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

[KAT4DISNEY]

“Dad”, she says, “ can’t we stay at that Resort that had all the movie characters? Like we did that other time with the kids? It was more fun for the kids.”

My jaw dropped to the floor! You mean in the Value Studios with the double beds, the standing room only bus rides, the cheerleader groups chanting on the lawn?

So there’s my story. Apparently DVC isn’t for everyone.

Nostalgia can be strong!

17 years later the double beds may not be quite the same as one remembers.

 

[Crabby_Dan]

17 years later the double beds may not be quite the same as one remembers.

Methinks this will be true. Lol. Unfortunately I remember them very well

 

[Crabby_Dan]

DVC really did make a snob of me

Disney snob here too

I tell people the reason I bought into DVC- it wasn’t to save money, or because I fell in love with a resort, or even because I love Disney- it was for the beds and the towels. Honest to goodness truth!! I said to myself, “Crabby Dan, if I’ve gotta go to Disney every year, I’m not staying in Value Resorts with their uncomfortable double beds and the postage stamp towels!!!

We were staying at DVC for the 1st time on a co-worker’s points. Our 1st ever “no kids” Disney vacation for our 25th anniversary. I fell in love .

So the DVC salesman collared us and tried to get us to go tour DVC. Free ice cream for attending. I kept telling the wife, NO! Awe come on, she says, it’s free ice cream! Ok, I say, on one condition. If I weaken and start to give in, you gotta promise me you’ll tell me “DON’T Do anything STUPID!!” I promise, she says.

I walk out in a daze with my ice cream and freshly signed documents. I ask, What happened to “DON’T do anything STUPID?!!”

“Oops”, she says.

As everyone on DIS Boards says, the most expensive ice cream on the planet.

 

[jimmytammy]

Dan
That’s an awesomely funny story
Thanks so much for sharing as I read this and my wife and me are dying laughing!!

 

[jimmytammy]

We just went to a very new but best I have ever done Dvc mixology at Aulani
If you get here please put it on your agenda

 

[ErinC]

Dan,
We’ve had DVC since our oldest was around 7. Her first trip was to ASMusic. She was young enough that we had the king room and she was in a pack in play. I still have fond memories of that trip. We then moved on to moderates because DH and I just can’t sleep in any full size bed together and kids wouldn’t squeeze in a pack n play anymore. The younger two don’t really even have any memories of those trips, it’s pretty much always been DVC. Several years ago they started whining about never getting to stay at the “cool” hotels. They hate OLD (and they stress OLD) key west. I looked one time and considered maybe doing it for a weekend just to make them happy. But then I look at the cash price of the values and think, Why do that when I can use my points and have a much nicer place? So now I just tell them they can grow up and pay cash for wherever they want to stay! Lol. I can totally relate to your story!

 

[Spartan86]

I tried to search the thread for the answer however I didn’t come up with anything definitive. Regarding the balconies on one bedrooms at VWL: There is one, and it is off of the living room correct? The virtual tour at Dave’s shows a sitting area off of the living room and bedroom, but the tour is of a ground floor unit. Thanks!

 

[The Jackal]

I tried to search the thread for the answer however I didn’t come up with anything definitive. Regarding the balconies on one bedrooms at VWL: There is one, and it is off of the living room correct? The virtual tour at Dave’s shows a sitting area off of the living room and bedroom, but the tour is of a ground floor unit. Thanks!

They appear to just have a balcony off the living room.

 

[LeslieLou]

We have owned at VWL since 2011 and never stayed there (we have stayed at the lodge in that timeframe)

We have our first official stay in May. I’m really looking forward to it! I need to read up on all the changes (way behind...)

 

[sleepydog25]

I tried to search the thread for the answer however I didn’t come up with anything definitive. Regarding the balconies on one bedrooms at VWL: There is one, and it is off of the living room correct? The virtual tour at Dave’s shows a sitting area off of the living room and bedroom, but the tour is of a ground floor unit. Thanks!

Possibly what you saw in the virtual tour was the most coveted area at VWL. There are some 1BRs (and a few 2BRs) that straddle the perimeter of the VWL lobby (usually called a "corner room"), thus have an expanded footprint. We stayed in one of those 1BR beauties three years ago and, yes, it had two balconies: one off the living room and one off the bedroom. Both balconies faced the same direction, too. However, by far, most of the 1BRs at VWL will only have a single balcony off the living room area. Your choice of 1BRs as you likely noticed are either lake side or the "quiet" side, aka bus stop side. The quiet side is a better descriptor as you can't even see the bus stop, and it is, indeed, serene and lovely.

And to the Groupies @Spartan86 , @The Jackal , @LeslieLou We're glad you found your way to this thread and hope you'll all check in from time to time. Hopefully, you'll find our home thread a fun and welcoming respite. If any of you so choose, I'll be happy to add your names and dates to Page 1 for future trips--just shoot me a message. Leslie, I think you'll find VWL (and, yes, you'll find most of us continue to call it VWL ) a wonderful place to recharge your batteries after long days in the park. It has changed a great deal the past few years yet still remains our go-to spot and our second home.

Again, welcome to friendliest bunch on the Dis!

 

[Granny]

Okay, Groupies! Coming to you first with this inquiry: Luv and I will be on the DCL Christmas cruise this coming December, and we are planning to eat at both Remy and Palo as we have in each of our previous cruises. We were thinking of doing Palo and Remy on Christmas Eve and Christmas, respectively. However, we began to wonder if either (or both) of these two restaurants switched their menus for a major holiday. If it's a special menu with surprises for lack of a better term, we're okay with that. However, if they were to offer, say, turkey, dressing, and the fixings (or some other traditional foods), then we wouldn't want to spend that much money for something we make at home. Any of you cruising pros have the answer?

Sleepy...I don't think you got a response to this and I didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle. I know we have some big time cruisers in the Groupies (hello @bobbiwoz !) and hopefully someone can answer your question. Of course you might get a faster response on the Cruise Line forum but I wanted to bump this too.

 

[Granny]

“Dad”, she says, “ can’t we stay at that Resort that had all the movie characters? Like we did that other time with the kids? It was more fun for the kids.”

My jaw dropped to the floor! You mean in the Value Studios with the double beds, the standing room only bus rides, the cheerleader groups chanting on the lawn?

So there’s my story. Apparently DVC isn’t for everyone.

So the DVC salesman collared us and tried to get us to go tour DVC. Free ice cream for attending. I kept telling the wife, NO! Awe come on, she says, it’s free ice cream! Ok, I say, on one condition. If I weaken and start to give in, you gotta promise me you’ll tell me “DON’T Do anything STUPID!!” I promise, she says.

I walk out in a daze with my ice cream and freshly signed documents. I ask, What happened to “DON’T do anything STUPID?!!”

“Oops”, she says.

As everyone on DIS Boards says, the most expensive ice cream on the planet.

Dan...you are becoming one of the best story tellers on the Groupie thread!

You've got to make it to a Groupie meet sometime to regale us with your stories in person! I think you could give our dear friend Eliza (one of the Groupie's earlier storytellers) a run for the money!

 

[sleepydog25]

Sleepy...I don't think you got a response to this and I didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle. I know we have some big time cruisers in the Groupies (hello @bobbiwoz !) and hopefully someone can answer your question. Of course you might get a faster response on the Cruise Line forum but I wanted to bump this too.

Thanks, Granny! Yeah, we (as in Luv) posted on the Cruise Line Forum, too, but so far no responses. Thanks for the bump!

 

[Granny]

The Aulani Luau was well worth it! I have heard so many stories about the food being bad/not good at a Luau, show being so so, etc. This was beyond expectations and would do again for sure. Other than a brief siting of Moana, it stayed to a very traditional style show, deep in history and its roots. At times it was emotional as the narrators spoke about the area, how their ancestors had settled in Ko Olina, and when they were young, their mom and dad would take them up to particular area to visit, and how their moms ashes were spread there. I found myself choking back tears thinking of my own Ohana back home.

We just went to a very new but best I have ever done Dvc mixology at Aulani
If you get here please put it on your agenda

Jimmy....thank you for the pictures, and great that you enjoyed the luau and the mixology class. It sounds like you are finding Aulani as special of a resort as so many of us have also. Just a beautiful place to unwind and soak in the Pacific paradise.

 

[jimmytammy]

Well, the 1st leg of our trip is winding down today. We are headed out to the airport around 10:30 for a 1:20 flight, arrive in Long Beach, CA around 8:50pm, then on to Disneyland. There is a storm brewing up out over the ocean near HI, with gusts expected up to 60 mph. Its about 200 miles from here now, so hoping we can get out before the worst hits.

We have had a great, relaxing trip so far. Our 1st time here, we really had a tough time adjusting to the time change. But we grasped it better this time, even staying in bed til 8am yesterday!

Aulani is a beautiful resort with massive amounts of theming. Joe Rohde was very instrumental in its theming, and he and the Imagineers of the day did a good job of holding on to the history of this area.

 

[Corinne]

Safe travels Jimmy! I personally love DL! It’s been years since we’ve visited.

 

[Spartan86]

Thank you Sleepy! We were to have stayed in December but had to cancel due to a medical emergency. Looking forward to staying soon. We have stayed at “that other place” next door and love the complex. Have a great time at DL. BTW, Fantasmic is a whole different experience there. I hope you get to see it.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Well, the 1st leg of our trip is winding down today. We are headed out to the airport around 10:30 for a 1:20 flight, arrive in Long Beach, CA around 8:50pm, then on to Disneyland. There is a storm brewing up out over the ocean near HI, with gusts expected up to 60 mph. Its about 200 miles from here now, so hoping we can get out before the worst hits.

We have had a great, relaxing trip so far. Our 1st time here, we really had a tough time adjusting to the time change. But we grasped it better this time, even staying in bed til 8am yesterday!

Aulani is a beautiful resort with massive amounts of theming. Joe Rohde was very instrumental in its theming, and he and the Imagineers of the day did a good job of holding on to the history of this area.

Have to love those storms for the tail winds though - you'll probably land around 6PM! haha

 

[twinklebug]

Jen, that reminds me of "Dances With Wolves" as the Native Americans say Tatanka often in the movie, which reminds me of some songs from the movie that play in the lobby and surrounding grounds of our beloved Lodgewhich then leads me back to one of the songs which is titled "The Buffalo Hunt"
I sure am glad our Tatanka is back in there rightful "home" where they belong!

Ron, great to see you here, we understand life has a way of getting in the way of other things, but you are still here, thats what matters to us groupies.

This is an old comment I'm bringing back up, but I tossed on Dances with Wolves downstairs just to have some sound in the house (I hate a quiet house). I haven't seen the movie in over a decade and had forgotten the music for it. So, here I am entranced by a war scene of all things all the while my mind is slipping into a WL coma listening to the music. LOL

 

[DVC Jen]

This is an old comment I'm bringing back up, but I tossed on Dances with Wolves downstairs just to have some sound in the house (I hate a quiet house). I haven't seen the movie in over a decade and had forgotten the music for it. So, here I am entranced by a war scene of all things all the while my mind is slipping into a WL coma listening to the music. LOL

Mousehouseradio plays the WL music on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 2 eastern.