Need some feedback on Boardwalk Viilas!!!

[aprilm]

My family and I are planning a WDW vacation. Some of them haven't been to Disney before and I want their time to be magical! Has anyone been to the Boardwalk Villas lately? How are the rooms? I've read that they need to be renovated? Is this true? PLEASE help!!!

 

[DebbieB]

My family and I are planning a WDW vacation. Some of them haven't been to Disney before and I want their time to be magical! Has anyone been to the Boardwalk Villas lately? How are the rooms? I've read that they need to be renovated? Is this true? PLEASE help!!!

They were completely renovated about 3 years ago. I stayed there last May, it was great!

What size room are you looking for and how many people? The bedding situation isn't the best for a larger group. A 2 bedroom has a king in the master, a queen sleeper sofa in the living room and a queen and double sofabed in the second bedroom. There are no dedicated 2 bedrooms with 2 queens in the second bedroom like some other DVC resorts have. BLT and AKV Kidani also have an extra bathroom.

 

[aprilm]

Thanks DebbieB! We are looking at a studio villas. So the rooms aren't run down at all? I am very particular about my accommodations and this will make or break my vacation!!!!!!

 

[lililoo12]

Reviews recently have me nervous also. the BWI side is perfect but I am scared to go to a villa. So many say dirty, run down etc.

 

[bcrook]

Although I love the location and the lobby, I didn't like the furnishings or the beds in the villas. The layout is not very convenient. I love the old key west and Kidani floor plans and balconies.

Here is a funny thread from my visit last June!

It does give some great insight to the boardwalk!

All said and done, I would return.

 

[DebbieB]

Thanks DebbieB! We are looking at a studio villas. So the rooms aren't run down at all? I am very particular about my accommodations and this will make or break my vacation!!!!!!

I haven't had run down rooms there. A studio will have a queen bed and a double sleeper sofa, plus a kitchenette (microwave, toaster, fridge, coffee maker, sink). It would depend on your group if they want that bed setup. A Deluxe would give you 2 queens and possibly a daybed. To be honest, I think a studio is best for a couple and maybe small kids.

 

[MichiganDVC]

I love BWV. In fact, I'm planning a trip in April and even though I'm staying at Beach Club (my DVC home), I keep thinking I'm staying at Boardwalk. I hope I don't forget and try to check in at the wrong place!

I honestly haven't noticed anything bad about the rooms at BWV, but that depends on how much time you plan to spend in the room. I spend most of my time on the balcony anyhow.

Speaking of balcony, you DO need to consider location of room/view. I've stayed in:
1. Boardwalk view = awesome, right over Big River Grille, upper floor = not too noisy..."fun" vacation noise
2. Garden-Pool view = if overlooking the big pool, it can get a bit noisy during the afternoon, but it is "fun" vacation noise. Sometimes you can see the pool, other times just tops of trees. I like it.
3. Garden-Pool view = if overlooking the quiet pool, it is a really far walk to the elevators. HOWEVER... you are 30 seconds from the quiet pool and the hot tub. I found this to be marvelous after a long day at the park.
4. Garden-Pool view = if overlooking the canal + Swan/Dolphin. Very pretty view, yet avoid like plague! Friendship boats going to and from Hollywood Studios honk right outside your window as they round the corner. Sounds charming...until the 50th time you've heard it before noon.

I've never stayed at standard view and doubt I will. They go quickly and since I do like to sit on the balcony a lot, I don't want to overlook the driveway and luggage station.

 

[lsenquiz]

We have stayed in a BWV 2 bedroom every year since 2008(a 2 bedroom is really a one bedroom with a studio connecting). Our last stay was September. We have never had a run down room. However, I will admit that we do not let room issues impact our vacation. I think if you go in with the opinion that the state of the room is going to make or break the vacation then you could be disappointed. However, I think that is true regardless of where you stay.

You will find reviews for every resort in Disney where people loved the room and hated the room(More loves then hates).

 

[lsenquiz]

I've never stayed at standard view and doubt I will. They go quickly and since I do like to sit on the balcony a lot, I don't want to overlook the driveway and luggage station.

We have stayed in a standard view room for the past two years and love it. I do not see us going back to any other view unless we had no choice.

The only time we spend on the balcony is in the evenings and we had an excellent view of illuminations from our balcony from our stand view rooms. I loved being able to get the children into the room and bathed and ready for bed then sit on the balcony and watch the fireworks each night.

 

[msp2mco]

If you are hyper-sensitive about the condition of the room, I'd suggest staying in the Boardwalk Inn. That way, you get housekeeping everyday too.

 

[MMrules]

I stayed there last February in a studio (and booked 2 other studios for family) and all 3 were clean, nicely furnished and comfortable. This was during president's week which is usually busy. I found the hotel to be clean and the staff very friendly and helpful. We are staying there this year again b/c of cousin's staying at the swan.

My kids aren't huge fans of BWV due to the adult feel of the hotel (they prefer the lodges) but we are staying there again b/c I found it clean and the rooms were great.

 

[RocketEAR99]

I stayed there once in just a studio and have booked a May trip there in a 1 BR. I love BWV! Primarily it's the location and the night atmosphere. I do love other resorts more, but considering the price (or points), it's worth it. And I've not seen anything run down about it.

 

[Missyrose]

The DVC villas will never look like the resort rooms at that particular resort. Because the villas are often almost 100 percent occupied year-round, the goods Disney uses in the villas need to take more abuse than their resort counterparts. If you will be disappointed that the villas don't look as fresh as the resort, then stay on the resort side.

 

[TDC Nala]

I stayed there twice in the last year (will be staying there next week too) and never noticed anything run-down, but I'm not hypersensitive. I like their old bedspreads better than the new ones, but that's just aesthetic.

A timeshare room is just not going to have the same "feel" as a regular resort room. That's not necessarily bad. You may not like a studio. I don't know how many people you have, or how many you are thinking of sleeping in a studio.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks DebbieB! We are looking at a studio villas. So the rooms aren't run down at all? I am very particular about my accommodations and this will make or break my vacation!!!!!!

I love BWV...I own there, so I stay there a lot. BUT...I have had villas that weren't as 'spiffy' as other villas. You could get a perfectly wonderful villa. But, you could also get one that has been treated badly...even though they were all just rehabbed, that villa could have had non-caring people in it, which would show.
If a villa that is a bit 'used' looking, or 'rundown' a bit is going to ruin your trip, you may want to look at a regular room. There is no sure fire way to know what condition your room is going to be in. I know that I was very disappointed in my SSR studio villa last month!! I have never had a stay in such a rundown villa before.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The DVC villas will never look like the resort rooms at that particular resort. Because the villas are often almost 100 percent occupied year-round, the goods Disney uses in the villas need to take more abuse than their resort counterparts. If you will be disappointed that the villas don't look as fresh as the resort, then stay on the resort side.

Plus, all renovations at the DVC villas are paid for by member fees, not by Disney. So they happen less frequently. And they are strongly themed. Meaning they don't look like the W Hotel on Michigan Ave in Chicago. They look like Gramma's beach house at the shore, or Grandpa's cabin in the woods or strange uncle's apartment in NYC (BLT).

 

[DebbieB]

I love BWV. In fact, I'm planning a trip in April and even though I'm staying at Beach Club (my DVC home), I keep thinking I'm staying at Boardwalk. I hope I don't forget and try to check in at the wrong place!

I honestly haven't noticed anything bad about the rooms at BWV, but that depends on how much time you plan to spend in the room. I spend most of my time on the balcony anyhow.

Speaking of balcony, you DO need to consider location of room/view. I've stayed in:
1. Boardwalk view = awesome, right over Big River Grille, upper floor = not too noisy..."fun" vacation noise
2. Garden-Pool view = if overlooking the big pool, it can get a bit noisy during the afternoon, but it is "fun" vacation noise. Sometimes you can see the pool, other times just tops of trees. I like it.
3. Garden-Pool view = if overlooking the quiet pool, it is a really far walk to the elevators. HOWEVER... you are 30 seconds from the quiet pool and the hot tub. I found this to be marvelous after a long day at the park.
4. Garden-Pool view = if overlooking the canal + Swan/Dolphin. Very pretty view, yet avoid like plague! Friendship boats going to and from Hollywood Studios honk right outside your window as they round the corner. Sounds charming...until the 50th time you've heard it before noon.

I've never stayed at standard view and doubt I will. They go quickly and since I do like to sit on the balcony a lot, I don't want to overlook the driveway and luggage station.

FYI - these are views for DVC reservations. CRO typically only offers standard view online but it ends up being garden/pool. CRO reservations rarely get boardwalk view.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

Thanks DebbieB! We are looking at a studio villas. So the rooms aren't run down at all? I am very particular about my accommodations and this will make or break my vacation!!!!!!

I haven't been there since August 2010 but I didn't like the rooms there that much (stayed in 1 BR). I thought they seemed dated. Not old and gross but just dated looking. I much prefer AKV or BLT.

 

[pammydw]

My family and I are planning a WDW vacation. Some of them haven't been to Disney before and I want their time to be magical! Has anyone been to the Boardwalk Villas lately? How are the rooms? I've read that they need to be renovated? Is this true? PLEASE help!!!

My family and I just stayed at the BWV in October and loved loved loved the room. Was it super fancy? No. But it was clean and everything worked. We are planning our next trip back and are having a hard time deciding whether to stay somewhere else or go back to the BWV. We loved it there! Very Old World charm!

 

[Quicklabs]

The upholstered furniture in our one bedroom villa was unacceptable. Filthy dirty and frayed. I wouldn't sit on that couch if you gave me the room free. I called housekeeping and they sent up someone to replace the sofa back, cushions and sides. Carpet was frayed. Bedroom and bath were fine. Kitchen was NOT clean-the grout was almost black! I was disappointed by condition of the villa this time.