(Not) Under the Boardwalk

 

I  have some apprehension about writing this post.  I'm afraid that by putting it out there, I will somehow jinx the magic.  But I can't keep my WDW experience hidden.  I've always shared my experiences at Disney, whether it be the "old days" where I wrote long trip reports for boards dedicated to the subject or my own blog post.  (My last trip with my family falls under the month of July 2016 and begins here).  So despite my apprehension, I'm going to tell all about my recent trip to the Boardwalk Inn.

In looking back, this will be my 16th trek to Disney!  This includes 2 brief visits to the Magic Kingdom (back when it was the ONLY park there) when I was in school.  It was my first trip flying solo.  (I'd always gone with my husband and/or family.)  It was also my first time staying at this resort.  In all my trips (thus far) I have stayed at the Contemporary (pre-Incredibles theming and I'm not so sure how I feel about that...I like the Incredibles and I can see how it might tie into the resort, but I'm afraid it's a little much), the Grand Floridian (which is lovely, but a little exclusive for my taste...I bet my son would love it though), the Polynesian (which was awesome, but seeing the changes to the resort, including the new building which does not fit at all with the scheme of the resort or it's layout, has lost all it's luster for me), All Star Sports (a quick weekend), Animal Kingdom Lodge (before it's official opening and it was AWESOME, but it is far from all the parks, except of course, Animal Kingdom, which makes for long bus rides which are not particularly magical), Port Orleans Riverside (I know many love this resort, but it was just okay in my book), Old Key West (again, just okay, but I will always be grateful to the friends who let us stay with them)  and Caribbean Beach Resort (pre-Skyliner, so again everything was bus).  I wasn't sure where I should stay this time.  Though I was traveling solo, I would be meeting up with a friend from college who I hadn't seen in decades.  (I'm thinking the last time we actually saw each other face to face was in the fall of 1999!)   My friend (I'm going to refer to her by her initials MAC)  frequents WDW when she visits her mom in Florida, but rarely stays on property, so I wanted her to get the full deluxe experience.  Additionally, it had been a LONG time since I'd been to Disney and over 8 years since I'd taken a vacation where I did not have my work laptop to check in.  (Yes, this was my first time vacationing without a laptop and once I logged out on Friday night [Sept 20] I did not log back in until Thursday night [Sept 26] at which point all the relaxation and joy I had experienced went flying out the window.)  So, with a little help from a friend who is also a trusted travel agent, I booked the Boardwalk Inn without telling MAC (and Disney roomie) where we were staying.  (I also told her I was treating her to the hotel.) What I also didn't tell MAC (and I don't know when she realized it), was that I had booked us into the Innkeeper's Club, the concierge level of the resort, which I hoped would really give us the pampered treatment.  She didn't find out where we were staying (not what level) until a week before we left because our two accounts had to be linked.

My first experience with concierge was during our first family trip (when my son was just 3).  We stayed at the Contemporary and celebrated (after the fact) our wedding anniversary.  It was our introduction to a whole new level of service and it didn't not disappoint.  I remember my son got plane and bus sick.  He and my husband were covered in...well you get it, so when we finally arrived at the resort, they went to get new shirts at the gift shop and I checked us in.  My escort took me up to the level where they had purchased and put on new shirts and then brought us up to the atrium floor.  When she had to use her key on the elevator, my husband knew something was up.  My son was feeling better and the cookies that they had out that morning were a treat.  We loved our room (with a view of Bay Lake, which I like much better than a park view) and all the amenities that went with it.  I especially appreciated their help in making dining reservations (with my multitude of allergies I need all the help I can get) and having a continental breakfast that I could eat (muffins were made specially for me).  We ended up returning 2 more times and were never disappointed.  During our last stay in 2016, we split our trip (because of finances) and stayed club level at the Poly for the last portion of our trip.  We were well taken care of, but not quite as well as we were at the Poly.  I say all this because in my mind, the Boardwalk Inn was going to have a high bar to meet.

I'll have to admit that my expectations were low based on the response (or lack thereof) to my questions.  In the past I had been sent a form/survey/questionnaire once I'd made my reservation.  This time I got nothing.  I was hoping a month out I would hear from the concierge team.  I did not.  My travel agent friend reached out and was told I would hear a week before from special services.  I did not.  So I called and believe me trying to get to the right place was NOT an easy task.  After much number pushing and figuring out where to go, I finally got a person who said I would be contacted 5 days out but took my allergy information.  When someone did call, I missed it, so I never did really talk to a person about my food allergies.  But I DID get an email from one of the chefs which gave me some reassurance.

Check in time at all resorts is in the afternoon.  I arrived in the morning around ten.  I had pre-checked in, so I went to the valet to have my bag (and sweatshirt which was no longer needed) stowed and headed up to the 4th floor.  But the elevator I stumbled across only went up to 2, so...I headed back to the lobby and found a cast member (Raymond) who could help me out.  He took me to the correct elevator (which was just a few steps down the hall from where I had been) and guided me down the hallway (it was a little confusing) to the Innkeeper's Club.  I sat down with a cast member there (I can't remember her name, for shame) and went through everything, including the fact that my friend would be arriving and having no idea what was going on.  Even though I could open my room door with my phone (once I had a room), she gave me two key cards in case there was an issue. (And guess what I DID have issues with using my phone to open the door several times so good planning)  Then the door to the club level area was opened for me (very cool) and I was taken down to the lounge to relax while I waited for my friend.

This is where my experience really began, and what an experience it was.  I was greeted by Matthew.  I told him I was waiting for my friend to arrive around 11 and that I'd been up since 1 and traveling since 4.  Continental breakfast service was wrapping up, but Matthew immediately got on the phone with Joe (the chef on staff that day) so that I could get something to eat.  Then Lorenzo (the most amazing man), showed me  how to use the lounge Nespresso machine (and what a machine it was!) and made me a cappuccino, which I was able to sit down and enjoy. 

 Joe came up, introduced himself and we reviewed my allergies.  I mentioned that was friends with a chef and when I mentioned her name, his face lit up. Turns out he trained under her!  He then went downstairs and made me a plate of bacon and vegan Mickey waffles. 

What service!

I made sure to text MAC to let her know about Joe and she was just wrapping up her day.  (She works in the Magic Kingdom section of the property and the Boardwalk is in the Epcot section).  While I was relaxing (and the staff was switching over from breakfast to general snacks), my friend actually came over to say hi. (Even though she had been working non-stop all week long.)  Turns out she and Lorenzo were old buddies. (Another reason I loved Lorenzo.)  We chatted for a while before I insisted, she go home.

MAC encountered some traffic issues and was delayed.  When Matthew found out that we were meeting up for the first time in a long time, he immediately got two glasses of champagne ready for us.  I was trying to hold off, but with her delay, I gave in to half a glass before she texted me that she had arrived and I told her to store her bag with guest services and have someone bring her up to the 4th floor.  When she arrived, I had a glass waiting for her and we sipped and snacked until we decided to head over to Animal Kingdom and actually do something.  (As much as I enjoyed the lounge, I also have the urge to GO when I am at Disney.  I did tone it down a bit during this trip, but I am a hard person to reign in and relaxing, well that's not really in my vocabulary!)

I will go into detail about my park experiences in a future post (of course I will), but I will say that the lounge was a home away from home for me.  Every morning I got to speak to a chef (Joe or Olga) and received a safe and nutritious breakfast.  (That I could never finish and now I really long for the amazing avocado toast.)

Evening hors d'oeuvres were really a meal unto themselves.  I could always have some of the charcuterie (and I almost always did), but there were also small bites that chefs like Amanda would bring out for me so as to not have any cross-contamination issues.  (The braised short rib over mashed potato was delicious.)  On the one evening (my last) where there wasn't really anything I could have, Chef Javier insisted on making me something special, which included a warm allergy friendly dessert.  I'm sure people were wondering why I was eating a delicious meal all by myself, let them wonder.

In addition to all the amazing food, every night I could have a glass of wine (or two).  There were at least 5 varieties (so eve a woman who likes sweeter wine could find something).  There was beer for those who wanted as well as plenty of soft drinks, iced tea, lemonade, hot tea and of course coffee from the Nespresso machine.  (Coffee which could be topped with a cordial after 8 in the evening; nothing like a little decaf topped with Baileys.)

While the food and drink were excellent, the level of service was so high that I don't think it can ever be topped.  Everyone was so attentive and understanding of my food allergies.  Matthew was ALWAYS double-checking things for me and Nancy made sure that I had a safe breakfast every single morning and is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.  And Lorenzo?  I can't say enough about him and his sunny smile that made every day brighter.  The highest praise I can give to these INCREDIBLE cast members (and I do mean INCREDIBLE) is that I would sit down and eat and drink and NOT think about it or worry.  I NEVER do that.  NEVER.  Yet their attention let me relax and enjoy.  For that I cannot thank them enough.

As I wrap this up, I realize I haven’t even talked about our accommodations!  The room, which overlooked the boardwalk, was spacious.  The décor was “Disney” (plenty of hidden and not so hidden Mickeys) but tastefully done.

  The balcony was way too small, but it was enough to go out and sit for a bit.  (Why didn’t a bring a glass of wine with me?)

  Although it might be noisy at night due to entertainment, it wasn’t too noisy and shows were over by 10.  If I had any complaint about the room it would be that for some reason, the light from the hallway would really seep into the room from under the door and hallway noise seemed to carry quite a lot.  But that is really very minor when you consider the incredible time that I had. I would go back in a heartbeat!

I don’t think this experience can ever be topped.  But I’m willing to hope that it can be matched in a year or two and that I can gather my family (or at least my husband) and the money to go back and enjoy all that the Boardwalk has to offer.