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

[goopysolelady]

Well I finally got my construction photos up. Our room number was (maybe...how soon we forget ) 6164. Gave us a "perfect room view"...of CONSTRUCTION to our right! This used to be the Villas pool...

But the view to the left was beautiful:

Walking from the Trout Bar around the back toward the Villas:

This was the Main Lodge scaffolding facing the Villas:

To get to our room we took the hallway to left across from the gift shop...at the end of that hallway to the left took us to the main pool area; to the right led us to the elevators...this was taken at that "turn" to the elevator area:

...and these were the pins we received :

 

[goopysolelady]

Found a couple more taken on arrival day:

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Well I finally got my construction photos up. Our room number was (maybe...how soon we forget ) 6164. Gave us a "perfect room view"...of CONSTRUCTION to our right! This used to be the Villas pool...

But the view to the left was beautiful:

Walking from the Trout Bar around the back toward the Villas:

This was the Main Lodge scaffolding facing the Villas:

To get to our room we took the hallway to left across from the gift shop...at the end of that hallway to the left took us to the main pool area; to the right led us to the elevators...this was taken at that "turn" to the elevator area:

...and these were the pins we received :

Great photos! Love the pins! Did they gift you those or did you buy them?

 

[Pepper pots]

I believe the pins are free, as I've read other residents got them..

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I believe the pins are free, as I've read other residents got them..

How neat thanks for the reply!

 

[goopysolelady]

Great photos! Love the pins! Did they gift you those or did you buy them?

Gifted to us...nice surprise. DGD spotted them as soon as she entered our room!

 

[pixarmom]

I just returned from a wonderful week at WL. We didn't experience any construction noise or inconvenience at all. Walking to/from the bus stops, we could see some scaffolding off to the side and we saw the construction crews arriving one morning when we were headed to a pre-park opening ADR, but that was the only evidence of construction we came across. We returned to the resort a few times mid-day and never had a problem with noise. There was also a cute little "Pardon Our Pixie Dust" pin pack in our room, with pins of Mickey, Chip n Dale, and Pluto in their construction wear. A very nice surprise!

We had such a great time. This was our first stay at WL and it totally exceeded our expectations!

So glad you enjoyed your stay! Do you mind sharing which room view you booked?

 

[PghPixie]

So glad you enjoyed your stay! Do you mind sharing which room view you booked?

Courtyard view. Room 6061. We were able to see the electrical water pageant from our balcony, as well, which was awesome!

 

[WDWKOOK]

-- Disney cast members are currently closely monitoring entrance to the Silver Creek Pool at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, scanning MagicBands and distributing separate wristbands before admitting guests. Capacity has become an issue for the Silver Creek Pool due to the closure of the resort's quiet pool. Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club regularly requires resort identification before individuals are admitted. During peak periods, Disney employees have been known to circulate among pool patrons at other resorts, requesting identification and scanning MagicBands in order to confirm that guests are eligible to use the facilities. Disney Vacation Club members are still permitted to pool-hop to the Silver Creek Pool during times when pool-hopping is permitted. Disney's Wilderness Lodge is in the early stages of a multi-year renovation project that will bring additional Disney Vacation Club villas and expanded swimming facilities. The project is expected to run at least into 2017.
​

~AllEars Newsletter 12/8/15​

 

[cgattis]

We're planning a trip for next Thanksgiving, coming in the weekend before and checking out on the holiday (to head over to the beach). Understand nobody--even Disney--can know what the construction progress will be by then, but....anybody have ideas on whether a bunk bed room (2 kids) at WL or a deluxe studio at VWL might be the best choice? Kids want to stay AoA again (!) and I do love the 2 bathrooms, but we've always wanted to try WL and that time of year would be great.

 

[wilkeliza]

-- Disney cast members are currently closely monitoring entrance to the Silver Creek Pool at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, scanning MagicBands and distributing separate wristbands before admitting guests. Capacity has become an issue for the Silver Creek Pool due to the closure of the resort's quiet pool. Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club regularly requires resort identification before individuals are admitted. During peak periods, Disney employees have been known to circulate among pool patrons at other resorts, requesting identification and scanning MagicBands in order to confirm that guests are eligible to use the facilities. Disney Vacation Club members are still permitted to pool-hop to the Silver Creek Pool during times when pool-hopping is permitted. Disney's Wilderness Lodge is in the early stages of a multi-year renovation project that will bring additional Disney Vacation Club villas and expanded swimming facilities. The project is expected to run at least into 2017.

~AllEars Newsletter 12/8/15​

Interesting they started the same thing at Poly last week. I hope this trend stays post construction on the quite pools as it makes everything just a little more fair for those of us who pay to have deluxe accommodations. We often choose Beach/Yacht just because the pool is policed and we don't feel like it gets too over crowded.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Pool patrol is so, so needed at the Poly. I doubt WL has even a fraction of the pool bandits of the Poly.

 

[goopysolelady]

We're planning a trip for next Thanksgiving, coming in the weekend before and checking out on the holiday (to head over to the beach). Understand nobody--even Disney--can know what the construction progress will be by then, but....anybody have ideas on whether a bunk bed room (2 kids) at WL or a deluxe studio at VWL might be the best choice? Kids want to stay AoA again (!) and I do love the 2 bathrooms, but we've always wanted to try WL and that time of year would be great.

Honestly, I would stay in main lodge area...bunk beds. It's my understanding the majority, if not all, the construction will be at the Villas. You may have a "construction view" from your lodge room but I'd think it would be much quieter....and the decorations at WL are BEAUTIFUL!

 

[WDWKOOK]

I just returned from a wonderful week at WL. We didn't experience any construction noise or inconvenience at all. Walking to/from the bus stops, we could see some scaffolding off to the side and we saw the construction crews arriving one morning when we were headed to a pre-park opening ADR, but that was the only evidence of construction we came across. We returned to the resort a few times mid-day and never had a problem with noise. There was also a cute little "Pardon Our Pixie Dust" pin pack in our room, with pins of Mickey, Chip n Dale, and Pluto in their construction wear. A very nice surprise!

We had such a great time. This was our first stay at WL and it totally exceeded our expectations!

Thanks for reporting back to everyone and I hope you get to book another stay soon

We'll be there next month. I would love to get those pins. They sound cute.

It looks like the WL is responding better to the inconvenience of the construction better this year then the way they handled it last year for the main pool construction.

I hope we get a full report from you, on both threads. My guess is that since this endeavor is pretty big and will take years, they (wisely) decided that they need to do everything they can to ameliorate the situation.

I've been here at Bay Lake Tower since Saturday, and have just been too lazy to get over to the Wilderness Lodge to check out the construction...

Love BLT!

Well I finally got my construction photos up. Our room number was (maybe...how soon we forget ) 6164. Gave us a "perfect room view"...of CONSTRUCTION to our right! This used to be the Villas pool...



But the view to the left was beautiful:



Walking from the Trout Bar around the back toward the Villas:



This was the Main Lodge scaffolding facing the Villas:


To get to our room we took the hallway to left across from the gift shop...at the end of that hallway to the left took us to the main pool area; to the right led us to the elevators...this was taken at that "turn" to the elevator area:

...and these were the pins we received :

Thank you for posting more photos of your South Wing view. Love those pins! A very unique and fun gift.

We're planning a trip for next Thanksgiving, coming in the weekend before and checking out on the holiday (to head over to the beach). Understand nobody--even Disney--can know what the construction progress will be by then, but....anybody have ideas on whether a bunk bed room (2 kids) at WL or a deluxe studio at VWL might be the best choice? Kids want to stay AoA again (!) and I do love the 2 bathrooms, but we've always wanted to try WL and that time of year would be great.

Unless you must have a small kitchen, I would book the bunk. The North Wing rooms are furthest from VWL, however, at some point, cabins will be built along Bay Lake, behind the North Wing. We don't know when that construction will start, but I would still request a North Wing room.

If you want to stay on Bay Lake and have two bathrooms, have you considered a BLT one-bedroom?

Pool patrol is so, so needed at the Poly. I doubt WL has even a fraction of the pool bandits of the Poly.

I've been told that some guests staying at FW hop on over to WL. Poly had a gate MB/KTTW card reader installed spring break '15. However, often the gate is ajar or unlocked. For the past few years, during peak times such as holidays, they were actually banding guests like at SAB. With the newish gate RF readers, maybe now they're making sure the gates are actually locked during peak usage times?

Honestly, I would stay in main lodge area...bunk beds. It's my understanding the majority, if not all, the construction will be at the Villas. You may have a "construction view" from your lodge room but I'd think it would be much quieter....and the decorations at WL are BEAUTIFUL!

Until they start building the cabins and re-doing the current CM parking area over by the North Wing, this is true.

 

[DVC Mike]

I posted a few photos of the DVC expansion I took this morning in this thread: Dec 11 Wilderness Lodge Expansion photos.



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[sotoalf]

I'm at WL now, and it's impossible to tell that construction is taking place. It's true, however, that I see more surveillance of the pool than ever: a cast member at every entrance looking closely at magic bands.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I posted a few photos of the DVC expansion I took this morning in this thread: Dec 11 Wilderness Lodge Expansion photos.

Thank you for posting the link to your lovely photos, @DVC Mike.

 

[Angie789]

Argh! Need some help deciding. We are a family of 4 and we will only stay in condos - the extra space is a big part of what makes our trips peaceful and enjoyable. We are planning a trip for Thanksgiving week 2016. Some friends of ours graciously offered to sell us their DVC points for next year for an amazing price. I've always wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge, so staying at the Villas is my dream scenario... but I realize now that it might not be that great, if construction is a problem. Our other option would be an off-site condo - more space, about the same price, but not Disney, can't book ADRs and FPs early, etc. We will definitely do one non-park, "hang out at the resort" day, and we will likely come back to the resort for some afternoon rest time on our MK days.

So.... what would you do? Take the risk that the construction won't be problematic enough to negatively affect our trip? Or continue with our off-site plans that will give us more space and cost slightly less?

 

[twinklebug]

Argh! Need some help deciding. We are a family of 4 and we will only stay in condos - the extra space is a big part of what makes our trips peaceful and enjoyable. We are planning a trip for Thanksgiving week 2016. Some friends of ours graciously offered to sell us their DVC points for next year for an amazing price. I've always wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge, so staying at the Villas is my dream scenario... but I realize now that it might not be that great, if construction is a problem. Our other option would be an off-site condo - more space, about the same price, but not Disney, can't book ADRs and FPs early, etc. We will definitely do one non-park, "hang out at the resort" day, and we will likely come back to the resort for some afternoon rest time on our MK days.

So.... what would you do? Take the risk that the construction won't be problematic enough to negatively affect our trip? Or continue with our off-site plans that will give us more space and cost slightly less?

VWL is my favorite resort, second is AKV. The draws to VWL/WL for me are: 1) The instant relaxation I get from walking down the covered walkway to the villas, 2) sitting on the patio or balcony with coffee in the morning or a drink later and just enjoying the sounds of nature, and 3) the 'quiet' spots in the villas and lodge. For me, the construction sounds would have an impact on my trip if I were to have a construction side villa assigned to me, so I can't take the risk of getting a construction side view until that construction moves away from the lodge. For now, I'll stay at AKV.

The way you travel may be different, you may not use the patio or balcony (many don't) and it's all about other things.

 

[elliececil]

Just got back Thursday. Stayed in 1 bedroom #4530. Only saw the construction by going to an end of hall window at VWL and looking out the back. Didn't hear any noise... but didn't see any workers when I looked. It was in the 80s so visited the main pool. I've always wanted to stay there in December and it was truly lovely with the decorations and softly playing music. The bus location right outside the villas was so convenient. We actually did have some construction noise Wed just after lunch when we'd gone back to rest... they were tearing up some tile in the villa right above us. Luckily it only lasted half an hour.