Where should we stay?!?

[pobaw81]

All,

Longtime lurker here, first time poster. My friend and I are planning a big-time, cost-doesn't-matter, let's-go-all-out trip to Disney in January of 2013. I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out the absolute best place for us to stay. And, as you can tell from the subject, I am having a hard time.

This will be my fifth time to Disney. I've previously stayed at the Polynesian (as a kid), All Star Movies, All Star Music, and CBR (the last three as an adult). Now that I have more money, I'd like to stay somewhere really nice, as I think this will be my last time at Disney for a while (Disney is a tough sell to my friends).

Right now, I am leaning toward booking at the Beach Club Villas. Let me explain the reasons why:

(1) My main goal is to avoid buses as much as possible, as I hate that aspect of Disney. Staying at BCV will allow us to walk to DHS and Epcot. We're athletic people, so we definitely enjoy walking long distances. (I hate the bus system so much that I will most likely walk to Epcot, take the monorail to TTC, and then take it to MK to avoid taking the bus there.)

(2) Stormalong Bay looks awesome, and I can't wait to swim there. Note, that we're from Boston so, even if it's 55/60 in Orlando at that time, we'll be swimming.

(3) The BCV all have balconies (right?), which is something I would really like.\

(4) The Villas have small kitchen areas, which will allow us to have a light breakfast (using the toaster) or a late night snack of popcorn (using the microwave). That is why I'd prefer the villa over the BC / YC.

(4) I had originally wanted to stay at BLT, but it looks like there's going to be a lot of construction going on at the Contemporary early next year.

(5) I love the whole Boardwalk area, and I think it will be awesome to stay there.

So, I guess my question for everyone here is this -- am I wrong on any of these points? Specifically, from what I've written above, do you think the the BC villas are the way to go? Or do people have other opinions? I would love to hear other thoughts on this subject.

The reason I'm so crazed about this issue is because, the last time we went, I made the mistake of not doing much research and booking at CBR. I hated staying there (mostly because of the transportation), and I don't want to make another mistake like that again.

I appreciate any help here. Sorry for making my first message so long!

 

[MMS1125]

The Poly would be my choice transportation wise but there's construction there early next year. I hadn't heard about construction at BLT but I don't really pay attention to that one since it's not on my list really to stay there.

Are you paying for a villa thru Disney or going to try and rent points? It'll be hard to find points probably but you could try Dave's or something and see if he has availability. Would save you a good bit of $$

 

[siskaren]

(1) My main goal is to avoid buses as much as possible, as I hate that aspect of Disney. Staying at BCV will allow us to walk to DHS and Epcot. We're athletic people, so we definitely enjoy walking long distances. (I hate the bus system so much that I will most likely walk to Epcot, take the monorail to TTC, and then take it to MK to avoid taking the bus there.)

I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but in order to do it this way, you would need to enter Epcot, which means you would need park hoppers.

 

[pobaw81]

Thanks. I didn't know that, but we will be getting hopper tickets.

 

[mmtwinmama]

(1) My main goal is to avoid buses as much as possible, as I hate that aspect of Disney. Staying at BCV will allow us to walk to DHS and Epcot. We're athletic people, so we definitely enjoy walking long distances. (I hate the bus system so much that I will most likely walk to Epcot, take the monorail to TTC, and then take it to MK to avoid taking the bus there.)

If you did this, Epcot would have to be open so if you wanted to get to MK prior to opening you won't be able to do it this way.
We did it the opposite way... Took monorail from MK to TTC to EP. But again you can only do that if EP is still open.

 

[polly p]

BCV are nice, we had first floor, no balcony. Didn't like it as much as BWV, had balcony, liked room decor better at BWV. Both pools were great.
But being on the boardwalk is our favorite and so much to do for an adult only trip. My DH doesn't like the bus system either and also would rather walk.
Have fun planning

 

[disneydom]

I have to say the BWV are top on my list ...I've stayed at a few others but for the location none can beat it !!

 

[MMrules]

I have stayed in BCV twice. Your positive points are right on!
Stormalong bay is great! Being close to the Boardwalk is fantastic! Walking to Epcot is easy and a great place to go daily for dinner. You can also take a boat to Hollywood Studios (this can be hairy in bad weather as they don't operate in rain) but it is also a decent walk if it isn't too hot.

That being said, my last stay at BCV was summer 2012 and there were some bus issues. The buses to DTD are horrible. WE waited for over an hour and saw many buses coming/going to other resorts 4, 5, 6 times. NOt sure if this was a one time error, but being there in a thunderstorm was very scary.

The bus to MK was fine IMO. The bus shares with YC and BWV so it can take a while but was ok.

THe bus to Animal Kingdom had YC, BC, BWV and swan/dolphin and also stopped at Blizzard beach. It did seem to be a fairly long drive there due to the bus stops. HOwever, I love Animal Kingdom so was willing to wait.

My only issue with a monorail resort is they have cut back many hours on the monorail operations. This means there always seems to be so many people waiting to get on to arrive at their destinations (and to get back on after fireworks is a horrific experience). Also, when the monorail breaks down there can be quite a wait. However, this may not happen so it isn't a deal breaker for me. I just feel what when shelling out all that money for a deluxe monorail resort I would like access to the monorail to be easy and not too long.

I think that Disney has cut back on transporation all around and there will always be flaws depending on where you stay. I go frequently and have noticed a decline in the level of transportation for the resorts. My first stay at BC the buses were only for BC, YC and BW. The swan/dolphin used to have their own buses.

I hope this helps you decide. I truly love the BCV, but just wanted you to be aware of some of the glitches in transportation. (I am from MA too, so swimming in the cold at Stormalong Bay was fine with us too )

 

[Pakey]

I have owned at BCV since they were built so I've had many stays here.

Are you planning to rent points? If so, January is a very popular time with members and you would need to do this soon to have a chance of finding availability.

The other question: are you and your friend sharing the bed? The sleeper sofa is not comfortable for an adult and the room is very cramped once you pull it out. I would advise against a villa in this case and recommend booking a room with 2 beds instead.

 

[pobaw81]

Thank you for all your helpful advice. I'm always amazed at how friendly people are on here. And that friendliness is, I think, truly emblematic of why I love Disney so much. Yes, WDW isn't real in the typical sense, but I love going to a place where people are friendly and everyone seems happy. It's how the world should be.

Anyway, @MMrules, thank you so much for the busing advice. That does sound pretty bad. To get to DTD, would you advise taking the bus from BC or trying to figure out another way (e.g. walk to Epcot, take the monorail to the TTC, and then switch to bus to DTD)? Or does that sound like too much hassle?

@Pakey, thank you so much. You pointed out something I didn't think of at all. We will not be staying in the same bed, so one of us would have to use the sofa. If it's truly not comfortable, we will probably move over to the Beach Club and just deal without the microwave / toaster.

Thanks again!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I agree with your choice. BCV are amazing!

-the pool is amazing
-Location to EPCOT/HS
-restaraunts
-gift shop is great
- walk to boardwalk
- any villa is great with kitchen/Kitchenette

and so much more....!!!!!

BC is one of my favorite resorts!!!

Have a great trip and enjoy wherever you stay!!

-FantasiaMagic

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thank you for all your helpful advice. I'm always amazed at how friendly people are on here. And that friendliness is, I think, truly emblematic of why I love Disney so much. Yes, WDW isn't real in the typical sense, but I love going to a place where people are friendly and everyone seems happy. It's how the world should be.

Anyway, @MMrules, thank you so much for the busing advice. That does sound pretty bad. To get to DTD, would you advise taking the bus from BC or trying to figure out another way (e.g. walk to Epcot, take the monorail to the TTC, and then switch to bus to DTD)? Or does that sound like too much hassle?

@Pakey, thank you so much. You pointed out something I didn't think of at all. We will not be staying in the same bed, so one of us would have to use the sofa. If it's truly not comfortable, we will probably move over to the Beach Club and just deal without the microwave / toaster.

Thanks again!

BCV's are great. We've stayed in them three times. The kitchen is great for breakfast as well as snacks and of course, any meal. There is a normal kitchen table to sit at. We like the large whirlpool tub in the master bathroom. And the washer/dryer in the closet is great to have.

We would frequently walk through Epcot to take the monorail to the MK. We hate buses, too.

 

[MMrules]

Thank you for all your helpful advice. I'm always amazed at how friendly people are on here. And that friendliness is, I think, truly emblematic of why I love Disney so much. Yes, WDW isn't real in the typical sense, but I love going to a place where people are friendly and everyone seems happy. It's how the world should be.

Anyway, @MMrules, thank you so much for the busing advice. That does sound pretty bad. To get to DTD, would you advise taking the bus from BC or trying to figure out another way (e.g. walk to Epcot, take the monorail to the TTC, and then switch to bus to DTD)? Or does that sound like too much hassle?

@Pakey, thank you so much. You pointed out something I didn't think of at all. We will not be staying in the same bed, so one of us would have to use the sofa. If it's truly not comfortable, we will probably move over to the Beach Club and just deal without the microwave / toaster.

Thanks again!

You are very welcome! I am praying that when I was there it was a fluke week, however, I have been hearing that buses have been a problem WDW wide. I am usually fine taking Disney transportation and don't complain about waiting. I am after all on vacation at my happy place and am very pleased to not be driving while on vacation (Esp. coming from MA where you know how the drivers are ).

As for DTD, it seems to be that it is a long bus ride from whatever resort you are at. I don't know how it would be to take the bus from a park to DTD, but that may be a better option. I think they stop at a waterpark too, which may not be an issue in January. If you are at DTD and it's daytime, maybe taking a bus back to a park is a better option. Another thought is to take the boat from DTD to either Saratoga Springs or Port Orleans and then catch a bus to Epcot or Hollywood studios. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but after the hour plus wait we had to go back to BC I wish we had tried to get another source of transportation. The second time I went to DTD it was better, but the ride to/from takes a while with all the stops. I guess I would just suggest to be prepared to wait a bit but at least you will have your friend to chat with (or have a cocktail with so the bus won't be an issue) .

On a positive note, it wasn't bad enough to stop me from staying at the BWV in February. The Beach Club villas are wonderful, CM's are super friendly and helpful and the resorts beauty is breathtaking!

There is a Beachclub and Villa's thread on here that is very helpful, has all the ins and outs of the resort and has amazing dis'ers!!!