Changing to BWI Garden Cottage for NEXT WEEK - some questions...

[jlw29]

We have a trip planned leaving August 1st for a week in the World. Currently, we have a 2BR villa booked at SSR on the AP discount. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of that resort but wanted to try it since we were considering buying DVC. Well, I haven't been looking forward to this trip like I usually do and realized it is because of the resort choice. Fast forward to tonight when I got on the WDW website and for the heck of it checked to see what was still available for next week. Found that the Garden Suites were still available to my surprise. We never stayed at Boardwalk, but really enjoyed BC/YC's close access to Epcot and DHS. We also enjoyed our time visiting the shops, restaurants and entertainment of the boardwalk. Another advantage of the garden suite is a separate sleeping area for the parents and the kids (DD17 and DD14). Also, I wanted to stay CL for a change - DD14 and I stayed CL on a mommy and me trip a few years ago but the whole family never has (I have trouble justifying the cost of 2 CL rooms to myself - we usually get 2 rooms for separate sleeping area for the parents and separate beds for the girls).

Now to my questions ...
Can I get a cot for one of the girls to sleep on? They really don't like to share a bed. If we can't do a cot, DD14 would likely choose to sleep on the not pulled out part of the L of the couch.

I want to request one of the suites with the more separate bedroom rather than the loft. What should I ask for? I saw in a different thread or site that those are cottages numbers 1205, 1206 and 1207. Is this one of the exceptions to not asking for a specific room?

How do you get to the club lounge? I know you have to go outside and back in (through the lobby, right?) to take the elevator to the lounge. Do you have to walk around the building or is there an entrance on the same side as the garden cottages?

Any other tips about these suites?

THANKS!

 

[Epcot242]

We went back in...2008, if I remember correctly. When we went, we were able to get a cot for the room. During subsequent trips, though, they said that cots weren't available (at both the BCV and BWV, 1-bedroom) so we had to make do with an air mattress. Still, worth a shot to ask.

I'm not quite sure about asking for the room number. Our room (I don't remember the # anymore) was somewhat loft-like, but once you were upstairs you had complete privacy from the downstairs room.

As for getting to the lounge, from what I remember we left our room (we were facing the quiet pool), made a left and were able to take the stairs that typically run up the ends of each building to the second floor. From there we'd just walk down the hall. It was a nice, quick walk there.

Good luck!

 

[tomi]

You should be able to get a cot. Cots are not available in DVC rooms but BWI garden suites are not part of DVC. Have fun !

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you were not looking forward to a stay in a SSR two bedroom villa, why are you considering buying DVC and going to stay at BWI?

 

[MMS1125]

If you were not looking forward to a stay in a SSR two bedroom villa, why are you considering buying DVC and going to stay at BWI?

I'm not the OP but this struck me. DVC isn't JUST SSR so why be like that? Unless I interpreted it wrong which is possible. If so I apologize now

I think it's great that WDW offers as many options as they do for visitors. What if they love BWI and the areaand that makes them decide to buy into DVC at BWV (or another resort with some still for sale) Seems logical to me. I think deciding where to stay is so much of the magic of Disney and one should be excited about where they want to stay!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm not the OP but this struck me. DVC isn't JUST SSR so why be like that? Unless I interpreted it wrong which is possible. If so I apologize now

I think it's great that WDW offers as many options as they do for visitors. What if they love BWI and the areaand that makes them decide to buy into DVC at BWV (or another resort with some still for sale) Seems logical to me. I think deciding where to stay is so much of the magic of Disney and one should be excited about where they want to stay!

I guess I would have expected them to try a BWV two bedroom instead of the BWI if they wanted to try out DVC. You can never use DVC points to stay at BWI.

Plus she sounded so depressed about staying at SSR which is a great resort.

 

[MMS1125]

ahh ok makes sense

I like SSR too but I can see how it's not for everybody.

 

[jlw29]

If you were not looking forward to a stay in a SSR two bedroom villa, why are you considering buying DVC and going to stay at BWI?

Actually, when we booked it, it sounded like a good resort and we wanted to try it out. I still would not be opposed to a stay there some time. We had been considering DVC but knew that SSR would be the resort we would probably be staying at most of the time so we wanted to try it out. We are relatively last minute (2-3 month out) planners due to work obligations. As our trip got closer, SSR just didn't seem to our liking. We prefer being in a resort that is 1 big building (like BC/YC, AKL, BWI, CR/BLT), and the theme didn't appeal to DDs. We had visited the resort for DVC tours and for the spa so they were familiar with it.

Bottom line, we are no longer considering DVC - even though it would likely be a money saver, we would want BLT or an Epcot area and our travel style just doesn't fit the planning ahead that DVC requires to get full advantage of multiple resorts.

 

[jlw29]

To answer one of my own questions, I emailed IPO and they said that we could get a cot so the girls can each have their own bed. Figured I'd update incase someone else can use the info.