Just returned from a job interview in the Orlando area. While there, I went over to WDW a few times to look around the BCV (our first trip is scheduled for Nov.) and to just hang out around WDW and soak up the atmosphere. A couple of thoughts:
1) Just what is up with those fenced in areas on the roof of the BCV? I actually tried to go up there via the stairwells. If you look at the signs in the stairwells the ones near the main elevators actually say "Roof Access", while the ones at the end of the buildings say "No roof access". There is a full sized door at the top of the stairs, but it was locked. It sure would be cool if they let you go up there to watch Illuminations.
2) The lowest room numbers are closest to the BC. Rooms in the 40s and 50s are in the wing the extends back from the main building. Rooms in the 60s and 70s are farthest from the BC.
3) There is a 2 bedroom lockoff (Room 108) open daily from 9am to 5pm for viewing.
4) Pool hours from Dunes Cove were 7am to 11pm, but there were people swimming at midnight on Monday 8/5.
5) Some of those balconies are huge! If you had a big enough table and enough chairs, it be a great place to eat meals, play games, or just hang out.
6) Still almost no BCV merchandise in the shop. One very plain T-shirt with BCV on the front and a large general DVC logo on the back. There was a 10th anniversary DVC polo shirt, but it was not specifc to the BCV.
7) There is some work being done around SAB (probably painting), but it didn't look like any of the pool itself was closed.
8) Over at the Disney Institute, there is one of the mesh green fences up around the old villas that will be torn down, but it didn't look like any demolition work had started. I know there are mixed feelings about this site, but I think that people will really like being so close to DD. It is REALLY close to the Marketplace and it will be so easy to walk over for meals and shopping. Plus the Marketplace bus stop is at the end closest to the new DVC site, so it will be easy to walk over and catch a bus direct to any of the other hotels. They could easily put in a boat shuttle to the West Side dock as well, which would save a long walk to that area.
9) From the intersection of Hotel Plaza Blvd. and 535, it is only 0.7 miles to the new Winn Dixie grocery store. There is also an ABC beverage store (beer/wine/liquor) in that complex.
10) Mission Space looks pretty cool from the Epcot monorail.
11) We talked a lot about how close BCV was to Epcot Resorts Blvd. and about how much noise you might hear from the road. Well, over at Universal, you should see how close their new hotel (Royal Pacific?) is to Interstate 4! Talk about noise and a bad view (especially when you throw in all the strip malls you can see). Don't get me wrong, I like the Universal parks, but it just seems that for all of our concern here about BCVs proximity to a small road, that things really could be a lot worse elsewhere.
That's all for now.
1) Just what is up with those fenced in areas on the roof of the BCV? I actually tried to go up there via the stairwells. If you look at the signs in the stairwells the ones near the main elevators actually say "Roof Access", while the ones at the end of the buildings say "No roof access". There is a full sized door at the top of the stairs, but it was locked. It sure would be cool if they let you go up there to watch Illuminations.
2) The lowest room numbers are closest to the BC. Rooms in the 40s and 50s are in the wing the extends back from the main building. Rooms in the 60s and 70s are farthest from the BC.
3) There is a 2 bedroom lockoff (Room 108) open daily from 9am to 5pm for viewing.
4) Pool hours from Dunes Cove were 7am to 11pm, but there were people swimming at midnight on Monday 8/5.
5) Some of those balconies are huge! If you had a big enough table and enough chairs, it be a great place to eat meals, play games, or just hang out.
6) Still almost no BCV merchandise in the shop. One very plain T-shirt with BCV on the front and a large general DVC logo on the back. There was a 10th anniversary DVC polo shirt, but it was not specifc to the BCV.
7) There is some work being done around SAB (probably painting), but it didn't look like any of the pool itself was closed.
8) Over at the Disney Institute, there is one of the mesh green fences up around the old villas that will be torn down, but it didn't look like any demolition work had started. I know there are mixed feelings about this site, but I think that people will really like being so close to DD. It is REALLY close to the Marketplace and it will be so easy to walk over for meals and shopping. Plus the Marketplace bus stop is at the end closest to the new DVC site, so it will be easy to walk over and catch a bus direct to any of the other hotels. They could easily put in a boat shuttle to the West Side dock as well, which would save a long walk to that area.
9) From the intersection of Hotel Plaza Blvd. and 535, it is only 0.7 miles to the new Winn Dixie grocery store. There is also an ABC beverage store (beer/wine/liquor) in that complex.
10) Mission Space looks pretty cool from the Epcot monorail.
11) We talked a lot about how close BCV was to Epcot Resorts Blvd. and about how much noise you might hear from the road. Well, over at Universal, you should see how close their new hotel (Royal Pacific?) is to Interstate 4! Talk about noise and a bad view (especially when you throw in all the strip malls you can see). Don't get me wrong, I like the Universal parks, but it just seems that for all of our concern here about BCVs proximity to a small road, that things really could be a lot worse elsewhere.
That's all for now.
