Trip Report First DVC stay Boardwalk

This is my first attempt at a trip report. Three kids (14, 11, 9) my wife and I staying at the Boardwalk in a studio for our first trip as DVC members! We joined kind of on a whim, kind of planned during our last trip in April. The salesman was very good, but the decision made sense for us.

We will be there Oct 24th to 31st. With the last night being at AK Kidani village. We added that due to cheaper flights on the 31st with Southwest. Also, we had the points available, so why not use them?

This will be our first trip without a runDisney race since August of 2015. My wife and I love runDisney races and we indoctrinated our kids with 5K and 10K (for the older two) in April. We are looking forward to no 3 AM wake up calls on this trip.

We plan to add QS dinning plan. For us we like the freedom this gives us. We like to pay up front, and figured out that the convenience is worth the slightly higher cost. Our last trip was without any dinning plan and the stress of food prices, and trying to share meals took a little away from the enjoyment of the trip. With the dinning plan at least we know what we paid for and can try to maximize our credits without worrying about the bills racking up.

Right now we have the following dinning reservations:
Day 1 BOG Breakfast
Day 2 BOG Lunch (grabbed both because they were available, and haven't done QS here before)
Day 3 Bon Voyage breakfast
Day 4 Beaches and Cream Lunch

No other dinning planned because of the QS plan. May only do ice cream at Beaches and Cream.

We are really looking forward to being able to walk to Epcot and HS. We stayed at Yacht Club in August of 15 and loved the location.

Also looking forward to seeing Happily Ever After and Pandora for the first time! Hoping the hours for AK get extended as we get closer. Right now showing 7:30 closing time for our trip. Not much darkness to see Pandora at night.

We pondered going to MNSSHP again, but the prices were prohibitive. We've been 3 times and love it, but no AP or DVC discounts for our trip helped seal the decision.

For now we are about 2 weeks out from FP day and are looking forward to making those plans.

 

[FNG]

Added Fireworks dessert party for HEA on Saturday the 28th. Didn't think there was any availability left, but the persistent rechecking paid off.

 

[Texas2Florida2017]

Always wanted to stay at the Boardwalk...Lucky. Maybe now that we'll be living so close and can get Florida resident rates we will be able to. Can't wait to hear all your plans and how the trip goes.

 

[FNG]

Tomorrow is Fastpass+ day. Hoping for at least one FoP

 

[skibum123]

Have fun! We get a Grand Villa at the Boardwalk each year in December (for about the past 10 years). You'll have a great time! Looking forward to heading back down there again this year.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

BOG breakfast is so bad. Probably still worth keeping if you're getting the dining plan, but lower your expectations.

 

[DisneyJeff]

BOG breakfast is so bad. Probably still worth keeping if you're getting the dining plan, but lower your expectations.

Keep in mind that breakfast and lunch at BOG are one QS credit. It's basicly the same cost as a meal at Pinocchio Village Haus. I thought the food at BOG was pretty good compared to any other QS options. (Disclosure: I haven't done lunch at BOG, only breakfast.)

 

[FNG]

We know BOG breakfast and lunch are QS. Have done dinner there and enjoyed it. We will be using QS credits and the kids requested it, so that's the plan. I have heard many people complain about many different QS restaurants. Some we enjoy, some we don't. We want to experience things for ourselves and make our own determinations.

Today was FP+ day. Got pretty much what we wanted with exception of ideal times. Scored two different Flights of Passage for two different days, but not until days 5 and 7 of our trip. Tried for day 3 but they were gone.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Today was FP+ day. Got pretty much what we wanted with exception of ideal times. Scored two different Flights of Passage for two different days, but not until days 5 and 7 of our trip. Tried for day 3 but they were gone.

Not surprising when you check in on a weekday. Check-in and check-out is heaviest on the weekends, meaning you're competing for Fastpasses with the people who check in October 21 and 22, and those folks have a few days head start on you.

 

[FNG]

One week out now. We have been able to move our first FoP FP to an earlier time which will allow us to avoid going back to AK after an afternoon break on day 5. Weather is looking good, much cooler than what it is now. I know that will change a few times over the next couple days.

Ready to get this party started.