Bay Lake Towers vs. Boardwalk

[nym4588]

I'm planning a surprise 60th birthday trip for my mother. This won't happen until January 2014 but it's never early to start thinking about things. I've been kicking around a few ideas and one of them is to rent DVC points. My mother hasn't been to WDW since the late 80s and I thought having something a little nicer than a moderate or value would make her trip extra special. I also love fact that it would put us closer to the theme parks cutting down on travel time, etc....

If I go the points route, I think I've narrowed my choices down to BLT and the Boardwalk (it would be a studio, still deciding between standard and preferred).

The Boardwalk is close to Epcot, my favorite park. Also, it's really pretty at night and it seems like there's a lot of things in that area.

BLT is close to the Magic Kingdom which is a park I like almost as much as Epcot. It's on the monorail line and I think that's pretty cool.

I guess I'm just looking for some opinions to help me make a decison. I also took a look at Old Key West if anyone has an opinion on that.

Oh, and one more thing. What is Club Level?

Thank you so much.

 

[PHLtoMCO]

Hi there!

I have never stayed at BLT so i cannot comment too much, but I have stayed at BW and it's my 2nd favorite Disney resort thus far (Poly being the first ) Anyway, you're right, the BW is beautiful at night. We love the theme (we are Atlantic City people) and they have fun stuff along the boardwalk such as games and performers. it's a short walk to Epcot and a short boat ride to HS. The bus ride to MK is not as much fun, at least not the last 2 times we went since we shared it with 4 other resorts and were the first stop picked up and the last to be dropped off. I have heard this varies based on busy seasons, or maybe it has changed altogether now. Hopefully! None the less, this does not stop us from staying there!

 

[moobar25]

What a nice daughter!
As for the resorts - I've stayed at BWV & I like it, as for BLT - first time staying there in Oct 12 - I'll let you know after. That said here are the things I know about each.
BWV:
+It is very close to Epcot, my favorite, and DHS for that matter. You can walk to both which is nice and you can avoid taking the busses. Epcot is about 5 min and DHS is 10-15min but it is a very nice stroll along the canal.
+There is a lot of things you can do on the boardwalk if you choose not to go to a park.
+If you want to go to MK there are 2 options: you can just walk through Epcot and take the monorail or take the bus (I prefer the monorail).
+The theme and decor is very nostalgic.
+If room faces the quiet pool - Fantasmic is visible.
-In order to get a snack or coffee in the am you have to go out onto the boardwalk (Bakery) & someone has to help you. In the am there is a line sometimes. The other thing is for refillable mugs - you bring the mug but they will give you coffee in a paper cup - they don't handle your mugs. For a snack & softdrinks during the day you can go to the pool bar. I'm used to the BCV where the marketplace is right there & it is self-service.
-There is only 1 set of elevators (2 or 3) for the entire DVC wing of the resort. So if you are on a higher floor it may get busy.

BLT: from what I know
+It is very close to MK, 5min walk.
+It is on the monorail, via CR, so easy access to Polynesian & Grand Floridian. As well as Epcot, transfer at Transportation Center.
+It is the newest DVC resort on property.
+Great views of Bay Lake and MK, can see wishes from most rooms or the Lounge on top floor.
-Similar to BWV, the place for coffee, snack & refillable mugs is in the CR (across the catwalk) or at the pool bar.
-There is no real theme to the resort - unlike most of the other resorts with distinct themes, it is simply a very sleek and modern resort. At least that's what it seems like. It feels cold

As far as the room types:
BWV:
Standard has views of the front entrance or parking lot.
Preferred has views of either Boardwalk or Pool/Garden (either main pool or quiet pool).
Unless you care about the view I would go for standard b/c it costs less points.
BLT:
Theme Park has views of MK (faces the monorail) from about 4th floor up.
Lake view has views of Bay Lake (faces the lake & pool) - from about 4th floor up.
Standard (this is where I'm staying) are the rooms from ground floor up to the 4th floor, but faces either side of resort. So if you are on the side facing the monorail you can still see Wishes and MK - just the view isn't as nice as higher floors. I opted for this b/c less points and may still have a nice view if lucky.

If you want to see more info on both resorts check out this site:
http://dvcnews.com/index.php/resorts
The nice feature if the room finder. It lets you either enter a room number to find info on it (including balcony view photos) or you can search for room type(s).

I hope this helps!

 

[moobar25]

This may be helpful for BLT:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2257082

 

[moobar25]

Helpful for BWV:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2453887

 

[emmysmommy]

This may be helpful for BLT:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2257082

This is very helpful! I've used it many times.

As for Club Level - it is the concierge level floors/service and has snack and beverage options throughout the day, including a continental type breakfast. They have an itinterary planning department that assists with gifts, ADRs, and any other requests. You have a separate guest registration area for CL guests and other perks such as turn=down service (at least at BC there was.) There is another thread dedicated just to CL here. The villas don't offer a CL option - you would need to book either CR or BWI to get CL.

What a great gift and wonderful memories for your mom. Happy planning!

 

[DebbieB]

BLT studios are very small.

OKW studios are the only with 2 queens, the others are 1 queen and 1 double sofabed.

Club level is only available at AKV and there are only 5 studios available. There is a lounge with a free continental breakfast, snacks throughout the day and appetizers at night. Daily housekeeping is included there.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

BLT studios are very small.

Yes... small, small...

If you want 2 actual beds, the only DVC Studio option for you is OKW. All others have a Queen & a pull out sofa. OKW is a very different experience from BLT & BWV. Very laid back. We love it but it is different.

If you don't mind the pull-out, I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. It will just depend on what you prefer to do/where you prefer to be. That said, depending on your dates for January, it can be very difficult to get a BLT res even from someone who has home resort priority.

If you do got the DVC route, availability may end up being your deciding factor.

 

[nym4588]

Thank you so much, everyone! Everyone here is so helpful!

I didn't even think about it being harder to get a reservation in January. But of course it would be since the points would be lower. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed when the time comes! I think I am leaning towards trying for the resort closest to Epcot.

If I can't get a reservation somewhere, I can always go with something that isn't a time share. I think the Pirates rooms at the CBR are pretty cool, actually. (Huge POTC fan here...not so sure about mom!)

I don't have a problem sleeping on a pull-out sofa. Any idea on how comfortable they are?

 

[michigankevin]

I definitely like Boardwalk over BLT, the closeness to EPCOT, DHS, and Boardwalk shops is the difference for me.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I don't have a problem sleeping on a pull-out sofa. Any idea on how comfortable they are?

I don't think they are bad. Not as squishy as a real bed but not the bar-in-the-middle-of-your-back sort of pull-outs either.

 

[gopfans]

We like them both. If Epcot is your favorite go for Boardwalk. It is really nice to be able to hop over to world showcase for dinner. You can go every night and eat something different.

Just make sure you book early for January. Trips around Marathon weekend and MLK will be busy. By 7 months out many studios were sold out for Marathon this January.

 

[mkoerner]

We own at BLT and are not impressed with anything but the location. The rooms are small and modern, but if you want to have a very quiet stay, then BLT is for you. My vote is for BW because there is so much more going on over there, it's a lot of fun. Bus transportation to MK, AK, and DTD can be pretty cumbersome at times though.

 

[Sammie]

If you are getting a studio, definitely Boardwalk, as others stated they are very small.

 

[moobar25]

I was looking at DVC availability for January - thinking of a cruise & land option.
So BW is booked for studios for marathon weekend. But plenty of room starting the monday after.
I don't know about other resorts - but if I were you I'd start looking into booking something sooner than later.

Oh by the way - the pull out sofas are ok. Dh & I slept on one for a week - no problems.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm planning a surprise 60th birthday trip for my mother. This won't happen until January 2014 but it's never early to start thinking about things. I've been kicking around a few ideas and one of them is to rent DVC points. My mother hasn't been to WDW since the late 80s and I thought having something a little nicer than a moderate or value would make her trip extra special. I also love fact that it would put us closer to the theme parks cutting down on travel time, etc....

If I go the points route, I think I've narrowed my choices down to BLT and the Boardwalk (it would be a studio, still deciding between standard and preferred).

The Boardwalk is close to Epcot, my favorite park. Also, it's really pretty at night and it seems like there's a lot of things in that area.

BLT is close to the Magic Kingdom which is a park I like almost as much as Epcot. It's on the monorail line and I think that's pretty cool.

I guess I'm just looking for some opinions to help me make a decison. I also took a look at Old Key West if anyone has an opinion on that.

Oh, and one more thing. What is Club Level?

Thank you so much.

Is it just the two of you? Then a BLT studio might not be too bad. But if you have more than two adults, you'll want a bigger studio. Or a one bedroom. But even the one bedroom villas still only have one bed, a king sized bed in the master bedroom, and a queen sleeper sofa in the living room. BLT, AKV (not the value villas) and OKW have an additional twin sized sleeper chair in the living room.

 

[nym4588]

Thank you again for all of the great information. I did a little research on the marathon weekend just to see what crowds and traffic might be like. If I want to book a DVC Boardwalk studio for January 2014, I would try to make sure I do it no less than 10-11 months in advance.

Something else I've noticed is that Disney has done room discounts and free dining plans in previous slow months. It might make sense to book a non-DVC room through Disney at a moderate if either the room discount or the free DDP is available. Although I'd be willing to pay a little extra for the convenience of staying at the Boardwalk. I love the idea of being able to walk to the parks.

I also like that the BW villas have a mini-fridge. I could be wrong but you'd have to pay extra for this at a moderate, correct? My little sister lives close to Universal Studios so the first day we'll be there, I plan on having her take us to Wal-mart or Publix to pick up some things. The fridge would come in handy.

 

[nym4588]

Is it just the two of you? Then a BLT studio might not be too bad. But if you have more than two adults, you'll want a bigger studio. Or a one bedroom. But even the one bedroom villas still only have one bed, a king sized bed in the master bedroom, and a queen sleeper sofa in the living room. BLT, AKV (not the value villas) and OKW have an additional twin sized sleeper chair in the living room.

Yep, just the two of us. A nice mommy/daughter trip. I think I'll be fine on a pull out sofa. Last month I went home for a vacation and spent the week sleeping on a futon. I thought it was pretty comfortable and I'd assume a sleeper sofa would be comparable. Maybe I'll ask them to sprinkle Pixie Dust on it!

 

[Missyrose]

Thank you again for all of the great information. I did a little research on the marathon weekend just to see what crowds and traffic might be like. If I want to book a DVC Boardwalk studio for January 2014, I would try to make sure I do it no less than 10-11 months in advance.

Something else I've noticed is that Disney has done room discounts and free dining plans in previous slow months. It might make sense to book a non-DVC room through Disney at a moderate if either the room discount or the free DDP is available. Although I'd be willing to pay a little extra for the convenience of staying at the Boardwalk. I love the idea of being able to walk to the parks.

I also like that the BW villas have a mini-fridge. I could be wrong but you'd have to pay extra for this at a moderate, correct? My little sister lives close to Universal Studios so the first day we'll be there, I plan on having her take us to Wal-mart or Publix to pick up some things. The fridge would come in handy.

Basically you would have to gamble one way or the other. Locking in a DVC rental 11 months out would likely be non-refundable. So your best bet would be to price out the mod with various discounts (room-only, free dining) and see if either could be a better deal (if the discounts are even offered). Even then, BWV would be a massive upgrade in location for what is probably comparable cost.

 

[knnrock]

What is OKW?