BCV or BWV

[TheDailyMoo]

Since there are a few 2042 resort threads floating around and since I'm actively looking at these two resorts I thought I'd see what the preference between these two are amongst the users here. Have only stayed at BWV in the old room which we hated. Loved the resort and the vibe but hate the lack of QS options. All the usual pros and cons. We have a young child and the BW pool was nice enough but didn't do anything for us. Have never used SAB but have been in BC a few times for food and of course the hop skip and a jump to IG is ridiculously convenient. So assuming you wanted a contract and both were priced similarly, which one do you go with? For me it's:

BWV pros - Vibe, newly refurbished rooms, standard room point chart, great views if choosing BW view
BWV cons - lack of food options, pool just meh, have to go outside for everything

BCV pros (from what I can tell) - SAB, better food options, closer to IG and skyliner,
BCV cons (also from what I can tell) - Rooms still a bit dated compared to BW, not great views

Am I missing anything? Are there any of you that stay at both regularly that have the best ability to compare. HIGHLY subjective I know.

 

[aceshigh73]

What you are comparing is what my wife and I call a 'Mr. Potato Head' resort. We own at BWV, but wish it had SAB and better QS inside food. It would be the ultimate resort. The walk to IG is not a big deal to us, we just wish the food setup was different. And dont get us started on the stupid art gallery... What a waste of space.
You are also correct that the pool at BWV is 'meh'.
IF (big if) the price was the same (it isnt) we'd probably look at BCV. But BWV is the cheaper option and has more rooms (I think).

 

[thanxfornoticin]

For what it's worth, BCV just finishing up a pretty nice soft refurb, that includes new Murphy bed options. For us, a con of BWV is the noise. BCV seems quieter. But what we call noise, you might have as a pro - 'vibe'! Both are very nice resorts. BWV is much better since the clown is gone from the pool.....!

 

[pineapplepalms]

We’re BWV owners and it was my top DVC resort I knew I wanted to own when I first discovered DVC. Compared to BCV, my favorite things about BWV are:
- Ability to book BW view rooms
- Ability to book GVs
- Community Hall is great for the kids
- Closer walk to HS
- Like the location of the rooms compared to being tucked in the back at BCV
- Like the variety of entertainment, shops, and dining on the BW and overall vibe

My kids are little so SAB is a bit spread out for us right now. I don’t find the dining options to be an issue, since we have a kitchen and also consider the entire Crescent Lake area and Epcot to be part of the dining. My biggest dislike about BWV is that there are no dedicated 2BRs, only lock-offs, which makes the BW view 2BRs go very quickly. I also disliked the sofa bed and I’m really looking forward to seeing the refurbed rooms.

 

[intamin]

Both are great options.

One thing I'd keep in mind for Beach Club vs Boardwalk is that Beach Club's building where the DVC villas are located is separate from the main building and kind of tucked away in the back as opposed to Boardwalk's where it was always intended to have a DVC component and has an entire half of the resort dedicated to DVC.

That being said, personally I'd still opt for Beach Club. I don't like that Boardwalk has only lock off 2 bedrooms, meaning whenever all the studios of a certain category are taken, so are the 2BRs. Also not a fan of the lack of quick service and having to go outside of the building for food at Boardwalk even though the boardwalk area itself is beautiful. Another point for Beach Club for me is in general I find it easier to book Boardwalk at 7 months compared to Beach Club, I can book 1BRs there somewhat regularly and have been able to snag P/G view studio/1BRs at Boardwalk without owning there. I actually have a couple nights booked in a BWV studio - BW view upcoming in March.

Love both resorts but I'd have to give BCV the slight edge personally.

 

[Wedgeout]

BCV cons to add: Won’t have grand villas. Won’t have lower point chart categories.
We chose BCV for location and it’s design. You know it’s a vacation club location being a separate building with its own paint color. I like there is only the one room category for each size villa. Owning takes the stress out of booking. Pick it, book it, done. Most views are pool or garden/woods.

 

[crisi]

I like BWV better (that's home for us). SAB is a horrifying pool to watch children in and I hate walking through the Y&BC lobby in my swimsuit to get there. You should be aware that those standard view studios at BW (and by extension two bedrooms) are often difficult to get, even for owners booking eleven months out. There are just a lot of people who own points at BW specifically for SV studios and "walk" their reservations.

 

[Sandisw]

If I have to choose between the two, I go with BCV. We finally tried SAB in March, and honestly, we were not huge fans. I spent more time at the quiet pool.

But, we like the layout of BCV….how much closer it is to Epcot, and with the Skyliner, we can take that to HS I’d we don’t feel like walking. Plus, you can get to the main hotel and food without going out in the rain.

 

[Cfabar1]

You can't go wrong here.

My vote would be BW. We love the BW area, love all the restaurants there. Yes, it is annoying to have to go outside, but it's fine unless it is raining.

Yes it is further to EPCOT, but it isn't exactly far to EPCOT. It's also possible to walk to Yacht Club and eat or Beach Club and eat as well.

Only loss is the inability to us Storm Along Bay if that is a concern. I also find the pools at BW undersized for the resort. I think Disney in general does pools terribly though, and I kind of think they do that intentionally because they want you in the parks buying stuff, not lounging around the pool all day.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

BWV pros are the standard view points, and I like their pool better.
BCV pros are the proximity to epcot and the dedicated two bedroom. Most list SAB as a pro, but for us it is a con as the pool is always crowded. Another con of BC is the lack of views and different size balconies.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

What you are comparing is what my wife and I call a 'Mr. Potato Head' resort. We own at BWV, but wish it had SAB and better QS inside food. It would be the ultimate resort. The walk to IG is not a big deal to us, we just wish the food setup was different. And dont get us started on the stupid art gallery... What a waste of space.
You are also correct that the pool at BWV is 'meh'.
IF (big if) the price was the same (it isnt) we'd probably look at BCV. But BWV is the cheaper option and has more rooms (I think).

BW with SAB and, for me, Poly/VGF food options would be the ultimate resort.

For what it's worth, BCV just finishing up a pretty nice soft refurb, that includes new Murphy bed options. For us, a con of BWV is the noise. BCV seems quieter. But what we call noise, you might have as a pro - 'vibe'! Both are very nice resorts. BWV is much better since the clown is gone from the pool.....!

In your opinion though don't you think the current refurb of BW rooms are much nicer than the soft refresh of BC? Again I've only seen the BC rooms on video but those BW rooms are very nice! I absoluetly hated the old BW rooms when I stayed in them.

- Community Hall is great for the kids

This was a huge win especially on rainy days. Does BC not have a variation?

Won’t have lower point chart categories.

But the studios are akin to Pool/BW view at BW right? For a week stay the savings from a standard to BW view isn't breaking the bank. And since that's the minimum for a week at BC studio I don't find it too bad especially compared to a week at say VGF or Riv! BC still a pretty easy going point chart. And you like the design of the interior? The whole resort?

I think Disney in general does pools terribly though, and I kind of think they do that intentionally because they want you in the parks buying stuff, not lounging around the pool all day.

Interesting thought! Yeah BW pool just doesn't scream deluxe hotel pool but then again besides SAB not many do. Yet we all pay sky high prices to stay on property!

Another con of BC is the lack of views and different size balconies.

Yeah this is a big one. I do like nice views not that we use our balconies often but I do like to look out the sliding doors at all hours.

 

[kboo]

We’re BWV owners and it was my top DVC resort I knew I wanted to own when I first discovered DVC. Compared to BCV, my favorite things about BWV are:
- Ability to book BW view rooms
- Ability to book GVs
- Community Hall is great for the kids
- Closer walk to HS
- Like the location of the rooms compared to being tucked in the back at BCV
- Like the variety of entertainment, shops, and dining on the BW and overall vibe

My kids are little so SAB is a bit spread out for us right now. I don’t find the dining options to be an issue, since we have a kitchen and also consider the entire Crescent Lake area and Epcot to be part of the dining. My biggest dislike about BWV is that there are no dedicated 2BRs, only lock-offs, which makes the BW view 2BRs go very quickly. I also disliked the sofa bed and I’m really looking forward to seeing the refurbed rooms.

I also am not a fan of the layout of the LO rooms at BWV - I prefer going to the 2nd bedroom/studio at the front of the unit, not back by the balcony. If you have someone sleeping in the living room (we didn’t this time), you’d have to walk past them all the time. The lock off-only 2br ended up being the thing that tipped us from buying BWV as our first contract.

SAB is a horrifying pool to watch children in and I hate walking through the Y&BC lobby in my swimsuit to get there.

For all the times we stayed at BCV when even 1 kid didn’t want to go down the pirate slide (or was in a stroller), I had to come back here and post when people talked about SAB like it was the end-all and be-all. Pool time was not fun time for many years. And even though DH and I took turns with the littler kid, I was that wet person squelching through the lobby with a toddler in a (wet) umbrella stroller.
————————————————

We’ve stayed in studios/1br/2br LO at BWV now, and studio and 2br dedicated at BCV. It’s really a toss up now that we are out of strollers and the kids are strong enough swimmers to enjoy SAB without the parents having to keep an eye out the whole time. THAT SAID - while SAB is fun we really only hang out near the area where the pirate slide comes out, since if we are at the pool we are mostly going down the slide. In concept, SAB is great, in practice, we go on the slide and some lazy river. Getting food at the pool is also a LOT easier at BWV.

I really dislike the LO layout and the difficulty of booking 2br at BWV, though. But I love the vibe of the BW area and the shops (including the art gallery, even though I will probably never buy anything there!) and how the DVC wing is just as - or more - convenient to everything, rather than being hidden away like Rochester’s wife.

I think now my *slightly* preferred resort is BCV - I like the 2br layout better, it’s closer to Skyliner and Epcot. This may also be because we just stayed at BWV 2 months ago! But if I were looking to buy between the two, I’d buy BWV points (certainly they are cheaper, but even at the same price, a BWV point can go a LONG way in a standard room), and then if I wanted a change I’d book BCV every once in a while. As it is, we seem to end up at BWV/BCV when we are being points misers and we have never not had a waitlist come through in the summer, which is when you want to use the pools anyway. This last time we ended up in a standard 2br and also a BWV 2br - we really enjoyed both and the larger balconies.

(Ultimately we bought at other resorts that have longer expiration dates, and one out of 3 or 4 stays we’ll switch at 7 months if the switching looks good. BWV and BCV are definitely in that rotation.)

 

[RoseGold]

BC is more expensive. QS will come and go, BW will be renovated soon.

The question for me is whether you love SAB. That's the only reason I can see paying more for BC. BW is cheaper and easier to book.

BW view would also be in play for me, love that room.

 

[tom1944]

Is Beach Club more formal than Boardwalk?

 

[DaveNan]

Is Beach Club more formal than Boardwalk?

Not really, however at BCV the "dressing a little nicer out for a nice meal" crowd is concentrated in a large lobby. At BWV the TS are all out on the boardwalk so the crowd is still dominated by park attire. In the lobby at BCV you tend to have a more "formal" crowd congregated in one spot. And the BCV guests get to walk through the lobby or be right by the lobby on the way to SAB, the gift shop, or the TS. At BWV, pool going are just at the pool or in the villa hallways. Guest in swimsuits might feel under dressed and folks in casual formal attire might not appreciate people in wet swimsuits all around their nice evening out. All the same guests are doing the same things at both resorts, but resort layout at BCV results in not managing the groups as well.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Is Beach Club more formal than Boardwalk?

We've been going to both for many, many years. Never have we ever had a 'formal' feel at either resort. Both are very Disney casual, kid-friendly, guest-friendly. And whether I'm wearing a collared polo or t-shirt/swim shorts, I never feel out of place at either location - especially Beach Club (mostly because we spend way more time there).

 

[CarolynFH]

don't you think the current refurb of BW rooms are much nicer than the soft refresh of BC?

Just wanted to clarify for others reading here that only the BW Inn (hotel) rooms have been refurbished. The BW Villas (DVC) rooms have just begun refurbishment, and we haven’t seen them yet. The decor will probably be similar to the Inn side, but it’s difficult to compare the Villas side with BCV since there may or may not be structural work done at BWV in addition to updated decor.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Is Beach Club more formal than Boardwalk?

No. I think boardwalk is more formal. Beach club has more of the cape may shore vibe.

 

[Genie+]

No. I think boardwalk is more formal. Beach club has more of the cape may shore vibe.

That’s so funny I was just thinking about it as BW feels like Wildwood and BC Cape May.

 

[Sandisw]

Is Beach Club more formal than Boardwalk?

I have seen more wedding parties at Boardwalk, but more people dressed up at BEsch club in the lobby area who were Probcbly waiting on reservations.

But can’t say I felt either one was more formal than the other.