BWV right or wrong...

[CK1]

Help me out here folks... please convince me that we will have a lovely time at BWV with our family! 10 day vacation, and almost time to make my ressies. We hemmed and hawed over BCV versus BWV, but the lure of the lower std view pts could not be broken. Last time we stayed at VWL and loved it. Been to OKW. We are BWV owners but this is our first trip "home"-- convince me that it will be good! Give me all the strong points! We will have 5 kids (9,8,5,4,and infant) and 4 adults in all.

Main concerns -- what a "std view" will look like, those "long hallways" everyone mentions, any continuing nuisance renovations / rehab. Don't bash other resorts (after all we plan to hit them all! ) Just persuade me that a BWV vacation is top-notch fun for all!

(And please -- all you die-hard OKW fans -- I know I know I KNOW it's nice... done it many many times...will go there again someday ... but not this time, ok? Kids want a slide... )

THANKS!

 

[disneycrazed139]

We were just there in June. They were still doing construction on the front of the building and there was another construction area, but I didn't notice any noise when we were there at all, and truthfully didn't pay much attention to it. The grounds were beautifully kept. The entire resort is immaculate and it's a great location. The first night we took a Surrey bike around the entire lake to get a good view of all the resorts. It was really pretty--especially in the early evening as the sun is setting. I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[DebbieB]

I believe the construction is complete. The long hallways is exagerated, I don't think the farthest room is any farther than walking to a building not close to a bus stop at OKW or longer than walking Main Street.

 

[JimC]

It is a lovely resort. Actually you can not go wrong with any of the resorts in that area. They are all first rate! We prefer BCV because of SAB, but that should take nothing away form BWV.

 

[Lisa F]

I actually prefer standard view to preferred view. People talk about the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk, but on the standard view side it is very quiet. There is water, ducks and lots of landscaping. The further from the elevators, the better on the standard side so it's a no-lose situation... either you are super convenient to the elevators or you have a little bit of a walk and have a great view, including illuminations at night. Either way, I never thought that the hallways were all that bad and we've been pretty close to the end. If you are at the end, you have the benefit of it being quiet as fewer people pass your door.

Although BCV is closer to Epcot, BWV actually has a more central location, being maybe another 5 minutes to Epcot than BCV but also a reasonable walk to MGM.

The bakery is fabulous, nothing like a cinnamon yummy for breakfast.

Seashore sweets is also yummy, not quite the sundaes I've heard about at beaches and cream but a cone is much easier to eat while you walk around and see the sights on the boardwalk. After illuminations, we love to grab an ice cream and catch whatever show is going on on the boardwalk.

I'm not a big slide person but the slide at the BWV pool is supposed to be better than the one at SAB (though you don't have the sand bottom, lazy river etcetc).

Since they close off the areas that are under rennovation from guests, there is really no way it will affect your trip. When you see the before and after next to each other, the difference is striking and you will see why it's all worth it.

I have stayed at all of the DVC resorts on property and BWV is the one I would pick hands down most times, even at preferred view points (though I love VWL also, but in the Epcot area, it's BWV for me all the way.)

Lisa

 

[ripleysmom]

The standard view that we had when we stayed was fine. We had a canal and a bit of a parking lot but it was still nice.

As for the long walks, they're not that short but they weren't THAT bad either. That is exaggeration, plain and simple. If they were that bad people wouldn't have to book them day by day at the 11 Mo. window.

Also just to provide a little reassurance, you would still have a walk in some cases with the preferred view so you might as well just save the points.

 

[Zurg]

There is a reason standard view books up so fast, they are nice.

Like Lisa, we like to be as far down the "walk" as we can, for the same reasons, it is quieter as for the elivator if stairs don't bother you, you can just slip in & out the ends and skip it.

The pool is great and the slide is better than SAB's plus the kids don't leave the pool area to go up the slide. - The pool is big enough to move around it but not so big you can loose a kid either.

The entertainment on the boarwalk is fun. We love the juggler. Bakery is nice and I have been known to meet other DIS DVCers at the brew pub once or twice.

They run a kids fishing trip that my boys have enjoyed a number of times out of community hall. There are a number of fun activities that kids can get into there.

It is an short walk to MGM or to Epcot. We typicaly do one or the other in the afternoon after a lunch break and swim. The Boardwalk is about location with lots of entertainment close to "home"

 

[joepoe]

Standard view means you have to look at the parking lot or the red building on the other (canal) side. Preferred view means you look at the water or a pool. You can have a preferred view and have a long walk down a hallway. Preferred doesn't mean convenient to the elevators. Just that you look at water. Most of the Boardwalk views are Grand Villas, not many other room types. We have stayed 5 times and only had a preferred view once, the first time we stayed, on 4 months notice, in 1999. We like to save the points so we can stay the weekend, so we book standard at 11 months every time.

 

[joepoe]

Good luck getting standard view, unless you are at the 11 month window, it can be tough.

 

[bjakmom]

CK1 - 10 days at BWV with your family ?!!! - of course you'll have a wonderful time (IMHO!!- disclaimer!) Last summer DS and I had standard view on first floor - overlooking parking entrance - at first I thought, oh no! - but it was lovely - always quiet, nice balcony. Your kids will love the Community Hall - be sure and check it out. We loved the back walk to MGM - DS spent lots of time exploring the BW - the pool was a blast, we even enjoyed the quiet pool (where I spent lots of time while he was in Comm Hall). It was our second stay at BW - and we liked it so much that we just picked it as our home resort also. We ate twice at B&C - our new fave - quick meals at ESPN. Like you, we'll spend the next few years trying out the other DVC resorts, but we already know that we love BWV - have a great time!

 

[POLLY ANN]

What size accomodations are you staying in with that many people?
We were booked for a standard view 2BR in January for 4 adults, 4 children. Because of a computer error, no 2br's were available at check in and we were upgraded to a Grand Villa, over looking the boardwalk right above The Storm Door!! It was phenomenal and we were able to see the Epcot ball from the balcony, as well as across the water to the YC/BC. We never heard any noise from the boardwalk below, either. I wish we had been able to stay there for our whole 10 night/11 day stay, but we were only there for 3 nights, the rest spent at OKW in a GV.

Boardwalk is a GREAT place to stay (the Boardwalk activity is alot of fun) and the walks in the hallway aren't that bad (I had 3 little ones with me, too.) The kids have choices of transportation: walk, boat, the monorail at Epcot, bus vs. just a bus at OKW). I guess as far as the view, that would depend on how much time you spend in the room and how important having a view is.

I think you'll have a great time!

 

[CK1]

Bumped up to a grand villa would be my idea of winning the lottery!

Looking at a 2 br for our crew. We barely make criteria (4 adults, 4 half-pints, one infant), but we're gonna give it a try. We did fine last year @ VWL with a 2 br with same group, minus 1 baby, so we're hoping it will be fine this time, too! (But boy oh boy wouldn't I love a GV...)

As for 11 mos -- yes, we're BWV owners (yet have never stayed there! Aren't we naughty owners) so we will DEFINITELY be calling every day at our 11 mos window in a few weeks.

THanks for the input folks!! Any additional input also appreciated!

 

[DeeP]

BWV is a lovely resort. The walks to the rooms are no farther than they are from many of the deluxe resorts, i.e. YC, BC, etc.
When staying in a standard view room, I always request to be close to the tennis courts because it provides a very nice view of the canal to MGM, the friendship boats, TOT, ducks, birds, etc. It is very quiet in this location and there are back staircases which will eliminate the need to walk to the elevators.
All the renovations are complete.
A WDW vacation does not get much more top notch than staying at BWV.
I am sure you will like staying at BWV very much.