Girlstar30
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2025
- Messages
- 2,844
For the next leg of our trip we were off to Copper Creek Villas! I was super excited for my wife to stay here. She loves nature and the outdoors. For me, I was expecting it to be kind of like the Grand Californian at home. Of course the lobby was majestic and I was impressed. We went to the store and bought the cutest Totem pole character figurine. The cast members were extra friendly. Everyone who found out we were from California expressed their concerns over the recent wildfires and asked if we were okay. Thankfully we were, but we were guiltily glad to be on vacation. Our friends from back home were texting us that the power kept going out and food had to be thrown out.
I was happy the room was so near the lobby! We walked around the grounds. I enjoyed looking over the lake and walking by the cabins, I wish I could see inside! We loved watching the water stream from the rocks to the pool. I wasn't impressed by the pools themselves. Was disappointed that the cabanas didn't include any service. Definetely liked the AKV pools better!
Back to the room, we walked in and I was so... disappointed
. I remember thinking I paid so much for this studio... it seemed so tiny and reminded me of a dorm room. Where's the theming?? I immediately wished I had booked at BRV instead. Room was freezing cold. Called maintenance. They came and were super rude. Claimed that the heater was heating correctly when it wasn't. He asked where we were from and tried to blame the different climate of Florida and California on us feeling cold. Whatever, we did not feel this way at AKV at all. I immediately knew upon walking in the room that I did not want to own here. Kind of went downhill from there. Housekeeping had to come a few times for different things. Again attitude and rude all around. Thankfully, the front desk and store cast members were so kind! I was really excited for tomorrow because we were taking our DVC tour and getting a $200 gc as the cherry on top! They were picking us up at the lobby and taking us on a tour of the active resorts. We were to meet at Fort Wilderness! Since we would be in the area we planned to join the CHIP and Dale Campfire and have dinner with family at Hoop De Doo! The day of the tour would be my actual birthday. I didn't mind one bit, potentially becoming a DVC member would be the greatest birthday gift!
The next day a mini bus picked us up and we were off to Fort Wilderness! When we arrived I remember thinking why did they bring us here???
There was a lot of dirt and trailers everywhere. Definetely not what I was expecting! The driver was very kind and let us in to meet our guide. We hit it off with him well. He was also a California native! We quickly looked around the model. Did not appeal to us at all. I want to stay at a beautiful Disney hotel and not a trailer!, I thought.
The selling points weren't selling to me. No way I would want extended family in such small quarters. Themeing was cute, but not for me. No front desk nearby. It felt isolated. We went back to the office to chat. 90% of the conversation wasn't about DVC, but about our interests. We felt so comfortable, no pressure. The guide picked up right away we were not interested in CFW. "You seem like a Riviera girl," he tells me. What is Riviera??? I didn't even book there, wasn't on my radar. The pictures online seemed meh, typical hotel. "Can we go to Polynesian?" I asked. "Sure!" Off to Poly we went!
My first impression of the Polynesian was that it was CROWDED. Kids everywhere ahhhh lol! My wife felt nauseated by the smell of the lobby. She complained that it smelled like her dad's cheap cologne Ok so maybe these properties weren't for us. We LOVED Animal Kingdom. We walked to the Polynesian Island Tower. That Polynesian pool looked AMAZING. We are pool people after all. I was worried about the crowds, however. I asked about fine dining. None available. Really??? That's a bummer. Food is a big draw for us. I felt the resort catered more towards children and families. I was impressed by the Moana splash pad, but again, doesn't apply to us. My first impression of the Island Tower was that it was pretty inside, but I didn't like that it was a ways away from the front lobby. It felt kind of cramped, shoved in as an afterthought. The cast members with Ipads made me think I would have to be redirected to the front lobby multiple times.
I loved the mosiac on the wall and the Moana theme. The hotel was CROWDED as well. Lots of guides showing rooms and apparently an open house for DVC members. We had to wait a while to tour a room. Annoying influencers filming everything with huge cameras and taking down the Murphy beds. When it was our turn, I was Wowed by the two bedroom.
The stingray in the kitchen brought a tear to my eye, always reminded me of my late grandma. The view was stunning. Laundry in the room?? What a concept! Such a clean, simplistic, beautiful look. When I found out it was part of the OG Polynesian association I was turned off. Why am I paying so much and losing years here? I didn't know what restrictions were so I didn't know it had non restrictions going for it. I liked the hotel, but I wasn't convinced I wanted to own there. Only one restaurant downstairs and it's a bar and grill. No, I did not think this was home for us. I told him we are still staying at a couple of more resorts and deciding where we want to own. He wanted to take us to Riviera. "Ok, we're pretty tired today, how about tomorrow?" You got it! Riviera tour tomorrow.
We went to CHIP and DALES CAMPFIRE later that night. Super irritated by the cast members at the bonfires yelling at everyone to blow out their marshmallows and watching every move. I felt like a child being scolded. The "comedy" by the guitarist just wasn't funny and the music wasn't good. Doing the hokie pokie next? Were out Off to Hoop de Doo!
The food was DELICIOUS. I did not care for the show and actually wished it would end Im happy they had a style of comedy that isn't used much these days, but again I just didn't think it was funny. It had such high reviews. My wife was just CONFUSED As a native of Mexico, the humor and American pasttime references went over her head. Some of the facial expressions of the actors made me giggle. I told her not to worry, I didn't understand half of it either. It was finally over! The restaurant next door, Crockett tavern? Reminded me of a dive bar in Arizona The internal bus loop was confusing to me.. Get me out of here! Riviera tour tomorrow, to be continued... 
I was happy the room was so near the lobby! We walked around the grounds. I enjoyed looking over the lake and walking by the cabins, I wish I could see inside! We loved watching the water stream from the rocks to the pool. I wasn't impressed by the pools themselves. Was disappointed that the cabanas didn't include any service. Definetely liked the AKV pools better!
Back to the room, we walked in and I was so... disappointed
. I remember thinking I paid so much for this studio... it seemed so tiny and reminded me of a dorm room. Where's the theming?? I immediately wished I had booked at BRV instead. Room was freezing cold. Called maintenance. They came and were super rude. Claimed that the heater was heating correctly when it wasn't. He asked where we were from and tried to blame the different climate of Florida and California on us feeling cold. Whatever, we did not feel this way at AKV at all. I immediately knew upon walking in the room that I did not want to own here. Kind of went downhill from there. Housekeeping had to come a few times for different things. Again attitude and rude all around. Thankfully, the front desk and store cast members were so kind! I was really excited for tomorrow because we were taking our DVC tour and getting a $200 gc as the cherry on top! They were picking us up at the lobby and taking us on a tour of the active resorts. We were to meet at Fort Wilderness! Since we would be in the area we planned to join the CHIP and Dale Campfire and have dinner with family at Hoop De Doo! The day of the tour would be my actual birthday. I didn't mind one bit, potentially becoming a DVC member would be the greatest birthday gift!The next day a mini bus picked us up and we were off to Fort Wilderness! When we arrived I remember thinking why did they bring us here???
There was a lot of dirt and trailers everywhere. Definetely not what I was expecting! The driver was very kind and let us in to meet our guide. We hit it off with him well. He was also a California native! We quickly looked around the model. Did not appeal to us at all. I want to stay at a beautiful Disney hotel and not a trailer!, I thought.The selling points weren't selling to me. No way I would want extended family in such small quarters. Themeing was cute, but not for me. No front desk nearby. It felt isolated. We went back to the office to chat. 90% of the conversation wasn't about DVC, but about our interests. We felt so comfortable, no pressure. The guide picked up right away we were not interested in CFW. "You seem like a Riviera girl," he tells me. What is Riviera??? I didn't even book there, wasn't on my radar. The pictures online seemed meh, typical hotel. "Can we go to Polynesian?" I asked. "Sure!" Off to Poly we went!
My first impression of the Polynesian was that it was CROWDED. Kids everywhere ahhhh lol! My wife felt nauseated by the smell of the lobby. She complained that it smelled like her dad's cheap cologne
Ok so maybe these properties weren't for us. We LOVED Animal Kingdom. We walked to the Polynesian Island Tower. That Polynesian pool looked AMAZING. We are pool people after all. I was worried about the crowds, however. I asked about fine dining. None available. Really??? That's a bummer. Food is a big draw for us. I felt the resort catered more towards children and families. I was impressed by the Moana splash pad, but again, doesn't apply to us. My first impression of the Island Tower was that it was pretty inside, but I didn't like that it was a ways away from the front lobby. It felt kind of cramped, shoved in as an afterthought. The cast members with Ipads made me think I would have to be redirected to the front lobby multiple times.I loved the mosiac on the wall and the Moana theme. The hotel was CROWDED as well. Lots of guides showing rooms and apparently an open house for DVC members. We had to wait a while to tour a room. Annoying influencers filming everything with huge cameras and taking down the Murphy beds. When it was our turn, I was Wowed by the two bedroom.
The stingray in the kitchen brought a tear to my eye, always reminded me of my late grandma. The view was stunning. Laundry in the room?? What a concept! Such a clean, simplistic, beautiful look. When I found out it was part of the OG Polynesian association I was turned off. Why am I paying so much and losing years here? I didn't know what restrictions were so I didn't know it had non restrictions going for it. I liked the hotel, but I wasn't convinced I wanted to own there. Only one restaurant downstairs and it's a bar and grill. No, I did not think this was home for us. I told him we are still staying at a couple of more resorts and deciding where we want to own. He wanted to take us to Riviera. "Ok, we're pretty tired today, how about tomorrow?" You got it! Riviera tour tomorrow.
We went to CHIP and DALES CAMPFIRE later that night. Super irritated by the cast members at the bonfires yelling at everyone to blow out their marshmallows and watching every move. I felt like a child being scolded. The "comedy" by the guitarist just wasn't funny and the music wasn't good. Doing the hokie pokie next? Were out
Off to Hoop de Doo!The food was DELICIOUS. I did not care for the show and actually wished it would end
Im happy they had a style of comedy that isn't used much these days, but again I just didn't think it was funny. It had such high reviews. My wife was just CONFUSED As a native of Mexico, the humor and American pasttime references went over her head. Some of the facial expressions of the actors made me giggle. I told her not to worry, I didn't understand half of it either. It was finally over! The restaurant next door, Crockett tavern? Reminded me of a dive bar in Arizona The internal bus loop was confusing to me.. Get me out of here! Riviera tour tomorrow, to be continued... Attachments
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