Resorts: Boardwalk

Resorts: Boardwalk

The Resorts series features each of the resorts I’ve stayed at on Disney property! 3rd on the list is the Boardwalk, one of 8 Deluxe Resorts on Disney property. I stayed here back in 2007 on a trip with my parents and sister but I still think about it all the time. We had a unique experience and I am writing about this 11 years after staying there, so please keep both of those details in mind as you read and take that into account when you consider my thoughts and opinions.

I don’t think I appreciated it as much then as I do now, even though I did appreciate it a lot at the time: The Boardwalk’s location is absolutely ideal. The resort (along with the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan, and Dolphin) is a short walk from the International Gateway entrance into Epcot and is a slightly longer walk or 20-30 minute boat ride over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. DHS is home to 2 of my favorite rides and Epcot is home to another few of my favorite rides, as well as all the things I mentioned loving about the World Showcase in last week’s post.

The Boardwalk Resort resides on an actual boardwalk, complete with cotton candy stands, photo booth, restaurants, shops, entertainment, and wonderful benches to just sit on and relax. The waterway runs from Epcot, through the resort area, to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s great to sit and watch the boats go by, or even hop on for a ride. They don’t move too fast but it’s very relaxing and a fun way to see the sights.

On our recent trip, my husband and I spent a whole evening over in this area and it was so relaxing and peaceful (read about it here). When my family and I stayed in 2007, I really liked it, but wasn’t thinking I’d really want to go back, but spending time over there more recently made me rethink that.

Ok, enough background and dreamy reminiscing. Let’s talk about my family’s stay here 11 years ago! 1st off, we went during the Year of a Million Dreams. I have no idea if this had any bearing on our stay, but when we checked in, we were told we’d been given a free upgrade to the Concierge Level. Instead of the usual purpley-blue room keys, we had special  golden (read: yellow) room keys and they allowed us special access to our floor, which held the Concierge Lounge.

My sister and I were ages 18 and 20 at the time and it was pretty much the coolest thing ever that we had this exclusive room in this exclusive hallway with an exclusive lounge. Especially since this was already the nicest hotel we’d ever stayed in. My parents (logically) never booked any of the nicer hotels for our trips because we never spent any time in the room. The Value Resorts were always perfect, especially when we were kids because they were so cool! Our room had a little balcony and a little fridge which was a big step from the Value Resorts and we felt like we were living the life!

We stopped to check out our room, which was bigger than ones at the Values, but it was still just a hotel room.

Then we went to see the Innkeeper’s Club Lounge!

The lounge had some pretty awesome views of the property, and we could even see some of the World Showcase from there!

It was a bit of a long walk from our room/lounge all the way back to the lobby to leave, but a long walk in air conditioning in Florida in August is much better than that same walk outside.

I did feel like the interior had a pretty old school vibe in places that, to my 20-year-old self, felt a little uptight and stuffy, but after stepping back into the resort last fall, I didn’t have that same feeling at all.

We did some exploring to see some of the grounds before we headed out to the actual Boardwalk.

Disney’s Boardwalk Resort is inspired by Coney Island and the very first boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey! It’s so fun and quaint and makes me think of carefree summers as a kid.

Anyway, the entirety of the Boardwalk is right along the water, but unlike New Jersey boardwalks, there isn’t any beach between you and the water, it’s just right there.

We may have stopped at the Boardwalk Bakery for a treat… 😉

Right across from the Boardwalk are the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and they’re just as pretty to look at (plus, the pirate ship pool looks really cool).

Overall, I think this resort is 100% worth the cost to stay. The proximity to Epcot alone does it for me, but the fact that you don’t have to take a bus to 2 of the parks is pretty awesome to me. And the whole theme and vibe of the area lends itself (to me, anyway) to a more relaxing feel and makes me feel a little more removed from the craziness of Disney World.

Have you ever stayed at The Boardwalk? If so, let me know what you think of it!