The convertible table / Murphy Bed units added during recent Disney Vacation Club renovations are a popular topic of discussion. How large are the beds? Are the rooms too crowded? Is there still enough storage in the room? Let's examine the impact on Deluxe Studio rooms at Disney's BoardWalk Villas following this design choice.
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During a 2014 renovation of the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and 2015 modifications to Disney's BoardWalk Villas, the furniture configuration underwent a major change. Gone are the traditional round table and the TV stand which doubles as a storage armoire. In their place, Disney Vacation Club introduced a custom piece of furniture which converts from a table to a Murphy Bed. A stand-alone armoire now provides 4 drawers of storage for guests' belongings.
COMFORT
The Murphy Bed mattress measures 33x72", slightly smaller than the traditional twin bed dimensions of 39x74". Being smaller than a twin mattress, any adult uncomfortable in a standard twin bed will struggle to adjust to the DVC Murphy Bed. However it is quite suitable for a child or smaller adult.
The mattress is about 5" thick, the same as most sofabeds in Disney Vacation Club villas.
When in sleeping configuration, the uppermost portion of the unit forms a shelf-like structure which hangs over the mattress to some degree. This may present a head-bump risk to guests sleeping in the Murphy Bed. This upper lip extends about 9.5" from the wall, overlapping about 30% of the mattress. Some caution will have to be observed to avoid sitting up abruptly and coming into contact with the hard wooden surface.
SPACE
Is there enough space to move about the room when with the Murphy Bed down? Simply put, yes.
Even with both the sofabed and Murphy Bed open, there is plenty of room to move about the villa. Clearances between the end of the sofabed and Murphy Bed measure 36"--greater than the width of the villa's front entry door.
The two side chairs and coffee table will have to be moved out of the way in order to maximize available space. In these photos, the unneeded furniture has been placed in front of the balcony door. In a lockoff Studio like this one, there is also space in front of the unused connecting door to the adjacent villa.
EASE OF USE
The process of folding-down the Murphy Bed is quite simple and effortless. A button on the top of the unit is pressed while the table is slowly lowered to the floor. Check out the video below for a demonstration.
Despite the easy conversion, a little advance planning will save some effort at bed time. The table is no longer an ideal location to store wallets, purses, cell phones and MagicBands when they are not in use. All items must be removed from the table before it can be folded. Fortunately there is a shelf on top of the unit measuring 10.5 x 82" which provides ample storage space for vacation clutter.
Electrical outlets and USB charging ports were even provided to make this shelf a great location to store all electronic devices when not in use.
STORAGE
Addition of the Murphy Bed meant removal of the traditional TV stand / armoire. Fortunately Disney responded by adding a separate armoire.
The armoire holds four pull-out drawers, each measuring 10.5 x 23.5 x 6". While dimensions for the older storage unit are not available, the four drawers seem a bit inadequate for a family of 4-5 guests occupying a Deluxe Studio for anything more than a couple of days.
Also, upon arrival guests will likely find the drawers filled with linens and pillows for the sofabed and Murphy Bed. These items will have to be relocated in order to make full use of the amoire. Fortunately BoardWalk Studios have very large closets which can be used store little-used items.
Overall the room modifications are a nice improvement to the villa. The most noteworthy inconvenience some guests may encounter relates to the new proximity of the table to the enormous 55" flat panel TV. Guests sitting at the table to use a laptop computer or perform most other tasks will find it uncomfortable to view programming displayed just inches from their face. Nevertheless, the presence of the sofa and coffee table provides other options--arguably more comfortable ones--for watching TV during work or play.
The furniture itself is very well constructed, easy to use and provides more flexibility in sleeping arrangements even for groups who do not intend to fill their villa to capacity.
