Also to answer you questions I amm in agreement that the pool, gym, and community hall are off limits, thought this was clear in prior posts. My concern is the ideal that the resort restaurants/shops/bars are off limits to non-resort guests, perhaps not directed directly at you. As to the Contemporary being used as an entrance to MK it is already done and been done for years except it's done through a boat from WL and FW.
Overall I'm a bit confused on the concerns are in general of this thread: 1) Is it the increase to IG, 2) Is it the increase in non-resort Guests visiting the stores and restaurants, 3) Non-resort guests using the gym, pool, community hall, 4) Parking there for the parks, or 5) Is it simply people walking through the lobby to get to the bus stop? Of all these concerns 1 and 2 I simply don't see as a real issue but just how WDW has always operated. I agree 3 is a concern but I don't think people wanting to leave Epcot are going to want to use those items and 4 & 5 to me are legitimate concerns and effort should be taken to minimize impact of 5 but also realize it is temporary. I do understand your concern is that Belle Vue will be overrun because people will know about it now and use it because they walk through, correct?
I think I agree with you on most of the issues discussed, except the idea that the contemporary is being used as an entrance to the magic kingdom— I disagree here. Yes, some boats do go to the contemporary, but they are very small boats, with light usage, and generally the only people who take them are people going to the contemporary. Disney is not making the contemporary the main entrance to the magic kingdom for visitors from pop, AOA, CBR, and RIV. That is a whole other situation. But that is what they are doing at BWV. If they proceed as they have, they will be busing thousands of people to BWV as their main entrance to get to Epcot every time the skyliner is down. And let’s face it, with Orlando weather and now mechanical issues, this will be quite often.
So for me that is the biggest issue. The extra traffic through the resort. They should be dropping Epcot visitors at the front of the park as they have been doing for years.
My next issue is that in dropping people at BWV, Disney is encouraging people to think of BWV as an extension or part of the bus stop, and yes, I think many more people will hang out there than previously.
My third issue is that the indoor public spaces at BWV can barely accommodate the guests who stay there— I found them too small when we stayed there a month ago- and more traffic through the resort will make it an unpleasant place to stay. From my point of view, Disney already has a bit of a problem with people treating the resort and some other resorts poorly (bare feet on furniture, people sleeping in lobby, locals and people staying off site coming to use the pools for free), and so I do think Disney will have to address this as time goes on.
And then, yes, belle vue lounge is the only place where guests of BWV can hang out (besides the lobby and community hall— limited hours and does not serve drinks). That is my concern there. It is small. It is already packed. Dh and I commented on this before even realizing these skyliner issues. If Disney wanted to make Boardwalk hotel (I am not talking about the boardwalk) a destination, I feel they should have made a much larger lounge and space to accommodate the crowds. Many hotels in the “real world” do this. But I in no way think non guests should be prohibited from going there. I just do not think they should be encouraged to go there. And I think there is a lot Disney can do to not encourage.
On top of that— there are utubers, prominent ones, who over the last couple of years have started to show the public how easy it is to walk off the street so to speak and into community halls and pools etc. I find this upsetting and think Disney has got to put an end to it, and yes I do think Disney has to monitor pool entrances as well as other entrances. The last time we stayed at poly, the pool was a madhouse. The gate was permanently propped open, and the in out traffic at that gate was constant. Very few people had on magic bands. I know not everyone wears the bands, but I can tell that there were a lot of non guests there and no one was monitoring this at all. I am done with poly. No desire to stay there again. I just don’t want every resort to be that unpleasant. That’s all.
I am also struck by the sense of entitlement some people seem to have in all this, maybe even Disney’s. It is a little scary. Someone pays for all of these buildings and facilities. And I do not think there is enough respect for that.
It seems to me a variety of concerns have been expressed on this thread, but I can only speak to mine. I’ll let others chime in because I have gone on a lot. Lol.