Our first BCV Stay Report

[corpcomp]

BVC Trip Report

Our first trip as DVCers at the BCV. An update of the latest info about BVC and WDW. Please excuse the length.

Magical Express

Positives

1. Effortless trip to BVC from MCO.
2. Able to change the departure time by a half hour so that we did not have to sit in MCO for two hours. The trip took 65 minutes from BCV and they normally set up departure time a minimum of three hours prior to the flight.

Negatives

1. Gave them our luggage coming in which we did not see for 4 hours (landed at 1, finally got it at 5), and only at that point due to constant calling to the luggage service.
2. Believed the driver, going back to the airport, that jetBlue flew out of terminal A. It flew out of terminal B which was a big walk with carry-on luggage.
3. ME stopped at two other resorts after BCV (Boardwalk and Carribean Beaches). Took a full 40 minutes from the time we got on the bus to actually leave Disney property.

What we will do next time:
1. Keep a change of clothes with us in carry on.
2. Know what terminal the airlines really leave out of.


WDW Bus Service

Generally ran well with short waits. No issues until Saturday Night at 11PM trying to get back to BCV. They cancelled the dedicated BCV / Yacht club buses and piled everyone from the 5 resorts onto one bus. Yikes!


PillowTops

According to the Bell captain, the ship bringing the pillowtops did not pass customs (maybe there was something in them). Only the 1st floor of the Beach Club (not the Villas) has the pillowtops at this point.

Interior - Room (457)

Nicely done, with minor issues including a loose locking mechanism on the front door and a missing electrical plate for the wall hair dryer. The first was repaired immediately. The 2nd was reported the day prior to departure and they did not send someone up that day.

View was of the woods towards Epcot. Need to be on the 5th floor to better look over the trees for the fireworks. After seeing the fireworks while at Epcot, realized that we were missing about 75% of the lower ones.

Rugs are reaching their point of replacement. Lots of spots.
Watched two maintenance people replacing a light bulb on the hallway wall which brought to mind the old joke.

Exterior Building

Surprised so many tiles are still missing from the roof and most of the walkway lights going behind towards Epcot are not secured to bases and just hanging loose. One of the valets mentioned the tiles have been missing almost two years. Wonder what they are doing with all the maintenance fees?

Disney Dining

For the 4 of us for 5 days it would have been about $750. We tracked our purchases and realized we only spent about $500, even with eating at Le Cellier. I actually lost 1 pound during the trip, probably due to the walking. That was a first!


What we did Right

1. Paced ourselves (sort of) and did not try and cram in so much every day.
2. Spent a lot of quality time at Storm Along Bay – fantastic – especially the whirlpool.
3. Ate at Le Cellier – spectacular food!
4. Ate lots of Gellato – really great (except pistachio – sorry)
5. Ate our own sandwiches at lunch and avoided a lot of the junk food in the Parks (except the gellato of course).
6. Bought the $12 refill mug. Used it a lot. Wonder if they change the mug every year? Can we reuse next April – there is no date on it.


What we did Wrong

1. Ate at SiFi Restaurant – horrible food, badly cooked, terrible freezing atmosphere.
2. Went to Magic Kingdom at 9:00 Saturday night for Electrical Parade and Fireworks. Return bus system was not able to handle the crowd.
3. Shipped a box of breakfast foods and snacks down there. Spent more on shipping than the stuff would have cost at BCV.
4. Stood in a long line for Pirates. Ride is about 90% the same with different words and a few Captain Jacks but was expecting much more change / updating. One of the staff said that repeat guests would be furious if the changed the ride dramatically. Hey, I would not mind some more updating.

Lastly, while the BCV staff was considered excellent in their help (especially the concerige group), we were a little surprised that most guests seemed not very friendly. If we said hello as we were passing in the hall, they generally did not say hello back (assuming they spoke English). One woman who I said good morning to just smiled and walked past me without saying a word. Reminded me of a beachfront hotel in Nantucket I stayed at where no one actually made eye contact unless they were drinking. We still thought it the best resort we have ever stayed in at WDW and will continue to go back many times more. Maybe next time someone will actually say hello back.

 

[corpcomp]

PS I'm still trying to get used to spelling BCV rather than BVC so excuser the errors.

 

[twotoohappy]

Great report! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I like your format. To the point. Well written.

I agree on Sci Fi. We did it twice, first time was good, the second was not.

Sorry about the mug. It was only good during that stay. You could bring it and refill it with your own purchased beverages, though.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Thanks for the report!!

Enjoyed reading. I have to laugh at the missing shingles and Maintenance Fee, you are very brave!

I agree about the guest vibe you received. I think everyone is too busy to say hello. BCV is more bustly. That and imho BCV has more non members staying there. Some were friendly enough, but I feel it too. In Texas, we talk to everybody!

I am totally holding out for the pillowtops! They've even outsourced mattresses!!

 

[RealMickey]

Thanks for the great report. You included lots of good information.

I have also noticed that guests at WDW often seem to busy to say Hi. Some resorts more than others.

I am excited about new mattresses at DVC resorts.

 

[SLM]

Thanks for the report-sounds like you had great vacation! I also liked your format-alot of information in a short space-thanks again!

 

[bigsmooth]

Yes, thanks for the report. I know there is a separate trip report section on DIS, but I spend most of my time here and enjoy the mix of theme park and resort info in the same report.

 

[JimMIA]

Surprised so many tiles are still missing from the roof and most of the walkway lights going behind towards Epcot are not secured to bases and just hanging loose. One of the valets mentioned the tiles have been missing almost two years. Wonder what they are doing with all the maintenance fees?

That's a very common occurrance after hurricanes...especially when Florida gets hit by 5-6 storms in two years. There just aren't any tiles for a long time afterward.

My neighbor just had tiles delivered yesterday (from Wilma in Oct '05, and just in time for Chris!)...and he owns a big roofing company.

 

[Muushka]

I love your trip report style . Easy to read and informative!

We would have said in the hallway!

 

[maureenann]

Had to snicker when reading about the lack of hellos. We were at BCV also July 14 for a few nights. People were looking at us like we were nuts for saying good morning
Also, it was really hot that week and when we were at the parks the GROWNUPS were sooooo cranky! My 17 year old son kept remarking trhat "this is the happiest place on earth"

 

[Simba's Mom]

Great report. I forgive you for not liking pistachio, even though it's my favorite. But I gotta admit-the color of it is ugly! What did you have at the BC Marketplace that was on the DDP? I've heard confilicting reports about whether gelato is or is not on it.

 

[corpcomp]

Great report. I forgive you for not liking pistachio, even though it's my favorite. But I gotta admit-the color of it is ugly! What did you have at the BC Marketplace that was on the DDP? I've heard confilicting reports about whether gelato is or is not on it.

Actually I love pistachios but as nuts, not as gellato. We were not on the DDP. We paid our own way to determine what we actually spend on food. We are not junk food addicts and we generally reserve seats at no more than two restaurants in a trip (it gets too tiring to go out after a day in the park and we generaly don't want to plan too much as my family tends to surprise us coming up from Boca Raton occassionally) - and generally go for local burgers / salads / pizza the other nights. On the DDP I would frankly eat too much. I did not even eat ice cream at Beaches & Cream, although I saw four families getting the kitchen sink (including four 9 year old girls diving into one.).

My wife is about 5'6' and weighs about 115 and can eat anything but never gains weight. I can drink a glass of water and gain 5 pounds. Very annoying.

 

[purpliequeen]

Thanks for the report. I had no clue that there is an even slight chance of gelato around BCV. Yay! Thanks again and it did sound like you had a good time.

 

[Missy Bruin]

we just got back from the boardwalk a couple of weeks ago.we had a really great time and we satyed in a studio room number 3059.well first off we were never welcomed home.the room itself was suppose to be a non smoking room when we got it to the room the was a cigrarette burn buy the batroom sink and that sink was clogged.the tv armour drawrers were broken.well i know one thing next time we come back to disney we won't be staying at boardwalk again and from the sounds of things i probably would be staying at beach club either.well you know what they say location,location,location.see ya soon dvers.

 

[byoung]

Nice report, thanks.