BCV - Please help!

[Alysa]

Hurrahhhh! DH said YES! tonight to a trip this coming Christmas! We paid the car off today and I found a great deal flying out of Buffalo - thank you DIS and Southwestern - and I think the two things combined to push him over the edge!
My question is, we have stayed at BWV (our home resort) and OKW, we are doing a big family trip next Christmas to VWL so we thought we would try BCV this trip but I have been reading all these posts about people being unhappy with the CMs there. Can anyone who has stayed recently give me some advice? Just so you know what we liked already, we enjoyed OKW but it was kind of out of the way for us - the CMs here are wonderful! We found BWV to be not quite our style. We were hoping to save VWL for next year -- so far our favourite resorts are VB and GF. We love being on the monorail line close to MK but we will have a rental car with us for this trip so... any advice would be most appreciated. Oh yes, we also loved both resorts in the French Quarter, and AKL - but then, I feel that anywhere in Disney is just wonderful with me. I just wanted to know if it was some sort of issue at BCV and if so, had it been solved yet or not. Thanks so much in advance!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Try the BCV. We own there and enjoy it very much. We have never had any problems with any of the CM's either while staying on points or as guests at the BC. It is a great resort. Far more people have reported no problems AT ALL.

Have fun planning.

HBC

 

[Alysa]

Thanks Happy Birthday Cat - you made me feel better - I am just a bit of a worrier! Any best BCV moments that stick out in your mind?

P.S. I live to plan, especially Disney vacations!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Originally posted by Alysa
Thanks Happy Birthday Cat - you made me feel better - I am just a bit of a worrier! Any best BCV moments that stick out in your mind?

On our last trip our four kids split a "kitchen sink" at Beaches and Cream. It was a lot of laughs as it was announced by the CM waiting on our table that they were bringing the Kitchen sink out to our group. Everyone in the place applauded and it was packed. Our 16 year old DD almost died (but she ate it anyway) from the attention to the huge bowel of ice cream but our other three loved the attention as well as the treat.

We enjoy planning too. Maybe too much sometimes. Have fun.

HBC

 

[kathleena]

We have stayed at BCV twice and loved it both times. All CMs at check in and at valet service were wonderful.

Last Oct, we had a room change at the start and so I had to get my keys changed. But I didn't realize it, so Michael escorted me and all my luggage upstairs. Well, I told him the wrong room number (ah, such a bad memory) and then he went to the elevator to call to the desk to get the right one. Of course, the room keys didn't work in that one, so we both went to the elevator with the luggage and he called again. Then he went down and got my new keys while I waited at the elevator.

All through it - he was wonderful. Patient, unflappable, kind and in good humor. I gave him a huge tip and wrote him a guest letter.

Never mind the words of people here who have never stayed at the resort. Have there been a few instances reported - yes. But everyone has a bad experience - absolutely not!

My worst check in experience was at OKW and it was horrid! But that doesn't mean that the resort is awful, or treats us awful or anything else. It was one CM - and that one CM also got a guest letter - for terrible service.

Go. Enjoy. Love it.

 

[Patty3]

It is a wonderful resort that may at times have a few kinks, but all resorts do at some point. Art, the greeter, is wonderful and he has a smile that lights up the room and sets the tone for a wonderful trip.

 

[flyinglizard]

Alysa- Our home is BCV and we have never had a problem of any kind. (OOPS- we had a leaky sink last trip, got the carpet a little wet but it was taken care of immediately)

Before the Villas opened, we stayed at the Beach Club and always enjoyed being so close to EPCOT, and walking "home" after the fireworks. We always attend the Flower Power concerts in May, the Food and Wine in October and the Candlelight in December. All just a short walk.

Great gift shop! Beaches & Cream has the world's BEST cheeseburger! The buffet is a great place for dinner with kids, or a good character breakfast. MGM is a boat ride away, or even a nice walk. The Boardwalk is right across the lake so I can get a cherry danish at the Bakery at night to enjoy the next morning with coffee.

You can walk to the front of EPCOT, and catch the monorail to MK, T&T, the Poly, the GF or the Contemp. Perhaps the best parking of any of the DVC properties.

It might not be perfect, but it's where we call "home"... and that's where OUR heart is...

 

[zulaya]

BCV owner here...you need to take CM reports with a grain of salt. Everything bad will always get reported and commented on on this board and the good, glowing reports will fade off the first page quickly because there's nothing to discuss on it.

I have stayed at BCV twice so far. Each time, I have had professional service from the check-in CMs, nothing to complain about.

We will be at BCV Dec 3-11. I am bringing both sides of my family in 2 - 2BRs. I'd never bring my critical parents if I was really worried about the service they would receive because I would never hear the end of it.

If you want to try BCV, then do so. I hope at this late date you are able to secure a reservation over the holiday season.

 

[jbthi]

I love BCV and the CM have always been wonderful.

Although I am wondering if you will like it that much since BWV is not a favorite. These are my 2 favorite resorts, partly because Epcot is my favorite park.

What is it about BWV that you don't like? These resorts are probably the most alike of any.

 

[Alysa]

It was a long time ago and I was recompensated for my whole stay but in 2001 we went to BWV for the first time after we purchased. We had a great trip as usual but on our final day I got heat stroke - I am a little sensitive to it. We were checked out already and when we came back in the afternoon from MGM we walking to the car to return home when I was sick and collapsed in the parking lot. My husband took me inside to ask for help but the CMs at the front desk kept me waiting so long at the desk that I collapsed in the washrooms again even though I was the only person there. I asked for somewhere to get cleaned up and get cooled off and they said there was no where to go, not even the fitness area, they said there were no rooms available, except rooms that had already been cleaned and they could not alow me to disturb a clean one. I have never told anyone at the DIS this because it was so upsetting and even now my hands are trembling as I write. All I had wanted at the time was a shower to clean up and reduce my body temperature. We left and I made it to the drug store down the road where my husband went to get some gravol and gatoraide. I collapsed again in the parking lot while he was inside and someone found me lying in a puddle beside the car and called 911. My husband almost had a heart attack when he got back to find the car surrounded by 2 EMs and a firetruck and they told him to get lost because they didn't know we were together. When he explained, the crew told my husband to get me somewhere to cool down so we called OKW - by this time it was 11pm. They put us up for a night and I slept for almost 36 hours after that. OKW will always have a soft spot in my heart since then - they are so nice there. Anyway, the head of the hotel called me personally when we got home, they reinbursed me my whole trip and said the problem had been delt with and asked us to try again which we did. Our next stay was completely fine and I am sure it was a once in a blue moon experience (apparently it is against the law for a hotel to refuse a guest medical assistance before they have left the property) and I don't think it is anything that should make anyone not stay there - it was just a fluke bad experience that sort of wrecked BWV for us. I am sorry to have spread a negative post - I feel so bad when I read them myself - but thanks for listening - I feel better having told you!

 

[hcortesis]

Hi Alysa

Can you give me the details of your flights. I don't live too far away from you.

Thanks

 

[Alysa]

Nice to talk to a fellow Canuck!
Southwestern.com -- $59US one way internet special! With taxes it ends up being $130US round trip pp – hold on Mickey, we're coming!

 

[Goofyzgurl]

We just got in from bcv and didn't have any problems with any cm's.

 

[littlestar]

We sent our daughter and son-in-law for their honeymoon to BCV. The Beach Club's front desk were wonderful. They even sent up balloons and other gifts to the kids for their honeymoon. And this was a points stay, not a cash stay.

 

[Terry S]

BCV is our home resort and we have stayed there several times. We have not had one problem with any of the CM's there. We have had a few things in our room like burned out lightbulbs and a broom missing, but those were quickly taken care of with a phone call.

One trip I even had an item on my bill that I did not recall puchasing, we went to the front desk and asked if they knew where the shop was, I think it was called the Gateway Gift Shop. The CM was not sure where it was located and just said they would credit us the charge, I told him that this was not necessary, I just wanted to know where it was to make sure it was one of our charges, but if it was the shop at the entrance to the International Gateway, I was sure that we did not purchase anything there. He told me that either way, he would just credit it. Later that day we were walking around Epcot and stopped in the shop as you enter the Gateway, I asked if the name of that shop was the Gateway Gift Shop and they told me no, that was the one underneath Spaceship Earth. We then realized that we did purchase sun glasses there so we stopped back at the desk and told them we did make that purchase, the manager just told us don't worry about it. The CM's there have all been wonderful.

 

[jbthi]

Alysa, I'm so sorry that happened to you at BWV. I can understand why you would have bad memories and reservations about staying there.

I thought maybe it was something about the resort itself you didn't like and therefore, maybe you wouldn't like BCV.

 

[JimC]

BCV is very nice. Our stays have been fine, no CM problems. If you liked the GF, then you might want to try the YC some time.

 

[Alysa]

JimC – is a Yacht Club stay very different in experience from BCV? I always wondered that about BWI too and thought how I would like to stay in one of those garden rooms one day just to see.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

I think you will LOVE BCV!!!

We have never encountered a rude CM--of course, we are always so thrilled to be at WDW that we really don't ask for much in the way of requests. Just nonsmoking for medical reasons--severe allergy for DH and both DS's.

In fact, we have always encountered CM's who go far beyond the call of duty when we are anywhere in WDW!

Examples:

1. The CM cleaning the bathroom at the Int. Gateway entrance at Epcot who struck up a conversation with my sons then gave each of them a finger puppet she had in her apron!!

2. The CM at MGM studios who saw my DS4 spill his popcorn and immediately rushed over with a new replacement before he could even think about getting upset.

3. The CM at Epcot who replaced my DS2's rainbow light sword when he saw that it quit lighting up (dead batteries)--He traded it for a new one without us even thinking of asking. I was prepared to buy $25 batteries.

4. The CM's at every resort we've ever stayed in who would try to find us a room immediately instead of having us wait until standard 3:00 pm check-in time.

We never asked for any of this but still saw most CM's doing far more than they had to.

 

[jennymouse]

Never any problems with CM's at BCV for us either! Have a great time.