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

[JReneeW]

You can add one more. If reservation through TA, they are being switched to GF-LV if going around Thanksgiving and BC if going around Christmas at no extra cost.

Is the $100 discount on top of "special offers" like a room discount, free dining or other package offer?

 

[joanne237]

Ok, Im a little nervous now, please any advice or help would be muchly appreciated!!

I have booked a week in Wilderness Lodge next September 25th 2016 as we are planning to get married there! Since booking it, WL has been removed from the wedding site, after a call they said it would be returning at some point, but now seeing all this construction info im not so sure if it will be returning soon. Also if i tried to book the same weeks stay on there site now, Wilderness Lodge is not an option!!
It would be our first time staying on WDW site, and obviously we want something special as we are getting married, but now im thinking am i best moving everything?? Or waiting and sticking it out? If we moved resorts id move to AKL, the price we paid for standard room in WL is the same as club level at AKL so we would book that room, then its just finding another option of where to get married! But im not sure i like the other options on the memories collection. HELP!!

Aww what a shame. Well it looks like the building work will be some time and definitely into late next year. I would suggest you make a note of all the current hotel prices now so that they cannot come back to you later telling you other hotels are more expensive. They keep offering to move us to Saratoga which is seemingly more expensive now but £1000 less than WL when we booked. I'm sure however as this is a very special occasion they will do their utmost to accommodate you. I suspect they are just waiting to see what state the work will be in at the time you are there which probably cannot be anticipated at this time. Best of luck x

 

[AmyKat]

Is the $100 discount on top of "special offers" like a room discount, free dining or other package offer?

Yes. If you are booked at rack rates and get the $100/night credit and then call to get a new offer added, you can keep the $100/night credit as long as they don't have to create a new reservation for you.

 

[StaciaRae]

This is certainly a newbie question, but I’m hoping someone will be friendly enough and explain this to me. If you rent DVC points for VWL, now that the construction has been announced, is it possible to just have your room moved to inside the lodge instead (farther away from the construction but still at the property?). I have read a few posts of people who were being transferred from dvc vwl rooms to regular rooms at GF, but none of people just moving from vwl to wl. I understand that this may possibly be a downgrade (smaller rooms, no kitchen facilities) but for people who really want to stay at the lodge but just distance themselves from the construction is this not an option?

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

This is certainly a newbie question, but I’m hoping someone will be friendly enough and explain this to me. If you rent DVC points for VWL, now that the construction has been announced, is it possible to just have your room moved to inside the lodge instead (farther away from the construction but still at the property?). I have read a few posts of people who were being transferred from dvc vwl rooms to regular rooms at GF, but none of people just moving from vwl to wl. I understand that this may possibly be a downgrade (smaller rooms, no kitchen facilities) but for people who really want to stay at the lodge but just distance themselves from the construction is this not an option?

From what I've seen -- and someone can correct me if I'm wrong -- the people being moved from VWL to GF or CR regular rooms were booked with cash reservations, not through DVC. My understanding is that DVC is totally seperate from "regular" Disney reservations, so if you are staying on DVC points you can only be moved to another DVC room (in our case we went from a VWL studio to a 1BR Savanna View AKL-Kidani -- more than twice the points).

DVC Member Services never gave me a non-DVC option when we were discussing the move.

 

[JReneeW]

Yes. If you are booked at rack rates and get the $100/night credit and then call to get a new offer added, you can keep the $100/night credit as long as they don't have to create a new reservation for you.

Fantastic! That is exactly what my situation is. We are/were booked at rack rates and had the $100/night credit applied. We haven't had a special offer apply yet, but my TA told me it was one or the other. Now knowing that they do, in fact, stack, I will be sure to push for that when special offers come out. Knowing they stack does make me more confident in staying at WL. If they didn't I may have considered switching.

 

[Music City Mama]

From what I've seen -- and someone can correct me if I'm wrong -- the people being moved from VWL to GF or CR regular rooms were booked with cash reservations, not through DVC. My understanding is that DVC is totally seperate from "regular" Disney reservations, so if you are staying on DVC points you can only be moved to another DVC room (in our case we went from a VWL studio to a 1BR Savanna View AKL-Kidani -- more than twice the points).

DVC Member Services never gave me a non-DVC option when we were discussing the move.

I was booked at VWL on points (renting). When I was called, they indicated that it would be a lateral move (i.e., resort-to-resort, DVC-to-DVC), but when I spoke to my owner, I asked him, just for grins and giggles, if they'd allow me to move to a regular resort room at GF. Neither of us thought they'd do it, but they did. In fact, my GF room reservation (outer building Garden View) shows up in MDE as a DVC reservation. Weird, huh? Even though my owner didn't have to use more points (nor did I have to pay more), my original point rental was 116 and the new GF regular resort room rental (I guess they can do some type of "conversion" for regular rooms) shows as 424!

This is certainly a newbie question, but I’m hoping someone will be friendly enough and explain this to me. If you rent DVC points for VWL, now that the construction has been announced, is it possible to just have your room moved to inside the lodge instead (farther away from the construction but still at the property?). I have read a few posts of people who were being transferred from dvc vwl rooms to regular rooms at GF, but none of people just moving from vwl to wl. I understand that this may possibly be a downgrade (smaller rooms, no kitchen facilities) but for people who really want to stay at the lodge but just distance themselves from the construction is this not an option?

Based on my experience above, I'd say it's definitely possible.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

I was booked at VWL on points (renting). When I was called, they indicated that it would be a lateral move (i.e., resort-to-resort, DVC-to-DVC), but when I spoke to my owner, I asked him, just for grins and giggles, if they'd allow me to move to a regular resort room at GF. Neither of us thought they'd do it, but they did. In fact, my GF room reservation (outer building Garden View) shows up in MDE as a DVC reservation. Weird, huh? Even though my owner didn't have to use more points (nor did I have to pay more), my original point rental was 116 and the new GF regular resort room rental (I guess they can do some type of "conversion" for regular rooms) shows as 424!

That's awesome! I would MUCH rather be in a regular room at the GF than at the AKL.

 

[AmyKat]

Fantastic! That is exactly what my situation is. We are/were booked at rack rates and had the $100/night credit applied. We haven't had a special offer apply yet, but my TA told me it was one or the other. Now knowing that they do, in fact, stack, I will be sure to push for that when special offers come out. Knowing they stack does make me more confident in staying at WL. If they didn't I may have considered switching.

When I called, I had to go through 3 different people. When I first got the $100/night credit, the CM asked if I was booked with FD. I told her no, I was waiting on AP RO discounts. She told me to make sure and call back to have them applied when/if they came out. I had to tell that story to 3 people but the guest services manager was able to add the current RO discount.

 

[FTM22]

Yes. If you are booked at rack rates and get the $100/night credit and then call to get a new offer added, you can keep the $100/night credit as long as they don't have to create a new reservation for you.

This is different from my information in this way. If you ALREADY had a deal (FD in my case) then the $100/night/room is permitted on top of it BUT there are NO further changes permitted or the offer is null and void. Just making the point so everyone has all information! Isn't it crazy how hard we are all working to keep this straight and take care of everyone! I think that makes us pretty magical!

 

[Jhaberlein]

We have two Woods View bunk bed rooms booked for 9/8-9/13 (2015). It's my husband and stepsons first Disney trip, and I haven't stayed at WL since 2001. Can anyone help with my room request? We are spending 9/9 at the resort, so we'd like to have quiet versus construction noise. Partial views of any MK fireworks would be a bonus. I've tried to make sense of North Wing/South Wing and the construction phases... but I'm just getting more and more confused.

 

[StaciaRae]

Thanks MomTo3PrincessesInNJ and Music City Mama for the replies!!! I really, really wish I could just move my points rental in the vwl to inside the wl. I don't want to move from the property but I have two small children who will need mid-day naps. I read somewhere that that the vwl folks should ask for parking lot views because they should be quieter - but if possible I'd like something other than parking lot view and/or construction. I rented through Davids and told them that moving us from vwl to wl was our ideal situation, but we would consider other options if there are any. I haven't heard back yet. They are super friendly with their responses but its just slower than my anxious self would like.

 

[momtwoboys]

Anyone know what number to call for guest services? I have a DVC studio rented as of now, and was hoping to sort this out before there isnt room anywhere to move us. My DVC person who booked us called and they said no moving until 7 months out. I am now scared to wait that long and chance nothing being available. She suggested I call myself. For those who rented, did you call or did the owner call? My owner friend did call for me but they offered nothing... do I wait until the 7 month mark? and try to be patient?

 

[WDWKOOK]

We have two Woods View bunk bed rooms booked for 9/8-9/13 (2015). It's my husband and stepsons first Disney trip, and I haven't stayed at WL since 2001. Can anyone help with my room request? We are spending 9/9 at the resort, so we'd like to have quiet versus construction noise. Partial views of any MK fireworks would be a bonus. I've tried to make sense of North Wing/South Wing and the construction phases... but I'm just getting more and more confused.

The DVC expansion-related construction isn't scheduled to start until October. If you've booked a Woods View room, I would request a North Wing room on a high floor so you have the possibility of seeing some of Wishes.

 

[JReneeW]

When I called, I had to go through 3 different people. When I first got the $100/night credit, the CM asked if I was booked with FD. I told her no, I was waiting on AP RO discounts. She told me to make sure and call back to have them applied when/if they came out. I had to tell that story to 3 people but the guest services manager was able to add the current RO discount.

This is different from my information in this way. If you ALREADY had a deal (FD in my case) then the $100/night/room is permitted on top of it BUT there are NO further changes permitted or the offer is null and void. Just making the point so everyone has all information! Isn't it crazy how hard we are all working to keep this straight and take care of everyone! I think that makes us pretty magical!

Gosh. This is what makes this all so difficult; different answers/experiences for different people.

I guess I'll cross this bridge when we get there. I'm just not sure if my TA will be as will to go through multiple people like I would be. Having never booked through a TA before that does make me anxious about how this may play out.

 

[buzznina]

Wow, that's awesome...

My choice is $100 off per night (x 3 nights) or we can switch (I asked for AKL), but it's at full cost.

We're staying CL for our 20th, so the cost OOP I'd say is quite a bit more than those renting points (who are ultimately getting upgraded to some stellar resorts & CL suites).

This is different from my information in this way. If you ALREADY had a deal (FD in my case) then the $100/night/room is permitted on top of it BUT there are NO further changes permitted or the offer is null and void. Just making the point so everyone has all information! Isn't it crazy how hard we are all working to keep this straight and take care of everyone! I think that makes us pretty magical!

That is my understanding also. No future offer can be stacked.

 

[AmyKat]

I guess I just got lucky because they allowed me to do it yesterday.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Thanks MomTo3PrincessesInNJ and Music City Mama for the replies!!! I really, really wish I could just move my points rental in the vwl to inside the wl. I don't want to move from the property but I have two small children who will need mid-day naps. I read somewhere that that the vwl folks should ask for parking lot views because they should be quieter - but if possible I'd like something other than parking lot view and/or construction. I rented through Davids and told them that moving us from vwl to wl was our ideal situation, but we would consider other options if there are any. I haven't heard back yet. They are super friendly with their responses but its just slower than my anxious self would like.

The "parking lot view" isn't a parking lot view at all. What that's referring to is the side of the building that faces the parking lot (which is actually not even an accurate description...it faces the bus stop, which is along a road, and then the parking lot is beyond that) rather than the pool. We've stayed on that side of VWL twice, and I'll tell you what the view is of: trees. You see nothing but trees. Maybe a sliver of the top of a bus stop, but that's about it. And with them moving so many DVCers, I'm assuming that the rooms on the pool side are going to be shut down and not occupied anyway, so I'm thinking it's a moot point.

 

[Starwind]

Has anyone been able to do the following:

Have an existing late fall (post late Oct once the construction will start) rack rate reservation for a WL room.

ADD the current "rest of fall 2015" ROOM ONLY discount.

THEN have the $100 per night "construction credit" added ??

I know people who had Free Dining have been able to get the construction credit; I am curious about the RO discount.

Thanks !

SW

 

[FTM22]

Gosh. This is what makes this all so difficult; different answers/experiences for different people.

I guess I'll cross this bridge when we get there. I'm just not sure if my TA will be as will to go through multiple people like I would be. Having never booked through a TA before that does make me anxious about how this may play out.

I knew my TA as a friend before we did business. That is helpful I suppose. The other question is WHEN you made your reservation - that seems to have an effect on the results you get. I can't remember your actual story so this is rather vague on my part.

I guess I just got lucky because they allowed me to do it yesterday.

It may have been based on when you had reserved originally. If you did so prior to the announcement, then there seems to be more leeway but it is all being done on a case-by-case basis. Definitely count it as Disney magic and enjoy!