Disney is always making headlines for their big changes.
The Slow Transformation of Boardwalk Joe's from Coffee to Margaritas
Park updates like MyMagic+, Disneyland’s Cars Land, Disney World’s New Fantasyland get tons of exposure, as they should.
But I think it’s always interesting to look at the not-so-publicized changes that happen without fanfare, too.
A case in point is a little kiosk called BoardWalk Joe’s, located across from Cat Cora’s Kouzzina on the Disney World BoardWalk.
Over the last few years, Disney World has really changed its tune at this spot, transforming it from a coffee stop to a margarita place! Let’s take a look… .
It’s easy to feel nostalgic while strolling the boardwalk where BoardWalk Joe’s once specialized in coffee — we even wrote a whole post that highlighted it!
Boardwalk Joe's was all about coffee!
But a couple of years ago, Joe’s added some specialty seasonal items, like this Caramel Apple Margarita! This was the first sign of BoardWalk Joe’s transformation…
Caramel Apple Margarita!
And the Frozen Grapefruit Margarita made a seasonal appearance last summer.
Grapefruit Margarita!
Over a couple of years, we kept seeing more and more “specialty” items via this sandwich board out front:
Menu at BoardWalk Joe's. Click image for larger version.
But Joe’s isn’t playing around anymore! It’s made a complete transformation! There’s even a ginormous margarita on top to make sure you know this is no joke!
The new BoardWalk Joe's at the BoardWalk Inn Resort.
Marvelous Margaritas at BoardWalk Joe's!
Along with specialties that pop up, BoardWalk Joe’s serves up Frozen Strawberry, Frozen Mango, Frozen Pineapple, Wildberry, Frozen Grand, and Patron Anejo margaritas. Prices currently range from $6.50 – $12.95.
In fact, you won’t even find ANY coffee here anymore. It’s all Margaritas, all the time. (Plus some beer, sangria, and roasted nuts, and Mickey pretzels!)
Boardwalk Joe's Current Menu
I’ll have to sample some of that sangria on my next visit!
BoardWalk Joe's Margaritas!
If you’re headed over to Epcot via the International Gateway, stop by BoardWalk Joe’s for a pre-World Showcase beverage.
And if you’re looking for more great sips, check out our Disney Margarita Gallery!
What do you think of BoardWalk Joe’s transformation? Does it fit the BoardWalk atmosphere? Tell us in the comments!
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Oh great, now where am I supposed to get a fresh cup of coffee at the boardwalk inn in the morning?
Any ideas????
Mitch — They do have coffee and pastries at Bellevue Lounge, and as soon as Boardwalk Bakery re-opens, that will be a perfect place to get coffee. But, yeah, I find it kind of strange to do this whole transformation. I guess they can make more money off of margaritas than coffee.
Just there on Sat. 3/9/13 they do have a set up for Coffee and Muffins in the am
Till the Bakery opens back up.
Boardwalk Joe’s – because the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the 1920/30s Atlantic seaside is… tequila. And of course everybody knows that “joe” is a common 1920s slag term for frozen margaritas. Oh wait… What an abomination of “theme” they’ve created here. The kiosk is now completely out both of place and time.
Oh Mike …..Have a margarita!
Nucky would approve.
This was definitely a money making move. Between Boardwalk Bakery re-opening and Starbucks taking residence in the Fountainview at Epcot, I doubt the kiosk would keep up.
Sorry, but the coffee there wasn’t that great either. Glad to see the change. (Oh, and Boardwalk is our go-to resort for our vacations.)
Warning..these are NOT margaritas. Unless they have completely changed their method/ingredients, these are nothing more than Slurpies or Slushees. I’m not even sure there is any alcohol in them. Do yourself a favor and go upstairs to the Belle Vue for a well-made classic cocktail or head in to La Cava for excellent margaritas. The Cabana Bar and Blue Zoo also have great, creative craft cocktails.
I’m just saying if they want to sell booze on the Boardwalk, they could at least try to make the stand fit the resort’s theme. Theme it to the era and sell classic cocktails (or at least sugary frozen versions of them). This conversion has the marketing dept written all over it, and is clearly a cheap money grab as it does not fit in with the story of the Boardwalk resort one bit.
I understand these frozen “margaritas” are extremely popular, but that doesn’t mean they belong everywhere. If a margarita stand popped up in the Japan pavilion at EPCOT, more people would be upset at how out of place it would be. But because this is at a resort instead, nobody cares?
Why spend thousands of dollars researching the era and making design decisions so the resort would really feel like the early-1900s Atlantic seaside only to ditch all of that 20 years later by adding something that is completely out of place for the era?
This place just sold me on the boardwalk inn.