T
teacherdog
Guest
We have just returned from 8 fabulous nights at the BWV. So much to tell about- where do I begin?
FOOD: We were on the Discovery Magic package because it was just DH and myself and we planned to eat well. Boy, did we. We have been doing the protein diet for about 10 months and did we ever enjoy this splurge. We had appetizers, entrees, desserts, special drinks without worrying about cost since it was prepaid. Yachtsman Steakhouse, Teppanyaki, Chefs de France,Le Cellier and Brown Derby (we ate there 3 times)were all outstanding and the bill (without alcohol) for each place would have been between $100-180. We used some wishes for lunches; even at the Rainforest Cafe it was $88 for the two of us if we had been paying cash.(that included two soups, two entrees, one smoothie and one shared dessert) So, I feel that this package served our purposes well. Having said that, two big meals a day is still too much food. Wish they had a package that allowed you ONE nice meal each day. Regardless, if you plan it right there is no question in my mind that this package is cost effective for two adults who wish to make the dining a pivotal part of their experience.
LODGING: Be warned. All BWV rooms are NOT created equal. Coming from CA and checking in early evening at the peak of the holiday/NJ teacher's weekend we had low expectations for our room assignment. That was good because it was not a great room. (4014) The "014" rooms are all right next door to the housekeeping room; a little weird to be laying in bed and be able to hear the maids' conversations clearly right next to your head. It also had only one small balcony off the living room and a non-opening window in the bedroom. I noticed that MANY of the BWV rooms are this type.
I had seen Misti's (THANK YOU< THANK YOU) pictures of 3026 and the extended, covered balcony so I knew exactly what to request.
The next morning I went to guest services and asked to be considered for a move if an opening occurred. I left my specific request for an "027" room since we didn't want to look at the pool. The next morning they left a message on our phone that we could move. We called the bell desk and they whisked our luggage (and some food) away to storage. When we got back at the end of the day we called them and they brought everything right up to our new room. They even stored stuff in a refrigerator for us during the day. This corner room is not really any bigger, but having a side window by the TV is really nice. Our view was off the canal between the BWV and the Swan/Dolphin. We could see MGM and the Tower of Terror from the extra side window. We saw "bonus" fireworks several evenings over at MGM. We asked a CM about this who said that those were for special events like the Minute Maid convention. What a bonus; walking home from Illuminations each night to an extra round of beautiful fireworks at MGM. PERFECT!
While we were there they installed brand-new hallway carpet on the third floor. (The fourth floor was already done when we arrived.)It is really beautiful, and makes the old carpet look pretty shabby (just like at home when you get something new) LOL
Housekeeping was exceptional every single day we were there.
The whole three-sided section of the BWV facing the quiet pool and community hall are shut down with scaffolding. The only rooms on that end not closed are those that face the tennis courts and parking lot.
PARKS: Contrary to the other post I just read, we found the crowds to be moderate to low. On 11-10 we arrived at the MK just as the fireworks were starting! It is a much smaller display than Illumination IMHO. We then proceeded to walk onto Splash Mountain two times in a row. What a great way to begin our week!
On 11-11 we went to MGM and walked on to EVERY ride there except the roller coaster. After that we hopped around parks every day and had only 3 waits the whole week. Test Track (35 minutes),the ride in the Land (go figure) (also 35 minutes)and the safari ride in the AK (40 minutes). The whole week we got on ALL other rides at the same speed as the people using the FastPass lane. In many cases, we got off a ride and walked right back on again. Amazing!
OVERALL: Almost every CM we ran into was friendly and went out of their way to make our stay more enjoyable. At worst, we had a couple waiters who were efficient but not overly friendly. The location of the BWV cannot be beat if you are interested in MGM and Epcot. The walk to MGM was 10 minutes; in every case we beat the boat. We walked up to Illuminations just before 9 every night and got a great viewing point; then just walked slowly back to our room afterwards. We had originally booked the WLV and went over to see them. It is a gorgeous property but really FAR away from MGM and Epcot. We were so glad we changed to the BWV. The room we had was away from the hubbub of the Boardwalk itself; so IMHO we had the best of both worlds. I would go back in a second!
Sorry this is so long. I will post this here and on the other boards as well. If you have any questions, I will do my best to respond.
I just want to say thanks to everyone who takes the time to share their experiences on this board. It was such a big help the past few months in planning what turned out to be a marvelous vacation. Even the bumps in the road that occur during every vacation seem smaller when your destination is WDW!
FOOD: We were on the Discovery Magic package because it was just DH and myself and we planned to eat well. Boy, did we. We have been doing the protein diet for about 10 months and did we ever enjoy this splurge. We had appetizers, entrees, desserts, special drinks without worrying about cost since it was prepaid. Yachtsman Steakhouse, Teppanyaki, Chefs de France,Le Cellier and Brown Derby (we ate there 3 times)were all outstanding and the bill (without alcohol) for each place would have been between $100-180. We used some wishes for lunches; even at the Rainforest Cafe it was $88 for the two of us if we had been paying cash.(that included two soups, two entrees, one smoothie and one shared dessert) So, I feel that this package served our purposes well. Having said that, two big meals a day is still too much food. Wish they had a package that allowed you ONE nice meal each day. Regardless, if you plan it right there is no question in my mind that this package is cost effective for two adults who wish to make the dining a pivotal part of their experience.
LODGING: Be warned. All BWV rooms are NOT created equal. Coming from CA and checking in early evening at the peak of the holiday/NJ teacher's weekend we had low expectations for our room assignment. That was good because it was not a great room. (4014) The "014" rooms are all right next door to the housekeeping room; a little weird to be laying in bed and be able to hear the maids' conversations clearly right next to your head. It also had only one small balcony off the living room and a non-opening window in the bedroom. I noticed that MANY of the BWV rooms are this type.
I had seen Misti's (THANK YOU< THANK YOU) pictures of 3026 and the extended, covered balcony so I knew exactly what to request.
The next morning I went to guest services and asked to be considered for a move if an opening occurred. I left my specific request for an "027" room since we didn't want to look at the pool. The next morning they left a message on our phone that we could move. We called the bell desk and they whisked our luggage (and some food) away to storage. When we got back at the end of the day we called them and they brought everything right up to our new room. They even stored stuff in a refrigerator for us during the day. This corner room is not really any bigger, but having a side window by the TV is really nice. Our view was off the canal between the BWV and the Swan/Dolphin. We could see MGM and the Tower of Terror from the extra side window. We saw "bonus" fireworks several evenings over at MGM. We asked a CM about this who said that those were for special events like the Minute Maid convention. What a bonus; walking home from Illuminations each night to an extra round of beautiful fireworks at MGM. PERFECT!
While we were there they installed brand-new hallway carpet on the third floor. (The fourth floor was already done when we arrived.)It is really beautiful, and makes the old carpet look pretty shabby (just like at home when you get something new) LOL
Housekeeping was exceptional every single day we were there.
The whole three-sided section of the BWV facing the quiet pool and community hall are shut down with scaffolding. The only rooms on that end not closed are those that face the tennis courts and parking lot.
PARKS: Contrary to the other post I just read, we found the crowds to be moderate to low. On 11-10 we arrived at the MK just as the fireworks were starting! It is a much smaller display than Illumination IMHO. We then proceeded to walk onto Splash Mountain two times in a row. What a great way to begin our week!
On 11-11 we went to MGM and walked on to EVERY ride there except the roller coaster. After that we hopped around parks every day and had only 3 waits the whole week. Test Track (35 minutes),the ride in the Land (go figure) (also 35 minutes)and the safari ride in the AK (40 minutes). The whole week we got on ALL other rides at the same speed as the people using the FastPass lane. In many cases, we got off a ride and walked right back on again. Amazing!
OVERALL: Almost every CM we ran into was friendly and went out of their way to make our stay more enjoyable. At worst, we had a couple waiters who were efficient but not overly friendly. The location of the BWV cannot be beat if you are interested in MGM and Epcot. The walk to MGM was 10 minutes; in every case we beat the boat. We walked up to Illuminations just before 9 every night and got a great viewing point; then just walked slowly back to our room afterwards. We had originally booked the WLV and went over to see them. It is a gorgeous property but really FAR away from MGM and Epcot. We were so glad we changed to the BWV. The room we had was away from the hubbub of the Boardwalk itself; so IMHO we had the best of both worlds. I would go back in a second!
Sorry this is so long. I will post this here and on the other boards as well. If you have any questions, I will do my best to respond.
I just want to say thanks to everyone who takes the time to share their experiences on this board. It was such a big help the past few months in planning what turned out to be a marvelous vacation. Even the bumps in the road that occur during every vacation seem smaller when your destination is WDW!
I have also moved on past trips just to get a better balcony/location. Some people probably think that is nuts. lol But, to us it is worth it. 
