Disney's BoardWalk Resort is a AAA Four-Diamond Award–winning hotel and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World resort, in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. First opened in 1996, the BoardWalk Resort lies in the Epcot Resort Area, alongside Crescent Lake, and is situated between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. The resort is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The inn and the villas share a common lobby with the rest of the resort. The Inn, Atlantic Dance Hall, and other features of the boardwalk were designed by Robert A.M. Stern.

 

Description

Entertainment district

The BoardWalk entertainment district lies along a 0.25 miles (0.40 km) long authentic boardwalk, reminiscent of Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. Guests can rent surreys or bicycles to travel around the Epcot resorts, enjoy classic midway games and street performers, go dancing at the Atlantic Dance Hall or enjoy a "dueling pianos" show at Jellyrolls. The BoardWalk features a wide range of restaurants. The Big River Grille & Brewing Works is the only microbrewery at Walt Disney World, and serves American cuisine along with its unique selection of beers. ESPN Club is a modern sports bar presented by the Disney-owned sports network, complete with broadcast facilities for special events. Kouzzina by celebrity chef Cat Cora offers Mediterranean cuisine for breakfast and dinner. As of December 2014 a new restaurant called Trottoria al Forno, serving family style Italian cuisine opened replacing Kouzzina by Cat Cora.

• Dining: Disney's Boardwalk Resort offers many dining options both on the Boardwalk and inside the resort.
  • Big River Grille & Brewing Works — On the Villas side of the BoardWalk, this offers classic American dishes for lunch and dinner.
  • BoardWalk Bakery — Pastries and numerous desserts are sold here. You can also get a quick to-go breakfast.
  • ESPN Club — At the Inn end of the BoardWalk is the ESPN Club, which offers a classic American lunch and dinner; it is a restaurant, bar, arcade, and shop similar to ESPN Zone, but with lighter menu options and less of a sportsbook feel. The ESPN also offers over 100 TV screens to watch the daily sporting events. The main difference between the ESPN Club and ESPN Zone restaurants is the nightly live interactive entertainment. Each night, guests at the ESPN Club can share questions, opinions, and comments with the "Sports Hosts". The fare includes that of a typical sports bar, with the notable exceptions of the Salmon BLT, Cuban Burger, and Blackened Mahi Mahi sandwich.
    There are many jerseys, balls, plaques, and other various sports memorabilia throughout the facility. The ESPN Club features over 100 monitors located throughout the restaurant, bar, and restrooms, as well a 90-square-foot (8.4 m²) HD projection screen in the main dining room. The ESPN Club also has a radio broadcast facility, featuring ESPN personalities and other radio broadcasters occasionally doing remote broadcasts from here.
  • Flying Fish Cafe — A fine seafood restaurant on the Inn side of the BoardWalk, it offers an a la carte seafood dinner.
  • Trattoria al Forno — A restaurant featuring Italian cuisine. There is a pizza window which offers slices or whole pies to-go. It also serves breakfasts. Trottoria al Forno replaced Kouzzina by Cat Cora, which had replaced a restaurant formerly on the site called Spoodles, which also offered Mediterranean cuisine.
• Shopping: Disney's Boardwalk Resort offers many shopping options, both on the Boardwalk and inside the resort. Inside the main lobby on the villas side of the resort is Dundy's Sundries Shop, which sells resort merchandise and basic sundries. On the Boardwalk, there is Screen Door General Store, Disney's Character Carnival, and Thimbles and Threads.
  • Dundy's Sundries — Inside the main lobby on the villas side of the resort is Dundy's Sundries Shop, which sells resort merchandise and basic sundries. This offers sundries and necessities, in addition to novelty pens and postcards.
  • Just to the left of the Boardwalk Promenade is a large store comprising the Screen Door General Store – offering food, shirts, postcards, collector's pins, and novelty items – as well as Disney's Character Carnival and Thimbles and Threads.
  • Wayland Galleries — Offers artwork for sale.
  • ESPN Club Store — On the Inn side of the Boardwalk, there is the ESPN Club Store, also known as the ESPN Yard. The ESPN Yard offers ESPN logo merchandise. The store also shares space with a video arcade.
• Pools: Disney's BoardWalk has three dedicated pools. The feature pool at Disney's BoardWalk is the Luna Park Pool. The Luna Park Pool is themed after a 1920s - 1940's carnival. The Luna Park Pool features the 200-foot Keister Coaster Water Slide. Also in the Luna Park area is the Luna Park Crazy House, which is a play area for young children. There is one other pool at the villas. This "quiet pool" is located near Community Hall. Other recreational activities at Disney's Boardwalk Villas include surrey bike rentals and tennis courts.
• Nightlife: Disney's Boardwalk Resort is home to one of the most bustling nightlifes in the Walt Disney World Resort.
  • Atlantic Dance Hall — Located at the far end of the villas on the BoardWalk, Atlantic Dance Hall is a classic dance hall open to guests 21 years of age and older. To enter Atlantic Dance, you must present a photo-identification. There is no fee to enter Atlantic Dance during normal operating hours.
  • Jellyrolls — Also on the far end of Disney's BoardWalk Villas, Jellyrolls is a dueling piano bar that is open most nights at Disney's Boardwalk Resort. Jellyrolls is open to guests 21 years of age and older. To enter Jellyrolls, you must present a photo-identification. There is a fee to enter Jellyrolls during normal operating hours.

Inn

One of Walt Disney World's "deluxe resorts," the BoardWalk Inn offers decor inspired by the seaside districts of the Northeastern United States in the 20th century. The Inn is a short walk or FriendShip launch ride from the other resorts around Crescent Lake, as well as Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is located directly across the lake from the Yacht and Beach Club resorts.

Villas

Part of the Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World, the Villas feature larger multi-bedroom suites for the benefit of DVC members. These units can also be rented by non-DVC members when not being used by members.