we"reofftoneverland
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
We just got back from Boardwalk (well, the day before Dorian was supposed to hit Orlando). This was our second DVC stay and our first time at Boardwalk. Our first DVC stay was at Kidani last July. Both stays were in one bedrooms. So, a quick review. There will be some comparison to Kidani.
Overall, we liked Boardwalk and would stay there again, although not our first choice dvc resort (not sure where that is yet). We found that Boardwalk had a lot of charm but lacked sufficient public space, and we noticed daily that the layout of the one bedroom left a lot to be desired.
To state the obvious, the best thing about Boardwalk is location, location, location. We stayed at Beach Club about 4 years ago, pre DVC, so we were aware of the location advantage. We did not realize that the walk to MGM (haha) was even shorter from Boardwalk, so another plus.
The vibe at Boardwalk is awesome, so different from Kidani, where everything is a bit depressing. Everyone we ran into at Boardwalk was jovial and chatty, whereas at Kidani no other guests said hello or even made eye contact. People were much more closed off and private at Kidani, like the resort itself, and always seemed to be focused on getting to wherever it was they were going. At Boardwalk, people were more laid back, smiling, interactive. We are not seeking to make friends on vacation or anything like that, but we did notice the difference. The staff also seemed much more happy and helpful at Boardwalk, unlike at Kidani were the staff seemed more somber, nice but not exactly overtly helpful.
I have read some people commenting on the hallways at both resorts. Believe it or not, we found the hallways at Boardwalk to be worse, just as long as Kidani but with an added labyrinth twist. Our teen commented that the hallways reminded him of The Shining. There were straightaways and pivots and choices and every time we walked down the hallways, we had to look at the signs. Also, there were exits to stairways in different locations (we take the stairs a lot), and we were never sure where we would end up once we popped out the door at the bottom of the stairs. It was just one big maze and we never got a handle on the layout. At Kidani, the hallways are long but straightforward. People also have commented about electric scooters sitting in hallways at Boardwalk. I am happy to report that we did not see any while we were there.
Our kids loved the pool at Boardwalk and declared it was the best pool at Disney which kind of surprised me.
“Better than Beach Club?”
“Yes!”
“Better than the Polynesian?”
“Yes!”
Apparently, the next favorite pool is Port Orleans, so that gives you an idea of how the kids think. Lol.
We found the entire pool area always looked like it needed to be cleaned up and organized. It was also pretty apparent that there were people using the pool who were not staying at Boardwalk (I am not talking about dvc pool hopping).
We went into the community hall once to check out DVDs. The CMs working there were incredibly welcoming and tried to get us to participate in all they had to offer. The CMs at the Kidani community hall were nice enough but not particularly helpful.
The room felt small at Boardwalk. No desk in the bedroom, not even a small one. The balconies were really small and seemed a bit unsafe. At Kidani, the balcony is huge and sturdy. The bathroom layout at Boardwalk is good for two people but not great for a family. On day two, my ten year old, who is not normally interested in architectural design, said, “Mom, your bathroom is pretty much unusable.” I told him that at least it had a sink. But why they put a massive tub basically in between the bed and the closet-- who knows? Does anyone use those tubs? It seems like it would have been much better to put in a bathtub with a shower and a door to the bathroom. This is where I understand the allure of Kidani, great bathroom layout, spacious feel. The kitchen, however, was far more usable at Boardwalk, which surprised me since Kidani was built after Boardwalk. At Kidani, there is nowhere to put groceries except on the counter. As DH says, “very untidy.”
We really enjoyed Belle Vue Lounge (the one lounge/restaurant in Boardwalk hotel), but it should be larger. Not enough public space in general at the Boardwalk. Sometimes the resort has a too crowded feel. We went to the lounge during the day on a couple of occasions and DH and I went there at about 11 pm on two nights. Great atmosphere and very relaxing. Loved the bartenders there. We tried to go to the Abracadabar one night, but even though it listed a 12pm close, the doors were already locked at 10:50. Disappointing. The kids played some carnival games a couple of nights on the boardwalk and really enjoyed them. We also tried the ice cream (better than Beach Club) and bought a few things in the general store. We meant to try more of the food offerings around the boardwalk but it just did not happen. We spent a lot of time at Epcot instead.
So that sums it up. If I think of anything else I will add it. I’d love to hear if anyone has the same or different take on Boardwalk. I am not sure where we are staying next because we have 2 reservations and have not decided yet on which one.
Overall, we liked Boardwalk and would stay there again, although not our first choice dvc resort (not sure where that is yet). We found that Boardwalk had a lot of charm but lacked sufficient public space, and we noticed daily that the layout of the one bedroom left a lot to be desired.
To state the obvious, the best thing about Boardwalk is location, location, location. We stayed at Beach Club about 4 years ago, pre DVC, so we were aware of the location advantage. We did not realize that the walk to MGM (haha) was even shorter from Boardwalk, so another plus.
The vibe at Boardwalk is awesome, so different from Kidani, where everything is a bit depressing. Everyone we ran into at Boardwalk was jovial and chatty, whereas at Kidani no other guests said hello or even made eye contact. People were much more closed off and private at Kidani, like the resort itself, and always seemed to be focused on getting to wherever it was they were going. At Boardwalk, people were more laid back, smiling, interactive. We are not seeking to make friends on vacation or anything like that, but we did notice the difference. The staff also seemed much more happy and helpful at Boardwalk, unlike at Kidani were the staff seemed more somber, nice but not exactly overtly helpful.
I have read some people commenting on the hallways at both resorts. Believe it or not, we found the hallways at Boardwalk to be worse, just as long as Kidani but with an added labyrinth twist. Our teen commented that the hallways reminded him of The Shining. There were straightaways and pivots and choices and every time we walked down the hallways, we had to look at the signs. Also, there were exits to stairways in different locations (we take the stairs a lot), and we were never sure where we would end up once we popped out the door at the bottom of the stairs. It was just one big maze and we never got a handle on the layout. At Kidani, the hallways are long but straightforward. People also have commented about electric scooters sitting in hallways at Boardwalk. I am happy to report that we did not see any while we were there.
Our kids loved the pool at Boardwalk and declared it was the best pool at Disney which kind of surprised me.
“Better than Beach Club?”
“Yes!”
“Better than the Polynesian?”
“Yes!”
Apparently, the next favorite pool is Port Orleans, so that gives you an idea of how the kids think. Lol.
We found the entire pool area always looked like it needed to be cleaned up and organized. It was also pretty apparent that there were people using the pool who were not staying at Boardwalk (I am not talking about dvc pool hopping).
We went into the community hall once to check out DVDs. The CMs working there were incredibly welcoming and tried to get us to participate in all they had to offer. The CMs at the Kidani community hall were nice enough but not particularly helpful.
The room felt small at Boardwalk. No desk in the bedroom, not even a small one. The balconies were really small and seemed a bit unsafe. At Kidani, the balcony is huge and sturdy. The bathroom layout at Boardwalk is good for two people but not great for a family. On day two, my ten year old, who is not normally interested in architectural design, said, “Mom, your bathroom is pretty much unusable.” I told him that at least it had a sink. But why they put a massive tub basically in between the bed and the closet-- who knows? Does anyone use those tubs? It seems like it would have been much better to put in a bathtub with a shower and a door to the bathroom. This is where I understand the allure of Kidani, great bathroom layout, spacious feel. The kitchen, however, was far more usable at Boardwalk, which surprised me since Kidani was built after Boardwalk. At Kidani, there is nowhere to put groceries except on the counter. As DH says, “very untidy.”
We really enjoyed Belle Vue Lounge (the one lounge/restaurant in Boardwalk hotel), but it should be larger. Not enough public space in general at the Boardwalk. Sometimes the resort has a too crowded feel. We went to the lounge during the day on a couple of occasions and DH and I went there at about 11 pm on two nights. Great atmosphere and very relaxing. Loved the bartenders there. We tried to go to the Abracadabar one night, but even though it listed a 12pm close, the doors were already locked at 10:50. Disappointing. The kids played some carnival games a couple of nights on the boardwalk and really enjoyed them. We also tried the ice cream (better than Beach Club) and bought a few things in the general store. We meant to try more of the food offerings around the boardwalk but it just did not happen. We spent a lot of time at Epcot instead.
So that sums it up. If I think of anything else I will add it. I’d love to hear if anyone has the same or different take on Boardwalk. I am not sure where we are staying next because we have 2 reservations and have not decided yet on which one.
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