Disney’s BoardWalk has a plethora of clubs and restaurants to try out for an adults-only night. ESPN Club sits at the far end of the boardwalk within easy walking distance of the BoardWalk Resort, as well as the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. Every other resort on Disney World property has free transportation to and from the BoardWalk Resort where the ESPN Club is located.

ESPN Club at Disney's BoardWalk Resort

Whether you’re vacationing at Disney World or just happen to be in the area, watching the big game (or any game) at ESPN Club at Disney’s BoardWalk is an experience in and of itself. The over-sized restaurant and bar has HDTV big-screen TVs in every corner of the Club showing nearly every possible sports game live as it happens. Live radio shows are broadcasted directly from the in-house studio with sports hosts and the occasional sports player stopping by.

Nighttime games, especially playoffs and championship games, can fill up the ESPN Club, so it’s highly suggested that you arrive well before the start time of the game you’re interested in watching. The upscale sports food will fill you up while you watch the games, but the drinks from the full-service bar will keep you cheering on your team. It can get very loud with the club full of energetic fans, so if you have young children, it’s probably not in their best interest to bring them along to a full night of game watching.

For more information as well as a look at the menus, visit Disney’s website.

2101 Epcot Resort Blvd
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

photo credit: ckramer

The Boardwalk Inn and Villas is one of Walt Disney World’s deluxe resorts and is themed after the turn-of-the-century mid-Atlantic/New England seaside resorts. As such, it has a replica of a Coney Island-style entertainment, shopping and dining area known as The Boardwalk.

While not as big as Disneyworld’s Downtown Disney, there are still a few nightlife options for guests to partake in.

Walt Disney World's Atlantic Dance at Dusk

First of all, while there is free self-parking at the resort, it can be quite a walk for some. The resort does have valet parking, but as of this article, it’s around $10-12. Another option, if you happen to be staying in one of the other resorts on Crescent Lake (Disney’s Beach & Yacht Club or the Swan and Dolphin), is a free water shuttle that loops around the lake connecting all the resorts to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and each other.

One of the first buildings you’ll probably notice while strolling along The Boardwalk is The Atlantic Dance Hall. The building itself looks like it’s floating on the water. Inside, guests can dance the night away to music provided by both DJ and the occasional live cover band. This club is 21 and over, but there is no admission charge.

Dueling pianos fans will be right at home at Jellyrolls. Take two guys, two pianos, and a night full of audience requests and sing-alongs, and you have the gist of this club. Named after ragtime jazz pianist Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Morton, this is another 21 and over club.

A Beer Sampler at Walt Disney World's Big River Grille

The Big River Grille & Brewing Works is a restaurant that serves up American pub grub (burgers, salads, sandwiches, etc), but what sets it apart from other WDW restaurants is that Big River is also a microbrewery.

Yes, they actually make beer on Disney property. And it’s actually really good! But that’s probably because the restaurant is run by the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group.

One of my favorite things to do is grab a sampler of the signature brews and sit on the outside patio around 9pm to watch the Epcot fireworks. There’s not a lot of patio tables, so get there early to grab a spot.

Speaking of beer, at the other end of The Boardwalk is the ESPN Club. A sports-bar themed eatery from the ESPN TV sports network (which is owned by Disney), this place has over 100 video monitors showing a variety of televised sports. It’s loud and noisy (especially on big game nights), but if you want a place to enjoy dinner, a beer and a game, this is it.

I should mention that both Big River and ESPN Club are all-ages (due to the restaurant factor), but you still need to be 21 and over to order alcohol.

The Boardwalk may not be huge, but it still has enough of a nightlife to make it worth checking out if you happen to be at Walt Disney World.

[Photos by Michelle Snow]