Skyliner breakdown and BWVs

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Being local, I would assume you have the TiW card for dinner and valet parking. (Do they still get free valet when dining? I haven't had a car at Disney for a few years) I really haven't found it really inconvenient going resort to resort using Disney transportation, but it is time consuming.
Yes, we have TIW and it does still cover valet parking if you give them a receipt showing a TIW discount. It’s a great deal for us, as I don’t *think* they can turn away a valet customer seeing as though that would be denying a third party your business.
 
BW pools: Not magic band gated last week. Anyone can walk right in.

I guess there is no easy way and they must feel they don't need to go to any extremes like a timed ticket where you'd get first 2 hours free and then pay.

We shall see . We liked BWV as it was a tad more low key than, say, BLT or Poly or VGF. But maybe it's now also too hectic for us. Poly, by the way (for the person up thread) was busy and loud. Loved the studio layout but not the loudness and didn't like hoofing it to the main building. And we're not MK people.

We toured RR rooms over at SSR. They are nice. But that gondola and the resale restrictions :crazy2: . And the point per night cost :crazy2::crazy2:. Standard view at BWV is still the best Epcot resort DVC deal going. Ug.
 
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People who pay for expensive hotels expect to be able to get a drink somewhere in their hotel at the end of the day should they desire.

This is a common theme of podium tantrums at 'Ohana. I think it also why they introduced the Twilight Feast, but that is a different thing.

Disney has never restricted bars or restaurants. They won't either.
 
But Oga's is a bar!!! it has like 1 food item, that amounts to a bar snack. Why are little kids there at all?

THANK YOU!!! It is comforting to read that I wasn’t the only one disturbed by parents getting wasted with their little kids in the same bar. Odd. Really odd. No matter how good the theming is it is not an environment for little kids.
 


Haven't all the Disney pools been gated, with a magic band coded for guests staying at that hotel required to open the gate? DVC Pool hoppers should be the only non-BW guests in the pool area. Work out room should also be electronically coded. I'm not familiar with BW community hall, what is there to draw in non-BW guests, most community halls like the one at OKW, only have specific activities, arts and crafts, tastings and so forth, some are free to DVC Members some have a reduced charge for members over non-Members staying at the resort. Community halls aren't something the general public would be anxious to use, are they?
Yeah, the gates are wide open. Within the last 2 years we have stayed at beach club, poly, kidani, and boardwalk. Free access except at beach club where it was still lax. Poly and boardwalk definitely had people using the pools who were not staying there. If you watch any utube, there is lots of information about how to use the community halls for free. Scary.
 
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Well yes and no. Technically speaking, direct from the website:

Day Guests
Complimentary standard self-parking is available while enjoying select dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation experiences at Disney Resort hotels.​
What I always took that to mean (and been told at resorts) is that it is fully up to the gate attendant to determine what qualifies (with likely some guidance from the GM). I personally have had no issues parking at resorts to pick up a quick gift in a gift shop or eat at a QS, always have asked the parking attendant if that was allowed since the policy does allow (if I'm told no I understand). I've also parked at BW to eat (with ADRs) but have not always had my magicband scanned. I think they limit what "select" means based on the availability of parking that day. I will say that they do request you leave the lot within 3 hours (might be 4 I always forget) when you park to explore/shop/eat a resort.
This is what MDE says:
Know Before You Go
Due to limited parking availability at Disney's BoardWalk Inn, we highly recommend that all Disney Resort hotel Guests take advantage of our complimentary transportation options. Be advised that self-parking may not be available for Guests arriving in their own vehicles—valet parking may be the only option. Guests visiting Epcot are encouraged to utilize the Epcot Guest Parking Lot.
For years we have watched that sea of people gush out of the BW, into the parking lot, almost every night we're there. We've even waited to return "home" until Epcot closed, when about 1/2 the lot empties & we can finally get a space. Nowadays, we won't even take our rental car on the weekends - it's just too much trouble. I wish they would be more strict. BW resort guests should ALWAYS be able to get a nearby parking spot before visiting dining/day guests, just like GF does - valet or park across the street.
 


How do you know they were not eating dinner at one of the several restaurants on the Boardwalk?

Easy to tell when that many people all walk out to their cars in just a few minutes of the fireworks ending. Maybe a few of them were dining at the boardwalk, but the chances of that many people finishing their dinners at exactly the same time - very small.

I even mentioned it to the front desk. Parking at the boardwalk was already so difficult - we had to park out at the street behind the guard shack. When the fireworks ended, the parking lot totally cleared out. I told the front desk that wasn’t fair to the people who actually stay at the boardwalk for non-guests visiting Epcot to get all the best parking spots.

If you don’t believe that this is a problem, that is fine. Book a room at the boardwalk overlooking the parking lot and then judge what is happening.
 
Easy to tell when that many people all walk out to their cars in just a few minutes of the fireworks ending. Maybe a few of them were dining at the boardwalk, but the chances of that many people finishing their dinners at exactly the same time - very small.

I even mentioned it to the front desk. Parking at the boardwalk was already so difficult - we had to park out at the street behind the guard shack. When the fireworks ended, the parking lot totally cleared out. I told the front desk that wasn’t fair to the people who actually stay at the boardwalk for non-guests visiting Epcot to get all the best parking spots.
I have never seen this. Further more, I find the guard to give a pretty good screening before allowed into the lot.
You said “the parking lot totally cleared out”. Are you saying the guard let hundreds of cars park at the hotel without a dining reservation? If so, that’s not the experience I have had.
 
Since Disney does not stop non paying guests from entering the pool, they do effectively encourage it. Don’t give people ideas on the weight room. ;)

Well, the past few times I’ve stayed at BWV, the weight room was locked, and they checked my magic band at the pool and gave me and my guests a wrist band to wear once they verified we were BWV guests

So, I do think they do their best to limit who uses hotel facilities.
 
Well, the past few times I’ve stayed at BWV, the weight room was locked, and they checked my magic band at the pool and gave me and my guests a wrist band to wear once they verified we were BWV guests

So, I do think they do their best to limit who uses hotel facilities.
Absolutely not. We have stayed at 4 resorts within the last 2 years and only the beach club monitored anything. I am sorry to challenge your experience but it simply is not the case.
 
Absolutely not. We have stayed at 4 resorts within the last 2 years and only the beach club monitored anything. I am sorry to challenge your experience but it simply is not the case.

Are you saying I am making it up? I’m just telling you when I was there in January and Memorial Day weekend, my band was scanned, they verified my guests and we were give blue wrist bands. They came around as we were sitting in the chairs. Maybe they were black out dates for pool hopping.

Now at Saratoga and Grand Floridian this summer, nope..no one checked. But at Boardwalk my past two stays they did. Sorry, but that is what happened to me.
 
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This is what MDE says:
Know Before You Go
Due to limited parking availability at Disney's BoardWalk Inn, we highly recommend that all Disney Resort hotel Guests take advantage of our complimentary transportation options. Be advised that self-parking may not be available for Guests arriving in their own vehicles—valet parking may be the only option. Guests visiting Epcot are encouraged to utilize the Epcot Guest Parking Lot.
For years we have watched that sea of people gush out of the BW, into the parking lot, almost every night we're there. We've even waited to return "home" until Epcot closed, when about 1/2 the lot empties & we can finally get a space. Nowadays, we won't even take our rental car on the weekends - it's just too much trouble. I wish they would be more strict. BW resort guests should ALWAYS be able to get a nearby parking spot before visiting dining/day guests, just like GF does - valet or park across the street.
Correct nor did I deny any of that. Actually I feel MDE says exactly what I said and the general policy states, depending on parking availability they will restrict day guests. However, as a general policy they don’t actually because the restaurant and gift shop sales matter to them, simply resort guests alone eating at these QS and TS restaurants could never support them long term.

I wasn’t suggesting others park to go to a park (in fact suggested a way for them to get around that). However, it is perfectly acceptable to approach the gate to ask if their is permissible parking for the day (1-3 hours) to visit the resort to eat/shop. Perhaps when I go during Thanksgiving week I just never see these lots without a single space available mid afternoon.... then again I leave right after I eat or shop (which usually takes 10-15 mins tops).

But I agree Disney needs to find a middle ground. I think the parking fees were actually ill-fated effort (basically discourage people from driving to drive and park the car at the resort and never touch it) along with the bonus to lock guests to WDW. I think my suggestion to charge past some short period or to validate parking would be best.
 
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Are you saying I am making it up? I’m just telling you when I was there in January and Memorial Day weekend, my band was scanned, they verified my guests and we were give blue wrist bands. They came around as we were sitting in the chairs. Maybe they were black out dates for pool hopping.

Now at Saratoga and Grand Floridian this summer, nope..no one checked. But at Boardwalk my past two stays they did. Sorry, but that is what happened to me.
I think the real issue is that the only consistent thing about WDW rules & procedures, is that it is wildly inconsistent 😣.
 
I think the real issue is that the only consistent thing about WDW rules & procedures, is that it is wildly inconsistent 😣.

Definitely! Both times the pool was very crowded..not a seat to be found. I just left there yesterday to come to SSR but did not use the pool. However, there were never more than 20 people so I don’t know if it would happen again.

What it does tell me is they do have a plan in place and if they find an increase in pool usage once Skyliner is up and running and if they continue the bus situation to BW, they will monitor.

In terms of the whole area getting more busy, that’s the way it is. It just means I try to avoid gong in to Epcot right at opening and hang back a bit if I stay for fireworks!
 
What I’m reading here is that members believe there should be increased security / identity screenings at resort parking lots, bus stops, lobbies, pools, fitness centers, community halls and restaurants, all in the interest of maximizing the experience of paying resort guests.

And since consistency is apparently so important, these screenings should occur year-round with all non-guests given second class status regardless of the situation.
 
What I’m reading here is that members believe there should be increased security / identity screenings at resort parking lots, bus stops, lobbies, pools, fitness centers, community halls and restaurants, all in the interest of maximizing the experience of paying resort guests.

And since consistency is apparently so important, these screenings should occur year-round with all non-guests given second class status regardless of the situation.
In all seriousness, I believe this is a bit ovetstated, ;). IMO, it's an opinion shared by a very small number of Members.

I do not usually have a car, but still think there should be some portion of the parking lots reserved for registered guests of BWI & BWV.
 
Now at Saratoga and Grand Floridian this summer, nope..no one checked. But at Boardwalk my past two stays they did. Sorry, but that is what happened to me.

We were staying at OKW this summer and went over to SSR on Memorial Day to visit the DVC preview center. The kids wanted to pool hop afterwards to the Springs pool, but it was being monitored at ALL entrances and we were denied access due to the crowds. So SSR does occasionally monitor the pool...at least on holidays.
 
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We were staying at OKW this summer and went over to SSR on Memorial Day to visit the DVC preview center. The kids wanted to pool hop afterwards to the Springs pool, but it was being monitored at all entrances and we were denied access due to the crowds. So SSR does occasionally monitor the pool...at least on holidays.

Sad you were denied but glad to have someone else confirm that when things are busy like I experienced they are trying!
 
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