Help = Boardwalk Inn Questions

[Valera]

Hi everyone,

We are planning a trip to WDW in July 2005 and our trying to decide on a resort. We have stayed at WL and POFQ. We have an opportunity to stay at the BWI for part of our trip. Is this a nice resort? I realize it is in the deluxe category. Will we like it as well as the WL?

Is there a different resort we should consider? My DS loves to swim so the pool area will be a big part of our trip. Is it usually crowded in July?

What about the size of the resort? Is it a long walk from the rooms to the various things - restraunts, pool area, bus/boat stop?

Thank you for any help on this!

 

[vicb]

I have stayed at BWI twice with my family (firsttime my kids were 6 and 9, last time 8 and 11) it is a lovely resort and I can't think of any negatives to staying there.

The location is awesome, always something going on. Easy walk to Epcot, longer walk to MGM but boat available.
CM's very friendly, helpful, very welcoming to our children, not stuffy as some claim!
Unlike some other resorts the restaurants are on the BW. Some don't like that, but we just thought of the BW as an open air lobby and loved it! ESPN, BWBakery, Spoodles etc...
The pool is really fun, great slide, nice lifeguards, nice pool bar, able to sit and relax and see your child easily.
Rent a surrey bike.. fun, fun, fun!

Be sure to read thru the BWI FAQ thread, very helpful.

 

[TLinden16]

I have stayed at the BWI and I really liked it. The rooms are very nice. The Inn side rooms are on the ESPN and Spoodles side of the building. I had a standard view room that had a view of the high fireworks from Illuminations.

I really like the theme of the pool (although I didn't swim in it--when I stayed there it was a very cold December). It has a slide that looks like a wooden rollercoaster, where riders exit through the mouth of a clown. Your DS will love it.

I really love the location of the resort (which is part of the resaon I bought my DVC points there). You can walk to Epcot and MGM from there--it's less than 10 minutes to the back door of Epcot (a nice feature if you are coming out of Illuminations at the end of the night), and 15-20 to MGM. If you don't want to walk, there are boats available. Note that there is no transportation to the front door of Epcot.

Make sure you get something at the Boardwalk Bakery--I have yet to get something there that I didn't like. I also love going to the Pizza Window for a meatball sandwich.

And if you like to Mini-golf, you can walk to the Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course from there.

Karen

 

[ead79]

The BWI is one of our favorite resorts. It really has a great atmosphere, which I suppose I would describe as “relaxed luxury.” When you step into the lobby you feel sort of like you’re entering a by-gone era of luxury and pampering. It’s also a really fun place to stay since it has the nightlife of the BoardWalk (both for adults at Jellyrolls and Atlantic Dance and for kids with the carnival style games). We also love renting the surrey bikes and biking around Crescent Lake. The pool is large and has a neat water slide designed to look like an old wooden roller coaster.

The rooms at the BWI are larger than those at the WL, which is nice. Like the WL, the BWI is all in one building, which is also convenient. The only way it would be a long walk to the bus stop would be if you got a room at the very end of the hallways (the hallways are long). However, some of these rooms have really nice views so it’s not like they are bad. If walking too far is a concern, you could always request a room near the elevators.

Also, the convenience of such a short walk to Epcot is terrific. There is also a longer walking path to MGM (it takes about 25 minutes) and the friendship boat launches to both Epcot and MGM if you don’t want to walk.

The only other resort I would consider for a better pool would be the Yacht/Beach Club. However, since this is such a cool pool, I would imagine it would probably be pretty crowded in the July heat.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

We loved the BWI. But you will find it much different than the WL. Not just the theming, but the whole atmosphere at the boardwalk is different. There's just a lot more action, and not the far away feeling you get at the lodge. You feel more like you're in a coastal town, with lots of things going on. But it's also romantic and quiet when you're in the inner couryard/rose garden/quiet pool area. I think you should definitely give it a try.