Atmosphere of BWV...Please Describe...Party place?

[CindyTx]

Hello Disney friends,

Please...Do you best to describe the atmosphere of BWV. I have read many posts...some people say, "it is not for us." Others go on about how much they love it...So I wonder how we will react to it. We stayed at the Polynesian recently...and although I loved it there...it was a little quiet and boring at night.

Is BWV loud? More kids or adults? How would you describe it? How late does the action go on? Does it interfere with sleep?

Would you compare it to a Mardi Gras atmosphere? Is it a party place?

Thanks,

Cindy

 

[gppnj]

Every DVC resort has some people who love it and some people who don't care for it as much as others. Fortunately, few people think that any DVC resort is plain old bad.

If having too little to do at night is a concern, I think BWV would be a very good choice for you. Regardless of how you spent your day, it's easy to go back to BWV and then pop into EPCOT to catch Illuminations. If you've still got some energy after that, there's a hopping piano bar at BWV called Jellyrolls. There's also a dance place, though I haven't even been inside that, so I have no idea if that's any good or what goes on there. If you're a sports fan, you could also spend an evening at the ESPN bar/restaurant right at BWV.

 

[allshookup]

It is not loud, not a Mardi Gras atmosphere, & it won't interfere w/ your sleep. The boardwalk kiosks closed down at around 11pm when we were there. I enjoyed sitting on my balcony late at night, while the kids were sleeping, & watching all the people leaving Jellyrolls, Espn, etc. They weren't really loud though & I couldn't hear anything with the doors shut. So like gppnj said, there are places to go at night & have fun, but it is not wild.

 

[PinkTink63]

We loved BWV's! It is DH, DS-11, and myself. We had a BW view with a big balcony. It was really nice to sit out there at night and watch the people on the BW, the lake, and EPCOT. There was also a magician that performed in the lobby one night when we came in. I liked that there were things going on, but not too loud.
I don't know what it is like year round, but we were there in Aug.
Hope that helps!
Stephanie

 

[Luvmyfam3]

There's plenty to do, but it's still a family place!! We love it!!!

 

[crisi]

Its Disney, so there are plenty of families with kids of all ages. Its a little more hopping than OKW (affectionally called "the retirement home") We found the BW View to be noticably noisy, but not disturbingly noisy, and our standard view room only noisy during Illuminations.

 

[Beca]

I am one of the people that said I do not "love" the BWV atmosphere. And, saying why I don't is really hard...it's difficult to put my finger on it. It has less to do with the Boardwalk itself, and more to do with the ambience of the whole resort.

From the moment you pull up to the porte cochere....you know you are at a REALLY big resort. We have never found the valet to be not congested (okay, it was dead at 3:30 AM when we had to take our dd to the hospital). But, other than that, we have always found no less than 20 cars waiting in the valet area...it's crazy there!! They have a LOT of bellhops, and they are a busy brood!!!

Also, because all the amenities are outside the hotel, the lobby itself is fairly small, so there seems to be a great deal of congestion in the lobby. Personally, I don't think the "Screen Porch" is big enough for a resort that size, and so shopping in that store always makes me a little .

I also do not find ESPN to be very "Disney-ish". It can get very loud in the evenings, and I did not like walking past the somewhat intoxicated "20 somethings" to get to the hotel.

I also found that, because the pool is tucked away in the back of the resort, it felt like more of an "afterthought". When we would return every evening, we felt like "Busy...busy...busy....oh, look over there...there's a really great pool." It is a beautiful pool....but, it doesn't help to set the mood of the resort, as you have to go thru the resort to get there. In contrast, SAB is on the lake side of the pool, and the entire YC/BC "curves" around the pool complex. So, when we come back from Epcot, we always take the "leisurely" stroll thru the pool area to get to the lobby. And, when you are swimming at BCV, you get the wonderful views of Crescent lake, and the BWV across the way. At night, you can walk barefoot along the beach and relax in the lounge chairs.

There is something about the 'busy-ness" of BWV that adds to my "go-go-go" attitude at WDW....it like, when we stay at BWV, we never truly relax....it's too big, too crowded, too busy. But, there is something about BCV that gently coaxes, "Relax...take your shoes off...you have plenty of time..." Whenever I walk thru SAB to get to my room, I feel like I have just been "hugged". I'll be the first to say, I have a WEIRD affection for that resort.... , but somehow that place speaks to my soul!!!

There is nothing wrong with BWV...it is a BEAUTIFUL resort with a lot of great features going for it....I just find it difficult to relax there. My dh explained it best. He said, "Although I think the Boardwalk entertainment area is a nice place to go, it's not an area I want attached to my resort."



Beca

 

[slp87]

If you want to feel like you're in the middle of things, BWV is for you. We love being able to hop down to the BW and watch the goings on. My DD loves the entertainment. We've seen a clown, magician & someone doing rope tricks. It's a really fun atmosphere.

 

[Muushka]

We are die-hard VWL fans-get away from all the noise and relax kind of people. We will have our very first BWV experience in 2 months. We are treating our friends to at a week at a DVC and let them choose the place to stay.
I am glad they chose BWV, it will give us an opportunity to experience it.

Wish us luck!!!

 

[crisi]

We don't valet park, but we take cabs all the time and have never noticed congestion in the port cochere. And I read in the mornings and afternoons in the lobby and find it quite peaceful. So it may be a matter of timing, Beca. All our BWV stays have been in October.

But I find the ESPN Club to be - confusing. We don't go in it, but walk by it on our way to Epcot. Once we had an early PSB, and walked by while they were cleaning the ESPN Club - my husband and I both blanched at the smell of stale beer and smoke coming from that place. But we don't stay at BWV for the nightlife - so we aren't in ESPN or Jellyrolls.

 

[CapeCodFam]

I suggest taking an evening stroll (street performers begin at 7pm) to BWV using the International Gateway at the back of Epcot. You will get a feel for the atmosphere and still have time to go back into Epcot for the 9pm illuminations.

 

[Lisa F]

I wouldn't say it's a "party place" but I would say that it's festive. Maybe it's just because I'm the kind of person for whom a vacation is enhanced by other people. I like to talk to other people (yes, strangers!) on my vacations and I find the enjoyment of other people can be contageous. We don't have kids ourselves but I get "that feeling" when I see a little kid's eyes light up at something Disney. The BW has that kind of a thing. A lot of people enjoying themselves and it's got an incredibly festive atmosphere.

I never found it to be overcrowded anywhere and I don't think the pool is an afterthought. Not every disney resort is designed around its pool... in fact most are not. YC/BC may be but the boardwalk is designed around... well, the boardwalk! It always amazes me when people say that the BW is too "busy" as a resort because we always have stayed in standard rooms and have always found that once you retreat into the confines of the resort, it's just as quiet and peaceful as any other resort. IMO it's the best of both worlds... quiet throughout most of the resort but bustling down on the boardwalk. Our next stay we will be going for a BW view though, we've never had one before.

Our next stay is at VWL (early december) but now you are making me homesick for BWV.

 

[Beca]

I never found it to be overcrowded anywhere and I don't think the pool is an afterthought. Not every disney resort is designed around its pool... in fact most are not. YC/BC may be but the boardwalk is designed around... well, the boardwalk! It always amazes me when people say that the BW is too "busy" as a resort because we always have stayed in standard rooms and have always found that once you retreat into the confines of the resort, it's just as quiet and peaceful as any other resort. IMO it's the best of both worlds... quiet throughout most of the resort but bustling down on the boardwalk. .

I agree....the hallways and rooms themselves are VERY quiet. And, IMO, the Boarwalk has the prettiest decor of any of the rooms we have stayed in.



Beca

 

[Master Grayson]

Worst resort on WDW!! Super loooong hallways, very noisy, no place to park, always crowed, people leave trash in the halls!!!!!!! I could go on for days and days!!!!! Wouldn't stay there if you paid me!!!








p.s. BWV owner 9yrs. 520pts!

 

[Nimblethimble]

Worst resort on WDW!! Super loooong hallways, very noisy, no place to park, always crowed, people leave trash in the halls!!!!!!! I could go on for days and days!!!!! Wouldn't stay there if you paid me!!!

Add me to this bandwagon (BW owner since 2000). Yes, the place is a reeking, rowdy "Animal House" with half-dressed coeds running through the halls at 3am, chased by drunken Shriners. Snarly CMs from France and Belgium who make you feel guilty about asking for anything. And oh, how I hate going out on those BW view balconies...because you always feel like the inebriated riff-raff below is staring up at your wifes' curlers.

Yes, the BW is a tacky, family-unfriendly frat house with nothing to offer. All other DVCers should studiously avoid this dump, especially during the food and wine fesitival and any major holiday periods.