Anyone else not fans of BCV?

[Fivesacharm]

Love BCV when we stayed there for the first time this July...only thing we didn't like is how much walking you do when staying at the villas...other than that, we loved the pool and the proximity to Epcot and Hollywood Studios is awesome!

 

[crisi]

The one thing I really didn't like that hasn't been mentioned is that from the villas, you cut across the lobby to get to SAB. So I'm in my swimsuit strolling through the BC lobby - not comfortable! The year we stayed, I'd forgotten to pack a coverup - and at a different resort I wouldn't have bothered to buy one - but I own a coverup from BC because I wouldn't walk through that lobby with my tooshy hanging out of my swimsuit.

We found SAB to be disappointing - by the time the kids were old enough for the "don't have to watch them every minute" swimming that makes SAB a non-greying experience, they were old enough (and strong enough swimmers) that they wanted to be having a limited supervision experience at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Geez....now this thread has me re-thinking my plans for next summer. We have never stayed at BCV and really want to try it out. We are taking some friends who have been to WDW before, but don't get to go often. We are planning 8-9 nights in a 2BR. I was hoping to avoid a split stay, but now I worry that we may be disappointed if we do the full week at BCV. DS will be 8 and our friend's son will be almost 10 and both are great swimmers, so I think they would really enjoy SAB. I know we would love the proximity to Epcot. They stayed at BWV for 1 night this past spring while we were there for part of spring break and they loved it.

I guess we could always do half the trip at BCV and the other half at Kidani, but we have done split stays the last two long trips and were hoping for a break. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions..... Or maybe we do a repeat visit at BWV....hmmmmm.....

 

[Murron]

We prefer BWV for view. But BCV is also wonderful. You may not get a great patio view, and if you don't like SAB, you have a wonderful quiet pool along with proximity to Epcot and HS. At least it has people, activity, a beach, and things to do....unlike some other boring dvc resorts which I will not name because ... well because its the disboards.

 

[NoleFan]

Geez....now this thread has me re-thinking my plans for next summer. We have never stayed at BCV and really want to try it out. We are taking some friends who have been to WDW before, but don't get to go often. We are planning 8-9 nights in a 2BR. I was hoping to avoid a split stay, but now I worry that we may be disappointed if we do the full week at BCV. DS will be 8 and our friend's son will be almost 10 and both are great swimmers, so I think they would really enjoy SAB. I know we would love the proximity to Epcot. They stayed at BWV for 1 night this past spring while we were there for part of spring break and they loved it.

I guess we could always do half the trip at BCV and the other half at Kidani, but we have done split stays the last two long trips and were hoping for a break. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions..... Or maybe we do a repeat visit at BWV....hmmmmm.....

We love BCV. I just would not recommend it for younger kids or those who are not good swimmers. We also like the water parks. However, there is something nice about not leaving your resort and enjoying all it has to offer. We were at Aquatica this summer and bumping into people in the rapids and some days they closed due to crowds. We own @ BCV specifically for our summer visits when we plan to spend the whole day at the pool. We are not big view people- we enjoy having a nice view from our room but it is not a deal breaker.

We stayed a night this summer @ Kidani & it was OK. Not nearly as good of a pool experience as SAB. Perhaps personal preference.

Since your kids are good swimmers & older in age, I think you will enjoy it. The beauty of DVC is that there is something for everyone. I think for any resort you will find some that love or hate it.

 

[Kidanifan08]

We stayed a night this summer @ Kidani & it was OK. Not nearly as good of a pool experience as SAB. Perhaps personal preference.

Heyyyy. . . I am KIDANIFAN08 . . . how dare you post neutral comments about my home resort while quoting me!!!

The beauty of DVC is that there is something for everyone. I think for any resort you will find some that love or hate it.

Just kidding . . . you're right . . . there is something for everyone. We truly love our home resort at AKV/Kidani. We had a car on our last visit, and it was so easy to get to everywhere (except for MK; which is difficult to get to from all DVC except BLT) and it was nice having under-building parking. And even without the car, we rally don't find the bus rides from AKV to be much longer than the other resorts. We love the large rooms and the large balcony. We love the quiet, peaceful savanna view and the beautiful pool area. As able-bodied 40-somethings, we don't mind the hallways and the walk to Jambo. Of the other DVC resorts, BWV-BW view is a very close second for us.

I appreciate your feedback. I really do want to try BCV, and may still try to do that next summer. I am definitely intrigued by SAB and after staying at BWV, we know we love the area.

The main thing is that I really want our friends to have a memorable experience from this trip, and having coffee on the balcony while watching zebra, giraffe and Okapi is something you remember and talk about for a very long time. Sitting on a balcony looking at trees . . . not so much!

 

[mdinme]

We loved kidani, but the kids were 6/9 at the time. Now we are all on a bcv kick big time.

 

[RooRach0906]

OP here ~ Glad to hear we are not the only ones.

When we were their the pool was not busy and we could always find a chair. SAB was cool our daughter loved the slides. Yes our 3 year old went down the big long slide and asked to do it again many times. I can see how it would be hard with more than one child.

We did love the location but prefer BWV for that.

I am glad that DVC does have something to offer everyone. ♡

 

[NoleFan]

Heyyyy. . . I am KIDANIFAN08 . . . how dare you post neutral comments about my home resort while quoting me!!!

LOL... I realized your screen name after I wrote it. Thanks for being a good sport about it. I liked the buses for Kidani. The rooms were nice & parking good. We had standard view & enjoyed the views from the lobby. I think we would have enjoyed Jambo better. We are foodies & really enjoyed Boma. We also are big pool people & the pool was nice but we like the feel of the BW area. Being able to be in the pool & look out at the water & boats vs. savanna. Preference I guess ??

Anyhow, whatever you decide, enjoy it & thanks for the laughs.

 

[Hibernians]

forgot to mention the convenience of Hurricane Hannah's. Not only do they serve cocktails, but you can also grab a lunch or a snack; both of which are on the dining plan. This is a great feature that some other resort pools do not offer; plus you can never overlook the splendid Beaches & Cream, again, something else that some of the resorts do not offer near poolside.

 

[LSchrow]

Geez....now this thread has me re-thinking my plans for next summer. ... DS will be 8 and our friend's son will be almost 10 and both are great swimmers, so I think they would really enjoy SAB. I know we would love the proximity to Epcot. They stayed at BWV for 1 night this past spring while we were there for part of spring break and they loved it.

I guess we could always do half the trip at BCV and the other half at Kidani, but we have done split stays the last two long trips and were hoping for a break. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions..... Or maybe we do a repeat visit at BWV....hmmmmm.....

just mho, but if your friends loved the BWVs, everyone is excited about the close proximity of 2 parks, and you are all together having fun, why change your reservation?
the worst case scenario might just be that you all have a fantastic time trying a different resort, some might actually find that the BCV is their new favorite resort, others might find that they still prefer their old favorite - but no one will ever know without trying.
think of your favorite ice cream flavor.....you found out it was your favorite by trying lots of others, right? you might have even had a different favorite before you tried that one.
i know there are very few ice cream flavors i would likely never eat again (especially if i like the brand's product - like DVC), and some that i enjoy more now than i did years ago.
enjoy your just desserts, whatever or wherever they are


oh my goodness, that did sound very forrest gump-like, didn't it?

 

[crisi]

Geez....now this thread has me re-thinking my plans for next summer. We have never stayed at BCV and really want to try it out. We are taking some friends who have been to WDW before, but don't get to go often. We are planning 8-9 nights in a 2BR. I was hoping to avoid a split stay, but now I worry that we may be disappointed if we do the full week at BCV. DS will be 8 and our friend's son will be almost 10 and both are great swimmers, so I think they would really enjoy SAB. I know we would love the proximity to Epcot. They stayed at BWV for 1 night this past spring while we were there for part of spring break and they loved it.

I guess we could always do half the trip at BCV and the other half at Kidani, but we have done split stays the last two long trips and were hoping for a break. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions..... Or maybe we do a repeat visit at BWV....hmmmmm.....

Yep, this thread is specifically for people who aren't huge fans - there are plenty of people who do love it. And you won't know until you try.

And not being a huge fan didn't mean I hated it - there were just a bunch of things about it that I didn't like - there were some nice pluses about it.

I liked the dining room table set up - we are BWV owners and I like the bench table better than the little table that floats out there that BWV has.

They have all these little sitting areas that are very nice - underused and very pleasant.

The Marketplace provides a wider selection of sandwiches and quick meals than you'll get at any other DVC resort except perhaps SSR - and has convienence in its favor (SSR's is a hike from much of the resort.)

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yep, this thread is specifically for people who aren't huge fans - there are plenty of people who do love it. And you won't know until you try.

And not being a huge fan didn't mean I hated it - there were just a bunch of things about it that I didn't like - there were some nice pluses about it.....

Agreed. If the post had been "Anyone Else Not a Fan Of BWV", I would have posted there.

 

[Disneyhappy]

Geez....now this thread has me re-thinking my plans for next summer. We have never stayed at BCV and really want to try it out. We are taking some friends who have been to WDW before, but don't get to go often. We are planning 8-9 nights in a 2BR. I was hoping to avoid a split stay, but now I worry that we may be disappointed if we do the full week at BCV. DS will be 8 and our friend's son will be almost 10 and both are great swimmers, so I think they would really enjoy SAB. I know we would love the proximity to Epcot. They stayed at BWV for 1 night this past spring while we were there for part of spring break and they loved it.

I guess we could always do half the trip at BCV and the other half at Kidani, but we have done split stays the last two long trips and were hoping for a break. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions..... Or maybe we do a repeat visit at BWV....hmmmmm.....

I wouldn't split your stay. The boys are a great age for SAB. I've never smelled any car fumes, nor have I even heard a car. There will be much more walking at Kidani with wasted travel time to EP and DHS. Some views may not be optimal so you need to weigh that factor to your preferences. We love when we get a pool or Illuminations view but we also don't spend much time on our balcony.

 

[Kidanifan08]

just mho, but if your friends loved the BWVs, everyone is excited about the close proximity of 2 parks, and you are all together having fun, why change your reservation?
the worst case scenario might just be that you all have a fantastic time trying a different resort, some might actually find that the BCV is their new favorite resort, others might find that they still prefer their old favorite - but no one will ever know without trying.

Yep, this thread is specifically for people who aren't huge fans - there are plenty of people who do love it. And you won't know until you try.

Agreed. If the post had been "Anyone Else Not a Fan Of BWV", I would have posted there.

I wouldn't split your stay. The boys are a great age for SAB. I've never smelled any car fumes, nor have I even heard a car. There will be much more walking at Kidani with wasted travel time to EP and DHS. Some views may not be optimal so you need to weigh that factor to your preferences. We love when we get a pool or Illuminations view but we also don't spend much time on our balcony.

Thanks for the feedback. I would probably post in the "Anyone else not a fan of BLT", even though there are things that we like about that place.

We have been very enthusiastic about trying out BCV, and I think we will go for it. I wanted to stay there this summer with my brother's family, but they were dead set on staying at BLT and AKV. Now I hope we are lucky enough to get a 2BR at the 7 month mark. It was available this summer at 7 months, so hopefully next year will be the same. And I think we will try to do the entire 7-8 nights in one place. We need a break from the split stays.

 

[Bullseye]

Thanks for the feedback. I would probably post in the "Anyone else not a fan of BLT", even though there are things that we like about that place.

We have been very enthusiastic about trying out BCV, and I think we will go for it. I wanted to stay there this summer with my brother's family, but they were dead set on staying at BLT and AKV. Now I hope we are lucky enough to get a 2BR at the 7 month mark. It was available this summer at 7 months, so hopefully next year will be the same. And I think we will try to do the entire 7-8 nights in one place. We need a break from the split stays.

Thanks Kidanifan08, initially this thread had me second guessing our first stay at BC next summer as well. I was just worried with some of the responses here that 10 nights there would too much. Fortunately your initial post drew out some good responses to"remain calm and give BC a chance". We have been doing split stays the last couple years between BLT and Kidani, so we were really looking forward to BC this year. Epcot is my favorite and DD's were really looking forward to SAB.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Thanks Kidanifan08, initially this thread had me second guessing our first stay at BC next summer as well. I was just worried with some of the responses here that 10 nights there would too much. Fortunately your initial post drew out some good responses to"remain calm and give BC a chance". We have been doing split stays the last couple years between BLT and Kidani, so we were really looking forward to BC this year. Epcot is my favorite and DD's were really looking forward to SAB.

We've done the BLT/AKV split the past two years, which is a great combination, but we are just ready to unpack and stay for 8 days. We have an OL, which makes the split stays more complicated. We love Epcot, even DS7, so I think it will be great to be able to walk to Epcot. We've stayed at BWV a few times and love the area, and it is nice that BCV is just a short walk away.

 

[wildernessDad]

We've stayed at BCV once and were greeted by fantastic staff at check in. I've never had such a warm and friendly greeting. It made my stay, actually. I'm a fan of the Cape May Cafe character breakfast personally, so BCV is aok with me.