Disney’s Boardwalk Villas Review

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas is a Disney Vacation Club Resort at Walt Disney World. The villas are also part of Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. One side of the Inn comprises standard hotel rooms, while the opposite comprises villas.

This Boardwalk Villas review will look specifically at the villa portion of the hotel. We have a separate review of staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. We’ve updated this article to provide photos of the newly refurbished villas at Disney’s Boardwalk.

Below, we’ll preview a deluxe studio and discuss the other room types available on the resort’s villa side. We’ll also compare the villas to the rest of Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

A note on Disney Vacation Club Resorts (DVC)

Disney’s Deluxe Villa Resorts operate differently from regular resorts. When reservations open, Disney’s Vacation Club members have a first choice of rooms. However, Disney also makes these studios and villas available for regular guests to rent. So, you do not have to be a DVC member to rent one of these units. These units can be reserved through Disney, a travel agent, or an online DVC resale site. Check-in for all villa resorts is at 4:00 p.m., and check-out is at 11:00 a.m.

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas has a lot of positives, but one factor stands out among the crowd: its location. Like they say in real estate, location, location, location! The same goes when it comes to choosing a Disney World Hotel.

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas are within walking distance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Leaving your hotel room and walking directly to a theme park is a huge advantage. You don’t have to worry about waiting on a bus or other forms of transportation. Instead, you can walk to the park, which leaves you in control of your arrival.

Additionally, the Boardwalk Villas make up part of the Epcot Resorts Area. Therefore, you’ll have convenient access to shopping and dining at the surrounding hotels when staying in this area. Those hotels include Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and the Swan and Dolphin Hotels.

Boardwalk Villas Room Types

Disney World’s Villa Resorts offers unique room types and amenities compared to standard guest rooms. You can expect many of the same conveniences you would find at home.

For instance, a deluxe studio has a kitchenette and, in some cases, a larger bathroom. Boardwalk’s deluxe studios sleep up to five guests. In comparison, regular guest rooms on the Inn side of the resort do not have a kitchenette.

Boardwalk Villas has the following room types:

• Deluxe Studio (one queen bed, a double-size sleeper sofa, single pull-down bed)
• One-Bedroom Villa (king bed in the master bedroom, queen sleeper sofa)
• Two-Bedroom Lock-Off Villa (king bed, queen bed, double sleeper sofa, single pull-down bed, queen sleeper sofa)
• Three-Bedroom Grand Villa (king bed, four queen beds, sleeper sofa, single pull-out sleeper chair)

The two-bedroom lock-off villa combines a deluxe studio and a one-bedroom villa. This unit has a door that locks between the rooms, similar to connecting hotel rooms. That way, if the resort needs more one-bedroom or deluxe studios, they can rent them separately.

Here is a photo of the newly refurbished living space. These photos represent what the living space looks like for a one-bedroom, two-bedroom, or two-bedroom lock-off unit.

The sofa bed converts to a pull-down queen-size bed.

These villas all have a full-size kitchen.

Here is a closer look at the dining room.

A one-bedroom unit sleeps up to four guests. The two-bedroom sleeps up to nine guests, and the grand villa sleeps up to twelve guests. Here is a photo of the king-size bedroom. This same bedroom is in a one-bedroom villa, a two-bedroom villa, and a two-bedroom lock-off villa.

It has a master bath with a separate shower and soaking tub.

New rooms at Boardwalk Inn and the Villas feature artwork with classic characters spending time at the hotel.

For reference, all one-bedroom and larger villas have a full kitchen and a washer and dryer in the unit. As you can probably imagine, these are convenient amenities, especially if you or someone in your group might spend ample time in the room. Boardwalk Villas also offers units with room view upgrades. They are:

• Garden or Pool View
• Boardwalk View

Disney’s Boardwalk is one of the few resorts where I recommend considering a view upgrade. However, I would only upgrade if I planned to spend a decent amount of time in the room. It’s also important to consider that the Boardwalk is lively in the evening. If you are a light sleeper or go to bed early, you might prefer to avoid a Boardwalk view.

Boardwalk Villas Deluxe Studio

Below, we’ll preview a deluxe studio at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas. We had the opportunity to tour the new villas on a recent visit to the Boardwalk. So, we’ve changed the majority of the photos from our last stay to represent the new rooms. We also have an updated room tour of a standard guest room at the Boardwalk Inn from our recent stay.

The deluxe studio has a queen-size bed, a pull-down queen bed, and a single bed that pulls down from the wall underneath the television area.

Here is a photo of the former deluxe studios. We see that the sofa bed has been removed, a new coffee table has been added, new solid surface flooring has been added, and there are more theming elements that represent Disney.

Unfortunately, the former sofa beds were uncomfortable, so we are glad to see them gone. The pull-down beds have been the trend at many resorts over the last few years. They are a welcome change along with those solid surface floors.

Here is a closer look at the pull-down bed. Formerly the artwork featured a sleeping Dumbo. But now Mickey and Minnie Mouse are floating in the Community Hall Pool.

Not much has changed in the bathroom other than a few fixtures.

The deluxe studio has a shower with a bathtub combination. The shower has glass doors.

We didn’t see any significant changes in the kitchenette either, but the small appliances have been replaced with new ones.

During our last stay, we had a room with a garden view. It was a pleasant view, and we enjoyed having a room with a balcony. Most of the rooms at Boardwalk Villas will have a balcony or patio. Some may differentiate in size. (Ground-level units have a patio.)

Boardwalk Villa’s deluxe studios have a full-size closet, an in-room safe, extra pillows and blankets, a luggage rack, and an iron with an ironing board. Given the smaller space, the kitchenette’s design is practical. While it’s not a fully equipped kitchen, the area is efficient. The photos below were from our last stay, but you will still have these options.

It’s nice to have a sink and counter space in your room.

Each room has a standard coffee maker. The new coffee makers offer the option to make an entire pot of coffee or a single serving.

Complimentary coffee and accompaniments are provided, along with a roll of paper towels, dish liquid, and a kitchen towel. A microwave and toaster oven sits on a shelf above the counter.

Underneath the counter is a mini-refrigerator, a little larger than you would find in a standard hotel room. The top of the fridge has a freezer shelf.

Boardwalk Villas Amenities

Guests staying at the Boardwalk Villas will have access to the resort’s amenities. We’ll briefly go over those amenities. For starters, Disney’s Boardwalk has three pool areas.

Here is the resort’s feature pool, the Luna Park Pool. It has a water slide designed to look like a wooden roller coaster.

This pool area has a separate kiddie pool with a playground on the far side.

Additionally, the pool has a hot tub and a poolside bar called Leaping Horse Libations.

On the villa’s side of the resort, you’ll find Community Hall. This area is home to one of the resort’s quiet pools.

A whirlpool spa sits next to the pool.

This is where you’ll find the grilling area for the Boardwalk Villas.

A third quiet pool is on the opposite side of the resort, but it is not near the villas.

Muscles and Bustles is the fitness center at Disney’s Boardwalk. It’s located near the Luna Park Pool.

An arcade sits next to the gym.

As far as dining goes, the Boardwalk has several restaurants. Quick service locations include the Boardwalk Deli, Pizza Window, Leaping Horse Libations, Boardwalk Ice Cream, and Carousel Coffee.

Additionally, the Boardwalk has several excellent table-service restaurants. You’ll find Trattoria al Forno and Flying Fish along the Boardwalk. A new restaurant, the Cake Bake Shop, and a Blue Ribbon Corn Dog Stand will also soon serve guests.

The Boardwalk Deli, formerly the Boardwalk Bakery, opened a while back. It is the resort’s primary counter-service restaurant. It serves sandwiches, salads, desserts, and pastries. We have a separate review of the Boardwalk Deli that details what you can expect.

Carousel Coffee sits off the resort’s lobby in the former home of Dundy’s Sundries. They serve coffee and various pastries. Disney’s Boardwalk is also home to two lounges: Abracadabar and Belle Vue Lounge. These venues serve cocktails, wine, and beer.

If you want to learn more information about dining options, we have a complete guide to Disney’s Boardwalk Restaurants. It includes a detailed look at the pros and cons of dining in the area and several items we’ve tried.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn provides bus transportation to the following locations:

• Magic Kingdom
• Animal Kingdom
• Disney Springs
• Blizzard Beach
• Typhoon Lagoon

*In most cases, you’ll have to take a transfer bus to the water parks. Signage at the bus stop will indicate which bus to take.

Additionally, the resort’s Friendship Boat Service will take you to the following locations if you prefer not to walk:

• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotel

We have an overview of transportation options at Disney’s Boardwalk if you want more details on getting to other locations from the resort.

Final Thoughts on Disney’s Boardwalk Villas

We love staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas primarily due to its location. Being on the Boardwalk is another fun aspect. Entertainment is available most evenings, and often, the Boardwalk tends to come alive at night.

Of course, walking to Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Epcot is the best amenity. I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to walk back to your hotel at the end of the night. The wide-open walkway allows you to decompress on the way back to the room, and you don’t have to wait in long lines for transportation to get back to the resort.

If you’re considering a stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, here are some things to think about:

• Which type of villa would work best for your travel party and budget?
• Will we save money on meal costs by preparing food in the room? Or do we prefer not to cook on vacation?
• Will we take advantage of an upgraded room view of the Boardwalk and other amenities?

Another perk is that guests of Disney’s Deluxe and Deluxe Villa are privy to extended hours twice a week in the parks. You can preview the extended-hour schedule on Disney’s site. If you stay at the Boardwalk or another villa resort, take advantage of these lower-crowded offerings.

Additionally, all Disney World Resort Hotel guests can enter the parks 30 minutes before each morning’s scheduled opening time. You can read more about the benefits of staying at a Disney World Hotel.

For more information, try our entire guide to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. Or you might like to learn more about the hotels in the surrounding area:

• Disney’s Beach Club Review
• Disney’s Yacht Club Review
• Disney’s Swan Reserve Review
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Review

Or you might enjoy browsing our entire list of Disney World Resort Reviews.

In the Comments

Hopefully, this review of the Boardwalk Villas gave you the information needed to decide whether or not a stay here was suitable for your next vacation. What are your thoughts on the Boardwalk Villas?