Join us this week as we continue our In Depth series with a look at one of our favorites, BoardWalk Inn! Several of us here at Dole Whipped have stayed at this amazing resort and we’ll talk all about what you can find for rooms, food, and fun at this Epcot area resort!
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Have you been curious about what club level is and what it has to offer? This week we give you the low down on what you can expect if you stay club level at a Disney resort. From the rooms, amenities, and food offerings, staying club level offers you a special something extra for your next Disney vacation.
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The highly anticipated review (right??) of my stay at the Garden Cottages is finally here. It took awhile because I knew it was going to take a while to write and get in every last nook and cranny of what you need to know.
First, please if you can find a way book at least a night or two at the Garden Cottages on your next adults only (or small family trip). Though spacious, they do only sleep 2-4 people and after 2 people in a King bed the other two are on a sleeper sofa to make 4. The Garden Cottages at Boardwalk are the most special place to stay on Disney property. I can hands down put it up against the best of any resort and though I have not yet stayed on an over-water bungalow I have stayed at pretty much everywhere else and these cottages are unique and special in so many ways.
They are part of Boardwalk Inn and are club level so you get all the extra amenities of club level including the lounge access and special 
check-in so though the price of the cottages might scare you for a minute – they do come with lots of extras. We were lucky enough to get to stay here for two nights at the end of a longer trip that we were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The last two nights just myself and my friend moved ourselves over and when we drove up to the valet entrance of Boardwalk and were whisked away (literally whisked) away to a side door I was so excited to hear “would you like to see the cottages first before check-in”. YES! I did not want to wait one more minute before seeing for myself these hidden gems. We went a secret way out of the building (it may not be secret but it was to me because do not ask me to replicate it) and shot out a side back door to an outdoor atrium area. In this area 
there were pathways and lush grass and beautiful noises (I promise they pipe in special noises or Snow White was there with the birds chirping). You are surrounded by the Inn and can only see beautiful grounds and resort (and a wonderful quiet pool). You really feel like you have entered into a different world from way back in time when things were quieter and a slower pace. We walked along the path for a minute until our wonderful Cast Member stopped in front of a white picket fence with gate and opened it and said “Welcome Home”. You enter the gate into your own private garden area (and they are all designed a little different) and then your front door are beautiful french doors that open into your 2 story cottage.
There are 14 cottages total and they line up along the row each with their own fence, gate and cute little mailbox. I could/would and should live there.
Once we entered and squealed in glee, and tried to act cool for the Cast Member as if we 
were always in places as nice as the garden cottages, we placed our carry over bags down and went to the club level lounge to check-in and graze a minute.
I have reviewed the Club Level Lounge at Boardwalk, so for more info on it please check HERE. Once checked in we went back to explore the cottages. So, let’s start with logistics the cottage is a 2 story loft with the bedroom being a loft overlooking the main living area (so no door to separate you from anyone on the sleeper sofa). When you walk in through the french doors from your private garden (LOVE saying that!) you enter a spacious living area with a full size sofa and a love seat, a large TV, a desk and coffee table. On the side is a half bath and a 
kitchenette/bar area that is perfect for a cocktail party and inviting a friend or two over to share in your new home (um well for a few nights?!) We did just this and had a couple over to see our new place and have a “house warming” party before going to Food and 
Wine for the evening at Epcot and they loved our new home so much they have invested in one as well come April! To the side of the living room is stairs going up to the loft with the king bed and dresser and end tables and then a very nice full size bath with the oversize tub and separate shower. One cool thing about the loft is across from it is a large overhang where there are a few large windows that let the sunlight in and out – coolest part is they give you a remote so you can lower these or raise them depending on what you want!
Overall the decor goes along with the Boardwalk theme of the 1920’s Atlantic City (or Coastal) decorations and colors. There were so many Disney touches like a beautiful Mickey desk lamp and other Disney treasures in Art on the wall and such that it made the place special. The one
piece of info, since this is a review, is the furniture is a bit dated. I think the garden cottages might be ready for a furniture refurbishment. I would not let this stop you though because it is very comfortable and the location and extras far outweigh a bit of dated furniture.
We loved these cottages so much it was hard to pull ourselves away from them to go to the parks and honestly had a very relaxing last two days after a fast paced week relaxing in our quiet Disney world.
Mousekeeping brought us treats everyday we were there and everyone definitely made us feel loved. I had no idea how special these were and most people have never even heard of them! Have you ever stayed there or heard of them? Let me know!
Hi there fans of Club Level at Disney! Whether you have stayed Club Level or just dream of it I am here to give you all the material to make your dreams even better! So let’s march on to the next stop on the Club Level tour and it is the Boardwalk Inn. Now this article is extra special because I just stayed Club Level at Boardwalk a few weeks ago and so this is not only info but a bit of a review as well.
I was lucky (seriously lucky) to get to stay for a few nights in a garden cottage at Boardwalk. The garden cottages are not very well-known, even to Disney veterans, and are quite unique. I will be writing a review of the garden cottages soon but for this article it is mentioned because the garden cottages are all club level (in addition to the normal set of club level rooms and suites). When we arrived at the Boardwalk and had given our name at security we drove up to valet and were immediately greeted and whisked away. Our greeter asked us if we would like to go first to our cottage to put our bags down (though our luggage was being transferred from Animal Kingdom we had our “carry ons” with us). We did want to go to the cottage first and so he took us there. He waited outside while we went in and embarrassed ourselves by squealing with delight at the amazing accommodations. After that, we went to the private club level check-in desk that was right outside the private club level hallway (magic band set to club level access needed to gain entrance).The cast member was already checking someone in so instead of waiting we were given access to the club lounge (the Innkeepers Club) where the attendant sat us down and grabbed us a drink and checked us in. I also want to mention we were thrilled our cottage was ready for us considering it was early around 10 am.
After that we munched on some snacks and grabbed some soda for the road and headed 
out.
The Boardwalk Inn club level rooms also were a bit special with the extra robes and amenities but two special things happened here and we are still not sure if this was because of our club level access or the garden cottages but anyway we received a cute set of Boardwalk logo’ed chocolates and a fairly large bag of H20 products was left in our room from mousekeeping! I do not know which I loved more!
While staying club level we also received nightly turn down service and little treats (chocolates and taffy) left in our room. Taffy is a bit of a signature specialty of the Boardwalk Resort as it ties it into its Atlantic City roots.
The club level lounge did not disappoint based off location and food. It had a nice balcony that you could watch the Epcot fireworks from or sit outside and read a book.
The food was amazing and some of my personal favorites included peanut butter and jelly sushi rolls and the cucumber sandwiches. There were many “fancier” apps going on but sometimes the simple things are what you keep going back for time and time again.
They had wine and beer for evening and late evening they broke out the desserts and cognac for adult fun. I know many think you can not make a meal out of the food in the club lounges but we ate dinner there twice and breakfast there once and we were full all of these meals. The portions are small and finger food sized but you can have as much as you want so no one limited me on my peanut butter and jelly sushi rolls so I may have had a few!
Definitely try out Boardwalk (in general) as one of my top 3 resorts and a great location. If you can swing it treat yourself to club level and you will not regret it!
This week concludes our Fall Disney vacation trip reports. Hear all about Jamie’s vacation with a baby as well as Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine. Tara tells us all about her luxurious stay at the BoardWalk Garden Cottages. You don’t want to miss this!
Happy listening!
Disney has a category of rooms that are called “Club Level” or “Concierge Level” and though not a secret they are sometimes considered a “hidden gem”. I thought I would help share what it is and you can decide for yourself if it is something that would benefit or enhance your next Disney trip enough to make it worth the extra pennies (okay maybe not pennies!) that it will cost you!
This week will be an overview of Club Level and then the series will continue with an in-depth look at the different resorts club level benefits and extras so if you DO decide that you want to try out club level you will know which resort’s club level offerings are right for you. Club level does have many similarities throughout the different resorts but they as well have been customized for each resort.
Thanks Disneyworld.Disney.Go.com for the photo of Club Level Lounge
First, not all resorts offer club levels and only Deluxe resorts have true club level rooms. One moderate has an option that resembles club level and that is Coronado Springs Business Class rooms. It is not called club level but has some of the same benefits such as a lounge only accessed by Business Class guests but it does not have the full offering that the deluxe true Club Level rooms offer. As we go through the series we will have a specific article on Business Class at Coronado Springs where we compare it to the full Club Level and tell you more about it. All of the deluxe resorts now offer Club Level category so that list is Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disney Vacation Club villa resorts that are deluxe villas category do not offer club level rooms. So, for example Bay Lake Tower or the Boardwalk Villas do not have this option.
Some people get confused and think Club Level has something to do with the concierge desk at the resort’s front desk. It does not and is separate so anyone staying at that resort can utilize the concierge desk in the resort’s lobby. Only Club Level can work with the concierge that is Club Level only and has a separate desk.
One of the best services that Club Level offers is the Itinerary Planning Office. Prior to your visit your TA and the IPO will work together to get your schedule set. While on your vacation they are a valuable resource when needing to move reservations around or if something comes up and you need to cancel reservations or fastpasses, etc.
One of the favorite services that Club Level offers is the lounge. Usually club level rooms are on the same floor or at least in the same area. Each of the resorts have a Club Lounge that offers complimentary food and drinks throughout the day and night.The lounges offer comfortable seating and TV’s (one is just for the kids with Disney cartoons playing). You can definitely eat a great breakfast here and heavy snacks throughout the day. I know many Club Level guests that even will eat dinner here in the evening. Though it is not a traditional restaurant or somewhere that has a menu that you order from their snacks are filling enough that you can definitely get full. There are a variety of hot and cold appetizers from the resort restaurants and wine and beer; along with soda and juice to fill you up. In the later evening
they will have desserts and cordials out to indulge in. They do print menus of that week’s food and you will get that from your Club Level concierge or pick up at the lounge. The lounge is open from 7am to 10pm.
Club level rooms typically offer additional amenities as well. You will find luxurious robes in your room, spa-quality toiletries and DVD players, along with sometimes slightly larger rooms. For example, a Club Level room at Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the deluxe category rooms (unless you have a suite). You also can request nightly turn-down service if you wish while you are staying Club Level.
Another benefit of Club Level is you will have your own check-in area that will make waiting in line to check-in a thing of the past. Club level access is secure and is restricted to club level guests only. In the past, a special Gold colored Keys to the Kingdom card would allow you access but now it is stored on your magic bands.
Each resort has unique reasons why Club Level is special and as we go through this series you will find that it might be the special, Club Level only Sunrise Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge that appeals to you or that the Sushi during the dinner hours at the Poly Club Level steals your heart. There are so many appealing reasons to think about staying Club Level at Disney and I guarantee you there is one that is practically perfect for you!
Have you stayed Club Level at Disney before? What was your favorite part?
Dole Whipped 