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

[sleepydog25]

Thanks, KAT! I took a Zyrtec for the trip back on the advice of a flight attendant, and it wasn't great, but it was not anything like the trip there.
Lakegirl: I know just how your daughter felt. I was sure the entire plane could hear my moans of pain! I had my head down, crying and massaging the area under my ears, opening my mouth trying to pop them, and chewing gum like a mad woman!
I do love those landmarks! And the independence.. luckily we have a lot of time to decide. I bet I'm not the only one with pictures like these:
View attachment 499769View attachment 499770View attachment 499771

No pictures, but our trip videos are full of them!

 

[justadreamaway77]

We are staying at the end of July and we're looking forward to riding our bikes but I've heard there is no longer access to ride your bike from WL to FW......any recent insights?

 

[Granny]

We are staying at the end of July and we're looking forward to riding our bikes but I've heard there is no longer access to ride your bike from WL to FW......any recent insights?

Hi there Dreamy...welcome to the VWL thread! You are correct...the paved path between WL & FW is closed due to construction of the Reflections Resort near Fort Wilderness. So we don't anticipate it re-opening for the foreseeable future...probably a couple of years.

That limits bike riding quite a bit at Wilderness Lodge. We haven't biked there since they closed the aforementioned path, so I'm not sure what bikers do. I don't think it is a very biker-friendly DVC at this point because of that. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of your options will chime in here.

 

[sleepydog25]

Hi there Dreamy...welcome to the VWL thread! You are correct...the paved path between WL & FW is closed due to construction of the Reflections Resort near Fort Wilderness. So we don't anticipate it re-opening for the foreseeable future...probably a couple of years.

That limits bike riding quite a bit at Wilderness Lodge. We haven't biked there since they closed the aforementioned path, so I'm not sure what bikers do. I don't think it is a very biker-friendly DVC at this point because of that. Hopefully someone with more knowledge of your options will chime in here.

Welcome, justadream! Glad you dropped in! We all hope you'll pull up a rocker and sit a spell. As Granny says, there is currently no way to bike anywhere from WL. There is the path that connects all the cabins, and the walkway that parallels the VWL wing. Further, the cabin path hooks up to the parking lots for the cabins which, of course, hook up to the main drive and parking area. All that said, none of it is conducive to biking. The paths are pedestrian in nature and go right by the swimming pools and Geyser Point, so you would have to dodge all manners of hotel patrons from small kids to ECVs. And I wouldn't think it entirely safe to be pedaling around parking lots and connecting roads. Until they open up the bike path again, which will be a minimum of two years I'd surmise, WL is not biker (or runner) friendly.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

My trip is too far out to make any airline reservations or anything else yet. I'm trying to decide what to do though because our trip is Sunday to Sunday and since we are on the west coast we will arrive later in the day when we fly in. Seems like a wasted day. We were considering flying in on Saturday and maybe staying at a value that night then transferring to our resort the next day. Right now though we can't do that with everything being down. We had also thought about staying at the airport that night but wouldn't know that we could do Magical Express that way and I'd rather be on Disney property. Also not sure if they will have the dining plan in January. Not really crazy about how they changed it though. Wish it was still one counter service and one sit down.

 

[justadreamaway77]

Before the shut down there was still an option for one table and one sit down.

You can stay at the airport the night before, you just cannot have the baggage service. You will need to collect your bags at luggage claim, take them with you to the airport hotel, and then bring them with you to Magical Express. They will load them onto your bus and unload them when you arrive at WL. If you don't have a room yet, you can check them into guest services

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Before the shut down there was still an option for one table and one sit down.

You can stay at the airport the night before, you just cannot have the baggage service. You will need to collect your bags at luggage claim, take them with you to the airport hotel, and then bring them with you to Magical Express. They will load them onto your bus and unload them when you arrive at WL. If you don't have a room yet, you can check them into guest services

Hmm. I'll have to check again then because what I saw said there was one that had 2 counter service and one that you could either do counter service or table service for both meals. It was pretty expensive if you don't do the sit down for both. Not really worth it unless you don't do table service for both.
I'll look into what you said if we end up having to stay at the airport hotel. I guess we would just have to contact them and find out just how to do it.
Thank you!

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Ok I don't know what the heck I was looking at but now I see they do have the dining plan with the table service and counter service. Yay! Now I just hope they will have it in January.

 

[sleepydog25]

Afternoon, Groupies! I do hope this finds you well. It's been foggy and rainy all day here, but we did have some good weather the past 3-4 days, so this is fine (as if I had a say-so). We leave for HHI in just a few days, and we'll see how Disney is doing as we'll be in the very first wave to stay there. We will take our own gear (masks, wipes, sanitizer) and make sure we social distance while out and about. And, we'll let you know how things go.

 

[Granny]

Afternoon, Groupies! I do hope this finds you well. It's been foggy and rainy all day here, but we did have some good weather the past 3-4 days, so this is fine (as if I had a say-so). We leave for HHI in just a few days, and we'll see how Disney is doing as we'll be in the very first wave to stay there. We will take our own gear (masks, wipes, sanitizer) and make sure we social distance while out and about. And, we'll let you know how things go.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about the "new normal" at HHI. And of course, we are not opposed to a few pix.

Enjoy your final planning and trip!

 

[bluecastle]

Sleepydog: Have a wonderful and relaxing time! Hope you have great weather.
So, today I was folding laundry, and when I got to this shirt I had an overwhelming desire to be wandering around the Mercantile looking for lodge-specific merchandise. I bought this in January, even though it is made of that super thin and clingy material that does not flatter me.
Even though the amount of WL merch seems to vary each trip, I'd love to be there right now!

 

[Lakegirl]

Afternoon, Groupies! I do hope this finds you well. It's been foggy and rainy all day here, but we did have some good weather the past 3-4 days, so this is fine (as if I had a say-so). We leave for HHI in just a few days, and we'll see how Disney is doing as we'll be in the very first wave to stay there. We will take our own gear (masks, wipes, sanitizer) and make sure we social distance while out and about. And, we'll let you know how things go.

A t wait to hear all about it. Stay safe and enjoy.

 

[DisneyGal24]

Welcome to the groupies DisneyGal24!!!
Our 1st stay at VWL was in 01 as owners, and let me say, it was a bit of a disappointment, to the point, we were questioning ourselves on whether we had made a mistake or not buying into it all. It was Dec, it rained the entire week, it was cold, we were in a studio so we spent a lot of time at the laundry areas doing clothes and shoes. FF to the next trip, one year later. Totally different experience! We stayed in a two bed on the corner facing the pool/lake near the elevator. Not because we were in a two bed(though it was really nice)but because the weather was nicer, we were more relaxed as my MIL went with us, so we had to take it easy, that helped, so in general, our attitudes were better. At that point, we absolutely fell in love with WL/VWL, and its been nothing but love since, give or take a few changes along the way.

Thanks for the welcome!! So you definitely understand where we are coming from? In the last 6 years, I have completely ignored any news having to do with VWL. Let’s see if I got this straight—VWL was renamed Boulder Ridge Villas. Did they remodel again (a remodel was done just before our trip in 2014)? Then the Copper Creek Cabins were built. Am I getting this right? I will say that we love Whispering Canyon and eaten there a few times over the years.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks for the welcome!! So you definitely understand where we are coming from? In the last 6 years, I have completely ignored any news having to do with VWL. Let’s see if I got this straight—VWL was renamed Boulder Ridge Villas. Did they remodel again (a remodel was done just before our trip in 2014)? Then the Copper Creek Cabins were built. Am I getting this right? I will say that we love Whispering Canyon and eaten there a few times over the years.

No remodel yet since 2014. It was scheduled for this year but who knows now what's going to happen.

 

[bluecastle]

Thanks for the welcome!! So you definitely understand where we are coming from? In the last 6 years, I have completely ignored any news having to do with VWL. Let’s see if I got this straight—VWL was renamed Boulder Ridge Villas. Did they remodel again (a remodel was done just before our trip in 2014)? Then the Copper Creek Cabins were built. Am I getting this right? I will say that we love Whispering Canyon and eaten there a few times over the years.

We were also there right after the remodel in 2014. We visited, but didn't stay there, during trips in 2017 and 2018 and saw the changes outside, the loss of the beach, playground, and many trees, and the addition of the cabins and Geyser Point. Then in January of this year my husband and I stayed in a Copper Creek studio, which is in the wing of WL rooms that have been converted to DVC. The configuration is different than VWL/BR in that the space, especially in the kitchen area, is long and narrow instead of boxy ( I can't think of another word). It may be shiny and new and it's nice to be inside the lodge, especially at Christmas, but it felt more like a glorified hotel room than a home. There are good points to both, and maybe we will try the 2BR in CC in 2022 (if we can get it), but part of me hopes we can't and that we can get VWL instead!

 

[jimmytammy]

Welcome to the groupies justadreamaway!!!
My daughter would love your chosen name, as she is a huge Carousel of Progress fan. Thanks also for the info on staying at airport. We always wondered if ME would still take you over the next AM

 

[jimmytammy]

Sleepy, Hope you and Chris have a great trip!! We are thinking HHI may finally be in our future(again), so would love your thoughts on it. As you know, Im a a foodie(one look at my belly tells you all you need to know)so being so close to great seafood places, and a short drive to Savannah(love Paula Deens place), its right up my alley

 

[jimmytammy]

Thanks for the welcome!! So you definitely understand where we are coming from? In the last 6 years, I have completely ignored any news having to do with VWL. Let’s see if I got this straight—VWL was renamed Boulder Ridge Villas. Did they remodel again (a remodel was done just before our trip in 2014)? Then the Copper Creek Cabins were built. Am I getting this right? I will say that we love Whispering Canyon and eaten there a few times over the years.

You are correct. There is a lot of grumbling, though, settled down more recent, as to the name change. Most of us here refuse to call it BRV, and still opt for VWL. So you are amongst some die hards here

We have been on again/off again fans of WCC through the years. I really like breakfast there these days. When our kids were little, they always enjoyed the hootin hollerin atmosphere. Our last time there in Dec we ate before heading home and it was a nice way to end another trip.

We have always enjoyed The Territory Lounge as well, and made a lifelong friend there in the process(actually texted with him last night)who tended/waited tables there way back. But it has changed with Artists Point becoming a character meal. Late at night, it reminds me of the old days, but the lights stay brighter than back then, so the ambiance is a bit lost IMO.

Geyser Point is probably the nicest addition since all the changes took place. Its a cool place to hang out, enjoy a drink and munch on some varying foods. Great view of the lake and very peaceful when not crowded.

The whole vibe of WL/VWL has not completely changed and I tend to look and migrate to the nooks and crannies that still embody the feel of the place that drew me to it all those years ago. Still the best resort on property if you ask me

 

[bobbiwoz]

If I wanted to bike ride, I would take the boat to FW and bike around that area.

 

[Lakegirl]

I agree, before Artist Point change Territory Lounge was a favorite and it still is late night. Geyser Point has also become a favorite as I live the ambiance and the food and drinks are good as well.