Booked VGF thinking of moving to CCV?

[3Anderboys]

I'll preface by saying I"m a Poly lover (even though we've only stayed in the studio). So we are MK resort lovers. We are currently booked in a 2 bedroom LV for Late October/November at VGF. We've never stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and with 3 boys (will be 9, 7, and 5) I think they may love it! (We really like the GF for convenience and amenities, but it's not my top spot). Reservations about WL/CCV: transportation via boat to MK (bc currently, we're on the monorail), 2 bedroom units-how are the living spaces for size in comparison to VGF, and overall transportation--everyone's favorite--the buses?
It looks gorgeous so I would love some feedback! And love to save some points! Thank you!

 

[DenLo]

VGF has the 2nd largest DVC 2BR. Only OKW is larger. And CCV's 2BRs are the second smallest, the AKV value 2BR is smaller which many families don't even notice the size difference.. As to living space, I think the 2BR living room is wider at VGF although there doesn't seem to be a lot of floor space despite it being a larger 2BR. The rooms are organized differently and hard to compare IMO. The biggest difference for most guests is that the CCV 2BRs do not sleep 9 as they do not have the murphy bed.

To me if the room at CCV is available, why not try it. Wilderness Lodge is definitely a place to stay and experience it. If you want a larger room BRV has larger rooms than CCV. But it is in a separate building from the lodge. We really enjoyed staying in the lodge for our two stays at CCV.

As to the transportation there are two boats to MK and you can also take a bus which some say are faster. Although IMO the boat is more entertaining, almost like an attraction. So the boat is fun and bus is just transportation.

 

[wnielsen1]

Wilderness Lodge is great. 2BR are on the smaller side at CCV - they converted the space for 3 hotel rooms into a 2BR. The Lodge gives off a secluded feel, which is either a huge plus or a huge minus depending on what you are looking for. As you mentioned, it is buses for everything except the MK (although you can take a bus to the MK too). The boat ride to MK is fun, but is not exactly expedient - I think the boys would love it though. There is also a boat that runs to Fort Wilderness and the Contemporary. There are many that rave about the Lodge - check out the VWL and CCV threads.

 

[KSkywalker17]

We stayed in a 2BR at CCV over Thanksgiving and loved it. We have 2 boys (8 and 4) and an infant daughter. We loved how close the CCV rooms were to the main lobby. We were comfortable allowing the boys to go on their own to fill up their mugs and check out the pins (my 8 year olds iPod has messaging so we could keep close tabs on him). We also really enjoyed sitting on the lake by Geyer Point.

We still have a stroller so the boats can be a pain in the neck. We now rent a car and use it for most transportation (other than MK). As far as the other amenities, we liked Geyer Point(QS) and Roaring Forks. I felt the food was good at Whispering Canyon but I just got the feeling our waitress wasn't just "playing" when she gave us the attitude (we met friends and had 6 kids at the table). She seemed genuinely annoyed with the kids goofy behavior.

We own at BLT and the Poly but are the type that love to try all the resorts. The Wilderness Lodge is beautiful and it just feels good to be there in the fall.

 

[3Anderboys]

thank you all! I think we would love CCV and being part of the main lodge! It looks beautiful!

Would you still do bus for all transport other than MK? or Do you find it too consuming to boat and then monorail from Contemporary?

 

[3Anderboys]

VGF has the 2nd largest DVC 2BR. Only OKW is larger. And CCV's 2BRs are the second smallest, the AKV value 2BR is smaller which many families don't even notice the size difference.. As to living space, I think the 2BR living room is wider at VGF although there doesn't seem to be a lot of floor space despite it being a larger 2BR. The rooms are organized differently and hard to compare IMO. The biggest difference for most guests is that the CCV 2BRs do not sleep 9 as they do not have the murphy bed.

To me if the room at CCV is available, why not try it. Wilderness Lodge is definitely a place to stay and experience it. If you want a larger room BRV has larger rooms than CCV. But it is in a separate building from the lodge. We really enjoyed staying in the lodge for our two stays at CCV.

As to the transportation there are two boats to MK and you can also take a bus which some say are faster. Although IMO the boat is more entertaining, almost like an attraction. So the boat is fun and bus is just transportation.

Thank you for the layout comparisons-very helpful!

 

[wnielsen1]

Would you still do bus for all transport other than MK? or Do you find it too consuming to boat and then monorail from Contemporary?

Time consuming, yes. But the monorail is an attraction in itself so there is no issue, just allow for the extra time.

I have done the boat to the Contemporary, then walked to the Magic Kingdom. It is definitely not a time saver, but I enjoy the stroll occasionally. Not everything needs to be done at commando pace.

 

[Granny]

If you think your family would enjoy it, I think CCV would be a great vacation. And at 278 points for a 2BR at CCV versus 433 for a Lake View 2BR at VGF...well, that's quite a point savings! We loved VGF, it is a beautiful resort, but the point schedule is kind of brutal!

Would you still do bus for all transport other than MK? or Do you find it too consuming to boat and then monorail from Contemporary?

Yes, we do bus for all transport other than MK, Fort Wilderness or Contemporary destinations. We have found the buses at WL to be pretty much on the Disney average for buses. The only longer trip can be to DAK, but that would be the same if you stayed at VGF.

We have done the monorail route to EPCOT via MK several times from VWL/CCV area. Mostly in reverse (when leaving EPCOT) as we are less likely to be in any kind of rush at that point. We just enjoy the boat rides quite a bit. For us, they are a better "attraction" than the monorail.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

thank you all! I think we would love CCV and being part of the main lodge! It looks beautiful!

Would you still do bus for all transport other than MK? or Do you find it too consuming to boat and then monorail from Contemporary?

I refer to the WL to MK bus as the best bus service anywhere at WDW. We frequently do that vs the boats but are usually staying at BRV and the bus stop is right out the door from the building.

Boat to monorail at CR will be a trip. If you're not in a hurry it can be an adventure. If you are in a hurry then take the bus. Here's how it goes for Boat to monorail....... Walk down to the boat dock and wait for the boat - nice but short ride to CR - exit the boat and walk down the dock, past the pool and into the CR and go up to the 4th floor concourse then up the escalator to the monorail - wait for the resort monorail - get on if there's room. If you're going to Epcot you then ride the resort monorail to TTC exit the resorts monorail and walk down then up to the Epcot monorail - wait for Epcot monorail - board and ride.

I got exhausted just typing that out.

The bus service to other parks is typical of all the MK resorts so would be similar for AK and DHS to what you would get staying at VGF. I've had return monorail service from Epcot take over an hour to get to BLT so it would have been maybe 50 minutes to VGF. I don't think we've ever experienced that with the bus returning to a resort from Epcot. I've also been staying at VGF when the monorail goes down. An hour to get to MK. I guess the thing is that transportation can be poor anywhere. WL/CCV/BRV is just as good as other locations.

 

[3Anderboys]

Time consuming, yes. But the monorail is an attraction in itself so there is no issue, just allow for the extra time.

I have done the boat to the Contemporary, then walked to the Magic Kingdom. It is definitely not a time saver, but I enjoy the stroll occasionally. Not everything needs to be done at commando pace.

ha! definitely not commando, but we try to strategically use our minutes bc three small boys. Mom needs to maintain some sanity.

 

[narcisa]

We stayed in a 2BR at CCV in December. We loved that it was part of Wilderness Lodge. We requested a lobby level room. It was great being right off the lobby and not dealing with elevators. The way the lobby level rooms are setup you don’t hear any noise from the lobby.

Also, we got a dedicated 2BR. The dedicated 2BR has a king bed in the master, two queen beds in the other bedroom, and a pullout sofa in the living room. Plenty of room for your family. The door to the second bedroom is in the living room. A lock off 2BR will only have one queen bed in the second bedroom along with a pullout sofa. The second bedroom in the lock off has a door from the living room and the hallway.

If you’re going to any of the monorail hotels, then give yourself at least an hour to get there if you take the boat. We had a breakfast reservation at O’hana and it took us 45 minutes to get from CCV to the Poly. We ended up missing the reservation because we only gave ourselves half an hour to get there. If you’re lucky enough to get on a boat as soon as you get to the dock, then it won’t take as long.

I think you’ll love CCV and I would definitely stay there again.

 

[cruisin5]

There really is just something special about WL. I think your kids would love the Hoop De Doo, it's our favorite thing to do while staying at WL because the transportation is so easy.

 

[sleepydog25]

Here's another vote for CCV or even VWL (aka BRV). VGF is a lovely resort but doesn't have that secluded feel that WL has. As another noted, that could be a good or bad thing--it's good for us; makes us feel as though we can get away from the huge crowds at the parks. Being right in the main Lodge itself certainly has advantages, but I must tell you that the VWL building is connected by a covered walkway and is literally a 60-90 second walk from the Lodge. The bus stop sits between the two, so that's a wash. The bigger pool, food options, and the boat docks will be slightly closer, of course, but again we're only talking 2-3 minutes difference. The VWL 2BRs are bigger than CC's but not as new, obviously. The boat option to MK is a wonderful bonus and, as others have said, almost a ride itself. Bus service when we've used it has been above average, but anymore, bus service seems to be turning into a how lucky do I feel proposition. The bus to MK, though, is good. You're also close to CR and FW via boats, so that's a plus. Moreover, you can walk or bike to FW along a paved path--about a mile one way. You'll often see wildlife on that trail, and we usually just leisurely walk to enjoy the quiet nature of the trip and to burn off calories. Trail's End is a good buffet (at least breakfast), and of course, you could also walk the trail to get to Hoop De Doo, though the trail isn't lighted at night. Good luck with your decision!