Just back from BWI, and happy to take questions!

[J. Thornhill]

We've just reurned from a great week at Disney's Boardwalk Inn. All in all, we think it's a great resort. The entertainment options can't be beat anywhere on property, and the convenience to the parks is rivaled only by the Polynesian. We were very pleased with Spoodles, Flying Fish and the Bakery as well.

We had one regret in that we were intitially disappointed with our room. We were placed in the last room at the end of very long hallway on the 2nd floor. The room was unlike the pictures we had seen, being noticeably smaller, featuring a chair instead of a daybed and a tiny balcony facing a clapboard wall. Only a portion of the courtyard was visible from this room.

For the first time in my long Disney experience, and after much contemplation, I went to the front desk late on the night of check-in and asked to be moved. I must say that the Cast Member on duty (Brian) could not have been more helpful. He moved us immediately to a much more satisfying room on the first floor. This room was larger, had a daybed, a full and entirely private patio with awning and a very nice view of the courtyard.

Our only other disappointment was with the bus transportation. I won't spend a lot of time on this, but at the end of a long day at the MK, AK or an evening at DD, being the last stop on a bus designated for 5 resorts is a bit much. Alternatively, on the way to the parks there were never any seats available.

While we were generally quite happy with the resort itself, we have resigned ourselves to being die-hard Polynesian fans, and that resort remains our favorite so far. We do not for a moment regret trying an Epcot Area Resort and would recommend that everyone do so.

If you have any questions, please ask away!

Jonathan

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Thanks for the report. BWI is on my to do list and I love hearing about it both good and bad.

 

[CalGal]

We will be at BWI in 3 weeks. I wanted an Epcot resort and my son picked BW since we stayed on the other side (Yacht Club) before. He also thought the slide at the BWI sounded really cool. (Was it?)

Is the order of bus pick-up S&D, then Y&BC, then BW? Was there always standing room on the bus, or did you get by-passed all-together? Does it make sense to walk over to S&D for early morning pick-up?

We reserved a standard view room (regrettably?). Any recommendations for faxed room requests? We will arrive at the hotel well before check-in, but don't know when we will get back for our room assignment

Thanks!

 

[jordanyosh]

Welcome to the DIS boards CalGal

We've have stayed at the Boardwalk Villas a few times. Here's a few suggestions:

Busses: Busses out of the BW are probably the worst on
property IF you are looking for express service or are going
to compare to other resorts. We knew of these issues and
were surprised when it wasn't that bad. We now rent a car
and altho we don't use it that often, it's nice to have.

Swimming: Luna Park is on the Boardwalk Villas side of the
resort. The slide is fun for kids. Since this is a factor for you,
make sure it is part of your room request. If you are the far
end of the BWI, it can be a long way back to your room when
you are wet.

Standard view: Well as you now know, there are some views
that aren't that great. But the Boardwalk is so convenient to
your room that your view MAY not even matter. That's up to
your personal preference.

Hope this helps.Nice to see Cali folks here...

 

[Tinkbell]

J. Thornhill,

Welcome back! I'm gald to hear that the BWI moved you to a new room after you told them your concerns. Did you notice if many of the rooms had a small balcony?
And like CalGal, I'd like to know if you were ever left at a bus stop without any seats or standing room available?
Did you go early to the parks?

 

[corvair]

johnatan...was your room far away from the main pool...did you have easy access to the pool...thanks..amy

 

[CamColt]

Thanks for the review. We too are diehard Poly fans, but the next deluxe we want to try in the BW. I seem to have a hard time not going to the Poly if Im paying for a deluxe, but thanks to your advice I know I should at least try it sometime. Maybe for Christmas?

 

[lmhall2000]

Jonathon- thanks for the heads up- and I'm very happy you asked for a different room- I'm the type that would hate to make a request for change- but seeing that yours was handled so well makes me that much more willing to give it a shot! The worse they can say is "no"!
The transportation issue would worry me a bit- we are staying at the Polynesian in September for the first time. We have 3 young children in tow- and they would get very tired quickly of having to endure such a long trip back to rest and relaxation. I can handle it myself but when the kids aren't happy nobody's happy!
Do you have any suggestions on transportation for the Poly? I haven't actually sat down and figured it out but it seems there are two accesses for the monorail- is one easier than the other? Are the buses fairly quick to get to/from at the Poly- where do they stop besides the Poly? Do you have a favorite longhouse? We are simply looking for non-smoking (asthmatic son) and semi-close to some pool- our kids like to spend at least an hour a day at them. Thanks for any help you can provide- I try to get all my ducks in a row before going so things move much quicker so we can spend our time "doing" not "planning"!
Thanks for the BW report- I'd still like to try it - but maybe when our kids are older and can tolerate being 5th resort to drop off.
Thanks!
Tara

 

[sweet tooth]

Hi - will be at BWI in a few weeks. Just wondering about the BelleVue Lounge that I believe is on the 2nd Fl. Is this an option for a quick "continental" type breakfast? Expensive? Also, can you refill the refillable mug here?

 

[J. Thornhill]

CalGal - You're right about the order of the bus stops. Each time we rode, the order was Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club, Beach Club and finally the Boardwalk Inn. We always found standing room on the bus, though I do specifically remember the bus driver asking one family boarding at BWI to kindly wait for the next bus. I would add that this was at a very busy time of the morning on a bus headed to the MK, so it is unlikely that this is a frequent occurence.

I would not hesitate to request a standard view room at the Boardwalk Inn as the courtyards are beautiful. Our plan for this trip involved a lot of park time, so we didn't think a water view was necessary. Nonetheless, as I think we all know, a nice view even of the gardens is always a plus. I did not fax a room request ahead of time as I usually do, because I was not very familiar with this resort. This time, leaving it to chance didn't pay off, but this won't always be the case. I've always had good luck in faxing requests, and I encourage everyone to do so if they have a particular location in mind.

Finally, while we're not big swimmers, the water slide at the Villas side of the resort did look very cool. The pool area here, Luna Park, is highly themed as a circus-type carnival, and the kids seemed to be having a ball. As an aside, we did see one little girl who appeared to be suffering severe emotional trauma as a result of an apparently undisclosed fear of clowns. As her mother attempted to comfort her, I could see her dad mentally calculating the inevitable onslaught of therapy bills.

Tinkbell - I did take a morning to walk around the interior grounds, and noticed that balcony sizes varied greatly from room to room and from floor to floor. I think this variation contributes to the architectural distinction of the resort, but obviously will also mean that some guests will have larger balconies than others. Again, I would think that requesting a full-sized balcony would significantly help your chances.

Amy - Our room was on the first floor (the lobby is on the second) and was a short walk from the pool.

Tara - I think your room location at the Polynesian will determine which monorail stop is the most convenient. This choice is one of the things we like best about the Polynesian. The longhouse we consistently request (Fiji) is just off the GCH, so we use that stop when going to the Magic Kingdom, but the TTC is just a short walk away for easy access to the Epcot monorail. Please bear in mind that a short walk for NYC residents may be a long walk for those more accustomed to driving. We've never felt that any walk we've ever taken at a WDW resort has been unreasonable. Don't forget about the water launch at the Polynesian dock which will take you to the MK. When we're not in a rush, this is our favorite choice.

The Polynesian busses stop at Wilderness Lodge, The Poly, and the Grand Floridian. I've almost always gotten a seat with this configuration.

As I mentioned above, we always request the Fiji Longhouse. There are many reasons for this, but convenience to the GCH and the Volcano Pool are chief among them.

Sweet Tooth - We had just one late evening night cap at the Bellevue lounge, and breakfasted mainly at Spoodles, but I'm almost certain that a light breakfast is served here. Because we've never participated in the refillable mug program, I don't know if you can fill them here. We did see people with mugs at the Bakery on the Boardwalk itself.

I hope you guys found these responses helpful. If not, please feel free to keep the questions coming.

 

[CalGal]

Your info was very helpful. I'll make sure I bring my patience with me when we take the early bus over to the MK. No clown anxiety in this family, so the pool should be a hit. Big thanks!

 

[LvsTnk]

Welcome back, and thank you for your report! I am glad the room change worked out for you

There was a very long thread on the transportation board I believe that even ChipandDaleExpress (Tyler) replied to about the transportation at the BWI. I myself have not had any problems (2 stays last year) but it seems like this is definately becoming a problem.

 

[Nysie]

Hi Tara, we just returned from the poly, and the bus to MGM stopped at the GF before going to MGM. It didn't stop anywhere else! On the way back after Fantasmic, it did stop an CR first. The bus to AK went directly to AK! We went in July, so it might be different when you go. It wasn't bad!!

 

[ejt3197]

could you help me with the layout of the Boardwalk Villa? I am going in Oct.. There are 11 of us traveling.... We will be getting a 2 bedroom villa and 1 studio, and another studio... you mentioned being a long walk to the elevator, what should i request so that I am close to elevatior. Are all the boardwalk view close to elevator.. Sorry, if i sound so dumb, but really not sure how this place is set up. Concerned because my elderly parents are coming as well as 3 young kids and don't want to get a bad room... also, do you think i could request all 3 rooms on the same floor? Thanks in advance

 

[Poorman]

ejt3197,
You would request a room close to the elevator and explain you have elderly people in your party. There are rooms close to the elevator that overlook the BW. Are you renting points or paying cash? Just wondering because you can save 40-50% by renting points. Any way you get there you will enjoy the BWV. Be sure to do MNSSHP, it is supposed to be great.

Have a wonderful trip. Rich

 

[PoohBWV]

We have stayed at the BW many times and we usually will get off the bus at the S&D and just walk. It is always much faster, and is a beautiful walk. Also if we are coming back from the parks at night there is usually a snack or something we want to pick up along the BW anyways before going back to our room.

 

[Tinkbell]

PoohBWV,

Would you suggest getting on at the bus at the S/D, as well? About how long is the walk?

 

[bornwiththeears]

Sweet tooth -

We will be at the BI for Thanksgiving. When I checked into the mug refill locations - they are available at Boardwalk Bakery, Joes Coffe Cart, Spoodles, Seashore Sweets, Leaping Libations and the Belle Vue Lounge.

Thanks to everyone providing info on this thread. I love to get all this great info!!!! I know it will make our trip all the more enjoyable.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Just to clarify a few things:

Contrary to popular belief, the bus does NOT always stop at all 5 resorts. And it is not always the last stop.

Morning routing is always different. Because it's the peak travel time, and theres really no way to accuratly know what the crowds will be like. We can give an educated guess, but ultimatly, tourists like to surprise us. This is why we use dynamic routing.

Buses are routed based on an anticipated demand for that particular time of the morning. If a bus fills up, another bus is sent out. However, the only problem is that the other bus can't get there instantaneously. It does take some time. However, typically that next bus is assingned a backwards route. For example, the other day I was told to go Boardwalk, Dolphin, Swan. I've also had days when I've been told to go Boardwalk only.

Just because your particular bus did a certain route, doesn't mean that every one of the few hundred morning buses did the same. It also should be noted that during peak morning hours, there will be crowds. *shrug* That's just how it is.

By the way, it should be noted the greeters are back. These greeters monitor bus arrivals and crowds. They are not dispatchers, and have no control over the buses.




As for the Polynesian:

Routing is also done dynamically during the morning, however most runs follow the pre-set pattern.

DTD will always run CR/PO/GF
BB/AK will typically run CR/PO
Studios will typically run CR/PO in the morning, and CR/PO/GF in the afternoon/evening.

As demand warrants, the bus might make changes to the routing. For example, if a bus fills up at the Grand Floridian headed to BB/AK, and a bus at the Polynesian is mostly empty, they might make an additional stop to pick up whoever was left behind at the GF.

 

[Mouseteacher]

I stayed at the Swan 7/24-7/28 and during the entire stay in the mornings - the bus did S/D/BW - it did not stop at Y/B Club.