Good & Bad of BoardWalk Inn’s New Rooms
BoardWalk Inn’s newly-reimagined guest rooms have debuted, with a fresh look as part of a bigger-picture overhaul of the resort. This review share photos, video, and our thoughts on the good & bad of Walt Disney World’s redone rooms, how they compare to the old ones, and other recent redesigns to Deluxe Resorts.
Let’s start by quickly recapping what’s happening with Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Last year, Walt Disney World announced that they’d be making “a seaside splash at Disney’s BoardWalk!” The multi-year project would see Walt Disney World reimagining elements of the beloved turn-of-the-century promenade and inside the Deluxe Resort, with a new lobby design, nearby coffee bar, delectable dining options, refreshed guest rooms, and other special touches.
The most significant and controversial changes have been on the dining front. We’re not talking major controversies, but no one really seems enamored with the changes to Belle Vue Lounge or the look of Carousel Coffee or the menu of BoardWalk Deli. Then there’s what’s replacing ESPN Club–the storybook sweet treats and dreamy desserts served up at The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, a new table service restaurant and bakery that should open in 2024.
Honestly, I don’t think most guests care about any of this. Yeah, some questionable furniture choices were made at Belle Vue Lounge, the generically modern interior design of Carousel Coffee is not great, and the menu of BoardWalk Deli has annoyed a lot of fans from the Garden State. (See What New Walt Disney World Resort Designs Get Right & Wrong for more on this.)
But for the most part, these aren’t major offenses. The vast majority of Walt Disney World guests won’t notice any incongruities (to lump everything together). For our part, we diehard Walt Disney World fans should probably be happy they didn’t get heavy-handed with a needless modernization of the lobby. Our beloved children of the corn chairs still flank the fireplace, and that right there is a victory!
With that said, the reimagining of the guest rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn has been much more polarizing among Walt Disney World fans. Let’s take a look at the good and bad…
Before we get started, above and below are photos of the old rooms for the sake of comparison and context.
In some ways, this room is clearly dated. I’m not going to deny that. With that said, I think some details like the bed frames, wallpaper, paintings, lamp, and furniture all were oozing charm and whimsy, and truly felt like something out of turn-of-the-century Atlantic City. These rooms were not perfect, but they were perfectly on-theme.
These wide views don’t do the old room complete justice, as so much of the personality of BoardWalk Inn’s rooms was in the details. If we could, we would’ve bought that carousel art over the couch, the desk chair, and the Victorian Minnie Mouse lamp.
We have a lot of nostalgia for Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, and there were a few years when it was where we stayed more than anywhere else. I can also be objective, and look at those photos and think they probably needed updates. The carpet, for one. A new couch and elevated bed frames with storage underneath, among other things. (The old photos are of an ADA room, if you’re wondering why the symmetry is a bit off.)
All of the photos that follow are of the new rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
Since the heart and soul of the old rooms were in the details, I think it probably makes sense to start there. As your first impression and final verdict on the rooms might differ based on consideration of the custom-made fixtures and furnishings.
Right off the bat, I want to start out with two of our absolute favorite things about the new rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn–this chair and the curtains.
I liked the old curtains. They were green and white and featured the hotel itself. Admittedly, when paired with the carpet, they also gave me an odd country club vibe. Not really sure why. In any case, I think this curtain with Victorian character silhouettes is pitch-perfect. Also, note the hidden Mickey in the center of the chair.
In fact, there are lots of hidden and not-so-hidden Mickeys throughout the room. They’re also in the lampshade, and the pillows on the couch.
The quality on all of the furnishings and fixtures is high. The furniture is heavy and substantial, feeling both high quality and durable. Same goes for the pillows, which are thick and substantial. All of this is worth noting because we’ve seen the opposite in some recent refurbishments, and the rooms have shown wear and tear way quicker than they should.
There are similarly patterned pillows on the bed that, when paired with the bed frames, provide a bit of a punch. Still not on par with a proper bed runner, but there’s no getting those back.
Speaking of those bed frames, they’re interesting. The wingback headboard is upholstered in teal and gold plaid, and has a contour on the top to give it a bit of flair. It’s a sharp look, but one I’d describe as chic and stately rather than charming.
Nevertheless, the headboards are nice. They have built-in reading lights and the side stands with wall chargers for your phone and other devices are also a nice touch and overdue modernization.
In general, there’s a nice heft to the end tables, chair, lamps, and other furniture throughout the room. The cabinet doors and drawers move smoothly, and simply feels higher end. These little upgrades are not apparent from photos, but imbue the room with a greater sense of luxury than its predecessor, which definitely had a more vintage Victorian vibe.
Speaking of which, I really like the Victorian portraits of Minnie, Mickey, and Pluto by the bed.
These are beautifully-done, wholesome, and on-theme. I don’t personally prefer it to the BoardWalk scenes here before, but I realize not everything is catering to my personal tastes or memories. Zero complaints about these–they’re nice.
That’s more or less my take on all of the artwork in the new rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
Personally, I do not prefer this to the ‘scenes from the BoardWalk’ paintings in the old rooms. But I recognize that change is inevitable.
Had this room refurbishment happened ~5 years ago, we would’ve gotten generic, semi-abstract, washed-out photos of a random amusement park. That’s not me guessing–room refurbishments from 5-7 years ago had that type of art.
This is a night-and-day improvement over that, and on par with the old artwork in the BoardWalk rooms from a quality and thematic perspective. I would even imagine that some Disney fans will prefer this art, along with most casual guests.
There are also more pieces of art in the new rooms, thanks to the addition of the above piece above the beverage center and behind the single-cup Keurig. (Not pictured is the beverage cooler below this.)
Suffice to say, the art in the new rooms is a big win. It’s pretty, charming, and perfectly on-theme for turn-of-the-century Atlantic City!
The artwork continues in the bathroom, which has also been refreshed.
These have been updated, but notably, there was no wholesale modernization. The mirror, sinks, and vanity are all the same as before. Most of the newer bathrooms have larger sinks, more storage space, and Batman searchlight-grade lighting for illuminating every single pore on your face.
BoardWalk also got the half-measure shower/bathtub redo, rather than a full walkin. For those who don’t keep up with room renovations at Walt Disney World, this means a glass door replaced a plastic curtain. (Many parents with small children dislike the glass door because it makes bathing kids difficult and uncomfortable.)
I don’t think anything else in here changed during this reimagining–these bathrooms were redone during the last soft goods refurbishment, if I recall correctly. I don’t have a strong opinion on these one way or the other, but they do remind me of the era when Walt Disney World couldn’t balance modern styles with themed design. They’ve come a long way since.
My biggest quibble with the new rooms at the BoardWalk Inn are that certain elements or pieces feel slightly off.
In particular, both the dresser under the television and the end table between the bed just looks like a little out of place. Objectively, these are both nicer than what was there before. But they definitely don’t look Victorian…or like anything, really.
As another example, the herringbone plank flooring doesn’t exactly strike me as Victorian.
I get that Walt Disney World wants to move away from carpet to make these rooms easier to clean (under the guise of hygiene), but they’ve used very similar plank flooring in so many recent room redesigns. It may not look tremendously out of place to guests who are used to seeing it, but it’s not on-theme. It’s also going to age poorly once the look is no longer in style.
(Above is a video tour of the new hotel rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.)
Area rugs under the beds would be a great compromise, giving the rooms both a bit more luxury and the potential for another themed element adding personality. We know this formula works, as it’s exactly what Walt Disney World did with the new rooms at Grand Floridian.
In the grand scheme of things, this is not really a big deal. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good and all that. This is a room review, though, so it’s only fair to…review the room. I’m just saying that if I were an average guest, those little things wouldn’t be make or break for me.
I also think it’s fair to point out that every iteration of Walt Disney World hotel guest rooms have contained thematic inconsistencies. We just paper over those in our minds. Most of us also use what we experienced first as a baseline of the thematically ‘ideal’ guest room. I’d hazard a guess that there are some people who stayed in the last generation of Villas at BoardWalk or Beach Club who think those are perfect. (They aren’t. They sucked.)
To continue this thread, one common complaint we hear about modernized rooms at Walt Disney World is that they are “sterile” or “look like a hospital.”
When it comes to the Value Resorts or even some of the Moderates (or Deluxes done 5+ years ago), this critique is very fair. There’s an abundance of white and the lighting is bright. However, we still hear this criticism of the newer Deluxe Resorts and at this point it honestly is starting to feel a little lazy.
Like or dislike these rooms, we don’t really care. Just offer more than blanket buzzword critique that doesn’t really apply. Heck, I’d rather hear people say that they don’t have the same sentimentality or nostalgia for these rooms as the old one. At least that’s sincere and heartfelt.
Point being, if you look around the new BoardWalk Inn rooms at all, there’s a lot of visual interest. The aforementioned art, the custom furniture, furnishings, and fixtures. We haven’t discussed it yet, but there’s ornamental wainscoting, trim, and yellow/cream paint. It’s not simply bare and white walls. (I would’ve loved to see some of the old wallpaper retained; it’s coming back in style and was perfect!)
I mention all of this because I really like the new rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, but must admit that there’s something about these that doesn’t completely “click” for me. Admittedly, if this were ~5 years ago, I’d be over the moon with these–they’re a huge improvement over the last generation of generic and dull new rooms. During that time, though, Walt Disney World and Imagineering have gotten a lot better at threading the needle (especially, in my opinion, with the new DVC villas).
For me, I think that can be distilled into these rooms being luxurious and chic rather than charming and whimsical. For the most part, these new rooms are great. They’re themed well. They look nice, stylish, and fresh. They offer functional improvements and overdue modernizations. I would hazard a guess that 95% of Walt Disney World first-timers will rate these higher than the old rooms.
It’s important to give these guests what they want and a caliber of quality that comports with the $500+ price points. (I think many fans underestimate just how often Disney gets complaints about “dated” guest rooms.) Balancing theme and luxury, especially with a style based on turn-of-the-century Atlantic City isn’t easy!
It also isn’t easy to cater to both first-time guests and repeat visitors who have been visiting Walt Disney World for decades. The two groups often want different things, and the latter can be difficult to please. Against that backdrop, we rate these new rooms at BoardWalk Inn very highly. They’re as adept at juggling two competing concepts as the promenade performers outside. But when it comes down to our own nostalgia or sentimentality, they just don’t quite have the same quirky charm as the old rooms.
I’m very aware that this is a “me problem.” Nevertheless, I feel like I’ve been slowly watching an erosion of the eccentricity and charm that made Disney’s BoardWalk Inn distinctly Disney. Or at least, that quintessential 1990s Walt Disney World. The creepy clown pool. The comfy quality of Belle Vue Lounge. The stark contrast of Carousel Coffee. At least we still have the children of the corn chairs and elephants in the lobby!
All of these are little things in isolation, and guest feedback can explain every single one of the changes. Yet, for a longtime Walt Disney World fan, it’s a little sad to one of Walt Disney World’s best-themed resorts lose a bit of its charm and character. Frankly, I don’t even think it’s entirely fair to lump these rooms in with all of the above, as these are still really good even to me, and will move the needle tremendously for average guests (whereas I think everything else on the list was fixing things that weren’t broken).
Still, I figured this was worth sharing as it kind of cuts to the tension between my own nostalgia and my objective view of the new rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. If I had zero history with this hotel and had to pick between the new and old rooms, I’ve gotta believe I’m picking the new ones, hands down.
The thing is, though, that I do have a history and find myself missing elements of those old rooms and their unique personality. These new rooms are quite good, but for me, they don’t have that same heart. Or least, they don’t yet. Get back to me in a decade when they’re slated for replacement and maybe I’ll be waxing poetic about my sentimentality and nostalgia for the now-new, then-old rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the newly-reimagined rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn? What do you think of the new artwork? What about the other furnishings, fixtures, or decor? Think this does a good job of balancing theme and luxury? Any specific details or elements you like or dislike? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Do you prefer the look of the old or new rooms? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
The original stripes and bed posts are more in line to the beach vibes of the Jersey Shore Victorian era. However, after many of the hotels/motels around there were redecorated in the 60’s, the plaid is pretty spot on. Lots of places still look like this. It’s like the designers took a quick tour of current Jersey Shore towns and didn’t fully grasp the history. But, hey, they tried with those portrait frames I guess…but gray? Seems like a mishmash really.
Only problem I have is safety. Those wood floors will be such a falling hazard for us and probably others
I still like function. I do not understand the cheaper refrigerator – is it a big savings, or is there another reason? We love to freeze water bottles for day use or in a cooler going home, but the new ones just don’t cut it. It is even hard to get regular stuff cool. And I am different – I like carpet throughout – just feels better. Walking barefoot on wood makes my feet feel dirty, I don’t know why. Any explanation for this? The area rugs in grand Floridian are at least a good substitute.
Wood may make you feel dirty, but the truth is the carpets are far more dirty than floors. Like waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more.
The new rooms are lovely and comfortable however a big issue with me is bathroom design and I feel they “cheaped out” . I much prefer the bathroom design at Yacht and AKL where they put sliding doors to the vanity area and bathroom….. much more privacy.
I think it’s there. I was looking for it also became it is key. Looks like the pocket door is on one of the pics.
My opinion and personal feelings. First of all, I like the little night stand/shelves next to the beds and the built in reading lights in the headboard. It looks like the couch might convert to a twin bed which I am sure is much appreciated but every hotel room couch I sit on is uncomfortable and not much use to me if there is no television in front of it or table to set a drink or cup on. I also think they need to keep a table in the room. I know that a lot of people do not eat or work at a table in a hotel room, but I do, and I like a place to have my laptop set up so that I can deal with work stuff quickly when it unfortunately intrudes on the trip. I’m not the type that likes working on a bed. Lastly, I really like bathrooms with walk-in showers and am a bit bummed out when I see the old tub/shower combos. But my kids are grown and I know a lot of parents with kids ages 0-3 probably appreciate the tub. Eisner and his design teams did some of the best resort theming and I only hope they stop stripping the cool and unique touches away. The Eiger teams seem to love bland towers, boring pools, and white.
Iger not Eiger – LOL Oops.
We stayed at the Boardwalk and club level is excellent ! The biggest problem we had was with the internet. They have a big problem with signal strength.
I’ll be staying there in 2-1/2 months. My first stay at BWI was in February this year, in an old room. I loved the room and the Boardwalk-themed art, but the hall carpet definitely needed replacing. I think i can live with this update. It could have been much worse. But keeping the quirky parts of the lobby, and the terrific cast members at the front desk, concierge, bellhops – that’s the most important thing to me.
I really feel like the plaid is an odd, jarring choice. when I think turn of the century Atlantic Coast I don’t think plaid.. I agree with I guess everyone that new rooms seem to be more sterile and lacking in soul. Banning carpet probably has a lot to do with that. but at least in this room I concur there are some good details.
Regarding Belle Vue.. that is just sad. it used to be such a little gem. now there is just nothing interesting about it at all.
Why no more ceiling fans? They really make the room for me. Just stayed at Art of Animation and the ceiling fan was gone there too!
Regarding the flooring, they may have been trying to pattern it off of the modified herringbone patter of the NJ boardwalks. That said, the color seems a bit off to me. As for art, I am pleased to see the Imagineers getting back to hidden details and custom patterns. There have been way too many standard fabrics and carpeting installed over the last 5-10 years. Expand the budget, please.
These rooms are so much better than the Boardwalk (and Beach Club) Villas it is ridiculous.
Tom, you might be thinking of SOG, because the old carpet and drapes remind me of that style, circa 20 years ago or so. (The carpet can be seen in an old picture on SOG’s History page.)
If they’re going to lay out the floors in the same exact design, get some rugs; it did wonders for the new Copper Creek rooms, too.
The one sacrifice to theme for attractiveness that I think I approve of is that I believe Victorian bedframes would have the fabric pattern sewn around the wood frame instead of painting it white. I think it looks better this way against the similarly colored wall, but that’s just me.
One complaint I have with a lot of the deluxe rooms is the random couch that doesn’t face the TV. I would much rather have a small seating area like the moderate resorts have. Seems like I’d get a lot more use out of a table and 2 chairs than a couch that I’d never sit on. I could see if the couch converted into a bed at least it’d make the room functional for a family of 5, but the couch here doesn’t appear to
Boardwalk inn couches do convert into a single bed
It’s fine. Not great, not bad. The flooring is a terrible choice though and doesn’t fit with the theme. And I don’t understand why they couldn’t have kept the stripes with this design, even if it would have been in fewer places. The hallway photo you showed in this post is a good illustration of how they could and should have done this. Still stripes, larger white blocks of chunky wainscoting making it look higher-end. I’m not a huge fan of Boardwalk, but if they’d done it like this I might have started staying here.
Overall definitely an upgrade, but just some weird choices. I feel similar to how I’ve felt with a lot of these updates: sure, it’s fine, but it wouldn’t have taken more than a few changes for it to be *great*. And that’s a shame. My guess is they’re doing all this on the cheap.
Also, I swear they must have got that grey flooring in bulk a couple of years ago. The brown in the hallway would have been fine. The grey in the bathrooms is also terrible. The complaints that it feels “cold” I think in a big way comes from this. Disney seem allergic to warm tones at the moment. Like they’re chasing a style that hit its peak popularity five years ago. I’m pleasantly surprised they even went for that yellow color — it’s one of the main things I like about the new room, along with the wainscoting and headboards.
This comment pretty much hits the nail on the head.
Although I like a lot of the 2019 and later era rooms more than most, there’s usually at least 1-2 perplexing decisions keeping them from perfection.
Upholstered headboards are gross from a sanitary viewpoint
I meant to say that we’re glad the lobby has NOT really been changed!
Meant to say that the lobby has NOT really been changed!
We will be staying at The Boardwalk Inn, club level, in just a few weeks. We’re looking forward to making our own assessment as this is one of the resorts we have stayed at the most in the last two decades. The rooms look really nice. We’re glad the lobby has really been changed, and we think the Belle Vue lounge is vastly improved. We’ll soon see…
I like these rooms. There is a lot of nice detail. I would prefer the floors to be of lighter color. The brown does not fit the theme to me. Truth be told I have never stayed at BW but always wanted when seeing the entrance–what an inviting entrance to the hotel. The fear of creating generic rooms is understandable but I think this is a win. Now they need more kid centric restaurants and activities on the board walk itself. Although I love the board walk, it seems dead during the day and the nighttime activities are more for adults. On a totally different tangent, I think the weakness of the deluxe resorts is they lack CS restaurants. One of the reason I loved staying at POR was the giant food court with so many options. Easy, convenient and so many menu options.
I’m going to say I like it! Love the art and details, and yes the furniture isn’t hitting Victorian exactly but I think it still has character and works. I would have laid the flooring in the classic hardwood straight style as it looks like they did in the entry hallway and not the trendy herringbone configuration. But this room definitely does not shout generic chain hotel room to me.
so sterile and boring. Great location, but now might as well stay at Swan or Dolphin….I am really not a fan of modern disney
They look like Saratoga’s “reimagined” rooms. With a few different fabrics. Borrrrring!