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

[sleepydog25]

Most of us here don't stay in 2BRs anymore; we last stayed in one nearly two years ago for our wedding at the Lodge. I'm sure if anyone else has shots, however, they'll provide them.

 

[Corinne]

Hi Groupies, I have been trying to catch up...sorry I know I have missed birthdays, and other events.

I'm in the FP planning phase for our May trip. I have to say, I'm kinda hating the fact that I have to do it! I miss the ability to be spontaneous, which was the beauty of being a frequent visitor. Don't get me wrong, I have always been a planner, but this sometimes feels too confining.

I'm specifically planning a day at AK, and normally we "get in and out" quickly in the AM. I am thinking of heading over later in the day, staying until park close. Anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[sleepydog25]

Obviously, any given park will likely be more crowded in the afternoon, but if you've planned your FPs for that afternoon, you won't have any issues getting on those rides. We typically go to one park at rope drop (specifically if it has EMH), ride all the attractions we can (which are numerous), then after lunch, we head to our FP park and are able to ride those attractions with little waiting, sprinkling in other less crowded venues along the way. For us, this method allows us to maximize our rides and minimize our wait times.

 

[Corinne]

Thanks Sleepy, I have begun avoiding the EMH a parks the last few trips. They seem so crowded. I guess the key is to be there at rope drop.

 

[sleepydog25]

That's the key for us, arriving within the first 10 minutes or so of rope drops. It works exceptionally well for us, but we also tend to be early risers at home. Now, Tour Guide Mike highly recommends against going to EMH altogether and using your initial FPs at the first park then heading over to another park and acquiring what you can there. For our habits, that means only ensuring the first three FPs and then having to grab what you can for any others and being flexible with your plans when the crowds are the greatest. That's not our style. lol For example, when we go to MK for EMH, we make rope drop (which we like watch anyway), and then we make our way to the major rides other than 7DMT. Last August, we were able to ride Space Mtn, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, BTMRR, POTC, and Buzz (twice) before the crowds got noticeably larger (we could have done Splash Mtn, too, but it's not one of our must rides). After that, we jumped on easy-to-access attractions such as Mickey's Philharmagic, IASW, and the People Mover among others before having lunch. From there, we went over to DHS and used our FPs. We also caught a couple of extra rides that had smaller wait times, shopped, then headed back to the room before going out for dinner that night. Such a plan doesn't work for everyone, of course, but it works well for us.

 

[brettcw23]

Thanks for bringing up the MB issue Jimmy. I was told that by a CM at SSR 2 years ago when they first rolled out & at that time I only had a couple MBs on my account. Now I have 18! That's crazy. What I've been doing since then is I just go into my MDE account & deactivating all the bands I'm not using. You can always go into your account & reactive any band. As I've posted before I like to customize my bands. I just made one for spring for the trip tomorrow. I keep whatever my seasonal band is active & my AP band just as a back up. Since I've been doing this I've had no issues with my bands. Hopefully that will continue. There going to try to give me a new grey band tomorrow at POFQ which I will decline. I see it in my account but I made it inactive. That may mess up direct to room check in but if it does I'll just go to the front desk. I know they're having some issues with direct to room check in. No big surprise there. Nothing ever seems to roll out properly or easily at Disney. Hope to see on you Thu!

Oh & just in case any of you don't know you can decline MBs with DVC reservations. I was told by a CM to call MS 30 days before arrival & they'll surpress the shipment. I'm hoping one of these days they'll give us the option to decline them in our MDE accounts. I'm going to start declining them. I've got a custom band for all seasons now. I don't need any more MBs!

Just a note for many people that don't want new MBs b\c they already have a bunch. The MBs have a limited battery life of around 2 years, so be mindful of that. I initially thought about how much Disney was wasting in shipping new ones and thought that they should be smart enough to tie an existing MB to an account and give folks and option. Once I found out that they have a limited shelf life, I now understand.

 

[brettcw23]

Morning, peeps. My name is Brett and I'm new to this neck of the DVC woods (get the VWL pun?)
We joined DVC in 2011 and our home resorts are BLT and SSR. SSR was not a well thought out purchase for us, we simply bought to add points.
To the point! We are staying at a 2BR @VWL 10\10 - 10\17 and we are SUPER excited.

• We are excited b\c it's our annual trip. From the day we joined DVC, we knew that we wanted to try a number of different resorts. This is #4 for us and long awaited!
• Our youngest DD will turn 8 on the trip (we celebrate both our DD's bdays though since my oldest DD's bday is 9/12)
• And HOPEFULLY...my FIL and his wife will be able to stay with us. Background is that my FIL was diagnosed with Leukemia 2 years ago and is now in remission now (he received a successful bone marrow transplant) but is still fighting the many daily battles that go along with the disease. The trip is about 7 months out and they are planning to travel by car (from Pittsburgh) and visit some friends along the way. My FIL is a very active man but the toll the meds have taken on him can slow him down tremendously. We are hoping that with our 2 BR, that we can get 2 queens. My DW and I are planning on letting my in-laws take the King size bed so that we can put our girls with us in the other room. They've always slept on the sleeper sofas so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but it'd be nice for them to live like "rock stars" and sleep in a queen size bed.

In any event, I hope I'm welcome and will be sure to offer as much advice that I can give with confidence and keep dumb questions to a minimum!

 

[Corinne]

Morning, peeps. My name is Brett and I'm new to this neck of the DVC woods (get the VWL pun?)
We joined DVC in 2011 and our home resorts are BLT and SSR. SSR was not a well thought out purchase for us, we simply bought to add points.
To the point! We are staying at a 2BR @VWL 10\10 - 10\17 and we are SUPER excited.

• We are excited b\c it's our annual trip. From the day we joined DVC, we knew that we wanted to try a number of different resorts. This is #4 for us and long awaited!
• Our youngest DD will turn 8 on the trip (we celebrate both our DD's bdays though since my oldest DD's bday is 9/12)
• And HOPEFULLY...my FIL and his wife will be able to stay with us. Background is that my FIL was diagnosed with Leukemia 2 years ago and is now in remission now (he received a successful bone marrow transplant) but is still fighting the many daily battles that go along with the disease. The trip is about 7 months out and they are planning to travel by car (from Pittsburgh) and visit some friends along the way. My FIL is a very active man but the toll the meds have taken on him can slow him down tremendously. We are hoping that with our 2 BR, that we can get 2 queens. My DW and I are planning on letting my in-laws take the King size bed so that we can put our girls with us in the other room. They've always slept on the sleeper sofas so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but it'd be nice for them to live like "rock stars" and sleep in a queen size bed.

In any event, I hope I'm welcome and will be sure to offer as much advice that I can give with confidence and keep dumb questions to a minimum!

Brett!! This is the best group on the DIS, and there are NO dumb questions!!!!

 

[sleepydog25]

I echo what Corinne says! We self-proclaim to be the friendliest group on the DIS and not without cause. I've been a Groupie for a few years now, and everyone was extremely welcoming to me then as we continue to be now. Over the years, many have become fast friends, and when possible, Groupies have meets and mini-meets whenever they can be arranged. So, welcome aboard! If you've read the first page of the thread, then you know you can PM me to add your trips to the Trip & Cruise Listings if you wish, or you can contact jimmytammy for birthdays and anniversaries. No pressure to do either, of course. (P.S. Same offer applies to you dwight! Sorry I forgot to mention it earlier--I blame it on the cold I'm just now shaking.) Again, welcome to our Groupies!

Switching topics, luv, the Daughter, and I went to see CINDERELLA yesterday. While quite enjoyable and a faithful retelling of the fairy tale (with some nice back story expansions of characters such as the stepmother, Cinderella's parents, and others), it wasn't a "wow!" experience for us. There were a few moments where a bit more conflict could have been added, and we felt the overall color palette to be muted--we were thinking Technicolor but it was more INTO THE WOODS-ish. Still, it was worth the price of admission (granted, we hit it during the matinee price time). However, it doesn't measure up to SAVING MR BANKS which I'm aware is a different sub-genre in film. Still, it just didn't grip our imagination as much.

 

[Corinne]

I loved Saving Mr Banks Sleepy!!

 

[ottawagreg]

Hello Groupies! Just stopping by on a Sunday afternoon. Life is so busy I don't have time to chat with my fellow moose lovers. I hope all are well and happy. Worst of winter behind us now and springtime is in view. Although I have not spotted a robin here in north Illinois, the only snow left here was once a very large pile. I have no idea what the current conversation is about but if it has something to do with Mr. Banks, must confess it hit pretty close to home. Having drank too much scotch for too many years, and a precious little girl at home,..... well I'm sure you catch my drift. This is a pic from a couple of years ago at the Garden Grille. The owner stopped by to say hello.

The other one is the balcony view from the dumpster studio on the fourth floor as I recall. It really isn't all that bad. Especially when one turn one's back to the negative stuff and focuses on the goodness in the surrounding the situation. Maybe there is is lesson in that for me.

Happy week ahead to you all!

greg

 

[Granny]

I'm specifically planning a day at AK, and normally we "get in and out" quickly in the AM. I am thinking of heading over later in the day, staying until park close. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Hi, Corinne!

We have actually had a lot of luck going to AK in the afternoons. Especially during the summer, it seems that the crowds really die down in the afternoon as people just can't handle a full day at that park. We've done it at other times of the year and generally find the late afternoons to be a great time to hit AK. Enjoy!

 

[Granny]

Morning, peeps. My name is Brett and I'm new to this neck of the DVC woods (get the VWL pun?)
We joined DVC in 2011 and our home resorts are BLT and SSR. SSR was not a well thought out purchase for us, we simply bought to add points.
To the point! We are staying at a 2BR @VWL 10\10 - 10\17 and we are SUPER excited.

WELCOME Brett!!

Glad to have you join us...pull up a rocker and stick around as long as you like.

Your DD's are a great age to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and details of Wilderness Lodge. You might want to try for Flag Family when you check in...a great morning tradition where a family goes up to the roof of WL and puts up the American flag. Also, if you have some down time around the Lodge, you can get a Hidden Mickey sheet from Guest Services with clues on finding dozens of hidden Mickeys throughout WL and VWL.

We're sure you will have an awesome time. That's also Food & Wine time and EPCOT is a fun place for a little adventure.

Enjoy!

 

[Corinne]

Hi Granny! Thanks for the response, I am hoping to see a lot of people walking out as we enter the park!

 

[brettcw23]

Thanks for the warm welcome! Our entire family is looking forward to our stay at VWL. I love hearing and sharing tips. I am pretty active on the DIS but really keep my posts to a few forums. I've found that when you stray into generic threads, folks can be downright NASTY! So I currently am pretty active in the DISDad forum, BLT\Contemporary and BWV. I try and stick to the premise of helping others since so many people volunteered info to me over the years. we have been doing Fall trips for a while now since our kids tend to have a few days off in Oct\Nov. So we are intimately familiar with both F&W and MNSSHP. Last tip we arrived Nov. 1, so we JUST missed MNSSHP but we did attend the first MVMCP, so we had that going for us.

We have heard nothing but positive things about VWL and WL from anyone that has experienced them. The existence of this group seemingly enforces that perception. i will tell you that our only apprehension about VWL was related to transportation. Given our last 3 stays have been BLT, BWV and BLT again, we are a little worried about the resort's proximity to the Parks.
With BLT, we could walk to MK and had easy access to the monorail.
With BWV, we were nestled in between EPCOT and DHS. We walked to each park. We took the boat once purely for our daughters' entertainment.
So any advice about navigating the transportation methods from VWL, I would love to hear any Do's or Don'ts.

My borderline OCD tendencies often force me to read from post 1 to current post but I fear that 120+ pages might be more than I want to tackle!

 

[sleepydog25]

Thanks for the warm welcome! Our entire family is looking forward to our stay at VWL. I love hearing and sharing tips. I am pretty active on the DIS but really keep my posts to a few forums. I've found that when you stray into generic threads, folks can be downright NASTY! So I currently am pretty active in the DISDad forum, BLT\Contemporary and BWV. I try and stick to the premise of helping others since so many people volunteered info to me over the years. we have been doing Fall trips for a while now since our kids tend to have a few days off in Oct\Nov. So we are intimately familiar with both F&W and MNSSHP. Last tip we arrived Nov. 1, so we JUST missed MNSSHP but we did attend the first MVMCP, so we had that going for us.

We have heard nothing but positive things about VWL and WL from anyone that has experienced them. The existence of this group seemingly enforces that perception. i will tell you that our only apprehension about VWL was related to transportation. Given our last 3 stays have been BLT, BWV and BLT again, we are a little worried about the resort's proximity to the Parks.
With BLT, we could walk to MK and had easy access to the monorail.
With BWV, we were nestled in between EPCOT and DHS. We walked to each park. We took the boat once purely for our daughters' entertainment.
So any advice about navigating the transportation methods from VWL, I would love to hear any Do's or Don'ts.

My borderline OCD tendencies often force me to read from post 1 to current post but I fear that 120+ pages might be more than I want to tackle!

I think you'll find the transportation at VWL to be fine. As I'm sure you know, there are boats that go directly to MK from docks over at the main Lodge. You can also take boats to both CR (thus, monorail access) and FW (Trail's End breakfast buffet is one of the World's best values and has tasty food to boot). A couple of the buses stop at another resort (though not the MK bus which many say is quicker than the boat), but we've never had any real issues with taking buses, though to be fair, we usually drive to WDW. The predominate complaint about the boats is attempting to come home after park close at MK when everyone is trying to get back, but that is to be expected. VWL may not have the best transportation options (hard to beat BLT from experience), but it's one of the better resorts we've found for overall transportation needs. Besides, once you come back to WL and VWL after a day in the parks, the serenity and tranquility immediately puts you at ease. No other resort beats VWL in that category.

P.S. Love the picture with my favorite princess.

 

[jimmytammy]

Welcome to the groupies brettcw23!!!!

 

[Granny]

We have heard nothing but positive things about VWL and WL from anyone that has experienced them. The existence of this group seemingly enforces that perception. i will tell you that our only apprehension about VWL was related to transportation. Given our last 3 stays have been BLT, BWV and BLT again, we are a little worried about the resort's proximity to the Parks.
With BLT, we could walk to MK and had easy access to the monorail.
With BWV, we were nestled in between EPCOT and DHS. We walked to each park. We took the boat once purely for our daughters' entertainment.
So any advice about navigating the transportation methods from VWL, I would love to hear any Do's or Don'ts.

My borderline OCD tendencies often force me to read from post 1 to current post but I fear that 120+ pages might be more than I want to tackle!

I agree with Sleepy that VWL transportation is pretty good, but not quite as convenient as BWV/BC (walk to two parks) or BLT (walk/monorail to two parks). Still, we have always found the buses and boats to be about the same as most resorts as far as waiting times. I will say that getting to DAK can take a little time especially if the bus stops at Blizzard Beach.

As far as reading the entire thread...I really wouldn't recommend it. The group of 20 or so posters that have been on the thread (this is the 6th or 7th incarnation) for several years tend to spend a fair amount of time on personal asides. We are always happy to answer anyone's questions who posts on the thread, but you'd have to pick through the other stuff to find them. Better to just ask what interests you about WL/VWL and we will do our best to help.

Enjoy!

 

[twokats]

I'm specifically planning a day at AK, and normally we "get in and out" quickly in the AM. I am thinking of heading over later in the day, staying until park close. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Corinne, Kati and I haven't done early in a long time. We take our time get to the park later in the morning do quite a few rides and maybe a FP, then do a late lunch at Yak & Yeti, do FP or other rides, shows and head back to the room right at closing or a little before. Works for us!

Morning, peeps. My name is Brett and I'm new to this neck of the DVC woods (get the VWL pun?)
We joined DVC in 2011 and our home resorts are BLT and SSR. SSR was not a well thought out purchase for us, we simply bought to add points.
To the point! We are staying at a 2BR @VWL 10\10 - 10\17 and we are SUPER excited.

In any event, I hope I'm welcome and will be sure to offer as much advice that I can give with confidence and keep dumb questions to a minimum!

Brett!! This is the best group on the DIS, and there are NO dumb questions!!!!

Brett, I agree with Corinne also, NO dumb questions. As others have said welcome pull up a chair, add a moosie to your signature and ask questions to your hearts content.

 

[eliza61]

Hi Groupies, I have been trying to catch up...sorry I know I have missed birthdays, and other events.

I'm in the FP planning phase for our May trip. I have to say, I'm kinda hating the fact that I have to do it! I miss the ability to be spontaneous, which was the beauty of being a frequent visitor. Don't get me wrong, I have always been a planner, but this sometimes feels too confining.

I'm specifically planning a day at AK, and normally we "get in and out" quickly in the AM. I am thinking of heading over later in the day, staying until park close. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Happy Tuesday Gang,

Corinne, we've done this many times and love it. First, let me say that we generally go in August and as you know it's Africa Hot. Animal kingdom during the heat of the day can be a problem, lol. Anyhoo once or twice we would have a late lunch at Rainforest and then do AK.

The park dies down tremendously because I think most folks do make AK a short day. Now one downside is that if you enjoy the safari like I do the animals are not active at all in the afternoon, you do see them as it seems that they just plop down wherever the mood suits them but they aren't moving.
I swear my second life I'm coming back as either a dog or a lion. I mean, sleep, get up, kill an antelope for dinner, take a nap until 9. lol what's not to like.

this sounds silly but it seems like in the afternoon after the crowds leave, I actually "hear" the park better. you hear the sounds of the birds, water and the crazy chimps more. I enjoy it.