BCV or BWV 1 bedroom in Oct?

[ktate82]

We own at AKL and are looking to book a 1 bedroom in Oct. We love AKL and will be fine with staying there, but we were wanting to try something new. We would prefer BCV just for the pool (both kids and DH were a bit taken aback by the clown pool). What are the odds that we could get a 1 bedroom at BCV or BWV? Should we wait till March and try to book one of them or just go ahead and book our AKL? We will have to borrow points and AKL would require more points so was just trying to avoid borrowing too many.

 

[paults]

Oct is food and wine time and both BCV/BWV will be very hard to find something. You should book your home now and switch later. Even if you have to borrow for AKV 1bed room you can try to switch at 7 months and us the borrowed pts first thus still having some of your present UY pts left. IMO I wouldn't count on getting into BCV/BWV during that time unless you take what they might have and do a split ressie .
The 1 bedrooms at BCV/BWV are 29 pts and at AKV 31 weekday. I would not count on a standard view at BWV.

 

[CarolMN]

BWV - Pool/Garden will most likely have the best availability when your window opens. I think that will be especially true in 2016 due to the BCV rehab scheduled to begin shortly. The BWV rehab should be done by then. IMO, there would be almost a zero chance of getting BWV standard or BWV Boardwalk view.

Remember that both the BWV and the BCV 1 bedrooms only have a king bed in the bedroom and a queen sleep sofa in the living room and 1 bathroom. The bathroom is divided, though. At the BWV, Sink and jacuzzi tub are in one room (and which also is the only access to the large MB closet). The other room has the shower and toilet & sink. The room with the toilet has a door to the room with the tub and a door to the living / kitchen area. I'm not totally sure of the layout of the bathroom in the BCV 1 bedrooms.

If you are OK with either Kidani standard or Kidani savanna view at AKV or even OKW or SSR, my advice would be to try for what you really want at 7 months and then book a back up if you can't get it UNLESS you are traveling over the Columbus Day weekend or week that includes Columbus Day. It will be faster to just book online at 7 months than it will be to cancel a reservation and then book what you want. F&W time is very popular and any availability at the EPCOT resorts tends to disappear very, very quickly once the 7 month window opens. If you are traveling over Columbus Day, you may not be able to find all of your nights at BCV or BWV at 7 months, so you may want a back up. Perhaps book somewhere that costs the same or less than what you really want so that you don't have to worry about stranded points that borrowed and set to expire at the end of the use year.

HTH.

 

[drusba]

Based on what i have seen last three years, chances will likely vary based on time in Oct you are considering. For BWV pool garden view 1BR, chances should be fairly good if arrival date is Oct 1 but will diminsh quickly thereafter and will be very low if start date is any time between Oct 5 (Wednesday before Columbus Day) and 20. they should improve significantly if start date is Oct 23 or after. Chances are low for boardwalk or standard view throughout most of the month except you might be able to get lucly that last week of Oct.

For BCV, your chances are better with a very early Oct start date but thereafter likely not good. And BCV may still be under refurbishment then, meaning rooms will be scheduled to be out of service when you attempt to reserve, likely reducing chances for getting BCV even early October. In any event, you may want to avoid BCV if you want to avoid construction noise.

As to booking AKV now, be aware that 1BRs there in savanna or standard view at Jambo have some risk of disappearing before 7 months out for a couple days during Columbus Day weekend and weekend after. If you want to avoid the borrowing too much issue, you might want to consider booking all but one of the nights you need at AKV during the 11 month window and then you will need to add only one night if you cannot switch at 7 months out.

 

[horselover]

I'm a BCV owner. You didn't ask (it's not allowed anyway) but I looked at availability. 1 BRs will be the easiest to reserve but still not easy. As of now 1 BRs are wide open for the month of Oct except 10/9. However, that doesn't mean it will remain that way once the 7 mo. window opens up. You might have a shot but if you're going to try be on the phone at exactly 9:00 a.m. on your 7 mo. booking date. I doubt you'll be able to score a BW or standard view but a 1 BR pool/garden at BWV is a possibility. As PPs have said if it were me & I knew I was definitely going I'd book something at my home resort & then try to switch. Good luck! BCV is the best at F&W. That's why I bought there.

 

[lovin'fl]

If you don't book at AKV now you can go online at 8am of 7 month window and try to book. Waiting to call in at 9am and to change from AKV might be an hour too long. AKV should still be available if you can't get one of the Epcot resorts. As long as you're not picky about view or Jambo versus Kidani. Then just waitlist the Epcot resorts.

 

[ktate82]

Thanks for all the replies. We prefer Kidani (for the same points, we want the extra bathroom and love the pool). We are looking at checking in either Sept 30 or Oct 1 (depending on flight costs and we have to wait till Southwest releases flights in Feb) and checking out on the 8th. So it's the week before Columbus Day, and based on all of the comments, I'm hopeful to get something. If we can't get into either BCV or BWV, then we will be happy with Kidani. We were just wanting to stay somewhere different if we had the chance. I plan to be online at the 7 month mark and book what ever I can.

 

[crisi]

My vote:

If BW is open with either standard or Boardwalk view - grab it - that is a lightening strike at that time of year.

If not, grab BCV, they are harder to get into than the BWV rooms most times, so next time you move, you are more likely to have a chance of BW.

Then BW preferred.

I like BWV myself better, but a lot of people really do like the Beach Club, and as a smaller resort, its harder to get any room at all there, so if you can get it then, try it out.

 

[Lisa F]

I have owned DVC since 1998 at BWV but haven't used it for a while due to personal life issues (divorce). The dust finally settled and last September I took my then 6 year old son on a trip and we stayed at BLT and it was PURE MAGIC... mommy and son with no distractions and really the best trip of my life. We had a lake view studio but had full view of the fireworks from our balcony and with a 6 year old and me being a now single mom it was great being able to go to the MK from BLT. Heavenly! There were many tears at the end of the trip with kiddo so I promised him we'd go in another 2 years (single mom, best I can swing). Well now it is time to book that, and I have next december 3-10 booked in a garden view studio and have BW view studio and standard 1br on waitlist... really don't need 1br with just the two of us I guess but I have the points to burn since we go so infrequently so figured might as well use them (exh and I have worked out amicable agreement to share the contract but still have some points to burn).

I was thinking of maybe trying to switch at BCV at the 7 month window just for the stormalong bay pool... my kid loves water parks and the like. How long is the rehab running? And the boardwalk rehab is done (or will be done by dec 2016)? I would do a studio or a 1br honestly, just have not decided where to stay. It is really "BWV is my heart and roots" (it is what made us buy in way back when) and it has been years since I have stayed there really (took a long break of renting points during turmoil and before that we were at BLT for a couple of trips... really can't remember the last time I stayed there!) plus it is freshly rehabbed, and I just love the fun atmosphere of the boardwalk.

BCV, my kid loves swimming and water slides and water parks and loves a good lazy river. He would not be freaked out by the clown though and the BLT pool is nothing to write home about either so no worries about disappointing either way. Beaches and cream (which is technically still pretty convenient at BWV I guess) would be a big hit. We live on Martha's Vineyard and the kid is crazy for lighthouses and I think he'd get a huge kick out of seeing the little MV snack place at BC.

finally, could someone who owns at BCV check that week availability for me? maybe that is a pipe dream anyway but there is sometimes some movement right at 7 months when people switch resorts around. I had originally had fantasies of trying to get into the poly during that time but after talking to kiddo he is excited about BWV and doing something different and being closest to his favorite fireworks (originally he wanted BLT again, he is on the spectrum so sometimes gets fixated on wanting things the same but has since come around to the idea of boardwalk in the week since I booked it, lol). I haven't mentioned BC at all to him.

I used to have all this stuff down and went multiple times in a year and now am very rusty! The trip two septembers ago was so amazing that I feel under the gun to make this one equally amazing but again I feel so out of the loop now it is crazy compared to how I used to be. So sorry if I sound like a complete loon. I know I still have 3+ months to decide but would love opinions. After this trip I am not sure I can promise another one in another 2 years and even if so it will probably be a break trip. Last trip had the halloween stuff and this one has the christmas, so trying to be as magical as possible!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have owned DVC since 1998 at BWV but haven't used it for a while due to personal life issues (divorce). The dust finally settled and last September I took my then 6 year old son on a trip and we stayed at BLT and it was PURE MAGIC... mommy and son with no distractions and really the best trip of my life. We had a lake view studio but had full view of the fireworks from our balcony and with a 6 year old and me being a now single mom it was great being able to go to the MK from BLT. Heavenly! There were many tears at the end of the trip with kiddo so I promised him we'd go in another 2 years (single mom, best I can swing). Well now it is time to book that, and I have next december 3-10 booked in a garden view studio and have BW view studio and standard 1br on waitlist... really don't need 1br with just the two of us I guess but I have the points to burn since we go so infrequently so figured might as well use them (exh and I have worked out amicable agreement to share the contract but still have some points to burn).

I was thinking of maybe trying to switch at BCV at the 7 month window just for the stormalong bay pool... my kid loves water parks and the like. How long is the rehab running? And the boardwalk rehab is done (or will be done by dec 2016)? I would do a studio or a 1br honestly, just have not decided where to stay. It is really "BWV is my heart and roots" (it is what made us buy in way back when) and it has been years since I have stayed there really (took a long break of renting points during turmoil and before that we were at BLT for a couple of trips... really can't remember the last time I stayed there!) plus it is freshly rehabbed, and I just love the fun atmosphere of the boardwalk.

BCV, my kid loves swimming and water slides and water parks and loves a good lazy river. He would not be freaked out by the clown though and the BLT pool is nothing to write home about either so no worries about disappointing either way. Beaches and cream (which is technically still pretty convenient at BWV I guess) would be a big hit. We live on Martha's Vineyard and the kid is crazy for lighthouses and I think he'd get a huge kick out of seeing the little MV snack place at BC.

finally, could someone who owns at BCV check that week availability for me? maybe that is a pipe dream anyway but there is sometimes some movement right at 7 months when people switch resorts around. I had originally had fantasies of trying to get into the poly during that time but after talking to kiddo he is excited about BWV and doing something different and being closest to his favorite fireworks (originally he wanted BLT again, he is on the spectrum so sometimes gets fixated on wanting things the same but has since come around to the idea of boardwalk in the week since I booked it, lol). I haven't mentioned BC at all to him.

I used to have all this stuff down and went multiple times in a year and now am very rusty! The trip two septembers ago was so amazing that I feel under the gun to make this one equally amazing but again I feel so out of the loop now it is crazy compared to how I used to be. So sorry if I sound like a complete loon. I know I still have 3+ months to decide but would love opinions. After this trip I am not sure I can promise another one in another 2 years and even if so it will probably be a break trip. Last trip had the halloween stuff and this one has the christmas, so trying to be as magical as possible!

The BCV refurb is currently scheduled to go thru mid-Aug but BWV was supposed to be done sooner than it will be so hard to say. Still, most should be done by Dec. However, the week you are going is the most popular DVC booking week and the odds of switching to BCV for a week are very small. There is a resort availability tool on the website so that any owner of any resort can see the availability up to 11 months out so you can keep an eye on it yourself. It's under the Plan Vacations tab. Even if the room were not available you could waitlist and cross your fingers. But, as you noted Beaches and Cream is very accessible to BWV - you can walk over or catch the DHS boat and it's the next stop at the lighthouse pier. And the lighthouse is very visible from the Boardwalk too.

 

[natt]

Just a thought about construction noise. We received a letter for our Fall'15 stay (when the original rehab was to happen) stating that construction hours would be 7am?-4pm. Other than visual obstruction, noise shouldn't be an issue unless staying in the room during the daytime hours. And YES, I AM booked for Columbus weekend and hoping to snag a refurbed room!

 

[lovin'fl]

We were at BWV in Aug, during construction. It was 9am to 5pm and we could hear it loud and clear in our room. After doing late EMH at MK and getting to bed at 3am, waking to saws and hammers at 8am is not pleasant (actually noises started earlier that one morning).