BWV -October?

[PATYPM]

I chose BWV to holiday with the family because i love the proximity to Epcot and HS. Hoping I can get some opinions:
I can book BWV with dvc points in October/2013, considering we are already in February?
The fact that boardwalk share buses with all the other Epcot resorts to and from the other parks is a big hassle?

 

[RSWA2]

It wasn't a hassle when we stayed there, but some people didn't like the fact that Boardwalk was the first to the parks. So it stopped at BW, then it went to Swan and Dolphin and Beach and Yacht before heading to the parks. Plus some people also didn't like that you had to walk far from the rooms to the stop.

All in all, it's probably a 10-15 min extra on the bus, compared to someone at Beach/Yacht. Maybe more maybe less. Either way, it's not that really a big deal.

If you want to make rope drop or a reservation, just make sure to put in an extra 15 mins of travel time.

 

[Smile&Nod]

you can only book October 2013 at BWVs now if it is your home resort. If it is not your home resort you have to wait until 7 months out which would be sometime next month.

 

[DebbieB]

My experience is the bus to MK just stops at Swan & Dolphin. I usually walk or boat to Epcot & DHS, drive elsewhere.

 

[nalajms]

My experience is the bus to MK just stops at Swan & Dolphin. I usually walk or boat to Epcot & DHS, drive elsewhere.

I think it depends on the season as well as time of day. We've been on buses that only made 1 stop at Swan & Dolphin. The worst ones are when they stop at Swan, Dolphin, Yacht, then Beach Club. All the stop & go makes me dizzy.

 

[LisaS]

I chose BWV to holiday with the family because i love the proximity to Epcot and HS. Hoping I can get some opinions:
I can book BWV with dvc points in October/2013, considering we are already in February?

You can book 7 months from check-in when using non-home points so you can book your October stay some time in March if booking with anything other than BWV points.

Just so you know, BWV is very popular in October because the Food & Wine festival in Epcot is going on at that time. Studios may be difficult to book. The 1BRs book more slowly so you might find availability for a 1BR with a Pool & Garden view.

The fact that boardwalk share buses with all the other Epcot resorts to and from the other parks is a big hassle?

It is frustrating when you want to get to the MK and the bus is going from resort to resort to pick up more passengers. On the return trip we usually get off at the first stop (can't remember if it's the Swan or the Dolphin) and walk back to the BWV from there. It's faster than sitting on the bus for two more stops!

 

[jekjones1558]

I guess that we must be at BWV during busier times because we always seem to have the same routine for buses to MK: BWV then Swan and Dolphin then MK. On the return it has always been BWV first stop. I don't enjoy the extra stops at Swan and Dolphin but it is sort of a trade off for the quick walk or boat ride to DHS and Epcot.
As others have said, October is very popular at BWV. If you don't own there you will need to book at exactly 7 months out to have a shot at the room you want.

 

[n2mm]

As noted BWV is harder to get during October. I was on the site today and noticed a lot of no availability days when checking on adding days. That was for studios (both standard and preferred). I have my dates booked and booked them exactly at the 11 month window at 8:00AM. Good luck.

 

[LisaS]

After reading some of the OP's other posts, it appears the OP is not an owner and is hoping to rent a reservation at BWV.

OP: If you want BWV at that time of year, a BWV owner can book it for you now in the home resort booking window. (Owners can book their home resorts starting 11 months from check-in.) At 7 months out, members can use any DVC points to book BWV so the competition will be tougher and the remaining rooms will book up quickly.

 

[DizDaD7]

By the way...When we stayed this past August: The only negative I found was the bus service....Literally everything else other than the laundry room situation & buses were fabulous.

Buses for MK & AK DEFINITELY Stopped @ BWV 1st then proceeded to Swan, then Dolphin, then Yacht, & then finally the BEACH club....Very annoying...Well when this happened on our 1st day I shrugged it off as OK, np The trade off is that I'm definitely getting a seat for my wife n kids,( Being we get on 1st) & I can always give mine up which was always the case.

Trade off on the return I thought was that we were to be the 1st ones off, this didn't happen....Not only were we not the 1st stop after returning from these spots, nor the 2nd, but the very last....


Needless to say that after 2 days I was done with that. Like a pp stated when we stopped off at Swan as the 1st stop on return we got off and walked across the bridge.....After a hard day of walking I really didn't want to do some more, but it was worth it rather than stay on the bus for another 15 minutes..

Forget about DTD....Getting there not too bad, Getting back, Complete nightmare...Not only did we stop at all the stops from above, but add on Pleasure Island & Typhoon lagoon to that, and Boy that makes for a Looong ride back..

Like I stated b4 this really was the only bad thing about this resort other than laundry room...Good luck in trying to nab a room OP..

 

[drusba]

BWV usually shares buses with S/D, and BWV is the first stop going and coming back. However, that schedule is subject to an apparently anytime adjustment. Often you will get YC/BC thrown in either during slower times of day or slower times of year. Moreover, the stopping at BWV first when going and coming back does not always happen and sometimes it is even last. I have been a BWV owner for 16 years and the bus system has always been abysmal and the worst thing about BWV, and personal view it is the worst system on site and works very hard to out-stink all the rest. The times have been legion when we have had to wait for a bus an inordinate amount of time (sometimes over an hour) particularly at MK while watching all the other resorts get three or more buses during the wait, and when ours arrived the driver never knew there had been any delay. I am also an owner at AKV and have found its bus system in comparison to BWV to be like you have died and going to heaven even though AKV is not free from any problems. I have also experienced the multiple bus stop system at Contemporary and it is still way better than the garbage dealt at BWV. Fortunately at BWV you have a much faster system, which moves at greater miles per hour than the bus system, for getting to Studios and Epcot -- walking.

As far as getting October, you have a high risk of not being able to get what you want even now. That is food and wine time at EPCOT and a very high demand time for the Epcot area resorts

 

[LSchrow]

geez, we thought the BW buses had improved lately!

we had short to no waits for buses during our oct 2012 trip (were even the ONLY ppl on a bus to MK one day.....no one got on at swan/dolphin, and it didn't stop anywhere else). on our past trips, we've noticed a CM at the BW depot, keeping track of wait times, and making sure the buses were (fairly) frequent.

most buses were great.....aside from one group of about 8 ppl - parents with children, trying to cut ahead of the bus line at AK. yes, they spoke english, but they just didn't think they should have to wait because they "have kids"

we almost always drive to/fro DTD - those are the only buses we find poor.

 

[jekjones1558]

I also have noticed an improvement in MK buses from BWV since there has been a CM tracking buses at the bus stop.

 

[etemplet]

Something to consider about BWV being the FIRST Bus Stop. You have a better chance at getting a SEAT.

My wife and I are owners at BWV but have not stayed there yet but we have used the busses as transportation from BWV to get back to BLT or wherever we are staying. I find bus service to be fairly consistent all over WDW and it is our most used form of transportation. My wife booked us at BWV for late September this year. I plan on TRYING to go "UN COMMANDO" this time. I just want to relax... just once....

 

[DizDaD7]

geez, we thought the BW buses had improved lately!

we had short to no waits for buses during our oct 2012 trip (were even the ONLY ppl on a bus to MK one day.....no one got on at swan/dolphin, and it didn't stop anywhere else). on our past trips, we've noticed a CM at the BW depot, keeping track of wait times, and making sure the buses were (fairly) frequent.

most buses were great.....aside from one group of about 8 ppl - parents with children, trying to cut ahead of the bus line at AK. yes, they spoke english, but they just didn't think they should have to wait because they "have kids"

we almost always drive to/fro DTD - those are the only buses we find poor.

It's not so much that they didn't come frequently, but more of the amount of stops...

While yes it is nice for my wife n kids to have a seat, & me as well ( temporarily) It just stunk having to make 4 more stops to go to a park.....And my question is "Why when returning were we the last stop?" Everything was reversed. Every single time we went to AK or MK...

 

[MrD1sturbed]

Wouldn't be easier to take the Monorail from Epcot to TPC and then to MK? The buses can be a hassle, especially if you have a large group. This is of course assuming you have an AP/PAP or some form of park hopper.

 

[LisaS]

And my question is "Why when returning were we the last stop?" Everything was reversed. Every single time we went to AK or MK...

Interesting question! I assume the bus heads back out to a park or somewhere after the last of the returning passengers are off the bus. Maybe they fully empty the bus of all returning passengers, then switch to pickup mode. That would make the BW the last dropoff stop and also the first pickup stop to the new destination. That would be inefficient since they would then have to go back to the Swan and Dolphin to pick up passengers for the new destination but maybe that's what they do.

We always get off at the first stop on the way back and walk to the BWV from there so I don't know if they pick up passengers as well as drop them off when they stop at the Swan and at the Dolphin. Does anybody know?

ETA: Maybe from morning until early afternoon they stop at the BW first, then the Dolphin, then the Swan and after a certain time of day they reverse the order. So when you head out to the MK in the morning the bus stops at the BW stop first but when you are returning later in the day the order has changed. At one time they did that with the boats that go between the MK, WL and Fort Wilderness. For part of the day the order was MK->WL->FW->MK and for the rest of the day it was MK->FW->WL->MK.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Wouldn't be easier to take the Monorail from Epcot to TPC and then to MK? The buses can be a hassle, especially if you have a large group. This is of course assuming you have an AP/PAP or some form of park hopper.

You have to have park admission to get through Epcot. And then you have to wait for two monorails. It is probably quicker to just take the bus.