(CLOSED) Disney's BOARDWALK INN and VILLAS Information Thread ~2012~

[bellepearle]

Whew! I have finally gotten through all 226 pages of this thread! Super informative by the way. We stayed at BWV in Sept 2010 but after reading this thread I feel like we knew nothing about BWV! We will be at BWV this year October 13-20 (First time F&W Festival - so excited!) and I have some questions that I hope you all can answer for me.

1. Does Bellevue Lounge still serve a continental breakfast? If it does, is it open to guests at BWV or just for guests staying at BWI? Is it free or do you pay for it?
2. Does anyone know if Fantasia Gardens is wheelchair accessible? I love mini-golf but I'm physically disabled and a lot of mini-golf places are not accessible. I was hoping Fantasia Gardens might be accessible.
3. Does Luna Park Pool have wide steps or just a ladder to get into the pool? What about the 2 quiet pools?
4. I've seen a lot on here about APs and TIW. Last time we went to WDW we did the DDP and it worked well for us but we had a lot of unused credits left over. I'm wondering if TIW via the AP would be more cost effective for us. I'm not sure how APs work. Can just 1 person in your party have an AP to use TIW or does everyone in the party have to have an AP? What are the perks to having an AP besides the obvious unlimited entry to the parks?
5. What are the hours of the Boardwalk Bakery? It was probably on here somewhere but I can't remember.
6. We are renting points for this trip as we did for our last trip. I was a week late in booking our reservation so I could not get BW view for our villas. We have a 2BR and a Studio, both with Preferred View but not BW view. I'm wondering if I can ask our renter to put us on a waitlist for a BW view. I know we are going during F&W Festival so it's very busy and unlikely that we will get a BW view but it can't hurt to try right??

TIA!
Lindsay

 

[madelyn]

4. I've seen a lot on here about APs and TIW. Last time we went to WDW we did the DDP and it worked well for us but we had a lot of unused credits left over. I'm wondering if TIW via the AP would be more cost effective for us. I'm not sure how APs work. Can just 1 person in your party have an AP to use TIW or does everyone in the party have to have an AP? What are the perks to having an AP besides the obvious unlimited entry to the parks?

6. We are renting points for this trip as we did for our last trip. I was a week late in booking our reservation so I could not get BW view for our villas. We have a 2BR and a Studio, both with Preferred View but not BW view. I'm wondering if I can ask our renter to put us on a waitlist for a BW view. I know we are going during F&W Festival so it's very busy and unlikely that we will get a BW view but it can't hurt to try right??

TIA!
Lindsay

Only have answers for a couple of your questions.

4. Only 1 person in the party has to have an AP to purchase TIW and that card is good for the whole table as long as that person pays. It is only good for I think an 8 person table though? At least that is how it worked when my sister had a TIW card back in 2009 and I went on a trip with her.

6. My sister is a DVC member and I often help her make the reservations for our trips together. You can request to be put on a waitlist for BW view. It should be the same points usage if you have booked with a garden/pool view already. A standard view would be less points.

 

[bellepearle]

Only have answers for a couple of your questions.

4. Only 1 person in the party has to have an AP to purchase TIW and that card is good for the whole table as long as that person pays. It is only good for I think an 8 person table though? At least that is how it worked when my sister had a TIW card back in 2009 and I went on a trip with her.

6. My sister is a DVC member and I often help her make the reservations for our trips together. You can request to be put on a waitlist for BW view. It should be the same points usage if you have booked with a garden/pool view already. A standard view would be less points.

Thank you so much. Now I just have to see what would be more cost effective - TIW or DDP.

 

[psac]

We're at the Boardwalk in room 2003, as far from the lobby as one can get (except for the poor family next door in the 2001). It took me 940 steps round trip to get coffee from the Belle Vue Lounge. It's a nice view of the boardwalk, though. Totally unobstructed.

Is that room loud? We were in 2001 two years back and we heard music until 2am every night. Not a problem in the other BW view room we had closer to the lobby.

 

[AirGoofy]

Thank you so much. Now I just have to see what would be more cost effective - TIW or DDP.

There is a great thread somewhere else, but the break even point is around $500. TiW deducts 20% from your food bill. Thus, if you saved $20 from each meal and spent $100 on five meals, then you get the break even number. The TiW tips at 18%. Now, I guess if you never tip at a restaurant, then your break even point may be higher. There are some more precise math numbers out there to give you an exact number for certain.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[bellepearle]

There is a great thread somewhere else, but the break even point is around $500. TiW deducts 20% from your food bill. Thus, if you saved $20 from each meal and spent $100 on five meals, then you get the break even number. The TiW tips at 18%. Now, I guess if you never tip at a restaurant, then your break even point may be higher. There are some more precise math numbers out there to give you an exact number for certain.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Thank you. Do you know where I might find that thread? What would it be under?

 

[gometros]

Too bad you have a long walk but the view probably makes up for it.

Enjoy your trip.

Is not that bad and I find out is easier to walk to DHS from there. There's an exit at the end of the gall that brings you out behind Jellyrolls. The walk from there was star as walking to EPCOT.

Not that you're counting. Hope you're having a great vacation.

All kidding aside, I use a pedometer to see how much I walk here.

If you are standing on the boardwalk looking at the Boardwalk resort- which side is the Inn on? Is the Inn closer to Epcot or closer to the Swan and Dolphin?

Also does anyone know how much longer the walk to Epcot is from the BW as compared to the Beach or Yacht club?

Thank you.

Oh one more thing, I had asked before but now I cant find it- whats the fastest route to walk from BW to DHS?

The Innis on the EPCOT side and is their closer to that park than the villas, but I'd say either side is still closer to the Swan and Dolphin than they are to EPCOT.

I don't know how much longer, but I can make it from the Boardwalk to the International Gateway I eight minutes and I'm not exactly the world's fastest walker.

Whew! I have finally gotten through all 226 pages of this thread! Super informative by the way. We stayed at BWV in Sept 2010 but after reading this thread I feel like we knew nothing about BWV! We will be at BWV this year October 13-20 (First time F&W Festival - so excited!) and I have some questions that I hope you all can answer for me.

1. Does Bellevue Lounge still serve a continental breakfast? If it does, is it open to guests at BWV or just for guests staying at BWI? Is it free or do you pay for it?
2. Does anyone know if Fantasia Gardens is wheelchair accessible? I love mini-golf but I'm physically disabled and a lot of mini-golf places are not accessible. I was hoping Fantasia Gardens might be accessible.
3. Does Luna Park Pool have wide steps or just a ladder to get into the pool? What about the 2 quiet pools?
4. I've seen a lot on here about APs and TIW. Last time we went to WDW we did the DDP and it worked well for us but we had a lot of unused credits left over. I'm wondering if TIW via the AP would be more cost effective for us. I'm not sure how APs work. Can just 1 person in your party have an AP to use TIW or does everyone in the party have to have an AP? What are the perks to having an AP besides the obvious unlimited entry to the parks?
5. What are the hours of the Boardwalk Bakery? It was probably on here somewhere but I can't remember.
6. We are renting points for this trip as we did for our last trip. I was a week late in booking our reservation so I could not get BW view for our villas. We have a 2BR and a Studio, both with Preferred View but not BW view. I'm wondering if I can ask our renter to put us on a waitlist for a BW view. I know we are going during F&W Festival so it's very busy and unlikely that we will get a BW view but it can't hurt to try right??

TIA!
Lindsay

1. The Belle Vue Lounge still serves continental breakfast and there is a charge for it.
2. Not sure.
3. The Luna pool does have side steps and is handicapped accessible. 4. We do TIW. I find it better for us, since we just cannot eat as much as the DDP offers.

Is that room loud? We were in 2001 two years back and we heard music until 2am every night. Not a problem in the other BW view room we had closer to the lobby.

Not at all. I'm sitting on the balcony as I type this and while I hear some music coming from my left, it's not at all loud enough to be a bother.

 

[bellepearle]

Is not that bad and I find out is easier to walk to DHS from there. There's an exit at the end of the gall that brings you out behind Jellyrolls. The walk from there was star as walking to EPCOT.



All kidding aside, I use a pedometer to see how much I walk here.



The Innis on the EPCOT side and is their closer to that park than the villas, but I'd say either side is still closer to the Swan and Dolphin than they are to EPCOT.

I don't know how much longer, but I can make it from the Boardwalk to the International Gateway I eight minutes and I'm not exactly the world's fastest walker.



1. The Belle Vue Lounge still serves continental breakfast and there is a charge for it.
2. Not sure.
3. The Luna pool does have side steps and is handicapped accessible. 4. We do TIW. I find it better for us, since we just cannot eat as much as the DDP offers.



Not at all. I'm sitting on the balcony as I type this and while I hear some music coming from my left, it's not at all loud enough to be a bother.

Thanks! Yes, we had a lot of credits left over on the DDP. We do the villas for space reasons and it works out to be cheaper for us renting points for a villa rather than paying cash for 3 deluxe resort hotel rooms. We don't really cook in the villas. We grab something on the go for breakfast, grab a snack or two at the parks as our lunch, and do sit-down dinners at table-service restaurants. That's why I'm wondering if it would be better for us to do TIW rather than DDP.

 

[AirGoofy]

Thank you. Do you know where I might find that thread? What would it be under?

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3073801

I think it was the third post? Somewhere on the first page.

 

[bellepearle]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3073801

I think it was the third post? Somewhere on the first page.

Thanks so much!

 

[bellepearle]

Does anyone have that map of the villas where it shows the views and the villa types? I saw it on here somewhere but I can't remember what page it was on. Thanks!

 

[bellepearle]

I found it! Does anyone know if there are fully HA 2BR villas with a boardwalk view? Right now we are booked for a HA 2BR villa Preferred Garden/Pool View and a non-HA studio (preferably close to each other, at least on the same floor). I wanted to ask the DVC member we are renting points from if she could waitlist us for a BW view for both the 2BR and the studio but I would like to know if they have a HA 2BR with a BW view before I bother her with this. Thanks!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Just got back from a 10 night stay at BWV. LOVED it!! Can't wait to go back to the world, so I guess I'll start planning our next trip!

New Bakery layout was nice... so much more room. However, they did steal some space from the arcade area of ESPN zone, and DS 5 was a wee bit disappointed that the basketball game was gone. That disappointment lasted about 10 seconds though as he remember he was a WDW!!!!

Lots of confusion about which door to use at the bakery... better signage wouldn't be a bad thing. And an area to get your own hot water would be nice... I'm a tea drinker and felt like a pain in the tookus every morning... but, I did bond with the CM, who was super nice.

Other than that, we spent almost all our time in the parks... seriously, I cannot wait to go back!!

Thanks for posting the BB info and I'm glad you had a great stay!

And, that depends on whether or not you are going to the parks or walking back from the parks. I seem to walk a lot faster to the parks for some weird reason.

Just like the drive to FL goes a lot faster than the drive home

Whew! I have finally gotten through all 226 pages of this thread! Super informative by the way. We stayed at BWV in Sept 2010 but after reading this thread I feel like we knew nothing about BWV! We will be at BWV this year October 13-20 (First time F&W Festival - so excited!) and I have some questions that I hope you all can answer for me.

1. Does Bellevue Lounge still serve a continental breakfast? If it does, is it open to guests at BWV or just for guests staying at BWI? Is it free or do you pay for it?
2. Does anyone know if Fantasia Gardens is wheelchair accessible? I love mini-golf but I'm physically disabled and a lot of mini-golf places are not accessible. I was hoping Fantasia Gardens might be accessible.
3. Does Luna Park Pool have wide steps or just a ladder to get into the pool? What about the 2 quiet pools?
4. I've seen a lot on here about APs and TIW. Last time we went to WDW we did the DDP and it worked well for us but we had a lot of unused credits left over. I'm wondering if TIW via the AP would be more cost effective for us. I'm not sure how APs work. Can just 1 person in your party have an AP to use TIW or does everyone in the party have to have an AP? What are the perks to having an AP besides the obvious unlimited entry to the parks?
5. What are the hours of the Boardwalk Bakery? It was probably on here somewhere but I can't remember.
6. We are renting points for this trip as we did for our last trip. I was a week late in booking our reservation so I could not get BW view for our villas. We have a 2BR and a Studio, both with Preferred View but not BW view. I'm wondering if I can ask our renter to put us on a waitlist for a BW view. I know we are going during F&W Festival so it's very busy and unlikely that we will get a BW view but it can't hurt to try right??

TIA!
Lindsay

Lindsay!

~If you don't get an answer here to your second question, try the DISabilities board.

~The BB hours are generally 6:30 - 11:00.

~If you are going to visit WDW at least about 14 days in one year, the AP will pay for itself. Or if you are going to stay more than 10 days at one time, then you can't book a package with tickets that will extend beyond 10 days. With the AP, you will also get 10% off merchandise and 10% off some restaurants and 10% - 15% off most recreation/tours/spas and a few bucks off water park tickets.

You can also purchase the TiW which we love. We love the flexiblility of it Vs. the DDP. We buy only the food we want and we usually use it in conjunction with club level, so that works out well for us. You will get 20% off table services checks including alcohol. There are holiday time-frame black-out days for both AP and TiW entitlements.

Does anyone have that map of the villas where it shows the views and the villa types? I saw it on here somewhere but I can't remember what page it was on. Thanks!

Here are the links from the first page:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=44982179&postcount=1

http://dvcnews.com/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=table&tableid=6

 

[bellepearle]

Lindsay!

~If you don't get an answer here to your second question, try the DISabilities board.

~The BB hours are generally 6:30 - 11:00.

~If you are going to visit WDW at least about 14 days in one year, the AP will pay for itself. Or if you are going to stay more than 10 days at one time, then you can't book a package with tickets that will extend beyond 10 days. With the AP, you will also get 10% off merchandise and 10% off some restaurants and 10% - 15% off most recreation/tours/spas and a few bucks off water park tickets.

You can also purchase the TiW which we love. We love the flexiblility of it Vs. the DDP. We buy only the food we want and we usually use it in conjunction with club level, so that works out well for us. You will get 20% off table services checks including alcohol. There are holiday time-frame black-out days for both AP and TiW entitlements.

Thanks KOOK! Was that 6:30am - 11pm for BB? We are staying at BWV (which is where we stayed last time in 2010) and I am trying to decide whether we should do TIW or go back to the regular DDP. We would be getting 1 AP just to get the TIW card. Otherwise, we have no need for an AP. Such hard decisions to make!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks KOOK! Was that 6:30am - 11pm for BB? We are staying at BWV (which is where we stayed last time in 2010) and I am trying to decide whether we should do TIW or go back to the regular DDP. We would be getting 1 AP just to get the TIW card. Otherwise, we have no need for an AP. Such hard decisions to make!!

You're welcome - yes, 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM for BB.

I wouldn't get an AP only to be able to purchase TiW. TiW now costs $100 for AP holders, so not only would you be paying for an AP you don't need, but you'd also have to have enough meals so that the 20% discounts exceed the cost of the TiW. But, it is good for up to 10 at your table. They do automatically add a 18% tip and 20% at V&A.

Also, a good way to calculate whether any DDP is best for your family is to go to AllEars or the DIS menus and calculate what food your family would actually purchase per day for about 4 days. Add it up and divide by 4 to get an average. Take that daily average and compare it to the daily DDP cost. For us (a family of 3), the DDP savings was the equivalent of getting a 'free' snack per day. Hardly worth it when the DDP comes with features we are paying for, but we don't want, such as desserts with every TS meal and with the DxDP, more in tips that we'd have to pay for all those TS meals. Also, we usually stay CL so all those snacks aren't really necessary for us, so why pay for them? Food for thought

 

[bellepearle]

You're welcome - yes, 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM for BB.

I wouldn't get an AP only to be able to purchase TiW. TiW now costs $100 for AP holders, so not only would you be paying for an AP you don't need, but you'd also have to have enough meals so that the 20% discounts exceed the cost of the TiW. But, it is good for up to 10 at your table. They do automatically add a 18% tip and 20% at V&A.

Also, a good way to calculate whether any DDP is best for your family is to go to AllEars or the DIS menus and calculate what food your family would actually purchase per day for about 4 days. Add it up and divide by 4 to get an average. Take that daily average and compare it to the daily DDP cost. For us (a family of 3), the DDP savings was the equivalent of getting a 'free' snack per day. Hardly worth it when the DDP comes with features we are paying for, but we don't want, such as desserts with every TS meal and with the DxDP, more in tips that we'd have to pay for all those TS meals. Also, we usually stay CL so all those snacks aren't really necessary for us, so why pay for them? Food for thought

Thanks KOOK. We would be a party of 6 and we have a TS dinner every night except the last night. We will be there for 7 nights. All of our possible TS dinner locations accept TIW so now it's just a matter of doing the math. I'm just thinking though that since we'll be there for F&W Festival (our 1st time!) that maybe the DDP would be better since we can use our snack credits there.

 

[bellepearle]

I found it! Does anyone know if there are fully HA 2BR villas with a boardwalk view? Right now we are booked for a HA 2BR villa Preferred Garden/Pool View and a non-HA studio (preferably close to each other, at least on the same floor). I wanted to ask the DVC member we are renting points from if she could waitlist us for a BW view for both the 2BR and the studio but I would like to know if they have a HA 2BR with a BW view before I bother her with this. Thanks!

Just reposting - hoping someone can help. Thanks.

 

[vicki_c]

Just reposting - hoping someone can help. Thanks.

You should ask on the DVC Resorts board.

 

[gometros]

I may fail the lobster roll review. We've been in the parks dawn to dark. But I did get pictures of the bakery. Hard to shoot through the glass cases without picking up the reflections ;-)

 

[bluejasmine]

Cant wait to see them, I have seriously been thinking about the lobster roll! lol