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Top Pros & Cons of Staying at the Boardwalk Inn Resort at Walt Disney World

When deciding which Walt Disney Resort to stay in during your vacation can be difficult. There are so many things to consider. If you’re debating the Boardwalk Inn, I have a lot of pros, and I scrounged up some cons too. This is an amazing resort. Here are some thoughts:

 

PROS:

1. Plenty of Entertainment

The Boardwalk Inn isn’t just a hotel, it’s an experience. Since it’s modeled after Atlantic City boardwalks, they have all the whozits and whatzits galore too. The boardwalk itself is full of shopping, dining, dancing, sightseeing, sports-watching opportunities. I love the feeling on the boardwalk. It’s so fun and lively, without being overwhelming. For sports fans, the ESPN Club is the perfect getaway. For music fans, Jelly Rolls is a must. Families love movies under the stars, the fun pools, tennis, yoga, fishing, the close-by miniature golf options, and the Surrey bikes! There is SO much to do at this resort, you almost don’t even need to go to a park…

2. Great Nightlife

All of the above mentioned entertainment lends itself perfectly to great nightlife. When the sun goes down, the fun comes out on the boardwalk. All of the daytime attractions are still going strong and do so well into the night. This is the perfect time to catch a game at the ESPN Club, or dance the night away at Atlantic Dance Hall. I love how the boardwalk looks at night too: the entire path is covered in string lights that twinkle up the sky. Disney also brings in special acts to perform on the walk at night. I’ve seen magicians, balloon artists, unicyclists and more! So fun!

3. Easy to Get to Dining

Dining at the Boardwalk is a little different than most resorts. Most resorts have a cafeteria, a signature dining restaurant in the building, room service, and a poolside bar. While the Boardwalk has the last two, the rest of its dining options come out on the walk itself. Their signature dining restaurants are Flying Fish and Trattoria al Forno. Flying Fish has absolutely incredible seafood and Trattoria is a great family Italian restaurant – it even has a really fun character breakfast! The other food choices on the Boardwalk, with the exception of a brewery, are typical grab and go options, like a pizza place, ice cream shop, fried dough booth, etc.

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4. Close to Epcot and Hollywood Studios

This is a major draw for staying at Boardwalk. Thanks to the Friendship Boats, Disney’s own water taxi service, guests can easily get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios right from the resort. The trip to Hollywood Studios takes about twenty minutes, while the one to Epcot only takes five. If you’d rather, you can also walk to either park. There are beautiful pathways to take to each, and they’re super easy to get to. It’s incredibly convenient for park hopping, or coming back for a mid-day pool or nap break, or just coming back at the end of the day.

5. Disney Skyliner Transportation

The newest form of Disney transportation, the Disney Skyliner, is a gondola system connecting the Boardwalk and other resorts to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. This doesn’t help the process of getting to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom from the Boardwalk, but it’s one more easy, convenient, free method of transportation.

6. Charm

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is charming. Styled after ‘turn-of-the-century Atlantic City,’ guests are truly transported to this time. The entire resort, from the lobby, to the cast member uniforms, to the pool area, to the outdoor areas, the resort exudes elegance and leisure. I even love how it smells. The Boardwalk is an incredible place to just take a load off and relax. It’s easy to do in the white whicker rocking chairs on the back patio overlooking the lake. Staying at the Boardwalk Inn is like taking in a breath of fresh air.

CONS:

1. Expensive

The Boardwalk Inn Resort is a deluxe resort with a million good things going for it. The unfortunate part about this is that it means everyone wants to stay here. The rates go up like crazy. The Boardwalk is also a popular venue for Disney Vacation Club members to stay at the Villas. With all these things, you can bet on paying a pretty penny for a stay at the Boardwalk.

2. Not on Monorail Loop

The Boardwalk is really close to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (more on that later), but it’s not on the monorail loop. This is make or break point for a lot of people. It doesn’t bother me that much, but it does mean that to get to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, you are forced to take a bus or a Minnie Van. This can either get really annoying or really expensive, depending on which option you pick. There’s also self-parking, but then you have to pay at the gate. Not being on the monorail loop can really stink, but it’s all about preference.

About Molly Elias

Molly Elias has been a dedicated Disney fan since she was 18-months old. She has grown up with and learned from Disney her whole life. As her family's main vacation spot, Disney World is a place of love and laughter and magic for her. Her family also prides themselves on their Disney Cruise Line knowledge and would rather be on the high seas with Mickey than anywhere else in the world. Molly plans to keep Disney in her life forever, while also pursuing a writing career. She recently completed a master's program in creative writing in the hopes that someday she will be able to be a writer for the Happiest Company on Earth. Molly keeps Walt's famous quote at the forefront of her life: "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."