rlpurkey
Registered: October 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mon October 19, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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location, great room
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Cons:
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none
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Just returned from a great stay at BWV. Our first visit to this property. Was a bit concerned about the condition of the property after reading reviews but was pleasantly surprised. Our 2 BR villa was a little dated, but certainly not worn. The dryer was barely drying but other than that everything appeared to be in order.
While we were there they had about finished re-roofing the property and were also painting throughout.
Walk to EPCOT is maybe 10 mins. Walk to the Studios is quite a trek. Would guess well over a mile.
We didn't have a good view (parking lot) however, our room was quite close to the elevator which is always nice.
Kids loved the pool, especially the 'real' waterslide.
Would definitely go back...
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arielwatcher
Registered: April 2007
Posts: 54
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Review Date: Tue October 13, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Great view from 5095, last room on the wing
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Cons:
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longest walk to Elevator and everything else
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We stayed at BW because Y&BC Villas were not available in my 7 mo. window.
We expressly went to enjoy the EPCOT Int'l Wine and Food Fest.
We arrived with no problem via the Express and checked into the villas. We rejected the first 1 BR on the second floor and agreed to wait for 5095. While we waited we ate at the brew pub restaurant on the Boardwalk, see review under that section.
The Concierge staff were short on Food & Wine info and long on dickering between themselves. We were told to walk into EPCOT for info.
5095 has exquisite views of the quiet pool, the Swan and Dolphin and the Studios. Even saw some fireworks from the Fantasmick, although that does not show every night.
Room had no icemaker in the fridge and it took a walk all the way past 5047 to get ice.
We asked daily for a chain on the LR ceiling fan light and from 10/1-10/8 never got one, we'd stand on a chair to turn the light off and on.
They were gracious to have NOT charged us for the in-room internet as we are DVC members, otherwise it is $9.95 per day and it is wired and slightly boggy.
We will probably not return to the Boardwalk, the food sources are awkward to use and the $12.99 mug was almost a waste of time.
The Bus is shared with the Swan and Dolphin and Y&BC so going ANYWHERE not served by the Boat or the Monorail out of EPCOT is a lengthy procedure.
If you are coming back from the MK get off the first bus stop and wlak across the bridge to BW, you will get their sooner than the bus ride to the 4th stop.
I wish I had thought to get photos of the new decor on the 5th floor, it is MUCH nicer and more refined than the images here.
Everything in the room worked (washer/dryer, spa tub, TV)
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pianobabe
Registered: January 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 75
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Review Date: Thu October 1, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Location
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Cons:
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Noise from Pool Party, buses leaving Magic Kingdom
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DH and I stayed at BWV in a 1-bedroom from 9/19-9/26. We enjoyed our visit. Our room was number 3090. It wasn't too long of a walk from the elevators and it over-looked the pool. The view of the pool was wonderful, but if I had realized they had a pool party every afternoon I would have requested a different location. While DH and I usually go "wide open" on our vacations, I enjoy having a little down time at the resort in the afternoon to rest. The music coming from the party made it difficult to do that.
For the most part, the buses were great. We never had to wait more than about 10 minutes for a bus to go to or from the parks. Coming back from Magic Kingdom was our only problem. We ended up having to take a bus to the Yacht and Beach Club and then walk to Boardwalk because there was such a crowd for the areas beyond BWV's, that we couldn't get to our pick up point. The buses were there, we just couldn't get to them. This happened each time we left at night. It didn't matter if we left before the park closed, right after it closed or (in one case) almost an hour after it closed.
It was wonderful to be able to walk back and forth to Epcot. I even talked my husband into walking to DHS with me once. We also used the boats and enjoyed them.
We only ate at BWV twice. Once was a table service at Big River Grille and the other was a quick service at Boardwalk Bakery. We enjoyed both locations. The food and service at Big River Grille was wonderful. The food at Boardwalk Bakery was great. I had a couple of questions for one of the CM's as to what I could get with the DDP at the Bakery and she was fantastic. The CM running the register at the Bakery was having some problems, which made checking out a slow process.
Our check in went smoothly. All of the CM's we encountered were very helpful. I wanted to return a shirt I had bought at Epcot. Ella, who was working in one of the stores, was very nice about the return and even made some suggestions about another shirt I might want to get instead.
DH and I would love to stay at BWV again. Hopefully, the next time we stay there all of the remodeling with be completed, so we can have some unobstructed views while walking the Boardwalk.
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princessatheart
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mon September 28, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Close to Epcot & Studios
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Cons:
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TV dated
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We used our DVC points to book this room 9 months in advance. Requested a room near the quiet pool with a water view. At first when I arrived, they had has on the second floor at the main pool and I politely showed them my reservation request and they worked until they found us a room on the 4th floor near the quiet pool and community hall. Room was great for our purposes. I will say they really need to update the furniture and TV to a flat panel at the very least. You couldn't beat the location. We had reservations the majority of our trip at Epcot World Showcase restaurants. It was always a short boat ride away.
My one critique would be regarding bus service to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Buses also had to stop at Swan, Dolphin, and Blizzard Beach before going to Animal Kingdom. They need to change this have buses specifically just for Boardwalk. It took 30-40 minutes to get to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom once you got the bus.
We will definitely stay here again!
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ellishevadova
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Sat September 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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can walk to epcot, fun nighttime activities on boardwalk
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Cons:
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My family loves to stay at the Boardwalk. Stayed here 8/21-8/26. We had a great view. We were able to see the boardwalk from the balcony. At first I was worried it would be noisy but it wasn't. Kids love the pool. The magician at night was fun. The room definitely could use updating but I'm sure they know that. Nothing bad to say. I just wish they would have more washers and dryers in the laundry room. This is our favorite DVC resort so we will be coming back.
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jjcscanlon
Registered: September 2006
Posts: 16
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Review Date: Wed September 9, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 4
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Pros:
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location
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Cons:
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dated, restaurants outside the building
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I have to say I was disappointed with our stay. It was actually a cumulative effect that leads me to say this. I'm going to sound like a whiner in this post -- I truly love the WDW resorts - but this experience was not great.
I always loved Disney's attention to detail, but I witnessed a lot of "slippage" on this visit.
Our check in process was the longest it's ever been on our 30+ trips over 15 years. We're DVC members and when I had booked, due to sporadic availability initially, I had 3 reservations. Ultimately I received one compiled reservation in the mail confirming my consecutive night stay; but apparently, Disney never "linked" the nights in their system. Who knew this would wreak such havoc! This impacted our parking permit as well as we didn't realize that it was only valid for one night (vs. 5) and required another stop the next day at the front desk to get resolved. They also did not have record of our wish to have the Disney Dining Plan on the reservation. They could see a "DDP" notation in the comments section on their reservation screen, but apparently, whoever booked my reservation didn't put it in the right place. This took 3 phone calls and a visit to operations in another room to get resolved. And here's a little pet peeve of mine: you ask me to spell my kids names at the time of reservation (and I know Disney keeps good records of guest’s visits), but when you print out the room keys their names are not spelled correctly. They like these as souvenirs and it's just more time to have to stand there and get them reprinted. So about 50 minutes later we get our room assignment -- good news; the room is immediately available.
We stayed on DVC points and opted to use more points to have a preferred view of the pool/boardwalk. As it turns out, while the point value is the same, the pool and boardwalk views are booked as different categories, so unless you specify at time of booking, you'll get the pool view...we ended up with the pool view. We got to our room and we all burst out laughing. There was no "view" at all -- there was a full tree completely blocking the view -- it virtually was brushing up against the enclosed balcony -- had the balcony not been enclosed we might have been able to see around the tree to the right or left. If anything this should have been a GARDEN view..lol! We could hear noise from the pool but could not see it. We asked for a room switch and they moved us down the hall. In the end the tree at this location was slightly less full so if you peeked to the right through the branches you saw some blue water. What a joke and a waste of points for lack of view. If you go, request a higher floor than 3rd floor to have an unobstructed view.
Our first night the toilet overflowed....pouring water onto the bathroom floor and out the door. There was probably 2 inches of water. I used every bath, hand, wash towel to soak up the water as fast as I could. It took maintenance 30 minutes to come up. In that 30 minutes, housekeeping came twice to try and clean up and was equally surprised that maintenance still hadn't arrived. She couldn't do her job until he was done.
This stay employees seemed so uptight. This may be because we had moved to the Boardwalk after having stayed 5 nights at the Hard Rock at Universal....where the vibe in comparison is much more laid back.
At the Boardwalk "pool party" which was advertised for 2:15-5pm, the DJ/host was older and had so many restrictions, it was like punishment. I think a more youthful host would have kept the energy at a better level. At about 4:00 she said "let the dance party begin"...and the first song was "American Pie" -- really? She enjoyed it, waving her arms back and forth and singing INTO the microphone..really I didn't need to hear her sing. She kept encouraging kids to come up and dance, but to go and get their shoes first. I get the pavement might have been hot, but kids wanted to hop out of the pool for a quick dance without having to get their shoes....plus the first song choice was not dance music. Therefore no one was dancing. And then it was over. The Dance Party consisted of one wrong song and she packed it up an hour before it was supposed to end. We came back from the parks to enjoy the pool/entertainment. This same DJ also chided a guest (over the microphone) for having his beer (in a steel can - not glass) too close to the pool...that you need to keep your alcohol 6 feet away from the pool). Geez, at the Hard Rock you could sit with your feet in the pool and drink!
Everyone says that the Boardwalk decor is dated; it didn’t really bother me. I only felt that when I saw the TV. I’m so used to larger flat screen TVs in hotels now, that the smaller 19 inch did feel dated in comparison.
It is a small inconvenience to have to go out to the boardwalk for restaurants (vs. having one in the building), but not a deal breaker, if everything else is good.
Obviously the upside to this hotel is its location to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. But you can get the same location staying at Yacht/Beach or Swan/Dolphin (which also has good kid activities at their pool). All hotels that we've stayed at recently with better outcomes.
Like I said, love WDW resorts, but I’ll probably stay at another location on our next visit.
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itsjustpoints
Registered: August 2009
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sun August 30, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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the view, proximity
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Cons:
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tv old, cable connection weak, worn out room
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Just got back from our 1st DVC trip. We split our trip between AKL-Kidani and the Boardwalk.
At the Boardwalk Villas we were in room 4013. The view of the Boardwalk, the Beach Club and Epcot was amazing. We were able to see the Epcot fireworks and the MK fireworks from our balcony.
The room and hallways were worn. The TV was really outdated and the cable wire to the TV kept falling out.
We has a great time, but we might wait until further refurbishment to return!
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eevans1099
Registered: August 2009
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat August 8, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Location!!!!! Staff, ambiance did I mention Location?
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Cons:
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Limited counter service
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We stayed in room 3117 a one bedroom suite from 7/27-8/6 and it was beautiful. The beds were all comfortable and the decor was lovely. Our room faced Epcot and we had a perfect view of the Epcot fireworks every night. The hallways are very long but we are stair takers so it didn't bother us. Our only problem was the lack of counter service options for kids. There is a stand on the Boardwalk with chicken nuggets and hot dogs but it did not take the dining plan so we had to go into Epcot to get the kids lunch, but that was also a plus since we saw so much of Epcot. We will absolutely stay here again, we are looking foward to it.
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jerseyears
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Fri July 31, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Central Local in "The World", pool
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Cons:
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Long hallways, self-serve food, rooms need a little R &M
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Stayed at Boardwalk villas from 7/26- 7/30 and we loved it and will be staying here again! We liked the overall theme and atmosphere and proximity to everything. 10min walk to EPCOT is great especially after the fireworks. The pool slide is one of the best my kids say. Transportation was good never waited more than 10 min. anywhere. The Flying Fish is one of the best restaurants in WDW. However the self serve needs some work the Bakery doesn't work for me. Their baked goods are out of this world but the lunch and breakfast are below Disney standards. Our room (1127) needs a little TLC, worn carpet, loose toilet, chipped furniture and cabinets, but we did not let it take away from the overall experience because we were hardly in there.
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adkmel
Registered: November 2008
Location: Adirondacks NY
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Mon June 22, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Location,beautiful lobby,grounds
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Cons:
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being updated
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1st time as DVC staying Boardwalk villas, june 9-11,requested upper corner rm, no check in til after 4! (arrived 10:30am) and then assigned to ground floor! started out unhappy, but once to room, (yes long walks down halls) but we found amclose exit door to quiet pool & to the bus stop and the room was Great! Very Clean,seemed bigger than other DVC Studios. No flat screen tv. but we're too tired to watch the tube, we have no complaints. Our room was quiet and looked out at pond. We Loved the slide at the big pool.Staff is Super, they mentioned updates will continue, said we won't recognize when we return, exterior was being painted & new roofs while there. You Can't beat the location, boat or walk to studios and/or epcot. Food, dining options. Yes we'll be back.
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dkb
Registered: June 2009
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Thu June 18, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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convenient location, great water slide
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Cons:
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Dryer didn't work
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We stayed in a one bedroom villa from 6/8-6/14/09. It was quite a walk from the lobby to our room, but we soon found using the closest exit made going to the pool and walking to the Studios a shorter walk. The water slide at the pool was so much fun. We walked to the Studios once because we just missed the boat and didn't want to wait, but we used the boat the rest of the time we went to the Studios and Epcot. The villa had a king sized bed and a queen sized sofa sleeper. My boys (20 & 15) decided that a queen sized sofa sleeper was not big enough for the both of them so I ordered an air mattress from Housekeeping at a charge of $15/day. My son said the air mattress was really comfortable. The maid did a great job cleaning our room everyday and always left us extra towels. She also stacked the dishwasher with our dirty breakfast dishes and ran it so everything was clean and ready to use again. Two packages of coffee in its own filter is provided each day for the coffeemaker. If you rather bring your own coffee, you'll need to bring your own coffee filters. The one malfunction was the dryer. It took 3 cycles to dry a load of laundry - the dryer wasn't getting hot enough. I reported this to maintenance but no one came to fix it. I only did 2 loads of wash and wasn't planning to do anymore so I didn't call them again. Having the Boardwalk Bakery nearby made it so convenient. We always returned to our room in the early afternoon to spend the hottest part of the day in air conditioned comfort. Before going back to our room, I'd stop at the Boardwalk Bakery to pick up breakfast for the next day. By going at that time of day, the line was never long. It was a short walk to our favorite restaurant - Flying Fish and a quick boat ride to have dinner at Cape May at the Beach Club. I would definitely stay at the Boardwalk again.
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atenciospirates1
Registered: June 2009
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Tue June 16, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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Proximity to DHS and Epcot/Boardwalk Area
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Cons:
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Location of Elevators/Rundown Room
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Although this resort was much anticipated on our part, the room was a complete disappointment from the start. Three maintenance calls later (moldy smell, toilet issues, broken items, etc) the room finally was passable. We had to go get several room fresheners to overcome the moldy smell. Rundown and tired does not begin to describe the room and hallways. This resort is being remodelled now. If you plan on staying here in the near future, don't. Wait at least a year or more so that you can get the refurbished rooms. We are big Disney fans, but our accommodations were not up to the the usual Disney standards. We will be heading back to Old Key West.
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minnieMD
Registered: May 2009
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Fri May 29, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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location, location, location
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Cons:
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starting to show age
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When my family was planning our trip to Disney, we decided on the BW Villas based on location and two bedroom set up. We were traveling with two adult couples and everyone wanted their own space but to still be together. I was a little hesitant given the dated appearance and some of the reviews but all my concerns were quickly quieted. Upon arrival, after a long car ride from NC, we were greated with enthusiasm and the utmost courtesy. Our rooms were nicely furnished and there was nothing missing. Yes, the rooms are a little outdated but you get over that in 5 minutes after you realize you are on vacation and you can access almost anything from your resort. We stayed in 2020 and 2022 which was a perfect location. The stairwell was across the hall and we would walk down to the main level and out across the grounds. We faced the pool which was fine, not too loud during the afternoon and we were in the shade in the afternoon - ideal for sitting on the porch and relaxing.
We took advantage of the location again and again. My husband and I ran around the lake every morning and then picked up fresh croissants at the bakery. We would walk to dinner every night in Epcot and enjoy the Boardwalk's nighttime street performers. I wouldn't change a thing about our entire visit,
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Motherhen
Registered: January 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Wed May 20, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Large Room, Beautiful Grounds, Proximity to Epcot & DHS
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Cons:
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Furnishings Outdated
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We stayed at BW May 14-19/09. This was our first time using our DVC membership. We chose this resort due to the fact it is just a few minutes walk from both EPCOT and the Studios.
Our check-in was a little strained because DVC had an extra guest included on our Dining Plan (charged us for 4 instead of 3), the CM (Stephanie) assisting us was able to get the matter straightened out quickly however. She was then able to find us a room before the 4PM official check-in time. We had been up since 2AM in order for us to make our flights on time and she could see we were exhausted. We really appreciated her efforts!
The resort itself is beautiful. Outside the grounds are very well kept and the Boardwalk itself is busy and there's a lot to do, especially at night. The magic show was very funny!
Inside, the guest hallways were dated and worn. The carpets would have been beautiful in their day but now were faded and showing their age. Our room was a wonderful treat. It was spacious and comfortable. The whirlpool tub was a perfect way to relax after a hard day at the parks. Unfortunately the room could also use a make over as it was a little worn and tired looking. There were several issues that Maintenance/Mousekeeping needed to address as well ie. dead batteries in out TV remote, missing pull-strap on out fold-out sofa, broken lock on our safe. None of these things were of great significance but would have been nice if they were up to Disney's usually high standards.
Despite the outdated appearance of things, I would stay here again. The CMs were great and you can't beat the proximity to the parks!
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jgage
Registered: May 2006
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Wed May 13, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Location
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Cons:
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IMO, not for kids, value
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We purchased DVC points from a friend and stayed in a Studio from May 3 through the 11th. This was our 6th time to WDW and since our kids are getting a little older we thought we would try an upgraded resort. The Boardwalk is beautiful and you can not beat the ease of access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Check in staff was very friendly, however the magic seemed to stop once we got into the room. Everything was clean and roomy for our family of four, but I was somewhat disappointed that the room seemed outdated. The worn carpeting, the lumpy sleeper mattress and the t.v from 1992 should all be replaced. Please don't get me wrong, the Boardwalk was great for the price we paid due to the discounted points from my friend. I would not have been happy though if I would have paid full price for this room. The other thing I noticed almost immediately was that this resort did not seem to have that magic Disney feel that I have gotten at other resorts. We have not been to WDW since 2006 so it may just be a sign of the times with layoffs and unhappy cast members. Most of the cast members at the Boardwalk were friendly, but I did walk past quite a few during the week that never responded to a greeting or a friendly smile. Not something I was used to at the Most Magical Place on Earth. A few more humble suggestions to Disney. On those days that visitors start early in the parks and the kids are dead tired by 7 pm? Some kind of eatery on the Boardwalk that is not carnival food, pizza or cupcakes. We did not feel like spending another $150 for a late dinner at ESPN, Spoodles or the Flying Fish after spending a ton of money at the parks all day. Keep the pool open a little later at night. It would have been nice to have a relaxing drink while the kids played in the pool on those early nights. Unfortunately, the bar at the pool must close at 6 pm and none of the establishments on the boardwalk would let us take a drink out the door. And, if they are going to offer free disney movies to DVC members, maybe they should put a dvd player in the rooms. This may have been all my fault when reviewing all of the resorts for our trip. The resort is obviously aimed more toward adults, but they should state that on their website or the Disney brochures. It all looked pretty "family friendly" to my wife and I when we decided on The Boardwalk. When we return in August for my daughters birthday, we will be back at the Caribbean Beach which has updated rooms for alot less money.
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