(CLOSED) Disney's BOARDWALK INN and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD

[tsme]

We just picked our dates last night & sent an email for a quote, now waiting for a response. I'm so excited though. We had just a great time a BW last year. It's pretty & I really enjoyed people watching from our balcony. So hopefully, we'll get a quick response & my DH will book our trip.

 

[Susiequsie60]

I can't believe how excited I get reading this thread!!! Exactly 2 weeks from today we'll be loading up the car and heading out for our VERY FIRST STAY at a deluxe hotel - the BWI. I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have walked around on the Boardwalk (with our now-grown kiddies) and talked about how much we'd love to be staying there some day. Well, some day has arrived and we'll be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary there. We'll be there from February 1 - 8, with our anniversary on February 3. I work in the office of a school, and have never taken time off from work for a vacation - why would I with the summer off and all the breaks, right? Well, for this adults-only anniversary trip I decided it was worth the effort (and a little bit of unpaid time) to be at WDW in our dream hotel, during a non-peak week, just me and the hubby.

CANNOT WAIT!!!

 

[rea59]

I may be staying at the BWI in late June/July and I see on the first page of this thread that the Inn Keepers loung is being renovated from May 12 through June 17. I that an old post from 2013 or are they doing it in 2014? Thanks!

 

[WDWKOOK]

i may be staying at the bwi in late june/july and i see on the first page of this thread that the inn keepers loung is being renovated from may 12 through june 17. I that an old post from 2013 or are they doing it in 2014? Thanks!

2014.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I can't believe how excited I get reading this thread!!! Exactly 2 weeks from today we'll be loading up the car and heading out for our VERY FIRST STAY at a deluxe hotel - the BWI. I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have walked around on the Boardwalk (with our now-grown kiddies) and talked about how much we'd love to be staying there some day. Well, some day has arrived and we'll be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary there. We'll be there from February 1 - 8, with our anniversary on February 3. I work in the office of a school, and have never taken time off from work for a vacation - why would I with the summer off and all the breaks, right? Well, for this adults-only anniversary trip I decided it was worth the effort (and a little bit of unpaid time) to be at WDW in our dream hotel, during a non-peak week, just me and the hubby.

CANNOT WAIT!!!

We will be leaving the same day, but will only have three nights on the 4-7 with you (stopping in S.Carolina to watch my son open his college baseball season). Saving the aniversary trip till next year when we hit the 30 year mark. Have a great trip!

 

[psac]

I can't believe how excited I get reading this thread!!! Exactly 2 weeks from today we'll be loading up the car and heading out for our VERY FIRST STAY at a deluxe hotel - the BWI. I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have walked around on the Boardwalk (with our now-grown kiddies) and talked about how much we'd love to be staying there some day. Well, some day has arrived and we'll be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary there. We'll be there from February 1 - 8, with our anniversary on February 3. I work in the office of a school, and have never taken time off from work for a vacation - why would I with the summer off and all the breaks, right? Well, for this adults-only anniversary trip I decided it was worth the effort (and a little bit of unpaid time) to be at WDW in our dream hotel, during a non-peak week, just me and the hubby.

CANNOT WAIT!!!

Sounds fantastic, enjoy!!!

 

[tsme]

We booked it! So we're 234 days out. A little far out, but still exciting!

 

[Squirlz]

I don't think I mentioned bu we booked a Standard room and got bumped up to Club! Room 4210. Bit of a walk but we are so pampered and saving money on food.

 

[psac]

We booked it! So we're 234 days out. A little far out, but still exciting!

Yay! I know it's very exciting!

I don't think I mentioned bu we booked a Standard room and got bumped up to Club! Room 4210. Bit of a walk but we are so pampered and saving money on food.

Awesome!! Congrats! What type of view did you get?

 

[polyfor4]

Staying BWI for the first time in late May! We will have military tickets that need to be activated at a ticket window before we use them- does anyone know if the international gateway has a ticket window. We would like to walk over our check in night but wanted to check!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Staying BWI for the first time in late May! We will have military tickets that need to be activated at a ticket window before we use them- does anyone know if the international gateway has a ticket window. We would like to walk over our check in night but wanted to check!

The IG is actually the best place to activate military vouchers. We prefer activating our military AP vouchers and buying TiW there because there's never a line and the transaction is quick and easy.

 

[WDWKOOK]

We booked it! So we're 234 days out. A little far out, but still exciting!

Congratulations!

I don't think I mentioned bu we booked a Standard room and got bumped up to Club! Room 4210. Bit of a walk but we are so pampered and saving money on food.

What a fantastic upgrade…enjoy!

 

[MisterGoofy1]

I can't believe how excited I get reading this thread!!! Exactly 2 weeks from today we'll be loading up the car and heading out for our VERY FIRST STAY at a deluxe hotel - the BWI. I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have walked around on the Boardwalk (with our now-grown kiddies) and talked about how much we'd love to be staying there some day. Well, some day has arrived and we'll be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary there. We'll be there from February 1 - 8, with our anniversary on February 3. I work in the office of a school, and have never taken time off from work for a vacation - why would I with the summer off and all the breaks, right? Well, for this adults-only anniversary trip I decided it was worth the effort (and a little bit of unpaid time) to be at WDW in our dream hotel, during a non-peak week, just me and the hubby.

CANNOT WAIT!!!

Congrats. Hope you have as much fun as we do staying at the BW. It really is the only place we will ever stay when we goto Disney. Next Saturday will mark on 4th stay at the BW

 

[leebee]

More about our trip…

When DD was 15, we were at Food & Wine for one day; it overlapped our scheduled trip, nothing planned, but we went for awhile and loved the experience. DD said, "THIS is what I want to do for my 21st birthday- with you and Dad!" JUST what a mom wants to hear, right? Fast forward six years, and here I am, planning...

SARAH'S 21st BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

DD's birthday is in late September, but to celebrate at F&W we will be checking in on Saturday, October 11, 2014, and leaving on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Shorter than I'd like but DD is in college, DH is faculty, I teach public school, so we had to work around October break. We have always been offsite/value resort people, with an occasional visit to a moderate (POFQ, CSR). AKL/savannah view has always been a dream, so I thought that this would be the perfect time to rent DVC points and stay with the giraffes, as a surprise for DD (who thinks I am torn between ASMu and offsite, being as DH is with us this trip). Imagine MY surprise when she said, "You know, I think it'd be cool to stay on the Boardwalk for my birthday, so we can bop in and out of Epcot and go to JellyRolls and Atlantic Dance Hall." She said it very offhand, but my heart jumped. Staying ON the Boardwalk has always been a dream, too, so I am PSYCHED that she brought this up. I hopped on the DVC boards here and next thing you know, voila! I have a reservation for a studio/garden view at BWV! The only things about this trip I know for sure is that we'll have dinner at Boma and at California Grill, and will check out the Dance Hall and JellyRolls. Everything else is still "in the works!"

I do have some questions. First, Boardwalk view isn't available for all four nights so we are reserved for garden view. I requested Village Green, high floor. Is this a good choice? I am hoping we'll get a little Boardwalk view from here! The DVC member we rented from has noted these requests on our reservation, but should I call (who/where/when) prior to arrival so they are hopefully considered? Also… if we don't get this view, will they consider JUST garden view, or will they do water view, also?

Second… Am I correct in understanding that, with a 4 night stay, we'll have no mousekeeping service at all? Not even to make beds and empty trash? It's fine- we always bring our own bath sheets when we travel- just want to know what to prepare DH for in terms of service. (I'll just think of it as saved tip money!)

Third… Sofa bed. Is it comfortable? DD will be sleeping there, and it'll be a really crappy birthday for her if her bed is poking her in the back all night. Also, I think I read that egg crate foam is available. Who should I ask about this, and when? I am also considering bringing the aerobed, just in case (flying Southwest, so no baggage charges!).

What do you think about park hopper tickets? We usually go with base tickets. We will have ADRs for two nights, so that leaves two nights open. I am considering getting hopper tickets so we can eat at F&W the other two days, but I don't know. It's an additional $177 for the 3 of us, which is a chunk of change. Of course, I don't know how FP+ will change our touring style, either- we might need hoppers. We are not rope drop people… going to a park very early to take advantage of headliners isn't really our style. OTOH, it might be the only way to ride these attractions once legacy FP has disappeared- so do rope drop for the headliners, then hop somewhere else for FP+ in the evening. Can't decide, because although this is a celebration, money has to be considered, too!

Tell me about the sleeping space at the BWV studio. Is it bigger than the sleeping area at a value, or are we going to be crammed in together? I know the square footage of the studio, but how much of that is bathroom/ kitchenette?

I AM JUST SO EXCITED… and the trip is so darned far off! I am not an advance-planner. We have had trips with as little as 5 days of planning! I don't know how I am going to wait until OCTOBER to stay at the Boardwalk… I can't wait!!

ETA: If you have suggestions to make this an even more exciting trip, I'd love to hear them!

 

[mastermind307]

Nine months for us. We've never stayed at any of the "Epcot" resorts (I think of them as the Boardwalk resorts) but BWI was always a dream. Now we are renting points for a BWV studio, to go to Food&Wine to celebrate DD's 21st Birthday!! CAN'T WAIT!!! …but where did the years go?

When did you begin the rental process to rent points at BWV for your trip? We rented points to stay at BWV for our June 2013 trip. I really would like to stay here again by renting points. Our next trip will probably be October 2015. I know this is during the food and wine festival and rooms get booked up quickly. So I was wondering what the time frame is when I need to start looking at renting points. Thanks

 

[mastermind307]

More about our trip…







Third… Sofa bed. Is it comfortable? DD will be sleeping there, and it'll be a really crappy birthday for her if her bed is poking her in the back all night. Also, I think I read that egg crate foam is available. Who should I ask about this, and when? I am also considering bringing the aerobed, just in case (flying Southwest, so no baggage charges!).



Tell me about the sleeping space at the BWV studio. Is it bigger than the sleeping area at a value, or are we going to be crammed in together? I know the square footage of the studio, but how much of that is bathroom/ kitchenette?

!!

When we stayed in a studio, my mom (she's 62) slept on the pull out bed. She said it was comfortable. She slept well every night.

I have never stayed in a value, but the area is bigger than a moderate (POFQ). If you fold up the pull out bed, you will have more room and a couch to sit on. Which is nice instead of having to always sit on a bed. I felt we had plenty of room.

 

[leebee]

When did you begin the rental process to rent points at BWV for your trip? We rented points to stay at BWV for our June 2013 trip. I really would like to stay here again by renting points. Our next trip will probably be October 2015. I know this is during the food and wine festival and rooms get booked up quickly. So I was wondering what the time frame is when I need to start looking at renting points. Thanks

I rented them just last/this week, so maybe Jan. 12th is when I first contacted a member. I started out renting through David's but they didn't have any points available; they could get the reservation but didn't have the points to secure it. They told me that BW view was unavailable, Columbus Day weekend is the 3rd busiest DVC time, and they could put me on a waiting list. I decided that, as I didn't have any other time available for this trip (university/school schedule, birthday celebration, F&W), I'd contact a DVC member and rent points. It worked.. and it was a little cheaper than renting from David, a LOT cheaper than renting from Disney!

 

[mickeym422]

More about our trip… When DD was 15, we were at Food & Wine for one day; it overlapped our scheduled trip, nothing planned, but we went for awhile and loved the experience. DD said, "THIS is what I want to do for my 21st birthday- with you and Dad!" JUST what a mom wants to hear, right? Fast forward six years, and here I am, planning... SARAH'S 21st BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION DD's birthday is in late September, but to celebrate at F&W we will be checking in on Saturday, October 11, 2014, and leaving on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Shorter than I'd like but DD is in college, DH is faculty, I teach public school, so we had to work around October break. We have always been offsite/value resort people, with an occasional visit to a moderate (POFQ, CSR). AKL/savannah view has always been a dream, so I thought that this would be the perfect time to rent DVC points and stay with the giraffes, as a surprise for DD (who thinks I am torn between ASMu and offsite, being as DH is with us this trip). Imagine MY surprise when she said, "You know, I think it'd be cool to stay on the Boardwalk for my birthday, so we can bop in and out of Epcot and go to JellyRolls and Atlantic Dance Hall." She said it very offhand, but my heart jumped. Staying ON the Boardwalk has always been a dream, too, so I am PSYCHED that she brought this up. I hopped on the DVC boards here and next thing you know, voila! I have a reservation for a studio/garden view at BWV! The only things about this trip I know for sure is that we'll have dinner at Boma and at California Grill, and will check out the Dance Hall and JellyRolls. Everything else is still "in the works!" I do have some questions. First, Boardwalk view isn't available for all four nights so we are reserved for garden view. I requested Village Green, high floor. Is this a good choice? I am hoping we'll get a little Boardwalk view from here! The DVC member we rented from has noted these requests on our reservation, but should I call (who/where/when) prior to arrival so they are hopefully considered? Also… if we don't get this view, will they consider JUST garden view, or will they do water view, also? Second… Am I correct in understanding that, with a 4 night stay, we'll have no mousekeeping service at all? Not even to make beds and empty trash? It's fine- we always bring our own bath sheets when we travel- just want to know what to prepare DH for in terms of service. (I'll just think of it as saved tip money!) Third… Sofa bed. Is it comfortable? DD will be sleeping there, and it'll be a really crappy birthday for her if her bed is poking her in the back all night. Also, I think I read that egg crate foam is available. Who should I ask about this, and when? I am also considering bringing the aerobed, just in case (flying Southwest, so no baggage charges!). What do you think about park hopper tickets? We usually go with base tickets. We will have ADRs for two nights, so that leaves two nights open. I am considering getting hopper tickets so we can eat at F&W the other two days, but I don't know. It's an additional $177 for the 3 of us, which is a chunk of change. Of course, I don't know how FP+ will change our touring style, either- we might need hoppers. We are not rope drop people… going to a park very early to take advantage of headliners isn't really our style. OTOH, it might be the only way to ride these attractions once legacy FP has disappeared- so do rope drop for the headliners, then hop somewhere else for FP+ in the evening. Can't decide, because although this is a celebration, money has to be considered, too! Tell me about the sleeping space at the BWV studio. Is it bigger than the sleeping area at a value, or are we going to be crammed in together? I know the square footage of the studio, but how much of that is bathroom/ kitchenette? I AM JUST SO EXCITED… and the trip is so darned far off! I am not an advance-planner. We have had trips with as little as 5 days of planning! I don't know how I am going to wait until OCTOBER to stay at the Boardwalk… I can't wait!! ETA: If you have suggestions to make this an even more exciting trip, I'd love to hear them!

Deffinitly park hopper only way to go !!

 

[psac]

I rented them just last/this week, so maybe Jan. 12th is when I first contacted a member. I started out renting through David's but they didn't have any points available; they could get the reservation but didn't have the points to secure it. They told me that BW view was unavailable, Columbus Day weekend is the 3rd busiest DVC time, and they could put me on a waiting list. I decided that, as I didn't have any other time available for this trip (university/school schedule, birthday celebration, F&W), I'd contact a DVC member and rent points. It worked.. and it was a little cheaper than renting from David, a LOT cheaper than renting from Disney!

Regarding your questions on the views and housekeeping:

1) You can't call to confirm or request the view. Until you actually check in, the member you rented from owns the reservation and only they can call.

2) Most people like the Village Green views, and that seems to be the most popular studio request. Good luck!! Otherwise, most of the Villa garden/pool views do include water -- the main pool, quiet pool, canal heading towards DHS, etc.

3) For housekeeping, technically you get Trash and Towel on Day 4 (check in day is day 1), so that would be the day before you check out. When you check in, you can try moving it to a different day if that would be better. Not sure if it would work.

 

[Susiequsie60]

We always get the Park Hoppers, but I'm thinking they'll be really great to have while staying at the BWI. I envision us walking over to Epcot probably once every day! The walk to Hollywood Studios is pretty close as well, right?