time but the wait at the end of the night was long and I travel a lot so I like to be comfortable. I know some people think renting a car burst the Disney "bubble" but for me it adds to it, plus resort hopping is much easier and one of my favorite things to do. But back to the boats at Boardwalk...we decided to try the boats the first day and see if it worked for us. When we stayed at GF and Poly we had used the boats at night from MK and it was easy and quick so maybe these boats would be the same - and they were! The longest we waited for a boat was maybe 10 minutes and being on the boardwalk waiting was excellent. You could run into the general store and grab water for the parks or hit the bakery for a croissant and it was never so crowded you had to actually stand there in line so we could run around and just keep an eye out for the boat.
The food options on the boardwalk area are great - the pizza window, bakery and the Boardwalk to Go kiosk are quick and easy and all three have great choices. I did try a dessert from the bakery (perhaps more than once, in the name of research) and everything I got there was giddy-up good. Even if you are not lucky enough to be staying at the Boardwalk (but are lucky enough to be in Disney!) spend some time walking the boardwalk or get an ADR at Kouzzina's or watch a game at the ESPN Club.
One last note, Boardwalk Resort does have some extra nighttime activities if you want to get your dance on you can try the Atlantic Dance Hall or Jellyrolls. I do not know how people do it after a full day at the park but they do and if you do too, these clubs are good options.
So, even though the Boardwalk was never top of mind when making my reservations after this last trip it will always be one of the first checked. If you can check it out too or have been already - let me know if you loved it or what you did not love about it?
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