BWV vs. BCV

[TALB]

We have it narrowed down to BWV or BCV and can't make up our minds. Can current members offer pro's and con's of each resort to help us decide. Thanks!!

 

[jade1]

We stay once in a while at BWV when we can get BW View, otherwise we stay at BCV.

 

[wdwnut]

BWV is my home resort, and I still enjoy it tremendously. Each resort has its good/bad points. I love the boardwalk view, being right in the middle of the action, the quiet pool and hot tub, the community hall, bakery, entertainment on the boardwalk, Wyland gallery, and the wicker chairs outside the lobby. The bell services people and housekeepers are very good as well. The front desk is not as welcoming (1 welcome home at check-in in 10 years) as the desks at OKW, VWL, or BCV. BCV has access to Stormalong Bay, a much quieter atmosphere, and closer parking if you drive. I like them both very much, but still enjoy BWV a little more.

 

[PHILCT]

BCV:

1) Stormalong Bay, This is really quite an exclusive perk.

2) Closest vicinity to walk to an onsite DVC store/groceries,casual foods to go at the Marketplace. Beach Club is very central to everything around your resort, not a lot of excessive walking.

3) If you buy a Refillable Mug, easiest place to get it refilled several times a day including the Marketplace, Beaches N Cream, and I think the other place by Stormalong Bay that sells food.

4) Walking back from Illuminations is minutes faster, you will be falling on your BCV bed way before you fall into your BWV bed.

5) Same as number one above, this is really quite the Disney Pool.
Buy yourself a pool "noodle" there, and go down the Deep Sand Bottomed Lazy River. Get out of the water and grab ice cream at Beaches N Cream.
Don't go back into Stormalong Bay for at least 30 minutes after eating.

BWV:

1) Nice to be next to all the bakery cafe, candy store, ESPN, and all the other stores and restaurants. Still not as close as the BCV Marketplace.
You will find yourself walking more around this resort, it is quite big.

2) Nice Evening Atmosphere with Jugglers, etc on the Boardwalk.

3) Clown Pool (but truthfully Clowns kinda freak me out).

4) Closer walking distance to Hollywood Studios.

5) Nicer room views if you are lucky enough to get them.

 

[n2mm]

We like both and stay at each several times a year, but the bottom line for us was that our points go farther at BWV if we stay in a standard villa, so that makes for longer trips and more trips. We manage to get into the BCV because we visit during off times. We walk to the studios is better from the BWV vs BCV. They are both good and both have great options.

 

[robertdangelo]

Here is a site with maps and pics of balcony views at BCV: http://www.parkinfo2go.com/dvc-bcv/
Click on a room # to see the view.

 

[LSchrow]

BWV standard view is less points, but equivalent to most views at the BCV.

for the same points as a just-okay view at BCV, you can get a boardwalk view (which is stunning.) at the BWVs.

we also prefer the quiet of the BWVs, with a plethora of activities at your fingertips (and much viewable from a BW view balcony) to the high noise level at the BCVs. both casual and fine restaurants, jellyrolls, espn, the delicious bakery, belle vue lounge, community hall, carny games and entertainers are all at the BW.

BCV's big draw is the pool.....but we find it just too crowded and noisy for our tastes, so stopped using it on vacas there.

walk to parks are comparable.

 

[TALB]

Your thoughts on my observations: When we toured BCV it seemed so crowded walking around the resort. I didn't get that feeling at BCV. Was this a fluke? Also, people have mentioned that it is noisy at BCV. Does the noise bother you when trying to sleep at night?

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

We've stayed at both and personally prefer BWV... but I have noticed a trend that northern families seem to be drawn by BCV and southern families seem to prefer BWV. Could this be because actual boardwalks are within easy vacationing distance to northerners and actual beaches are within easy vacationing distance to southerners? I don't know... but the trend holds true even in my own family. We are from south Louisiana and love BWV; my brother and his family live in the Northeast and prefer BCV. Both have great things to offer, but being able to use a great pool really isn't a draw for me since we have almost year-round swimming and a fabulous water park right here in my hometown.

 

[itsreally4mommy]

I'm curious how far the walk (if possible) is from BCV to BWV?

 

[mickeys girl 52]

I'm curious how far the walk (if possible) is from BCV to BWV?

I think I read somewhere that the walk around Cresent Lake is only .9 mile. There is also a boat that takes you across from Beach Club to Boardwalk . To me it seems funny when people compare the two because they are so close, all the restaurants in the area are close to both of them.

I think the big difference between the two are
BCV has a great pool that many love and you can only use if you are staying there. BWV has a beautiful view or lower standard points if you prefer. But everything else is within distance to both timeshares.
I don't think you can go wrong with either. They are both BEAUTIFUL RESORTS.

 

[Greg K.]

...and, honestly, we prefer the Board Walk. The lobby atmosphere is more creative, bright and fun, and the place just FEELS more vacation-y .

Not for nothing, but the Cape May Cafe is a crowd-magnet, and the lobby is frequently packed with people waiting for tables. The noise level can get a little nuts.

We always found SAB to be mobbed, too, and it's a fairly long hike from the villas to get there.

 

[CandyMandy]

When we toured BCV it seemed so crowded walking around the resort. I didn't get that feeling at BCV. Was this a fluke?

I assume you meant "BWV" in your second sentence. And if that's correct, no what you sensed wasn't a fluke. You have hit the nail on the head re: one of the subtle but important downsides of BVC:

Congestion.

Because it was appended to an existing resort, BVC had to be "squeezed in" to the limited space available to it (unlike BWV/BWI which was built at the same time as one carefully laid out complex).

Consequently, the public spaces (and access to/from them) at BWV generally feel better thought out (and hence less congested) than BVC. The crowding at the latter is particularly noticeable in the winding walkway between the resort buildings and SAB. During peak seasons those paths can feel like sidewalks in midtown Manhattan. And vaunted SAB itself can get very congested; while it was designed to support two resort hotels (Yacht and Beach), it had a large additional load put onto it when BCV was added.

And another articifact of BCV being squeezed onto a tight footprint is the fact it has some ground floor villas whose exterior walls are only a few feet away from roadways. That's likely where some of the noise complaints you referenced often come from.

 

[dan and scott]

BWV Grand Villas-----BCV has NONE
I know your thinking I most likely never use one --you might someday as we did and are doing in October for 3 nights.---for the 2nd time.
We have owned at BW for12 yrs. and it is the best all-around DVC resort.
We have never had problems with "noise"from any of our BW view rooms.
The main pool area is beautiful and is not any scarier than the screaming kids over at SAB which is almost always at capacity.
Love the standard views and 1st floor rooms--no bad views of the resort
The resort has just gotten a refreshening update and even better looking when we originally bought in 98

Scott

 

[PKS44]

PRO BCV-parking is closer, walk to Epcot closer. SAB. Marketplace BeachesnCream.

CON BCV- higher points compared to BWV std, views nothing special, smaller rooms than BWV, no Grand Villas, LOOOOOONG walk to tennis courts at Yacht Club

PRO BWV-std view rooms are fewer points, BW views, tennis courts closer (much much closer to most rooms), slightly larger rooms layouts, Grand Villas, COMMUNITY HALL,

CON-huge place can mean long walks to room, crowded and distant parking lot. weird 4 and 5th floors not on all parts means some stairwells dont go to your floor if you are trying to not have to walk to single elevator.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We own at both, and we most often stay at BWV. The standard view points make it easier to go during the NYE holidays.

However, we did buy at BCV to book the dedicated 2 bedrooms that have 2 queens in the second bedroom. BWV doesn't have any dedicated 2 bedrooms. Not all dedicated 2 bedrooms at BCV have 2 queens, and when my family stays there, that's what we like to have.

Bobbi

 

[crisi]

BCV has an uglier couch. But it isn't as ugly as the shower curtain in a BWV studio.

(I haven't seen the new BWV shower curtains though, and the rooms just got refreshed. Its possible that the new BWV shower curtains are more attractive than the BCV couch).

 

[Jerry@dvcstore]

Either resort would be a fine choice and I don't think you can make a bad decision. I prefer the views from the Boardwalk, but the pool at the Beach Club. The rooms are fairly similar so thats a toss up.
On the resale market the Boardwalk costs less per point than the Beach Club, so again it is a tuff choice. Either resort is a Great Resort.

 

[backyardponder]

BWV is a shorter walk to your room from Jellyrolls. (Jellyrolls is an adult only dueling piano bar on the Boardwalk...one of the great places to go at WDW!!!!!)

 

[lucyem]

We have it narrowed down to BWV or BCV and can't make up our minds. Can current members offer pro's and con's of each resort to help us decide. Thanks!!

Do you have kids?
My kids much prefer SAB.