Do you like BCV? (Negative Reviews Are Bothering Me)

[OKW Lover]

We love BCV. (Yes, that may seem strange given my screen name)

The rooms just feel nice and comfortable to us. We prefer the overall decor better here than its across the pond neighbor BWV. I know its really just the color scheme that is the difference.

But the location is really a big plus for us. We spend a lot of time at Epcot and it is so convenient to walk there (and sometimes stagger back) when you stay at BCV.

We're going to be at BCV next week for 6 nights during Food & Wine and I can hardly wait.

 

[Donna M]

We have stayed at BCV without any problems. The pool is great, best around IMHO. Being as close to EPCOT as you will be is going to be a big asset. I think you'll have a great time.

My suggestion is to go there for the total experience, don't expect perfection and you won't be disappointed.

 

[anna08]

I think you will love BCV simply for the ease that it offers you in entertaining your little ones. Everything is an easy stroller walk away. A huge section of SAB is only about 18 inches deep with a sandy bottom so your DD will have a ball playing there. The character breakfast at the restaurant there is one of our favorites. The stroller walk to Epcot and backdoor entry/exit into Epcot is peaceful and quick. Here's how I usually recommend to my friends with little ones to do BCV if they've got parkhopper passes.

Do any park but Epcot in the morning. Get up early for rope drop if MK because the kiddie rides are basically wide open for the first two hours.

Eat lunch in park a little early to avoid crowds

Home to room after lunch and then nap/swim SAB or swim SAB/nap (especially in July it's nice to avoid the heat/crowds of midday in the parks.)

Eat early dinner in villa

Walk to Epcot for the evening (our kids loved talk with Crush at the Living Seas and it is usually much easier to get in at night) and take in the fireworks OR spend an evening on the Boardwalk eating pizza from the take-out window and watching the street entertainers that will be at several locations. They often choose kids to help in their shows. Another option is to take the boat to Hollywood studios and do the few things there for little ones (we've never felt that much is there for the little peeps) or grab Mickey bars and watch shows.

Don't forget there's a movie on the beach every night too.

I would definitely try it once - most of our friends who have really liked it and have gone back again. Have fun planning and feel free to PM me with any questions!

 

[TisBit]

I enjoyed BCV, but had quite a few complaints about it. Most of my complaints were actually just because I did not see many negatives out there and just a lot of people saying how awesome it was. My biggest complaint is that the DVC Villas are at the back of the resort and not anywhere near the pools, markets, etc. You actually go outside under covered walkways to get to the main resort and if you are at the end of the DVC building it is a pretty decent walk.

The pool, while nice and theme'd...is very crowded and usually has the biggest complaints about people saving chairs/tables, etc. The pool is not very child friendly, especially for little ones. The kids slide is not at the main pool, but is across the boardwalk at the stairs for the big slide. The pool there is only about two feet deep, so we were stuck sitting on the ledge for our kids to slide. There was a sandy play area in the main pool (right next to the 8 foot "lazy river"? Again, just didn't like the setup very much), but our kids wanted to slide. For pre-teens/teens it is a much better setup because you don't have to watch them as much.

The villa was not in the best condition, but was acceptable to us (definitely could have used refurbishing though). Ease of hitting epcot was nice...but also somewhat of a pain for rope drop (not a BCV problem, International Gateway issue). While Epcot was convenient and DHS was relatively easy to get to...MK and AK were a pain. I have found a trend that resorts near the parks (walking distance, etc) usually have the worst transportation problems to other parks.

With all of this being said, if I were to go back again, I think I would enjoy it much more...mainly because I would understand the downsides and be prepared for them. Most BCV Owners will just fight any complaints about the resort and sing its praises. All DVC (and WDW) resorts have positives and negatives and it is best to understand them before you go..otherwise you will likely get frustrated or disappointed.

 

[crisi]

We've stayed at three DVC resorts and our BCV stay was our least favorite, but that has nothing to do with room upkeep. It has more to do with resort layout and sentimental reasons - our home is BWV and our first trip with our kids was at VWL - so those have special spots in our heart. Like TisBit, we didn't like the room locations, and I found SAB to be disappointing. Its a really cool pool, but for my kids it had about ten seconds of attraction. One year they were too young for a pool in which its hard to watch kids and while they'd have loved SAB, I wasn't about to drive myself crazy, the next year, they were old enough to be free range kids at the waterpark. And once that second thing hit, SAB was far inferior to a day at Typhoon Lagoon.

Our room was well kept. Our bus service there was magical - when we wanted a bus, one came quickly, and we had seats more often than not. Bus service at ANY Disney resort is a matter of luck - buses come every twenty minutes or so - more often when they need to move a lot of people. So if you arrive right after a bus leaves, another bus might not come for 20 minutes - sometimes a little longer. And if people have stacked up during that time because you are the second or third stop, that bus can be really full when it pulls up already. (We supplement our bus trips with taxis - if we need to get somewhere quickly, if we want to make sure we sit, if we just miss a bus, if we are going somewhere where bus service isn't great (hotel to hotel) - a few cab trips is still cheaper than a rental car)

Being walking distance to Epcot is great. What we frequently do (you need hoppers to do this) is to catch the bus to the MK in the morning to be there right at opening. Buses run very frequently during this time, so you shouldn't have a bus problem. We stay in MK for the morning, getting as much done as we can. Right after lunch, we take the monorail to Epcot. We cut through Epcot, picking up a Fastpass for Soarin or Test Track. We go back to the room for swim/nap/shower/downtime. At four or so we go back into Epcot, use our fastpass, have dinner, and spend our evenings in Epcot. That means one bus ride during the day (though sometimes the monorails have as many issues as the buses in terms of wait/not enough seats - but they are inherently cooler).

It does mean we haven't seen a 3:00 parade in years.

As was said above, this works with pretty much any park in the morning - finishing off your day in Epcot when staying at an Epcot resort is wonderful.

 

[LaurenT]

I own at Kidani (which I love), but I trade into BCV during F&W time. I love the resort - mostly because of the awesome pool and easy access to Epcot and DHS.
I didn't notice any horrible wait times for the bus during past trips. The rooms are pleasant enough - they didn't appear "run down" to me. It does intentionally have that Mid-Atlantic Beach resort sort of look...perhaps that comes across as run down to some people?
As for ME - we usually have a very early departure out of MCO, and I've never had a problem. ME insists on picking you up 3 hrs before your departure time - which allows plenty of room for any hiccups you may run into.

 

[DVC Grandpa]

I think many of the changes have diminished the desire/luster of owning vacation club properties. In my estimation the changing in the banking deadline allowing or forcing you to balk all points four months prior to the end of the use year ... especially when you are seeking a wait list during those four months. The second thing is the dining programs. Each unit has “meal making” facilities but under the current dining program you have to take an “all or nothing” dining program. When you are there for an extended stay of two, three or four weeks, the dining program is most likely not a option. These are things that Disney made an effort to eliminate for those who would have taken advantage of if only DVC would have considered the effects on there members. I am sure there are many more not mentioned but these are the two I can say have an effect on our family.

 

[crisi]

As for ME - we usually have a very early departure out of MCO, and I've never had a problem. ME insists on picking you up 3 hrs before your departure time - which allows plenty of room for any hiccups you may run into.

ME's three hour time is just a little longer than you'd want taking a cab.

MCO is about 1/2 an hour away on the bus. So if you'll probably arrive at the airport around 2 - 2 1/2 hours early. ME usually has more than one resort to do a pick up from, so its often closer to two.

MCO is a "bad security" airport. If you arrive at MCO during a slow time, its easy to clear the gazillion security lines they have. And if you arrive when the cruise ship buses do, along with the other tens of thousands of tourists leaving on any day, it isn't hard to spend 45 minutes to an hour in the security line - if you've been managing your lines at Disney, the MCO security line could be the longest you stand in all week! Planes usually start boarding half an hour before departure time. So if your flight is at 2:00 pm, you'll board at 1:30, you might need to be in the security line at 12:30, add 15-30 minutes to check luggage (which MOST people doing ME will be able to do at the resort and you'd want to be on your way from the resort at 11:30 if you took a cab. ME will make you be at the resort waiting for the bus at 11:00.

The vast majority of shopping and stuff is on the pre-security side of the airport, too.

So the trick with MCO is to get there early and keep an eye on the line. Let half the family shop (MCO does have great last minute tourist shopping), while Mom or Dad watches. If the line starts getting long, call the family back and get into line. Otherwise, call the family back 30 minutes before boarding. Clear the line in about ten minutes, another ten to get to your gate, and you'll only have a few minutes sitting around at the gate.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I think many of the changes have diminished the desire/luster of owning vacation club properties. In my estimation the changing in the banking deadline allowing or forcing you to balk all points four months prior to the end of the use year ... especially when you are seeking a wait list during those four months. The second thing is the dining programs. Each unit has “meal making” facilities but under the current dining program you have to take an “all or nothing” dining program. When you are there for an extended stay of two, three or four weeks, the dining program is most likely not a option. These are things that Disney made an effort to eliminate for those who would have taken advantage of if only DVC would have considered the effects on there members. I am sure there are many more not mentioned but these are the two I can say have an effect on our family.

While this is nice... I can't see the reationship to the topic being discussed?

 

[Sammie]

I enjoyed BCV, but had quite a few complaints about it. Most of my complaints were actually just because I did not see many negatives out there and just a lot of people saying how awesome it was. My biggest complaint is that the DVC Villas are at the back of the resort and not anywhere near the pools, markets, etc. You actually go outside under covered walkways to get to the main resort and if you are at the end of the DVC building it is a pretty decent walk.

The pool, while nice and theme'd...is very crowded and usually has the biggest complaints about people saving chairs/tables, etc. The pool is not very child friendly, especially for little ones. The kids slide is not at the main pool, but is across the boardwalk at the stairs for the big slide. The pool there is only about two feet deep, so we were stuck sitting on the ledge for our kids to slide. There was a sandy play area in the main pool (right next to the 8 foot "lazy river"? Again, just didn't like the setup very much), but our kids wanted to slide. For pre-teens/teens it is a much better setup because you don't have to watch them as much.

The villa was not in the best condition, but was acceptable to us (definitely could have used refurbishing though). Ease of hitting epcot was nice...but also somewhat of a pain for rope drop (not a BCV problem, International Gateway issue). While Epcot was convenient and DHS was relatively easy to get to...MK and AK were a pain. I have found a trend that resorts near the parks (walking distance, etc) usually have the worst transportation problems to other parks.

With all of this being said, if I were to go back again, I think I would enjoy it much more...mainly because I would understand the downsides and be prepared for them. Most BCV Owners will just fight any complaints about the resort and sing its praises. All DVC (and WDW) resorts have positives and negatives and it is best to understand them before you go..otherwise you will likely get frustrated or disappointed.

I definitely agree with your Transportation comment. Which is why I find OKW and SSR to be great resorts for going to all parks and water parks due to a central location to everything.

 

[bobbiwoz]

ETA: I am sure we'll have a wonderful time and don't mean to offend anyone!


I was just able to book an one-bedroom unit at Beach Club Villas for next July. I've noticed that there are quite a few negative reviews about the units being run-down and dirty. Do you like BCV?

We're exchanging through RCI. We own at Bonnet Creek and love it, but wanted to give staying on property a try. After reading reviews about terrible bus waits at BCV (this will be our first time not renting a car) and wondering how ME with an 8:14 AM departing flight will go, I'm a little nervous.

We're used to a two bedroom so going to a one will be a big difference for us. It will be DH, me, DD4, and DS who will be turning one on the trip. We will spend time mostly at Epcot and MK.

By the way, I don't know how we couldn't have a great time---I was able to get the week that I turn 30 and DS turns one!

Thanks!

The CMs at BCV are very nice, and if your 4 year old likes to color, there's lot of opportunity for her to do it! Walk around the pool area and be sure you see the little slide that's right in the pirate ship. It's small, and in a shallow water area, and it could be that you'll spend a fair amount of time there. I don't know how adventurous your 4 year old is, so I don't know if the large pirate slide is something to consider. There's a large sandy area that kids love. It's pretty shallow and is full of kids having fun. You do have to watch the kids because it's not far from a very deep lazy river.

I hope you have a great time! I love the pictures in the villas and the decor of the entire resort because it remind my of my second home in Cape May NJ!

The character breakfast at the resort is our second favorite (Lilo and Stitch's at the Poly is our favorite!). The food selections (they have lox!) and character interaction has always been wonderful.

If you have a problem with your villa, call to have it righted. All of our stays at BCV have been first rate!

Bobbi

 

[disneyfreak2127]

As a BCV owner I will tell you that we have tried OKW, VWL, BWV and a few other Disney resorts. We purchased here because DH loved the laid back atmosphere. It is comfortable and has a quiet elegance about the entire resort. Last time in the World we stayed at VWL, and while enjoyable, we missed our "home"!

SAB is fabulous! Beaches & Cream is so great after a long day at the parks. We've had more than our fair share of No Way Jose Sundaes on the way back from the parks. We also really enjoy Cape May for character breakfast and clam bake at night.

Just remember...you can find fault with any hotel or resort if that is what you are looking for. You will be in the most magical place on earth! ENJOY!

 

[JLS]

Our family LOVES it. I look forward to returning there every year. I have never regretted buying at Beach Club and although I have tried many other properties (and liked them), this is the one that I feel like I will miss the most if we did not book there. I love the location, the feel of it, the amenities, best pool anywhere. The Marketplace is great, and we have always found the CMs to be friendly and helpful.

If you are used to other timeshares, you will likely find the BCV to be on the small side. In fact, most DVC villas are not as spacious as other luxury timeshares like Marriott, Hilton, etc. But we certainly don't spend all day in our room so that does not really bother me, and its plenty of space for a family, just not enormous like some units (Hilton GVC comes to mind).

My only complaint about BCV is that there is no wireless internet and the last time we will having major problems with the wired connection, which is only in the living room of a dedicated 2 bedroom. This is 2011 and not having reliable internet in each room is ridiculous, IMO. When I go on a 7-10 day vacation, I need to have ability to get into my work system and do some work. I also enjoy surfing the web for personal reasons after the kids go to sleep. My understanding is that this lack of wireless is an issue throughout Disney. But I would expect the wired connection to be excellent.

Good luck with your trip. I think you will love it. Don't pay too much attention to the negativity on Trip Advisor and Yelp. A lot of people will complain about anything.

 

[PoohsFan1]

You are not going to read any negative reviews from this DISer ...my family loves BCV and we are going to do our second stay in January (last time we stayed there was this past May). We own at BLT and want to buy into BCV in the near future. We are just waiting to get some finances in order before we do. We want to have a home resort near each of our favorite parks. As for wear and tear of the rooms....when we stayed there this past May I didn't see any evidence of it. Our room was very clean and Mousekeeping did an awesome job during midweek cleaning. We were very satisfied with our stay. Have a great time.

 

[xipetotec]

ETA: I am sure we'll have a wonderful time and don't mean to offend anyone!


I was just able to book an one-bedroom unit at Beach Club Villas for next July. I've noticed that there are quite a few negative reviews about the units being run-down and dirty. Do you like BCV?

We're exchanging through RCI. We own at Bonnet Creek and love it, but wanted to give staying on property a try. After reading reviews about terrible bus waits at BCV (this will be our first time not renting a car) and wondering how ME with an 8:14 AM departing flight will go, I'm a little nervous.

We're used to a two bedroom so going to a one will be a big difference for us. It will be DH, me, DD4, and DS who will be turning one on the trip. We will spend time mostly at Epcot and MK.

By the way, I don't know how we couldn't have a great time---I was able to get the week that I turn 30 and DS turns one!

Thanks!

We *love* BCV.

Granted, it is our home resort. *but* we've stayed at AKV, OKW and even GCV and though those are ALL nice... we always miss our BCV. We love the resort, we love the resort pool. but above all, the LOCATION is just unbeatable... Okay so BLT is next to MK, so that's hard to beat. But BCV is near the boardwalk, a walk from World Showcase ( if you like dining, that ALONE is a plus! ), a short boat ride OR walk to DHS...

Amazing, and I can't wait to be back in March!

 

[sherylcin]

We spent a week at BCV in January of this year and everyone loved it! We do a big family trip every two years so this trip there were 13 of us (including my 7 grandchildren) in 3 studios. Here's our quick assessment:

1. The resort is beautiful. Rooms were all fine - decor a little dated (this said coming straight from BLT) but still perfectly fine.
2. Love the proximity to Epcot and the ability to take a boat or walk to both Epcot and DHS.
3. Loved the Cape May character breakfast. Buffet was awesome!
4. SAB is probably the coolest pool on property but in January there aren't always very many good swimming days. The kids did get to swim in it once and loved it!
5. Love the Boardwalk area in general.
6. We liked it enough to schedule a Disney portrait package there. Of course, the day we scheduled turned out to be too cold to go outside but the photographer took some great inside pictures.

Our goal is to stay at all of the DVC resorts but we would not hesitate for one minute to go back to BCV.

Hope you enjoy your stay and have a wonderful vacation!!

 

[evenrude]

We just returned from our first stay at BCV 9-17 thru 9-24 in 2bdrm (with 2 queen beds) There is nothing wrong with it, just normal wear and tear it is clean and well maintained. I have stayed at BWV and I would give the edge to BCV, not as big, access to SAB and closer to EPCOT. In fact we had such a great stay I've been secretly combing the resale sites for a decent BCV contract

 

[mantismad]

We absolutely love BCV and we stay at this resort every year and have never once encountered a dirty or rundown room.
It is such a friendly and fun place to stay that I am sure you will have a wonderful time celebrating your 30th birthday at this resort.

 

[OurDogCisco]

If it helps on TUG (Timeshare User Group forum), BCV is rated as 9.14 in Orlando. It is number 13 on the list. Funny thing is that Bonnet Creek is rated at number 44 in Orlando Area. I'm not saying that BCV is better than Bonnett Creek but expectations pay a huge role in what you think of a place and my number "10" resort may not be your number "10" resort. I've been timesharing for over 10 years now and I haven't really gone to a place I didn't like except one. This place I went to was in San Francisco and got great reviews on TUG but I couldn't understand why. It was a great location but the resort just wasn't luxurious enough for me. It was clean, etc but the blankets had holes in them, the bedspread hadn't been replaced since the 1980s, the sheets were sewn together, etc... I'm not kidding but it was ranked one of the best places to stay and for only for location. But that is the only time I didn't like a timeshare and I've stayed mostly at Marriotts, Westins & a few small indepentents and I love them all.

Personally, for me I get confused when people complain or are disappointed in DVC resorts. Seriously, I love everyone I've stayed in. I was really nervous about our AKL stay last July because of the reviews and everything was further from the truth. Yes, it took longer on the bus to get places but the resort totally made up for that in many ways. I'm the kinda person that is look at the whole picture kinda of thing. You are on vacation with your family or friends and you are having a good time. The resort and location is so secondary. But that's my take on it. I love BCV, VWL, BLT, GCV and AKL. I can't wait to try BWV, SSR, OKW, Aulani, Hilton Head and Vero Beach. Don't worry and enjoy your trip!