Sell me on BWV- why will we love it?

[inkedupmomma]

Hey guys! This June, my family and I will be spending 9 nights at BWV in Garden/Pool view room. I have pretty much avoided BWV since we live near the NJ shore and visit the various beaches/boardwalks often. My daughter and husband expressed interest in staying here this year though, since it is so close to Epcot, so we bit the bullet and booked it. We will have an extra guest tagging along, my daughters best friend. Both girls are 17, and we will have our 4.5 year old toddler with as well (a 1 bedroom would have been better, but too many points.) For those that stay here often, or love it, why do you love it? Our home resort is AKV and I absolutely adore it there for many reasons. So what are your reasons for loving BWV. Any tips, must dos/eats or things we should not miss? Opinion on Garden/Pool view? Spam me with your love. Pics and all!

TIA!
Jenn

 

[Pete W.]

Hey guys! This June, my family and I will be spending 9 nights at BWV in Garden/Pool view room. I have pretty much avoided BWV since we live near the NJ shore and visit the various beaches/boardwalks often. My daughter and husband expressed interest in staying here this year though, since it is so close to Epcot, so we bit the bullet and booked it. We will have an extra guest tagging along, my daughters best friend. Both girls are 17, and we will have our 4.5 year old toddler with as well (a 1 bedroom would have been better, but too many points.) For those that stay here often, or love it, why do you love it? Our home resort is AKV and I absolutely adore it there for many reasons. So what are your reasons for loving BWV. Any tips, must dos/eats or things we should not miss? Opinion on Garden/Pool view? Spam me with your love. Pics and all!

TIA!
Jenn

3 words - Location, Location, Location. Our kids are 22 and 18 but we've been BWV owners for nearly 20 years so our kids have literally grown up at the Boardwalk and there's no place they'd rather stay. You simply can't beat the ability to walk to 2 parks and the 17 yr olds will love the independence of walking to Epcot or DHS while others take the Friendship boats (or vice versa). And if you're headed to MK they can walk through Epcot and take the monorails while you take the bus. Again, giving them the independence to do that will be a thrill for them based on my experience with our kids. They will also love it if you rent water mice for them at the Yacht Club marina so they can putter around the lagoon on their own. They will also love renting surrey bikes however someone who is 18 or older needs to accompany them and drive.

And you simply can't beat the number and variety of restaurants at your disposal between The Boardwalk itself, the Epcot resorts (including the Swan & Dolphin) and all the restaurants in the World Showcase at Epcot. Plus don't miss the free nighttime entertainment on the Boardwalk.

 

[inkedupmomma]

3 words - Location, Location, Location. Our kids are 22 and 18 but we've been BWV owners for nearly 20 years so our kids have literally grown up at the Boardwalk and there's no place they'd rather stay. You simply can't beat the ability to walk to 2 parks and the 17 yr olds will love the independence of walking to Epcot or DHS while others take the Friendship boats (or vice versa). And if you're headed to MK they can walk through Epcot and take the monorails while you take the bus. Again, giving them the independence to do that will be a thrill for them based on my experience with our kids. They will also love it if you rent water mice for them at the Yacht Club marina so they can putter around the lagoon on their own. They will also love renting surrey bikes however someone who is 18 or older needs to accompany them and drive.

And you simply can't beat the number and variety of restaurants at your disposal between The Boardwalk itself, the Epcot resorts (including the Swan & Dolphin) and all the restaurants in the World Showcase at Epcot. Plus don't miss the free nighttime entertainment on the Boardwalk.

Thanks Pete! My daughter DOES love doing stuff on her own, and I am thrilled she will have her BFF along for this trip. Location was a big reason we chose BWV this time. Hoping Toy Story Land is open in time, as that would be a lot of fun for our tiniest traveler

 

[Pete W.]

Should've also mentioned Fantasia Miniature Golf across the street from The Swan which is easily walkable from BWV and they offer a DVC discount. And at the Dolphin they have the Mandara Spa which has less restrictive policies on minors receiving treatments without an adult being present. This was an issue for my daughter when she was 16 and both she and my wife tried to book spa treatments at SSR but my wife would've had to have been in the room watching my daughter get a message rather than enjoying her own massage at the same time. The Mandara Spa also offers a DVC discount.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We thought BCV was a better location for getting to Epcot than BWV. And parking is better at BCV than BWV since you can park close to the villas and not hike up a hill to get to the building. Plus no freaky clown slide.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The Boardwalk is a fun place to be in the evening! Make some time to enjoy the acts!

 

[Geomom]

BWV is our favorite.
We love the:

• Location: easy walk to both HS and Epcot. It makes it very easy to do a 1/2 park day on your arrival/departure days as you aren't dependent upon Disney transportation--just your feet!
• Community hall: community hall over by the non-feature pool. Free (and pay) crafts, board games, a free arcade game, pool, ping pong, etc.
• Pool: I actually like the 'Clown' waterslide--it's called the Keister Coaster and looks like a roller coaster...you get dumped out the clown's mouth...which is kind of funny if you think of it like that...
• Boardwalk: shops, restaurants--from table service to ice cream to the bakery, some food/drink stands, free nightly entertainment (jugglers/magicians)

 

[bumbershoot]

Pool: I actually like the 'Clown' waterslide--it's called the Keister Coaster and looks like a roller coaster...you get dumped out the clown's mouth...which is kind of funny if you think of it like that...

Agree.

I’m actually pretty darned clown-phobic, but that slide is hilarious. And awesome. I don’t bother with most pool slides, but that one is very very good.

 

[js]

I just booked the BW for 8 nights for a September trip but we have always stayed BW view, which I love since I really like to people watch.
Unfortunately, this trip only pool/garden view was available. What exactly is this view and can I really see the pool or an outside garden?
I have a waitlist for BW view, but not so hopeful since I had to waitlist the full 8 nights.
Thanks.

 

[Geomom]

I just booked the BW for 8 nights for a September trip but we have always stayed BW view, which I love since I really like to people watch.
Unfortunately, this trip only pool/garden view was available. What exactly is this view and can I really see the pool or an outside garden?
I have a waitlist for BW view, but not so hopeful since I had to waitlist the full 8 nights.
Thanks.

The Pool/garden view could be anything on the side with the 2 pools/canal (views of the quiet pool, feature pool, lawn/canal...or really just a 'tree' view as the trees could use some pruning!) AND Village Green--which would give you a partial BW view.

Standard view is the driveway/parking lot/tennis court views.

 

[lbv7]

We thought BCV was a better location for getting to Epcot than BWV. And parking is better at BCV than BWV since you can park close to the villas and not hike up a hill to get to the building. Plus no freaky clown slide.

The OP never mentioned BCV, the question was about the BWV. Plus...
1) BCV is closer to Epcot than BW by about what, 5 minutes or less. How do you know they wont take the boat to Epcot, making any walking distance irrelevant. You didn't mention that BWV is closer to Hollywood Studios.
2) Don't assume that the OP will have a car, so parking is not an issue. Given their location near the Jersey Shore they will probably fly and use Magical Express.
3) People spend the day walking the parks, but " hiking up a hill to get to the building" is a deal breaker. I assume you don't mind walking up the stairs to your room at OKW assuming you don't have a first floor room, but the hill at BWV is a real problem.
3) Not everyone has an irrational fear of clowns. I also remember you posting that you were not a fan favorite of SAB, so how can you recommend BCV?

 

[Pete W.]

To be fair, SAB is a great pool and for families with kids who enjoy pools it's hard to beat. I would also give the nod to BCV if you're getting a 2BR and really want 'real' beds for everyone because you can get a dedicated 2BR at BCV with 2 actual beds in the second bedroom whereas all BWV 2BRs are lock-offs so there's one bed and one sleeper sofa in the second bedroom/studio. Our daughter is 18 and our son is 22 so guess who always automatically gets the real bed - hint, she's a woman and she always gets her way.

Other than the above, I wouldn't give the nod to BCV for anything. And for DVC members there is no better value than the standard view units at BWV. Whereas at BCV you pay the equivalent of BW view points for pretty much crummy views everywhere.

 

[JAMIESMITH]

We love AKL, but honestly aren’t crazy about BWV. It was freezing when we went so I can’t say anything about the pool.

The good: The room was okay. The walk/boat ride to two parks is nice. We liked watching Illuminations from the boardwalk. Big River Grille was good.

The bad:The bakery is pretty awful and there is no other QS unless you go over to BC/YC. The bus service was the worst I’ve ever experienced at any Disney resort.

 

[sndral]

Hey guys! This June, my family and I will be spending 9 nights at BWV in Garden/Pool view room. I have pretty much avoided BWV since we live near the NJ shore and visit the various beaches/boardwalks often. My daughter and husband expressed interest in staying here this year though, since it is so close to Epcot, so we bit the bullet and booked it. We will have an extra guest tagging along, my daughters best friend. Both girls are 17, and we will have our 4.5 year old toddler with as well (a 1 bedroom would have been better, but too many points.) For those that stay here often, or love it, why do you love it? Our home resort is AKV and I absolutely adore it there for many reasons. So what are your reasons for loving BWV. Any tips, must dos/eats or things we should not miss? Opinion on Garden/Pool view? Spam me with your love. Pics and all!

TIA!
Jenn

I assume you have 2 studio villas? One for one DD + husband and another for you & DH + 17 yr. old DD & her friend + toddler.
I’d request to be close to each other, the hallways at BWV go on forever and to end up at opposite ends of the resort would probably not be ideal. I liked BWV when I stayed there, I did not like being at the very end of one of those hallways and unlike Kidani @ AKV w/ it’s multiple elevators, BWV only has one bank of them. If I stay there again I’ll ask for near elevators/lobby. We stayed in a 1 br. garden/pool view and it felt very light and spacious, can’t speak for the studios. The view was of the canal that leads to DHS and while it’s not quite like seeing giraffes from your balcony at AKV, I did enjoy seeing the friendship boats glide by from my BWV balcony.

 

[VTNuke]

The BW does have very long halls, but you have to learn about some of the short cuts. You may actually be closer to exiting the back of the building and walking to HS than you are to walking to the boat. There are also other exits where you can get outside and skip some walking to the bus or boardwalk without having to walk through the lobby.

The good about BW is the location. It's close to a ton of great sit down food options between what's around the BW, the other side of the lake at the YC/BC, and how easy it is to walk to Epcot and their food options. When we stay there, we usually do Epcot as a half day on the first day and a half day on our last day. Being so close makes it easy to get in and out of the parks. You could say the same for BC. The International Gateway entrance of Epcot is rarely packed, especially if you walk and there isn't a boat that just arrived.

The rooms were updated a few years ago. Before that, I had started to stay other places, but since the remodel, the rooms are much more modern. Honestly, BLT is still better IMHO for how nice the room is, but it is a newer resort. GF and the Poly are both probably better in that area as well, but I haven't stayed at either of them. BW is way cheaper on points and is our home resort, so after the remodel, we've stayed there exclusively.

There really is a ton going on at the BW. Plenty to do beyond just the resort itself.

The bus issue has kind of been fixed a bit. They have a screen now telling you how long until the next bus comes. I think this was something they've been working on fixing for bit and on our last trip, a ten minute wait was longer than usual. While some mentioned cutting through Epcot to take the monorail to MK, I've done that once and it wasn't worth it. The bus is fine. You could always take the new mini's around as well. If I was staying anywhere else, I'd really consider that option. The BW being so close to 1/2 the parks makes it seem a bit of a waste.

This is all without talking about the community center where they have a ton of free stuff/games to do, the ESPN Zone, Jelly Rolls, etc....

 

[ears2BWV]

After visiting many resorts thanks to our friends who were dvc members, we finally bought at BWV because our entire family fell in love with the location. Like the easy walk to 2 parks, Fantasia golf, night time entertainment, ice cream. We take advantage of all the quick service at the swan and dolphin as well as all the great options on the boardwalk. Love Jellyrolls! Other than an occasional experience, just like we have had at every other resort we have stayed at, I don't think the bus service is bad. A tip when using the bus, if your first stop is the swan, get off and walk the short distance to the boardwalk to save time.

 

[iluveeyore]

I just stayed for the first time with DH a couple of weeks ago in a standard view studio - we loved it! We were on third floor about six doors away from the elevator/lobby, and found lots of ways to cut the walking short to other exits for the walkway to DHS, Epcot. DH loved the Disney art in the pull-out twin murphy bed, so your young one should love using that (I swear if we didn't need the table, he would have left it open just to enjoy the picture lol). Big River Grill was nice for lunch one day when we were taking a break from the parks, but even though there aren't a lot of QS choices, it's such a quick walk to Epcot near World Showcase, it was very easy to access food if we weren't already at the park. We walked to DHS once too, and it actually only took about 12 minutes, but being middle-aged and going morning to night at the parks, we found the boats were easier on our feet after walking so much. The buses to MK and AK seemed to run often enough. It was an enjoyable stay, although we couldn't try the pool slide as the pool was freezing the one day it was warm enough to lay out on the pool chairs, but the ambiance at that resort is wonderful. We even went to Jelly Rolls our first night, and it was so fun and enjoyable to be able to walk back to our room late at night after a couple of drinks. Just for location alone, you'll enjoy your stay there.

 

[pinklotusflower]

BWV's is our home resort & we love it, you can walk to two parks which makes it so much easier to get back to your room when those parks close. There's plenty of nice places to eat nearby, on the boardwalk, Yacht club, Swan & dolphin & Epcot. There's also entertainment on the Boardwalk on an evening & when we were last there in September you could do yoga on the green.

 

[DizDaD7]

Hey guys! This June, my family and I will be spending 9 nights at BWV in Garden/Pool view room. I have pretty much avoided BWV since we live near the NJ shore and visit the various beaches/boardwalks often. My daughter and husband expressed interest in staying here this year though, since it is so close to Epcot, so we bit the bullet and booked it. We will have an extra guest tagging along, my daughters best friend. Both girls are 17, and we will have our 4.5 year old toddler with as well (a 1 bedroom would have been better, but too many points.) For those that stay here often, or love it, why do you love it? Our home resort is AKV and I absolutely adore it there for many reasons. So what are your reasons for loving BWV. Any tips, must dos/eats or things we should not miss? Opinion on Garden/Pool view? Spam me with your love. Pics and all!

TIA!
Jenn

in 1 word------->

POOL!!! LoL

 

[s.r.disney nut]

The OP never mentioned BCV, the question was about the BWV. Plus...
1) BCV is closer to Epcot than BW by about what, 5 minutes or less. How do you know they wont take the boat to Epcot, making any walking distance irrelevant. You didn't mention that BWV is closer to Hollywood Studios.
2) Don't assume that the OP will have a car, so parking is not an issue. Given their location near the Jersey Shore they will probably fly and use Magical Express.
3) People spend the day walking the parks, but " hiking up a hill to get to the building" is a deal breaker. I assume you don't mind walking up the stairs to your room at OKW assuming you don't have a first floor room, but the hill at BWV is a real problem.
3) Not everyone has an irrational fear of clowns. I also remember you posting that you were not a fan favorite of SAB, so how can you recommend BCV?

Wow, they were just giving an opinion! Parking is a bit of a pain at BWV, and just because they live in NJ it doesn't mean they won't drive down! We like both BWV and BCV!!