Purchasing BCV versus BWV? Pros and Cons?

[Mickey'sApprentice]

BWV - has multiple booking categories (standard, preferred, BWV preferred).
BCV - has one booking category (preferred)

BWV - has no dedicated two bedroom villas. They are all lockoffs.
BCV - has dedicated two bedroom villas, but only 25 have two queen beds in the second bedroom.

BWV - has one bank of elevators, so the hallways can seem very long
BCV - has two elevator banks so the hallways don't seem quite so long

BWV - has valet parking and self parking is not very close to the villas
BCV - has valet parking which is not close to the villas, but self parking is close to the villas.

BWV - has Luna Park pool and any member can hop to it.
BCV - has SAB and no one can hop to it

BWV - has Boardwalk Bakery, Cat Corria's, Flying Fish, and other non-Disney owned dining on the Boardwalk
BCV - has the Marketplace, Hurricane Hannahs, Beaches and Cream, Cape May Buffet, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Captains Grille, plus you can go to Swan/Dolphin to dine.
BWV - is right on the boardwalk
BCV - is behind the BC and no view of the boardwalk

ummm....Isn't the Boardwalk just as close iF NOT CLOSER to Swan/Dolphin?

and yes, I do prefer Y&BC restaurants to BWV, but they are all very close to each other.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I think you need to seperate the issues with regard to owning at each resort and those with regard to staying at each resort. BWV is less expensive per points to buy but the MFs are higher. You need to run the numbers to see whether BWV or BCV is cheaper over the long haul at today's prices. If the benefits of owning one over the other don't matter to you, you might as well buy the least expensive total cost of ownership.

BWV is larger and thus, preferred view rooms in particular are easier to book without using the home resort period. If you are happy staying in PV, for stays during most of the year you won't need to own at BWV and sometimes you will be able to book BWV or even SV.

If you want to consistently book a 2 BR with 2 beds in the 2nd bedroom or a December stay at BCV, you need the home resort advantage at BCV. If you want to consistently book a GV, the cheaper SV rooms or a Dec stay at BWV, you need the home resort at BWV.

We bought at BWV instead of BCV becuase we wanted to take advantage of the SV rooms. Instead, we have ended up with enough points to consistently stay in BW view rooms. As long as we continue to stay mostly in SV or BW view rooms, I know that our decision to buy at BWV was the right one.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

although the MFs are higher at BWV, the standard view rooms (that often need the 11 month booking advantage) make up the difference if that is what you prefer.

Multiply point cost by the maintenance fees to get a better picture of the cost.

That makes standard view BWV a better deal.
BCV is a better value than the pool view at BWV
and BWV - BW view is a little higher than BCV, but WOW! Its well worth it!

 

[Deb & Bill]

ummm....Isn't the Boardwalk just as close iF NOT CLOSER to Swan/Dolphin?

and yes, I do prefer Y&BC restaurants to BWV, but they are all very close to each other.

Yep, it was an after thought and I should have added it to the BWV, too.

 

[Nick Beecham]

A couple of additional factors, no-one else has yet mentioned:

BWV swimming pool is better for serious distance swimmers (38 lengths = 1 mile).

BWV rooms have A/C which doesn't have to detect movement in order to stay on.

Both of the above factors, made all the difference for me.

Best wishes

Nick

 

[DVCGeek]

BWV rooms have A/C which doesn't have to detect movement in order to stay on.

So does that mean that the AC turns off at BCV when you are sleeping and or haven't moved for a while? Yikes, that would get very annoying. Do any of the other DVC resorts have motion sensors on the HVAC like that??? I've heard of it for lights and those are fine but for temperature I don't think I'd like it much! I sleep much better in a cool room...

 

[Nick Beecham]

There were lots of threads about the fact that after BWV, all future DVC resorts would have the a/c motion detectors. That's why I bought at BWV just before it originally sold out. However I have never stayed at any other DVC resort so cannot confirm this from personal experience.

 

[natasg]

We stayed in a 1BR at SSR 2 years ago and before going did some research on the subject of the motion sensor AC. Some people use balloons to keep it going but it turns out there is also a manual overide of the motion sensing system but even that does reset periodically and has to be reprogrammed.

This is from an old DIS thread that I copied to bring with me:

"Here are the directions to overiding the a/c system:

On the thermostat push the power button and the down arrow (that adjusts the temp) at the exact same time. If you do this correctly there will be the letters "bp" where the temp numbers usually are. You are now bypassing the sensors in the room. You can then set the temp to whatever you want and it keeps the room that cold whether you are in it or not. The maintenance man said that you might have to do this once a day as the thermostat tends to go back to sensor mode after 24 hours. We found that it stayed on bypass for a couple of days at a time. It was great to come back to a cold room or not wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat again."

A high up Disney facilities chief told me that all AC bypasses by maintenance (like when they turn down the AC in a crowded conference room) get reset every night by Mickey's Master Computer.

Several also say the mylar balloon tied to the AC grill works. Except at the Animal Kingdom Lodge where they ban balloons for the animal's safety, so you cannot buy one in the park and carry it through the lobby, you will have to bring one from home and blow it up yourself. Don't forget the string. "

Hopefully this help out...the override worked for us on our trip. We sure miss having DVC in II since we cannot trade in with our Marriot Maui Unit

 

[Golden Rose]

We were in your position about 9 months ago. We knew we wanted an Epcot resort, but we weren't sure which one. We had stayed at both BWI and BC (both on the hotel side), but not in the DVC units. I slightly preferred BC for the theming and Stormalong Bay, DM preferred BW for the theming, and DH preferred BW for the easy walk to DHS. So I got outvoted.
Well, sort of... I kept an eye out for a fully loaded contract at either resort with our UY (we had just bought AKV), and I found a perfect BWV contract with all of the previous year's points banked as well as all the current year's points intact. It was exactly what we were looking for at a price we were willing to pay, so I let myself be outvoted.

We have since stayed at both BCV and BWV (both of which we booked at the 2 month mark, I might add.) I will say, I am someone who likes to sit out on a balcony while I breakfast or snack in the room, so I did enjoy having a view at BWV. (We were in a preferred view room looking out over the quiet pool, and it was very pleasant.) I also enjoyed the short walk to DHS, which, of course, is why DH wanted BWV to begin with. We're headed back for F & W in October, and we're supposed to have Boardwalk view... although I know they're going to be in the middle of a rehab, so I'm a little nervous. That said, I'm _really_ looking forward to Boardwalk view. We've already booked it again for next May, when we're taking a trip with friends. We're definitely taking advantage of being owners there.

Still, I love Stormalong Bay. I don't hate the clown pool in person as much as I do in the abstract, and DS loves the water squirting elephants around it.

I'm not sorry we bought BWV... except when I'm staying at BCV. I hope we'll continue to have luck booking BCV from time to time, but, regardless, I plan to continue to take advantage of the Boardwalk and standard view rooms at BWV. And maybe the Boardwalk View will wow me so much that I'll get over my longing for Stormalong Bay...

 

[amystevekai&bump]

We were in your position about 9 months ago. We knew we wanted an Epcot resort, but we weren't sure which one. We had stayed at both BWI and BC (both on the hotel side), but not in the DVC units. I slightly preferred BC for the theming and Stormalong Bay, DM preferred BW for the theming, and DH preferred BW for the easy walk to DHS. So I got outvoted.
Well, sort of... I kept an eye out for a fully loaded contract at either resort with our UY (we had just bought AKV), and I found a perfect BWV contract with all of the previous year's points banked as well as all the current year's points intact. It was exactly what we were looking for at a price we were willing to pay, so I let myself be outvoted.

We have since stayed at both BCV and BWV (both of which we booked at the 2 month mark, I might add.) I will say, I am someone who likes to sit out on a balcony while I breakfast or snack in the room, so I did enjoy having a view at BWV. (We were in a preferred view room looking out over the quiet pool, and it was very pleasant.) I also enjoyed the short walk to DHS, which, of course, is why DH wanted BWV to begin with. We're headed back for F & W in October, and we're supposed to have Boardwalk view... although I know they're going to be in the middle of a rehab, so I'm a little nervous. That said, I'm _really_ looking forward to Boardwalk view. We've already booked it again for next May, when we're taking a trip with friends. We're definitely taking advantage of being owners there.

Still, I love Stormalong Bay. I don't hate the clown pool in person as much as I do in the abstract, and DS loves the water squirting elephants around it.

I'm not sorry we bought BWV... except when I'm staying at BCV. I hope we'll continue to have luck booking BCV from time to time, but, regardless, I plan to continue to take advantage of the Boardwalk and standard view rooms at BWV. And maybe the Boardwalk View will wow me so much that I'll get over my longing for Stormalong Bay...

Thank you for your post Golden Rose, I have been watching this thread with interest as I too am toying between an add on at BWV and BCV. Your post has summed up exactly my dilemma.

I love sitting on balconies to have breakfast or to relax in the evening and I really love that Boardwalk view. I would buy there in a heartbeat for that view, but (and its a big but!!!) I am wondering whether I should instead buy at BCV for storm-a-long bay. Our two boys are still small (2 and 5) and am wondering whether they would prefer it there to the BWV??

We are going to stay at BC (not the villas) next Dec to try it out - I am just hoping the weather will be good enough for SAB!!

I am buying the add on primarily for October visits, which I know will mean I have less chance of switching between the 2 resorts at 7mths - so it feels like an important decision!! (but a fun one!!)

 

[LIFERBABE]

We own both. We prefer BCV for family and our adult only trips. BCV Has a beach, poolside food and beverage service delivered to your lounged or table, and Beaches and cream. And we much prefer the parking at Bcv.
Our dues are high at Bwv and we rarely stay there so I feel like we are paying those hi dues for nothing. Thankully it is a smallish contract.

Bcv does feel like home to us. Bwv is great but we never really bonded with the resort like we did Ssr and bcv.