Villas at WL versus Boardwalk Villas

[BJSforVols]

We are a family of 5 and deciding between a 1 bedroom villa at the Wilderness Lodge or a 1 bedroom villa at the Boardwalk. Can you give me the pros & cons of these two options? (We've stayed deluxe before, but this will be our first time staying in a villa.)

[Pirate Granny]

What are the ages of your children?

[BJSforVols]

Ds-15, ds-14, ds-7

[chefmickey3]

I love the size of VWL. Everything is close and I love the theming. The Boardwalk Villas are further away from EPCOT - closer to DHS - then the hotel itself. If you are planning to spend more time at EPCOT and DHS then MK, I would say Boardwalk Villas. There is lots to do at the resort and many things are nearby including restaurants and entertainment. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Have you considered any of the villas that sleep 5 (BLT, AKL or OKW)? These also (except OKW) have two bathrooms which is nice with teenagers. We personally love AKL.

Given your two choices, our family would choose VWL.

[BJSforVols]

I love the size of VWL. Everything is close and I love the theming. The Boardwalk Villas are further away from EPCOT - closer to DHS - then the hotel itself. If you are planning to spend more time at EPCOT and DHS then MK, I would say Boardwalk Villas. There is lots to do at the resort and many things are nearby including restaurants and entertainment. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Have you considered any of the villas that sleep 5 (BLT, AKL or OKW)? These also (except OKW) have two bathrooms which is nice with teenagers. We personally love AKL.

Given your two choices, our family would choose VWL.


We did consider BLT but could not get availability for our dates there. We feel like the AKL and OKW are bad locations for our preferences.

[Pirate Granny]

I love VWL, boats to MK; pool is nice (not the scary clown pool) and the walk around the resorts and grounds (path to the campgrounds)... Laying on the beach (no beach at BWV), although you can't swim in the lake water...it's quiet and relaxing. I think BWV is more sophisticated and VWL is more laid back. Depends on which parks you want to be close to, and what your family does on it's off park time.

[DizneyRox]

I like Boardwalk because everything is inside the same building. VWL you actually need to leave the villas to get to the main building. It's a covered, but I didn't like the setup. I guess at the Boardwalk, all the stores are "outside" so it's pretty similar...

I didn't much care for VWL though (and I live in a log cabin). Something didn't sit right. Boardwalk was getting a little dumpy too. I'm a big for of AKLV though. Kidani is fantastic, while the travel time is a little more than most want, I find that it's more than made up in the resort and amenities available.

[Aurora]

VWL Pros: Close to MK, not walkable but nice boat ride. Great feature pool with water slide at main hotel and walking paths around hotel courtyard. Beautiful main lobby and good restaurants, with nice viewing area of the courtyard just outside the lobby. Wonderful theming -- you really feel like you're in the north woods or a grand national park here. Bay Lake is great for renting water vehicles. If you spend most of your time at the MK, it's a great resort. My mom's favorite.

VWL Cons: The villas are in a separate area to the side of the main resort, with a quiet pool -- the entire area is much more subdued and quiet than the main hotel. (This could be a pro depending on your vacation style, but if you like to be in the thick of it, I think it's too quiet.) Near MK but not on monorail. Buses to all other theme parks besides MK.

BWV Pros: The resort is right in the middle of everything. Both Epcot and Hollywood Studios are walking distance, or you can take the boat to either park. If you have park hoppers, you can also walk through Epcot to get the monorail to the MK area. (Not the fastest way to get there, but for us, the most enjoyable.) Outdoor entertainment, restaurants and nightlife are here after the parks close. You can rent surrey bikes to drive around the walkways. Lovely views of the Beach Club across Crescent Lake. One of the best locations on property. If you're going to spend most of your time at Epcot and/or DHS, pick this one. This is my older son's favorite resort (age 15).

BWV Cons: The villas are on the side of the resort opposite of Epcot, so it takes a few extra minutes to get to the boat launch or to walk to Epcot's International Gateway (not a big con, though). For me, the biggest con is the feature pool. Because of the Boardwalk being the main focus of the resort, the pool is sort of in a cul de sac on the side of the resort. The slide is built like a wooden roller coaster, which isn't bad, but then the rest of the pool area is circus-themed, with a big clown face and mouth at the end of the slide where you enter into the pool. To me it's just not very relaxing.

Good luck with your decision. Your family will love either one.