BWV renovations

[jekjones1558]

They really removed all towel racks? I just cannot understand who does the HA designs - my sister thinks it can't be anyone who really understands. It's been bad enough that there's no shelves in the HA bathrooms there but now no towel bars? My sisters Poly rooms was much better in those 2 areas but then there were other short comings like a microwave that I had difficulty reaching while standing much less her from her wheelchair.

The CM I was talking to actually brought up the teacup lamp before I did when I started talking about details! I think they might be wishing they had kept that.

The only towel bars in the bathrooms of the HA 1 bedroom are over the whirlpool tub. I don't know how anyone in a wheel chair could possibly reach them. One plus is that they added a soft rubber bumper on the floor under the shower curtain to help keep water from escaping the shower area. Sadly the shower curtain is too short so the water splashes below it unless you make sure the showerhead is pointed away from the curtain.

 

[Lisa F]

They really removed all towel racks? I just cannot understand who does the HA designs - my sister thinks it can't be anyone who really understands. It's been bad enough that there's no shelves in the HA bathrooms there but now no towel bars? My sisters Poly rooms was much better in those 2 areas but then there were other short comings like a microwave that I had difficulty reaching while standing much less her from her wheelchair.

The CM I was talking to actually brought up the teacup lamp before I did when I started talking about details! I think they might be wishing they had kept that.

No it's not anyone who understands who does it. It's an architect/interior designer who is following minimum guidelines to not get sued for ADA violations. There are seminars you can take as an architect where you do things to mimic specific disabilities so that you can really understand what it feels like but it is not required and I'm guessing most are not invested enough to do that. I did it while in school (it was required by my grad program) and it was really eye opening to see the challenges of being in a wheelchair, the challenges of having grasping problems, the challenges of vision problems etc. I wish more made it a bigger priority but usually the priority is "what is the least amount we have to spend to not get sued."

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

The only towel bars in the bathrooms of the HA 1 bedroom are over the whirlpool tub. I don't know how anyone in a wheel chair could possibly reach them. One plus is that they added a soft rubber bumper on the floor under the shower curtain to help keep water from escaping the shower area. Sadly the shower curtain is too short so the water splashes below it unless you make sure the showerhead is pointed away from the curtain.

We did not book handicapped rooms for this trip, not realizing in advance that both my sister-in-law and my mom would have mobility issues by our travel date. So, we were traveling with a wheelchair, an ECV and two walkers. My brother was able to assist his wife with showering, so it worked out alright for them. With my mom, she was able to use her walker and a shower bench (with handles) that we brought along to utilize the glass-enclosed shower stall in the refurbished 1-bedroom unit. The new showers have a very low lip on the bottom shower pan and a very wide door that is easy to swing open and closed. My mom was able to easily navigate in and out of the shower with her walker. However, there were no HA bars in the shower. I would have been a nervous wreck allowing her to use the shower without both the walker and the shower bench there. We had no water issues with the new shower; the water stayed fully inside the glass enclosure and none escaped to the surrounding floor. Also, there was a towel rack in our shower area, on the wall by the sink.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

This is what the new dining table should look like.

I only see a box with an X and IMG next to it... I don't see a photo. I've tried viewing in both Firefox and IE. Is there a trick to seeing the photo that I somehow missed? I'm guessing that the photo also shows the bamboo back chairs that Lisa F mentioned. I read her comment and thought, "Huh?!" ;-)

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The only towel bars in the bathrooms of the HA 1 bedroom are over the whirlpool tub. I don't know how anyone in a wheel chair could possibly reach them. One plus is that they added a soft rubber bumper on the floor under the shower curtain to help keep water from escaping the shower area. Sadly the shower curtain is too short so the water splashes below it unless you make sure the showerhead is pointed away from the curtain.

The rubber bumper sounds like an improvement. We have usually just put towels down to act as water dams.

We were in a BCV 1BR in Dec, non-HA, and the towel bar for the sink/tub room was also over the whirlpool. More than once I just stepped into the tub to be able to properly hang up the towels. But there was another small bar by the sink in the shower/sink room so at least a little something.

No it's not anyone who understands who does it. It's an architect/interior designer who is following minimum guidelines to not get sued for ADA violations. There are seminars you can take as an architect where you do things to mimic specific disabilities so that you can really understand what it feels like but it is not required and I'm guessing most are not invested enough to do that. I did it while in school (it was required by my grad program) and it was really eye opening to see the challenges of being in a wheelchair, the challenges of having grasping problems, the challenges of vision problems etc. I wish more made it a bigger priority but usually the priority is "what is the least amount we have to spend to not get sued."

IMO it's too important to people who require special features for them to get it wrong. Any designer who is going to take on the task ought to put the effort in to seeing what really is needed. It's really a shame that they keep getting it so wrong although it's definitely not just Disney.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I only see a box with an X and IMG next to it... but I don't see a photo. I've tried viewing in both Firefox and IE. Is there a trick to seeing the photo that I somehow missed? I'm guessing that the photo also shows the chandelier and bamboo backed chairs that Lisa F mentioned. I read her comment and though, "Huh?!" ;-)

I've had that issue in the past too but can't remember what the reason was. Right now I'm using Chrome, which I don't always, and I'm able to see the picture.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I've had that issue in the past too but can't remember what the reason was. Right now I'm using Chrome, which I don't always, and I'm able to see the picture.

Thanks for the suggestion, Kat. I tried viewing it in Chrome and still can't see that one photo. I've checked other threads and can see the photos for all of them... no X's or boxes... so it appears to be that one image. I will make a post in the Technical Support forum to see what I can do to view the photo...

UPDATE -- I went back to Jean's post where the image was missing and right-clicked to view the image in a new tab.... and voila, I could see the image! The light fixture is the same as what was in our unit. It looks better in the photograph than it does in person; up close it is very flimsy and cheap looking. Those dining chairs and table are also the same as the ones we had, but Jean's appear to be in much better condition. Ours had scratches and dents in the base that made the pieces look much older than the furniture in Jean's photo, and they certainly looked like leftovers from before the refurb. We used the two throw pillows from the sofa when we sat in those chairs because they were extremely uncomfortable. The side chair in our room was a painted Adirondack style like the ones that were in rooms with the previous decor, and it was also dented in places (not new looking like the sofa and tables). The chairs along the breakfast bar also were scratched and looked like the ones that had been used with the previous decor. I suppose it is possible that all of the furniture was new and someone before us had been rough in our room... but if these pieces could look old in such a short period of time, that doesn't speak well regarding the practicality of those changes. I now wish I had taken photos of our 1-bedroom villa. It's hard to describe how disjointed the room looked with just snippets of one corner or another.

 

[jekjones1558]

We did not book handicapped rooms for this trip, not realizing in advance that both my sister-in-law and my mom would have mobility issues by our travel date. So, we were traveling with a wheelchair, an ECV and two walkers. My brother was able to assist his wife with showering, so it worked out alright for them. With my mom, she was able to use her walker and a shower bench (with handles) that we brought along to utilize the glass-enclosed shower stall in the refurbished 1-bedroom unit. The new showers have a very low lip on the bottom shower pan and a very wide door that is easy to swing open and closed. My mom was able to easily navigate in and out of the shower with her walker. However, there were no HA bars in the shower. I would have been a nervous wreck allowing her to use the shower without both the walker and the shower bench there. We had no water issues with the new shower; the water stayed fully inside the glass enclosure and none escaped to the surrounding floor. Also, there was a towel rack in our shower area, on the wall by the sink.

Just for future reference, you can get a shower bench with handles from housekeeping. Be sure to ask for the BENCH with HANDLES because housekeeping also has chairs without handles.

 

[Lisa F]

Thanks for the suggestion, Kat. I tried viewing it in Chrome and still can't see that one photo. I've checked other threads and can see the photos for all of them... no X's or boxes... so it appears to be that one image. I will make a post in the Technical Support forum to see what I can do to view the photo...

UPDATE -- I went back to Jean's post where the image was missing and right-clicked to view the image in a new tab.... and voila, I could see the image! The light fixture is the same as what was in our unit. It looks better in the photograph than it does in person; up close it is very flimsy and cheap looking. Those dining chairs and table are also the same as the ones we had, but Jean's appear to be in much better condition. Ours had scratches and dents in the base that made the pieces look much older than the furniture in Jean's photo, and they certainly looked like leftovers from before the refurb. We used the two throw pillows from the sofa when we sat in those chairs because they were extremely uncomfortable. The side chair in our room was a painted Adirondack style like the ones that were in rooms with the previous decor, and it was also dented in places (not new looking like the sofa and tables). The chairs along the breakfast bar also were scratched and looked like the ones that had been used with the previous decor. I suppose it is possible that all of the furniture was new and someone before us had been rough in our room... but if these pieces could look old in such a short period of time, that doesn't speak well regarding the practicality of those changes. I now wish I had taken photos of our 1-bedroom villa. It's hard to describe how disjointed the room looked with just snippets of one corner or another.

it's a bummer that the fixture feels cheap. As I said not a fan of that fake bamboo.

But my bigger point still stands... people are not going to not want to stay at the boardwalk because of the bamboo chairs. My stay is 107 points in preferred view studio... Even at $14/point (which is the highest i saw on the rental boards) that is $214/night. even with discounted rack rates it is a huge value to rent points still.

Last time I rented out my points the going rate was $10. I have been out of the loop for a long time! I think also that when you take a break and come back fresh everything is wonderful... but part of the downside of DVC is that you can have too much Disney and you start seeing the flaws more than the joys. I will have over 2 years between trips since my last and before that it was 4 years between trips. it's enough time to get the magic back for me!

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

Last time I rented out my points the going rate was $10. I have been out of the loop for a long time! I think also that when you take a break and come back fresh everything is wonderful... but part of the downside of DVC is that you can have too much Disney and you start seeing the flaws more than the joys. I will have over 2 years between trips since my last and before that it was 4 years between trips. it's enough time to get the magic back for me!

When posting a critique, I am critical of what I see needs changing. It's not a question of how much joy I receive each time I visit, as the magic is there for each trip... no matter how frequently or infrequently we travel. However, in this discussion, the positives I highlighted seem to have been lost as the conversation continued. I commented positively on the bedroom, on the bathroom, on the pulldown bed, on the artwork, on the color scheme, and on the flooring. That's a lot of positives. I commented negatively on the hodge podge decor in the living room and on the cheap light fixtures. I think it's important for owners to honestly discuss those things that disappoint them with renovations, hopefully to prevent more disappointments in the future. I also think our difference in perception regarding value lies in our geographic differences. My family is visiting Disney on Louisiana wages and yours is visiting on New York wages. Our cost of living (and wages) are much lower than yours, so $214/night is high to us (equal to our monthly utility bill on a 3800 sq. ft. house in wintertime). We are accustomed to staying in luxury accommodations, but to us it actually IS a luxury! So yes, I am very thorough in my critiques and will continue that practice. Afterall, what made Disney such a success is the fact that they have historically considered ALL the details. I'm just helping them continue in that tradition!

 

[Lisa F]

I also think our difference in perception regarding value lies in our geographic differences. My family is visiting Disney on Louisiana wages and yours is visiting on New York wages. Our cost of living (and wages) are much lower than yours, so $214/night is high to us (equal to our monthly utility bill on a 3800 sq. ft. house in wintertime).

You are making a pretty big assumption there about what my finances are like because I live in the northeast. The reality is that without the fact that I have owned DVC since January 1999 and purchased it for $55 a point with magical beginnings for it (so actually a bit more as we had to pay for last year's dues to get that discount) and have gotten my value out of it MANY times over, with my current financial situation I would not even be renting points.. but I'm sure not many single mothers are not the big target audience either buying in nowadays or renting points. I am more in the "value resort" class nowadays but because of when I bought in and arrangements with an amicable ex where we work together to share the contract, I can stay in luxurious DVC accommodations every other year and it costs me about $400 a year. THAT I can swing, and it takes me 2 years to save up for all the rest of it So I am not trivializing how much it costs to stay in a DVC resort.

However, $214 as low is compared to how much you can get the same room from through disney, which has nothing to do with where you're from (unless Florida ). Per mousesavers rack rate during the period I am going is $484 + 12.5% resort tax, making full price $544.50 and the DVC rental is about a 60% discount off of rack rate (!!!). I'm not up on discounts anymore but I believe 30% is considered a good discount so a good discounted rate would be $382. $214 is still a STELLAR deal compared with what it would cost to get the same room through disney vs. renting.

I am specifically addressing your concern that people will no longer rent DVC points from owners at BWV because it is not luxurious enough and I'm saying that to rent points is still such a great deal (not relative to a Holiday Inn in Louisiana but relative to other ways to stay in the same or similar room) and the location is so amazing and the amenities of the resort are so awesome that the value is still there bigtime for people to stay at BWV at the rate that points are being rented right now. I think your worry that people won't want to stay at BWV because the chairs are ugly or the light fixture looks cheap is completely unfounded, because it is still a very desirable place to be any time of year but ESPECIALLY at food and wine festival. I hope that clears up what I was saying. I have owned a very long time and been on and off these boards for the better part of the last 16 years (which is very frightening) and I have seen people have similar worries in the past... yet point rental prices are way up from where they were when I was actually renting points... but then dues were in the $4-somethings rather than $6-somethings back then

I get your disappointment in certain aspects of the decor and am not arguing with you on that. You can not care for the decisions (or at least some of them!) and different strokes for different folks and all that. The only thing I am arguing is whether the value of BWV will go down because of the decor. I'm saying I don't think so.

I'm also saying I got a lot more tweaked about this stuff when I went 3-4 times a year, read the boards like crazy and DVC was a huge part of my life because I was always planning or booking or moving around. Now that I am going so much less frequently (4 years before my last trip, and 2 years between my last one and next one) the perspective has shifted quite a bit. I think most renters are more like me than like a typical DVC owner... they are not doing this 3-4 times a year or they would be purchasing DVC.. and I don't think they will in general highly prioritize specific decor items that may have fallen short over location and amenities of the resort overall.

And because of your pictures, I canceled my standard 1 bedroom waitlist... I had some extra points to blow and figured I'd treat myself but it is just me and my (at that time) 8 year old and he is over the moon about the fold down beds, which I think will also make the studio room feel more comfortable for the two of us than having the pullout bed open the entire time... so I decided to stick with the studio. So I appreciate all of your comments and especially the pictures. I love the decor in the new studios, I was never a fan of the coral pink and flowers and all that jazz and I love dark wood so it feels like home to me. I'm overall pleased with most of the refurbishment decisions and super excited about my trip.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

I live in an expensive and exclusive coastal community...

You are making a pretty big assumption there about what my finances are like because I live in the northeast.

Actually, I made the assumption based on the comment you made earlier... ;-)

I'm glad my comments and photos helped with planning your upcoming trip. That's the whole point of us sharing here, isn't it?

 

[Lisa F]

Actually, I made the assumption based on the comment you made earlier... ;-)

I'm glad my comments and photos helped with planning your upcoming trip. That's the whole point of us sharing here, isn't it?

I actually live on martha's freaking vineyard. how's that for exclusive? And in my former job i designed luxury hotel room renovations. But I'm not a fool and I know that $1500 for a week's "rent" is a lot of money for a lot of people. Disney is crazy expensive. But compared to renting the same room direct it's a bargain! everything is relative.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Lisa, it's the mismatched styles that I am referring to with my displeasure. The new contemporary light fixtures that were in our 1-bedroom villa were cheap looking and feeling... like what you'd find in the lighting section of a big box discount store. I agree, the quilted flowers needed to go, but I don't think many designers would choose to combine heavy Asian-style dark wood furniture with vinyl driftwood-style flooring or painted white country-style chairs. This villa was the antithesis of simple and clean, and was more flea market hodge podge. Hopefully the other refurbished rooms have more cohesion in the decor. We prefer BWV over any of the other resorts (even the others where we own points), but that opinion was first reached with an apples to apples comparison at the time we purchased. I can remember vividly as we moved up the price point for Disney accommodations... how the animals folded from towels caused us to permanently abandon the value hotels in our delight, how the hidden Mickeys inspired us to purchase rather than stay with the moderates, etc. Those small details DO make a difference, especially when you have children along who delight in the details even more. Certainly, the villa we just stayed in was "adequate"... but for the contract purchase price and the dues we pay, I believe we should be able to anticipate more than "adequate" with each stay. Your original reply regarding OKW highlights that decor DOES play a big part in where people choose to stay. My concern is less that BWV will compare unfavorably to a value, and more that it will compare unfavorably to Beach Club, BLT, and all the other Disney properties for which points may be rented.

BW is our home resort and it was once quite charming. They have ruined it in a few short years. IMO And yes, it looks like they chose the decor at a flea market. I'm especially disappointed with the dining table and over sized bamboo chairs...not practical, uncomfortable and ugly. Not enough sit down/dining space for a 2 bedroom villa. (9 people)