Fire Stick at BCV

[serenitynow]

Anyone use a streaming device like an Amazon fire stick or Roku at the Beach Club Villas recently? The TV channel selection at the Disney Resorts is limited.

 

[poptart90]

I can't speak specifically to BCV, but I just watched an in-depth tour of a 1-bedroom online and noticed that the TV was the same Samsung we had at the Grand Californian last month. We had great luck using a Google Chromecast. There were clear directions from the Disney TV menu on how to get a cast going. We were able to watch any of our streaming services this way. Nice for the kids in the morning to get their Disney+ fix while getting ready. Will be going to BCV in late summer. Would love to know if anyone has used a Chromecast, or any other device too!

 

[londonderrydisneyfan]

We used a Firestick at BCV last month and there were no issues. Considering how bad WiFi can be at the resorts I expected some lagging but we didn't notice anything significant.

 

[ScubaCat]

We used a Firestick at BCV last month and there were no issues. Considering how bad WiFi can be at the resorts I expected some lagging but we didn't notice anything significant.

Roku stick works fine. They have access points behind the TV in most 1BR and 2BR units so speed and connectivity aren't a problem.

 

[eva]

We are at OKW right now and are having trouble with using our Rokus on both tv’s. We have never had this problem in the past. To hook in we actually had to disconnect their system this time. And when we do that their remote no longer controls the volume. We tried to sync the Roku remote but it just won’t sync. We don’t use Google Chromecast. That seems to be the only way to stream any more. Any ideas?

 

[gatordoc]

I’ve used a FireStick at multiple resorts - BWV, VWL (both BR and CC) and PVB. Worked well every time. And after the first resort where I used it, it automatically connected to Disney Guest WiFi.

 

[eva]

I’ve used a FireStick at multiple resorts - BWV, VWL (both BR and CC) and PVB. Worked well every time. And after the first resort where I used it, it automatically connected to Disney Guest WiFi.

When was the last time you did this? We were able to set up our Rokus in February of this year with no trouble. But today we found we have to completely disable their system to use the Roku because the HDMI ports are no longer active. But when we disable their system the remote no longer works. That means the volume is disabled too. Tried syncing the Roku remote to the tv with no luck.

 

[Best Aunt]

Didn't some resorts put in new TVs or new TV systems this year? I seem to recall reading about it happening at the Yacht Club.

 

[gatordoc]

When was the last time you did this? We were able to set up our Rokus in February of this year with no trouble. But today we found we have to completely disable their system to use the Roku because the HDMI ports are no longer active. But when we disable their system the remote no longer works. That means the volume is disabled too. Tried syncing the Roku remote to the tv with no luck.

Most recently in April of this year, at both CC and PVB.

 

[mrsdoubie]

We are at OKW right now and are having trouble with using our Rokus on both tv’s. We have never had this problem in the past. To hook in we actually had to disconnect their system this time. And when we do that their remote no longer controls the volume. We tried to sync the Roku remote but it just won’t sync. We don’t use Google Chromecast. That seems to be the only way to stream any more. Any ideas?

We had the exact same issue at OKW with our fire stick in May. The volume was always at 100% and absolutely no way to turn it down.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I have a Roku I use only for that.
Riviera has TVs that are automatically set up for streaming from a device. I assume most resorts will get those when they are refurbished

 

[Stely54]

Fire Stick works just fine. We ran into the remotes not controlling the TV volume. Figured out you have to plug the Firestick into HDMI 1 on the Smasung TVs , and plug the HDMI cable from the Disney box into another HDMI port.

Solved our problem!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Frankly, I wonder if it would be in Disney's best interest to offer free Disney+ at their resorts. Kind of free advertising. I remember on our very first trip to WDW, way back in the 80s, cable TV wasn't too popular (at least where we lived), and DS, who was 4yo, loved that he could watch the Disney Channel. It was nearly his favorite attraction at WDW. So what did we look into when we got home?

 

[Disney Doc]

Apple TV worked well at VGF in 2021. Can't remember if I brought it to BCV.

 

[glamdring269]

Fire sticks are pretty cheap right now so worth considering a purchase. But I'm also wanting to understand something.

Is there a reason one would want to go through the trouble of figuring out how to get a fire stick up and running if the Disney system already supports chromecast? With CC all you have to do is pull up the app you want to stream and connect via the chromecast button. What functionality are you getting from a fire stick (or roku/apple tv) that chromecast doesn't cover in a pinch? This of course assumes the content you're using has is chromecast compatible.

This isn't a question about everyday usage. More of a question about the value vs. chromecast in a Disney vacation environment.

 

[kanerf]

With Chromecast you have to stream from one of your devices such as your phone or laptop. The problem there is that then the device is pretty much locked up for that usage. I carry a Firestick whenever I travel. I find the content much wider than looking for content to stream via Chromecast.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Fire sticks are pretty cheap right now so worth considering a purchase. But I'm also wanting to understand something.

Is there a reason one would want to go through the trouble of figuring out how to get a fire stick up and running if the Disney system already supports chromecast? With CC all you have to do is pull up the app you want to stream and connect via the chromecast button. What functionality are you getting from a fire stick (or roku/apple tv) that chromecast doesn't cover in a pinch? This of course assumes the content you're using has is chromecast compatible.

This isn't a question about everyday usage. More of a question about the value vs. chromecast in a Disney vacation environment.

I find using the built-in streaming more convenient than using my mown Roku, but they both work fine. However when we were there in September the TVs at Riviera and Poly both wouldn't let me stream from YouTube. Some message about the versions weren't compatible or something. I probably could have got it working if I wanted to mess with it, but I trouble shoot enough tech issues at my job lol. Netflix, Disney+, etc all worked fine though, it was just YouTube. A roku stick is so small I'll probably just bring it along just in case, but usually will just use the built in TV streaming.

 

[glamdring269]

With Chromecast you have to stream from one of your devices such as your phone or laptop. The problem there is that then the device is pretty much locked up for that usage. I carry a Firestick whenever I travel. I find the content much wider than looking for content to stream via Chromecast.

I use chromecast all the time at my house from my phone and I still use that device as if I’m not streaming. It’s possible it used to be less flexible when initially launched (I can’t recall) but it certainly doesn’t lock you out of the device today.

 

[BamaGuy44]

I use chromecast all the time at my house from my phone and I still use that device as if I’m not streaming. It’s possible it used to be less flexible when initially launched (I can’t recall) but it certainly doesn’t lock you out of the device today.

Yeah if you're mirroring your screen or something I could see where it could take over your device. But for normal "casting" it's not really streaming from your device, it streams from the Internet. Once you started a Netflix show or whatever, you could literally turn your phone off it would keep playing.

Having said that, the Disney TVs aren't really using Chromecast, it's some other casting service. But I assume it's the same way. Streaming from the device would be very unreliable.

 

[BrianLa]

I stayed at BCV this past summer and Fire Stick worked fine. Later in that trip at the RIV, the fire stick would not work. Also, I could only get casting to work on the TV in the Living Room (2BR Villa) not either of the bedrooms.