From the Rocking Chair: Musings and Observations from VWL

[sleepydog25]

I've made a few comments on other forums but figured a few hardy souls might wish to hear a small-ish report regarding our recent stay at our home away from home, the beloved Lodge. We were there from 18-23 February in order to take part in the Princess Half Marathon--my wife luvsvwl, AKA Luv, thought it would be a worthy goal for her, an admitted non-runner. Of course, the prep for that race and the race itself is, as they say, a whole other story. . .now, back to our regular programming.

As a way of helping you relate to our tale, we left our home in southwest VA after work and drove 7 of the roughly 10.47523 hours it takes to get to Disney from our house. During our past two trips--both within the last calendar year--we had hit tremendous rainstorms, lots of construction delays, and an accident here and there making for monumentally (and I ain't talking Lincoln's) long drives. This day was much better, and we hunkered down at a hotel just down the street from the next morning's necessity that rhymes with Barbucks. We arose early and zipped into the WWoS for packet pickup a few hours later. The packet retrieval was easy. Getting the t-shirt that only cost $170 was chaotic. . .made Main Street on Christmas or New Year's night for Wishes seem sparsely populated. Again, that's another story for another time.

I should note that we had opted for online check-in at VWL and were well aware of the construction that is fully underway there. As we waited to get our packets, I received a text stating that we would need to check with the front desk upon our arrival to the hotel, that there was trouble with our room assignment. Uh, oh. We hadn't asked for anything unusual, so we feared the worst--moved to a different resort, someone staying longer and no room, or the missing DVC Mickey topiary had been found in our room-to-be and they wanted to question us.

We headed over to the Lodge, and the first thing I noticed as we drove down Timberline Drive (to the strains of the main theme to Quigley Down Under) was that the geese topiaries were gone. Sigh. First, it was DVC Mickey from between the two main buildings several months ago, then the bison a few months back, and now the geese which had been there a mere six weeks earlier. I liked each of those; they gave a bit of character and theming to the resort. Not happy. Still, we couldn't help but grin widely as the Lodge came into view after we checked in at the guard shack.

Entering the lobby just moments later, that distinct smell WL gives you (if you've ever been there, you've likely noticed it, and no, it's not mold) was more noticeable than usual. I guess they cleaned out their Smellitizers or got a fresh supply of the scent. The majestic music poured over us, the towering lobby awed us, and despite our resentment at the missing geese and the fear of a room issue, it felt great to be home again. When we mentioned to the CM behind the desk of the text, she looked at us strangely, checked her computer, and continued to seem befuzzled. "Nope," she said, "I see nothing wrong at all. Your room isn't ready, yet, but other than that, all is fine." We told her the first ready 1BR would be fine and left happy that within a few hours we'd be walking through our home for the next few days. Off we went to enjoy MK and our three FPs. . .

Next up: A pleasant surprise!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Next up: A pleasant surprise!

Been drinking a lot of this coffee waiting to hear about the surprise Sleepy!

Maybe I'll have some of this now

 

[melk]

I was unaware the Mickey topiary had disappeared. We have pictures of our kids posing next to it through the years. Sad to hear it's gone

 

[sleepydog25]

Been drinking a lot of this coffee waiting to hear about the surprise Sleepy!

Maybe I'll have some of this now

I got sidetracked?

We left the Lodge and headed to MK via boat, and we got to see firsthand all the construction going on along the north side of the Lodge. They haven't cut down all the trees along the shore leaving us to wonder if they'd leave a few between cabins or set the cabins back to just be in behind said trees. Guess we'll find out in due time. The day was gorgeous as was weather our entire stay: mid-50s overnight and mid-70s during the day with low humidity and mostly sunny skies. Near perfect.

As we floated by CR and got our first glimpse of Cindy's Castle, we thought a new spire had been added. Yep, the painting/refurb crane was up sticking out a bit like a sore thumb. Still, as we powered into the dock, we were thrilled to be back to Main Street. It was busy as you'd expect, but not suffocatingly so. We did our FPs, shopped a bit, then opted to head "home" in order to get to our 6 p.m. reservation at Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs.

About the time we hit the shops on Main Street, we got a text that our room was ready. And not just any room. THE room. For those who don't know, there are a few magical suites at VWL that boast a little extra room, some have extra balconies, and they overlook the Hidden Springs pool (okay, they USED to but that's yet another discussion). A mere handful also have vaulted ceilings which makes them seem even more spacious. One of those rooms is 5523. Our text said 5523. We knew the most desirable rooms ended in 17, 19, 21, & 23--well, I did. My lovely Luv thought the numbers were even (as in 18, 20, etc.). We were all breathless with excitement when we strolled (if you can call running a stroll) through the main lobby on the way to the Villas section. Yes, yes, the construction is ongoing, and we knew there would be that issue with which to deal, but we also had heard that the views from the lake side rooms were much better since fewer trees existed. . .the proverbial silver lining, I suppose. We got off the elevator on the 5th floor and counted as we walked: 5517, 5519, 5521, and bingo! 5523. We walked in and were blown away.

Though I'm not a huge fan of the most recent refurbishment at VWL (too bland), the room certainly was a welcome sight with high ceilings, the granite counter tops, the bed/headboards, and the well spouts in the sinks and tub (thankfully still jetted). It was gorgeous, and it was quiet. Yes, work was going on outside, but with the sliding doors closed, the intrusion of noise was minimal our entire trip. We had a balcony off the main living area and a second off the master BR. Yes, the downside of the 5th floor is they possess dormer-style balconies so instead of railing you have a solid wall. Still, it was glorious to look out and see the lake, albeit with construction vehicles and workmen five stories below. We couldn't have asked for a better room in the Villas. Simply superb, ergo our "pleasant surprise." We had gone from wondering if we'd been switched to another resort and/or a questionable room to being put into one of the best suites at VWL. What a grand way to start vacation, eh?

 

[melk]

That's awesome! We had that room about 10 years ago and we loved it!

 

[Altojudy]

We had that room (suite) too, and were there during Hurricane Jean. Absolutely loved it!!!!

 

[Savagekids]

What makes the room extra special? Was it one with higher ceilings? Do you have a photo?

 

[sleepydog25]

I do have pictures, but my slow internet speed makes it terribly difficult to load them. I know there are pics of the rooms somewhere around here, and I'll search for them. Meanwhile, I will tell you that, yes, the ceilings are high which opens up what is already a very spacious 1BR. Our particular room had two balconies: one off the main living area and one off the bedroom. It just felt so big given the ceilings were so high, and being on the fifth floor allowed us wonderful views of the lake, albeit that came with a price in that so many of the wonderful trees that make our home so serene have been cut down. We were able to watch EWP every night and have a clear field of view. This room would have overlooked the now defunct Hidden Springs pool area, but should still have good views of the new area once it's completed in the next couple of years.