Renting DVC Points: Beach Club vs. BoardWalk

While the monorail resorts have one of the best locations at Walt Disney World, don’t overlook the EPCOT resorts along the beautiful Crescent Lake.  With the Beach Club Villas and BoardWalk Villas, you are walking distance from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.  Both resorts have similar villa layouts and relatively low points charts, which make trips more affordable.  However, if you are renting DVC points, which of the two resorts is best for you?  Here are some of the key differences between them.

Beach Club Villas

The biggest perk of booking the Beach Club over the BoardWalk is access to Stormalong Bay, which is considered the best pool among all Disney World resorts.  Stormalong Bay is exclusive to guests at the Beach Club and Yacht Club.  This feature pool is 3 acres and has a lazy river, sandy bottom, and a shipwreck-themed water slide called the Flying Jib!  You can also rent a cabana for the day.  

Both the Beach Club and BoardWalk can be extremely popular for EPCOT festivals, but the Beach Club has a slightly shorter walk to the International Gateway back entrance to EPCOT than the BoardWalk.  It’s also worth noting that the Beach Club is much smaller.  It has much fewer villas, which can make inventory even tighter.  If you would like to rent a stay at the Beach Club, you should put in your request 11 months out from your desired check-in date for the best availability.    

In terms of room types available, the largest villas that you’ll find at the Beach Club are Two Bedroom Villas.  There are no Three Bedroom Grand Villas unlike at some of the other DVC resorts, including the BoardWalk.

BoardWalk Villas

One of the best parts of staying at the BoardWalk is its ambiance.  The nightlife and sideshows along the boardwalk set it apart from any other DVC resort.  Since the BoardWalk Villas have different view categories, you can even book a Boardwalk View villa to enjoy the sights and sounds of the boardwalk from your balcony!  

Other view categories are the Garden/Pool View, which faces the waterway leading to Hollywood Studios or the Luna Park Pool, and the Standard View, which typically faces the front of the resort, be it the driveway, parking lot, or even the skyliner.  The Standard View villas are the lowest point value and are quick to book up.  By contrast, the Beach Club does not offer separate view categories.  The balconies tend to have views of the leisure pool or foliage.  

Another difference between the two resorts is that the BoardWalk is much larger and offers more rooms.  So while both the Beach Club and BoardWalk are popular, you are more likely to get a room at the BoardWalk based on numbers.

If you are a fan of Two Bedroom Dedicated Villas, the BoardWalk may not be for you.  The only Two Bedroom Villas at the BoardWalk are Lock-offs, which are made up of connected One Bedroom Villas and Deluxe Studios.  This also means that availability for Two Bedroom Villas depends on the availability of the Deluxe Studio side. Since Deluxe Studios tend to get booked quickly, this can make it more difficult to rent a Two Bedroom Villa at the BoardWalk compared to other DVC resorts that offer Two Bedroom Dedicated Villas, like the Beach Club.

Stay at the Beach Club or the BoardWalk for a fraction of Disney’s rack rates!  Check out the confirmed reservations or future availability.