First Time @ BWV

[Yinn]

Thanks to COVID-19, rooms are in abundance and we were able to switch our May reservation from AKL to BWV 1 BR Standard (assuming we don’t get cancelled)

We’ll be doing a split stay and this portion of the stay is going to be HS and Epcot only and unless the kids beg for a boat ride we’ll most likely walk to both.

I searched the forums about which rooms, but most seemed to be view concerned. I’m more convenience focused. We have two young ones (double stroller) and we’re park commandoso views are irrelevant for us. We’ll probably see the dark, pillows, and the coffee machine. But with the double stroller, the general location does matter.

It seems most avoid the lobby/elevator areas. Are they really that slow and annoying?

How are the stairs and stairwells? Would it be annoying to carry a double stroller down them?

Should I just request a first floor? Noise on the first floor seems to be a common concern.

I’d appreciate any other recommendations as well. Thank you!

 

[NoTime42]

Despite the long hallways (not as looooong as Kidani) BWV only has (1) set of elevators, near the lobby, so if you are not on the ground floor, you will be frequently trekking there with the stroller.
With standard view, the rooms closest to the lobby are looking at the valet and bell services areas (with noisy carts)

In our stroller days, I liked ground floor. The Lobby is on the 1st floor, while the outdoor boardwalk and pool are ground floor.
From the ground floor, you can exit near the arcade to the boats/Epcot or you can leave near the valet parking and walk to the bus stop, or walk to DHS.

 

[DduzDis]

We just stayed with our two young ones last Nov. We have a single stroller and stayed on the 4th floor. We never waited more than a few minutes for an elevator. There may have been a time or two the elevator was full and we waited for the next one, but it was not at all frequent. That was also with one of the elevators blocked off for maintenance at one of the busiest times for WDW. Honestly, we also own at BLT and have waited longer for those elevators. (It does seem elevators are in our DVC DNA). We were also on the far end of the hallway at BWV and had no problems with the length of the walk. I really think it comes down to your own preferences. We do take afternoon naps so I always try to mitigate noise by asking for a higher floor. We have never stayed on the ground floor so I can't speak to the noise level.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We have stayed in SV rooms on the first floor many times. In fact, we usually request that location. The noise level due to luggage carts associated with DME/RAC operations near the lobby entrance were substantially reduced when they switched from metal luggage storage units to thermoplastic ones, so much so that we didn’t really notice them during our last few stays, most recently in January. Also, the ground floor SV rooms actually start down the corridor some distance from the elevator lobby, since the laundry room and a large housekeeping storage location take up the first section. Rooms on the lobby level (second floor) are actually much closer to the lobby and the DME/RAC operations.

 

[Best Aunt]

If I have this straight... you have a stroller. You will only be going to DHS and Epcot.

I would think you would want the ground floor (which is what you need to get to DHS and Epcot).

Not the lobby level (which you need for the buses to AK and MK). That’s assuming you want to skip the elevator.

The only things on lobby level are a tiny gift shop and the lounge which also serves breakfast. You are more likely to want the big gift shop and restaurants, for which you need ground floor not lobby level.

 

[Yinn]

Correct. We'll be doing AK and MK on the other half of our stay (BLT) so this leg is only DHS and Epcot. I wasn't a huge fan of these two parks when I was a child, but my kids like DHS and Epcot more than AK or MK.

Thank you everyone for the input. I'll put in a request for ground floor.

 

[paults]

BWI lobby bar does coffee and donuts and stuff. Not full breakfast. Unless that has changed

 

[Deb & Bill]

You must have picked up the reservation that I cancelled. We had one the first week of May, cancelled that for the last week of May and cancelled that to have points for next May.

 

[Yinn]

You must have picked up the reservation that I cancelled. We had one the first week of May, cancelled that for the last week of May and cancelled that to have points for next May.

Possibly, but with the way it's going. I may be looking to go next May as well.

This was our first multiple visit year (first time with AP) and it looks like all of them may very well be cancelled...fingers crossed.

 

[TheMouseKId]

We stayed on the third floor in September of last year. We stayed in a Boardwalk View and we were right next to a staircase. The staircases are actually relatively long. You have to take big steps to hit each foot on one stair. A stroller should be no problem because it is so easy to drag down the stairs.