Boardwalk area….. who’s running this dumpster fire?

[tinabina919]

The Boardwalk is one of my fav places in DW. Yes I wish ESPN and Flying Fish would open but there really are so many places to eat with Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan & Dolphin and now even Swan Reserve.

I will be there in 18 days and I can’t wait!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Staffing and supply issues are everywhere, not just at WDW.

I stay in that area with DVC, but I don't stay there to eat or hang out. I stay there to walk to Epcot. that said, pre-COVID there were a lot more options that haven't yet returned.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

ESPN Club is not returning. ESPN shut it down and yes, I realize Disney owns ESPN but they still control most of their own stuff and they are the ones that quit that.

Don't discount the food over at pool bar at BW too, Leaping Libations I think. Got a dang good hot dog

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I would not be surprised as it was the only surviving ESPN club in the country, Disneyland's shut down a few years ago.

in addition to Leaping Libations, Hurricane Hanna's over at Yacht/Beach is good for a pool bar w/food

 

[MarriedAtDisney]

I realize it’s a pandemic. I’m simply saying, deliver food options, and seating for the boardwalk area. Get creative. I can’t see inside the flying fish, but ESPN has clear windows with tables, chairs and seemingly everything since the day they shut down. it could be opened and food sold. Cape May and other restaurants had no availability.

I get the ‘don’t go’ and ‘don’t go the busiest week’ and ‘Disney pays crap’ and ‘it’s a pandemic’. I just don’t think any of that is a real excuse. There are plenty of things that could be done. They’re just not doing it.

 

[gregskellington]

You say they can just open it and sell food, but that requires them to have food to sell and staff to sell it. We are in the middle of a long pandemic that has claimed millions of lives, things are not normal. If the worst thing going for you right now is Disney's lack of food options on the Boardwalk....

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I realize it’s a pandemic. I’m simply saying, deliver food options, and seating for the boardwalk area. Get creative. I can’t see inside the flying fish, but ESPN has clear windows with tables, chairs and seemingly everything since the day they shut down. it could be opened and food sold. Cape May and other restaurants had no availability.

I get the ‘don’t go’ and ‘don’t go the busiest week’ and ‘Disney pays crap’ and ‘it’s a pandemic’. I just don’t think any of that is a real excuse. There are plenty of things that could be done. They’re just not doing it.

So at a time when they can barely keep open established restaurants you want them to create a brand new one and add it to the mix? It's only going to stretch the services they have thinner. I'm sure that will go even better.

I wish they'd open everything with full service like they used to have. I'm sure they'd rather do that then have people who want to eat at Disney and have to leave property to find food. That's money lost.

Speaking of going outside to find other places to eat, have you done that lately? Seen even in your own neighborhood that restaurants can't keep up with customer demand? It's not like this is unique to Disney.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

if they havent' got the staff and supply to run the restaurants they have, they aren't just going to open up new restaurants. I guess the easiest thing would be rent the space to a third party, but that takes time and legal stuff, and a lot of third parties don't have supply and staff either.

 

[VandVsmama]

Frankly, I think that the OP has raised some very valid points and the OP has a right to be frustrated. Just like others have a right to disagree. The lack of food options would be enough for me to steer clear from staying at Boardwalk entirely right now.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Frankly, I think that the OP has raised some very valid points and the OP has a right to be frustrated. Just like others have a right to disagree. The lack of food options would be enough for me to steer clear from staying at Boardwalk entirely right now.

You are correct. Somewhat. I believe there has been several mention that there are more food options than the ones missing that OP focused on. They looked only at what wasn't there rather than finding out what was there. I don't believe it was as lacking as they made it look. There are lots of things to be frustrated about where Disney is concerned there is no doubt.

 

[720L]

Is the food stand open now across from the pizza window? It has chicken tenders & stuff?

 

[Nabas]

We've stayed at BWV and BCV several times since WDW reopened in July 2020, most recently in October 2021. The Boardwalk area is infinitely better than it was in late 2020 and much of 2021.

What's open:

• Screen Door General Store
• Dundy's
• Pizza Window
• Boardwalk Ice Cream (replaced Ample Hills)
• Boardwalk Bakery
• Boardwalk games
• Joe's Margaritas
• Wyland Galleries
• Big River Grille
• AbracadaBar
• Belle Vue Lounge
• Trattoria al Forno
• Bike rentals
• Atlantic Dance Hall (some nights)
• Jellyrolls (some nights)
• Some performers have returned.

What's closed:

• ESPN Club
• Flying Fish (although there have been some special events here)

The situation is way better than what the Boardwalk was like even 6 months ago.

 

[MarriedAtDisney]

I’ll try one more time. The restaurants were booked. The kiosk selling chicken and what not closed at 8. Yes, i could go to the market. Yes, I might have found something over at swan or dolphin.

but I’m at boardwalk/beach club. Walking the boardwalk. With half the restaurants closed. I’m simply saying, how hard can it be to pump out pizzas faster than a 90 minute - two hour wait? how hard to put more tables and chairs out. I’m not asking for white table cloth service. I’m saying pop up kitchen concept. Heck., reopen ESPN and sell burgers and hot dogs. IF you wanted to do it, it could be done.

 

[Skywalker3]

Been staying at BWV, our DVC home, since 2011, and have never eaten at any of the restaurants there, except one time at flying fish, (2013) and the bakery a few times years ago, and twice at that shack with the French fries/corndogs. We have never been impressed w the food, and don't even factor that into staying at or enjoying the resort. Other options are just around the lake, or most often than not, we're eating in Epcot at one of the festivals, or bringing food back to the room. I do think it would be a great time and opportunity now to add some new options, maybe expand the bakery, or add some more grab and go.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I’ll try one more time. The restaurants were booked. The kiosk selling chicken and what not closed at 8. Yes, i could go to the market. Yes, I might have found something over at swan or dolphin.

but I’m at boardwalk/beach club. Walking the boardwalk. With half the restaurants closed. I’m simply saying, how hard can it be to pump out pizzas faster than a 90 minute - two hour wait? how hard to put more tables and chairs out. I’m not asking for white table cloth service. I’m saying pop up kitchen concept. Heck., reopen ESPN and sell burgers and hot dogs. IF you wanted to do it, it could be done.

If you are already noting that you are walking the boardwalk (where half the restaurants are NOT closed as PP noted) at boardwalk/beach club I'm not sure how you just write off Swan/Dolphin as an option. It's not like you have to go out of your way to get to it if you are already going between BW and YC/BC. It's on the boardwalk

IF you wanted to eat, it could have been done.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We stayed at BWV in September of 2020 and food options were ROUGH. Plus they hadn't brought back park hopping so you couldn't even walk into Epcot and grab something! It was as-if the sidewalks rolled up at 9pm when Epcot closed.

There were people in the hotel lobby asking where they could get food to feed their (hungry, crying) kids. Thankfully we had a car and could go offsite but UberEats and such were very limited then along with onsite hotel restaurants (Swan/Dolphin included).

In comparison, it's 100% better but I agree that food options can still be improved, especially during peak times. Unfortunately, staffing is a big issue. Disney will rarely miss an opportunity to make money if they don't have to.

 

[MarriedAtDisney]

If you are already noting that you are walking the boardwalk (where half the restaurants are NOT closed as PP noted) at boardwalk/beach club I'm not sure how you just write off Swan/Dolphin as an option. It's not like you have to go out of your way to get to it if you are already going between BW and YC/BC. It's on the boardwalk

IF you wanted to eat, it could have been done.

let’s just agree to disagree ok? I’m talking about the boardwalk. Four restaurants. Two are closed. I’m split staying at beach club and boardwalk. Beach club, cape may was booked. Boardwalk has no resort restaurant. YC was booked. Could I have walked to Epcot, sure. Could I have walked to swan or dolphin, yes. I have a car, I could have done a McDonald’s run or gone to publics. That’s not my point. My point is boardwalk. An always over capacity pizza window, two closed restaurants, and a food kiosk that closed at 8pm.

Disney can fix it. They’re charging eighty gazillion dollars a night for rooms. Dropping in a few more pizza ovens or using ESPN is possible. I bet the kitchen is just sitting there.

 

[Nabas]

I’ll try one more time. The restaurants were booked. The kiosk selling chicken and what not closed at 8. Yes, i could go to the market. Yes, I might have found something over at swan or dolphin.

but I’m at boardwalk/beach club. Walking the boardwalk. With half the restaurants closed. I’m simply saying, how hard can it be to pump out pizzas faster than a 90 minute - two hour wait? how hard to put more tables and chairs out. I’m not asking for white table cloth service. I’m saying pop up kitchen concept. Heck., reopen ESPN and sell burgers and hot dogs. IF you wanted to do it, it could be done.

We always can find something to eat at the Boardwalk Bakery. My spouse adores the Bakery’s soup and sandwich options.

In addition, even when full, Big River Grille takes walk-ups, especially if you are willing to sit in the bar area.

Of the closed restaurants, ESPN Club did take walk-ups, but it had very long waits if there was some sporting event like Monday Night Football. Flying Fish is extremely expensive and reservations only.

So really the only thing missing at the Boardwalk is the ESPN Club where, frankly, the food was of poorer quality than everything else on the Boardwalk.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We were in Vegas in March where they had just lifted the reservation requirement for restaurants in general although most (including us) were still making reservations. Of course Vegas has a plethora of options to choose from with food and I'm not making the comparison there with the variety/number of options but you want to talk closed? There were a lot of restaurants closed, then ones that were only open a few days of the week, ones that closed early or only opened late, seating capacity at that time was 50% I believe per mandates, etc. Entire resorts were still closed (we stayed at the Wynn and the Encore was still closed at that time) and shows were nadda. Just got back about a week ago (stayed at the Encore and Bellagio) and a lot more options open, still made reservations for some places but still also ran into issues with limited hours, some restaurants still closed and days were limited on others. Staffing was also difficult. Experiences were limited as well.

Many places are struggling. I know it makes it less fun and enjoyable, I know it doesn't make someone want to spend the money to stay in a place where their options were limited. I don't know when the OP booked but I do know Disney has it listed that Flying Fish is temporarily closed and ESPN as well.

In my home area one of the biggest things we've been doing for months now (since spring/summer) is understanding that a lot of times our meals are taking longer because staffing is low.

So I get the OPs complaint, I mean vent away but I also have to say a little understanding the opposite way goes a long way and the way the OP's OP sounded like was quite unlike understanding of being in a pandemic by the list of demands given. Sometimes I suppose it becomes easy to forget just how big Disney is and if places in my area are struggling left and right to hire staffing I can imagine the situation at Disney with dozens of resorts, multiple theme parks, and more. So not excusing Disney, I think the pay conversation is deserving and has been something to talk about for several years but we are still dealing with a global pandemic, we are still dealing with many things going on even as exhausting as that is to type out it's still affecting things. There was just a thread elsewhere on the Boards talking about dine in for fast food and def. people have reported in their area dine in not being open just due to short staff and early closures too. I'd give the pizza thing at Disney slack personally.

 

[Mousefan mom]

We own at Beach club and just checked in for our first stay in a year. Walked over to the boardwalk area. Now I realize, we’re still suffering the pandemic, and in a challenging environment to hire people. But the whole area is a train wreck. ESPN, closed. Flying Fish, closed. The pizza window had a two hour wait. The food kiosk, closed at 8….with a line of people wanting food. There are a handful of tables and chairs, with people hawking any that free up. At least there is some entertainment, but I don’t think the acts stack up well to those performing in recent years. Nice people trying to entertain, but nowhere near the number that used to stop and watch.

1 open the restaurants! Put a counter service mini mall in the espn building with self seating. open flying fish!
2. hire jugglers and magics that have 2-3 acts. A singing group and jump rope crew will not attract enough viewers.
3. place 30-40 tables and chairs up and down the boardwalk.
4. bring a few food trucks to either end of the boardwalk, keep something open until 10pm.

Sounds like much changed from our July 20-21 stay--where we checked out early (a first for us at Disney) and got a refund back for unused nights...we had originally booked for a week, but just couldn't justify the $500 per night with such a low level of offerings. We also found the rooms dirty, hallways smelly, and pool area not cleaned and well maintained (towels thrown all over the pool deck, chairs all messed up, etc.). I used to love the Boardwalk too...Chapek needs to go.