Boardwalk or Wilderness

[jsho99]

We are DVC members booked for Boardwalk in June 2015. What is the latest info on refurbishments at Boardwalk? What are opinions on Boardwalk vs. Wilderness Lodge?

 

[DebbieB]

We are DVC members booked for Boardwalk in June 2015. What is the latest info on refurbishments at Boardwalk? What are opinions on Boardwalk vs. Wilderness Lodge?

I was at BWV 2 weeks ago, there were no refurbishments going on that I saw. Last refurbishment was 2009/2010. My room was fine, I didn't think it needed refurbishment.

BWV is great if you want to spend alot of time in Epcot & DHS. WL is bus everywhere except boat for MK.

 

[jillgunter]

We just got back Sunday from BWV, our room was in very good shape. No problems. I would pick based on location. And availability.

They are only refurbishing the Inn side. I don't know when it will be time for the villas side again, I would guess a long time if it was just done 2010. I think it's every 15 yrs.

 

[sleepydog25]

We are DVC members booked for Boardwalk in June 2015. What is the latest info on refurbishments at Boardwalk? What are opinions on Boardwalk vs. Wilderness Lodge?

As others have intimated, the decision comes down to what you most wish to do. BWV has an exceptional location if you want to walk to Epcot, and it's not too bad of a walk to DHS (about a mile one way). There are many activities and restaurants on the boardwalk itself, and there is always the boat option if you prefer not to walk or bus to either of those two parks. The theming is nice but unremarkable. VWL's ambiance and theming is notably better with towering totems and huge fireplaces in the main lobby (the VWL lobby is a bit less grand but still lovely). It has one of the better restaurants on property (Artist Point) and the boat ride to MK is a nice option to have. VWL (and WL) is a more serene resort than BWV, so if you're wanting to escape the action after all day of running around parks, it's a good resort. On the other hand, some folks want the action to be right at their fingertips at night, so BWV would be a good choice for them. You can't go wrong with either one, and since this is your first trip, you should have plenty of years left to try out all the other DVC resorts that appeal to you.

 

[jillgunter]

One thing that WLV has going is the Inn side has a quick service. I wish BWV had a quick service place to eat. They do have the awesome bakery tho on the BW

 

[Msmithmd]

I've been lucky enough to stay at both properties in a studio, within the last month. The choice (IMO) really comes down to a far superior room versus an ideal location.

I felt that the VWL studio was much nicer than the boardwalk one. But I agree that for an Epcot/studios centric trip, the BWV location excels.

If your trip will focus on MK, then the decision is a no-brainer. For all parks evenly, or a no-park trip, I'd still go VWL. But for the specific location, I may well stay at BWV again in the future- at least after whenever its' next hard goods refurb occurs.

 

[gmi3804]

I think the Crescent Lakes resorts' proximity to DHS is overstated. Who wants to walk a mile each way to/from a park, especially if one is going to take a break, or at the end of a tiring day?

Epcot, on the other hand, is an easy walk to the back of WS. FW, not so much.

 

[pixie08]

It depends on time of year and where you are spending your time. For restaurant access BWV .

 

[goodtmz37]

Yes, if you're going to spend all of your time at Epcot and DHS, then by all means, BWV. But I'd opinion that if you're going to split your time across all 4 parks, VWL is superior. We've stayed at a number of resorts, and the transportation to/from VWL is fantastic. Bus stops right outside of the Villas. No resort sharing. I would even suggest that WDW transportation runs busses a little more frequently to WL.

Proximity to good dining is nice with BWV, but WL has Artist Point and a fun boat ride to access the monorail for restaurants around the monorail loop (think 'Ohana & Vic&Alberts, Chef Mickey and California Grill).

Villas were recently upgraded at VWL, and the pool is about to finish its update as well. I could go on and on.

I do want to say that I'm a huge fan of staying at BWV or BCV when we want to binge on Epcot. My advice, decide on how you want to spend your time at the parks. But I don't agree with those that have posted that you have to spend all your time at MK. If I'm spending more than 49.99% of my time at parks other than EPCOT, you'll probably find me at VWL.

Hope that helps

 

[BTSD]

We just stayed at both BWV & VWL this past summer. Our family of 4 decided VWL is our least favorite resort, but we all absolutely loved BWV. We had an awesome view and proximity to stairs (which could have swayed how much we loved it), but there wasn't much we liked at VWL. Even our guests were disappointed with how dark and gloomy VWL was!

 

[CarolMN]

I think the Crescent Lakes resorts' proximity to DHS is overstated. Who wants to walk a mile each way to/from a park, especially if one is going to take a break, or at the end of a tiring day? ....(snip)...

We (two adults in our 60's) love the ability to walk to DHS - it beats standing around waiting for a boat, especially at the end of the day! Even when we travel with children, we walk. We also take mid-day breaks, LOL

Depending on our room location, the walk to the DHS entrance can take about the same amount of time as the walk to the BW boat dock.

 

[Andrew015]

As others have intimated, the decision comes down to what you most wish to do. BWV has an exceptional location if you want to walk to Epcot, and it's not too bad of a walk to DHS (about a mile one way). There are many activities and restaurants on the boardwalk itself, and there is always the boat option if you prefer not to walk or bus to either of those two parks. The theming is nice but unremarkable. VWL's ambiance and theming is notably better with towering totems and huge fireplaces in the main lobby (the VWL lobby is a bit less grand but still lovely). It has one of the better restaurants on property (Artist Point) and the boat ride to MK is a nice option to have. VWL (and WL) is a more serene resort than BWV, so if you're wanting to escape the action after all day of running around parks, it's a good resort. On the other hand, some folks want the action to be right at their fingertips at night, so BWV would be a good choice for them. You can't go wrong with either one, and since this is your first trip, you should have plenty of years left to try out all the other DVC resorts that appeal to you.

This post is spot on. What appeals to one person may be the exact opposite to another, but my sentiments echo those of Sleepy's. Wilderness Lodge has the best theming of any resort on property, hands down. I love visiting the Boardwalk, and the proximity and ease of getting to and from EPCOT is undeniably attractive, but I personally much prefer to stay at VWL. We love visiting the Boardwalk after spending the day in EPCOT, and also enjoy poking our heads into the shops or getting a treat from the bakery. We also enjoy the various performers that make their way around the boardwalk area. But at the end of the day, when it's time to return "home" for the night, there is no better feeling for us than returning to the Lodge.

 

[sleepydog25]

Wilderness Lodge has the best theming of any resort on property, hands down. I love visiting the Boardwalk, and the proximity and ease of getting to and from EPCOT is undeniably attractive, but I personally much prefer to stay at VWL. We love visiting the Boardwalk after spending the day in EPCOT, and also enjoy poking our heads into the shops or getting a treat from the bakery. We also enjoy the various performers that make their way around the boardwalk area. But at the end of the day, when it's time to return "home" for the night, there is no better feeling for us than returning to the Lodge.

Well said, Andrew!

 

[mouseaider]

We (two adults in our 60's) love the ability to walk to DHS - it beats standing around waiting for a boat, especially at the end of the day! Even when we travel with children, we walk. We also take mid-day breaks, LOL

Depending on our room location, the walk to the DHS entrance can take about the same amount of time as the walk to the BW boat dock.

I completely agree with you Carol!

We are also two adults over 60 and we walk about eight to ten miles every day while at Disney. The walk to DHS from BWV is one of the most enjoyable walks on property.

 

[JustTinking]

I was at BWV 2 weeks ago, there were no refurbishments going on that I saw. Last refurbishment was 2009/2010.

I thought there was a soft goods refurb last spring/summer. Covered bed linens, rugs, new tubs. I remember raging controversy over replacing the old bed covers with the new 3 sheet system and scarf.

 

[jimmytammy]

We own most of our pts at VWL, the others at BWV. I am not sure about any refurb at BWV, but I can weigh out pros and cons of each, just my opinion.

VWL pros...location to MK, ambiance and atmosphere, peaceful feeling after being in parks, proximity to Ft Wilderness and monorail resorts, smaller in size means less people, if driving not far from parking

BWV pros...location to HS and Epcot(this is if you dont mind walking, usually a brisk walk beats the boat every time)availability of several restaurants within walking amongst various resorts, lots of entertainment at night

VWL cons...proximity to other parks, less places to eat in immediate area

BWV cons...huge resort equals more people, parking area a bit of a trek from main area, long halls

Here is my thinking, how likely will you be spending most days between Epcot and HS vs MK and AK? If equal times at all parks, its a wash. If this is case, for sheer size and peacefulness, I would say VWL would be my choice. I love both resorts, so I dont think you can go wrong either way

 

[amylock]

Yes, if you're going to spend all of your time at Epcot and DHS, then by all means, BWV. But I'd opinion that if you're going to split your time across all 4 parks, VWL is superior. We've stayed at a number of resorts, and the transportation to/from VWL is fantastic. Bus stops right outside of the Villas. No resort sharing. I would even suggest that WDW transportation runs busses a little more frequently to WL.

Proximity to good dining is nice with BWV, but WL has Artist Point and a fun boat ride to access the monorail for restaurants around the monorail loop (think 'Ohana & Vic&Alberts, Chef Mickey and California Grill).

Villas were recently upgraded at VWL, and the pool is about to finish its update as well. I could go on and on.

I do want to say that I'm a huge fan of staying at BWV or BCV when we want to binge on Epcot. My advice, decide on how you want to spend your time at the parks. But I don't agree with those that have posted that you have to spend all your time at MK. If I'm spending more than 49.99% of my time at parks other than EPCOT, you'll probably find me at VWL.

Hope that helps

There is definitely resort sharing with Ft. Wilderness. We just stayed at VWL in May. We were very excited but ended up rather unimpressed. In fact, we ended up staying more days and moving to SSR. We both preferred it to VWL which seemed a bit gloomy. Just goes to show that everyone likes different things! I AM glad we tried it though. BWV will likely be our first choice for the foreseeable future.