(CLOSED) Disney's BOARDWALK INN and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD

[Chrisvee]

My first question deals with mouse-keeping - since we are paying to stay in a villa (not renting nor are we vacation members) do we not get every day mouse-keeping? Only the first and fourth days? Thanks!!

As a paying resort guest (not dvc member or staying on pts) you get mouse keeping every day. I stayed at SSR last fall and they came every day.

 

[AirGoofy]

I am staying at BWV for the first time at the end of October (24-29) in a 1 BR villa and I have a few questions as I've never staid in a villa nor at BW.

Second is in regards to the sleeper sofa - there will be two adults sleep on it. Is it comfortable after long days in the park or should I look into getting a air mattress to place on the 'bed'?

Thanks!!

Occasionally, my dds will fight and i'll send them to the bed with DW. I then have slept on the sleeper sofa at BWV and other DVC resorts and have found them to be comfortable.

 

[billsue05]

I did the online check in tonight for our 1 st stay at BWI. We are booked for a standard view room. Originally we were booked at WL but due to pool reno they moved us to BWI. I'm very excited as we have never stayed here before. Anyway to my question When I was going thru the check in it gave me a choice of floors, near elevator and etc. one choice was Boardwalk view. Is that even possible with standard view. Also any tips for room requests?? Upper floors vs lower. Near elevators or not??

 

[Nancyg56]

I did the online check in tonight for our 1 st stay at BWI. We are booked for a standard view room. Originally we were booked at WL but due to pool reno they moved us to BWI. I'm very excited as we have never stayed here before. Anyway to my question When I was going thru the check in it gave me a choice of floors, near elevator and etc. one choice was Boardwalk view. Is that even possible with standard view. Also any tips for room requests?? Upper floors vs lower. Near elevators or not??

I would like to know this as well. I am debating online checkin and would not know how to answer these questions. The Guest services woman said to make sure I did NOT check first available because it would negate every thing else, and she has designated that we get boardwalk view for me. (I think she said water view)

 

[rea59]

Just back from 4 nights at BWI Deluxe CL room stay. As usual we weren't dissapointed by the BWI. I requested 4th floor but I was told that some of the rooms on the 4th floor still haven't been renovated and there weren't any renovated deluxe rooms available on the 4th floor. It turned out that our room was perfect. We were in room 3257 it was beautifully updated with a great boardwalk view and steps just outside the door that led right to the Innkeeper's Club. The staff at the club was wonderful, always greeted us with a welcoming smile and hello. I asked for a bottle of water and they asked if 1 was enough or if I needed more. It may not seem like such a big deal but last year we stayed In a 1 bedroom cl suite at BC and were very dissapointed with the whole experience from the condition of the room to the treatment of the CL staff and the selection of the club food selections. I will probably never go back to BC. We were only at the Innkeepers 2 nights for the evening offerings because we were usually at the parks during that time but when what I saw was a nice variety offerings like dumplings, beef skewers, chick pea salad, tacos, assorted fruits, cheeses etc. Our experience with Magic Bands and Fastpass+ was also positive. It made everything so easy. We don't like to have to rush out in the morning so being able to schedule our fastpasses for a little later in the morning and afternoon made our trip a lot more relaxing. However, the My Disney Experience app was useless. It was unresponsive the entire time. The only thing it was good for was wait times. So I just signed on to the Disney website to make changes. Overall our trip was great!

 

[lynn46356]

I'm very excited to stay at the BWI for 2 nights 11-22--24. My Husband and I are taking ours boys 26, 25, and 16 along with one girlfriend to WDW to celebrate our 30th anniversary the week of Thanksgiving. We or I ;-) have decided we need a few nights by ourselves before the chaos begins. We'll be staying at POFQ as a family but I've always wanted to stay at the BWI. We've booked a standard room and I can't wait to try this resort out!!!!! I'll probably not want to leave but two nights are better than none!!!!!!!

 

[lynn46356]

I'm very excited to stay at the BWI for 2 nights 11-22--24. My Husband and I are taking ours boys 26, 25, and 16 along with one girlfriend to WDW to celebrate our 30th anniversary the week of Thanksgiving. We or I ;-) have decided we need a few nights by ourselves before the chaos begins. We'll be staying at POFQ as a family but I've always wanted to stay at the BWI. We've booked a standard room and I can't wait to try this resort out!!!!! I'll probably not want to leave but two nights are better than none!!!!!!!

Oops I forgot to mention I had a room at the YC booked but decided I wanted to try the BW for something new since we have stayed at the BC before. Can't wait!!!!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hi, sorry if this question has been asked, I looked for it and couldn't find the answer! We have 2 upcoming stays at BWV's during F&W. Contemplating on getting the mugs and wondering where do you get them filled at? I believe I read that they have a self serve refillable machine in the Bakery, but is this the only place? What about at the pool bar, will they fill it for you or is it self serve? The last time, we were at BWV (before the new mugs, lol) you could also take your mugs to the pizza window, which then they would give you a paper up filled up. Thanks!!

I know your question was answered, but just letting you know that the answer is in the DINING section of the thread HERE.

I just want to peek in here and say that I stayed at the BWV in a 1 br standard view in May and I LOVED the resort. LOVED IT. It was my first time there and I can't put into words how amazing this place is.
We ate breakfast at Kouzzina, it was great! We had lunch at ESPN and that was great also! We also had some goodies from the bakery and that was great too! One good thing at the bakery was you could get soup of the day with bread as a snack credit which we had for lunch one day. We didn't get to eat at Flying Fish, my daughter got sick the day that we had ADRs for it.
I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again...but now it's onto resort #10 (I'm trying to stay in them all).

So where will resort #10 be? Thanks for letting us know your trip went well.

We are less than 2 weeks away from our lovely Boardwalk Inn room & view. I'm so excited & want to start packing. So I "packed", actually just put together, our vitamins & other meds. Have to do something, I'm just too darn excited!

It's good to do some trip prep when the mood strikes you. Getting those little things out of the way will make packing much easier later.

I have nothing to say except 3 more days till we arrive for our (east facing) BW view room that we booked in May!!!!!! This weekend is our vacation from our vacation since summer was 9 family members--Alaska, all went well, but still....

And while we are on a reservation from our associate membership, we are full members now and are excited to finally fully immerse.

APs.....here we come!

Just got back from a 5 night stay at BWI, and I'm in love with this resort! I can't say enough good things about it.

We were in room 3323, and I was concerned when we got off the elevator, and saw 3323 was the LAST # on the sign after hearing how long the halls were, and our room was the VERY last on the 3rd floor. But I did not find the walk bad at all, and there was a stairwell right by our room that came out right by the quiet pool which was perfect.

Also, we had about 1/4 balcony... barely fit one chair so that was disappointing.

CM's were all super, and I loved the atmosphere on the Boardwalk, and all there was to do! Will definitely be back!

It's no fun having a tiny balcony, but thanks you for reporting back with your room number and your experience with the hallways and CMs.

Not adding on. But why do we get so freakin' excited even though we've been so many times already? Does that ever wane?

NO!

Checking in on the 6th for our first stay at BWV. Nine days and counting! I love having a DVC ownership (took a long time to get it!). Can't wait to experience staying there! Have a 1 BR garden/pool view booked. Wished for a Boardwalk view, but no luck! Had to cancel vacation in May due to surgery and I'm sooooo excited to get there, scooter and all!!!

I hope you're fully recovered from your surgery and congrats on your DVC membership and upcoming trip.

Hey folks, just returned from a 10 day stay at BWV and wanted to report something about bus service that has been mentioned around the boards but here is my direct experience from BWV last week.

From morning until 2pm, the Downtown Disney Bus also stops at Typhoon lagoon and the route is terribly long. The bus trip in either direction can be 45 to 60 minutes with waiting time now.

Wait until after 2pm, when there is an "EPCOT" bus that also takes TL people. Then, the DTD bus goes straight to DTD and is a much shorter ride both ways, except of course you have to stop at S,D,Y,B before Boardwalk coming back.. or walk from Swan.

Great advice - thank you.

anyone else having wifi issues with in-room wifi at the boardwalk villas this week? Been here whole week and the wifi is almost useless. Keeps disconnecting and when connected, it's so slow that its almost useless. Never had wifi prblem at Saratoga or Bay Lake.

I had the same problem at BWI in 2012 and at WL last month. I didn't really have a problem though at YC in June

Here now, and I loathe their WiFi, I shut it off and I'm able to do much more quickly on my own service which is ATT.

Hey, aren't you only allowed to stay at CR?

Yes, it was frustrating me all last week, especially since I had a room next to the main pool. I think the people around the pool find the general SSID overloaded and switch to the room SSID, overloading that one too. I wanted to be down closer to the Leisure Pool but did not get our request.

It froze up and I had to disconnected/reconnect a lot. Looked connected but was "dead".

Yep, same problem at WL. If they expect everyone to be using MDX, etc… they really need to make improvements within the resorts.

I am staying at BWV for the first time at the end of October (24-29)

Congratulations and I'll add your dates to the BW Bulletin.

Hi,
Can someone help? We are staying at BWI for the first time for the Marathon this January. I booked 3 standard rooms. I thought I read somewhere that some of the standard rooms on the higher floors can see Illuminations, and the Eiffel tower. I am going to take a shot on a room request when I do the online checking.

also (I am asking a lot) My mother has knee issues, so she would not want to have a terribly far walk from the lobby)

What should I request?
TIA!!!

Donna, just request a Garden/Epcot view and 5th floor. The rooms near the quiet pool area do have partial views of Illuminations.

I did the online check in tonight for our 1 st stay at BWI. We are booked for a standard view room. Originally we were booked at WL but due to pool reno they moved us to BWI. I'm very excited as we have never stayed here before. Anyway to my question When I was going thru the check in it gave me a choice of floors, near elevator and etc. one choice was Boardwalk view. Is that even possible with standard view. Also any tips for room requests?? Upper floors vs lower. Near elevators or not??

The OCI room "amenity" requests don't always apply to every booking. Often they aren't even applicable or correct. If you booked a BWV then you'll have one, if you didn't, then you won't. See my post above this one for a good Standard View request recommendation.

I would like to know this as well. I am debating online checkin and would not know how to answer these questions. The Guest services woman said to make sure I did NOT check first available because it would negate every thing else, and she has designated that we get boardwalk view for me. (I think she said water view)

It won't actually negate any other request, but it will prioritize your request and make "first available" a priority over other requests. I wouldn't check that box though since it's more likely any room location request would be overlooked in favor of a first-available room.

You can still do OCI and just add any requests to your reservation by calling. This will allow for more specific and accurate requests.

Just back from 4 nights at BWI Deluxe CL room stay. As usual we weren't dissapointed by the BWI. I requested 4th floor but I was told that some of the rooms on the 4th floor still haven't been renovated and there weren't any renovated deluxe rooms available on the 4th floor.

It turned out that our room was perfect. We were in room 3257 it was beautifully updated with a great boardwalk view and steps just outside the door that led right to the Innkeeper's Club. The staff at the club was wonderful, always greeted us with a welcoming smile and hello. I asked for a bottle of water and they asked if 1 was enough or if I needed more. It may not seem like such a big deal but last year we stayed In a 1 bedroom cl suite at BC and were very dissapointed with the whole experience from the condition of the room to the treatment of the CL staff and the selection of the club food selections. I will probably never go back to BC.

We were only at the Innkeepers 2 nights for the evening offerings because we were usually at the parks during that time but when what I saw was a nice variety offerings like dumplings, beef skewers, chick pea salad, tacos, assorted fruits, cheeses etc.

Our experience with Magic Bands and Fastpass+ was also positive. It made everything so easy. We don't like to have to rush out in the morning so being able to schedule our fastpasses for a little later in the morning and afternoon made our trip a lot more relaxing. However, the My Disney Experience app was useless. It was unresponsive the entire time. The only thing it was good for was wait times. So I just signed on to the Disney website to make changes. Overall our trip was great!

Thank you for posting your TR. That's very interesting that they hadn't completed renovating the Deluxe rooms yet when you checked-in. Maybe they're behind schedule?

Hope you get to book your ext trip soon. Where might you stay?

I'm very excited to stay at the BWI for 2 nights 11-22--24. My Husband and I are taking ours boys 26, 25, and 16 along with one girlfriend to WDW to celebrate our 30th anniversary the week of Thanksgiving. We or I ;-) have decided we need a few nights by ourselves before the chaos begins. We'll be staying at POFQ as a family but I've always wanted to stay at the BWI. We've booked a standard room and I can't wait to try this resort out!!!!! I'll probably not want to leave but two nights are better than none!!!!!!!

Welcome, Lynn and I'll log your dates. What a great idea to have some time for just you and DH at BWI. Would it have been possible to have put the BWI dates at the end and save the best for last?

 

[lynn46356]

I wish we could but two of our children are flying out from Midway (Chicago). Flights out were reasonable on the 24th. Flights home on the 30th were ridiculous (450 a piece). Since we still have a son in high school we have to be home by Monday and we'll be driving home straight through. Not fun but I'm thrilled to get a few days at BW by ourselves. I'll miss YC but so looking forward to BW. B

 

[fla4fun]

Anyway to my question When I was going thru the check in it gave me a choice of floors, near elevator and etc. one choice was Boardwalk view. Is that even possible with standard view.

Yes, sort of. I had a standard view booked and just for kicks decided to check the box to see what would happen. I got a room that looked out toward the Villas section of the BW - but I had no balcony! That was a surprise (can't remember the exact room number as that stay was a while ago). So I could see half the Boardwalk and the central garden area, and if I looked to the right I could see the boat dock. It wasn't a bad room if you aren't a big balcony person (for me, it depends on the time of year).

 

[bangzoom6877]

Just back from 4 nights at BWI Deluxe CL room stay. As usual we weren't dissapointed by the BWI. I requested 4th floor but I was told that some of the rooms on the 4th floor still haven't been renovated and there weren't any renovated deluxe rooms available on the 4th floor. It turned out that our room was perfect. We were in room 3257 it was beautifully updated with a great boardwalk view and steps just outside the door that led right to the Innkeeper's Club. The staff at the club was wonderful, always greeted us with a welcoming smile and hello. I asked for a bottle of water and they asked if 1 was enough or if I needed more. It may not seem like such a big deal but last year we stayed In a 1 bedroom cl suite at BC and were very dissapointed with the whole experience from the condition of the room to the treatment of the CL staff and the selection of the club food selections. I will probably never go back to BC. We were only at the Innkeepers 2 nights for the evening offerings because we were usually at the parks during that time but when what I saw was a nice variety offerings like dumplings, beef skewers, chick pea salad, tacos, assorted fruits, cheeses etc. Our experience with Magic Bands and Fastpass+ was also positive. It made everything so easy. We don't like to have to rush out in the morning so being able to schedule our fastpasses for a little later in the morning and afternoon made our trip a lot more relaxing. However, the My Disney Experience app was useless. It was unresponsive the entire time. The only thing it was good for was wait times. So I just signed on to the Disney website to make changes. Overall our trip was great!

Sounds like a terrific trip!

DH and I loved the magic bands and FP+ too. The best part was that in the past, we would take turns running around for a FP for a ride and then meet up at a set location. Eliminating that running around was really great. We also felt like it made the trip more relaxing than past trips. Of course, I'm a serious planner when it comes to our WDW trips and park itineraries, so for us this system works very well. I could see though, how it takes the spontaneity out of booking a last minute trip, which some people do. We are fortunate that we book BWV 11 months out when our DVC booking window opens, and that I'm so serious about the planning that I'm in the computer making ADRs at 6am at the 180-day mark, and I was doing our FP+ attractions early in the morning at the 60-day mark as well.

The boys also loved the magic bands, and we had them take turns unlocking the door when we returned to the room. They had a lot of fun with that. And as always, we loved the Boardwalk resort. It's just such a beautiful resort, inside and out, and just going back there every day after the parks was so relaxing. It has a true vacation feel to it, staying there. In fact, I wish I was there right now.

 

[SeaPic]

If I won the lotto, I would move into Golden Oak and be at WDW daily.

Me too! Glad to see I am not alone in dreaming about how I would spend my lotto winnings.

 

[Donna3271]

WDWKOOK,
OMG!!! Amazing info!!! You are so awesome to help all of us out!!!

Touring plans has 5285 through 5261
and 5282 through 5286 as standard view.

5282 through 5286 seem to have a partial view of the boardwalk. Can this be right?

It also has 3213 to 3259 which are right on the boardwalk as standard view. This can't be right. Can you give me some generalizations of standard rooms so I can check on the map? My mother really can't walk far. We need to get her a scooter (she needs knee replacements, but is stubborn).

THANKS!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

WDWKOOK,
OMG!!! Amazing info!!! You are so awesome to help all of us out!!!

Touring plans has 5285 through 5261
and 5282 through 5286 as standard view.

5282 through 5286 seem to have a partial view of the boardwalk. Can this be right?

It also has 3213 to 3259 which are right on the boardwalk as standard view. This can't be right. Can you give me some generalizations of standard rooms so I can check on the map? My mother really can't walk far. We need to get her a scooter (she needs knee replacements, but is stubborn).

THANKS!!

You're welcome, Donna. Yes, there are some SV rooms that have a partial BWV. These are the rooms that you might be given if you check the OCI room "amenity" box of "BoardWalk View." This choice is a bit mis-leading though.

fla4fun's post above mentions a SV room they had that had a partial BWV. They checked the "BWV" box for OCI and did in fact get a partial BWV, but no balcony. So just be aware that if you get one of the few SV rooms that has a BWV, you might not have a balcony and it's only a partial BWV.

It's best never to request specific room numbers because if the room isn't available, the Room Assignor won't know why you requested the room and they won't be able to easily try to place you in a similar room. It's always best to describe the location or room type rather than request a specific room number.

If your mom is going to have a scooter, then walking won't be an issue. If she will have to walk, it would be best to decide what you'd like her to be closest to, such as an elevator.

 

[cocoabean1]

First time staying at BWV, in a 1 bedroom unit, do all villas have a balcony?

 

[rea59]

Yes WDWKOOK I was surprised that the rooms on the 4th floor weren't completed when we checked in. We saw construction workers on both the 3rd and 4th floor every day and they were working on the Governer's Suite (I think that's the right name) the whole time we were there. We didn't hear any noise at all from the construction. I know there have been some complaints about the design and color choices of the new carpet and curtains but I thought it all looked great.

As far as where I'll stay for my next trip it's a toss up between my 2 favorites, BWI or WL. I love both resorts equally but I like the convenience of the Epcot area more than the MK area. It's always such a tough decision.

Thank you so much for all of the valuable information you provide on both of these great resorts.

 

[RenaissanceBabe]

The Fiance and I will be here in June for a ten day HONEYMOON! We originally were going to rent points at AKL, but my best friend stayed here last February and couldn't stop raving about it. After a little research we fell in love too. I'm super excited to stay so close to Epcot too! Last time we went to Disney it was short trip with a school group during a tropical storm, so pretty much a disaster. I'm so ready to get back to disney and enjoy it the right way, at our own pace. We'll be there 6/1-6/10 if you want to add us to the list!

 

[whitwheels]

Staying at BWI December 23-27! My family has been to Disney many times but never stayed on property (we usually have my grandparents' timeshare). I'm so excited and a little nervous! So many new things!

 

[Seabean]

Again, I wanted to take a moment here on Labor Day to post that our first ever split-trip last month ... WL then BWI ... was great.
(I made a separate post over in the WL thread)

Although BWI is our preference, the split provided a nice contrast: WL has more of a rural laid-back feel, whereas BWI is high-energy Jersey Shore

As usual our CL room was spacious and the view overlooking the boardwalk is phenomenal: the bakery & restaurant smells and the jazz music during the day, and the lights and crowds at night. It also feels good to be in the "center of the action" between Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

And as always the club-level CM's are always helpful... well, actually ALL the CM's at the bWI are very helpful.

Looking forward to next year.

 

[Speedemon21]

Hello all!

We are heading to WDW November 11-17 and staying at the BWI for the first time. It will be me, my husband and two teenagers (boy 16, girl 14) in a standard room. My question is will the day bed be big enough to accommodate one of them? They are both well over 5 feet tall. I ask 'cause I am reading that it is a "child bed" and cannot accommodate anyone over 5 ft.

Thanks so much! We are excited for our first stay at BWI, and I apologize if this has been asked before.