Reviews of Boardwalk Villas (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by Floridafan Review Date: 01/27/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
January 2016, Updated villa was fabulous! Loved the flatscreens in the living room and bedroom. Love the laminate floors. Outstanding views.This resort is fabulous, great location, wonderful amenities (might have wished to be closer to the elevator at the end of the long nights). Our new favorite resort!
Pros:
Everything! Updates are fabulous!Cons:
NoneReviewed by nlg0517 Review Date: 12/18/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband & I took an adults only trip the first week of November to celebrate my birthday at the Food & Wine Festival in EPCOT, so the Boardwalk Villas were an excellent choice. This was our second time to stay here and we were very happy with this stay. We stayed in a newly renovated studio on the 3rd floor. This time we were accommodated in our request for a room near the elevators, which also had a great view of the courtyard. I was very impressed with the room updates. The color scheme was very peaceful. There were nice, dark "wood" floors in the entry, a beautiful new tile backsplash at the kitchenette. The room did offer a fold out sofa as well as the new Murphy bed under the TV. We had plenty of storage. My only complaint would be that the tile in the bathtub hadn't been changed out, it looks a little shabby next to all the beautiful new appointments. Also, the "Disney" theme is much less obvious now. There were hidden Mickey's in the curtains but I didn't notice any others.
I love the Boardwalk area. There are so many restaurants and fun activities, like Jellyrolls and the Boardwalk games. It's an easy walk to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios, making it a prefect choice for those who are spending most of their time at these parks. It's a really great resort. The staff was very friendly & helpful. We love staying here and would recommend it to anyone.
Pros:
Beautiful update!Cons:
NoneReviewed by PMcD Review Date: 11/09/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Have stayed here 10 or 11 times now and have been pleased every single time. From the front desk cast members to the "Mouse keeping" staff, we have found everyone very helpful and polite.
Please be advised that you DO NOT have to belong to the DVC (Disney Vacation Club) to reserve a 1 bedroom suite, but they are primarily for DVD members. We have never had a problem getting one for the dates we wish, so...
Anyway - great location (EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are very close), excellent restaurants close to the hotel. It's Disney, so it's pretty darn good - always! We will stay here again (and again, and again...).
Pros:
Location location location!Cons:
Absolutely noneReviewed by allec999 Review Date: 10/01/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
Love the Boardwalk. Best location, local restaurants, atmosphere. Just a great place to stay. We had to cut our visit short unexpectedly, and concierge staff was very helpful.
Pros:
Location, atmosphereCons:
NoneReviewed by Jazzfool20 Review Date: 05/19/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
Just returned from a wonderful stay at the Boardwalk Inn, 5/6-13. We'd wanted to stay here for some time, and finally got around to it this trip. I have to say, after the Grand Floridian Villas, it's now my second favorite resort. The theme and ambiance are amazing. It has a wonderful 1920s-30s vibe, with lots of period touches and vintage music (Benny Goodman, Casa Loma Orch, Duke Ellington, etc…). The pool was great, with an amazing slide. The restaurants and lounge were also all excellent. And of course, being able to walk to Epcot AND MGM is awesome. Only downside, that some minor things in the rooms could use some tlc, but nothing major thank goodness. The resort is almost 20 years old, so overall it's in great shape. Also, as a DVC member, the low number of points it takes to stay here is a huge plus! Would absolutely stay here again, and highly recommend it!
Pros:
Atmosphere, location, staff, etc...Cons:
noneReviewed by Fishfamily Review Date: 02/06/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My family (self, wife, 2 daughters ages 4 and 6) stayed at the Boardwalk the last week of January, 2015. We loved it. We typically rent points from a DVC member so we can stay at a Deluxe hotel for a reasonable price. We thoroughly enjoy being in the Disney bubble for a full week and being in the middle of the magic makes this worth the expense for us. We stayed in a Studio room with not much of a view.
We have previously stayed at All Star Movies, Port Orleans FQ, Animal Kingdom and Saratoga Springs. We enjoyed this resort at least as much as Animal Kingdom. The atmosphere isn't quite as good for kids but the location is superb. The walk to Epcot is literally ten minutes. The walk to Hollywood Studios was 17 minutes pushing a double stroller. Not having to wait for buses at the end of the day was great. You could also take water transportation to either resort if you liked. The bus ride to Magic Kingdom was 10 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes at night in the traffic which was the least of anywhere we've stayed.
The room itself was nice, a DVC studio. We put our girls on the couch and took the bed. Having a fridge and microwave to prepare breakfast in the room (cereal, waffles/sausage) saves chunk of money. Highly recommended. You can pack lunches a few days in the parks as well. It adds up.
The staff was very friendly, I had a small problem checking in but the woman at the desk was new. Other than that, when we were walking through the lobby my 6 year old noticed balloons and quietly commented on them and one of the bellhops practically came running over and asked her if she wanted a balloon and said she could pick one out. She was so happy.
We asked for and got a room at the back by the Luna pool on a higher floor to minimize noise, I suppose we could have gotten a better view but we were trying to get a room that our girls would sleep in.
The Boardwalk is on our list for a return visit, I recommend it highly.
Pros:
Location, staff, transportationCons:
NoneReviewed by lizzie1974 Review Date: 01/31/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
We spent 9 days in a deluxe studio villa, handicap accessible. We didn't request that type of room but I believe we were placed there because we asked to be near the elevators. This was a first floor room which also meant it had a large outdoor patio area that faced the Luna pool. With the doors closed, there was no noise from the pool at all. We were also right across from the guest laundry.
The staff was wonderful. The lifeguard at the pool helped us with some first aid needs for my daughter and couldn't have been more professional. Really first rate.
Special note to Nick, who works in the activities department. He went the extra, extra mile to replace a prize that my daughter won the previous day and later lost on a ride at MK.
The cons here are the current state of the overall area.
The room really needs new carpet. The walls have some chips. The bathroom in this particular room lacked some basic things like shelves and hooks. Very limited space to put your stuff. There was no built in safe in the room either. This seemed to shock the front desk and they insisted it was somewhere in the room!! Housekeeping brought us a portable one, which could easily be walked off with! But it was fine.
The location cannot be beat though. We'll stay again for sure!
Pros:
locationCons:
needs refurbishmentReviewed by Collime Review Date: 12/09/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Had a wonderful stay at the Boardwalk Villas. Stayed in November for my daughters birthday and we were a party of 6 including, DH, DS(12), DD(9) and Grandparents. We booked a standard view, one-bedroom villa and a studio.
We were met at the DME bus by a friendly cast member who greeted us by name, and walked us to the front desk. We got two rooms, one door apart, on the second floor, towards the end of the resort. Though an initially long walk, we were happily surprised to get a view upgrade, on a corner, overlooking the quiet pool. We loved our location! The second floor is lobby level, so we never had to mess with elevators. The rooms were quiet, and we took the side door to the bus stop (which was only a 2 min. walk), and to the pools. It was also much closer to HS by walking along the canal path.
We loved everything about our stay! The rooms were clean and neat with no wear and tear. Mousekeeping was great with plenty of towels and animals on the beds for the kids. They remembered my daughters birthday with buttons and signed pictures from Snow White and Mickey Mouse. We had groceries delivered from Garden Grocer, so we had breakfast in the room most days. Since we were on the dining plan, we had a birthday lunch at Be Our Guest, and dinners at Akershus, Chefs d'France, Jiko, and Teppan Edo. All great experiences. We also loved the little lobby bar at The Boardwalk, where we stopped for drinks either before or after dinner. There was a great bartender there who has worked at Disney for over 30 years! He had some great stories to tell!!
The Boardwalk itself is always fun with entertainment and music most nights, and we loved being able to walk to both Epcot and HS.
We have also stayed at the Polynesian before, but like the Boardwalk for its friendly staff and can't be beat location.
Pros:
Walking distance to Epcot & HS, friendly staffCons:
NoneReviewed by LLSS Review Date: 09/30/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We were in a 1 bedroom villa. The rooms were incredibly comfortable, and the Boardwalk itself is amazing with great night life. The pool was great (albeit cold). You also have numerous options for getting to the parks which is incredibly convenient. In fact, I found out while there that they even run busses to Epcot in the afternoon.
The negatives for me have been said by about everyone here, so I'll be brief. We were on the dining plan, so we got the rapid refil mugs free. If you are not, don't buy them, they aren't worth it. It is a hike from the villas to get coffee/drinks in the morning (though the bakery is delicious). You are honestly better buying some for your room. We were on the first floor, so we didn't have the elevator issues, but we were at the end of our complex. Just to give you an idea of how spread out that is, it was quicker for us to walk to the Swan/Dolphin boats than the Boardwalk (busses weren't much longer either). It makes it quite a pain when you want to run over to the store for something quick. Finally, I really dislike the lack of quick service options. All you really have is the bakery for sandwiches.
We have stayed at about 8 of the Disney resorts, and I would put this about middle of the pack as far as resorts go. It's very nice, but I think I would stick the Contemporary and Beach Club over it for Deluxe Resorts.
Pros:
LocationCons:
Long WalksReviewed by crazystamperjill Review Date: 09/13/2014
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Before I start my review I'd like to make clear that we are HUGE Disney fans -- we visit at least once a year. Two years ago we actually stayed 4 times in 11 months. We truly love all things DISNEY, so to place this review breaks my heart, but I feel I have to share.
As always, the Magic Express was a pleasure to use and the cast members we encountered during our week stay were all lovely to deal with.
My significant other and I stayed in a one-bedroom villa at the Boardwalk on a timeshare trade in late August/early September. The villa was our best view yet -- front and center of the fabulous Luna Park Pool area. We had a large balcony, which you could access from the bedroom or living room. Awesome, right?
Upon check-in we noticed some small issues but nothing serious enough to warrant a call to the front desk. (broken bi-fold door to the laundry closet and a broken seal on the refrigerator door).
The location of the Boardwalk Inn/Villas is second to none with the beautiful oldtime look of the Boardwalk, restaurants, entertainment, etc., it really is just great. Sadly, our last 2 visits to the Villas were not up to our (or Disney's) standards. Perhaps it's a property management issue? My complaint is with the bathroom. This time their was MOLD everywhere in the tile shower. If you've stayed there you're familiar with the corner shower set up and how there's a partial wall/half glass window in the shower -- well this is where I first encountered the mold -- where the glass window meets the the ledge -- both inside and outside the shower. After bending down to retrieve the shower gel I dropped, I then saw more mold splotches all over the tile/grout near the shower door.
Understand that this truly would be unacceptable to me at any hotel chain, but I really feel like I shouldn't even have to think about cleanliness while staying at a DELUXE Disney property. And my biggest problem is, if the shower is outwardly moldly, what else hasn't been cleaned/sanitized appropriately before my checking in? Scary thought, huh?
I can't express how unhappy we were with this -- a moldy shower -- again. I kept seeing the young families at the pool thinking I could NEVER bathe my small children in that bathroom!
After seeing the quarter size mold spots in the shower early that first morning, I did stop by the front desk to see what they could do about it and they assured me housekeeping would be in asap to take care of it. Well, Housekeeping did come in -- they left fresh soaps/shampoo products, refilled our towels and took our trash (none of this was needed as we had been there less than 24 hours at this point) and did nothing to rectify the mold situation in the shower. The second disappointment came when no one from the Villas staff followed up with us to see if the problem had been rectified. As this was our second stay at the Villas in 2 years and the second time we had a mold issue in the shower I have to imagine they knew it wasn't taken care of and didn't want to deal with an unhappy guest. Our arrival was at the beginning of Labor Day weekend and they seemed to be at capacity, so perhaps they didn't have the option of moving us elsewhere.
Do we LOVE the location of the Boardalk and all the entertainmenet, etc., is has to offer? You bet we do! But sadly I think this was the last time we'll be staying at the Boardwalk Inn/Villas.
