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

[horselover]

Got a technical DVC ? We have booked a 2 bed at VWL for Feb. and now DD and her DH are hoping to go in May for SW weekends. He has never been so we are thinking using those pts in place for the Feb trip for the May trip. So here is my ?, since those pts are in system we have to use them before our use year(Aug)is up, that is correct, right? I think I am over thinking this whole thing.

Are they 2014 points? If they are 2014 points they'd need to be used by 7/31/15 or banked into 2016. You'd then need to borrow those points to make the reservation for May 2016. Does that make sense?

Let me know what dates you're thinking for May! Would love to see you for SWW again.

 

[ottawagreg]

Greg, you will fully enjoy the train tour! We went several years ago for DDad's 55th birthday. At that time, they did not provide anything to eat. They did provide bottled water about midway through the tour. You will have wonderful photo ops! The train centered in front of the train station at MK, behind the scenes at the roundhouse and individually in the engineers seat, among others. Our tour went until about 11:30 AM. We were tired and hungry! Take some granola bars or fun fruits with you. Extra water if its exceptionally hot. We received a special pin at the end of the tour. If you're a collector, don't leave until you receive it. I hope you and your family enjoy the tour!

wildernessDad, I'm not certain how far out you can book the tour. I'm guessing 180 days out. We did receive a % off the advertised rate. IIRC it was for our Disney Visa. Don't forget to ask. DVC may also offer a discount.

WELCOME to our new Groupies! Always a pleasure to welcome new folks to our little corner of the net!

Good info for me to use thanks very much. The lady on the phone said it would be three hours so I figured we might need some refreshment or at least breakfast before we go. I thought it would be neat to get a picture of my girls "driving" the train looking out the window on the engine.

WildernessDad.....sorry for calling you DisneyDad in my last post. I should try proof reading my text before I post things. Anyway I booked our ressie on May 30 for June 11. She acted like it was no sweat getting me in the date I wanted. I don't know know if that was atypical or not. But if it is normal than I would no be too concerned on the 180 day window. I will warn you be sure to inform them that you are DVC as we get 15% off. I told them that I was staying at VWL and gave them the confirmation number, so I ASSUMED that I would get discounted. After I hung up I looked more closely at my price and did some math and realized I did not get the discount. I called back and got it but be warned that you should point it out to them. BTW they never asked for a member number so I know they could see that I was entitled to somewhere on their magical screens.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Beautiful! You always take such amazing photos Kathy. Thanks for sharing.

Wow Kathy! I echo Julie's comment, you really do take the best photos. We have had an owl in either our yard or a neighbors yard for the past few months. We have not yet seen it, but would love to.

Kathy...thanks for taking the time to share your photos. Yes they are spectacular and it doesn't look like they mind your stalking them at all!

Thanks Kathy for your beautiful photos! I can hear an owl off in the distance in the evening. But have never been able to actually see it.

When I was much younger, my dear mother (now 84 yrs) had us walk to the center of town where a snow owl had come to rest on a church steeple. She had said it was so unusual we all just had to see it! She was right, I remember it to this day. Thanks again!

Blossom, Glad to see you here! I find myself on FB more these days, but I always make it a point to get here just before work, helps jump start my day

Kat, love the pics!

Thanks everyone! I found it pretty surprising to have these owls so out in the open for several days! We seem to have a pretty decent owl population around this area and this is not the first time I've run across a group of owls which my sister and niece who are both big birders say is very rare, so I say we've been very lucky!

Di - I'd love to see a snow owl - that is special!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Got a technical DVC ? We have booked a 2 bed at VWL for Feb. and now DD and her DH are hoping to go in May for SW weekends. He has never been so we are thinking using those pts in place for the Feb trip for the May trip. So here is my ?, since those pts are in system we have to use them before our use year(Aug)is up, that is correct, right? I think I am over thinking this whole thing.

If I'm understanding correctly I'd guess they are from your 2015 UY and are not banked 2014 points? If they are 2015 then as long as you cancel the Feb reservation more than 31 days out they will be unrestricted and you can use what you need for the May 2016 trip and could bank any remaining into your 2016 UY before your banking deadline. If they are banked 2014 points then they will need to be used by July 31, 2016.

 

[sleepydog25]

Happy Anniversary, bobbiwoz! Hope you had a great day!

 

[jimmytammy]

Thanks Julie and and Kathy for clearing this up. It all seems so simple until I start over thinking it

Julie, our plans are to be at BWV(we hope)from May 20-28. Wonder whats chance of getting BWV at 7 mos. for May? Even though we have BWV pts we could use, it makes more sense at this point to use those pts we have in place previously mentioned.

Either way, its a good problem to have

 

[wildernessDad]

Got a technical DVC ? We have booked a 2 bed at VWL for Feb. and now DD and her DH are hoping to go in May for SW weekends. He has never been so we are thinking using those pts in place for the Feb trip for the May trip. So here is my ?, since those pts are in system we have to use them before our use year(Aug)is up, that is correct, right? I think I am over thinking this whole thing.

With an August use year, you have until the end of March to bank your current year's points. Any points that were banked from the previous UY or borrowed from the following UY will have to be used by the end of the current UY. Also note that next February is in your 2015 UY and so is next May. You can cancel the February vacation and use those points for your May vacation. Just realize that May is past your banking deadline so if you don't do the May vacation, your current vacation points will be stuck in your 2015 UY if you don't cancel it by the end of March and bank those points. Also, if you cancel any vacation from 30 days away from the start of the vacation to 1 day from the start of your vacation, those points will go into the dreaded holding account. If you cancel on the start day of the vacation, you lose those points.

 

[wildernessDad]

Just another fun thing - I though I'd share a picture (or 2 or 3) of the bird(s) I've been stalking this past week. Or perhaps he/they have been stalking me! He's out in the daylight and likes the ground as much as a high tree. And the reason I say they is because there's a second one - a sibling is my guess although perhaps a mating pair - I really don't know much about owls though.

I love owls.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thanks Julie and and Kathy for clearing this up. It all seems so simple until I start over thinking it

Julie, our plans are to be at BWV(we hope)from May 20-28. Wonder whats chance of getting BWV at 7 mos. for May? Even though we have BWV pts we could use, it makes more sense at this point to use those pts we have in place previously mentioned.

Either way, its a good problem to have

What size room Jimmy? I always book our May trip at 7 months. Oh, might as well be honest and say I book a lot in the 7 month window. So far it's still an easy time to trade. This year we originally intended to stay longer than we did and I had a BWV standard 1 BR for the second part and there were all kinds of options but of course that is the easiest size room. I do think pool/garden will probably be available for any size though. A 2 BR would give me the most concern. Fri & Sat can be the most questionable as SWW becomes more popular and also if there's plans for another 24 hour event on the Fri before Memorial Day, but I'd personally feel ok waiting. One odd trend I have noticed and will share....BCV has had more inventory this year than BWV at 7 months, although that may be due to the renovations that we're going on. It's been strange though.

 

[jimmytammy]

WD and KAT, thanks for the continued input. KAT, we are thinking 2 studios. We are still in talking phase as we adjust #s and such. This is a bit confusing but yall are all helpig easing my nerves through it all, so thank you

Earlier this eve, we were in van listening to Mary Poppins CD and heard "Feed The Birds"(which I very much enjoy doing, 3 very big bird feeders near our kitchen window tells the story)and it lead me to these play on words of said song...feed the squirrels, ten bucks a bag, ten bucks, ten bucks, ten bucks a bag. Those of you who enjoy feeding birds too know exactly what I mean I told T that too feed the birds I had to feed a lot more squirrels too I guess

 

[DisMom829]

So excited! We finally closed on our WL DVC purchase! I had to waitlist for our first stay Nov 14 - 22. What do you think our chances are of it coming thru?

 

[sleepydog25]

So excited! We finally closed on our WL DVC purchase! I had to waitlist for our first stay Nov 14 - 22. What do you think our chances are of it coming thru?

To be honest, it might be a tough waitlist to fill as that is closing in on the popular holiday period. That being said, I will tell you my personal story of a similar situation a few years ago after we closed in late April, and we wanted to travel the first week of December. By the time the points were loaded, it was mid-May. All that was available were a couple of nights early in our trip, so we waitlisted the other days and decided we'd do a split stay (at AKV). Over the course of the next few months, we had a couple of days come through here and another there. Our final two days came through in early October. For us, then, the waitlist worked after much patience and a liberal dose of fairy dust. Obviously, there's no guarantee, but it can happen!

Also, welcome to our merry band of Groupies!! Congratulations on closing on a VWL contract, and all of us here hope you have many wonderful years to enjoy our home away from home. We hope you'll drop by often and keep us up to date on your travels, especially how your waitlist goes. Good luck!

 

[jimmytammy]

So excited! We finally closed on our WL DVC purchase! I had to waitlist for our first stay Nov 14 - 22. What do you think our chances are of it coming thru?

Welcome to the groupies DisMom829!!!!
Congrats! You have picked a most special place as a home resort.

 

[DisMom829]

To be honest, it might be a tough waitlist to fill as that is closing in on the popular holiday period. That being said, I will tell you my personal story of a similar situation a few years ago after we closed in late April, and we wanted to travel the first week of December. By the time the points were loaded, it was mid-May. All that was available were a couple of nights early in our trip, so we waitlisted the other days and decided we'd do a split stay (at AKV). Over the course of the next few months, we had a couple of days come through here and another there. Our final two days came through in early October. For us, then, the waitlist worked after much patience and a liberal dose of fairy dust. Obviously, there's no guarantee, but it can happen!

Also, welcome to our merry band of Groupies!! Congratulations on closing on a VWL contract, and all of us here hope you have many wonderful years to enjoy our home away from home. We hope you'll drop by often and keep us up to date on your travels, especially how your waitlist goes. Good luck!

Thank you very much!! I'll keep checking every day and try to grab days here and there. Question, if I do find like a Monday and a Tuesday, do they all count as 1 reservation? I mean, are we going to have to switch rooms every day if I just snag days, or will they eventually all fall under one reservation? I really appreciate the help!

Welcome to the groupies DisMom829!!!!
Congrats! You have picked a most special place as a home resort.

Thank you! We are excited to say the least!! We visited the lodge in 2013 and the kids fell in love, it took me a little over a year to decide to purchase DVC, but I think we made the right choice!

 

[wildernessDad]

So excited! We finally closed on our WL DVC purchase! I had to waitlist for our first stay Nov 14 - 22. What do you think our chances are of it coming thru?

Congratulations! VWL points are hard to come by these days on the resale market.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thank you very much!! I'll keep checking every day and try to grab days here and there. Question, if I do find like a Monday and a Tuesday, do they all count as 1 reservation? I mean, are we going to have to switch rooms every day if I just snag days, or will they eventually all fall under one reservation? I really appreciate the help!


Thank you! We are excited to say the least!! We visited the lodge in 2013 and the kids fell in love, it took me a little over a year to decide to purchase DVC, but I think we made the right choice!

Once you get your days you can call MS and ask to have the reservations combined together. Good luck and Welcome!

 

[Dean Marino]

Just joined THIS board.... Sandy and I are DVC members (4 years), HOMED at VWL. In fact, I ran Disney through the wringer . Told them we would NOT buy into DVC until they gave us a Home contract at VWL . They saw the light .

 

[sleepydog25]

Just joined THIS board.... Sandy and I are DVC members (4 years), HOMED at VWL. In fact, I ran Disney through the wringer . Told them we would NOT buy into DVC until they gave us a Home contract at VWL . They saw the light .

Welcome, Dean (and Sandy)! Hopefully, you'll find a second home here on the Groupies thread. Though not all our Groupies actually own VWL points, we do all have a love of the Lodge in common. I do have one request: can you teach me how to talk Disney into "giving" me a contract? Now that's a great deal!

 

[jimmytammy]

Welcome to the Groupies Dean and Sandy!!!!

 

[DiznyDi]

Such an exciting time for you DisMom829! Congratulations and Welcome! I, too, do not believe you'll have much luck getting all of your days. Pixie dust they'll come through for you! Maybe consider a split stay? 3-4 days at VWL and 3-4 days elsewhere? Are you looking to stay in a studio? One-bedroom? I just checked the DVC website, only 2 of your days are available in a studio and those are broken up in the middle. However the 1 bedroom has availability 16 thru 21. We generally stay in the 1-bedroom. I'd book the 16-21 and waitlist the 22nd. I'd have a 2nd waitlist for the 14-15th. It wouldn't be awful to spend the first 2 days at another resort. We very much enjoy Saratoga Springs and with all of the new features to Downtown Disney could be a nice alternative. Animal Kingdom Lodge would also be very nice for your first 2 days. Enjoy the beautiful resort and pools and go the the Animal Kingdom Park while you're close by. It can be a hassle to move, but Disney does their part to help transfer your luggage.

Welcome Dean and Sandy! So very nice that you've joined us! If you'd like to have your birthday/anniversary dates on page 1 of our thread, let jimmytammy know. Sleepydog keeps the travel/cruise dates up to date. Send either of them a pm if you'd like to be included.

Enjoy your day, Groupies!