As Disney Vacation Club members, we’ve had a chance to stay at a handful of Disney World Resorts. To be honest, it’s hard to have a favorite! Each and every one of the hotels have such a different vibe and therefore elicit completely different feelings!
Last year we had the chance to stay at not one, but two resorts during our annual visit. We split our stay between the Beach Club Villas and the Boardwalk Villas. It was one of our favorite vacations! Here is a review of our stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas.
The Property
The Boardwalk
The theme of Disney’s Boardwalk Villas is “Old Atlantic City” and they’ve done a great job bringing it to life. From the carnival themed pool to the actual boardwalk Disney has replicated on the property, you truly feel like you’ve been whisked away to the Boardwalk!
There are food carts, surrey bike rentals, caricature drawings, and live street entertainment! It was fun to explore the Boardwalk and take it easy for a night. If you’ve been to Disney before, you know just how tiring the hustle and bustle of the parks can be. A night on the boardwalk was lots of fun, but not exhausting.
The Pool
The Pool at the Boardwalk Villas is one of a kind. We loved it, but I guess if you are not into clowns, you may be turned off by it! Haha! All jokes aside, it’s an awesome pool with a really fun 200-ft long coaster water slide!
We love to split our days between the parks and the pool. We find that it allows us to enjoy all that the resort has to offer and more importantly, it provides a relaxing break from the hot days at the park! You can read about how we “park and relax” Here!
The Grounds
In addition to the pool area and Boardwalk, there are tons of other activities for you to do while staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas. There’s an arcade and a playground for the kids! We also stopped in to the art gallery on the grounds which houses the most beautiful Disney pieces I’ve ever seen! There’s also a great big open space for the kids to run around and let out all of that energy!
There’s also tennis courts, yoga on the lawn, and jogging paths for fitness enthusiasts!
You can also find a schedule for the nights that the resort hosts campfires and Movies under the Stars!
There’s something for everyone and it’s nice to have some activities close by for when you’re taking a break from the parks!
The Room
The room we stayed in was a Deluxe Studio and our view was of the pool. We had hoped for a Boardwalk view, but we weren’t able to score one! Honestly though, it was a nice view of the pool and it wasn’t loud or disruptive at all.
The room itself was bright, beautifully decorated and a nice, comfortable size. It was more than enough room for our family of four to spread out in! There is a queen sized bed, a double sleeper sofa, and a “hidden” fold down bed which is located in the entertainment center! Noah always gets a kick out of this when we stay in a room that has one. We were able to push the coffee table over just a tad and set up the pack and play (found in the closet) for Ryan to sleep in.
This kitchenette had everything we needed for our stay! A toaster, a microwave, a mini fridge, sink, coffee, ice bucket, plates and bowls and silverware, you get it. It’s a great place to stash all of our kids’ snacks, the baby food, and more!
The bathroom area is spacious and has separate areas for the shower/toilet and the vanity. This is always a plus and helps us get out the door in a timely fashion!
The Food
In my opinion, each Disney resort we’ve stayed at has always done a great job of providing tons of options as far as food is concerned. That being said, I was really impressed with the options at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas. The Boardwalk has a really nice array of food choices.
- The Flying Fish is your fine dining option for American/seafood cuisine.
- ESPN Club is your option for laid back dining – watch the game, enjoy pub fare, keep it real simple but tasty!
- Trattoria al Forno has become one of my FAVORITE restaurants ever (not just at Disney). If I lived close by, I’d go there for special occasions, date nights, and Sunday dinners! The food was spectacular and so true to Italian cuisine. And the service was amazing! Bonus: Character Breakfast spot; dine with Ariel and Prince Eric, and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider!
- Don’t have time for a sit down dinner, The Boardwalk offers a Pizza Window and the To Go Cart for quick eats!
All in all, our trip to Disney’s Boardwalk Villas was one for the books! We would go back in a heartbeat. I loved the atmosphere, the amenities and how close we were to some of the parks without feeling the chaos of the crowds!
Tips and Benefits of the BWV
- One of the greatest things about staying at the Boardwalk Villas is that you are just a short walk away from Epcot! You don’t have to worry about driving, catching the bus, or being late for dining reservations! If you are an annual pass holder or have the Park Hop option, you could walk right on over to Epcot for dinner or just for a stroll around the World!
- You are also close by to Hollywood Studios – you can get there by boat, bus, or walk!
- If you purchased Disney’s PhotoPass, the Photo Booth on the Boardwalk is covered with this purchase and you can take cute, traditional “photo booth” pics there for free!
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