Boardwalk Villas Tips and Tricks!

[BroadwayHermione5]

Hi! We've only stayed at the BWV once. It was really fun. There are no restaurants on property. They used to have a continental breakfast in the Bellvue Lounge, but that isn't available during the pandemic. You can get some items at the Screen Door General Store on the Boardwalk, but I would definitely bring some food.

That is what we are thinking too-I have heard rumors of Bellevue reopening and given that more dining CMs are being called back our fingers are crossed!

 

[Nabas]

We stayed at the Boardwalk in December and walked over from the Swan in March. Had a delicious cheese omelet for breakfast at Trattoria al Forno during the first trip and an equally yummy Brewer's Club at the Big River Grille during the second trip.

We also stopped in the Boardwalk Bakery (my wife really likes their tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwich). We also picked up some yummy treats from the Screen Door General Store, although they seemed to have a reduced selection during our last two trips.

Here's some more tips and tricks:

1. Elevators are scarce and slow. I prefer the stairs.
2. The pools can get crowded during the hottest part of the day. Luna Park has (IMO) the best water slide of any WDW hotel.
3. As is the case with all WDW pools, you can pick up towels at the pool.
4. The smaller quiet pool is exactly that - smaller and quiet.
5. Cast Members play music and games at Luna Park pool for much of the day. If one is not in your room, then be sure to pick up a schedule at the front desk.
6. Abracadabar is open. I read that the margarita booth is open, although it was not open when we last visited. The Flying Fish and ESPN Club are closed, as is Ample Hills (the ice cream shop). The games on the Boardwalk are closed.
7. The parking lot is far from the entrance. Best to drop off your luggage with Bell Services if you are arriving by car.
8. The fastest way to get to Epcot and DHS is to walk.
9. The boat is relaxing but makes stops and is slow. Still, you should try it at least once for the experience.
10. If you really want to be adventurous, you can walk over and take the Skyliner to DHS. Definitely much slower than walking from BWV, but everyone should ride the Skyliner at least once.
11. There is a DVC 2-bedroom showroom located on the Boardwalk that is open for most of the day. Stop in if you want to see what a 2-bedroom is like.
12. The Boardwalk Inn (i.e. the hotel side) currently is closed, meaning the pools are a bit less crowded than normal.

Here's some images:

 

[Nabas]

And some more:

 

[juju]

When we stayed at BWV in November, Boardwalk Bakery had the mobile ordering option. We would treat ourselves to a pastry but would have coffee from our room. If you don’t want to buy a few groceries offsite or have it delivered, you can buy a few breakfast items in the store downstairs. If you eat at a table service location, I often bring back my leftovers and have them for lunch or lite dinner. You can’t beat the location, walking to Epcot and DHS. We stayed at Pop a few months ago and even though they have the Skyliner, the lines can get long, we missed the convenience of walking from BWV or the boats.

 

[Best Aunt]

I don't think anybody mentioned the order of the stops for the boat to DHS.

From an old post:
The boats go DHS>Swolphin>Yacht>BW>Epcot IG. And then they reverse this order going back to DHS.

Pre-pandemic: If I was coming back from DHS, I would get off the boat at the Swan/Dolphin stop and walk to Boardwalk from there. I did not want to sit on the boat while it went from Swan/Dolphin to Yacht Club and then to BoardWalk.

When going to DHS, I would walk over to Swan/Dolphin and get on the boat there. Again, I did not want to sit on the boat while it went from Boardwalk to Yacht Club then to Swan/Dolphin.

I haven't been there since the pandemic started, so I don't know if they are limiting the number of people allowed on the boat, and if that changes things.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

We stayed at the Boardwalk in December and walked over from the Swan in March. Had a delicious cheese omelet for breakfast at Trattoria al Forno during the first trip and an equally yummy Brewer's Club during the second trip.

We also stopped in the Boardwalk Bakery (my wife really likes their tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwich). We also picked up some yummy treats from the Screen Door General Store, although they seemed to have a reduced selection during our last two trips.

Here's some more tips and tricks:

1. Elevators are scarce and slow. I prefer the stairs.
2. The pools can get crowded during the hottest part of the day. Luna Park has (IMO) the best water slide of any WDW hotel.
3. As is the case with all WDW pools, you can pick up towels at the pool.
4. The smaller quiet pool is exactly that - smaller and quiet.
5. Cast Members play music and games at Luna Park pool for much of the day. If one is not in your room, then be sure to pick up a schedule at the front desk.
6. Abracadabar is open. I read that the margarita booth is open, although it was not open when we last visited. The Flying Fish and ESPN Club are closed, as is Ample Hills (the ice cream shop). The games on the Boardwalk are closed.
7. The parking lot is far from the entrance. Best to drop off your luggage with Bell Services if you are arriving by car.
8. The fastest way to get to Epcot and DHS is to walk.
9. The boat is relaxing but makes stops and is slow. Still, you should try it at least once for the experience.
10. If you really want to be adventurous, you can walk over and take the Skyliner to DHS. Definitely much slower than walking from BWV, but everyone should ride the Skyliner at least once.
11. There is a DVC 2-bedroom showroom located on the Boardwalk that is open for most of the day. Stop in if you want to see what a 2-bedroom is like.
12. The Boardwalk Inn (i.e. the hotel side) currently is closed, meaning the pools are a bit less crowded than normal.

Here's some images:

View attachment 567609

View attachment 567608

View attachment 567610

View attachment 567607

View attachment 567606

View attachment 567605

I can taste the pancakes at Trattoria al Forno now! And now I want a grilled cheese and any soup-doesnt help its a muggy day where I am!

1) I dont think it will be a problem going down them in the morning so much as going up them at night-we all have prior injuries and even though we prep by walking an insane amount starting months before we go to break in sneakers its still at times very ugh. But this is good to know!
2) We are starting to prep for this. Hopefully things will be a little bit less chaotic by the time we go.
3) Great to know this is still available in the times of Covid
4) I sometimes find the quieter areas far better than the louder ones
5) I used to love these at POR! Hopefully they are around!
6) We are intending on doing abracadabar and yes you are correct the margarita bar and something else recently reopened! Shame that both those restaurants aren't open right now but hopefully with all the Dining CMs being called back they will be soon. Shame about Ample Hills, but there are always other options. And darn-I am a sucker for carnival and arcade games-I actually almost made an impluse purchase of a skiball machine during quarantine-one day.....
7) We are actually heading over from a split stay so we will be either using Mears or Uber to get there. Love bell services!
8) While we know EPCOT is an insanely close walk, I have heard mixed about DHS- especailly with people who have issues with walking sometimes.
9) We used the boats all the time to get to and from DS and POR when we stayed there-love them at the end of the night!
10) My dad and I are totally team skyliner...my mom has some issues with heights (loves coasters, wants to brave ToT one day, but the skyliner...maybe I should show her some video)
11) We actually intend on doing this!
12) Yes we are aware-we have been wanting to stay for so long, nd even though we could've stayed at B and Y, we decided to splurge on the villas!

You take gorgeous pictures!

Thank you so much!

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Random tips ...
-- If they still have the afternoon pool parties & you want to nap in the afternoon, AVOID a room facing the main pool. We arrived at our rooms one year after a 6am flight so we were all exhausted. The dance party music was not appreciated.
-- We always make a trip to the Speedway gas station. My family (not me) refuses to drink tap water & they sell gallon containers of water that are much cheaper than at the Boardwalk. We also grab soda and chips/snacks - much much cheaper. I've heard of people taking their luggage and loading it up at the Speedway. If you go there, beware of crossing the street - no sidewalks or crosswalks.
-- A few years ago, we played tennis at the Boardwalk. We don't own rackets & had a great afternoon (until we lost most of the balls in the bushes). Rackets and (lousy/flat) tennis balls are available at Community Hall. We plan to bring some new tennis balls with us this summer.
-- I'm the designated refillable mug filler upper. It's nice just sitting out on the boardwalk and enjoying my morning coffee while its cool and quiet.
Have fun!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Random tips ...
-- If they still have the afternoon pool parties & you want to nap in the afternoon, AVOID a room facing the main pool. We arrived at our rooms one year after a 6am flight so we were all exhausted. The dance party music was not appreciated.
-- We always make a trip to the Speedway gas station. My family (not me) refuses to drink tap water & they sell gallon containers of water that are much cheaper than at the Boardwalk. We also grab soda and chips/snacks - much much cheaper. I've heard of people taking their luggage and loading it up at the Speedway. If you go there, beware of crossing the street - no sidewalks or crosswalks.
-- A few years ago, we played tennis at the Boardwalk. We don't own rackets & had a great afternoon (until we lost most of the balls in the bushes). Rackets and (lousy/flat) tennis balls are available at Community Hall. We plan to bring some new tennis balls with us this summer.
-- I'm the designated refillable mug filler upper. It's nice just sitting out on the boardwalk and enjoying my morning coffee while its cool and quiet.
Have fun!

I have no idea where our room is but I know we are in the Villas. I dont think we will head to speedway we might do garden grocer-but we also spend more times in the parks.
We sadly do not like tennis haha but that is awesome to know.
-I am right there with you-I love being the designated human of stuff like that. You can also get the best pictures.

 

[Heather07438]

8) While we know EPCOT is an insanely close walk, I have heard mixed about DHS- especailly with people who have issues with walking sometimes.

Beach Club is more like you describe. Very close to IG at Epcot but around 20 minutes to HS. We stayed there in Jan and it was quit a hike to start the day but we felt it was worth it for HS rope drop. Epcot was 5 minutes from our DVC room to inside the park.

Boardwalk is more in the middle of the 2 parks than BC. Haven’t stayed yet. We’re excited to stay here this Sept. I’ve read it’s 10-15 minutes to either park depending on where your room is located, but usually the walk to EP is a tad shorter than to HS. That seemed about right from the times we walked thru the property from BCV.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Beach Club is more like you describe. Very close to IG at Epcot but around 20 minutes to HS. We stayed there in Jan and it was quit a hike to start the day but we felt it was worth it for HS rope drop. Epcot was 5 minutes from our DVC room to inside the park.

Boardwalk is more in the middle of the 2 parks than BC. Haven’t stayed yet. We’re excited to stay here this Sept. I’ve read it’s 10-15 minutes to either park depending on where your room is located, but usually the walk to EP is a tad shorter than to HS. That seemed about right from the times we walked thru the property from BCV.

Ahhhh ok. We have walked from Boardwalk to Fantasia Gardens before which is probably about half the time to get to DHS. So that isn't too bad. We chose Boardwalk specifically for the proximity to EPCOT.

 

[bulleez]

Hi! We've only stayed at the BWV once. It was really fun. There are no restaurants on property. They used to have a continental breakfast in the Bellvue Lounge, but that isn't available during the pandemic. You can get some items at the Screen Door General Store on the Boardwalk, but I would definitely bring some food.

The Trattoria Forno Restaurant is open. I was there in December 2020.

 

[Sara W]

We stayed there in December and had a great time, it is now my kids' favorite. Our room was close to the bridge to Swan and Dolphin. While that made it very easy to meet up with my mother who was staying there, the walk to and from the car was LONG. We should have dropped everything at the main entrance rather than trying to walk it from the car. And we had to give ourselves plenty of time to walk to the car when leaving. I workout multiple days a week and I was still over the distance.

I loved being able to walk to HS and then take the Skyliner back in the evening. I also enjoyed working out on a quiet grass spot along the water and watching people head to the park.

 

[VeronaMomof2]

Following.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

We stayed there in December and had a great time, it is now my kids' favorite. Our room was close to the bridge to Swan and Dolphin. While that made it very easy to meet up with my mother who was staying there, the walk to and from the car was LONG. We should have dropped everything at the main entrance rather than trying to walk it from the car. And we had to give ourselves plenty of time to walk to the car when leaving. I workout multiple days a week and I was still over the distance.

I loved being able to walk to HS and then take the Skyliner back in the evening. I also enjoyed working out on a quiet grass spot along the water and watching people head to the park.

We are not renting a car so this shouldn't be a problem but we will most likely have to leave bags at guest services because of when we are slated to arrive.
If only we can get everyone on the skyliner but we want to try the friendship boats!

 

[badeacon]

We stayed at the Boardwalk in December and walked over from the Swan in March. Had a delicious cheese omelet for breakfast at Trattoria al Forno during the first trip and an equally yummy Brewer's Club at the Big River Grille during the second trip.

We also stopped in the Boardwalk Bakery (my wife really likes their tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwich). We also picked up some yummy treats from the Screen Door General Store, although they seemed to have a reduced selection during our last two trips.

Here's some more tips and tricks:

1. Elevators are scarce and slow. I prefer the stairs.
2. The pools can get crowded during the hottest part of the day. Luna Park has (IMO) the best water slide of any WDW hotel.
3. As is the case with all WDW pools, you can pick up towels at the pool.
4. The smaller quiet pool is exactly that - smaller and quiet.
5. Cast Members play music and games at Luna Park pool for much of the day. If one is not in your room, then be sure to pick up a schedule at the front desk.
6. Abracadabar is open. I read that the margarita booth is open, although it was not open when we last visited. The Flying Fish and ESPN Club are closed, as is Ample Hills (the ice cream shop). The games on the Boardwalk are closed.
7. The parking lot is far from the entrance. Best to drop off your luggage with Bell Services if you are arriving by car.
8. The fastest way to get to Epcot and DHS is to walk.
9. The boat is relaxing but makes stops and is slow. Still, you should try it at least once for the experience.
10. If you really want to be adventurous, you can walk over and take the Skyliner to DHS. Definitely much slower than walking from BWV, but everyone should ride the Skyliner at least once.
11. There is a DVC 2-bedroom showroom located on the Boardwalk that is open for most of the day. Stop in if you want to see what a 2-bedroom is like.
12. The Boardwalk Inn (i.e. the hotel side) currently is closed, meaning the pools are a bit less crowded than normal.

Here's some images:

View attachment 567609

View attachment 567608

View attachment 567610

View attachment 567607

View attachment 567606

View attachment 567605

Thanks for the helpful information and pictures!!!

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

Taking notes for our September stay! 1. Bakery treats available at the Screen Door, yay! 2. Elevator issues - consider when making a room request. 3. Breakfast at Trattoria...something to consider. 4. Crossing my fingers for Bellvue Lounge and Flying Fish re-openings!

 

[Best Aunt]

I think this is news (sorry if I'm late to the game ) - Trattoria al Forno restaurant on the BoardWalk is now in the Mobile Order section of the MDE app. Breakfast from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. I am looking at 5:44 am, and the first Arrival Window is 7:30 am to 8:00 am.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

I think this is news (sorry if I'm late to the game ) - Trattoria al Forno restaurant on the BoardWalk is now in the Mobile Order section of the MDE app. Breakfast from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. I am looking at 5:44 am, and the first Arrival Window is 7:30 am to 8:00 am.

Wait what?!?!?! its not sit down anymore?????

 

[Best Aunt]

Wait what?!?!?! its not sit down anymore?????

i think some table service restaurants have added a mobile order to go option. Sanaa, The Wave, Ale & Compass... I assume that is what is happening at Trattoria al Forno.

 

[Beachmom0317]

We are going for one night as part of a split stay in May 2021 so this is super helpful! This is a resort only stay and my kids love the skyliner. Am I correct that the lines for the skyliner are still crazy around park opening for Epcot/DHS? I’d love to ride skyliner to grab some QS meals at Riviera or walk around AoA. But I don’t want to get stuck in RD park crowds.

I will be checking in on 5/5 I’d be happy to report if any activities are resuming on the boardwalk. I’m happy to hear it’s slowing coming back to life!