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Disney’s Boardwalk revives and energizes the mid-Atlantic waterfront villages
of the 1940s. As guests walk along the lively waterfront promenade, they can
stroll into the quaint shops and enjoy the unique vendors or dine at one of
three restaurants or experience entertainment found nowhere else, like the
up-to-the-minute sports action at the ESPN Club or the hip sounds of the area’s
only swing club, Atlantic Dance.
BoardWalk’s two grand waterfront lodges feature striped awnings and breezy
balconies reminiscent of the grand oceanside resorts of the early 1900s. This
was the era when the whole family went down to the Jersey Shore for the summer
and escaped to the beach on a big yellow streetcar for the day.
While rich folks sat in rocking chairs on the verandah or wheeled along the
boardwalk in wicker rolling chairs, fun-seeking couples and younger families
played arcade games, danced the Bunny-Hug, filled up on snacks and sweets or
strolled along the moonlit walkway.
Disney’s BoardWalk is an idealized re-creation of this romantic past.
Noted architect Robert A.M. Stern’s "village across the water" includes an
array of dining, entertainment and shopping experiences; meeting facilities;
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, a 378-room deluxe hotel; and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas,
a vacation ownership resort with over 500 villas.
Three clubs are located along the boardwalk: ESPN Club, offering the
newest in broadcast entertainment -- its own radio station, an interactive
sports video arcade with cutting-edge video presentation, plus all-day dining; Atlantic
Dance, an old-style dance hall where you can jump and jive to all your
favorite swing music; and Jellyrolls
, a high-energy, twin pianos, sing-along club.
Dining opportunities for a broad range of tastes include: Spoodles,
serving Mediterranean cuisine, homemade pastas and hand-tossed pizzas; Flying
Fish Cafe, offering fresh grilled seafood and steaks; and Big River
Grille & Brewing Works, featuring a full grill menu and handcrafted
specialty beers. Sea Shore Sweets’ and BoardWalk Bakery
will appeal to the "sweet tooth" with baked goods, hand-dipped ice cream and
specialty coffees.
| | Take a stroll on the boardwalk | |
Nestled along Crescent Lake, the BoardWalk Inn and Villas sit atop a quaint
collection of shops, clubs and restaurants overlooking the boardwalk and
village green. The inn and villas share an expansive, naturally lit lobby with
a barrel-vaulted ceiling. An eclectic mix of stripes and florals, fan-back
wicker chairs, overstuffed sofas and giant palms create a relaxed elegance.
Antique-finished, hardwood flooring with hand-woven floral rugs completes the
intimate setting.
Vintage furnishings with floral patterned fabrics and vibrant colors provide a
cozy environment at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Two-, three- and four-story
buildings surround private courtyards and manicured gardens. Additionally,
there are 14 two-story garden suites with private entrances.
More than 9,000 square feet of retail shops open onto the boardwalk. Shopping
includes Screen Door General Store, for groceries and sundries; Disney
Character Carnival featuring Disney character merchandise and clothing for
youngsters; Thimbles 'n Threads, offering resort apparel for men and women and
Wyland Galleries.
Hotel resort guests can enjoy Muscles & Bustles health club, Harbour Club
children’s activity club, arcade, tennis courts and lawn croquet. A
roller-coaster-style slide propels youngsters of all ages into Luna Park -- a
carnival-themed pool with a carousel pool bar. In a second pool area guests
play in fountains spraying from the trunks of a herd of playful elephant
statues.
Adjacent to Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is an elegant 20,000-square-foot conference
center with outdoor gazebos and pavilions for intimate gatherings. Disney’s
BoardWalk is the first mixed-use project at Walt Disney World Resort, offering
both hotel and residential-style accommodations, meeting facilities,
restaurants, entertainment, recreation and shopping.
A promenade connects Disney’s BoardWalk to four other Epcot resort area hotels
on the shores of the lake: Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Walt Disney
World Dolphin and Walt Disney World Swan. Walkways and water taxis connect the
hotels to Epcot and to the Disney Studios.
Location, location, location...thats the theme with staying at this resort. The Boardwalk Villas, along with the other resorts nestled along Crescent Lake, allows you to be more "In The Magic" than anywhere else. Your neighbors are
Epcot on the Left, the Yacht and Beach Club directly behind you and a 15-minute boat ride to Disney Hollywood Studios. With such close neighbors, you are a 8-minute walk from your room to being inside
epcot and night time entertainment that is right outside your door. There is nothing better than a day at the park and when it is time to go back to the room, there is no 30-minute wait to catch a bus.
Luna Park is a good resort pool probably top 5 for me. This pool is theme to a carinval with elephants as well as other animals creating a shower effect for pool guests. The
pool slide looks like a huge wooden roller caoster where you exit right through a clowns mouth.
In our adventures, we typically stay either in a studio or a one-bedroom villa when staying here. The rooms are more than adequate for a family of 4 as the sofe pulls out to a queen bed in both studio and one-bedroom.
A kithenette has most of the things you will need while the one-bedroom has a full kitchen with bar. One nice feature about the one-bedroom is a washer and dryer that are in the room. Imagine going home with
clean clothes. For vacation club members who have stayed elsewhere, it is the typical layout with "the mid-Atlantic waterfront villages of the 1940s" themeing.
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