The I Love BWV (yes, Hallways and Clown Pool too!) Thread

[sethschroeder]

Does anyone have pictures or know of a video that shows the now fully refurbished market?

https://www.wdwmagic.com/shopping/s...neral-store-refurbishment---april-3,-2025.htm

Couldn't find anything more recent that walked through the store.

 

[AstroBlasters]

https://www.wdwmagic.com/shopping/s...neral-store-refurbishment---april-3,-2025.htm

Couldn't find anything more recent that walked through the store.

Thank you

 

[RickNJane]

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.

 

[Girlstar30]

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.

Is this considered a boardwalk view?

 

[RickNJane]

Is this considered a boardwalk view?

Yes. We were a little disappointed but all in all not too bad

 

[drusba]

Is this considered a boardwalk view

It is a boardwalk view room in the last section of boardwalk view rooms called the Crest O" The Wave section, which the DVC Preview Center is in, before you get to what used to be the dueling piano bar (named Jellyrolls), see https://www.disboards.com/media/bwv-boardwalk-view.62896/

 

[mrsap]

Screen Door General Store Refurbishment Complete with Reopening of Thimbles & Threads at Disney’s BoardWalk​

The renovation of Screen Door General Store at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is complete, and the shop has reopened.


Screen Door General Store encompasses the Thimbles & Threads and Disney’s Character Carnival facades, making one big store. It’s located along the boardwalk next to Promenade Fine Art Galleries.



The refurbishment began in Februaryand took place in phases so Screen Door General Store could remain open during construction. The Thimbles & Threads section at the end furthest from the BoardWalk Inn lobby was the last part to be renovated. It has reopened, marking the end of the project.



Work included replacing the flooring with light wood paneling and neutral-toned tile. Most of the store previously had blue and red patterned carpeting with some dark wood sections.



Dark wood beams on the walls were painted white. The previously white walls were painted a soft sea green. Check-out counters feature a similar color scheme, and the merchandise displays on the floor are now white instead of brown.


The larger check-out counters were demolished in favor of smaller counters, creating more space for navigating the store.



The counters have highlights of gold paint. A blue circle on the front features gold filigree creating a Mickey icon. Similar blue and gold adornments are in front of the cash registers.


Behind the counters are artworks of Mickey & Friends enjoying boardwalk offerings. A “Character Carnival” piece depicts Mickey and Minnie on a carousel. Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar are pictured with hats on “Thimbles & Threads” artwork.


The merchandise shelves were painted with a lighter wood finish. There are new props accenting the merchandise, including jars of real thimbles and threads. New artwork made of painted buttons depicts Mickey and Minnie enjoying ice cream and a surrey bike.



A display case holds various patterned ties, with an image of Mickey on the front. Spools of thread are in a case behind the “Disney’s BoardWalk Resort” wordmark.


At first glance, these two pieces may appear to be just displays of thread. But look closer — the color blocking of each spool of thread represents a different Disney character. You may recognize Winnie the Pooh and Piglet; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Anna, Elsa, and Olaf; and Goofy, Pluto, Mickey, and Minnie.



The store’s ceiling lights have also been replaced. Instead of lights shaped like table lamps with shades, the store has new gold and green chandeliers with orb-shaped lamps.


For comparison, above are two pictures from early on during the refurbishment process showing how the store used to look. Like other recent shop refurbishments, the aim of this project seemed to be to brighten up the space and create more room for foot traffic.

 

[juliebee]

We just got back from a Boardwalk view studio stay and I fell in love with many things about this resort. We were in room 5031 with an excellent view of the Epcot ball and fireworks. The view was magical!! Loved the light and bright room decor. Adored everything about our stay except for the lack of resort dining was a minus for us as well as the inconvenient boats. I didn't realize they stop at Beach/Yacht and Swan/Dolphin so every boat trip was long. I understand why everyone walks to Hollywood Studios and Epcot! The walks to those parks are reasonable but my husband needs knee replacements so we tried to minimize the outside-of-the-parks walking since we couldn't minimize the walking in the parks (unless he got a scooter). I was completely fine with the walks to the parks, but I don't have his health conditions. The distance seemed to be about 0.3 miles to Epcot and 0.8 miles to Hollywood Studios. Walking is much quicker than waiting for the boats. Hope to be back again at Boardwalk at some point, it's a real delight!
View from 5031

 

[juliebee]

The renovation of Screen Door General Store at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is complete, and the shop has reopened.​

For comparison, above are two pictures from early on during the refurbishment process showing how the store used to look. Like other recent shop refurbishments, the aim of this project seemed to be to brighten up the space and create more room for foot traffic.

We were just there and it struck both my husband and myself that the store looked too have too much floor space. As shown in the pictures, it almost seemed to be missing some floor displays as there was a LOT of room between the racks. I understand wanting room to move especially with strollers and such, but it had a vibe of looking incomplete because of the excess room.

 

[Girlstar30]

We were just there and it struck both my husband and myself that the store looked too have too much floor space. As shown in the pictures, it almost seemed to be missing some floor displays as there was a LOT of room between the racks. I understand wanting room to move especially with strollers and such, but it had a vibe of looking incomplete because of the excess room.

I thought that when I looked at the pictures too

 

[Best Aunt]

We were just there and it struck both my husband and myself that the store looked too have too much floor space. As shown in the pictures, it almost seemed to be missing some floor displays as there was a LOT of room between the racks. I understand wanting room to move especially with strollers and such, but it had a vibe of looking incomplete because of the excess room.

I thought that when I looked at the pictures too

Add me to the "I think the pictures make it look like there's less merch in the Boardwalk gift shop post-refurb" group.

 

[CarolynFH]

We were just there and it struck both my husband and myself that the store looked too have too much floor space. As shown in the pictures, it almost seemed to be missing some floor displays as there was a LOT of room between the racks. I understand wanting room to move especially with strollers and such, but it had a vibe of looking incomplete because of the excess room.

I wonder if they'll add more merchandise now that the refurb is complete and they don't have to cram everything into just part of the store while the other part is worked on. If not, is this to allow those double wide strollers to navigate throughout the store?

 

[RickNJane]

I would love to hear from others as to whether there was fragrance in their villas. Is it being infused into all of the villas? Or was it an attempt to fix a problem in this particular villa, and the solution employed (cleaning product? air freshener?) unfortunately involved a fragrance?

We just got back from a tip to BWV. I did not smell any fragrance. I did smell the scent of the shampoo, etc. It is pretty distinctive. We did visit Jambo and Kindani. Their lobbies did seem to have a pleasing scent, but I could not put my finger on it. I am also sensitive to perfumes and have not had any issues. That is not to say there is not any fragrance being used. Walking through cosmetics in a department store is enough to set me off, so I do feel for ya.

 

[RickNJane]

I wonder if they'll add more merchandise now that the refurb is complete and they don't have to cram everything into just part of the store while the other part is worked on. If not, is this to allow those double wide strollers to navigate throughout the store?

On our recent trip (last week) I think there was still construction walls on the far end. (Furtherest from the lobby). I also agree that the store seemed pretty empty.

 

[elgerber]

I was going to comment the same thing. Way too much empty floor space. They need more merchandise. It was already somewhat lacking before the refurb, but this just looks empty.

 

[sethschroeder]

I wonder if they'll add more merchandise now that the refurb is complete and they don't have to cram everything into just part of the store while the other part is worked on. If not, is this to allow those double wide strollers to navigate throughout the store?

They dont have enough unique merch to fill the space to really worry about it. Make it easy to walk through instead of a circus act like that shop at the IG entering Epcot.

Now if they were actually going to do a bunch of unique merch then I would be on board but if its the same stuff as everywhere else then just leave the space a little more open.

 

[Mouseforward]

It felt like there was less quantity. It used to be my favorite store because it had tons of extra stuff in it verse beach club or Riviera. Now I feel like all the hotels have the same stuff. The only exception is. M. Mouse in grand Floridian, which has a higher quality of clothing.