Hotel Boardwalk
Florida Guide > Disney General
This little gem is tucked around Crescent Lake between Hollywood Studios and Epcot theme parks. It echoes the Atlantic New England Resorts from the bygone era of the 40’s with it’s charming clapperboard style buildings and pretty ice cream colours and it is one of my favourite places to chill out.
Hotel Boardwalk is not just a hotel it is more like a little resort with restaurants, shops, sports bar, café’s , kiosks and the lovely walk alongside the water’s edge.
I particularly like to visit in the cooler months as on a sunny day the sun shines over the lake and as you are well sheltered it can feel warmer than it actually is.
As you enter the hotel lobby you eyes are just pulled in all directions to look at the lovely décor. There’s larger than life flower arrangements and look up to the ceiling and there’s a fantastic piece of artwork hanging from the ceiling depicting horses. There’s also a model carousel all lovingly created in a glass showcase.
Step down in the lift and you come out on the boardwalk itself with it’s neatly manicured lawns and gardens. Directly opposite is the fabulous Wyland art gallery with it’s amazing pictures and dramatic dolphin sculptures. Staff are very friendly if you are just browsing and it really is well worth a visit.
Back outside and you can rent a surrey-a sort of bicycle cart for up to 6 people that you can pedal all round the boardwalk area.
To the left you have Big River Grille and Brewing Works. I love the hummus and chips (big crunchy tortilla like crisps) that they do there. There’s also s Disney souvenir shop, a small general store (to cater for the people staying there who are self catering) a small clothes store, Jelly rolls and Atlantic City evening clubs. Carry on walking and you will eventually come to the Swan and Dolphin hotels with their unique characters placed atop of the hotels.
Turn around and go back the way you came and you will pass the ferryboat station to take you around the lake to Hollywood Studios or Epcot. A bit further along and there’s the sweet shop-you can go in and pick your own jelly beans. There’s also an ice cream parlour, Spoodles and Flying Fish restaurants, a lovely little coffee and cake shop. One of our favourite watering holes. A coffee and cake and a sit in the sunshine while our toddler runs around-it doesn’t get much better than that. (Although he did squeeze his head through the railings overlooking the lake as he is such dainty dot! ) There’s a very popular ESPN sports bar and restaurant as you carry on down to the bridge near Epcot. You can see some of the Epcot fireworks from this spot (but you do lose the bit in the middle on account of the trees-but still worth watching. )
On the other side of the lake are the Yacht and Beach club resorts. There’s a proper ice cream parlour called Beaches and Cream over there and here is where they serve the world famous kitchen sink sundae-6 scoops of ice cream and as many toppings as you can pile on top-bananas, cookies, cake, cherries in a dish shaped like a kitchen sink-just get your server to bring lots of spoons.
I hope this has whetted your appetite. We have never done late evenings as we always have the little one in tow-but as the sun begins to set the area really comes to life-the street entertainers come out, people get dressed up for the restaurants, bars and clubs and there’s always the fireworks from the bridge.
It’s ideal for wheelchairs and you may want to remember there’s Hess petrol station just outside the Hotel Boardwalk-in case you get caught short-as I almost did once!
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