Disney's BOARDWALK INN Information & Questions

[CarolynFH]

We are supposed to arrive at BWV, if all goes smoothly with our flights, around 1:30pm. I'm assuming our room might not be ready and we will have to stowe our luggage. Will we be able to also stowe our Publix groceries in a refrigerator? We have a grocery stop through Tiffany town car and I plan on getting a few things that are perishable.

It will be helpful for everyone if, before you arrive at BWV, you sort your groceries into separate bags for freezer and refrigerator, so they can be tagged and stored appropriately by Bell Services.

 

[CarolynFH]

This post on the Transportation forum says that MK & AK buses at BW have been reduced from running roughly every 20 minutes to a routine, scheduled every 30 minutes. Can anyone confirm this? It's disturbing if true, especially if no other resort bus schedules have been modified like that.

 

[supernova]

My least favorite part of this resort, besides the bland themeing throughout, is the ridiculous walk to the rooms because of the layout. Leave the check-in desk, head to the elevator, and you could be walking for days before you get to your room.

 

[poptart90]

The current rule of thumb given transportation is so sporadic, for all resorts/buses is 90 min- see this first post on this thread about early entry.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/everything-early-theme-park-entry-etpe-please-read-post-1.3855945/

I don't think any one resort is inherently better/worse when it comes to bus transport but our experience with the MK buses from BW and YC/BC is that you'll be joined by Swan/Dolphin guests and some mornings, and like most resorts, you'll be in a sea of people and won't even get on the bus and other times, you'll get there right as it's leaving and hop on. It's really a luck thing. The buses are all over the place but for us, 90 min is not happening at that time of day. I'm sure there are people who've needed to be out there that early but we're just not those people on vacation. The buses are the best option for MK since any other transport will drop you at TTC. For AK early entry, the best, not free, option is a ride share since they drop you so close to the front of the park and you rarely have to wait. Same rule applies for DHS/Epcot. If we really have to be somewhere in the parks by a certain time, we usually do an uber.

Whoa. Yeah, no 90 minutes for us in the morning either, especially since our time change makes an 8:30am early entry actually 5:30am for us.

I didn't realize there was a transportation forum, so I'll be watching that now too. I saw someone mention scooters on the busses. How does it work for strollers? Or is it not at all? Of course I assume they would need to be folded if allowed.

Thanks for the tip on AK! We will definitely be Uber-ing for that park. Shame it's not feasible for MK too.

 

[CarolynFH]

How does it work for strollers? Or is it not at all? Of course I assume they would need to be folded if allowed.

Strollers are allowed, but as you've figured out, they have to be folded before you get on the bus. There are no limits to the number of strollers, but scooters are limited to two per bus due to having to be secured in specific spaces on the bus. So when someone rolls up at busy times like park opening and finds that there are two scooters ahead of them, they know they'll be waiting for the next bus. And if the bus is shared with another resort (the BW Resort bus is not shared anymore, at least not at park opening), it's possible one or both of the scooter spaces will already be occupied, making the delay even longer.

BTW the mention of Swan/Dolphin guests sharing BW and YC/BC buses is due to the fact that Swolphin doesn't use Disney buses anymore, they have their own buses that drop off at TTC instead of at the MK bus station. That means those Swolphin guests then have to take the monorail or the ferry to get to the MK entrance, and many of them prefer to walk over to BW or to Yacht Club in order to be dropped off at the MK bus station and avoid the monorail/ferry trip. It has made the BW and YC/BC buses more crowded at busy times of day.

 

[poptart90]

Strollers are allowed, but as you've figured out, they have to be folded before you get on the bus. There are no limits to the number of strollers, but scooters are limited to two per bus due to having to be secured in specific spaces on the bus. So when someone rolls up at busy times like park opening and finds that there are two scooters ahead of them, they know they'll be waiting for the next bus. And if the bus is shared with another resort (the BW Resort bus is not shared anymore, at least not at park opening), it's possible one or both of the scooter spaces will already be occupied, making the delay even longer.

BTW the mention of Swan/Dolphin guests sharing BW and YC/BC buses is due to the fact that Swolphin doesn't use Disney buses anymore, they have their own buses that drop off at TTC instead of at the MK bus station. That means those Swolphin guests then have to take the monorail or the ferry to get to the MK entrance, and many of them prefer to walk over to BW or to Yacht Club in order to be dropped off at the MK bus station and avoid the monorail/ferry trip. It has made the BW and YC/BC buses more crowded at busy times of day.

Thank you for clearing up the busses & Swolphin bit for me; that was confusing. Plus I'm still getting used to all the shorthand! Takes me a few to decipher things sometimes. I can definitely see where the rough estimate of 90 minutes ahead of RD would be needed. It's looking like three cheers for the Minnie Vans to return this summer. Price dependent, of course.... let's see ILLs or stress-free transportation?? LOL

 

[ninafeliz]

Has there been any indication of when all of the renovations that have been announced will start? We booked our first stay in a deluxe room in early July and I’m really looking forward to it! Then today, just randomly, it occurred to me that the resort could possibly be a construction mess if they get started on a lot of the projects before then (I’m thinking of the Poly back when they added the bungalow, redid the Oasis pool, etc. we avoided that resort for over a year because of all of that). I always try to avoid resorts with anything other than routine maintenance construction, but given that with 6 people CL rooms are almost impossible to get and getting the AP discount on top of it was amazing, I’m not going to be able to change resorts. Thoughts? Is there any timeline out there that I missed?

 

[AUDramaQueen]

Wow. We had no issues with the busses when we were there. We stayed March 26-31st so it was pretty packed.

For MK with an 8:30 open we got to the bus stop around 7:15, got on the first bus that came (meaning we didn't have to wait for more than one, not that it was the first bus of the day) and were fairly close to the front of the turnstiles a little before 7:45, I think.

For AK, with a 7am open, we got to the stop about 6:15, again got on the next bus that came along and were at AK about 6:45.

We also took the bus to MK around 6 one night and again got on the first bus that showed up within 10-15 minutes of getting down there.

We did share busses with YC/BC when we left MK at 12:30am during extended evening hours. We just missed a bus, but another one came along less than 10 minutes later which shocked me. It waited until we were full before it left so we sat there a few minutes.

We also shared leaving AK around noon.

We never shared going to a park, but we only rode the bus the one time that was not for park opening.

I find it hard to believe the busses are only running every 30 minutes. If so, I was INCREDIBLY lucky which is just not the norm when it comes to me and WDW transportation!

I will say the bus showed up 5‐10 minutes earlier than what the app said when I would be looking at it in the room so I would give yourself some cushion.

 

[DaviVascaino]

Wow. We had no issues with the busses when we were there. We stayed March 26-31st so it was pretty packed.

For MK with an 8:30 open we got to the bus stop around 7:15, got on the first bus that came (meaning we didn't have to wait for more than one, not that it was the first bus of the day) and were fairly close to the front of the turnstiles a little before 7:45, I think.

For AK, with a 7am open, we got to the stop about 6:15, again got on the next bus that came along and were at AK about 6:45.

We also took the bus to MK around 6 one night and again got on the first bus that showed up within 10-15 minutes of getting down there.

We did share busses with YC/BC when we left MK at 12:30am during extended evening hours. We just missed a bus, but another one came along less than 10 minutes later which shocked me. It waited until we were full before it left so we sat there a few minutes.

We also shared leaving AK around noon.

We never shared going to a park, but we only rode the bus the one time that was not for park opening.

I find it hard to believe the busses are only running every 30 minutes. If so, I was INCREDIBLY lucky which is just not the norm when it comes to me and WDW transportation!

I will say the bus showed up 5‐10 minutes earlier than what the app said when I would be looking at it in the room so I would give yourself some cushion.

That is very encouraging to hear. So basically show up 1 hour before opening park time and o make sure you are there on time. If MK opens 830, getting to the bus stop around 715-730 would be enough to get there on time right?

 

[AUDramaQueen]

That is very encouraging to hear. So basically show up 1 hour before opening park time and o make sure you are there on time. If MK opens 830, getting to the bus stop around 715-730 would be enough to get there on time right?

That's what we normally do and it's worked for us no matter where we were staying.

We were a little later than that on AK day because it was soooo early (7am open), but I guess everyone else thought it was too early also and we had no problem.

 

[DaviVascaino]

That's what we normally do and it's worked for us no matter where we were staying.

We were a little later than that on AK day because it was soooo early (7am open), but I guess everyone else thought it was too early also and we had no problem.

that is great. what about going back at the end of the day? did you have to wait a lot for an available bus after leaving AK or MK?

 

[AUDramaQueen]

that is great. what about going back at the end of the day? did you have to wait a lot for an available bus after leaving AK or MK?

We just missed the bus leaving extended evening hours at MK, but another bus was along in 10 minutes (which I would say is NOT the norm at park closing, but maybe they are just trying to get everyone out at that hour). It waited until it was full until leaving.

We took the monorail to Epcot the other times we left MK, so that's all the data I have.

I have waited a WHILE to get on a BW bus at regular park closing so I would prepare for that more so than what I experiences at extended hours.

The AK bus was there when we got there, but it also was waiting to be full so we sat there a few minutes. So that was just fortunate timing.

 

[DaviVascaino]

We just missed the bus leaving extended evening hours at MK, but another bus was along in 10 minutes (which I would say is NOT the norm at park closing, but maybe they are just trying to get everyone out at that hour). It waited until it was full until leaving.

We took the monorail to Epcot the other times we left MK, so that's all the data I have.

I have waited a WHILE to get on a BW bus at regular park closing so I would prepare for that more so than what I experiences at extended hours.

The AK bus was there when we got there, but it also was waiting to be full so we sat there a few minutes. So that was just fortunate timing.

thank you, that was helpful!

 

[ktink]

We will be back at BWI 9/8-9/11/22. We're doing a split stay 9/3-9/8 staying at AKL Jambo then moving to BWI CL. I was hoping for YC or Poly Disney+ discounts but it didn't work out. Needless to say, we fell in LOVE with BWI during our stay this past January. I'm glad it worked out this way. I just wanted to try out another resort.

 

[Disney Ron]

How is the condition of the rooms now? Are they worn or still in decent shape?

TIA

 

[amgallarza]

A question if anyone knows. Does anyone know if there is a ramp or handicap accessible way to get down to the boardwalk from the resort? I know there are stairs, but with mobility issues - steps are not friends. Thanks all!

 

[BK2014]

A question if anyone knows. Does anyone know if there is a ramp or handicap accessible way to get down to the boardwalk from the resort? I know there are stairs, but with mobility issues - steps are not friends. Thanks all!

There is an elevator located near the Belle Vue lounge near the lobby on the Inn side that will take you down to the Boardwalk level.

 

[trishadono]

How is the condition of the rooms now? Are they worn or still in decent shape?

TIA

For me it’s more they feel outdated compared to other resorts. However the resort, lobby and grounds are lovely. I am staying there in May, so not so bad to scare me away.

 

[TSR6]

How is the condition of the rooms now? Are they worn or still in decent shape?

TIA

They're in need of an update bad when compared to Yacht.

We stayed at Yacht in December, Boardwalk in March.

Yacht has nice LVP flooring in the room. Boardwalk still has the green carpeting.
Yacht has a "barn door" that you can close off the sink area. Boardwalk that's all wide open still.

I forgot I took a video during check in, I'm uploading that now, and I'll share and compare with my Yacht video for you.

 

[Disney Ron]

They're in need of an update bad when compared to Yacht.

We stayed at Yacht in December, Boardwalk in March.

Yacht has nice LVP flooring in the room. Boardwalk still has the green carpeting.
Yacht has a "barn door" that you can close off the sink area. Boardwalk that's all wide open still.

I forgot I took a video during check in, I'm uploading that now, and I'll share and compare with my Yacht video for you.

Thanks but we just booked Yacht Club and are excited to stay there. How did you like it, if you don't mine me asking?