Boardwalk Inn and Villas is one of our favorite Disney World deluxe resorts. Disney’s Boardwalk Inn guest rooms are comfortable, sleep up to five, plus have easy access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. However, people don’t always understand the difference between Boardwalk Inn and Villas. Learn all about Disney’s Boardwalk resort and tour our newly remodeled Boardwalk Inn room.
Location
Boardwalk Inn and Villas is an Epcot area resort and a short walk to Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resorts.
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas Overview
Disney’s Boardwalk Resort consists of 3 areas: Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, and the Boardwalk area itself. The big difference between Boardwalk Inn and Villas is the wide variety of room types you can expect.
Boardwalk Inn has traditional hotel rooms whereas Boardwalk Villas has studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom villas.
The most charming part of the resort is the Boardwalk area. There are delightful places to eat and drink, ride a surrey bike, or enjoy “street” performances.
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas decor is reminiscent of Atlantic City around the early 1900s. The Boardwalk itself references Coney Island of the same time period with classic design accents.
The lobby is shared by both the inn and villas. Find traditional furnishings, muted blues and greens, gilded picture frames, and crystal chandeliers. Whimsical nods to boardwalks are found throughout the resort such as a model wooden roller coaster and an antique carousel chandelier.
Disney’s Boardwalk Pools
All guests of Boardwalk Inn and Villas share the same amenities including the pools.
Luna Park Pool, the main Boardwalk pool, continues the vintage carnival theme with a wooden roller coaster inspired 200-foot (60-m) water slide. Steps from the water slide Leaping Horse Libations bar adds to the ambiance with carousel-like styling.
If you are looking for a quieter pool experience there are two additional leisure pools. The first leisure pool is to the south of Luna Park Pool near the Boardwalk Villa wing. The other leisure pool is found on the east side of the complex closer to the Boardwalk Inn area.
Disney’s Boardwalk Resort Dining
The food choices at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort range from delightful table service dining to food carts on the Boardwalk. AbracadaBar is a popular onsite bar while BoardWalk Deli serves sandwiches and treats all day.
Take a seat at Trattoria al Forno and watch as your delicious dinner is prepared in the open view kitchen. Soon Cake Bake Shop, a gorgeous spot with delightful dining, afternoon tea, and unbelievable cakes will open along Disney’s Boardwalk.
Guests at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas also have easy access to two fun character meals. Cape May Cafe is a short walk away at Beach Club or the Skyliner can whisk you to Topolino’s Terrace.
Entertainment
The Boardwalk area always seems to have something going on at night with a variety of street performers. Listen to musicians or get caught up in the excitement of acrobats performing tricks along the Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk entertainment district is home to two rare 21 year and older venues at Walt Disney World. Enjoy a late night cocktail and dueling pianos on most nights at Jellyrolls.
At Atlantic Dance Hall guests 21 and over can dance the night away under twinkling lights and art deco styling on the shores of Crescent Lake.
After a fun night at either venue it’s a short walk back to your room at Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, or Swan and Dolphin.
Bicycle Rentals
Rent a single or double bench Surrey bike at Surrey Bike Rentals on the Boardwalk. When walking along the boardwalk listen carefully for old-fashioned bell clanging.
Bells warn that these large bikes are approaching, and kids love ringing the surrey bike bells along the boardwalk.
Boardwalk Inn Remodeled Room
Boardwalk Inn has three different types of room views: standard, water, and resort.
Disney World’s website states both resort and standard view rooms overlook either Disney’s Boardwalk Inn gardens, a leisure pool, or parking areas. Boardwalk Inn water view rooms face either Disney’s BoardWalk, which can get noisy at night, or Crescent Lake.
Boardwalk Inn guest rooms have several different sleep configurations. Choose from two queen beds and a day bed, one king bed, two queen beds, or one king bed and a day bed.
Entrance Hall
Entering our newly remodeled Boardwalk Inn room I immediately noticed the room is much brighter than the old version. The entrance hall layout has a mirrored closet on one side and bathroom sinks leading to the shower and toilet on the other.
The large closet has full length hanging space for clothes in one section and floor-to-ceiling shelves in the other. Find the iron, extra pillows and blankets, and in room safe in this entrance closet.
A small counter holding the Keurig coffee maker and a drawer below with coffee supplies is on on the end of the closet.
Hidden under the counter is a beverage cooler, too. These coolers are good enough to keep water and other drinks cool, but not great for things like yogurt and milk.
One of the wonderful new design aspects of remodeled Boardwalk Inn rooms is the art which combines cartoon versions of areas around Boardwalk with classic Disney characters. For example, behind the Keurig find Mickey and Minnie having a picnic on the lawn behind Boardwalk Inn and Villas
Main Sleeping Area
Disney World resort rooms that fit five are an extremely popular option for large families looking to book a single room. Our newly remodeled Boardwalk Inn room was a 5th sleeper room with 2 queen beds plus a single fold down bed.
The nightstand between the two queen beds holds a phone and provides easy access to some plugs. Small built-in shelves on the outside edge of both beds have USB-C, USB-A, and more electrical outlets which means everyone can charge devices with ease.
Across from the beds a pale seafoam green couch conceals a single bed. Pull the black strap and find a comfortable bed made up and ready to use.
The old desk and dresser set-up is replaced with just a dresser. The drawers provide some storage space, however they seem insufficient for five guests.
We miss the desk as a place to work or eat in the room, and are disappointed there’s no replacement table or desk in the remodeled Boardwalk Inn rooms.
Boardwalk Inn Bathroom
Boardwalk Inn bathrooms have the sinks open to the hallway and bedroom area. I had hoped that a sliding door similar to ones at Yacht Club would be added as part of the remodel and was disappointed this improvement wasn’t made.
One upside is the double sinks make it easier for multiple people to get ready at once. A narrow shelf above the sinks provides most of the usable storage with a small amount available under the sinks, too.
A door closes off the shower and toilet area from the sinks making this the only truly private area in the room.
Unlike most other updated Disney World resort rooms which have a regular plus handheld shower head our Boardwalk Inn room only had a fixed shower head.
Fresh neural tile with blue, white, and green glass accents finishes out the new bathroom decor.
Boardwalk Inn Balcony
Guest rooms at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort have a balcony on upper levels or a patio for rooms on the first floor. Sitting on the white metal chairs and using the side table for a drink is a great way to start or end your Disney World day.
Those with a water view room overlooking the Boardwalk entertainment district have a great view of the performances without the crowds.
Our Boardwalk Inn guest room had the following great features:
- Rooms that sleep 5 guests
- Real blackout curtains
- Double sink and split bathroom
- Beverage cooler
- Laminate floors
- Boardwalk Inn is walking distance to Epcot International Gateway and Hollywood Studios
Parking
Self-parking is complimentary for resort guests while valet parking costs $33 per night at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas
Transportation From Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas to Theme Parks
Epcot
Walking is the easiest way to get from Boardwalk Inn and Villas to Epcot. Take a stroll along the Boardwalk and then take a path to Epcot’s International Gateway.
Guests can also take a boat ride to Epcot from the dock behind Boardwalk Inn and Villas. The boat drops guests at the same Epcot entrance as the walking path.
Hollywood Studios
Most people prefer to take a boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios from Boardwalk Inn and Villas. Grab the boat at the dock located behind the Boardwalk lobby. There is also a walking path along the water, but it is about a 15-minute walk from the dock to the Hollywood Studios entrance.
The last way to get from Boardwalk Inn and Villas to Hollywood Studios is via the Disney Skyliner. Enter at the Epcot International Gateway Skyliner stop, transfer at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and then take the line to Hollywood Studios.
Magic Kingdom
There are two choices to get from Boardwalk Inn and Villas to Magic Kingdom.
Bus
There is a bus stop in front of the resort where you can board a bus to go to and from the Magic Kingdom.
Monorail
There is no direct way to get from Boardwalk Inn and Villas to Magic Kingdom with the Monorail. However, you can walk to the Epcot Monorail stop at the front of the park and board the Epcot Monorail bound for the Transportation and Ticketing Center (TTC). At the TTC exit the Epcot Monorail and transfer to the Magic Kingdom Monorail line.
However, we usually do this procedure in reverse. We take a bus to Magic Kingdom in the morning and then ride the monorail to Epcot to finish our day.
Once we are done at Epcot we walk back to the hotel at night. This transportation hack also works if you are staying at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort.
Animal Kingdom, Water Parks, and Disney Springs
The bus stop outside of Boardwalk provides transportation to Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and Disney water parks.
Final Thoughts on the Newly Remodeled Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Rooms
I love the location of Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas because it has easy access to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and other Crescent Lake resorts. The Boardwalk entertainment area is also tons of fun for those looking for a wide variety of entertainment at Disney World.
Guests looking for a quiet room may find that difficult at Boardwalk Inn. Our water view rooms have overlooked the boardwalk with gorgeous views, but kept us up with loud entertainment late into the night. These rooms are not a great choice for families with small kids or light sleepers.
While the remodeled Boardwalk Inn and Villa rooms provide a charming update to these previously dated guest rooms, there are some missed opportunities.
I love the large closet, multiple charging stations, split bathroom, and beautiful new art work, but am disappointed with the sinks still being open to the room. Because of this I will continue booking Disney’s Yacht Club over Boardwalk, unless Boardwalk Resort is substantially cheaper.
Yacht Club rooms are similar in size and sleep five guests, but also have access to the best pool at Disney World and doors that close the bathroom off from the bedroom.
Want to see our reviews of other Disney World Resort options?
More Disney World Planning Resources
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