I don't like Boardwalk

[granmanh603]

I love it when people complain and say they dont' like it, I just wish it would show up with lesser people when I am trying to book a vacation and can't get what I want.... even at the 11 month window. And I am hardly ever in my room least of all looking out the window.

 

[snackyx]

Hey Snackyx,

Scotty Bowman doesn't like the BWV either.

What do you think about him leaving the Wings?

Starr: I've heard that Bowman is a DVC member--great minds think alike.

Sad to see him go but he wanted to work with his son in the Blackhawk organization. The real brain trust of the Red WIngs, though, is Ken Holland--and he not going anywhere!

 

[CandleontheWater]

Thanks for all the opinions, we're going for the 1st time to BWV this Oct and I love hearing both sides of the story. We've pool hopped there while staying at other DVC resorts, and I really liked the slide. I thought it was almost as good as the one at Vero Beach (my favorite Disney resort slide). I did find the clown a little creepy, and since we are booked in a prefered view room, I just know I'll be staring at him out my window in Oct! (It will be just my luck- and probably end up a running joke! ). I'm really excited to stay at a DVC resort with so much hustle and bustle, that is one thing I didn't really like about BCV. I like the hotel, but I felt so far removed from everything over in the villas. I had the same problem at VWL. I think I like OKW and SSR better because there isn't a central hub that I feel like I'm missing out on when I'm in a villa and not a hotel room. I think that BWV is going to be the happy medium!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I forgot to include that the villa was so small at the BWV, you could sit on the balcony and reach into the refrigerator to get a cold drink.

 

[DeeCee735]

long hallways.......never bothered me a bit, walking in air conditioning as opposed to waiting on a bus or walking in the heat after a day in the parks to get from one part of the resort to the other is a pleasure. Not to mention a "close to the elevator" request works like a charm
BW is and always be my favorite place to be

 

[gjw007]

I have stayed at Boardwalk twice with no major issues. The second time I was there the view was better. The first one I was in a corner looking into a tree. So much for preferred view! The second time I requested looking over the Boardwalk and I was told that was still available and what I thought I book but I got a unit overlooking the pool. My issues with Boardwalk are the long hallway walks but mostly the long walk from the parking lot to the building. Compared to being close to Epcot and MGM (oops!, Disney Studio today, who knows what name tomorrow when they start changing names?) and the nightly activities on the Boardwalk. Not my first choice but it is one that I would go back to.

There has yet to be a DVC unit that hasn't required some minor maintenance such as chips in the mirrors or the chalking on the sinks needing replaced (VWL had a 1 inch deep by 8 inches chalking missing that made it appear that the sink was pulled away from the wall). I like to have 1-bedroom units with the stove to cook. DVC puts the pots underneath the stove in the splash guard unit but when I had called the front desk, they didn't know where to find nor did the DVC representative when I was transferred to them. In addition, at VWL, I couldn't close the kitchen cabinets because the cabinets weren't standard depth so the dishes would stick out a little. It's funny that DVC has my highest maintenance fees but the only place where I've ever had minor issues. Nothing to be a problem and certainly nothing to make me recommend somebody not staying there. I will be at SSR in September for the first time this September so I'll see how this goes. I expect no issues.

 

[jekjones1558]

I forgot to include that the villa was so small at the BWV, you could sit on the balcony and reach into the refrigerator to get a cold drink.

Long time no post, Richyams!

 

[snowbunny]

And I am hardly ever in my room least of all looking out the window.

I totally am...that's one of the reasons I bought DVC. We don't avoid our room, we like to hang out there in the living room, relax, and watch the scene from our balcony.

 

[drusba]

Owned at BWV more than 11 years (now also own at AKV). We hit BWV two to three times a year. Someone mentioned above that they thought the carpeting was "recently" replaced. It was actually about 6 years ago, when they did a major makeover, including repainting the rooms and replacing a lot of worn stuff; new matresses and couches came later. If you follow the hotel resorts, the same occurs at all of them -- about every 6 to 8 years they do significant stuff in waves for about a year, including painting the rooms. Thus, BWV should be getting close, within next couple years, to having that happen again, but yes you can see some wear and tear now. (Back in the old pre-DVC days, I remember staying at Poly once not long before a redo and it showed substantial wear and tear, came back 1 1/2 years later and everything had been repainted and much of the furnishings replaced, came back 4 years later and wear and tear had returned.)

I like AKV a lot, but BWV is still our favorite. We invariably get boardwalk view although did not have it a couple times before it became a booking category. We are among those who highly prefer being part of a hotel with hotel services available, including valet (we always rent a car) and room service. Have never run into an unpleasant CM at BWV. Boardwalk view, if you can get it, is the best view of any of the WDW DVC resorts. We like the pool, although from my vantage point I just like having an umbrella table right near the pool bar where, fortunately or unfortunately, the bartenders have for several years recognized me when I arrive and immediately start the tab with what they know I will request -- two of the bartenders there have been there for as long as I can remember. The long walk from the lobby area to many of the rooms really is not that long (about 1 1/2 minutes at its longest) and if you think that is long you ain't seen AKV Kidani yet; even the walk from the Jambo lobby to an end room at Jambo is as long as a boardwalk trek. The restaurants there are good, particularly Flying Fish and Spoodles, and ESPN for food and sports at the same time. Ideal location obviously because you can walk to both Epcot and Studios, and those along with all the resorts around there give you over twenty restaurants you can walk to (in fact, that is one the biggest things I miss when staying at AKV, although I could probably spend many days in Boma's).

 

[Inkmahm]

Count me in the group that loves Boardwalk. We love the boardwalk view but in particular like that we can walk to two parks rather than take a bus or drive. We also own at AKV as that is our favorite due to the animals (even better than boardwalk view.) And also love Wilderness Lodge... quiet and peaceful, beautiful in December for Christmas.

I don't care for the condo style DVC's, I prefer the hotels as you can see from our choices for ownership.

 

[Connears]

Some of the pool/garden preferred view rooms are bad views. Sounds like you were in the quiet pool area. I'm surprised you got a refund of points, someone else had a valet parking lot view for preferred (with the waterway to the right if you leaned over) and they would not do anything.

I guess I was lucky. We had no view of a pool or garden, just the roof...again, a view did not make me feel the way I do about BWV it was cm interactions..and this was pretty consistanct through out our stay. Just very aloof and unwiling to be helpful. (DH also can't stand the parking distance...we love our OKW parking infront of our building..spoiled I guess.

Connears

 

[JVL1018]

I didn't like the BWV my first trip there.
I don't know what on earth I was thinking, because my next trip there, I LOVED it!

I didn't like BCV my first trip there.
I don't know what on earth I was thinking, because my next trip there, I LOVED it!

I didn't like Disney's HHI resort my first trip there.
I don't know what on earth I was thinking, because my next trip there, I LOVED it!


So you never know, if you end up back at the BW one day, you may fall in love with it like I did.
Sorry you didn't like it, though. Better vacation next time!

 

[JVL1018]

What are the negatives about the pool at BWV?

If you ask my kids, nothing. I had waitlisted for BCV for our upcoming trip in October and my kids BEGGED me to keep our reservations at the BWV instead, just because that love that waterslide there.
And yes they have been to Stormalong Bay-they enjoyed it, but it was no scary clown pool.

 

[crisi]

I took friends resort hopping at WDW. When I go resort hopping, I like to go to AKL and VWL - because those resorts have, in my opinion, the best theming. BWV is my DVC home, and I like it there, but I don't think it has a lot of WOW. So I introduced my friends to the idea of resort hopping, and we did a little - then they were on their own. We were all at a conference together.

They came back, and to my surprise of all the resorts they visited, they were blown out of the water by the Boardwalk. They could not stop raving about the resort.

Some of the preferred views are lousy - its why we always book standard or Boardwalk - and why it pays to be a BWV owner.

Some of the walks to the room are long, but so are the walks from one end of any resort at WDW to the other - there isn't a small resort at WDW. BWV has the advantage (in my mind) of having air conditioned hallways to walk through.

Every room I've ever been in at BWV has had minor maintenence issues, but from other people's postings, those aren't unique to BWVs.

I think the carpets are due for replacement - the nap on them is worn, but I didn't spot any tears or places the nap had been completely worn away when I was there in June. They do get walked on a lot - and they are a strange color and pattern that is made to look "sandy" and sometimes looks "dirty" even when it isn't.

 

[LSchrow]

I forgot to include that the villa was so small at the BWV, you could sit on the balcony and reach into the refrigerator to get a cold drink.

wow....that sure brought back memories.
thanks for the "blast from the past"

 

[Doctor P]

Got to say that BWV is by far my least favorite of any DVC resort. It is the only hotel-based resort that requires one to leave the hotel to get to dining places. The rooms, IMHO, are extremely small relative to the other resorts at which we have stayed and are not well-configured. The preferred rooms are a rip-off compared to other resorts in terms of their point cost. In a pinch, I would stay there again I suppose, but it would be at the bottom of my list if I had a choice in the matter.

 

[crisi]

The preferred view rooms are (approximately) the same size and same point cost as any room at VWL or BCVs - and not all VWL and BCV rooms have fantastic views either.

Boardwalk Standard View, OKW, some of the VAKL rooms and SSR rooms are a DVC bargain.

 

[spiceycat]

if you are talking about the feet on interior carpets - it is part of the design.

it is not dirt - although I agree in bad taste and it does look like dirt.

BWV definitely needs to find a better interior designer.

 

[goalie5hole]

Yeah-more room for us. LOL

 

[starbox]

We've stayed at all the DVC's and I sort of think of them as flavors of ice cream. When I was a kid in the early 1970's - going to Baskin Robins was the biggest treat. I'd make my parents read every single flavor of ice cream, and yet I'd always end up with vanilla. A few years later, I moved to mint chocolate chip - where my heart remains to this day.

But every now and then - I want something different. Gold Medal Ribbon or Strawberry Cheesecake - or even some odd flavor or the month. I always like it - even if it can't rival mint chocolate chip in my heart.

I'm really glad that DVC offers so many very distinct experiences and I'm glad they are all so vastly different. There's no way to compare SSR to VWL - or HHI to VB - or BCV to BWV - or even SSR to OKW. Each offers a completely different experience.

I think most of us have our personal favorite resort - but I'm glad that I can sample so many different experiences. I think some "flavors" of DVC are stronger than others and more likely to provoke a love/hate response. (VWL,AKV,BWV - the most heavily themed) - but I'd rather have a bunch of different experiences to choose from than have it all be vanilla.