Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is a deluxe hotel at Walt Disney World, opened July 1, 1996, set along Crescent Lake in the Epcot Resort Area between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Its 378 rooms and suites sit above a quarter-mile boardwalk district styled after early-20th-century Atlantic seaboard boardwalks like Coney Island and Atlantic City, complete with restaurants, shops, a dance hall-turned-lounge, and street performers on the promenade outside.
The draw here is location: this is one of only a handful of Disney World resorts you can walk to a park from. Guests can be at Epcot’s International Gateway in about 5-10 minutes on foot, with Hollywood Studios reachable by a longer walk, a Skyliner gondola connection, or a FriendShip boat, making it a favorite for anyone who wants two parks within easy reach without relying on buses.
Stats at a Glance
- Resort: Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Location: Epcot Resort Area, Walt Disney World, Florida
- Opened: July 1, 1996
- Rooms: 378 rooms and suites
- Price tier: Deluxe
- Park transport: Walk to Epcot (~5-10 min); walk, Skyliner, or boat to Hollywood Studios
- Perks: Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours (deluxe resort benefits)
- Theme: Early 1900s Atlantic seaboard boardwalk (Coney Island/Atlantic City style)
Rooms, Theming and Dining
Rooms lean into a nostalgic seaside-boardwalk look with striped accents and vintage carnival-poster art, and many standard and club-level rooms overlook either the BoardWalk promenade or Crescent Lake. The resort’s own boardwalk operates like a self-contained entertainment strip, with restaurants such as Flying Fish and BoardWalk Deli, ice cream and bakery counters, surrey bike rentals, and Abracadabar, a magic-themed lounge. Some dining and retail spots along the boardwalk have rotated over the years, so it’s worth checking current offerings before a trip.
The BoardWalk Inn shares its lake, quiet pool area (Luna Park Pool, with a small wooden coaster-themed slide), and boardwalk frontage with the adjoining BoardWalk Villas, so the overall footprint feels larger and livelier than the room count alone suggests.
Getting to the Parks and Perks
This is a park-access resort first: the walk to Epcot’s back entrance is short enough to do in flip-flops after dinner, and Hollywood Studios is a scenic (if longer) walk or a quick Skyliner/boat ride away. As a Disney deluxe resort, staying here qualifies guests for Early Theme Park Entry (30 minutes before official opening at any park) and Extended Evening Hours on select nights at select parks, both perks Disney has confirmed continuing through 2027.
Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom require a bus, so guests focused mainly on those two parks won’t get the same walkability advantage that makes this resort special for Epcot and Hollywood Studios trips.
Who Should Stay Here
It suits couples, Epcot Festival regulars, and families who plan to split most park days between Epcot and Hollywood Studios and want to walk home for a mid-day break or a late dinner. It’s also popular with guests who want nightlife-adjacent energy without leaving resort property. Travelers whose trip centers on Magic Kingdom, or who want the cheapest room on site, will likely be better served by a value or moderate resort with more direct transportation to that park.
Explore more: More Where to Stay guides, Epcot guide, Hollywood Studios guide.
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn FAQs
Do BoardWalk Inn guests get early entry to the parks?
Yes. As a Walt Disney World deluxe resort, BoardWalk Inn guests get Early Theme Park Entry (30 minutes before official opening) at any park, plus Extended Evening Hours on select nights at select parks.
Is Disney’s BoardWalk Inn worth the price?
It’s priced as a Disney deluxe resort, among the pricier tiers at Walt Disney World. The value case rests almost entirely on location: if you want to walk to Epcot and stay close to Hollywood Studios, it can save real time and bus waits compared to a value or moderate resort further from the front gate.
How do you get from the BoardWalk Inn to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom?
Those two parks aren’t walkable or boat-accessible from BoardWalk Inn, so guests take a Disney resort bus, unlike the walk/boat/Skyliner options available to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
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Photo: WDWbuff / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.