The BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas are part of Disney’s Deluxe Resort and Deluxe Villa Resort categories. Aside from the accommodations, there are lots of other reason why the BoardWalk Inn and the BoardWalk Villas are desirable resorts.
Here are 10 reasons why you should stay at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn:
The Pineapple Smoothies
These smoothies are available at BoardWalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas stand on the BoardWalk. Also available here are margaritas (of course), other alcoholic beverages, Mickey pretzels, nachos with cheese, roasted pecans, roasted almonds, and none alcoholic beverages.
This became one of our favorite stops on the way back from Epcot. The pineapple smoothies are delicious. They are the right combinations of creaminess and citrus flavor. Plus, we found out during our stay that you can add rum to the already delicious smoothie. The pineapple rum smoothies are delicious too. The smoothies are pretty thick too, so you can start out using a spoon and let the drink melt a little bit.
So the next time you are hanging out on the BoardWalk, swing by BoardWalk Joe’s and try one of the pineapple smoothies (with or without rum). The smoothie is a nice refreshing drink to sip as you to a stroll around the BoardWalk.
Friendship Boats
The Friendship Boats have a dock on the BoardWalk, as well as at the Yacht & Beach Club, The Swan & Dolphin, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. These boats are a relaxing way to get to the different Epcot resorts or the resort hotels around Crescent Lake. Sometimes it’s nice to board one of the boats and ride around the lake for a little while.
One of the nice things about the Friendship Boats is that strollers and wheelchairs do not have to be folded up. You can roll them right on and not have to worry about taking a sleeping child out of the stroller or having to transfer out of your wheelchair. There are open spaces behind the seats for wheelchairs and strollers to use.
Lots of Pressed Pennies
Pressed pennies have become a very popular souvenir for our kids. They love seeing the designs and it’s like a scavenger hunt to find different machines. The BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s BoardWalk both have several machines. There are some in the hallways off the lobby and they have ones along the BoardWalk.
The designs that can be pressed into the pennies are themed after the same era as the resort hotel, turn-of-the-century Atlantic City, as you can see in the above penny that we pressed at one of the machines on the BoardWalk. There are lots of fun designs and it will cost you $0.50.
The BoardWalk Area Itself
There is so much to do on the BoardWalk. Between the shopping and entertainment, you won’t be bored. Don’t forget, these options include the resort hotels that surround the lake and the BoardWalk.
Of course, all the shops at these resorts are also available for guests wandering around the BoardWalk to explore. The BoardWalk has a bunch of shops that are linked together inside (like the Emporium on Main Street U.S.A.), so when it is raining or really hot out it’s nice that you don’t have to leave one store to go into the next one.
The entertainment on the BoardWalk is pretty fun too. There are performers each night on the BoardWalk, weather permitting. If the weather does not allow the performers to be outside they will usually perform in the lobby of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. From jugglers to magicians, the entertainment is a lot of fun and they are always looking for audience participation. There are also some games guests can play to win prizes, like throwing a basketball through a hoop.
Another bonus to staying at the BoardWalk Inn or the BoardWalk Villas is that you can hang out on the BoardWalk during the day and it won’t be crowded. It definitely gets crowded as it gets closer to evening, but it is definitely more relaxed during the day.
Tip: If you want to watch Illuminations without actually entering Epcot, just stand on the bridge heading to Epcot. You probably won’t be able to hear the music, but you will be able to see a lot of the fireworks.
BoardWalk Dining Options
The BoardWalk wraps around past the Yacht & Beach Club, and the Swan & Dolphin, so those areas are easily accessible if you are staying at the BoardWalk Inn or the BoardWalk Villas. There is a lot of great dining in this area and you don’t even have to enter a park to experience them!
Here is a list of the dining in the BoardWalk area:
On the BoardWalk
- Flying Fish Restaurant – Signature Dining
- Big River Grille & Brewing Works – Table Service
- Trattoria al Forno – Table Service
- BoardWalk Deli – Quick Service
- Pizza Window – Quick Service
- Bell Vue Lounge – Quick Service
At Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club
- Ale and Compass Lounge – Yacht Club, Quick Service
- Beach Club Marketplace – Beach Club, Quick Service
- Beaches & Cream Soda Shop – Beach Club, Table Service
- Cape May Cafe – Beach Club, Table Service
- Captain’s Grille – Yacht Club, Table Service
- Crew’s Cup Lounge – Yacht Club, Table Service
- Martha’s Vineyard – Beach Club, Table Service
- Yachtsman Steakhouse – Yacht Club, Table Service
Dolphin Hotel
- Cabana Bar and Beach Club – Table Service
- The Fountain – Table Service
- Fresh Mediterranean Market – Table Service
- Lobby Lounge – Table Service
- Picabu – Quick Service
- Shula’s Steak House – Signature Dining
- Todd English’s bluezoo – Signature Dining
Swan Hotel
- Garden Grove – Table Service
- Il Mulino – Signature Dining
- Java Bar – Quick Service
- Kimonos – Table Service
- Splash – Quick Service
There are also some stands on the BoardWalk that serve drinks and food:
- The To-Go Cart
- The Funnel Cake Stand
- BoardWalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas
You definitely do not have to worry about finding good dining if you are staying at the BoardWalk Inn or the BoardWalk Villas.
Relaxing Areas to Sit
The BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas have lots of great places to sit and relax. The above picture is one example. These seats are on an outdoor area that overlooks a nice grassy area and part of the BoardWalk. The rocking chairs are a nice place to sit and rock yourself into relaxation. It’s also a great place for people watching.
Along with this area, there are also seats along the BoardWalk where you can sit and look out at the lake. If you follow the BoardWalk over to the Yacht & Beach Club you can sit in one of the chairs on the beach with a pretty view of the BoardWalk Inn, the lake, and the Yacht Club Friendship Boat dock that has a lighthouse.
If you are looking to spend a day relaxing at the BoardWalk Inn and Villas, find one of these areas and enjoy the quiet.
Great Photo Opportunities
One of my favorite things to do while we are on vacation is to take pictures. I love looking for great photo opportunities. The BoardWalk area definitely has a lot of these great photo opportunities. I found one of the best times to wander around and take pictures is in the early morning hours. It was pretty much just me, some cast members, and joggers that were up and on the BoardWalk. So I was able to get some great pictures without a lot of people in them. Plus, at that time of the morning it was very quiet and relaxing.
This area is surrounded by some beautiful resorts, a pretty lake, and you can see Spaceship Earth peeking over the top of the trees. Not only does that add to the magic of staying at a Disney resort, but it makes for a nice picture.
I definitely recommend taking a stroll around the Boardwalk during the quieter moments. You will get to take some nice pictures and feel pretty relaxed while doing it.
The Pool
We absolutely loved this pool! There is plenty of room for everyone to splash and have fun, but the best part is the water slide. It is designed after an old fashioned wooden roller coaster. We have tried other water slides on Disney property, but everyone agreed that this is the best water slide we have been on yet. You get a decent speed on the way down, but you don’t feel like you are going too fast. Plus, there are some nice twists and turns on the way down too. This was popular with both kids and adults.
Don’t forget to swing by the pool bar, Leaping Horse Libations. They make a really good daiquiri!
Hotel Decor
From the lobby to the rooms, the decorations at the BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas are fun. They go along with the turn-of-the-century Atlantic City feel. In the lobby you will find models of old carousels (it really turns!) and roller coasters. The chandelier in the lobby is definitely different and reminds you of that time period as well. There are also chairs, called Nanny Chairs, from that time period and if you search them online you will see how many people get creeped out by these chairs. I can understand why though.
The fun decorations continue into the rooms too. We stayed in one of the studios at the BoardWalk Villas and they have beds that pull down and have a painting on the inside. For the BoardWalk Villa Murphy beds it is a painting of Dumbo. This was our daughter’s bed for the trip and she was so excited. She still talks about her Dumbo bed.
The kids also loved the carpet that is in the resort. It fit the theme very well and there were lots of hidden Mickeys for them to find while we were there.
Even the entrance of the hotel follows the theme.
Even if you are not staying at this resort, I would recommend heading over there just to take a walk around. There are lots of fun things to look at and the cast members there are very knowledgeable about the theme and the decor around the hotel.
Location, Location, Location
OK, we’re not buying a piece of property, but location of a Disney World hotel is pretty important, depending on what you want to do. We love Epcot and the Food & Wine Festival was happening during our last trip, so it was important for us to stay at an Epcot area resort hotel. There is just a five minute walk to Epcot from the hotel. You can’t beat that! It was so easy to pop over and do some quick shopping or grab a quick bite. We absolutely loved the location.
Not only is it close to Epcot, but it is within walking distance to Hollywood Studios as well. Depending on how fast you walk, you can get to Hollywood Studios in 15-20 minutes and it’s not a bad walk, it’s pretty scenic. We enjoyed walking over to Hollywood Studios and not having to take the bus. It was a relaxing way to get to the park.
Plus, with the short walk to Hollywood Studios you can grab a bus to another resort there. So if you have dining reservations at a different resort and need to get a bus, I would recommend walking over to Hollywood Studios or to the front of Epcot, since you can’t go from resort to resort.
If you don’t want to take the bus, and don’t mind taking a longer route, you can walk through Epcot and take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. We did this a couple of times and didn’t mind the longer route, because it kept us off the buses. Just make sure you have a Park Hopper ticket if you are going to do this.
There you have it, your 10 reasons to stay at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and BoardWalk Villas. The area has a lot to offer with dining, shopping, entertainment, relaxing, and proximity to the parks.
Have you ever stayed at the BoardWalk Inn or the BoardWalk Villas?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
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Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)