@WDWKOOK I have been home for a few days and had some time to process. So here are my thoughts on BWV vs. VWL...
In my opinion, these two resorts are very different. The atmosphere at VWL seems pretty laid-back and quiet. The area with the DVC rooms is pretty compact, and has easy access to transportation. The construction is a drawback at the moment, but it did not impact us other than having to use the main pool. BWV appears far busier (though it also appears larger, at least the DVC portion). There was a
Quinceañera during the first two nights we were there- and they were staying on our floor. With a LOT of alcohol. So we were woken up both nights with people pounding on our door at 3 am. There was also some sort of conference, and a lot of families who did not understand the layout of the resort, how the refillable mugs worked, how transportation worked, how to stow a stroller on the bus... it was a bit frustrating!
The front desk staff at VWL was excellent- very cheerful and willing to help with anything we needed (magic bands not working correctly, checking in or out, questions about where things were...). I was not impressed this time with BWV since the only thing we were offered for the being woken up at 3 am was a late check out (which we did not use). This was from the desk supervisor. I understand that it is not the hotel's fault- and according to her no one else had complained of a similar incident. They did put them on the top floor and WAY down the hall- I am not sure they could have done much more to contain the activities. But between that and the conference folks, and having come from a MUCH quieter resort, it soured me a bit!
We found the busses at VWL were reliable, and the times board was very helpful. They were also not crowded for the most part. We did have some times in the evenings where we had to go through Fort Wilderness to pick up people on the way to MK, but that wound up being only mildly annoying. We had longer delays for MK busses from BWV (which if I recall from our last trip is typical- though it was nice that we had our own bus and didn't share with Swan or Dolphin!). The times board was not working, either, so that was a little frustrating. The boats were running well- we rarely waited to go to DHS (and usually walked to Epcot). The only issue was during a really strong storm one afternoon at DHS. The boats were docked for lightning, but it was difficult to get anyone who knew which stop would be the one to BWV. Once we found out, it still took 20 minutes for them to come (this was the first bus they had sent). It stopped at all the Epcot resorts, too- just like the bus. Just be aware of that if you are caught at DHS during a storm!
The elevators at VWL were surprisingly quick. I don't think we waited more than 30 seconds for one at any time of day, and never crowded. This was not the same at BWV- we typically waited a couple minutes and there were always people getting off and on.
The studios were very similar in both places- there was not much difference except that BWV had an extra armchair that VWL did not have. They seemed otherwise identical except for the decor.
I liked the Bakery at BWV over the Roaring Fork at VWL- there was definitely more variety, and it was not really much difference in travel time. We enjoyed our dinner at Artist Point, but it's tough to compare with Flying Fish being renovated.
We have always been a BWV family- we have always enjoyed our stays there. After this trip, though, I think we will also take a 2nd look at VWL. We really enjoyed it! Hope this helps you, Kook- and I'm open to any questions if anyone has them!
