Boardwalk Inn - considering staying there for first time, some questions, hoping for comments!

[rwdavis2]

For our trip in 2016 it was either AKL or rent points for BWV. We rented DVC points and don't regret it at all. Paid $243 a night for a room overlooking the pool close to the lobby. Whenever we go we'll probably stay there again. Convenient to 2 parks is worth it.

 

[soccermom54]

We have stayed at BWI several times. We find it to be very quiet and the rooms to be beautifully decorated. It is nice to have direct access to the Boardwalk and it is an easy walk to EPCOT if you do not wish to ride the boat.

 

[reluctantredhead]

We have stayed at BWI several times. We find it to be very quiet and the rooms to be beautifully decorated. It is nice to have direct access to the Boardwalk and it is an easy walk to EPCOT if you do not wish to ride the boat.

We agree! It's also a shorter walk to HS than it is from either YC or BC.

We've stayed at all 3 EP resorts and have a slight preference for BWI (love the bright colors and the old-timey look), but we usually book whichever of the 3 we can get the best deal at.

To answer your question about food, it doesn't bother us that the food isn't available inside for a couple of reasons. For one thing, EP has our favorite food in all of WDW, so we usually will take the short walk over there to get CS or snacks rather than eat something at the resort (if we don't have plans elsewhere). Also, ITA with the PP who said the food at the Boardwalk Bakery is quite good, and we find it very convenient as well (although admittedly it's usually H who goes to get it while I'm getting ready). We also love having Ample Hills right there, and that little stand near the pizza window has some interesting options as well.

Our D (who's now 16, but first stayed at BWI/BC/YC when she was 6) has always liked the BWI pool just as well as Stormalong Bay (she has no issue with clowns, lol). And I'll agree with other parents who've commented in the past that it's much easier to keep an eye on your kid at the BWI pool than it is at SAB.

Having said all that, as a PP said, it's lovely that WDW has so many hotel options since people's tastes differ.

 

[NuJoy]

()

 

[Farro]

Thanks everyone so much!!! I agree, they are all great and that's why it's so hard to decide! I think if we like the price of the Boardwalk lake view, we may just do it! (or maybe the Yacht... )

 

[Farro]

If you like elegant surroundings with a bit of whimsy; if the close proximity to two parks seems luxurious to you; if sitting on a balcony at night overlooking water reflecting dancing lights, hearing the sounds of bustlers playfully performing, surry bike wheels happily boardwalk bumping and their bells cheerfully clanging, hearing the joy of people eating ice cream, winning a boardwalk prize, having cocktails and dinner, boat horns welcoming people home or inviting to take a ride; or if the sights and sounds of fireworks bursting over tree tops calls to you; if having among the best dining WDW offers within minutes of walking distance excites you; if looking across the lake at the opposite resorts having only the view of what you get to actually experience is satisfying to you; if upon waking you find throwing your curtains and balcony door open to sunlight glistening off lake ripples, hearing dedicated soft pounding of jogger’s feet on boardwalk boards, boat horns luring you to awaiting adventure, bakery smells wafting, and ducks quacking to be promising of a good day...
...then book BWI boardwalk view. Book it now!

Wow!!! Now that's hard to beat.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I can’t help with your decision as I haven’t stayed at either resort.

I just came here to say that the Boardwalk (lake view) is 100% my bucket list resort. I can’t get enough of that area when we visit and always look longingly (and pathetically ) up at those rooms.

So, my .02 is Boardwalk!

 

[lsyorke]

Hi all!
For those who stayed at both Yacht/Beach and Boardwalk - Did you find the food options lacking compared to Yacht/Beach - meaning was it a pain you have to go outside? Or was it no big deal?
Also, if you stayed at Boardwalk, did you find yourself looking longingly across the lake at Yacht/Beach?

I love the "look" of Boardwalk but tried it 2 times and both times moved to other resorts.Once due to a horrible pull out couch and once due to a room that was so far away from things that DH, who had some trouble walking long distances at that time, couldn't do the walk to get out of the hotel(he wasn't doing parks at that time but wanted to sit on the Boardwalk). We had asked for close to the elevator for medical reasons and ended up in the room farthest from the elevator. The staff couldn't, or wouldn't, do anything to assist. We moved to the Grand Floridian that time and the second experience we moved to Old Key West(staff at these two resorts were amazing). Neither time did the staff at Boardwalk assist us with a move and in fact told us there was nothing they could do, we went back through our travel agent who had it resolved and us moving in less than an hour.

I'm sure others have had great experiences, but ours turned us off Boardwalk for good.

 

[Farro]

I love the "look" of Boardwalk but tried it 2 times and both times moved to other resorts.Once due to a horrible pull out couch and once due to a room that was so far away from things that DH, who had some trouble walking long distances at that time, couldn't do the walk to get out of the hotel(he wasn't doing parks at that time but wanted to sit on the Boardwalk). We had asked for close to the elevator for medical reasons and ended up in the room farthest from the elevator. The staff couldn't, or wouldn't, do anything to assist. We moved to the Grand Floridian that time and the second experience we moved to Old Key West(staff at these two resorts were amazing). Neither time did the staff at Boardwalk assist us with a move and in fact told us there was nothing they could do, we went back through our travel agent who had it resolved and us moving in less than an hour.

I'm sure others have had great experiences, but ours turned us off Boardwalk for good.

Thanks! I can see how that would sour you on the Boardwalk!

 

[gillep]

We did a BC to BW split stay a few years ago and the entire time we were at BW we longed to be at BC, it just isn't the right resort for us. My favorite of the three is YC, with BW being the only deluxe resort that we have stayed at that we would not choose to stay again. The room views were the only thing that we preferred at BW. I don't like how the resort is set up at all, I really hated how the BW bakery and gift shop are located outside at the Boardwalk level, it made stopping in for coffee or to browse around the shop a pain, and just made the resort feel very disjointed. I also do not prefer the room/lobby decor, I didn't see whimsy it was all just very odd to me. We are big pool/pool bar people, and although the slide is great (or so says DH) the rest of the pool and pool bar were just meh. I also don't find that the three resorts are all that far apart that if we wanted to experience the Boardwalk activities or the Abracadabar that we couldn't enjoy them just as well while staying at YC and walking a little bit across the lake to go back to our room.

 

[BK2014]

DW and I are in our mid-30s, no kids. We haven't stayed on the inn side, but I would assume the overall experience at the Boardwalk is the same. Someone else can correct me if I am wrong. The first time we stayed at the Boardwalk, we rented points, and ended up with a pool view studio villa. It was DW's idea to try the Boardwalk, I wasn't so sure about it. We both really fell in love with the resort. So much so that we immediately bought a resale DVC contract with BWV as our home resort. Our first stay as actual DVC members, we splurged and got a one bedroom boardwalk view. We were on the third floor. No noise issue, and absolutely loved sitting on the balcony and people watching, or just having the door open to hear the sounds of the boardwalk while in the room. It used to be that I didn't feel like I was at WDW until I walked into the Magic Kingdom. Now, as soon as I walk into the Boardwalk all the stress just leaves and I am on vacation.

 

[Knj822]

I stayed at the BW last year and while it took a day or so to get used to the set up we did wind up loving it. I especially loved going down to the boardwalk and grabbing a watermelon Margarita and sitting at a little table in evening and just looking over the water and having a peaceful conversation with my husband or strolling with the kids with ice cream cones after a long day. I am considering a conference at the Yacht club and I am hoping to love it as much as the BWI!

 

[Jen1995]

I find the Boardwalk to be the most/best themed of the Epcot resorts. It is meant to be in the past - the others just feel "meh" to me compared to BWI. Honestly at this point it is the only on site hotel I would consider. However, it is not very "lively" inside - it is tranquil - which is another reason we love it. It feels like such an escape from the theme parks. I have never once cared about having to go outside for food. Outside is part of the perks of staying there.

Another plus for me is that the long-lost Penny Arcade's games are scattered all throughout the resort (including down random hallways), which I love- and I'm still annoyed that they removed it from Main Street. Anyway, it has a boutique hotel atmosphere with a charm that people who like the past will enjoy the most.

 

[loves to dive]

I have stayed at BC, YC and BWI/BWV many times and have had a water view a couple of times at YC. Never asked for it and always booked a standard room, just got upgraded a couple of times. My favorite WDW resort is YC but frankly, I just stay at whichever Epcot resort is less at the time I'm booking, lately that has been the Dolphin. For the longest time I wouldn't even consider BWI, I was just so in love in YC and visited BWI a couple of times and didn't like the lobby area and the redrum hallways were a turn off. After staying there a few times - both in the villas and the inn - I've learned to appreciate it. We love the little lounge inside BWI, it might be our favorite lounge on site. It's small and intimate and the bartenders have always been great. We don't eat at the QS at the resorts all that often, breakfast would be the only meal we do and since we tend to prefer YC over BC we walk outside most of the time to get to the QS there anyway so going outside at BW is no big deal. While I love the YC, I wouldn't hesitate to stay at BWI if the price were less.

 

[Farro]

Thanks again everyone! We watched you-tube videos yesterday of the BWI boardwalk room views and that clinched it. Watching the entertainment, hearing the noise, we just loved it!

We are going to book it for May 2020 (room only at 499 days out) and then just save, save, save! - you never know, maybe we'll get a discount when the 2020 rates come out. But really, it's not that much more than a Yacht Club garden (I keep telling myself that )

 

[BK2014]

Another plus for me is that the long-lost Penny Arcade's games are scattered all throughout the resort (including down random hallways), which I love- and I'm still annoyed that they removed it from Main Street. Anyway, it has a boutique hotel atmosphere with a charm that people who like the past will enjoy the most.

There are penny arcade games in the Boardwalk?? Are they only on the inn side? Do they work, and if so, do they only cost a penny to play?

 

[Jen1995]

There are penny arcade games in the Boardwalk?? Are they only on the inn side? Do they work, and if so, do they only cost a penny to play?

I've only ever stayed at the Inn side so I can't say if they are on the villa side, but there are two nickelodeon machines near the Belle View Lounge that work and are free, and if you walk down the hallways there are other games at the end of the hallways on various floors, some work and some don't, if I remember correctly. (just a note: Not *all* the penny arcade games are at BWI, I know there are some in the Main Street train station and someone bought a bunch and has them in some retro arcade in NJ too.)

 

[Deb & Bill]

What we had at BCV that we didn't have at BWV was good parking. We always drive and the BW parking lot is not that good. Valet parking takes the closest spaces, conventions take most of the larger lot, leaving very little for self parking not connected with conventions. At BCV we never have a problem parking close to the villas.

 

[Farro]

What we had at BCV that we didn't have at BWV was good parking. We always drive and the BW parking lot is not that good. Valet parking takes the closest spaces, conventions take most of the larger lot, leaving very little for self parking not connected with conventions. At BCV we never have a problem parking close to the villas.

Thanks! We aren't DVC, so we will be staying at the Inn part of the hotel. And we won't have a car, so luckily parking isn't a concern for us.