We are just back from a 10 day stay at BWV. We had room 5009. It is a one BR tucked in the corner of the the Crest of the Wave building. I was really nervous about the refurb. I have mixed feelings about it. They removed a lot of color and went with beige. Boardwalk rooms were always vibrant and alive. Now not so much. It is not horrible, just toned way down. I wish I had pictures from the old days for comparison. However I do love the floors. The bathroom is a plank style tile laid in herring bone. The pattern is continued into the living areas that are the same look, but in vinyl not ceramic. Looks great and feels good to the feet. We loved the art work. Really helped the over all vibe.
The Murphy Bed is a mixed blessing. It is a great bed, but sucky couch. As we don't us the bed, I would want a better couch.
There are no end tables in the living room. Just a roll around coffee table. Really could use end tables.
Workmanship was lacking. Cabinet doors are not aligned, Dishwasher was not attached, things just looked shoddy especially in the kitchen. Other issues was the balcony door was misaligned and was extremely hard to open. That was ok since it was too hot to sit outside.
On the plus side it is a pretty nice refurb. The bed was comfortable, there was a lot of storage for our clothes etc. The hallways are very nice and I love the light fixtures. The lobby refresh was great. Everything looked nice and fresh.
As to the boardwalk itself, I think I am in mourning. The dancehall side is dead. totally dead. The only thing there now is the store. The store is not as well stocked as in the past. It is a shadow of its former self. I miss Big River. We always enjoyed eating there and the empty space just makes the boardwalk feel even more empty. The dueling piano bar leaving really is the last nail in the coffin. The boardwalk used to feel alive. Now not so much. There was some boardwalk entertainment in the evenings. The kid activities that are at all
DVC resorts were pretty well attended, so there is that. We didn't eat at the cake bake shop. it is really nice, but just couldn't enjoy a $22 piece of cake. Disney really needs to revitalize the boardwalk. Or at least have better QS options. Deli is great and there is the Corndogs and Pizza window, but nothing on the Villa side.
I did hear rumors of a jazz club coming but nothing concrete.
The view was a little obstructed. We could still see the Epcot fireworks. That was really nice. The staff was top notch as usual. Really cannot say enough good things about them. Cheerful, and willing to help. They really make the stay,
So I don't hate the refurb as I was afraid I would. All in not too bad.