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    Disney's BoardWalk Inn

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Disney's BoardWalk Inn Information: Rooms, Pools, Dining, and More

Use our exclusive Room Finder to see a resort map and find a great room!

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort Overview

On Crescent Lake across from the Yacht & Beach Club, the Board- Walk Inn is another of Disney’s Deluxe resorts. The complex is a detailed replica of an early-20th-century East Coast beach boardwalk. Facades of hotels, diners, and shops create an inviting and exciting waterfront skyline. Think HBO’s Boardwalk Empire minus the icky criminal element.

In reality, the BoardWalk Inn & Villas comprise a single integrated structure behind the facades. Restaurants and shops occupy the boardwalk level, while accommodations rise to six stories above. The inn and villas share a pool featuring an old-fashioned amusement park theme; there are also two quiet pools for adults.

The BoardWalk Inn’s 378 Deluxe rooms measure 371 square feet each. Most contain two queen-size beds with hardwood headboards, an upholstered daybed, a cherry desk and chair, a minifridge, a coffee maker, and ceiling fan. Decor includes yellow-and-white-striped wallpaper, green carpet, and blue-and-gray curtains. Closet space exceeds that of rooms in other Deluxe resorts. Most rooms have balconies.

Readers give the inn high marks for room quality and check-in efficiency. Service is excellent. The complex is within walking distance of EPCOT and is connected to other destinations by bus and boat. Walking time to transportation loading areas from the most remote rooms is 5–6 minutes. It’s about a 5-minute walk to the Skyliner’s International Gateway station at EPCOT, if you’d rather use that to get to the Studios.

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort map

The Boardwalk Inn and Villas are well staffed and offer excellent service. The BoardWalk complex is a detailed replica of an early 20th-century Atlantic coast seaside boardwalk. Restaurants and shops occupy the street-level boardwalk. Painted bright red and yellow, alternating with paler blue and green, the BoardWalk resort is the only Disney hotel that uses neon signage as an architectural detail.

Get to Know the BoardWalk Inn


Disney's BoardWalk Inn Rooms

The majority of BoardWalk Inn’s 378 rooms measure 371 square feet. Most contain two queen-size beds with hardwood headboards, an upholstered sleeper sofa, a cherry desk and chair, a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, and a ceiling fan. Decor includes yellow-and-white-striped wallpaper and striped green curtains. Closet space exceeds that of other Disney deluxe-level rooms. Most rooms have balconies.

Each Disney's BoardWalk Inn resort rooms is furnished with the following:

  • Two queen-sized beds or, upon request, one king-sized bed
  • Dresser
  • Sleeper-style loveseat
  • Table with two chairs
  • Full-length mirror
  • WiFi wireless Internet access
  • Flat-panel TV
  • Mini fridge
  • Coffee Maker
  • Ironing board and iron
  • Hair dryer
  • Digital thermostat
  • In-room safe
  • Shower-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash; bar soap

A BoardWalk Inn room.

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort Room Layout

BoardWalk Inn's bathrooms are modestly-sized for a Disney deluxe resort. Water pressure in the shower is adequate, but probably less than what you're used to at home. A separate dressing area next to the bathroom includes two sinks and ample counter space. Combined with the shower/toilet rooms, this means that three people can have private dressing space at the same time.

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort Bathroom

Standard BoardWalk Inn Room Classifications

BoardWalk Inn rooms are priced depending on the view from the room. (Note: the classification system is slightly different at the adjacent BoardWalk Villas.):

  • Standard View: Standard rooms generally have unremarkable views of landscaping or parking lots. These are the least expensive rooms at BoardWalk Inn, but there are some gems to be found in this category, though, using our BoardWalk Inn Room Finder.
  • Garden View: Garden view rooms have views of trees or foliage.
  • Water View: Some water view rooms at BoardWalk Inn have a view of Crescent Lake, but the "water" part of "water view" can also refer to the canal or to a pool.

BoardWalk Inn Concierge Level Rooms

The deluxe Disney hotels all include a subset rooms offered with addition amenities and more personalized serivce. These "concierge level" or "club level" rooms have a different name at each hotel; at the BoardWalk they are known as the Innkeepers Club. The Innskeeper Club is comprised of about 60 rooms, located on two floors. Though most of the Innskeeper rooms are physically similar to the standard BoardWalk hotel rooms, there are also a handful of suites with additional bedrooms, significantly larger square footage, or features such as in-room kitchen facilities.

Concierge Level guests receive additional amenities and personalized service beyond that available to regular guests. These include:

  • Separate check-in area in a relaxed setting
  • Dedicated cast members to assist with dining recommendations and reservations, transportation, and other personal needs.
  • Nightly turndown service
  • Access to a club-level-only lounge stocked with complimentary food and beverages throughout the day. Morning offerings include pastries, fruit, and coffee. Mid-day fare includes soft drinks, beer, small sandwiches, and savory bites. Later in the evening the lounge will offer desserts and a selection of wine and liqueurs.

Accessible Room Options

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort has approximately 20 handicap-accessible rooms in a variety of configurations to accommodate guests with hearing or mobility issues. Mobility access rooms comply with Florida's Accessibility Code, with changes to everything from bed, countertop, and dresser drawer height, to door widths, wheelchair ramps, and more.

Some accessible rooms have the standard two queen-sized beds; however, all rooms with roll-in showers have one king-sized bed. A small number of roll-in shower rooms have both one king bed and one double bed. Use our hotel room finder to see which rooms have which feature

Dining Options at Disney's BoardWalk Inn

A key benefit of staying at the BoardWalk Inn is the close proximity to the dining opportunities at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (with park admission). Additionally, the many restaurants at the Swan & Dolphin and Yacht & Beach Club resorts are easily accessible on foot. Guests staying at the BoardWalk can be at more than 100 dining venues within 15 minutes. If you're staying at a Disney value resort, you might only have two or three options within that time frame.

The Boardwalk itself has a variety of dining options including:

  • Table Service Options
    • Flying Fish Cafe Chef Tim Keating, a repeat James Beard Foundation finalist, is a proponent of serving fresh Florida products, from seafood to meats, fruits, and vegetables.
    • Trattoria al Forno The kitchen is doing things right—making mozzarella and ciabatta daily, rolling out fresh pasta, and slicing cured meats with a beautiful Italian flywheel.
    • Big River Grille and Brewing Works If you're looking for handcrafted beers, this is the place - they serve five beers, including a light lager, a robust ale, and seasonal choices. A good late-night dining choice. Outdoor seating and service is available, weather permitting.
  • Counter Service Options
    • BoardWalk Deli BoardWalk Deli is small counter service restaurant with a limited menu. The savory menu is made up sandwiches and salads. During breakfast hours BoardWalk Bakery mostly sells bagels and coffee, along with breakfast meats and a breakfast croissant sandwich. Seating is a outdoor café tables along the boardwalk.
    • BoardWalk Pizza Window Four or five pizza options sold by the pie or by the slice. Outdoor seating only.
    • Funnel Cake Stand Carnival-style fried dough.
  • Bars and Lounges
    • AbracadaBAR Very good cocktails, a decent selection of beer and wine, and a few appetizers are what await you in this old-time magic themed bar. Make sure you have a look around because there are some fun details that explain the story of the "missing magicians."
    • Belle Vue Lounge Belle Vue Lounge has indoor seating and a full drink menu with several beer selections, wines, and a selection of spirits. In the morning, Belle Vue sells coffee and a small selection of pastries.
    • Leaping Horse Libations Located adjacent to the Luna Park Pool. Leaping Horse Libations has a small selection of specialty drinks, beer and wine, as well as limited grab-and-go dining options. 
    • BoardWalk Joe's A walk-up counter with a small selection of margaritas. You can also grab a pretzel or a bag of roasted almonds for a snack.
  • Other
    • In-room Dining BoardWalk Inn offers a full room service menu.
    • Rapid Fill Mugs Guests may purchase a Rapid Fill Mug which allows self service soft drink refills for $19.99 for the length of stay.


BoardWalk Inn Recreation and Amenities

  • Pools: BoardWalk Inn has two pools, plus a third pool at the adjacent BoardWalk Villas. The main feature pool, Luna Park Pool, is notable for the water slide featuring a larger-than-life clown mouth exit. The Luna Park pool area also includes a hot tub, kiddie pool, and water play area, as well as a children’s playground. See our Disney Resort Pools Fact Sheet for additional information.
  • Fitness Center: Muscles & Bustles Health Club, open 24 hours, features cardio equipment, weight machines, free weights, and a variety of mats and stability equipment. Outdoor yoga classes and other group fitness activities are frequently offered.
  • Arcade: Slide Show Games Arcade includes recent video and arcade games. Most cost between $.50-$2.00 per play.
  • Bike Rentals: Guests may rent traditional bicycles or fancy surrey bikes by the hour. The bike rental stand is located on the boardwalk, near the boat dock.
  • Movies Under the Stars: Free Disney movies are shown most evenings, weather permitting.
  • Water Sports: Boat rentals and fishing are available at the Yacht Club marina, across Crescent Lake from the BoardWalk.
  • Jogging: Walkers, joggers and runners can find a jogging trail at Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort. The scenic 0.8-mile course wraps around around Crescent Lake. Guests wishing to create a longer loop can add the path to/from Disney's Hollywood Studios.
  • Nightlife: Guests over age 21 can enjoy Jellyrolls, a bar with dueling pianos and audience sing-alongs or Atlantic Dance Hall, a nightclub that plays songs from the ‘80s, ‘90s and today.
  • Business Needs: The BoardWalk Inn is attached to the BoardWalk Convention Center. The Convention Center includes most amenities needed by business travelers including a shipping center, printing and copying services, and meeting space.

BoardWalk Inn's exterior.

Luna Park Pool

Practical Matters

  • Check In/Out Times: Check In time at BoardWalk Inn is 3:00 p.m. Check Out time is 11:00 a.m. (Note that these times are different at the adjacent BoardWalk Villas.)
  • Online Check In: Boardwalk Inn participates in Disney's Online Check-In program, which allows you to you provide name, address, and credit card information up to 60 days before your arrival. If you've checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.
  • MagicBands: MagicBands are rubber/plastic wrist bands which function as your room key and resort identification. Depending on what options you've selected, your MagicBand may also function as your park ticket, dining plan ticket, or charge card. You may purchase a MagicBand prior to your arrival and have it mailed to your home. MagicBands are also available for purchase in many WDW gift shops. You may also opt to use an RFID-embedded card (looks like a credit card) for room access, resort ID, and other functions.
  • Theme Park Tickets: Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Disney or via our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator. However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the concierge desk to the right of the check-in desk.
  • Dining Reservations : Dining reservation are best made online in advance or on your phone or tablet during your visit. If you need assistance stop by the concierge desk or the check in podium of any Walt Disney World table service restaurant.
  • Laundry: There are on site washers and dryers available for guest use. For more information on guest laundry services at Walt Disney World hotels, see our WDW Laundry Information page.
  • Lost and Found: If you lose something during your stay, contact Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort's Lost and Found department by calling (407) 939-6200.
  • Shopping: BoardWalk Inn's main gift shop is Screen Door General Store. It is located on the boardwalk near the boat dock. As you'd expect from a Disney gift shop. Screen Door has a decent collection of souvenirs ranging from small trinkets such as keychains and pens, to embroidered jackets and Disney princess dresses.
  • Childcare : Disney contracts with a third party company, Kids Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney resort childcare page for more information.

BoardWalk Inn's lobby.

Transportation to and from Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort

Driving to the BoardWalk Inn

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort is just off of I-4 in Lake Buena Vista. Take I-4 Exit 67 - Epcot Center Dr.. Take Buena Vista Dr for about 1.2 miles to Epcot Resorts Blvd. Turn right on Epcot Resorts Blvs and BoardWalk Inn will be on your left.

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort's GPS address and location are:

    Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort
    2101 Epcot Resorts Blvd
    Lake Buena Vista, FL

    Latitude: 28.366352 North, Longitude: 81.556338 West

A security gate guards the entrance to BoardWalk Inn's grounds. If you arrive by car, you'll need to provide photo ID at the gate; it's not necessary to provide your reservation number or paperwork. Guests keeping a car at the Boardwalk Inn overnight will be charged $25 per day for standard self-parking or $33 per day for valet parking.

From Orlando International Airport See our Walt Disney World Transportation Options page for information about how to get to and from Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World.

Sanford International Airport is about a 40-minute drive to Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort. If you're not renting a car, be aware that Sanford's airport offers fewer transportation options than Orlando's, and Sanford's options are generally much more expensive.

Getting to the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs

Disney provides free bus service from Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort to Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort's bus stops sit along the front wall of the lobby, between the lobby and check-in parking lot.

Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios can also be accessed on foot or by boat from the dock near on the BoardWalk. Boat service may be suspended during thunderstorms, so if it's raining or looks like it's about to, Disney will provide buses.

Ask a Disney cast member about bus schedules, and they will tell you that buses run about every 20 minutes. In reality, BoardWalk Inn's bus schedule varies considerably depending on the time of day and where you're going. For example, if you're headed to a theme park between 8 AM and 11 AM, you'll wait approximately 12 minutes, on average, for a bus to arrive. Bus schedules to the water parks and Disney Springs are less frequent. Buses run a little slower from around 11 AM to around 4 PM, when most people are already in a park. Disney's evening buses are scheduled around the theme parks' closing times, where most of the fleet is deployed to get guests back to their hotel. Your waits to return to your hotel from a theme park should average out to around 30 minutes under most circumstances.

If you have access car, it's faster to drive to Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. Disney's bus service is faster to the Magic Kingdom. Walking is the fastest way to Epcot. Walk or take the boat to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Skyliner Service

Disney’s Skyliner is an elevated, cable-driven gondola system that connects EPCOT and the EPCOT resorts – Beach Club and Beach Club Villas, Yacht Club, BoardWalk Inn and Villas, and the Swan and Dolphin - to Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and the Art of Animation resorts.

Each gondola is an enclosed, 10-person cabin with bench seats and lots of windows. Ventilation is provided by windows and vents that can be opened or closed depending on the temperature.

Skyliner Hubs Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort serves as the central hub for most Skyliner routes. If you’re trying to get to a theme park from a resort using the Skyliner, you’ll almost always have to disembark at Caribbean Beach to board another gondola going to your destination.

The Skyliner is most useful if you’re near its station at EPCOT’s International Gateway, and you want to go to one of the destinations it serves. Travel time from the International Gateway station to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is around 35-44 minutes during the busiest times; of that, only around19 minutes is spent in transit – the rest is in line waiting to board. In most cases, the Skyliner is at least as fast as Disney’s bus service, with a much better view.

Getting to another hotel from Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort If you have dining plans at another Disney hotel, the cheapest option is to take a Disney bus from Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort to Disney Springs or an open theme park, and then transfer to another bus heading to your destination hotel. Do the reverse to get back to Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort. While that's free, it can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours each way. If your destination is one of the Magic Kingdom monorail resorts, and the Magic Kingdom is still open, you could take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, then either walk (to the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower), hop on the monorail (to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian), or take a boat (to Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian). We suggest you still allow at least an hour for that.

The fastest option to get from the BoardWalk Inn to another hotel is almost always to drive, or use a taxi or ride sharing service such as Uber or Lyft. Rates are generally in the $15-25 range depending on your destination. A taxi can typically get to most points in Disney World within 20 minutes (often much less), versus the one to two hours it might take using Disney's free transportation system. Taxis are available outside the lobby; if a taxi is not already sitting out front, the bell services desk also serves as a taxi stand, and they'll call one for you.

To Universal Orlando If you're staying at Walt Disney World and don't have a car, Mears Transportation will shuttle you from your hotel to Universal and back for about $20 per person. Pickup and return times are at your convenience. A one-way taxi ride is around $36, and may be the cheapest option if you have three to five people.

Getting to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach from Disney's Beach Club Resort Disney does not make it particularly easy to get to and from their water parks. For Typhoon Lagoon, guests must take a bus to Disney Springs and switch to a Typhoon Lagoon bus. For Blizzard Beach, the transfer must be made at Disney's Animal Kingdom. If you're averse to waiting, your best bet may be a taxi or ride share.




Reader Comments

Reader comments about the BoardWalk Inn & Villas include the following. From an Iowa City, Iowa, family:

We were surprised that so relatively few rooms at the BoardWalk Inn have interesting views. We were in a group staying there before a Disney cruise, and the one couple who actually had a view of the boardwalk said it was noisy.

As is the case with several other Disney resorts, readers report that the BoardWalk’s bus service is inefficient. This comment is typical:

The bus to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom was the worst. We almost missed a dinner reservation for which we’d left 1½ hours early.

TouringPlans Videos About BoardWalk Inn

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since last year)
Disney's BoardWalk Inn 90% (+14%)
Average for WDW hotels 76% (+0%)
Average for off-site hotels 57% (+0%)

Would you stay at this hotel again?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since last year)
Disney's BoardWalk Inn 100% (+0%)
Average for WDW hotels 92% (+2%)
Average for off-site hotels 79% (-7%)

Hotel Photos

Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Disney's BoardWalk Inn

Best and Worst Room Views at Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort

TouringPlans.com offers pictures of the view from any Disney Resort room on property. Click here for the Disney's BoardWalk Inn Resort map and to choose a room to see the view.

The complex consists of several wings that radiate from the lobby complex, in a rough H shape. Crescent Lake and the pedestrian BoardWalk itself are to the north, the entrance is to the south, and the canal that runs to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is to the west. If you book a BoardWalk room through Disney’s agents or website, water view means Crescent Lake and the BoardWalk area only; views of the canal or pool are considered standard view. But if you book a villa through a DVC member or the DVC website, the same canal and pool are called garden or pool view, and the view of the BoardWalk is cleverly called a BoardWalk view.

Most rooms have a balcony or patio, although balconies on the standard upper-floor rooms alternate between large and medium. The BoardWalk Inn & Villas each share about half the frontage on the promenade, which overlooks Crescent Lake. The promenade’s clubs, stores, and attractions are spread about equally between the two sections, leading to similar levels of noise and commotion. However, the inn side is closer to EPCOT and the nearby access road; this means easier access to that theme park, but also more road noise.

1332
Room 1332: Some rooms face the resort's quiet pool.

Otherwise, the inn is actually less noisy than the more expensive villas; there’s one tranquil, enclosed courtyard, and another half-enclosed area with a quiet pool (where BoardWalk’s Garden Suites are). There are many rooms to avoid at the inn, starting with rooms overlooking access roads and parking lots, and rooms looking down on the roof of the adjacent conference center. And although the aforementioned quiet rooms face courtyards, the views are pretty ho-hum. When you get right down to it, the only rooms with decent views are those fronting the promenade and lake, specifically odd-numbered rooms 3213– 3259 and 4213–4259. We’re told by Disney insiders that most of these rooms are reserved more than 10 months ahead.

1353
Room 1353: A lower-level standard view room.

When you get right down to it, the only rooms with decent views are those fronting the promenade and lake, specifically odd-numbered rooms 3213–3259 and 4213–4259. We’re told by Disney insiders that most of these rooms are reserved more than 10 months in advance, so snagging one requires advance planning and a lot of luck. As for the others, you’re more likely to get a better view at the far less expensive Port Orleans, Caribbean Beach, or Coronado Springs Resorts.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Weaknesses
Walking distance to EPCOT's International Gateway and Disney's Hollywood Studios Limited quick-service dining options suitable for kids
Excellent staff/service Not as many rooms overlook the BoardWalk as you might think
Unique garden suites Bus service to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, water parks, and Disney Springs is shared with other EPCOT resorts
Vast selection of dining options for adults BoardWalk Villas have fewer baths per bedroom than newer DVC/DDV properties
Fitness center is larger than Yacht & Beach Club's
Carnival pool is whimsical

Disney's BoardWalk Inn Dining

Commuting Times to the Parks
Park Boat Bus Skyliner Walk Personal
Automobile
Magic Kingdom 25.0 min 36.0 min
EPCOT 17.0 min 9.0 min 16.0 min
Hollywood Studios 17.0 min 31.0 min 16.0 min 14.0 min
Animal Kingdom 26.0 min 17.0 min
Disney Springs 25.0 min 10.0 min
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