Studios OKW vs. BWV

[threeprincesses]

Trying to compare the two. We are planning a trip next summer with four families and just planning on getting four studios instead of staying together. My home resort is VWL so I'll be booking that first; however, I would like to try to get OKW or BWV at 7 month window. I've never stayed at either one so I would be interested in pros and cons of each and whether securing four studios at 7 month for Su-Thurs in mid-July is doable. BWV stands out as the place with more going on but would like another pov.

 

[DeeP]

BWV stands out as the place with more going on but would like another pov.

BWV definitely has more going on because of it's location. You will be within walking distance to 2 major parks, numerous restaurants, the boardwalk entertainment, Illuminations, Fantasmic and mini golf.
All the DVC studios except OKW have 1 queen bed and a sleeper sofa. I personally, like this set up much better because it makes the room feel much larger and is a true studio apt set up vs a regular hotel room set up with a mini kitchenette.

 

[Richyams]

The operative word there is 'walking'. If you enjoy marathon walks to your room, walking to Epcot, hiking to MGM and a brisk 1.2 mile walk to the Boardwalk bakery, BWV is the place to be. You can WALK off all those snacks, heavy breakfasts, deliscious lunches and pig out dinners. All that walking really comes in handy.

Persoanlly, I prefer to park outside of my villa and be anywhere I want to in five to ten minutes. OKW makes this real easy.

 

[RLevy29]

More going on doesn't mean that you are going to eat more. I really wouldn't worry about long walks to anywhere. WDW is a walking vacation no matter where you are staying!
If you are concerned about room set-up the only difference between OKW and BWV is the 2Q beds at OKW or the 1 Q/ sofa bed at BWV. Point values differ (if you can get Standard view at BWV it isn't much)
Other things that matter are if you intend on using a car or the bus service. OKW is more conveinent if you have a car. BWV is more conveinent to walk to the BW, EPCOT, and MGM.

 

[DeeP]

The operative word there is 'walking'. If you enjoy marathon walks to your room, walking to Epcot, hiking to MGM and a brisk 1.2 mile walk to the Boardwalk bakery, BWV is the place to be. You can WALK off all those snacks, heavy breakfasts, deliscious lunches and pig out dinners. All that walking really comes in handy.

As usual, every word is a gross exaggeration. The walking distances between all the Epcot resorts, the rooms, the parks, restaurants etc is not only very pleasant in a truely beautiful environment, they are also no where near the bs distances posted above. The walking distance from the park's parking lots into the parks are as long if not even longer than the walk from an Epcot resort to either Epcot or the boat dock to both Epcot or MGM are. The MK and Epcot resorts also eliminate walking the long outdoor hallways and hauling up/down the stairs to get to your hot car, get everyone buckled in etc., that resorts without direct park access and that have virtually almost no elevators require.

 

[jodifla]

While I'm a huge OKW fan, I prefer the studios at the other DVC resorts because of the sofas they have. I agree with the previous poster that they do make the rooms feel bigger.

But, if you have people sleeping on the other bed/sofa, you should take into account where they'll be more comfortable.

 

[Richyams]

I understand that different people like different things. Personally, I prefer my workouts in a nice airconditioned gym watching Fox news.

 

[Margie J]

I prefer the setup of the BWV or VWL studios instead of the OKW ones. With the sofa bed it does seem roomier.

Have you considered getting a two bedroom unit plus one or two studios? The two bedroom unit would give you a lockoff studio for privacy plus you would have one large kitchen/dining area to entertain everyone on occassion.

 

[DeeP]

Personally, I prefer my workouts in a nice airconditioned gym watching Fox news.

Why the need for the work out in the gym???? Don't you get enough of a workout walking the long unairconditoned outdoor hallways, walking up and down the unairconditoned outdoor stairs to get to your car that is parked in the parking lot located in front of 98% of all OKW buidlings and then making the hike through the parking lot to get to a park entrance ??????

 

[Disney Doll]

Let me try and give you some fairly objective advice. I will preface my remarls by saying that my home resort is OKW, but I have stayed at OKW, BCV, and BWV since I have been a DVC member.

OKW is a more relaxed feeling resort. You park outside your unit. I believe that overall, it has the largest room sizes of all the DVC resorts. The pool is nice, but has no special feature such as a slide,waterfall etc. There is a nice little boat that takes you to DD. Everywhere is reached by bus or car. Some have said that the bus service is slow from OKW. I have not personally found that to be true. It is decorated in pastel shades, sort of a tropical, beachy theme. The studio has 2 queen beds and a small kitchenette with fridge, microwave, coffeemaker. I believe you can request a toaster form housekeeping if you so desire, but I am not positive about that.

BWV is more right in the thick of things on the Boardwalk. It has plenty to do, many restaurants and much entertainment to choose from based on its location, in addition to walking/boat access to Epcot and MGM. Depending on where you are located in the building, some of the walks can be long, but I do not believe anything is 1.2 miles, as previuosly stated. You valet park your car. The pool is nice, with a slide that looks like an old-fashioned wooden roller-coaster where you come flying out of a clown's mouth into the pool. I do not believe there is a quiet pool at the BW, but I certainly may be wrong. I have only been to the main pool. The rooms are smaller than at OKW, I think, but I recall them as being amply sized for a vacation unit. They have one queen and a pullout queen size sofabed, so that does make the room feel a little larger, as when the sofabed is folded up, it adds a lot more floor space. The studios have a kitchenette as they do at OKW, I think they are essentially the same. It is decorated in sort of a seashore theme, with a lot of blue...very pretty.

Either resort is very nice. I think which one you pick depends on several things...is a fancy pool very important to you? If so, BWV pool has more pizzazz than OKW's. Do you like being close to a lot to do? If so, choose BWV. Do you want a more laid back vacation? If so, choose OKW. Is Epcot or MGM one of your favorite parks, one you like to visit often and have quick access to? If so, choose BWV. OKW will cost you less points, but if the location of the BWV is important to you, then choose BWV. If location isn't important, my advice would be to choose OKW and conserve points.

 

[Richyams]

Don't you get enough of a workout walking the long unairconditoned outdoor hallways

Huh?

I guess you have never been to OKW. There are no long hallways, indoor or out door.

Oh yeah, that flight of stairs really gets my heart racing.

Umm, sorry, but now you are sounding silly. You can't compare a flight or two of stairs to the ten minute walk form the lobby to most of the rooms at BWV. The twenty steps to the car are a pleasure compared to the hike to get from your room to anywhere at BWV.

When you can look down a hallway and have the end almost dissappear in the distance as at BWV, you know you have a hike in front of you. The you finally get to an end, but its not an end, its just a corner, you round that corner and another hallway snakes out before you with its end almost lost in the distance once again.

I like exeragerations, even gross exeragerations, but your protests are blatant lies. Where are their any long outdoor hallways at OKW? Where are there any outdoor hallways?

Are you talking about the landing? The landing that is fifteen or twenty fet from the door? I said I even liked gross exeragerations, but if that is what you are refering to, sorry, humor must have a grain of truth, the more truth, the more humor.

That is why my posts are fun and yours are angry.

Kind of seems like one of us is content, the other not. Onw of us may trully be remorseful over his decision to buy, one of us not, one of us truly tormented by the other, the other just having fun.

I aint saying which is which, you be the judge.

 

[DeeP]

I do not believe there is a quiet pool at the BW, but I certainly may be wrong. I have only been to the main

Just a FYI, there are actually 2 quiet pools at BWI/BWV, one quiet pool is on the Inn side and one on the Villa's side. The main pool with water slide, lifeguards, pool bar and hot tub is also located on the Villa's side.

 

[DeeP]

I have stayed at OKW several times, so I am familiar with the outdoor hallways and stairs. True none of the hallways are as long as BWV or any of the other deluxe resort hallways are, but many OKW rooms are way more than 20 steps away from your self parked car and the walk to get to the car in the heat.
The outdoor hallways are those things that you walk out to and down when you leave your room. Maybe you have a different term for them????
None of my posts are blatent lies or gross exaggerations, people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Look in the mirror,
Yes some people find your posts funny but many do not find your posts funny and have said so quite a few times over the years. How soon we forget the ending results of your self posted poll of a couple of years ago.
I could not be happier with my home resort nor more content. No remorse at all, matter of fact I just added on more pts at BWV so obviously I am very content and have absolutely no remorse. Once again....look in the mirror, seems to me you are the remorseful one. You put down every other DVC resort in order to try to justify the shortcomings of your home resort.
"Truely tormented" by you, please don't flatter yourself. You are not worth the time or effort to be even mildly annoyed over let alone "truely tormented" over.
I do believe you get a degree of fun from putting down all other DVC resorts but then it seems you get a degree of fun from putting down or degrading many things, people, professions, etc that reach alot further than DVC resorts do.

 

[vernon]

To me, it would depend on the make up of each of those families. I would take more stock of the room(bed) layout than the facilities of the resorts. For couples (that share a bed) having a sofa(bed) is a nice option that gives you more room and the option of sitting up on the occassions you're in the room reading or watching TV (not that much in my case . If there are two kids in each family it's likely having a "proper" bed is going to be more important, particularly if the children are older than 7 or 8. The sofabeds at DVC resorts are of a good quality, but IMHO, no matter how good a sofabed is very few of them offer the support and comfort of a designated bed.

The only other major consideration is if your group would want to be spending much time in the bars/clubs drinking alcohol ( and NOTHING wrong with that activity ) BWV would more convenient as it has a selection of bars and restaurants where the adults could enjoy themselves and if the kids are old enough, they can wander/run around the BW for a while. If you particularly like DTD and PI then OKW is probably the better location.

IMHO taken overall the access to the parks/DTD and waterparks is a non issue, the journey times make minimal difference.

Park access slightly favours BWV
Evening drinking/partying slightly favours BWV
Rooms depends on group make up
Cost favours OKW
pools depends on preferences (BW has a nice slide but can be a little louder).

 

[Bill K]

Being a boardwalk owner for the past 4 years, why all the negativity in this post! If you like OKW for whatever reason fine, if you like The Boardwalk thats fine also. Lets stop the bashing.

 

[Disney Doll]

Thanks for the info DeeP!!!!!! Next time I am at WDW, I am going to look for the BW quiet pools. The main pools at the DVC resorts are fun, but every once in a while, it's nice to be at a pool with a little less action. I really never knew they existed, but I also don't stay there every time I go either. I like to split between all the DVC resorts.

 

[DeeP]

Disney Doll,
The quiet pools at BWV are very nice and very quiet, I am sure you will like them. The one on the villas side has an exceptionally nice and secluded hot tub--much nicer than the hot tub at the main pool. There is of course no slide or pool bar at the quiet pools but if you want a drink, snack or to use the slide the main pool is a very short distance away from the villa's side quiet pool.
Enjoy!

 

[threeprincesses]

WOW and I went to bed last night thinking nobody was going to reply! Thanks for all of the great information. You all have given me a lot to think about. What about availability? Any thoughts there? How many studio units are there at each place?

 

[Lesley]

Just another objective view ( I love both BWV and OKW ).

First to answer your most recent question....OKW has many more rooms therefore probably will have more availability. But I don't think its too hard to get a BWV studio at 7months (never tried though because I own there).

OKW has the two queen bed setup rather than the queen bed and full pullout sofa. That can make a difference depending on the sleeping preferences of your party...with kids sometimes they like the novelty of the pull out, other times they're uncomfortable. If you are 2 adults, you might prefer the bed sofa combination.

There is more action at BWV and you are within walking distance of both Epcot and MGM....plus other resorts. At OKW, you pretty much have to drive or take a bus to everything. OKW does have a very good restaurant and a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. Its like a community rather than a resort.

You can look on the DVC website or in your member guidebook to see the other room layout differences. I do like OKW's more spacious bathroom, but the sink/vanity isn't separated from the toilet/shower, which may be an inconvenience for some.

So it really depends on what you want in your vacation....action or relaxation...though you can get a good combination of both staying at either resort, BWV is the place for an emphasis on activity and OKW the place for an emphasis on relaxation. And this has nothing to do with hallways and stairs, which I consider a fairly even trade off.

 

[paults]

We own at BWV and just added on and love it there.
Not sure if anyone said this yet but if you have 4 families going and have a group of children, BWV also has a community hall for the kids to use while you can relax at the quiet pool right next to it. They have air hockey, ping-pong ,computers etc and they can get water noodles to use in the quiet pool. And if you get a ground floor studio PV by the quiet pool you can just walk out your patio doors and jump in.

If you stay at OKW and are not close to the main pool you have to catch to bus or get in the car and drive to the pool unless your near one of their quiet pools or if you walk just watch out for the busses and cars.

While at BWV stop over at the S&D and walk through and see the sites.