Boardwalk Villas or Bay Lake Tower?

[bobbiwoz]

Right now, NYE eve, we are at BLT to see the fireworks from TOTW, tomorrow we head to BWV, to see NYE fireworks at EPCOT.

Like them both, enjoy all stays in each!

We bought BLT specifically to use TOTW lounge on the black out dates December 30 and July 3.

We feel the same as we did. In fact, this NYE eve, we are again at BLT and hopefully, we will have fireworks to see!
This year, however, we head to DCL to hopefully see NYE fireworks from the Dream!! ( We do have NYE booked at BWV, JUST IN CASE DCL still isn’t sailing!

 

[Sandisw]

BLT. I much prefer that style of resort and love being able to walk easily to MK. I also love how it’s so easy to get to other resorts for food and drinks, especially without going into the rain!

We originally bought when BLT was built because that location was where we did most of our cash stays.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Last Year for NYE...No fireworks and still No ToW but still went and will be there again this year...It is tradition
Many guests hopefully waited for midnight Castle firework countdown from their BLT balconies... I had standard view first floor so we stood on Bridge and We all counted down at the top of our voices to Wish Disney a Happy New Year, a kiss goodnight to Mickey from the guests for a change , to show belief that magic will return We alll believed that night, last year!
It will probably be one of my top 10 memories.
I hate photos with mask but had my 2 grandchildren stand under the holiday tree on Main Street with their complimentary 2021 Happy New Year hats and face masks and professional photograper to purchase .Best keepsake photo ever for them !
Off topic but good place to add.I am saving those photos and other memories for them to discover someday from their grandmother (I am 70) and they have been with me for every Fourth of July and NYE for 10+ years. Grandma is way more fun than parents! Someday they will discover my treasure trove of memories with Disney Dollars ( including $50 momento from DL 50 th Anniversary) and many unique items that can’t be found at Disney anymore... I have old Disney Maps including the original DCA WallSize Map given Free to everybody that entered the turnstiles on Opening Day... Free will be a foreign word to future generations. They won’t know or understand the meaning.

 

[purpliequeen]

Really tough. Both are great resorts and themeing so different. Depends on park faves. For all adults, BWV all day every day. Proximity to two great parks, Epcot being my fave. Not to mention ALL the restaurants & entertainment/eating to do on the Boardwalk & BC/YC. Love renting the Surrey bikes. All around great vibe. Even happier now that that clown is gone from the pool!

 

[Marionnette]

My opinion hasn't changed since this thread was first posted. Both resorts have their fans. For me, the only draw to BLT is the proximity to the MK and ability to walk there. The esthetic does not appeal to me at all. Although more and more, DVC refurbs are making every DVC villa look like a Hilton Vacation Club unit. There's nothing that says "Hey! I'm at Disney's Boardwalk Villas!" When you wake up in the morning. Oh how I miss that crazy teacup lamp!

 

[DVCRSheridan]

Does anyone feel differently 3 years later? We haven’t stayed at either; we usually always stay at AKL. As our girls are older we are thinking the benefit of close to nightlife may be worth it.

So for us, when I originally posted this, these 2 were our no doubt top 2 with BWV being our preference. A few years later, they're still without a doubt our 2 favorites, but I would say it's more of a toss-up now in terms of preference. We now have 3 little ones (well 2, with the 3rd coming next month lol), so some of the benefits of BLT have become a little more important to us. Obviously the walk to MK goes without saying. Can't beat that with 3 little ones, stroller etc... The 2 splash pad areas at BLT/CR are awesome for our kids and a very welcome alternative to just the pools. We also enjoy the "food court" at BLT/CR. Not that it's anything special, but it just provides a lot of quick options for all of us as opposed to having to sitdown for every meal. This is big for us because we tend to do longer trips and sitting down for every meal adds up quick, especially with multiple kiddos now. The theme park reservation system has changed our thinking a little bit as well. When staying at BWV, we would often walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to MK rather than taking the bus. That's not really an option with the reservation system now in place (obviously the EPCOT monorail isn't even currently running, but I'd imagine it will be at some point relatively soon). Whereas from BLT, we can still just hop on the EPCOT monorail (once it's running again) without needing a park reservation. We also REALLY love the 1bdrm's at BLT. Especially when we can get that backdoor theme park view in a Lake view room. Even the lake views are great though. So I guess for now it seems like maybe our preference has flipped to BLT, but I really think it's just a toss-up for us. We love both and wouldn't hesitate to stay at either. For our upcoming trip this fall, we basically decided to allow availability to make the choice for us. More ended up opening up at BLT so we went with BLT (as of now, 19 nights at BLT this fall for us and we couldn't be more excited). If it had been the other way around, we would've been just as happy!

 

[npatellye]

We’ve stayed at both and BLT is our favorite. We like the ability to walk to MK (important with our girls still being huge MK fans at 8 and almost 6), the food options at CR, and that extra full bathroom at BLT in the 1 bedroom was huge for us. With that being said, we don’t love being at BLT because it just seems as if our trips are so hectic and fast paced there. We balanced our last trip with an equal number of nights at OKW after BLT and it seemed much more relaxing once we left BLT, even though we drove everywhere from OKW.

 

[DVCRSheridan]

We’ve stayed at both and BLT is our favorite. We like the ability to walk to MK (important with our girls still being huge MK fans at 8 and almost 6), the food options at CR, and that extra full bathroom at BLT in the 1 bedroom was huge for us. With that being said, we don’t love being at BLT because it just seems as if our trips are so hectic and fast paced there. We balanced our last trip with an equal number of nights at OKW after BLT and it seemed much more relaxing once we left BLT, even though we drove everywhere from OKW.

Your point about how hectic BLT is is definitely something to keep in mind. When you’re there for longer trips, you want some nights to just chill and take it easy. That’s not always easy at BLT. That’s really the biggest thing that we miss about BWV whenever we stay at BLT instead. Some nights you just wanna be able to take an easy stroll around the lake at BWV. Maybe grab some ice cream, maybe play a little mini-golf, just hang out on the BW, etc... That’s not really an option at BLT and you definitely start to feel it on longer trips.

 

[DduzDis]

So for us, when I originally posted this, these 2 were our no doubt top 2 with BWV being our preference. A few years later, they're still without a doubt our 2 favorites, but I would say it's more of a toss-up now in terms of preference. We now have 3 little ones (well 2, with the 3rd coming next month lol), so some of the benefits of BLT have become a little more important to us. Obviously the walk to MK goes without saying. Can't beat that with 3 little ones, stroller etc... The 2 splash pad areas at BLT/CR are awesome for our kids and a very welcome alternative to just the pools. We also enjoy the "food court" at BLT/CR. Not that it's anything special, but it just provides a lot of quick options for all of us as opposed to having to sitdown for every meal. This is big for us because we tend to do longer trips and sitting down for every meal adds up quick, especially with multiple kiddos now. The theme park reservation system has changed our thinking a little bit as well. When staying at BWV, we would often walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to MK rather than taking the bus. That's not really an option with the reservation system now in place (obviously the EPCOT monorail isn't even currently running, but I'd imagine it will be at some point relatively soon). Whereas from BLT, we can still just hop on the EPCOT monorail (once it's running again) without needing a park reservation. We also REALLY love the 1bdrm's at BLT. Especially when we can get that backdoor theme park view in a Lake view room. Even the lake views are great though. So I guess for now it seems like maybe our preference has flipped to BLT, but I really think it's just a toss-up for us. We love both and wouldn't hesitate to stay at either. For our upcoming trip this fall, we basically decided to allow availability to make the choice for us. More ended up opening up at BLT so we went with BLT (as of now, 19 nights at BLT this fall for us and we couldn't be more excited). If it had been the other way around, we would've been just as happy!

This sums us up pretty precisely as well. BLT will always have a nostalgic place for us as it was our first. But we love BWV as well. They are two very different vibes. We tend to wander resorts more when at BLT (Poly, Trader Sam's, WL - Geyser Point, GF lobby) and tend to wander into the WS (UK Pavilion - R&C, and more rides) when at BWV. I do love to watch the fireworks at EP and take the IG back home. I can't wait until those days return to the parks.

 

[DougEMG]

We normally do split stays at both BWV and BLT, with more days being spent at BWV than BLT. I prefer BWV because you can walk to 2 parks, the cheaper point costs and the boardwalk vibe.

 

[808blessing]

Never stayed at BLT but for next trip I will stay at BW with a day or two at BLT. MK is soooo far so that will save on our journey plus a pool break and TOTW in the eve sounds very nice!

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

I stayed in a 2BR at BLT last summer and as far as the room itself goes, that was my favorite DVC room I’ve ever been in. Aside from that, it’s BWV for me all the way. Every time I go to WDW and don’t stay at a Crescent Lake resort, I feel like I’m missing out on something. I love that area, love the proximity to Epcot and DHS. BLT, for me, lacks character, the pool is awful, but I loved the 3rd bathroom in the 2BR, our lake view, the walk to MK, and proximity to my new favorite restaurant, the Wave.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

We have owned at BWV since 2000 and it was our favorite DVC resort to stay at because of the walkability to 2 parks.

Flash forward 21 years after staying at BWV numerous times. Both our kids are in college, one graduating this May, and we are empty nesters. Oldest DD will be living in Orlando in Windermere.

I refuse to go to the parks without a AP. Haven't used regular tickets in about 20 years and don't even want to try to figure it out. Until then, we just use our DVC without going into the parks at all. Therefore, we have actually preferred BLT. We have easy access to all the MK resort restaurants and we are super close to our daughter's place in Windermere.

The view from BLT is good in any direction. I never really cared about the view at BWV. It was usually of the entrance car portico when we snagged a std view villa.

 

[kboo]

Does anyone feel differently 3 years later? We haven’t stayed at either; we usually always stay at AKL. As our girls are older we are thinking the benefit of close to nightlife may be worth it.

I just voted now before realizing this was an old thread! BLT and BWV were our two thoughts for "first" home resorts back in 2017, and it was only because an offer on a BLT contract that checked the boxes got accepted first that we ended up with BLT. For 2042 reasons, we ended up not pursuing owning at BWV, but we have used our DVC points at BWV since then, and still love staying there.

Really tough. Both are great resorts and themeing so different. Depends on park faves. For all adults, BWV all day every day. Proximity to two great parks, Epcot being my fave. Not to mention ALL the restaurants & entertainment/eating to do on the Boardwalk & BC/YC. Love renting the Surrey bikes. All around great vibe. Even happier now that that clown is gone from the pool!

I didn't mind the clown, but if it kept people away and made it easier to book at 7mo, I was all for it! haha. We've stayed at BWV since the pandemic started and it's quiet and a little sad because we used to take a family photobooth selfie whenever we could, and we will have a couple years of missing pics. But - the location is peaceful and serene now, and lovely in the early morning. With the new park pass and hopping, staying at BWV is great for hopping into EP for dinner and for the evening. And my kids now love Galaxy's Edge, so there's that too.

So for us, when I originally posted this, these 2 were our no doubt top 2 with BWV being our preference. A few years later, they're still without a doubt our 2 favorites, but I would say it's more of a toss-up now in terms of preference. We now have 3 little ones (well 2, with the 3rd coming next month lol), so some of the benefits of BLT have become a little more important to us. Obviously the walk to MK goes without saying. Can't beat that with 3 little ones, stroller etc... The 2 splash pad areas at BLT/CR are awesome for our kids and a very welcome alternative to just the pools. We also enjoy the "food court" at BLT/CR. Not that it's anything special, but it just provides a lot of quick options for all of us as opposed to having to sitdown for every meal. This is big for us because we tend to do longer trips and sitting down for every meal adds up quick, especially with multiple kiddos now. The theme park reservation system has changed our thinking a little bit as well. When staying at BWV, we would often walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to MK rather than taking the bus. That's not really an option with the reservation system now in place (obviously the EPCOT monorail isn't even currently running, but I'd imagine it will be at some point relatively soon). Whereas from BLT, we can still just hop on the EPCOT monorail (once it's running again) without needing a park reservation. We also REALLY love the 1bdrm's at BLT. Especially when we can get that backdoor theme park view in a Lake view room. Even the lake views are great though. So I guess for now it seems like maybe our preference has flipped to BLT, but I really think it's just a toss-up for us. We love both and wouldn't hesitate to stay at either. For our upcoming trip this fall, we basically decided to allow availability to make the choice for us. More ended up opening up at BLT so we went with BLT (as of now, 19 nights at BLT this fall for us and we couldn't be more excited). If it had been the other way around, we would've been just as happy!

Congratulations! We were deciding between BLT and BWV when we bought our first contract, which ended up being BLT. MK is still our kids' favorite park, and the last two trips we stayed in the EP/HS and AK areas, and every time we went to MK it was a hassle! Next trip, we will be spending a week at an MK resort, which will be great. We are looking forward to walking to MK rather than walking, waiting, waiting, riding, etc. And BLT standard is a great deal on points close to MK.

This sums us up pretty precisely as well. BLT will always have a nostalgic place for us as it was our first. But we love BWV as well. They are two very different vibes. We tend to wander resorts more when at BLT (Poly, Trader Sam's, WL - Geyser Point, GF lobby) and tend to wander into the WS (UK Pavilion - R&C, and more rides) when at BWV. I do love to watch the fireworks at EP and take the IG back home. I can't wait until those days return to the parks.

Agree 100%! We've gone back to WDW twice during the pandemic, and we've wandered (hopped) into EP for afternoon/evening/dinner (while staying at BCV, BWV and even RIV) enough times that on this last trip, we only made a park pass for EP on our departure day because we wanted to go in from 10a-12p. It was such a nice way to unwind after a more hectic day at HS or MK. (AK was pretty relaxed all the time.)

 

[DduzDis]

Agree 100%! We've gone back to WDW twice during the pandemic, and we've wandered (hopped) into EP for afternoon/evening/dinner (while staying at BCV, BWV and even RIV) enough times that on this last trip, we only made a park pass for EP on our departure day because we wanted to go in from 10a-12p. It was such a nice way to unwind after a more hectic day at HS or MK. (AK was pretty relaxed all the time.)
[/QUOTE]

@kboo!! Good to 'see' you! It's been a while. Glad to hear your WDW trips have not been held up during this crazy time. I have been back 3 times during the pandemic. Two of them very bucket list trips we should chat about outside of here so we don't hijack the thread. Great to see you on the boards.

 

[KPeterso]

BWV will always be our preference. We do not like BLT at all. Our worst resort stay ever was there and completely soured us on it. MK is also our least favorite park (We love Disneyland's Magic Kingdom and find MK at WDW to just be a disappointing substitute) so walking there is not a perk to us. We love being able to walk to HS or Epcot from BWV.