BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS & COPPER CREEK VILLAS & CABINS: Wilderness Lodge DVC Expansion Thread

[JReneeW]

Has anyone with a "construction discount" for 2016 been able to book the new SPD or room only discounts and keep their $100/night discount for construction, too?

To answer my own question in case anyone else cares - yes, I was able to get the "special offer" applied and still keep my "construction discount" for our January 2016 trip!

 

[willeve]

Does anyone know what the construction will be like in June 2016. I really want to stay here but don't want to spend a lot of money if the construction is crazy!!

I am from the UK and was hoping to book for August 2016. WL is not even on the booking page here, so I called last week and was told that the UK division is not booking at all for WL for next year due to the ongoing construction! Apparently it is still possible to book through the US site, but if we book via the UK we get free dining at the moment for next summer. AKL for us this year, but sadness at not staying in our favourite resort!

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

Yes. It would seem the dark wood tones of the lodge (and villas) combined with the woodsy feeling and fireplaces drive people to other resorts in the hotter months.

Personally, I love everything the way it is, at any time of year.

I think the dark, wood tones of the Lodge, the woodsy feel is EXACTLY what draws guests to the Lodge. In the hot, summer months, in the midst of the intense heat of the summer, there is no better place in all the World to escape and feel like you are 3,000 miles away in the Pacific Northwest. But that is one family's input. Many of the resorts have their following for their own wonderful reasons.

I seriously doubt that it suffers from poor occupancy either. Since Disney doesn't announce occupancy rates for each resort, there's no way for any of us to know that for sure. Some will point to the "need" to offer discounts in order to fill resorts but I don't think that's a good argument.

I doubt as well. It has been said for many years WL has the highest incidence of repeat guests. The ''need" for discounts comes from the rates continuing to increase to absurdity and the increasingly lack of interest of guests, loyal or not, to pay $600+/night for pretty much a nicely themed, but fairly standard hotel room. Standard rates are tough to swallow no matter how it's look at and increasingly, folks are aware of what is fair and what is not.

 

[twinklebug]

I think the dark, wood tones of the Lodge, the woodsy feel is EXACTLY what draws guests to the Lodge. In the hot, summer months, in the midst of the intense heat of the summer, there is no better place in all the World to escape and feel like you are 3,000 miles away in the Pacific Northwest. But that is one family's input. Many of the resorts have their following for their own wonderful reasons.

Not fighting you on this - I agree, the dark, cool feel of the lodge and trees surrounding it is exactly why I love it in the summer. However, I have read over and over again people complaining about it not being summer enough for them. I assume this is exactly why the refurb of the villas lost the dark tones we loved, and my bet it's also why they eliminated many of the trees and all underbrush from the pathway out to the dock on the water side.

I doubt as well. It has been said for many years WL has the highest incidence of repeat guests. The ''need" for discounts comes from the rates continuing to increase to absurdity and the increasingly lack of interest of guests, loyal or not, to pay $600+/night for pretty much a nicely themed, but fairly standard hotel room. Standard rates are tough to swallow no matter how it's look at and increasingly, folks are aware of what is fair and what is not.

I was speaking with the housekeeping manager this last July regarding occupancy at the Lodge. (My sister got a fantastic rate over the 4th of July week, only 2 months out.) She said the villas keep them busier than the lodge as the units are almost always filled, even taking into account that we do not get daily housekeeping unless we spring for it. Apparently the main lodge was filled on July 3rd and 4th, but occupancy dropped to 2/3 of that right afterward.

 

[kanderson89]

Has anyone with a "construction discount" for 2016 been able to book the new SPD or room only discounts and keep their $100/night discount for construction, too?

Hi there - We are staying at the end of January and they only had courtyard rooms left for the discount with queen and two bunks. Still saved us $600 with the room only discount. And, yes, we had a construction discount, too.

 

[yooperfan]

Wellllll - I'm not sure they do. A good chunk of the "New VLW" will actually be converted Main Lodge Rooms - zero net gain of humans .
The CABINS represent a larger footprint.... on the other hand, a new RESTAURANT is being added. So, by the time humans actually arrive for the "New VLW"? There may actually be pretty decent restaurant capacity. We're torn over breakfasts at Whispering Canyon, vs the new restaurant on the water .

If the new restaurant is Table service, it won't help with roaring forks over crowding. Not as many people on the dining plan want to burn a TS on breakfast unless it's a character breakfast.

 

[yooperfan]

Hi there - We are staying at the end of January and they only had courtyard rooms left for the discount with queen and two bunks. Still saved us $600 with the room only discount. And, yes, we had a construction discount, too.

We called when the discounts came out and they said we couldn't get another discount besides our $100 a night off.

 

[yooperfan]

To answer my own question in case anyone else cares - yes, I was able to get the "special offer" applied and still keep my "construction discount" for our January 2016 trip!

Did you get the room only or stay play dine?

 

[JReneeW]

Did you get the room only or stay play dine?

We did the "Family Savings" or whatever it's called. It ended up saving a bit more for us than SPD or room only. But we had already had the "construction discount" applied back in July. Our TA did all the work, so I don't know how easy it was for her.

 

[Mrdski]

Humphrey's WL Page on FB has a map of the fencing and more details about construction.

 

[doidster]

From Humphrey's page:
"In December, another fence will be added between the Villas and the Main Building which I believe will completely close off access to the area. During construction, the existing Hidden Springs Pool will be replaced with a new pool doubling the size, and will feature a zero entry. Again, this is according to what I was told and drawn by a CM at the Concierge Desk at the WL."

I'm a bit concerned about this, because we'll be staying at the Villas in January. Does anyone know what this means about the fence between the Villas and the main lodge?

 

[Mrdski]

From Humphrey's page:
"In December, another fence will be added between the Villas and the Main Building which I believe will completely close off access to the area. During construction, the existing Hidden Springs Pool will be replaced with a new pool doubling the size, and will feature a zero entry. Again, this is according to what I was told and drawn by a CM at the Concierge Desk at the WL."

I'm a bit concerned about this, because we'll be staying at the Villas in January. Does anyone know what this means about the fence between the Villas and the main lodge?

I think it means that you will not be able to walk around the main pool to get to the villa.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I think it means that you will not be able to walk around the main pool to get to the villa.

Right. Instead you'll have to cut through the lobby of the main lodge and walk to the villas via the breezeway only.

It makes sense that they'd close that whole area considering how much construction there's going to be between the pool and restaurant.

 

[kanderson89]

We called when the discounts came out and they said we couldn't get another discount besides our $100 a night off.

Hi Yooperfan - For the "construction discount," we didn't have the $100 off the room rate. We had park tickets instead. So, the room only discount was still able to be applied. Kind of dumb luck that we fell into that, but given I was laid off over the summer, it was welcome. However, someone earlier on this thread said they got both room discount and construction $100/night discount.....

 

[breezy99]

Right. Instead you'll have to cut through the lobby of the main lodge and walk to the villas via the breezeway only.

It makes sense that they'd close that whole area considering how much construction there's going to be between the pool and restaurant.

We are going 10/11-17. I wonder if all the walls will be up. Trying to decide on a room request. I'm thinking the walls will not effect the upper floors, so may request upper floor, pool view (1 bedroom villas).

 

[grannyminnie]

Are those construction discounts still being given at all?

 

[WDWKOOK]

Humphrey's WL Page on FB has a map of the fencing and more details about construction.

I'm not registered on FB, so thank you for posting about the construction info. that's posted there.

 

[wilkeliza]

Are those construction discounts still being given at all?

It depends on if you booked pre-announcement or post announcement. If they had already put up the warning that construction will be going on you will not get a discount of any sort.

 

[yooperfan]

Hmm! I called the morning the room only and SPD discounts came out and they said we could only keep the construction discount or upgrade to woods view with bunk beds at 25% off. We're to old to be crawling into a bunk bed, so we kept what we had.

 

[grannyminnie]

Hmm! I called the morning the room only and SPD discounts came out and they said we could only keep the construction discount or upgrade to woods view with bunk beds at 25% off. We're to old to be crawling into a bunk bed, so we kept what we had.

And those things are not comfortable either, for those of us who are "too old"!