I hate writing trip reports

[tx911]

So I won’t

But I will talk about a few new things we did, and a new for us resort!

We did a split stay, 2 nights at Riv (studio) and 3 nights at BWV (1BR). This was our first stay at BWV, and here are my thoughts on that:

The good:
-Boardwalk view! We were on the fifth floor right above the DVC site (?model room).
-The resort oozes charm with the old school boardwalk vibe
-Fantastic location between 2 parks. We walked to both Epcot and DHS.
-Of course, wonderful access to the Boardwalk itself, which I love.

The less good:
-The resort is old and felt like it. For example, the popcorn wall and ceiling surfaces in the rooms, and the windows in the hallways. Overall it just lacks the opulence I feel at VGF and Riv (some may consider this a plus).
-Having to go down to the boardwalk for food. Carousel coffee is inside but needs plussing up à la petit cafe at Riv.
-Resort mugs are basically useless at this resort. You must go to boardwalk deli and even that has only the old school soda fountain.
-There is no spray nozzle in the kitchen sink. It feels weird to mention this but I found it very odd.
-Small walk-in shower
-Only 4 sleeping surfaces in studios and 1BR

Overall we loved staying at BWV, and definitely would again, but it didn’t move the needle for us in terms of buying in. I think I can get into a 1BR readily enough for occasional stays.

I’ll save the new experiences for the next post.

 

[tx911]

Here’s what we did that was new for us:

1. Geo-82 Lounge. This honestly didn’t do much for me. The decor was an obvious nod to the ball, but it felt like any random hotel lounge. We aren’t drinkers so I can’t comment on the beverages. I bought a Geo-82 bourbon glass, ordered the flatbread, and the hummus dish. The food was just ok for me. We did meet a nice couple from Louisiana.

2. Beak and Barrel. This was a 10/10 fantastic experience! The theming is outstanding and the parrot animatronic was very cool. We sat in the brig with another family (it’s shared seating). I ordered all 3 food items and they were all legitimately delicious. Even that Kraken octopus thing was shockingly tasty. Of course I had to buy the pirates skull mug ($46 yikes).

3. Little Mermaid musical adventure. Absolutely phenomenal. Great blend of live performances, animatronics, and screens! Will definitely do this on many more visits.

4. Unfairly Ever After. Again, we thought this was super. It was great to see the villains, and the use of screens to add to the story was jaw dropping! A+! DHS really has a lot of great live entertainment now, which I’m happy to see.

5. Tron Ares Overlay. I thought this was amazing! There was more to it than music and color. They really built a new story around the Ares theming. Great job with this, and it makes me think they should do more overlays for this ride. Red and Green for the holidays maybe? Or something scary for Halloween.

Oh yeah, we went to Epic Universe for a day. This is a wonderful park. The theming in the lands, restaurants, and rides is simply unparalleled. Having said that I found the rides themselves not as exciting has I thought they would be, aside from the theming and technical aspects. I also feel like there aren’t that many attractions overall. Still, IMO it’s worth a detour from Disney for a day.

 

[VGCgroupie]

So I won’t

But I will talk about a few new things we did, and a new for us resort!

We did a split stay, 2 nights at Riv (studio) and 3 nights at BWV (1BR). This was our first stay at BWV, and here are my thoughts on that:

The good:
-Boardwalk view! We were on the fifth floor right above the DVC site (?model room).
-The resort oozes charm with the old school boardwalk vibe
-Fantastic location between 2 parks. We walked to both Epcot and DHS.
-Of course, wonderful access to the Boardwalk itself, which I love.

The less good:
-The resort is old and felt like it. For example, the popcorn wall and ceiling surfaces in the rooms, and the windows in the hallways. Overall it just lacks the opulence I feel at VGF and Riv (some may consider this a plus).
-Having to go down to the boardwalk for food. Carousel coffee is inside but needs plussing up à la petit cafe at Riv.
-Resort mugs are basically useless at this resort. You must go to boardwalk deli and even that has only the old school soda fountain.
-There is no spray nozzle in the kitchen sink. It feels weird to mention this but I found it very odd.
-Small walk-in shower
-Only 4 sleeping surfaces in studios and 1BR

Overall we loved staying at BWV, and definitely would again, but it didn’t move the needle for us in terms of buying in. I think I can get into a 1BR readily enough for occasional stays.

I’ll save the new experiences for the next post.

I’m glad you liked BW, it could be a good thing you didn’t like it enough to make you want to buy in, no wrestling with justifying it being a 2042. Yes RIV and VGF for sure feel newer and fancier. I didn’t notice popcorn ceilings.. probably because I loved the art on the walls so much I never looked up. Agree on the resort mug aspect 100%.

I’m happy to hear about the shows. And so fun you were there during the Tron overlay!

 

[kgou]

Little Mermaid musical adventure. Absolutely phenomenal. Great blend of live performances, animatronics, and screens! Will definitely do this on many more visits.

I've never done this! Will prioritize for our visit next month.

Unfairly Ever After. Again, we thought this was super. It was great to see the villains, and the use of screens to add to the story was jaw dropping! A+! DHS really has a lot of great live entertainment now, which I’m happy to see.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Will prioritize this one, too!

I didn’t notice popcorn ceilings.. probably because I loved the art on the walls so much I never looked up.

samesies!

I am glad you had a nice trip and that you enjoyed BWV! Excited to hear what you thought of RIV!