Just returned from VWL..........great time!!

[rbuzzotta]

WE just returned from 6 nights at VWL! We were able to get into our room at...............9:00 AM!!! yes.....9:00 AM!! And I got a Top Floor!!

I tried to put our family name in for the Flag family, but again, I was too late!! The waitlist didn't come thru either.

I already posted about our disappointment with the Bike and Boat plan and after talking with some CM's at the marina, I must agree that raising the age is best. There were 4 serious accidents on Seven Seas Lagoon with the new water mice and kids under 16. One requiring a med flight..........2 were in very serious condition at the hospital!! Better safe than sorry!!

The parks were crowded when we went (Mon/Tues), but still fun!

We enjoyed spending time at the quiet pool and riding bikes and fishing................

Our room was in great shape............the hallway was freezing.........the CM's friendly and all in all it was a great trip.

I did meet Dottie (WDWsoap I think) at the quiet pool...........it was a pleasure speaking with her...........

Any quesitons, I would be happy to answer them.............

 

[Jacksmom99]

Thanks for posting about your trip, I needed a little pick-me-up on this rainy Monday morning and the coffee's not cutting it:yawn: Glad you had a great time!

 

[Granny]

Rosemary...glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip!

As for the Boat & Bike rental raising the age, I was a bit put off by this since that means we'll have to wait three years to use it. On the other hand, I appreciate Disney's approach to safety first.

Getting into the room at 9:00 a.m. is a great plus, isn't it? Imagine how early the maids must have been knocking on doors that morning to get that room ready for you! That's a joke, folks.

Thanks for posting your report!

 

[Degli]

I know what you mean about the freezing hallways. We stay at WL 2 times and you had to make a full sprint to your room from outside. I think it was in the 50's. I posted about this before but no one seemed to understand why. Oh well, I'd rather be freezing in WL instead of being in the rain here in Delaware. Can't wait to make my first trip as a member!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm glad you had such a nice time. What day of the week did you get into your room at 9AM?

Bobbi

 

[colleen costello]

Wow! Sounds like you had a great visit PLUS you got to meet a WDWIG "celeb" like Dottie! Sounds cool. Reminded me I have some soaps I have been hoarding for her!

We love the Wilderness Lodge. It's so beautiful and relaxing. It has a real magic to it. Glad you had a great trip.

 

[ErinC]

Rosemary, Thanks for posting a trip report! We always have wondered about the freezing hallways too! One question about the water mice, is it still a 2 person limit, or can an adult drive with 2 small children? Or have the rules changed at all with the newer mice? Glad you had a great time! Erin

 

[colleen costello]

ErinC, we were just there in March and the new mice, while nifty, are still small -- 2 people.

I love the name "Erin" it was my first choice for a baby girl and MY "baby" Erin is now almost TEN and she LOVES the water mice!

 

[rbuzzotta]

Believe it or not but our check in day was Sunday!! This surely made up for the time last summer our room at OKW wasn't ready until after 5 PM!!! I figure we are even now!! LOL!!

As for the freezing hallway, I took a hooded sweatshirt with me to the pool and put it on before I entered the building!! My DD's just sprinted down the hall!!!

 

[wdwsos]

Originally posted by rbuzzotta
As for the freezing hallway, I took a hooded sweatshirt with me to the pool and put it on before I entered the building!! My DD's just sprinted down the hall!!!

LOL!! My kids even tried running down the hallways of the other floors to see if they were warmer! When we left to meet up with Tiffany Town Car at 5:30 am (ack!), it sure didn't feel good!

Our room was ready on Sunday at 11am when I got there. I dumped everyone at Epcot (had been at the Dolphin for five nights), and bused over to check in. We had the infamous dumpster view (room 4556 - really not a bad view!), so the cold walk down the corridors was very, very, *very* long! I kept feeling like I was in a Twilight Zone episode, with the corridor stretching with each step I took.

Rosemary, it was great talking with you! I got so excited when I realized who you were!

Dotti

 

[ErinC]

Colleen, thanks for the reply about the mice. I thought they looked a little larger and that maybe they would let you put two little ones with you. Oh well!

I hope your "baby" likes her name. I like mine now, but at her age I hated it because no one had a name like me, they thought I was a boy , and they always mispronounced it (Irwin, Irween,....)! Of course then I turned around and named all my girls "uncommon " names because I like them now. It was my quest to find something that was not in a baby book!

Erin

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing. Glad you had a good time!!!

Allison an associate

 

[allicat]

We will be staying at VWL in Aug. and I was just wondering how you thought transpotation was.
We are so used to having varied methods of getting around when we stay at BCV that Im hoping transportation is good here!
Also, when do you need to put your name on the list to be the flag family?

 

[Sammie]

What size villa did you have and what view and location?

Was the room in good repair?

 

[MJTinNH]

Glad you had the happy surprise of your room being ready at 9am. Sounds like you & family had fun. Thanks for posting!

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by rbuzzotta
As for the freezing hallway, I took a hooded sweatshirt with me to the pool....

............................

 

[rbuzzotta]

When you check in ask immediately to be placed on the Flag family book!! It is first come first serve and you must be staying at the WL/VWL to be entitiled to be a Flag family!!

We stayed in a dedicated 2 BR, room 5449. It was facing the wooded area........could barely see the lake from the room thru the trees..

 

[perdidobay]

I know what you mean about the hallways.............brrrrrrrr
they need some heat

 

[Rockweed]

We were at VWL (rented points) from 4/19-4/25 in a 2-bedroom lockoff (4533 & 4535) with a view of the quiet pool and a bit of lake through the trees. We had reserved a confirmed dedicated 2-bedroom, but I guess when you check in at 7 p.m., all bets are off. It worked out okay for us since one of our teens said he'd take the pull-out sofa, and we weren't worried about them being unsafe with their own door to the outside world.

When I first heard about the new water mice rules (on this board), I was disappointed since our son has been driving them alone since he was 12 (he's now 15). We didn't have the option of my husband riding with one boy while I took the other because of the 320 pound weight limit. Those 15-year-old boys sure get to be tall! Anyhow, I got to enjoy two boat rides on two separate afternoons. Each of the boys got to drive and said it was just as much fun as ever. Plus, I think it's got to be at least a bit safer having that licensed driver helping to keep tabs on where other speeding boats are.

It was our first stay at VWL and we were very, very impressed. My only complaint (and this is minor) is that pool space seems very limited for the number of rooms at both the Lodge and the Villas. Every afternoon it was nearly standing room only in those pools!

Anne