BCV Room Request--Easy Access to HS?

[SamiL]

We've never stayed at BCV, so I have no familiarity with the resort. We don't care too much about the view. We don't stay in the room that much. (although I wouldn't want too much noise going on outside late at night).

We're most interested in quick access to Hollywood Studios. We'll probably make a visit to SAB, as well. But mostly HS.

Is there a room request I can make to help cut down on our travel time to HS?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Missyrose]

We've never stayed at BCV, so I have no familiarity with the resort. We don't care too much about the view. We don't stay in the room that much. (although I wouldn't want too much noise going on outside late at night).

We're most interested in quick access to Hollywood Studios. We'll probably make a visit to SAB, as well. But mostly HS.

Is there a room request I can make to help cut down on our travel time to HS?

Thanks for your help.

The villas building is located behind the main BC building. So there's no real location within the villas that is better for DHS access. The boat dock is over near YC. As far as SAB goes, there are no villa rooms that overlook SAB because of the building's location, you can request to overlook the villas quiet pool, which is a lovely view.

 

[tjkraz]

The BC Villa wing is not very large, nor is it anywhere near Hollywood Studios. It's on the far eastern side of BC/YC, closest to Epcot.

You can walk to Hollywood Studios but it's a good 25-30 minutes on foot. And even then you have to be moving at a pretty brisk pace. Boat service is the option most guests choose, but again you could be looking at 30 minutes.

Because the villa wing is small, whatever room is technically closest to HS will only save you a minute or so compared to the furthest room. It's 5 stories tall with about 20 Two Bedroom villas (many lockoffs) per floor.

BCV is great with respect to Epcot--you can be at the International Gateway in 5 min from pretty much any room. But it's quite a distance from DHS. Boardwalk is more in the middle, with walks of roughly 15 min to either Epcot or DHS.

 

[SamiL]

Thank you for the replies!

So, if time is a pretty big deal for us, would we be better getting a car and driving? What's the parking situation like? I'm looking at a map, but it doesn't show the BC parking lot.(For me, it's kind of hard to tell these things from a map anyway. Seems like there are always other variables)

And there's no bus service to HS because of the boat, is that right?

 

[tjkraz]

There is no bus service from BC to Hollywood Studios.

If I were to guess, I'd say that 9 times out of 10 driving would be faster than walking or taking the boat. But the time savings will probably be somewhere between 1 min and 10 minutes. At busy times the park gate is backed-up with vehicles waiting to enter. You have to pass through the toll booths and then wait in line to park.

If you're in the lot closest to the park, it will take about 5 minutes to walk from your car to the park entrance. If you're further out, it's either a longer walk or wait for the tram.

Up to you to decide whether it's worth paying for a car to save 10 min each way.

 

[tjkraz]

Below is a doctored map of the area. BC is at the top. HS is at the bottom. Red is the walking route. Yellow is the driving route. Green circles are the boat docks.

If memory serves, the walk is more than a mile.

Boats supposedly take about 30 minutes to make the full resort loop from Hollywood Studios to Epcot. However that time varies depending upon the numbers of guests and the amount of time you have to wait at the dock before the boat arrives. During peak hours / seasons, it's possible to even have to wait for an additional boat due to overcrowding.

 

[SamiL]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the detailed info! I hadn't thought about the time waiting to get into the lot and waiting for tram. I think we may try walking. That way we don't have as many variables. If we're walking, it's just us and our feet, until we get to the turnstiles.

I'll take walking over standing in a line for a bus or tram any day.

I'm so glad to have the DIS! It would stink to figure this all out three days into your vacation. What in the world do other people do?!

Thanks again!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I was staying at BC in early Feb and tracked time and distance from the BC quiet pool area to the bag check area at DHS. 1.07 miles and it took me 17 1/2 minutes. It's be a little bit further from the Villas section - probably figure approx 22-25 minutes to walk it. I easily beat the boat and figured it would have been approx a similar amount of time to drive and park and wait for the tram. If you were going early so your parking would be close to the DHS entrance then you could probably do it a little more quickly.

 

[gdrj]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the detailed info! I hadn't thought about the time waiting to get into the lot and waiting for tram. I think we may try walking. That way we don't have as many variables. If we're walking, it's just us and our feet, until we get to the turnstiles.

My recommendation is BOAT, BOAT, BOAT.

Good ride, comfortable, relaxing. There is a reason that when you look at the walkway to Studios that goes along the water where the boats are, that the pathway is not filled with guests walking from the resorts. You are going to be walking all day at the park, unless your pedometer requires you to walk an extra mile or two take the Boat.

 

[goofy4tink]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the detailed info! I hadn't thought about the time waiting to get into the lot and waiting for tram. I think we may try walking. That way we don't have as many variables. If we're walking, it's just us and our feet, until we get to the turnstiles.

I'll take walking over standing in a line for a bus or tram any day.

I'm so glad to have the DIS! It would stink to figure this all out three days into your vacation. What in the world do other people do?!

Thanks again!

I routinely stay at BWV, and have stayed several times at BCV...this is my favorite area to stay in when at WDW. The walk from BCV to DHS is about 22 mins...at a normal pace. It takes me about 15 mins from BWV, so I add an addtl 6 or 7 mins from BC. The boat ride is about 20 mins. But, that doesn't include any wait times. The boat should come about every 20 mins. IF you just miss the boat, you are better off walking.
If I was walking from BC to DHS? I would exit BC, go to the left and walk up the hill, take a right and cross the bridge leading to BW. When you get to the boat dock area at BW, take a left, go past the Village Green, and through the tunnel that is just past Wyland Galleries. Go out, through the pool area, to the back side of the slide. You exit onto the walkway to DHS..go left and you're on your way.
You can go right out of BC, walk past YC, up and over the bridge to S/D, left into BW and onto the beginning of the walkway to DHS, but I think that takes longer.

OR...if the boat to Epcot is at the dock? Hop on it and get off at BW, then head to the Green (right in front of the dock) and head off to the tunnel and continue the shortcut.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If I was walking from BC to DHS? I would exit BC, go to the left and walk up the hill, take a right and cross the bridge leading to BW. When you get to the boat dock area at BW, take a left, go past the Village Green, and through the tunnel that is just past Wyland Galleries. Go out, through the pool area, to the back side of the slide. You exit onto the walkway to DHS..go left and you're on your way.

I'll add that this was the route I took when I timed it from the Beach Club quiet pool area.