Reviews of Boardwalk Inn (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by Imjustababyduck Review Date: 10/01/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
The Boardwalk Inn is a small (by Disney standards you could almost call it "boutique")deluxe hotel, which, for me, is a positive aspect. Since we were doing Food and Wine this trip, The Boardwalk was a perfect location given the closeness to EpCot.
We had a great room with a king bed and a view of Disney Studios. We could see the fireworks every evening while getting ready for dinner. That part was lovely.
However, the hallways (and to a lesser extent) the general areas of the hotel had a very distasteful odor that was inescapable. We were very lucky that this did not permeate our room; otherwise, I would have never been able to stay there. Also, the hallway from the elevator to our room was consistently dirty. It would be littered with trash and room service trays regularly. I found this to be off-putting, especially when paying for a premium hotel. We did not utilize housekeeping while we were there (personal preference), but I will say that our room was clean when we arrived.
The pool was a little on the small side. The slide was cute, but tiny. In truth, I found the pool area to be similar to Port Orleans (and that is a moderate resort), but The Boardwalk is a small resort and the pool was never crowded so no big deal.
The adjoining shops, restaurants, and bars areas are really nice and make for great ambiance and, to a degree, are what makes this hotel a deluxe hotel (that, and the closeness to two parks).
I would stay here again if doing the Food and Wine Festival simply for the major convenience it offers with respect to EpCot.
Pros:
Close proximity to two parksCons:
Smell and not too cleanReviewed by Lizgistix Review Date: 04/05/2022
Rating: (7) Recommended
I want to love this place but it's so inconveniently laid out. The hallways are very long stretches, which can be tiresome at night when you just want to get back to the room. Only one bank of elevators, so guests in an ECV have to travel all the way back to the lobby to get to the first floor to access the Boardwalk.
Pros:
Can walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios, or take the boat. Good dining options, great atmosphere, great theme. Fantastic water view from roomsCons:
Long hallways to get to room. Not many short cuts to get down to the Boardwalk from the roomsReviewed by sand935 Review Date: 09/30/2018
Rating: (7) Recommended
if you don't like clowns ask for a room not overlooking the pool. at night they leave the lights on at the end of the pool side which is a clown face.
Very erie.
Pros:
good locationCons:
not enough elevators too many stepsReviewed by DisneyGrandma68 Review Date: 01/03/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
We paid $1200.00 for 2 nights at the Boardwalk after spending 5 nights at the Wilderness Lodge (our favorite resort). The only reason we moved was to have the Boardwalk view of the lake and the quick walk to EPCOT and nothing more. I called more than 6 times throughout the year to have notes to that effect put in the reservation and to make sure they were there, otherwise, we would have stayed at WL looking at the gorgeous views we already had. Also, we had 2 rooms at the WL and decided to share at BW (3 adults, myself and my son and daughter in law) due to the cost. When we walked into the room we saw another building, grass, rooftops and people's feet on the boardwalk and a small piece of lake in the upper right corner of the patio. I immediately called and was told that this was "technically" a water view and I got quiet. They did make it right and gave us a room with a beautiful view, but wore us out with the walk. Very nice resort, however, we will not stay there again as the price is not worth the inconvenience of no inside restaurant and having to wait several hours to get the room I had booked so far in advance. We love all things Disney and have stayed at more than 7 different resorts and have been to BW twice now. The lady who checked us in was wonderful as was the college intern who helped us as well.
Pros:
Convenience to EPCOT and viewsCons:
rooms sometimes not what you expect & no restaurantReviewed by mom4graceloganford Review Date: 09/24/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
This is the first review I have ever posted despite over 150 nights staying deluxe. I felt the need to write this review. We have stayed at all deluxe resorts except animal kingdom. We stayed 9/18 through 9/22 and it was our first time at Boardwalk, we had just spent the 5 nights prior at WL.
We stayed in a Deluxe room which gives you club level access and is a larger room with a Sofa bed. We had a great view from our room and balcony. We were right above seashore sweets and could actually watch performers from our balcony (although could not hear them well). I will post comments on the club level on the concierge review forum ( I also had a problem with that specifically room location so if you are considering a deluxe room see there also).
We are Disney resort veterans, I was well aware of the quick service options at this hotel. I did not realize specifically how unhappy with them we would be. First, on arrival day we checked in and wanted lunch. At the same time a huge storm rolled in. There is absolutely no way to get lunch without getting really wet if raining or ordering room service. Even with an umbrella and ponchos you would get soaked trying to get to Boardwalk Bakery as the rain was blowing sideways. Now the new menu at Boardwalk is great, we just couldn't get to it and we did not want to do room service so we waited 2 hours (with 3 hungry kids) for it to improve to send someone out for lunch. Same situation if you want to eat at ESPN or Big River, no internal way to reach food. At YC/BC you can at least get to the marketplace or Captain's Grille.
The Pool Quick Service was very disappointing. Menu looked great and food from Boardwalk bakery so I thought how could we go wrong. We planned to swim and have lunch Saturday. at 2:30 went to order lunch. They were out of 2 of 3 kids meals (only had pb&j left which we can't eat) and were out of the adult turkey sandwich. I asked if they could or would be getting more and they said no (keep in mind they are supposed to be serving food until 8 and it is 2:30). I was willing to wait for them to restock) I was told they would not order anymore, we would have to walk over to Boardwalk to get lunch (with three sopping wet little kids) So we grabbed a bag of chips and left the pool early. This is unacceptable service to me for a Disney Deluxe resort.
My other concern was the condition of the bathroom. This is a very expensive room and when sitting in the bathroom or showering, it felt like a bad motel that needed a rehab. It is tiny, there was what appeared to be mold growing around the doorway and on the ceiling corner and there was exposed caulk and lose fixture covers hanging down from the shower and toilet pipes. Also the shower would not drain because of a very bad clog. So bad that the 5 of us needed to rinse off before dinner and had water to our knees. It would have been impossible for housekeeping to clean the tub without identifying the clog, it should have already been reported to maintenance. it was fixed later that night, but made for a miserable experience trying to get out the door for dinner. We also found the sofa bed to be extremely uncomfortable compared to the sofa beds in the DVC villas. We also had a problem with the thermostat. It was an old model with no numbers on it, and we had to get up a few times during each night to adjust it. We were freezing or hot the entire trip. These are not major complaints, we still had a good time, but I expect more from a Deluxe resort whether it is Disney or not. I have never been disappointed in the other Disney properties.
All in all, the staff is very friendly, the location is great, and if the weather is nice, you have nice food options. Music through hotel was nice. Room was decent but we found ourselves disappointed overall and that it was to difficult to get a quick bite or drink(can't imagine if we had not had access to the club level options.)
Pros:
location viewCons:
quick service and condition of bathroomReviewed by kmdelarosa501 Review Date: 06/21/2022
Rating: (8) Recommended
We visited Boardwalk 6/1-6/6. First, the lobby smells amazing. The front desk cast member was very helpful getting our reservations together so we wouldn’t have to change rooms. Housekeeping took our trash daily and left towels as we needed. Also restocked toiletries and coffee when needed. Loved the lawn area where the movies were shown. Our view was amazing from our balcony - 5th floor view overlooking the main pool. The Flying Fish was very good. We went there to celebrate my son’s birthday. The Abracabar was fun and a cool vibe. Loved the pizza window - we got pizza a couple of times. Order early. The bakery was very good but the only place to fill our resort mugs. It’s fun to sit on the boardwalk, people watch and drink a margarita.
Pros:
Walking distance to Epcot and skyliners Food along Boardwalk Lobby smells amazing Amazing front desk staffCons:
No inside quick service Costly Dated in comparison the newly updated dvc villas that have the Murphy bedsReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/19/2020
Rating: (8) Recommended
We stayed at the Boardwalk Inn in March 2020. It was a bucket list wish. We were there for 5 nights. First the downside. 1. There’s no food court. There’s quick service options but table service is the only way to sit and eat inside. 2. Minor issue with the bathroom. There’s a door for the shower/toilet area but the sink area has no door or curtain for privacy and noise reduction (hair dryer). 3. The thing we disliked the most was the long hallways. But this is an easy fix. I wish I had asked for a room close to the elevator. Interior hallways keep you dry when it’s raining but that’s it. We dreaded the walk to the room which involved 2 separate elevators and 3 “blocks” of hallways with a noticeable aroma from the restaurant. Every time we went back to the room I sang ”this is the hall that never ends..” It was the monotony more than the distance. Would have been nice to have an elevator at the other end so you could walk outside and then go up.
The upside is location, location, location. Overall the resort is beautiful and the location makes up for anything it lacks. Epcot is in your backyard! Being able to walk or take a boat to both Epcot and DHS was so convenient. My son likes a midday break at the hotel so I took the boat over to Epcot and wandered around on my own. It was great! My favorite part was the boardwalk itself. Being able to go downstairs, sit on a bench, and watch the boats on the water or have ice cream and watch a juggler or a magician was fun and relaxing and a great way to spend time outside the parks.
Pros:
Location Boardwalk entertainmentCons:
Elevators/hallways No food court Bathroom doorReviewed by annmarz Review Date: 06/19/2019
Rating: (8) Recommended
I love this resort and it is one of my favorites. I always stay in the Epcot Resort area and our last trip was wonderful. We had a corner room which partially overlooked the Boardwalk and the main grassy area in front of the lobby. Altho it was on one of the higher floors we were close to the elevator which was very convenient. My only "complaint" if you can call it that is that this resort does not have any indoor restaurants and we had to walk to the Boardwalk Bakery to refill our resort mugs. The gift shop is also really sparse. Mousekeeping skipped us one day. Overall we were very happy here.
Pros:
location. nice roomsCons:
lack of indoor diningReviewed by snovak Review Date: 02/20/2019
Rating: (8) Recommended
This was our 5th time staying here...absolutely love this resort. We always request a 1st floor room and we are always given one, which I appreciate. This time the problem was Mousekeeping. On our second day there we returned to our room to find we had no pillowcases on our pillows - not a problem, quick call to Mousekeeping and within 20 minutes there was a knock on the door and there were the cases, but I think because its a Deluxe resort I expected them to come in and put the cases on or at least ask if I wanted them to do it or if I wanted to do it myself - not just handed to me as I opened the door. Don't get me wrong I don't mind putting cases on the pillows but I should note that I leave a very nice tip for them each day I am there. The next day @ 8:00 , while getting ready for a day in the park there was a short knock on the door and in walks Mousekeeping even though we had the "Room Occupied" sign on the door. Two days later after returning from a day of shopping at Disney Springs and wanting to freshen up for a dinner reservation we entered our room around 4:30 pm to find Mouskeeping hadn't been there at all...a quick walk to the front desk and within an hour someone was there. I love this resort and will stay here on my next Disney visit, I was just surprised at the Mousekeeping issues we had...this was a first for us , we never had anything but wonderful experiences here. Everyone has off days I suppose but I guess I don't expect that at Disney !!
Pros:
Walking distance of Epcot / Studios. Love walking on the Boardwalk taking in the sounds and sights.Cons:
NoneReviewed by review Review Date: 11/21/2017
Rating: (8) Recommended
Room upgrades over the years seem patchy; new dresser here-ild one there, new paint—rusty fixtures, not enough handicap features for room.
Handicap accessible room #4068 is right up against elevator bank. Whireing of all 3 elevators in to late hours and began again very early. Rattles the wall and fixtures too!
No quick service breakfast and lunch in hotel lobby as in the Beach Club Villas. Now I remember why we havent stayed here the past 10 years.
