is it me, or are the living rooms at BCV/BWV/VWL really small?

[disneyberry]

hi everyone, we just got back from WDW last night. boy, there's a lot of catching up to do, a couple pages of threads to read since we were gone!
anyway, there was one thing i wanted to ask you all about.

we visited the BCV model room (rm 108 i think?) just to see what a 1-bdrm unit looked like. after looking a lots of photos before, i'd sort of expected the living room to be bigger for some reason.

anyway, when we walked in, we were surprised at how small and cramped the living room seemed! it seemed like if more than 2 adults were standing in the living room at the same time, it seemed crowded.

this makes me seriously reconsider the need for a 2-bdrm unit when travelling w/ a larger party. well, that is, if you're definitely not planning to cook, won't really appreciate the jacuzzi ( humor me) and since the living room is so small it doesn't seem to be such a great place for a gathering room either. after all, we could just gather in the Breezeway or something, right?

so now i'm wondering if i should switch my ressies from a 2-bdrm into 2 studios instead.... hmm... saves some points, and that's always a good thing.

the other thing is we haven't seen the 1-bdrm/2-bdrm at BWV or VWL yet, so is it wrong to assume they are just as small as at BCV?
(i already know that OKW 1-bdrms are huge but we've decided we don't like OKW as much as the other resorts, unfortunately)

 

[RobDoc]

The living room space is pretty similar at VWL, BW and BCV . When those villas are used as a 2BR, the LR at BCV actually feels larger to me, since the connecting door for the 2nd BR is in the entryway instead of the living room.

While the living space is smaller than at OKW, it does still provide an adequate area to enjoy with family and friends.

Have a great stay!

 

[Richyams]

While the living space is smaller than at OKW, it does still provide an adequate area to enjoy with family and friends.

No it doesn't.

You are absolutely right, the living rooms are pretty much useless for parties of more than four. The dining rooms are non-existant and there is seating for two.....I think the newer resorts can sit four.....sleep eight, seat four.

Sorry, but I think those units are absurd. They remind me of a one bedroom at the Jersey shore.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I stayed at the Vistana a while back. It had huge living rooms but I really didn't like it because it was far away from things. I don't go on vacation so that I can sit in the living room and compare its size to other places I've stayed.

I like the 2BR's for my family of 6 and would still rather have that than two studios.

HBC

 

[TnRobin]

I guess it all depends on each person. While I admit that OKW does have more room - the 2BR was more than adequate at BWV for 6 adults and one child.

 

[sandieb]

Good Grief! The BCV 2 bedroom was fine for our family of 4 adults and 3 kids. Granted I didn't cook a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but we managed without any difficulty. I did need some "down time" (I'm Grandmother), and I occasionally used the bedroom to read and relax. If you WANT to stay there, I won't stress over the size. Sandie

 

[Simba's Mom]

What impressed DS #2 at OKW last week was the size of the TV. What I liked was the size of the washer/dryer. I noticed both were smaller at BCV. However, I still like BCV sometimes-can't beat the location. But with a whole family, I did 2 loads of wash at OKW. How many would I have to do at BCV do get the same amount of clothes washed?

 

[Niagara2]

When I want location and nice accomodations we choose BCV or BWV, when we want more relaxation and a more home away from home we choose OKW. We like both for the reason we choose but if we only had to choose one as the best for us it would be OKW and we own at OKW, BWV and BCV.

 

[jaysue]

Hey Rich, was the Jersey shore that bad

Funny, when I went on the tour, yes the living room felt smaller but the bedroom/bathroom felt large - odd....

If the kitchen is nor a priority and jacuzzi is not either and you have two "distinct" parties then yes, I would go with 2 studios as well or 1 1BR and 1 studio

Thanks
jaysue

 

[mikesmom]

Good grief, now you're gonna get Rich started on the "how small is it" routine!!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

While I agree that the living room is not humungous, it was plenty for our party of four. We love to entertain, and between the breakfast bar, the table, and the couch, it was fine.

I do agree that it would be mighty tight for eight!!!

 

[DeeP]

There is no doubt that the 1 BR villa's lr area is substantially larger at OKW than the other DVC resorts at WDW but the 1 BR lr at these resorts is perfectly adequate for the room occupancy of 4, for a 2 br with an occupancy of 8 it would be tight in the lr, but for space you still have the additional studio component of the 2 br.
At one resort you have additonal space at the others you trade off the additional space for a superior location with parks, restaurants and nighttime entertainment much more conveniently located, full deluxe resort amenities, themed pools with pool slides and life guards, etc.
It all depends on what you want while on vacation.

 

[disneyberry]

Originally posted by WebmasterDoc
The living room space is pretty similar at VWL, BW and BCV . When those villas are used as a 2BR, the LR at BCV actually feels larger to me, since the connecting door for the 2nd BR is in the entryway instead of the living room.

thanks for this info, Doc. so does this mean that at VWL and BWV, the connecting door is located in the space across from the couch?

anyway, sorry didn't mean to get Rich started heh.
we were going to have 6 to 7 adults and 1 child, and i was going to be the one to convince everyone about how we should get a nice big 2-bdrm, etc etc. but now that i saw how big they really are, i'm more inclined to just change to studios (yep there are 2 to 3 distinct parties... depending on which trip i'm talking about. i'm now planning 2 different big family trips, yikes )
the only one thing i'm not sure about giving up is the in-room washer/dryer. but then again, why do laundry on vacation?

i do wish that all the living rooms could be as big as the ones at OKW.... *sigh*
do you think they might build the SSR living rooms bigger? guess it's pointless wishful thinking huh...

anyway, thanks for your comments.

 

[jaysue]

In my opinion, 6 to 7 adults and 1 child in a 2BR at BWV/VWL/BCV is going to be how shall we say "very cosy indeed"

If it was me (and OKW is not my favourite either), I would go with a 2BR and 1BR or something like that at OKW to keep the points down, give everyone lots of space and elbow room

Thanks
jaysue

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Yes, the Living Room in BCV is so small that everyone should avoid making reservations there, especially during christmas and easter breaks, (when we will be trying to book our BCV vacations.) We'll make the sacrifice for everyone else of suffering with the smaller living room for our stays while everyone else is in the lavish expanse of those OKW rooms, especially since BCV is such an inferior resort when compered to OKW. We'll remind ourselves how we are getting short changed as we float along the lazy river at SAB or sit out on one of the beach swings, looking across the water at BWV at night, or strolling through the international gate to Epcot. Our dismay will be amplified when we are doing clothes in the washer and dryer and have to do 3 loads of clothes where we would have been able to do 2 loads of clothes in the spacious OKW washer and dryer, since the BCV are maybe 20% smaller. Perhaps we'll be able to console ourselves by having a nice meal delivered to our room by room service, or by walking over to Jellyrolls while the kids stay in the Sandcastle club for our night out.

Good grief.

By the way, 4 adults and 3 kids in a BCV 2 bedroom was wonderful last Christmas, with christmas decorations and lots of presents.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

We just got back from our maiden voyage to the BCV. We are a family of four (including a teenager) and felt that some of the comments above are definitely true, but as one post stated, we weren't there to hang out in the room all the time so the size of the living room didn't make a huge difference to us.

In fact, the fold out bed in the living room was open most of the week except one night where we all sat in the living room to watch a movie. We just moved the chest to one side of the room and had plenty of space to do what we needed to do.

It just took a little more patience to make sure we weren't walking all over each other, but we made it work just fine.

 

[Lisa F]

Good lord, one has to wonder how the millions of people who stay in regular hotel rooms manage to do it! I remember growing up and traveling with my parents, staying in a tiny room that was big enough for 2 double beds and a chair and all of us hovering around a chair sharing a pizza (it was all they could afford). Honestly those were some really fun times.

I think this size thing in regard to ANY of the dvc units is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. The 1-2 bedroom units are downright luxurious. We have gathered (but not slept, i personally don't like using the pullout in the livingroom) 8 people in there and were comfortable. I don't understand the need for hundreds of square feet of personal space per person in a gathering. If you don't want to be within a few feet of the people you are traveling with then perhaps you shouldn't be traveling with them. Eesh.

I don't know what it is, but hearing people complain about something that is so clearly a luxury over 90% of everything else available just gets under my skin.

Lisa

 

[crisi]

Its also partly what you are used to - and what you are willing to put up with. I remember room parties in the dorm where we'd fit 20 or 30 people in a dorm room. My first apartment has a bedroom big enough for a twin bed and a dresser and a living room with a galley kitchen that wasn't any bigger than 12x12 - had parties there too (and a friend sleeping on the couch for a couple weeks.)

When I was a kid we'd rent a cabin in Northern Minnesota. Six girls, four adults in a two bedroom cabin with a single bathroom, not much bigger than a DVC two bedroom. The girls would take the room with the two doubles, two of us in sleeping bags on the floor. One set of parent on the hideabed and the other in the bedroom. Lovely memories. (Now we can't put four of us in a single hotel room, we need two so everyone gets their own bed).

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by Lisa F
Good lord, one has to wonder how the millions of people who stay in regular hotel rooms manage to do it! I remember growing up and traveling with my parents, staying in a tiny room that was big enough for 2 double beds and a chair and all of us hovering around a chair sharing a pizza (it was all they could afford). Honestly those were some really fun times.

I think this size thing in regard to ANY of the dvc units is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. The 1-2 bedroom units are downright luxurious. We have gathered (but not slept, i personally don't like using the pullout in the livingroom) 8 people in there and were comfortable. I don't understand the need for hundreds of square feet of personal space per person in a gathering. If you don't want to be within a few feet of the people you are traveling with then perhaps you shouldn't be traveling with them. Eesh.

I don't know what it is, but hearing people complain about something that is so clearly a luxury over 90% of everything else available just gets under my skin.

Lisa

Hear, Hear!!! Well said!

For some posters, it's just the old my home resort is better than yours, resort envy lines that keep getting repeated. It'll probably be kind of nice having all of BCV's to ourselves because everyone buys into the OKW is so superior lines, the laundry won't be busy (although we'll be in a one bedroom), the pools will be quiet and available, no trash in the halls, staff available and catering to only us, elevators always empty, our choice of rooms, busses with tons of seating, the common rooms always available exclusive for us, no undies or confederate flag towels hanging out on the balconies, beach swings empty, marina boats available, plenty of room at SAB, parking lot empty, all the DVD rentals we want, ....

Yah, Right.

 

[JimC]

We own at both, like them both, enjoy them both. Yes one has units smaller than the other. Not a problem for us.