Would you purchase Beach Club or Boardwalk?

[AshleeH]

First of all, if we add DVC resale points, whatever resale resort we buy into will be an additional Home Resort? I want to make sure my information on that is correct.

We are already DVC members (Aulani), but we are considering adding some points in the future to benefit our WDW vacations. We tend to stay in MK resorts, so we are going to add Bay Lake in the future, but after our Fall 2016 vacation, it will be a few years before we stay at BLT again, so it makes sense to wait on adding them there.

If we add some this year, it would benefit mine and my husband's Couples trip at the end of 2017 - we love the Epcot area but have never stayed in the Epcot resorts. I'm sure we will stay there a lot once our kids are not so young, but I'm wondering what DISers consider the better option? Beach Club villas or Boardwalk? We've been to both, but having never stayed there, it's hard to judge a hotel based on the lobby and exterior.

I plan to do a lot more research on both before buying in again, but I like getting a variety of opinions before a big decision.

 

[jimmytammy]

We own at BWV as a second resort(VWL is our 1st buy). We have stayed at BCV once, BWV numerous times. We lean towards BWV, you can book standard views which save some pts., plus proximity to both parks is better overall. BCV affords you a quicker trip to Epcot by walks, but further than BWV by walks to HS. BCV has that great pool, so that would be my only nod that way.

 

[POTCfan]

Whatever resort you buy, will be an additional home resort, but the points remain separate. You can't combine them for a common reservation until the 7 month mark. So if you only got 25 points at BWV, you could bank and borrow for a 75 point reservation at the 11 month mark at BWV. At the 7 month mark, you can also use your Aulani points at BWV.

 

[AshleeH]

Whatever resort you buy, will be an additional home resort, but the points remain separate. You can't combine them for a common reservation until the 7 month mark. So if you only got 25 points at BWV, you could bank and borrow for a 75 point reservation at the 11 month mark at BWV. At the 7 month mark, you can also use your Aulani points at BWV.

Thank you, that's helpful! Banking/borrowing is not a problem - we only ever take one Disney vacation a year, so it wouldn't be an issue to make sure there were enough points available to cover it, as long as they allow the initial reservation. My husband and I love the Food & Wine Festival, so that's the main draw to buy in an EP resort at this time and get the 11 month window instead of (more than likely) being wait-listed at 7 months out.

 

[khassard]

We own at both. Have stayed at BWV once and BCV 3 times. The big draw for us is the Stormalong Bay. We have two boys (10 and 8) and they could spend all day at the pool. As much as we love the BWV we are drawn to the BCV every visit (split stay with BLT). So I guess that is my answer. Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Had added on BCV. Ended up selling it and buying BWV. So, I'd buy BWV. This is one of those things where it's almost best to try them both out before buying if you haven't yet stayed or don't have any real idea about them.

 

[jekjones1558]

We love the views and the location of BWV and we are not big on the Stormalong Bay pool. If you really like that pool then buying BCV would likely be a good choice for you. BCV is quite a bit smaller than BWV, so often harder to book there at 7 months. The standard view rooms at BWV are very popular for those who like to stretch points and those rooms book quickly also. We prefer BW view and BW view rooms are about the same number of points as BCV rooms, even though there are not any really great views at BCV. Staying at each would be ideal but if you can't do that then for sure do some walking around both resorts so you get a feel for the vibe at each. Only BWV has grand villas and only BCV has 2 bedrooms with 2 queens in the second bedroom, if those types of rooms are important to you.

 

[SleighBelle]

My vote goes to BCV. . . Love that place! But agree that you should try both (if you can) before you buy.

 

[pmaurer74]

BCV is harder to get into at the 7 month mark and has a great pool!

 

[bobbiwoz]

We own at both, and we go to WDW more than once a year. The standard view points at BWV are great for point stretching, and it's a nice slide (if you tolerate clowns) but for our summer trips, I always try for BCV and Storm Along Bay.

 

[AshleeH]

We love the views and the location of BWV and we are not big on the Stormalong Bay pool. If you really like that pool then buying BCV would likely be a good choice for you. BCV is quite a bit smaller than BWV, so often harder to book there at 7 months. The standard view rooms at BWV are very popular for those who like to stretch points and those rooms book quickly also. We prefer BW view and BW view rooms are about the same number of points as BCV rooms, even though there are not any really great views at BCV. Staying at each would be ideal but if you can't do that then for sure do some walking around both resorts so you get a feel for the vibe at each. Only BWV has grand villas and only BCV has 2 bedrooms with 2 queens in the second bedroom, if those types of rooms are important to you.

Thank you - views tend to be important to us, so that will factor into our decision. We've stayed with savanna views and theme park views, so we're a bit spoiled in that regard. But we also spend a midday break back at the hotel (and when we have a theme park view, we try to have at least two nights where we're back in time to enjoy the fireworks from the balcony) so we're not the "just in the hotel room to sleep" family. That being said, we nearly always get 2 bedrooms/2 queens for the second bedroom and I didn't even think about that, so that might give BCV the edge.

We own at both, and we go to WDW more than once a year. The standard view points at BWV are great for point stretching, and it's a nice slide (if you tolerate clowns) but for our summer trips, I always try for BCV and Storm Along Bay.

I'd forgotten all about the clown - my husband might veto BWV for that alone.


Thank you, everyone!

 

[disneynutz]

Doesn't matter what I think or where I love to stay, all that matters is what you think. The only way to find that out is for you to try before you buy. For every person that posts the reasons why they love a resort, another can post that they dislike the resort for the same reasons.

Bill

 

[AshleeH]

Doesn't matter what I think or where I love to stay, all that matters is what you think. The only way to find that out is for you to try before you buy. For every person that posts the reasons why they love a resort, another can post that they dislike the resort for the same reasons.

Bill

In a perfect world, this is what we would do. Unfortunately my husband only gets one week of vacation a year - it would take several years to try out the resorts we love (for the look/convenience, etc.). Or several split-stays - and we loathe split-stays.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have stayed in DVC accommodations in every single DVC resort , and there is none that I have decided that I would avoid at all costs. I think for Food and Wine these days, you really have to own and book in the home resort period, or be lucky. It's not the same as staying there, but you do get a feel for what's available at each resort by visiting. The Boadwalk has lots of activities in evenings, more dining choices right there. The counter service that I like there is Boardwalk bakery, the Beach Club has it's Marketplace.

I bought BWV in 2003, because of the lower point option, and my Mom always loved to stay at the Boadwalk Inn. We had many wonderful trips there. However when my grandchildren came around, my extended family definitely wanted the option of 2 queens in the second bedroom of a 2 bedroom, so we bought into BCV.

This year we have 2 BWV stays and 2 BCV stays, each serving a purpose for us.

 

[AshleeH]

I have stayed in DVC accommodations in every single DVC resort , and there is none that I have decided that I would avoid at all costs. I think for Food and Wine these days, you really have to own and book in the home resort period, or be lucky. It's not the same as staying there, but you do get a feel for what's available at each resort by visiting. The Boadwalk has lots of activities in evenings, more dining choices right there. The counter service that I like there is Boardwalk bakery, the Beach Club has it's Marketplace.

I bought BWV in 2003, because of the lower point option, and my Mom always loved to stay at the Boadwalk Inn. We had many wonderful trips there. However when my grandchildren came around, my extended family definitely wanted the option of 2 queens in the second bedroom of a 2 bedroom, so we bought into BCV.

This year we have 2 BWV stays and 2 BCV stays, each serving a purpose for us.

Thanks! Yes, Food and Wine is going to be the priority when my husband and I go on our trip (just him and me), so I'd like to add some points later this year and be able to book at the 11 month mark. We tend to be easy to please - the only resort we've stayed in that we didn't love was Wilderness Lodge (but that is only because it's remarkably similar to the area we live, so it didn't feel like we were on vacation).

I don't think we would regret either BWV or BCV and I don't think we could go wrong with either, but I'd like to try and figure out the perfect fit, not just the right fit . We're eventually going to buy into BLT (which we love), but after our trip this year, it will be 2-3 years before we are able to work in a trip to BLT again, so it makes sense to wait on those points and buy into an Epcot resort. And at the same time, we're looking toward the future - when we have no kids at home, our vacations will be more Epcot centered. But - far in the future - we'll want to take our kids and grandchildren, so there are a lot of factors to consider .

 

[disneynutz]

In a perfect world, this is what we would do. Unfortunately my husband only gets one week of vacation a year - it would take several years to try out the resorts we love (for the look/convenience, etc.). Or several split-stays - and we loathe split-stays.

In that case it will be a best guess. Others were talking up how wonderful BLT was going to be when it opened, we bought prior to opening and after several stays, we decided that we don't care for the place but you will find many posts of how others love it.

Good luck and remember you can always sell and adjust later.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thank you - views tend to be important to us, so that will factor into our decision. We've stayed with savanna views and theme park views, so we're a bit spoiled in that regard. But we also spend a midday break back at the hotel (and when we have a theme park view, we try to have at least two nights where we're back in time to enjoy the fireworks from the balcony) so we're not the "just in the hotel room to sleep" family. That being said, we nearly always get 2 bedrooms/2 queens for the second bedroom and I didn't even think about that, so that might give BCV the edge.



I'd forgotten all about the clown - my husband might veto BWV for that alone.


Thank you, everyone!

The big downside for BWV is that all the 2BR's are lock-offs. But on the otherhand it has GV's which BCV doesn't. And I love the Boardwalk view and BCV has nothing even close. The standard view is also great for using less points and the location can't be beat for walking to DHS. For me I decided that the slightly better location for both parks, the views and the Boardwalk and standard view categories made it worth the switch. And we still stay at BCV, probably as much as when we owned there which was just periodically. I also realized that if I wanted a view room at BC/BCV it was going to have to be cash thru CRO so I could rent out points and do that and be just as happy. And BWV cost less so we came out ahead in the switch.

The clown slide? Clowns are NOT a favorite of mine however I find it incredibly amusing to watch people get spit out it's mouth.

 

[cjwags10]

We have stayed at both BCV and BWV. When we stayed at BWV, our room (a 2-bedroom) was way down a long hallway making the walk to get to Epcot very long. We definitely don't mind walking and expect to on a Disney trip, but not that long from our room. We are not fans of the décor and definitely not the clown pool, but we do enjoy the Boardwalk Bakery, The Flying Fish and some of the other restaurants on the Boardwalk side. We love the area in general and enjoy going for walks/runs around the lake. We love the décor of BCV and love all the little sitting areas. We also love the restaurants and small bar areas by the Beach Club and Yacht Club. The Marketplace is great for counter service, the pool is definitely the best and the short walk to Epcot can't be beat. There is really nothing we don't like about BCV. We do enjoy sitting on the balcony and have never been bothered by the view.

 

[AshleeH]

We have stayed at both BCV and BWV. When we stayed at BWV, our room (a 2-bedroom) was way down a long hallway making the walk to get to Epcot very long. We definitely don't mind walking and expect to on a Disney trip, but not that long from our room. We are not fans of the décor and definitely not the clown pool, but we do enjoy the Boardwalk Bakery, The Flying Fish and some of the other restaurants on the Boardwalk side. We love the area in general and enjoy going for walks/runs around the lake. We love the décor of BCV and love all the little sitting areas. We also love the restaurants and small bar areas by the Beach Club and Yacht Club. The Marketplace is great for counter service, the pool is definitely the best and the short walk to Epcot can't be beat. There is really nothing we don't like about BCV. We do enjoy sitting on the balcony and have never been bothered by the view.

I know what you mean about the long walk - we stayed at Kidani Village on our first family trip. We were in a 2 bedroom which was at the very end of the hotel... and my husband chose to do valet parking that week. I told him, "Congratulations, you saved two minutes getting your car and we walked (not even kidding) nearly a mile to get to our room every night!" I timed it once because I knew my average pace/time for a mile and it was not far off. We loved AKL, but not that particular aspect.

From pictures, I love the decor at the Beach Club, but like you, the Boardwalk decor doesn't impress me at all. I'm definitely leaning toward Beach Club.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We are not fans of the décor ....

The new decor? It has a lot of similarities to the new BCV decor.