mom_rules, Bambi posted a link to my pictures. I will copy and paste my review of the room below. The short of it is that the room is fantastic, and we loved our stay there.
It's a bit of a very minor hassle to get to the concierge lounge (as compared with being right there on the concierge floor), but the room is well worth the short walk.
BoardWalk Inn Garden Suite #1204
We like to split our stays while traveling to Disney World, so we moved from the Grand Floridian to the BoardWalk Inn about midway through our trip. We arrived early (around 11:30 am), and our room was already ready for us. A very sweet front desk cast member named Xia checked us in and gave us directions to our room. You could get to the room very quickly from the lobby, which was extremely convenient for catching the busses to the parks. We got checked in, received our nifty gold key cards (I had heard on the DIS that you sometimes get gold cards if you stay concierge, but I had never gotten a gold one before), and headed to our room. The exterior to the garden suite was so cute! There is a white picket fence and a gate with an archway leading into a little courtyard with rose bushes and other plants surrounding a pathway into the suite. When we opened the door to the suite we were blown away! What an incredible room! I had seen pictures online, but pictures really dont do it justice. Its perfect for honeymooners, or anyone else on a romantic getaway. The garden suites are two stories. When you enter the suite, there is a sleeper sofa and a coffee table directly ahead. On one side of the sofa there is an entertainment center and a table with two chairs. On the other side of the sofa there is a small side table and a chair. A doorway leads to a small closet, a wet bar area with a small refrigerator, and a half bath. A staircase with hardwood floors leads to the second story loft. In the loft there is a beautiful king sized poster bed, a large entertainment armoire, a closet, and an entry to the vanity area. The vanity area has a marble countertop and two sinks, as well as a small television. Next to the vanity there is a HUGE Jacuzzi tub. It was heavenly for relaxing! A door separates the toilet and the large marble shower with glass doors. We truly loved this room!
The only downside to the garden suites is that they are located so far away from the concierge lounge. The lounge is located on the 4th floor of the resort, and you must walk outside to get there. The lounge itself is very opulently decorated with huge sofas and chairs to relax in. There is also a desk area for the concierge staff to assist you inside the lounge. There are two beverage service areas and one main food service area. During our trip we tried the midday snacks, evening appetizers, and evening desserts and cordials. I am also happy to report that soft drinks were out for the taking. Can you tell Im a Diet Coke addict? The midday snacks were plentiful and consisted of goldfish crackers, pretzels, popcorn, M&Ms, cookies, etc. Evening appetizers consisted of cheese, vegetable, and fruit trays, as well as hot appetizers. I found the mushroom stuffed phyllo pastries to be delicious! The evening desserts were a tiny bit disappointing. What they had was quite tasty, but there was not a lot of variety compared to our earlier experience with desserts at the Grand Floridian concierge.
The concierge staff in the lounge was very friendly, and they even started conversations with us. They were also happy to help us and were always polite. Also, their pre-planning team was extremely helpful and was even able to get us an Illuminations cruise.
The BoardWalk Inn itself is a wonderful resort with a very relaxing feel to it. I love the theming and décor, and the BoardWalk is a wonderful place to spend an evening shopping and strolling. Of course, the proximity to Epcot is fabulous. We also took advantage of the walkway to Disney-MGM Studios a few times, which was also convenient. The bus service we encountered was very efficient as well. The only thing that I find to be a bit lacking at the BoardWalk Inn (and all the Epcot area resorts for that matter) is the lack of a quick service restaurant where mugs can be refilled. They have a bakery and some very nice restaurants on the BoardWalk, but there were several times we would have liked a quick meal like chicken fingers. The resort looks very cute dressed up for Christmas, and they have an absolutely incredible chocolate seaside amusement park display. Its huge and very detailed. Also, we saw a juggler and a flute choir performing in the lobby on two separate evenings. We cant wait to return to the BoardWalk Inn and to stay in a garden suite when the budget allows.
Poly GV CL in value season is $390 + tax, after the AP discount it is $305 + tax, or $340.07. Not as big a discount as the last few codes, but still a discount. Percentage wise, comes out to about 21.79%, a little better than AAA. Oh, well, what can you do?!
I agree, though, it's as if Disney said, "If they can afford to do the most expensive rooms, they don't need as much of a discount!"
Now that's why I keep going back to Dinsey to loose all sense of reality!
I think things sound much more upbeat now! I am really glad that you will get the test done sooner, waiting is the hardest part. (isn't that a song????)
