BWV - What rooms should we request?

[Love That Stitch]

Hey all!
We are going to BWV in June 08 and this will be our first visit on the DVC side (we stayed at the Inn side and it was wonderful). We are staying a studio and wondering what we should pick. Need some help.

What is the difference between preferred and standard view?

We want to do standard view because it is cheaper points . However, is a view of the pool a standard view or preferred view?

We will have little ones with us so we don't want to be too terribly far from (pool, bus, boardwalk).

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

 

[crisi]

Standard view looks over the front (drive) of the resort. They are about 20% of the resort. As you noted they are fewer points. We tend to go for the bargain, unless we are trying to impress guests or take a special trip.

Boardwalk view overlooks the Boardwalk, we request this when we want a special trip. Its about another 20% - and all the Grand Villas are Boardwalk View.

Preferred view overlooks pools, gardens, canals. We take this when we book late and neither of the other choices are available. I'd rather take a standard view over a preferred view - some of the preferred views are worse than some of the standard views.

Note that as booking categories both Boardwalk View and Standard View book quickly. If you are lucky enough that they are available for June 08 when you book - go for it! We tend to book ours right at eleven months, but people have gotten lucky with much shorter notice.

All views at BWV have some rooms that are far from the pool, bus, or Boardwalk. Its a fairly large resort with one set of elevators central to the lobby. We like ground floor with small kids so we can walk out to the pool or Boardwalk or bus. Note that BW is actually on two levels - the lobby is on the second floor - you generally go out the lobby to get to the bus stop, the pool and Boardwalk on the first floor. Sort of like a house with a walk out basement.

 

[MissMet]

I'm booking day-by-day for my may trip today. I'm hoping for BW view, but I heard that most if not all the BW view rooms are in the courtyard by the lobby, so your room is not really on the boardwalk but looking over the courtyard where the surrey bikes are. Is this true? Cause to me, that would be the same as preferred. Any suggestions on how to request a room away from that?

 

[crisi]

I'm booking day-by-day for my may trip today. I'm hoping for BW view, but I heard that most if not all the BW view rooms are in the courtyard by the lobby, so your room is not really on the boardwalk but looking over the courtyard where the surrey bikes are. Is this true? Cause to me, that would be the same as preferred. Any suggestions on how to request a room away from that?

No, there is maybe one room overlooking the village green on each floor classed as "Boardwalk" - the room right on the corner has been reported to be "Boardwalk." The rooms farther in are reported to be sold as preferred. The vast majority of Boardwalk rooms are indeed overlooking the Boardwalk itself.

Which is something to be aware of at the BW - particularly with preferred views. Some of the preferred views are in rooms right next to rooms with a Boardwalk View. And some of them are right next to rooms with a standard view. And some of them are overlooking the pool - but in awkward spots for a view - All the resorts have their dreaded "dumpster view" (named for the rooms at VWL where you see the dumpster) - and BWV is no exception. There isn't a dumpster view with the Boardwalk View rooms though.

 

[MissMet]

Thanks for replying so soon! I have to call in a half hour! This is making me really annoyed that I didn't by into BWV like I originally wanted to!

Hopefully I get at least one of my 2 studios BW view!

 

[MissMet]

Only preferred left, no BW, no Standard.

 

[Love That Stitch]

Note that as booking categories both Boardwalk View and Standard View book quickly. If you are lucky enough that they are available for June 08 when you book - go for it! We tend to book ours right at eleven months, but people have gotten lucky with much shorter notice.

Is this a busy time? I am very new to DVC (we will take our first trip here in Nov) and mastering the art of "getting" a reservation has proved trying. I understand the whole day by day thing, but it is such a pain. At this time of year is it absolutely necessary to this?

My parents are also members and they find the "day by day" reservation to be a waste of time and will not do it. I keep telling them that if they do not do it this way they most likely will not get the other resorts they want (they currently have a reservation at SSR for June 08). Is there ever a time when at the 7 month window you don't have to call day by day?

Thanks for the great response I really appreciate it!

 

[CarolAnnC]

Thanks for replying so soon! I have to call in a half hour! This is making me really annoyed that I didn't by into BWV like I originally wanted to!

Hopefully I get at least one of my 2 studios BW view!

You mention that you are booking June 08 - the 7 month booking window for that would be in November, next month. Oh sorry, this should be directed to the OP..I see MissMet is traveling in May. Did you get on the waitlist at least? You may have a chance with that...

 

[MissMet]

Yeah I'm gonna try for the wait list, but it's gonna be hard because I've booked two studios, instead of a 2 bedroom. So I'll have the difficult decision of who gets the one BW view that could come in. I doubt both requests would get it.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Is this a busy time? I am very new to DVC (we will take our first trip here in Nov) and mastering the art of "getting" a reservation has proved trying. I understand the whole day by day thing, but it is such a pain. At this time of year is it absolutely necessary to this?

My parents are also members and they find the "day by day" reservation to be a waste of time and will not do it. I keep telling them that if they do not do it this way they most likely will not get the other resorts they want (they currently have a reservation at SSR for June 08). Is there ever a time when at the 7 month window you don't have to call day by day?

Thanks for the great response I really appreciate it!

You will always see the advice on these boards "Buy where you want to stay.." The chances of getting standard views or boardwalk views 7 months or later are very slim.

In fact, I purchased my BWV contract initially because I had tried several years to book the first week of December there, and was never able to get any room type, nor any view. Solidly booked by 7 months each year. And my waitlists never came through.

So there are certain resorts, views, and times of the year where 7 months booking will be a problem. If you are flexibile, however, with resort and room type as well as dates, you can usually find something..

 

[crisi]

You will always see the advice on these boards "Buy where you want to stay.." The chances of getting standard views or boardwalk views 7 months or later are very slim.

In fact, I purchased my BWV contract initially because I had tried several years to book the first week of December there, and was never able to get any room type, nor any view. Solidly booked by 7 months each year. And my waitlists never came through.

So there are certain resorts, views, and times of the year where 7 months booking will be a problem. If you are flexibile, however, with resort and room type as well as dates, you can usually find something..

Its my opinion that they will get slimmer. People buying BW resales or buying BW new from DVC now are generally doing so to get the SV and BW View rooms - its really the big BW advantage over the other resorts. Those people are really likely to use their seven month window - and we are talking about only 40% of the resort.

There will be more people like you who are froze out when they want BWV who will buy a small BWV add on to be able to use the advantage.

Add in the growth in DVC and instead of a few thousand people trying to get in from OKW ten years ago once the seven month window opens, you now have members from OKW, BCV, SSR, VWL, HHI, VAKL, and VB trying to get those rooms.

 

[crisi]

Is this a busy time? I am very new to DVC (we will take our first trip here in Nov) and mastering the art of "getting" a reservation has proved trying. I understand the whole day by day thing, but it is such a pain. At this time of year is it absolutely necessary to this?

My parents are also members and they find the "day by day" reservation to be a waste of time and will not do it. I keep telling them that if they do not do it this way they most likely will not get the other resorts they want (they currently have a reservation at SSR for June 08). Is there ever a time when at the 7 month window you don't have to call day by day?

Thanks for the great response I really appreciate it!

June 08 - I'd say your chances are not good, but it isn't impossible that you won't get lucky.

 

[Deb & Bill]

More than likely, if you get a reservation for June 08 at BWV, you will be sleeping in a preferred villa, non-BW view.

 

[n2mm]

Only preferred left, no BW, no Standard.

Were you booking day by day or the whole time at the end? I'm in the process of doing a day by day and the CM looked at the database for the entire length of my stay and told me that things were slim on April 30 and May 1. But when I started, BW view was available for this timeframe but not standard. Guess it got booked up by a day by day person. I'm not much of a gambler so went with a sure thing like the preferred view, only because I have to book a second studio on the second week of our stay. I'm done the waitlist for early May the last couple of years and have been successful, so your could try that.

 

[dznymom1]

Although the BW view is awesome, most of the preferred views are also very nice. I always feel bad when people start out their vacation thinking that they are missing out on something. I absolutely love the preferred view rooms by Community Hall, particularly on the ground floor, and I love the Village Green studios which are close to everything. In my opinion any view at BW is far superior to the dreaded road view at Beach Club and since those are a high percentage of the rooms odds are good of getting one of those no matter how early you book! I really like the fact that when I book BW I have a good idea of what to expect.

 

[MissMet]

Were you booking day by day or the whole time at the end? I'm in the process of doing a day by day and the CM looked at the database for the entire length of my stay and told me that things were slim on April 30 and May 1. But when I started, BW view was available for this timeframe but not standard. Guess it got booked up by a day by day person. I'm not much of a gambler so went with a sure thing like the preferred view, only because I have to book a second studio on the second week of our stay. I'm done the waitlist for early May the last couple of years and have been successful, so your could try that.

Yes, I am doing day-by-day for May 3-10. I'm booking two studios. They only had preferred water/pool view left in the studios, so then I asked about a 2 bed & she looked ahead & saw they only had one of those nights w/ a BW view in a 2 bed. So as of now I have 2 preferred water view studios booked for the 3rd. I'm hoping for the waitlist to come through.

Although the BW view is awesome, most of the preferred views are also very nice. I always feel bad when people start out their vacation thinking that they are missing out on something. I absolutely love the preferred view rooms by Community Hall, particularly on the ground floor, and I love the Village Green studios which are close to everything. In my opinion any view at BW is far superior to the dreaded road view at Beach Club and since those are a high percentage of the rooms odds are good of getting one of those no matter how early you book! I really like the fact that when I book BW I have a good idea of what to expect.

Oh, yes I know. BWI/V is my fav. I've stayed in the Inn & had a courtyard view & I've stayed in the villas with a room on the bottom floor overlooking the "It" clown pool. They both have been awesome, but I've always wanted the BW view. I guess I'll have to wait another year, unless the wait list comes through.