Having stayed at the Boardwalk Inn for our honeymoon in 2004 we decided to try the Boardwalk Villas. Last year we used points from a Disney Vacation Club Member and stayed at the Beach Club (which we loved). The location is wonderful and Disney staff is pleasant, as always.

The only thing I can say that is a negative is that the rooms need to be updated. We had a one bedroom suite for the first couple of nights as that was the only room available (even though we booked 5 months in advance). The bathroom was not as nice as I had hoped. The tile in the shower was actually kindof gross. I just didn't feel that the rooms were really clean and wouldn't walk around barefoot. The utensils in the kitchen were not thoroughly cleaned - there was food stuck to the forks. Good thing I bought plastic utensils for our trip.

After the first two nights we checked into a studio. It seemed cleaner but the toilet was wobbly, wallpaper was coming off and the light in the bathroom was very dim.

I had stayed at the Contemporary back in April for a girls' weekend and actually felt it was very clean compared to the BWV. I don't think I would stay at the BWVs again until they update. However, when my husband and I stayed at the Boardwalk Inn we really liked it and felt that it was clean. But that could be because at the Inn there is housekeeping on a daily basis where the Villas see many families with little kids and only get maid service on the 4th and 8th day of their stay.

Otherwise, our stay was great. The pool is a lot of fun. It's an easy walk to Epcot where we like to eat dinner most nights.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our Disney Vacation (June 1 - 8) at Disney's Boardwalk Villas.

1) The location of the Boardwalk Villas can't be beat! It is literally a 5 - 7 minute walk to Epcot. It's close proximatey to many quality resturants including Spoodles, Flying Fish and the Boardwalk Bakery (for Quick service meals) is very convenient.

2) The pool was a big hit with our daughters! It has a "roller coaster" like slide where you slide out a clown's mouth. It is fast and fun for kids and adults alike.

3) The rooms are in pretty good shape. You can tell that they are a little worn. It would be nice if Disney replaced the carpets and put flat screens in the room.

4) We used Disney transportation including the Magical Express (to and from the airport) and were very impressed! I am not sure why anyone would want to rent a car or pay $100+ tip for a town car service when Disney's Magical Express is free. You are paying more than enough for a Disney Vacation. When Disney provides a complimentary service I think you should take advantage of it.

5) My family and I were on the Basic Disney Dining Plan and we enjoyed it very much. After totaling up the cost of what we would have paid (if we were not on the Disney Dining Plan) we saved more than $400 for the week. It is a good value even though the tip is not included in the plan as it was in 2007. The Basic Plan is more than enough food. I do not understand how any family could possibly eat the food on the Deluxe Dining Plan (unless your only goal of going to Disney was to eat).

Enjoy!

This was our 3rd stay at a Disney Villa, and it was another total success. The staff was friendly and helpful and the resort is beautiful. We stayed in a studio for 2 nights before moving to a one bedroom for the next 6 nights, both rooms were clean and spacious. I was especially surprised at the size of the studio as well as its "kitchen" provisions. Much better than a non-villa room. The studio overlooked Luna Park, which was really nice. The second was over the quiet pool, a very long way from the elevators, not that I am complaining ;o) There were two nights that the noise from the quiet pool kept me awake until after midnight. We never heard a peep from the Luna Park pool when we were over it.

The location is the big seller for my family. We absolutely love the Boardwalk area, the shops, the food, the entertainment at night. Being able to walk to the International Gateway in a few minutes is the best part of it all. Epcot evenings are so much fun and staying at any of the Boardwalk resorts makes it even better!

A studio at the Boardwalk Villas was the only room left when my procrastinator husband decided to make reservations a week before spring break. This would not have been our first choice otherwise. This review is intended for those seeking to compare a Boardwalk Villa studio to other properties, either on or off WDW grounds.

Studios do not have full kitchens (but do have a kitchenette), DVD players (I'd missed that detail, so I'd brought DVD's for my son but had nothing to watch them on), nor washer/dryers (although there is a free laundry room on the first floor, which I'd discovered on our last day - you only pay for the detergent). I believe all the above are included in 1-bedroom and larger units (we wanted a 1-bedroom, but none were available).

Our room overlooked the Luna Pool. At first I thought this would be too noisy, but it turned out okay. It's only noisy during the day when you're up anyway. It's quiet at night when nobody's in the pool. We were able to see the fireworks our first night.

This was our first time staying on a Disney property, so I cannot compare it to other DVC resorts. My first impression upon arrival was how lovely the resort is. The lobby area is nice, and the whole boardwalk area has a great vibe.

However, when I entered the room, all I could think about was how dated and worn it was. Although the paint seemed fairly fresh, and the carpet was newly cleaned, the drapes and old-fashioned bedspread (germ factory) need updating. The bathroom is poorly lit, and has that irritating fan that goes on automatically when the light is turned on (so you can't leave the light on all night as a nightlight due to the noise).

The person who cleaned our room never wiped down the bathroom sink properly as the faucet had toothpaste spray from the last guest (I had to wipe it down), and the little whiskers my husband shook out of his razor from his morning shave remained there the duration of our stay. That left me to wonder what else in the room hadn't been cleaned. As we are not DVC members, our room was "cleaned" each day, with fresh towels, bed made, and coffee and cups replaced.

We called engineering about two maintenance problems (broken cabinet door, plugged up bathroom sink), which were both fixed in a timely manner.

What I liked:
-Location. Easy walk to Epcot. We also walked to Hollywood Studios, which was very pleasant. We took the boat back from Hollywood Studios, which made several stops first (Swan, Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Clubs), so keep that in mind if you're in a hurry. Boardwalk is great.
-Pool. Theme parks? What theme parks? My son was content to go down that spiral slide all day long.
-Towels. Nice and fluffy, unlike the worn sheets.
-Fold out couch. Actually more comfortable than the bed. Amazing.
-The convenience of staying on-site, such as the Extra Magic Hours and the free parking (we drove to Animal Kingdom).
-Disney-style service and friendliness (other than our housekeeper who couldn't clean a sink).

What I didn't like:
-The aforementioned datedness of decor.
-The aforementioned iffiness on the cleanliness.
-The morning bus to the Magic Kingdom made several stops before getting there, and was standing room only. When you're trying to take advantage of Morning Extra Magic Hours, maybe they could run the shuttles more efficiently.
-Not sure if it's worth it. We paid rack rate which is a LOT. Maybe it's worth it if you're on points, or if it's not high season.

The rooms at the Boardwalk are "just okay". If you're not paying much, the location might make them worth it. But if you're paying full price, you would expect a higher level of luxury and cleanliness than you get here.