BWV Thoughts?

[MarineFam]

We are making a trip down after school and are thinking about booking a week in a 1br at BWV. Our home resort is AKV an are staying there again in April for the 5 days prior to our cruise. We just wanted to try something else. We have 2 DS ages 13 and 16 when we travel. Thanks for any info.

 

[DVC Dude]

I would splurge for the Boardwalk view as it really is a great view of the water and boardwalk.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

You will love the BWV. We have stayed there twice this past year and loved it both times. You cannot get a better location. 5 to 10 minute walk to Epcot and 15 minute walk to the Hollywood studios. If you do not want to walk you can hop on the boat to Epcot and the studios. The atmosphere at night on the Boardwalk is really fun. There are plenty of good places to eat. Just writing this makes me wish we were back there now.

 

[MarineFam]

You will love the BWV. We have stayed there twice this past year and loved it both times. You cannot get a better location. 5 to 10 minute walk to Epcot and 15 minute walk to the Hollywood studios. If you do not want to walk you can hop on the boat to Epcot and the studios. The atmosphere at night on the Boardwalk is really fun. There are plenty of good places to eat. Just writing this makes me wish we were back there now.

That sounds great. We have enough points left for a 1br there and thought it would be nice. I have to wait for mid November to book for the 7 month window so I hope we can get it.

 

[drusba]

Boardwalk and standard view are usually gone at 7 months out but the exception is often 1BRs and thus you should have a good chance of getting one for that time of year for boardwalk view (the best view on site, and yes I have had BLT theme park view, which is good but still not as good as boardwalk view). Moreover pool/garden view will undoubtedly be open at 7 months out.

We own at both BWV and AKV and consider BWV still the top of all resorts, particularly if you get boardwalk view. You can walk to two parks or take boat, and you thus have walking access to over two dozen restaurants (at the Epcot resorts, Epcot and Studios). Kouzzina's is a good Greek restaurant, Flying Fish excellent (but expensive) seafood, ESPN (no ressies taken) is good for quick meals and sports viewing, and Big River Grill (also no ressies taken) for burgers, steaks, other and local beers on tap. Also, if you like seafood including crab legs, oysters, mussels, fish, clam chodder, you need to go to Cape May Cafe at BC one evening for its Seafood buffet (with paper table coverings over the tables and everyone is given crayons to draw on them); note that dinner also provides beef, chicken and other foods for the non-seafood lovers. The pool is fine, with a long slide, and there is an electronic games facility for kids, a good community hall, and entertainment on the boardwalk.

 

[crisi]

That sounds great. We have enough points left for a 1br there and thought it would be nice. I have to wait for mid November to book for the 7 month window so I hope we can get it.

Your odds are good, but plan on an ordinary "preferred view." If you are fortunately enough to be able to grab a Boardwalk View, do grab it (and if you are able to bank your points yet, you can grab a standard view and save a few points, if that is available).

The resort is "busy" A little more like taking a vacation in a busy town than feeling isolated. Some people like that (we do), others find it too busy.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

We booked 4 months out on our last 2 trips and were able to get garden view on both trips for 10 days each trip. We had a partial boardwalk view for each room. We went the second week of March and second week of September.

 

[MarineFam]

Yes we are thinking either 1br for the week or studio for 2weeks we could do for the points. If we were to get the Boardwalk view we would need to borrow or something. Also, don't mind it being busy. We live in a small town and have a house in the woods so not really any neighbors so won't bother us. We are just really excited to stay there. So hoping it will work out.

 

[crisi]

Yes we are thinking either 1br for the week or studio for 2weeks we could do for the points. If we were to get the Boardwalk view we would need to borrow or something. Also, don't mind it being busy. We live in a small town and have a house in the woods so not really any neighbors so won't bother us. We are just really excited to stay there. So hoping it will work out.

That means you need a standard view - you won't get that for two whole weeks. And I doubt you'd get it for one whole week.

Most of the resort is preferred view - same points as Boardwalk View, but views of pools or gardens - its about 60% of the resort. Standard View is only 20% of the resort, and tends to book before seven months - with spotty availability at the seven month point depending on the time of year.

 

[drusba]

That means you need a standard view - you won't get that for two whole weeks. And I doubt you'd get it for one whole week.

Most of the resort is preferred view - same points as Boardwalk View, but views of pools or gardens - its about 60% of the resort. Standard View is only 20% of the resort, and tends to book before seven months - with spotty availability at the seven month point depending on the time of year.

Adding to the above on standard view studio for two weeks. You would not only have to be lucky to get standard view for two full weeks but you would also have to decide to risk not getting a 1BR boardwalk view if you cannot succeed in getting a studio for the entire time you want. The issue you face is that you can book only up to 7 nights exactly 7 months out. You could get lucky and be able to reserve a standard studio for the first seven nights that you want. However, when you later go to add the additional nights you might find those closed out, and by then you will be somewhat beyond the 7 month window for a 1BR during the first week you want and availability for that could disappear quickly once the 7 month window opens, so you might find yourself with one week in a standard studio and nothing else unless you want to switch to pool/garden view.

 

[MarineFam]

Yup wasn't thinking about that. Will probably have to look at either a 1br for a week or a studio there and possibly at AKV if they have one available. If we do the 1br for the week then we will probably look at the other week with Armed Forces Vacation Club and get a condo through that which we have done in the past before we were DVC members. Not bad for $299 for the week right outside the park. Just would rather stay on property. Might have to add on some points at BWV when we are on our cruise in April....

 

[deb010305]

You will love BW, especially if you get a BW view. We got a 1 bdr BW view for this past April (during MA school vacation week) at 7 months. It is a little more "busy" area, but not too noisy. And there is so much to do and so many places to eat right outside.
The only negatives are that the hallways are LONG! But they are air-conditioned. And if you are driving the self-parking lot is a little distance away.

 

[MarineFam]

Good. I do have a question. Where should I request to be? Convenience to things is a plus. I was injured in a blast and walk with a crutch because of balance problems. I take my time all day but at the resort if I can make it a bit easier to be located in a certain area then I try to. Also, won't be driving. Thanks.

 

[drusba]

If there are walking issues, usually you want to request a room near the elevators (there is one block of elevators on BWV side and they are near the lobby with easy access to everything. The problem you face with boardwalk view is that none of those rooms are real close to the elevators. The boardwalk views that are closest are, however, 1BR dedicated units but those in fact face the Village Green (center courtyard) rather than the boardwalk (they are right near the corner where the building turns from Village Green view to pure boardwalk view. Still decent view of boardwalk area but not as good as 1BRs further down the hallway. Usually the best boardwalk view request to make is high floor which will usually result in your being down the hallway but in your case you might actually want to request one of those that are at the corner with a near the elevator request.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Both of our rooms on our last two trips were right down from the elevators. We stayed on the 5th floor in studio rooms overlooking the green and boardwalk.

 

[drusba]

For the best boardwalk room maps to give you an idea of where rooms are in the resort go here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2931467. Then look at two of the links. The one for "Courtyard" and the one for "Boardwalk View." In the Courtyard view you will see the 1BRs I mentioned that are considered boardwalk view. The elevator is just to the left of all the pool/garden studios also shown in that particular map. The Boardwalk View rooms map shows all the rooms that are true boardwalk view. The rooms at the left of the map start just after those 1BRs in the Courtyard map.

 

[MarineFam]

For the best boardwalk room maps to give you an idea of where rooms are in the resort go here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2931467. Then look at two of the links. The one for "Courtyard" and the one for "Boardwalk View." In the Courtyard view you will see the 1BRs I mentioned that are considered boardwalk view. The elevator is just to the left of all the pool/garden studios also shown in that particular map. The Boardwalk View rooms map shows all the rooms that are true boardwalk view. The rooms at the left of the map start just after those 1BRs in the Courtyard map.

Thanks that will be a big help