sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
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 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.
As noted, most of us here call our beloved home VWL, though I do use BRV in other threads. . .sometimes. . .to avoid confusion. When they converted all the south wing to Copper Creek rooms and built the cabins, some knucklehead decided that the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge would somehow be confusing. So, they created a whole new back story about some quarry or other and renamed VWL to BRV. The Hidden Springs pool changed from an oasis to, wait for it, a quarry swimming hole. Geyser Point replaced the beach. The nature trail was eaten by the new CC cabins. All of these changes were received with some trepidation by some of us (read: me). However, as JT says, it still retains enough of the old charm and, well, wilderness to be the best resort on property.
What both Lakegirl and JT hint at in regards to Territory Lounge and Artist Point is that the latter changed the former. Artist Point was a very good restaurant and our go to place for a nice adult meal with great views and ambiance. However, being tucked away at WL, as well as a few down years when they tried to do Asian fusion, apparently business wasn't good enough for the suits. Thus, they changed AP to a character meal. An expensive prix fixe menu character meal. Meanwhile, over the years, Territory Lounge had been a marvelous spot to grab an adult libation, eat most items off the AP menu, and enjoy a quiet and relaxing spot for adult conversation. Then came the character meal and a reduction in the bar menu. Given there is no actual waiting area for AP, you can guess where many families tend to wait before heading into AP. So, Territory Lounge is now a de facto foyer for the character meal at AP meaning it's crowded, loud, and full of smaller kids between 4:30 and 9:30. Thus, if you go late at night, you're fine; otherwise, TL is more like Beaches and Cream than a grown up venue. That could just be me.
That's where GP comes into the picture. It can be difficult to secure a table there anymore, but it's a lovely place to sit, imbibe, eat, and even watch the fireworks.Despite my admitted cynicism, we do love our VWL and WL and even CC. It's still home. . .
