I say stay at The Boardwalk Inn!
Here's a picture of a room in the Inn, which are much prettier than the rooms on the villa side.
We LOVE the Boardwalk. We stayed at The Swan a couple of months ago, the room was recently renovated and it was very nice.
I didn't like that there was no ceiling fan and the view was horrible. It's hard to explain where our room was but even the worse view at the Boardwalk is still a pretty good view!
I also like a balcony because I like to be able to open something and get some fresh air. Some Dolphin and Swan rooms have balconies and good views. I went for the cheapest rate, with the Teacher's discount.
Even with that great rate, I don't THINK I will stay there again.
I'd have to pay more to get a balcony and a better view, or jump through hoops like it seems so many people do to get the room they want at the Dolphin and Swan.
We are ALWAYS happy when we stay at The Boardwalk.
I've had to ask to change my room there a few times but have always ended up very pleased.
One room was VERY far away from the elevators and the balcony was right above some machinery, around the side of the ESPN Club. You could see Epcot though!
The CM checking us in suggested we go see the room first and decide if it was too far away. I had heard about some of the rooms being so far but I thought it wouldn't be a big deal.
It WAS VERY FAR! That, and being right over the A/C units or whatever they were, made us decide to choose another location.
We ended up in a beautiful room overlooking the courtyard with a view of the Eiffel Tower and Illuminations at night, that's a standard view.
We also love the Belle Vue Room (the lounge) in the Boardwalk.
It stormed on Christmas Eve. We had a fantastic dinner downstairs in the Flying Fish and then spent the rest of the night playing Scrabble in the lounge. It was beautifully decorated and warm and cozy.
I have gotten great deals renting studios on the Villa side of the Boardwalk and will continue to do that when I can. This is done through the DVC rent/trade board.
Otherwise, I will search for good deals and stay at the Inn.
If you have any more questions, I'll be happy to answer them!