Today we conclude Marilyn Garfinkel's two-part look at a Day at the BoardWalk Villas. Part one featured an introduction to the resort and a morning at Epcot. Now let's see what Mar' has in store for the remainder of her day.
1:00pm: Time to head back
to the BoardWalk! Again I opt to walk. I
have found that the boat remains at the Epcot dock for quite a while waiting for
guests. Unless it’s just about to shove
off I always get back to the BoardWalk faster by walking. About the only time I take the boat is when
the weather is particularly poor. But I love
to walk and I don’t have young children—I’m sure it’s a lifesaver for families
with little ones or those with mobility problems.
Looking across Crescent Lake at the Swan and Dolphin on the way back to my resort it’s hard not to notice those huge icons on top of each resort. I enjoy going over to that way to the Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course. It’s a very cute course and Annual Passholders plus up to three of their guests get to play for half price. That that’s a nice perk.
1:10pm: I reach the resort and smile as I always do when I see the gorgeous flowers in planters out front. I am a little hot from the walk so I enter the resort through the first door on the left past the Flying Fish. That’s the first chance to hit some A/C. The BoardWalk Villas shares the building with Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, a deluxe resort. This entrance is on the Inn side so I walk up the steps towards the main lobby where I can cross over to the villas. Straight ahead is the front desk and the central part of the lobby.
To my left and behind me is the Bellevue Lounge. Besides serving adult beverages the Bellevue is handy in the morning when I forget to go to the Boardwalk Bakery the night before. While they have less selection than the Bakery, the Bellevue Lounge carries a decent selection of muffins and pastries in this convenient location.
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas is themed to reflect old seaside amusement park areas, mostly Atlantic City, NJ and Coney Island in NY. I walk towards the central lobby, passing paintings of early 1900’s amusement parks on the left. There are some of those old time penny movie machines on the right—the ones where you have to turn a reel to watch the film.
Entering the lobby always fills me with a great sense of awe.
It features a huge ceiling which must be at least three 
stories high. There’s a miniature horse carousel (Hidden Mickey
on the rump of the pinto!), a replica of an elephant-shaped hotel that actually
stood at one time in Atlantic City, gorgeous horse paintings over the
registration area and it’s furnished with perfectly mismatched overstuffed
chairs and couches.
I walk towards the elevator, passing the only shop that’s inside the resort (the rest are right outside on the BoardWalk). This relatively small store is where guests can buy DVC and resort merchandise, as well as a small selection of other souvenirs. The store stocks stamps, aspirin, needles and thread, toothbrushes—little necessities that folks might have forgotten.
As I wait for the elevator I look down to check out the cool rug—there are footprints of Minnie, Mickey, Goofy and Pluto in there. Aboard the elevator while riding up to my room I remember to notice the flowers on the rug that have petals in the shape of a Hidden Mickey.
2:30pm: Done with lunch/break. I decide to walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I wind my way down the corridor until I reach the exit I know is closest to the Studios—no sense stepping into the heat until I absolutely have to.
I exit the resort and walk alongside the canal leading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and follow along the footpath to the park. I usually see water fowl there and today is no exception—there are numerous ducks and as a bonus I see an egret AND a heron!
I love this walk! Hardly anyone else is ever there—just me and the Friendship boats passing by. Within 15 minutes I arrive at Disney Studios.
6:00pm: After three hours at the Studios it’s time to return to the BoardWalk again. On the way back I stop off at the Community Hall which is just off the path between the BoardWalk and Disney Studios. The Community Hall features a ping pong table, foosball and a couple of video games. All are available for use by DVC members at no charge. The staff also plans activities for younger kids…some at no cost…some for a small fee. Guests can rent bikes here too. In front of the resort guests can rent surrey bikes which as many as 6 family members can ride together, but Community Hall has standard one person bicycles.
At the Community Hall I pick-up a DVD to watch in the room later—the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. DVC members can borrow DVDs from the Community Hall at no charge.
Back on the path, I walk a little further and decide to enter
the resort near the elevators which adjacent to the main pool. 
The BoardWalk pool area is called Luna Park,
named after an area of Brooklyn’s Coney Island amusement park. The pool features is a really cool slide that
looks like an old wooden roller coaster on the outside. The exit of the slide is the mouth of a huge
clown—another nod to the traditional amusement parks.
The pool complex also a features a kiddie area with elephants that sprinkle water and a child sized pool. For the grown ups Leaping Horse Libations pool bar serves drinks and snacks up until dark most nights.
8:00pm: After a visit to the room and some dinner I go down to the BoardWalk again. It’s time to watch the free entertainment. Magicians, jugglers, acrobats and other performers are nearby from roughly 7-10pm daily. Most have very clever acts and make guests laugh while amazing us with their tricks / talents.
There are usually three or four different acts per night with each performer appearing four or five times. Most acts include an audience participation element, so be careful to stay back or you may find yourself part of the show.
The BoardWalk also features midway games where guests can win prizes. Nominal fees are charged for the carnival games, as well as the selection of video arcade games located near the pool.
9:30pm: Done watching the entertainers, I walk down the BoardWalk past the stores which sell milk, bread, swimsuits, antenna toppers and everything in between. Most nights the stores are open until 11pm.
I keep walking to the end of the BoardWalk toward one of my favorite WDW attractions: Jellyrolls, the “Dueling Pianos” bar! What a fun place!!
I meet up with some friends and we all go in together. The bar features two pianos with four piano
players that rotate on 
and off throughout the evening. The musicians take requests and audience members
are welcome to sing along. Every so
often the waitstaff will encourage the entire audience to stand up and join them
in a dance (they instruct guests they go along.) It’s a lot of fun—a very “good vibe” sort of
place.
Jellyrolls is open only to guests age 21 and over.
I’m not much of a dancer, but next door to Jellyrolls is another entertainment venue I mentioned earlier: Atlantic Dance Hall. While Jellyrolls is open every night usually until 2am, Atlantic Dance Hall is closed some evenings. Be sure to check the schedule before making plans.
Midnight: Jacuzzi, shower and bed. Tomorrow morning I have a massage appointment in the BoardWalk health club, Muscles and Bustles. I’ve been there before and they always do a great job—and it’s 15% off for DVC members. Can’t Wait!!
