This month's topic is A thousand worlds in one - which resort is "home" to you and why?
My favorite Walt Disney World Resort and one I call "home" is The Boardwalk Villas. We became members of The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) in 1998 at The Boardwalk Villas. After staying across Crescent Lake at The Yacht/Beach Club a few times we got to know and love the Epcot resort area.
The Boardwalk Villas (BWV) charm and elegant turn-of-the-century seaside resort theme makes me feel as though I were stepping back in time. A time when woman carried parasols and men straw boaters. The attention to detail is amazing and there seems to be a beautiful Victorian story related to the details.
The miniature carousel in the lobby was hand-crafted in the early1900s at NY's Coney Island by M.C. Illions, a master designer and manufacturer of merry-go-rounds.
Everywhere you look there's something to remind you of that wonderful era. It is also such a good feeling to hear "welcome home" after a long day of travel or park touring as you enter the lobby.
I enjoy sitting in a wicker rocker at The Bellevue Room reading or having cocktails before dinner. Also, a great place for the boys to grab a morning snack and hang out while mom is getting ready for the day;)
Food is more than just sustenance for us when we are on vacation. It's become a large part of our trips. During The Food & Wine Festival it is the trip! The BoardWalk area is full of great dining options that are insanely good.
For a full sit down breakfast we frequent Kouzzina and Cape May Buffet. On days we're eating in DS will do a "muffin run" with our refillable mugs and bring back tasty fresh baked treats from The Bakery with coffee.They also make very good lunches and breakfasts that are 1C credit on the Disney Dining Plan.
The atmosphere on the BoardWalk day and night is great, there's always something to do.
Out on the BoardWalk there's entertainment with jugglers, musicians and fun games for all ages. When my kids were old enough to, I didn't mind letting them wander around a bit while we sat on a bench and relaxed. It's a safe fun place to be. Now they like to hang out and make friends on their own. DH & I enjoy the dueling pianos at Jellyrolls and Wed. night is DVC night at Atlantic Dance which I can't seem to drag DH too;) My sister and I had fun there but the night's not over until we stop in at Seashore Sweets for a "Black & White" soda..YUM! If you've never had one, the ingredients are chocolate syrup, milk, ice cream, vanilla extract and fountain/club soda. Try it sometime!!
The activities at the BWV's are numerous and you can't possibly do every activity. I usually read the newsletter when we first arrive to plan what we'll be doing at the resort.
Some of the things we like to do are renting "water mice" to buzz around Crescent Lake or a fishing excursion. There are standard bikes to rent at the community hall and outside in front of the resort you can rent surrey bikes that will fit up to 6 people.
The kids have fun riding the 200-foot-long Keister Coaster water slide at the Villa's circus-themed Luna Park Pool, and the really little ones enjoy splashing around under the water spouting elephants . DH & I enjoy the quiet pools or spas at night. There's Muscles & Bustles Health Club, with state-of-the-art exercise equipment that we've only walked through. I don't exercise while on vacation unless you count all the walking around the parks. There's also an arcade that we enjoy on rainy days. The Community Hall has lots of games and DVDs to borrow.
The BWV's, are located exactly where my family likes to be too, halfway between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS). It's a nice stroll over to Epcot or you can take one of the Friendship boats.The walk to Epcot is about 5-10 minutes and the walk to DHS is about 20 min depending on my energy level.
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| Hi Ho!!!!!! |
My sons and even DH would rather walk than take the Friendship boats back and forth to Epcot or DHS. I'm the one that has to be convinced and eventually I'll give in to their requests. Secretly, I enjoy these leisurely walks (even after a long day walking around the parks) because it's the perfect time to have a long uninterrupted conversation with them. Walking and talking while sharing a lot of laughs. Like this candid moment. No warning just a "Look Mom!"
Over the years we’ve stayed in just about all the different sizes of accommodations, views and locations that are available, except the grand villa. Studios, one bedroom villas, two bedroom villas separate and lock-offs. I don't have a preference. Each one has offered its own unique experience for us.
I love having a kitchen and laundry right in the villas. I don't cook big sit down meals when we're on vacation but it's nice to have sandwiches or light meals. I do laundry and when DS would visit from college I did a lot of laundry.
When our two boys were small we would stay in a one bedroom with the boys sleeping on the pull-out couch in the living room.As they got bigger and older we started staying in a two bedroom if we traveled all together.
It's very relaxing and quiet. I've never had a problem with noisy neighbors (unlike some other resorts) or sounds coming from the BoardWalk. If you're on the canal side you do hear the boat horn as it goes under the Swan & Dolphin bridge, but I like that. One of our favorite things to do is sit on the balcony at the end of a long day, eat popcorn, sip wine and chat about the days events.
The Boardwalk Villas has so much to offer our family. As you can imagine over the years I've built up quite a sentimental affection for the BWV. That's why it's our favorite WDW resort!
Do you have a favorite WDW resort?
