Hi, I’m not a CCV owner, own at BLT, but we are staying in a studio April 15-20. We have wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge for years and are so excited to finally check this place out. My fear is that it will bring on a case of addonitis while we are there. I’ve scheduled a lot of downtime into this trip so we can really explore the place and soak up all it has to offer. Any suggestions on not so popular or lesser known things to do at CCV? Would love to hear your favorite things to do while staying here. TIA!!
I hope it’s ok to post this here, if not please feel free to move my post.
We enjoyed just relaxing around the lodge. There are great places to just sit and relax. My sister brought some hand quilting. I had reading on my tablet. I saw one couple with books.
Above the front doors of WL on either the 4th or 5th floor there are a couple really really nice comfy chairs that overlook the lobby. There is a fireplace [not that the fireplaces actually really give off heat; would have been nice if they did those days since it was just a degree or two above freezing outside]. You are high enough up above the lobby that the sound is not so loud. It was great while doing laundry as it was an easy walk to the CCV laundry room. Actually, each of the floors ringing the lobby there are various seating areas and just great vantage points to look down into the lobby or up to the lobby roof. Some great picture taking spots, too.
On some of the floors in CCV at the main elevators [the ones that go to the lobby] there are chairs and a little table beside the windows. We say people sitting there and just reading a book and enjoying the view out the window.
One night we watched the MK fireworks from the north wing (hotel side) of WL. I think it was the 5th but maybe it was the 4th floor. If you cross over from CCV near the lobby, where the hallway makes a jog there are a set of wooden shutters covering windows that look to MK. Open the shutters. You can see the castle. And it is a great view of the fireworks. No music, but that is ok. Especially when it is freezing out

If you just wander the halls [good way to pass time and get exercise -- climate controled walking on carpet

] you will come across the shutters. They are easy to open and close.
We spent quite a bit of time just wandering the grounds of WL/VWL/CCV and when we found somewhere nice to sit, sitting for a while and enjoying it. The lobby of VWL has some nice sitting areas -- and some of them have electric plugs if you need to charge electronics [this was one downside of most of the sitting areas -- no plugs !!].
Our stay at CCV was during unseasonably cold weather [near freezing], so we did not spend a lot of time outsidde, but there are some nice areas outsidde too.
The campfire is fun, and free each evening. ANd they hand out free wooden roasting sticks and free Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallows. The campfire "pit" is near Geyser Point.
SW