BWV ~ anything to know?

[tdk316]

I just booked a studio at BWV for in early December for DH's birthday and am wondering if there is anything I should know about? We've never stayed here and it'll just be the two of us (no kids!! :party:) so I'm wondering if you all have any suggestions? I'm sure we'll eat in Epcot a lot and ride Rockin' Roller-coaster and Tower of Terror at Hollywood all day, but is there anything at the resort we should know about? Thanks many!

[PlutoPlanet]

We say at BWV every year and love it.
Check out the stairways as short cuts to get to your destination faster. For example, if we have a room near the tennis courts, we can take a short cut to the Bus Stop.
With no kids, try Jelly Rolls in the evening.
You can have a full day and catch fireworks at EPCOT easily.
The walk to DHS is about 20 minutes. It should be fine in December (not too hot). When you get a bus back from a park, if they stop at Swan or Dolphin first, it can be faster to get off the bus and walk to the Boardwalk.
I'm underwhelmed with ESPNZone. I like sports, but the food in EPCOT is much better.
Kouzzina is great! Being able to walk to dinner most of the evenings saves a lot of time.
Have a great trip!

[phlo8810]

Eat at the Flying Fish. It is our favorite restaurant. Also we love the walkway to the studios from there and don't be afraid to go down the water slide (it's not just for kids!)

[PlutoPlanet]

Yes, you gotta do the water slide. It's a clown face for goodness sake!

[tdk316]

Good to know... I'll be sure to pack our suits and hope it isn't too cold!

[Jeffybob]

Great choice!! I own at the BWV and know it well. Not sure really what you would like to know however I will give you a few tips.

Transportation: As PlutoPlanet noted, if you are using the buses returning from Downtown Disney, MK or AK, most of the time the BWV is the last stop, the first being the Swan. Get off at the Swan, walk through the lobby, out the back and across the bridge. You will beat the bus to the BW every time. Now that being said, they change the routes frequently so you need to listen to the stop sequence when you board and plan accordingly. When we were there in February the stop sequence was the Swan, Dolphin, Yacht and Beach clubs then the BW.

EPCOT or the Studios: You can take the Friendship boats to both parks however, walk to EPCOT. You get there just as fast and it is a nice walk. As for the Studios, the boat is fine but you stop at the lighthouse between the Yacht and Beach clubs and then onto the Swan/Dolphin stop before heading to the Studios. You can get there faster on foot most of the time.

Dining: There is no shortage of places to eat around Crescent Lake. Love to dine at the Flying Fish, not too keen on the Brewery and have not eaten at Kat Cora's new place yet.

Be sure to hit up the bakery at least once ... the earlier the better because the line often is out the door and the inside wait area is small. Avoid at all costs latte's and speciality coffees. They use Nescafe coffee and it has a weird taste and not worth the money in my opinion.

As for the room, if you are coffee inclined, bring your own blends, std 4" filters and any sweetners and creamers (powdered) you like, if you are so inclined. I do not care for the coffee blend, sweetners/creamers supplied and if you buy from the store on the Boardwalk, your selections are generic and costly.

Also, you will have a small frig and microwave in your room. You can buy milk at the store and bring your own cereal and also pack popcorn packets for in room snacks. Snack purchases, while available, are limited in selection and again, expensive and generic.

Rooms come with Shampoo, soap and conditioners and plenty of towels.

Be sure to make advance dining reservations for places you want to try. There is a lot of back and forth conversations about ADR's however if you really want to try a place, better safe than sorry.

Also, as noted by PlutoPlanet, take the stairwells to get out easier unless you like to go through the lobby each time. Now this depends on where your room is located and where you are headed so study the layout of the villas, and where the stairs are located. Also, your room keys will open the stairwell doors from the outside so you can enter without going through the lobby, however if you need the elevators, there is only one set, in the middle of the resort.

Also, if you do take the elevators and are heading to the Boardwalk or the Studios, take them down to the ground floor (pool level), avoiding the lobby and you can head out from that level. If you are catching the buses, you need to exit on the lobby level.

I hope you enjoy your stay at the BWVs and this bit of information helps.

-Jeffybob (Boardwalk DVC Member since '98) :mickey:

2010 - BWV - Valentines Day
2009 - BWV (2), DCL - Eastern Caribbean
2008 - BWV (2)
2007 - BWV
2006 - DLR (2), SSR, BWV, DCL - Western Caribbean
2005 - HH, BWV (2)
2003 - BWV
2002 - BWV, Disneyland Paris
2001 - BWV, DLC - Bahamas
2000 - BWV
1999 - BWV, HH, VB
1998 - BWV, Swan