Just Back from Boardwalk Villas

[littlestar]

Just got back from a six night stay in Disneyworld. The weather was rainy and cool the first two nights, but the next four days were in the 70s and sunny. It was wonderful. I kept smelling the flowers and storing up my memory of it knowing we would go home to snow and ice. We were surprised at how crowded the Magic Kingdom was on the 12th. It was packed. It seemed close to the attendance we experienced when we used to go in the summer months!

We spent our first night on a code discounted room at Wilderness Lodge. We got a wonderful courtyard view room of the main pool (2nd floor and square-on view of the main pool). With snowy weather in Indy, we felt better booking on cash for the first night (just in case our flights got delayed or cancelled). The next five nights we stayed at Boardwalk Villas in a standard view studio. We had a great room. Everything was in good shape in the room. Very clean. We were on the fourth floor and overlooked the Boardwalk entrance. We watched Epcot fireworks from our balcony every night. To get to the quiet pool and hot tub, we just took the stairs out to the quiet pool. We didn't use the elevator (which would have been a long walk).

We liked our stay at the Boardwalk. But, a negative for us was the amount of convention business people everywhere. My husband travels on business quite a bit and we like to get away from the convention atmosphere. We found ourselves saying we wished we were at the Lodge for the quiet and no suits in sight! Old Key West has that quiet vacation atmosphere also. So, an afternoon visit to WLV before we left convinced us we needed a 50 point add-on at the Wilderness Lodge! Gosh, we absolutely adore that place. We thought about another add-on at Beach Club Villas, but with the service road behind the Beach Club Villas, we felt like WLV just had more of the peaceful atmosphere we crave for a vacation. We keep saying this is the last add-on and we really mean it this time (ha).

 

[Patpat15]

We agree about the Wilderness Lodge, it is, like OKW, peaceful and a real vacation!

 

[colleen costello]

So are you glad to be "back home again in Indiana?" So glad you had a good trip. The weather here in the Hoosier state HAS been gruesome, and we are looking forward to a visit to OKW next month. Like you, we booked a cash night first (at Riverside) in case weather slows down our drive a bit. Today it is sleeting and I am just dreaming of the pools and flowers at OKW! It will be so nice to wear sandals!

 

[littlestar]

Can't say I missed Indy weather at all. The best thing about DVC is knowing you'll be back before you know it!

Colleen, you'll love OKW in March. We were there last March and the trees were blooming (don't know what kind they were). I just remember these amazing pink blossoms on the trees. Gorgeous! Hope you get weather like we had last March. Mid 80's all week. OKW's landscaping is really beautiful.

The WLV had really extra beautiful flowers when we were there yesterday. Around the waterfall at the main lodge were purple and white flowers that were stunning. And then out by where you drive up there were some kind of purple flowers that looked like mountain wildflowers (gorgeous)! Can you tell I'm starved for flowers and greenery?

 

[colleen costello]

It sounds so lovely. We in central Indiana are doomed to another few inches of snow today, and I am so sick of it. We had plans to shop in Indy this weekend (for a dvd player for our trip south) but the weather ruined them! It's too cold and slick to go anywhere.

We were also in WDW last March and the weather was perfect. It was around eighty degrees every day and the sky was cloudless. We stayed at Ft Wilderness in a cabin and I can remember how good everything SMELLED -- it was on this trip that we decided we needed DVC! On the way home, as we continued north, everything got grayer and by Kentucky there was snow on the ground. No flowers, no birds singing -- I was in a real funk. The only problem with Spring Break is the trip home! All that kept me going was knowing we were headed back in the summer!

I will say again that I am RETIRING in Florida!

 

[Cruelladeville]

If the flowering trees have big waxy oval leaves, and the flowers are pinkish white and BIG, it could be a magnolia tree. They have them near BWV as you walk over the bridge on your way to Epcot, and they are lovely!! You can raise them in the midwest in a sheltered location, but it's just not the same, now, is it??

 

[wilderness01]

Maybe I missed it, but what part of March did you go in? Was it crowded? I really like the low crowds of January and the beginning of February so I don't know how well we could tolerate crowds anymore! Was the 12th an inservice day for the schools around there? We were there a few weeks back and everything was so empty except on one day when the kids were out of school.....the MK was packed!

 

[colleen costello]

My husband works at Indiana University, and our Spring Break always includes St. Patricks Day. Last year we were there approx March 9 - 17, or close to that. It was a bit early for Spring Break so the crowds were not too bad. We used fastpass whenever we could, and the lines that were longest were mostly on the biggie attractions. It wasn't so crowded that you couldn't move through streets or shops. I do remember Animal Kingdom seemed pretty crowded as there were busloads of Florida schoolkids there. I am sure the times you mention above are less busy.

What I really like about March is the weather. It's much less likely to be cool like in December or January, and there is very little rainfall. If you look on a chart -- I think I saw one in the Birnbaum book -- March is one of the driest months. This matters to us because we want to get away from winter and go for sunshine and swimming. Lots of flowers are blooming at this time as well -- a real treat when you have been in the dead of winter back home. Beware -- this is the kind of weather that makes you want to MOVE to Florida!

 

[littlestar]

Wilderness01,

We couldn't figure out why the 12th was so packed unless it had to do with Lincoln's birthday. Also, there were a lot of Nascar fans in town. We saw lots of hats and jackets advertising race car drivers! It could have been a combination of both I guess. We were surprised by the crowds, though.

We also saw a lot of cheerleader groups shopping at downtown Disney. We had never been to Disney in February and were expecting low, low crowds. I'm sure Disney was glad to see the attendance. One of the Disney bus drivers told us it was starting to pick up towards the President's Day holiday.

 

[Beth]

Old Key West also has many orchid trees throughout the property... (pink & purple blossoms)

FWIW...

 

[littlestar]

Beth,

I don't think they were magnolia trees because they had no leaves on them except for the beautiful blossoms. I think I do remember seeing purple also last year. Orchid trees, huh? I bet that's what they were. They were stunning!