Choose BLT standard or AKL value (split stay at BCV) with small children?

[shaunacb]

We are attending a conference at BCV late August-early Sept (total 10-14 days). We have small children (3 and 5 years old), do about 5 park days, and stay in 1 BR. I was considering a split stay and am surprised that the following options are still open at 8 months out... Would you choose
(a) BCV and AKL value,
(b) BCV and BLT std,
(c) don't split, BCV entire stay?

We do WDW every few years, so could try the other resort next time. What are the chances of BLT std and AKL value 1 BR being open at 7 months for future trips likely in Feb? Thank you!

 

[com_op_2000]

You have three very attractive options.
I could write a justification on any of them.
The one thing I would think about is this year F&W starts on 8/31/17 before Labor Day weekend and how busy BCV and the area around there is going to be.

 

[shaunacb]

You have three very attractive options.
I could write a justification on any of them.
The one thing I would think about is this year F&W starts on 8/31/17 before Labor Day weekend and how busy BCV and the area around there is going to be.

Thank you! So it would be a good idea to do the split stay starting with BCV and ending with either AKL or BLT, given F&W will start in the middle of our stay. Now to decide- BLT std or AKL value? Thanks again!

 

[supersnoop]

Do you plan to spend much time at the pool? At Epcot?

I wouldn't choose BCV with your children's ages unless you planned to spend a lot of time at that pool. The main benefit of BCV is the proximity to Epcot, but there's not a whole lot at Epcot for young children.

Id stay at BLT in the days you plan to visit the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and stay at AKV the remainder of the trip if your children would enjoy spotting the animals on the savanna.

 

[shaunacb]

Thanks for your help. The reason to stay at BCV would be for my conference there which is only 3 days. We have done MK and AK in the past, not sure if we should try Epcot and DHS this time? Sounds like no to Epcot in your view... so maybe we should plan for pool time at BCV only. If we did 14 days, would a split stay at 3 resorts be crazy (4 AKV, 4 BCV, 6 BLT)? If 3 resorts is crazy, should I choose AKV value or BLT std for the split stay with BCV? Which is harder to book at 7 months in a future Feb trip? Thanks so much- love the expertise on this board!

 

[hakepb]

I think that EPCOT is underrated for young children. It's not as obvious with rides, but there is still a lot that young kids enjoy. From spending time at the aquariums (and Nemo and Crush) to the activity area at the end of Figment, the Kidcot stations, to dancing fountains and the fiber optic lighting in the pavers ..

Both categories can be difficult, AKV value is a smaller category and can be much more difficult to book.
Split stays with a minimum of 4 nights each resort aren't too bad.

 

[CarolMN]

I'd stay the entire time at the BCV since the conference is at the BC/YC.

I would hate to move with 2 small children - it often means no room at all between 11am and 4pm on the day of the move plus extra time packing up and unpacking during your stay. Not worth it to me. YMMV.

 

[DenLo]

I think EPCOT is a waste of a ticket for young children. I just cannot justify the ticket price for the few things they can do.

As to resorts, the main pool at BCV is SAB and it is huge and many have said it doesn't work for young children. AKV is great for children and is a quick bus ride of less than 10 minutes to DHS. BLT is great because you can walk to MK.

As to BCV, it might work for you at SAB since your children are both 5 and under, but many parents complain that the pool is too large to keep an eye on children swimming and in the toddler section. It is so easy to lose track of the ones swimming. I would wait until they are both old enough to enjoy it. Why not consider BWV, it is within walking distance to YC/BC for your conference and the pool is smaller so you can easily keep an eye on the kids.

 

[shaunacb]

Oh thanks Denise and Carol! Carol maybe you are right about avoiding a split stay with little ones. Denise, I hadn't even considered BWV, and looking now, it is available and a significant point savings (compared to BCV) for the standard 1BR... If we stay at BWV, can we check out the SAB pool at BCV for one afternoon? Does anyone know if the walk from BWV and BCV to the BC/YC conference centre is comparable?

 

[supersnoop]

If we stay at BWV, can we check out the SAB pool at BCV for one afternoon?

No. SAB is only for people staying at Beach Club. They have staff at the gates to enforce the policy.

 

[shaunacb]

I am so glad I posted here! I hadn't even considered BWV, as I assumed that BCV would be closest for the BC/YC convention centre. However, BWV standard 1 BR is larger, saves me some points, there is a playground there for the littles, and we could walk to DHS (and EPCOT if we choose to go there as well). The more I am thinking about it, perhaps we should save BCV for a future trip when the kids are older and can really enjoy SAB. I just wanted to ensure that the walk from BWV to the BC/YC convention centre is reasonable? Does anyone know if walking from BCV versus BWV to the BC/YC convention centre would be comparable? I am young and healthy, but it will be HOT Thanks so much!

 

[mustinjourney]

It's not that far of a walk...just going around the boardwalk. It'd be like walking from BWV to epcot -- but instead of going toward epcot -- you head to BC/YC. My guess is it is around 10 mins from the front of BWV to YC/BC at a normal walking pace.

Check out the maps on this page...

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wdw-maps-by-robo.3545729/#post-56460969

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It's not. But either the walk from BLT or the walk from BWV is not noted for shade.

August. Ugh.

 

[drusba]

The walk from BWV to the convention center is about 1/2 mile; BCV is about half that distance. The boat that starts at Epcot goes to BWV and then YC/BC and you could take that from BWV to the convention center (which is a short walk from the boat dock).

You have a fairly high risk that both AKV value and BLT standard 1BRs will have at least some of the days you want filled before 7 months out. BCV and BWV standard 1BRs have a better chance of being open. Not sure to which room size you are comparing when you say the BWV 1BR is larger but if to the BCV 1BR, the two are actually about the same size.

 

[shaunacb]

Thanks, good to know I can take the boat if it is too hot to walk. For the room size, when I looked at the DVC resort booklet, I think it said BCV 1 BR was 726 square feet and BWV 1 BR was 816 square feet. So it seems BWV is larger, unless they include the balconies in that square footage? BWV looks like it has 2 balconies, BCV only 1, so maybe that's the difference if the room size seems the same?

 

[drusba]

Sounds like you have seen an old error come to life again. When BWV originally opened, some of the advertising materials and filings in states other than Florida gave square footages for the BWV rooms that were larger than the rooms actually were. I still have one of those which shows the 1BR as 814 sq ft, the studio as 412, the 2BR as 1226, and the GV 2492, making its studios larger than any at WDW other than Poly, its 1BRs close to the same size as Kidani and BLT, and its 2BRs larger than all at WDW except for OKW and VGF. What actually caused the error, I do not know. It was then corrected by Disney and when the resort became part of the Disney website, it showed the correct square footage (which for a 1BR is about 712 sq ft, studio 359, 2BR 1071, and GV 2142). It stayed accurately reported for quite some time. Then, inexplicably, when there was an update to the site in the mid-2000's, the incorrect larger sizes were provided, causing many to believe anew that the BWV rooms were much larger than reality. That was corrected after several months but once in a while something pops up again showing the incorrect sizes.

 

[jimmytammy]

BLT would be my choice. Your kids age would make it more attractive for me as its a 10 min walk to MK

 

[Granny]

I'd stay the entire time at the BCV since the conference is at the BC/YC.

I would hate to move with 2 small children - it often means no room at all between 11am and 4pm on the day of the move plus extra time packing up and unpacking during your stay. Not worth it to me. YMMV.

If you are going to split your stay, I agree with @jimmytammy that BLT would be great for someone with children at those ages.