VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.0) updated 21 June 2023

[oswald1]

huh, no kidding? So the 2 properties are sort of interconnected? (thank you so much for the info, much appreciated!)

 

[oswald1]

I LOVE corgi's by the way

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

huh, no kidding? So the 2 properties are sort of interconnected? (thank you so much for the info, much appreciated!)

They share the amenities but still are legally separate for booking rooms.

Corgi's rock!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Supposedly you can still download your photos on Photobucket to your computer. I hope it works for you. This situation with Photobucket stinks.

Hopefully you cannot max out your photo download space on the DisBoards.

I'm working on my downloads now while it still can be done.

This really is poor, poor stuff by Photobucket to do this with no notice. Or if there was notice it wasn't something I saw. I used them as an easy way to share pictures on the go but that's done.

 

[horselover]

OK, DDad came to my rescue!!! I'm naked now just like Granny

Jeese Louis Dear, That last statement make this thread sound very suspect . . . . I'll be home right away . . .

Wow, I just looked down . . . I'm naked, too!

Oh my!

 

[Granny]

This thread has taken a definite turn this morning!

Wow...you're not kidding Kathy! This used to be a G-rated thread!

CC Grand Opening today. Looks great.

View attachment 253668

Jade...thanks as always for the great photo detective work! We'll have to check out the models on our next trip.

 

[Granny]

question for the experts: I have been a VWL member since 2000, but have not been there since this copper creep addition. Where is it exactly and how has it affected the most beloved resort at WDW?

Oswald...welcome to the Groupies thread! Kathy has given you some great responses. The best way to think of Copper Creek Villas is to realize that it has no connection to VWL other than shared amenities like pool, restaurants, boats, etc. No booking advantage there for VWL owners, and no booking advantage for new CCV owners at our beloved VWL.

If you haven't been to VWL since 2000, you won't recognize the grounds. The quiet pool is gone, replaced with a much larger zero-entry pool. Also a new counter service & lounge on the shore of Bay Lake where the beach used to be. And of course the cabins which dominate the Bay Lake shore now.

Thanks for dropping in to say hi! Come back any time.

 

[sleepydog25]

Good Monday Morning Groupies!

OK, I really need some help from my groupie friends. I came to the thread this morning to get caught up on all the happenings in the Groupie world. And, consequently have been struggling for the past hour trying to remove my photo bucket images so I don't get those awful 'update' in my signature line.

Here's what I've attempted so far:
I've gone into my Dis account - signature - and clicked on each image, deleted the link and then saved when I was finished, but it would appear that I was not successful.

I've gone into our photo bucket account - what a mess with all those blooming' ads - and cannot find the path to the third party hosting of my images.

Any suggestions for someone that, technologically speaking, flies by the seat of their pants?


OK, DDad came to my rescue!!! I'm naked now just like Granny

Wow, I just looked down . . . I'm naked, too!

It's about time we spiced up things around here! Adds a whole 'nother layer of meaning to VWL Groupies & Lovers' Thread. . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEEBITS!!!

Oswald!! We're glad you dropped by the "new and improved" (see above) Groupies Thread! I second everything that KAT says, pretty much the same tone, as well. In place of what most of us on here thought was a perfect set up--serenity, solitude, and actual wilderness--they put up a parking lot. . .two, actually. Okay, I exaggerate. What Disney did build is quite lovely: Geyser Point fits right in and serves good food; the cabins are spectacular inside (as are the GVs); the new pool may be nicer than the main pool (but has no slides or other small kiddie attraction); and the landscaping is topnotch (including returning the bison, though near the new pool not out front). Roaring Fork closed then reopened--new interior and outdoor seating area is an improvement; new food is not. That being said, I fear such attractiveness comes at a price. As others on here know (and are now saying to themselves, "not again"), I mourn the loss of the beach and much of the nature trail. I miss the bubbles in Hidden Springs pool, and how quiet it was. I miss the trees. In general, I miss the feel of the old Lodge. All the new bells and whistles are undeniably lovely (with the exception of the layouts in the new CC rooms), yet I suspect there will be far more people now, far more buzz associated with this upgrade. I'll still continue to love the Lodge, I'm sure, but I'll do so believing that bigger isn't particularly better.

 

[oswald1]

Oswald...welcome to the Groupies thread! Kathy has given you some great responses. The best way to think of Copper Creek Villas is to realize that it has no connection to VWL other than shared amenities like pool, restaurants, boats, etc. No booking advantage there for VWL owners, and no booking advantage for new CCV owners at our beloved VWL.

If you haven't been to VWL since 2000, you won't recognize the grounds. The quiet pool is gone, replaced with a much larger zero-entry pool. Also a new counter service & lounge on the shore of Bay Lake where the beach used to be. And of course the cabins which dominate the Bay Lake shore now.

Thanks for dropping in to say hi! Come back any time.

oh no, I joined DVC in 2000. I was last at VWL.....hmm, 2-3 yrs ago. Last year we stayed at OKW for the first time, we loved the size of the units. I just have not seen this copper addition. Are all the pools much more crowded now? restaurants? More worried about stuff like that. I also loved Hidden Springs the most and all the walking/biking trail to the campgrounds, sounds like I may be out of luck there too?

 

[DenLo]

oh no, I joined DVC in 2000. I was last at VWL.....hmm, 2-3 yrs ago. Last year we stayed at OKW for the first time, we loved the size of the units. I just have not seen this copper addition. Are all the pools much more crowded now? restaurants? More worried about stuff like that. I also loved Hidden Springs the most and all the walking/biking trail to the campgrounds, sounds like I may be out of luck there too?

Copper Creek is just taking over the Wilderness Lodge Hotel rooms in the wing nearest to VWL. So there really shouldn't be that much difference on the number of people. Although I suppose DVC members do seem to hang around the resort more than cash guests that are only at the resort a few nights.

 

[sleepydog25]

oh no, I joined DVC in 2000. I was last at VWL.....hmm, 2-3 yrs ago. Last year we stayed at OKW for the first time, we loved the size of the units. I just have not seen this copper addition. Are all the pools much more crowded now? restaurants? More worried about stuff like that. I also loved Hidden Springs the most and all the walking/biking trail to the campgrounds, sounds like I may be out of luck there too?

Not totally out of luck, no. We (I) may make it seem more dire than it is because there were definitely changes. To wit:
- We were just there less than two weeks ago, and the resort definitely had a buzz to it I hadn't seen in a couple of years due to the construction. Then again, it was summer, a high traffic time. My concern now is that with CCVC opening today, the Lodge as a whole will feel much busier. Given that so much of the actual wilderness aspect is gone, I'm concerned the uptick in crowd levels there will erase some of the serenity I loved.
- The new cabins are very pretty. We were able to walk around inside one during our last trip. They do largely blend into the theme of WL and are a definite deluxe resort boost. Those came at the cost of hundreds of trees and about 1/3 of the sandy nature trail that started beside Teton Bike and Boat. There are 14 cabins that parallel the VWL building and actually extend significantly beyond the end of that building (where the dumpsters are). They put in a sidewalk to all the cabins--again the landscaping is superb, I'll give them that--and there are a couple of places to cross over toward the VWL building including a footbridge to the new parking lot for cabin guests only. Along side of the VWL building, there is no longer grass with the little fence and trees but a two-car width service vehicle access path, aka a road. The landscaping there isn't much to look at. . .mostly grass on either side of it. It's sort of like walking down the huge pathway to Epcot from BCV minus the landscaping. They also put in 12 cabins on the north side of the main Lodge, so 26 total cabins. The cabins farthest out are a loooong haul back to the Lodge.
- WCC was hopping when we were there, but Artist Point seemed about normal the night we ate. It appears to still be a bit of a hidden gem. Roaring Fork had just opened so was quite busy; then again, it is a QS. Gone are the made-to-order Mickey waffles with topppings, though. Instead, you can get waffles in a basket with bacon or sausage; I found the waffles to be dense, not crunchy on the outside, and fairly tasteless. The outdoor seating area is an upgrade, though, and much more thematic to the Lodge. The pool bar is now closed and will reopen as a mani/pedi spa. You can get drinks at Geyser Point, though it's not as convenient to the main pool as the old bar was.
- Though some of the sandy nature trail is left, you have to go out beyond the farthest cabin to pick it up. I don't know that it will stay accessible, but when we were there, you could walk down what's left of it. The paved bike path is still going strong and never closed. It does have a nifty new-ish sign showing running/walking/biking paths with distances (sponsored by New Balance).
- The overall ambiance in the main lobby is still awesome. Still has that great smell, the sense of wonderment when you walk in and see the majestic totems, the swelling strains of the music, the flickering lanterns at night, the geyser erupting. All still there. And as long as that continues, and I can find some peace and quiet away from the madding crowds, I'll be fine.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

oh no, I joined DVC in 2000. I was last at VWL.....hmm, 2-3 yrs ago. Last year we stayed at OKW for the first time, we loved the size of the units. I just have not seen this copper addition. Are all the pools much more crowded now? restaurants? More worried about stuff like that. I also loved Hidden Springs the most and all the walking/biking trail to the campgrounds, sounds like I may be out of luck there too?

As Denlo said for the most part they just took over existing hotel rooms and for example in the case of 1 and 2BR's they took up 2 hotel rooms for the 1BR's and 3 hotel rooms for the 2BR's so it's even possible that with the addition of the cabins that the occupancy remained very similar. However there were every lingering reports that WL was rarely at capacity and the one thing DVC is designed to do is to be at capacity so maybe it will be more people. That's the unknown for awhile until things shake out but personally I don't expect it to change too much.

 

[sleepydog25]

So, I've been reading a little about the new Star Wars hotel. . .and it begs a few questions. I'm assuming that not all guests have to dress up, though some sources have hinted at such: "The hotel will be a multi-day experience, Disney's 'most experiential concept ever,' Chapek said. Every window will make guests feel like they are looking into space. Each guest will have a storyline to live out and will be dressed in Star Wars-themed attire." I'm guessing that means only those who choose to want to have a role in the ongoing story line. Could be cool, but I'm thinking it will be very expensive. If they do that, will they relax the Disney bounding guidelines? You know there will be some who will essentially only bring SW-themed clothes. Finally, will there be a place to park our personal X-wing fighters or Millenium Falcon? I do enjoy SW, but I don't know that I'd want to shell out extra $ for said experience. . .

 

[twinklebug]

So, I've been reading a little about the new Star Wars hotel. . .and it begs a few questions. I'm assuming that not all guests have to dress up, though some sources have hinted at such: "The hotel will be a multi-day experience, Disney's 'most experiential concept ever,' Chapek said. Every window will make guests feel like they are looking into space. Each guest will have a storyline to live out and will be dressed in Star Wars-themed attire." I'm guessing that means only those who choose to want to have a role in the ongoing story line. Could be cool, but I'm thinking it will be very expensive. If they do that, will they relax the Disney bounding guidelines. You know there will be some who will essentially only bring SW-themed clothes. Finally, will there be a place to park our personal X-wing fighters or Millenium Falcon? I do enjoy SW, but I don't know that I'd want to shell out extra $ for said experience. . .

My daughter pointed out that the Star Wars hotel/experience would be well suited to a cruise. If you approach it as such I suppose it might make the high price tag, whatever that ends up being, more justifiable.

 

[horselover]

So, I've been reading a little about the new Star Wars hotel. . .and it begs a few questions. I'm assuming that not all guests have to dress up, though some sources have hinted at such: "The hotel will be a multi-day experience, Disney's 'most experiential concept ever,' Chapek said. Every window will make guests feel like they are looking into space. Each guest will have a storyline to live out and will be dressed in Star Wars-themed attire." I'm guessing that means only those who choose to want to have a role in the ongoing story line. Could be cool, but I'm thinking it will be very expensive. If they do that, will they relax the Disney bounding guidelines. You know there will be some who will essentially only bring SW-themed clothes. Finally, will there be a place to park our personal X-wing fighters or Millenium Falcon? I do enjoy SW, but I don't know that I'd want to shell out extra $ for said experience. . .

This. I like SW but I'm not that big of a fan to pay for this. Now if this was a LOTR immersive experience (in NZ of course) I'd be all over it.

Which reminds me. 11 more sleeps!

 

[Dean Marino]

Deleted - no wish to offend anyone...

 

[sleepydog25]

I'm beginning to hate Photobucket. I keep copying images and they keep not allowing them.
Dear Photobucket:
I am not amused. In fact, your behavior is causing me to dislike you and not want to use you ever again.
Signed,
Not Amused

 

[momtwoboys]

are the cabanas at the Villa pool only for rent?

 

[Nvrgrowup]

The cabanas at the Boulder Ridge pool are currently not for rent. I called member services after reading something on a post. We are going next month and I was curious to see if this was an option . The person I spoke to said they have no timeline for when they will be available to rent.Disappointed!!!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The cabanas at the Boulder Ridge pool are currently not for rent. I called member services after reading something on a post. We are going next month and I was curious to see if this was an option . The person I spoke to said they have no timeline for when they will be available to rent.Disappointed!!!

ie - that would by like the Poly Oasis pool - so for now, first come first served perhaps.