This morning was my 7 month window and I went online to see about switching from BLT to VWL and ended up actually switching to BWV. I had to book a garden/pool view because the boardwalk view wasn't available for the first night. But I'm praying that when I call first thing tomorrow the last 6 nights will still be available in the boardwalk view and I can switch those and just keep my waitlist for the first night. I did two waitlist today. One for the whole week and one for the first night only.
Anyway, this is a totally new area for us. We've always stayed over in the MK resort area or at POR. I'm so excited to try staying in the Epcot area. I think DH is really going to like it too.
So tell me, what do you love about BWV? What do you hate? Any must do things in that area?
I think I read that you can walk to DHS? How far is it? What about Epcot?
If I can't get the boardwalk view what request should I make for the pool/garden view? DH likes a busy view with things to look at or the water or something.
Any other tips?
I'm so excited to try this new area. I think this trip is going to be very different for us with DS this time. He is not going to be content to just ride around in his stroller all day this year and we may end up spending more time around the resort.
Walk to Epcot, about .3 to .4 miles takes 8 to 10 minutes. Walk to Studios, from just under to about a mile depending on where your room is, takes about 25.
You can take boat to either of those parks, about 7 minutes to Epcot and 25 to 30 to Studios. The boat route is Studios-Swan/Dolphin-YC/BC-BW/BWV-Epcot-BW/BWV-YC/BC-S/D-Studios. You have the option of shortening your trip time to about 12 to 15 minutes both to and from Studios by using the S/D pier; there is a brdige you can walk over that is right next to that pier which goes over to the end of the boardwalk.
If you get boardwalk view, you don't really need any requests but some like upper floors (4 or 5). For pool/garden areas, you should request upper floors to get better view. Luna Pool view is good but so is quiet pool but it will not be "busy" there and the quiet pool area gives you the longest walk to the lobby and there is only one set of elevators which are near the lobby; there are stairways spread throughout if you want to go in a direction different than the lobby area; the Luna pool area is easily accessed from the elevators.
You may see reports that you can have very long walk from lobby to room if you are near end of a hallway. Having stayed at AKV Kidani, I know those reports about BWV are greatly exaggerated (the Kidani walk to end rooms is 4 times the distance of any walk at BWV).
Flying Fish is a very good upper scale (meaning still casual but expensive) resataurant. Kouzzina is also very good Greek restaurant although not as good as the Greek Town restaurants in Chicago. Both those take ressies. ESPN is good finger foods (sandwiches, burgers and the like) and excellent viewing if you are a sports fan. Big River Grille is very informal and has good burgers, steak sandwiches and locally brewed specialty beers. Neither of those take reservations. Jellyrolls with its piano players is a nice nightclub. Atlantic Dance is a popular night spot for dancing.
One of the best things about BWV is proximity to restaurants. You are in walking distance to about two dozen-- the Epcot hotel restaurants and the park restaurants. For buffet, very highly recommend Cape May Cafe at Beach Club with its seafood buffet at dinner. Yachtsman's steakhouse is also very good as is Schulas Steakhouse at Dolphin. Also, you can have the pleasure if you like of getting an 8:45 to 9 p.m. reservation at any Epcot restaurant and thus have dinner when the restaurant is almost empty and can stay until 11 when those restaurants actually close and then walk back to your room through a deserted World Showcase.
Although it matters not to us, be aware there is no counter service restaurant at BWV. There is a donut shop for donuts and some sandwiches. In the evening there are also kiosks on the boardwalk for some quick foods but the nearest counter service is at Beach Club (take boat or 15 minute walk) and it is not a breakfast place.
Strolling the boardwalk at night and watching some of the street performers is worth doing at least once while there. For grocery type items there is a Hess store across the street that you can actually walk to if you don't want to pay the
Disney store prices. The main store at BWV is quite large.
Anyone who goes to BWV should at least once walk over to the BWI side and to the outside and rather large area where its quiet pool is and just look around. The area is encapsulated by the buildings and is very pretty but eerie.There are many times you can go around the whole area and never see another human being. It is like Disney World has packed up and left and you are the last man standing.
Now, prepare yourself for the worst thing abourt BWV, its bus sytem. It shares with Swan and Dolphin and sometimes also with YC and BC. I have over many years stayed at many other WDW resorts including all the MK resorts and am also an owner at AKV. Despite any complaints that have been made about those other bus systems, BWVs is much worse. Long trips happen too often and waiting forever for your bus seems to be the norm and not the exception. It is only with BWV buses that I have had, at least once during every trip I have ever made to that resort, a 50 minute or longer wait for a bus to return from MK and when it shows up the driver is unaware that there was any delay. You can have like waits at AK. What can really drive you nuts is that for no apparent reason the bus to MK can go to Swan and then to Dolphin and each of those two stops just sit there for five minutes or more after everyone has boarded (my theory is that they do that to assure I will have that 50 minute wait at MK).
