Just wondering ?about VWL

[hulagirl]

Hi all,
I see very few Wilderness Lodge resales on the market and very few rentals on the rent/trade board. Does this mean member satisfaction here is very high? Could those of you who own at VWL please share your experiences both good and bad? We are thinking of trying to find a resale just for our yearly Thanksgiving/early Dec. trip but we've never stayed there, only visited and I'd love to hear what you guys think of this resort.
Thanks!

 

[spiceycat]

VWL is the smallest of the DVC resort onsite - but I have seem resales - so just be patience.

OKW and BWV are the biger and older - so they will generally have more resales - people lifestyle are changing - getting divorced or worst yet dying and the beneficiaries don't want the timeshare.

there were 3 on the sponsor of this website

http://www.wdwinfo.com/timeshare/dvclisting.cfm

there are several here
http://www.atimeshare.com/cgi-local/listd.cgi?disy

shontell has some
http://www.timesharesbyresale.com/

 

[dizneeluvr]

Hulagirl,

We own at VWL and have for almost three years. We've made three trips there so far, our fourth will be in January. Woo Hoo!

We bought VWL sight unseen and have been thrilled with our purchase. VWL has a very "homey" feel IMO that always makes me feel so relaxed and, well, "at home".

We love the proximity to the MK. We love all of the fun to be had on Bay Lake (water mice, boat rides to MK, and electric water parade each evening). Despite some of the disatisfaction I have read on these boards regarding bus transportation from this resort we have NEVER had a problem.

If you want a day of no parks, this is a nice resort because of the water activities, as well as the biking proximity (surrey bikes) to the campground and its petting zoo (great for younger kids).

Although we have never spent a Thanksgiving here, I would LOVE to...and frankly can't think of a better place on earth to spend it!

So, that's my opinion. Hope it helps!

Laura

 

[crisi]

Beautiful resort. If you want to stay there, especially at the time you are interested in, you will really want to own there. It is one of the more difficult resorts to book, particularly in the winter months, when the theming works so well....

I think that member satisfaction is high at all the DVC resorts (although most DVC members would like better perks). But as spiceycat said, VWL is a very small resort and its membership is pretty new. Fewer rooms mean fewer resales. And pretty new mean that its membership isn't seeing as many of the life changes that some OKW members may be having after ten years of ownership (travel patterns changing, wanting to cash out, children growing up - in addition to the divorce, death, job loss).

Give the resellers spiceycat linked to a call. Let them know how many points you are interested in (approximately), what use year (or use year range) if that makes a difference to you and how much per point you are willing to pay. They will let you know if something becomes available. You should know that buying a DVC resale is a little like buying a used car - if you want it RIGHT NOW you may have to settle for a model year or price you wouldn't pay if you were willing to wait, and even waiting, the car may not be in the ideal color when you buy it. You should also not expect to pay any less than $70 a point - DVC has Right of First Refusal (ROFR) on these contracts and they are likely to buy up a contract from less than $70 (although you could get lucky)

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by hulagirl
Hi all,
I see very few Wilderness Lodge resales on the market and very few rentals on the rent/trade board. Does this mean member satisfaction here is very high?

Yes. That's what it means!


Okay, the other explanations are valid too. But in general, if you like the theming (which some people find too dark or rustic) then you will like the resort.

 

[Muushka]

We own our initial and add on contracts at VWL. We bought when it first opened. Like you, we planned on staying there in the beginning of December and figured it would be difficult to get a reservation there at that time at 7 month out.

We figured we would stay at the other resorts at the other times of the year. So far, we have only ventured away from home one time. Somehow, we just cannot face the heat of September or May at any other place than VWL. Yes, it is dark there, but for us that translates into cool. And at Christmas, well, nuff said on that subject .

Even though the points are higher than at OKW or a standard view at BWV, we still prefer it. And the rooms are smaller, but we are only 2 of us, so it is fine. I am planning a birthday bash in March and invited several friends. We are going to stay at OKW for that. Really need the room for 8+ people.

Good luck with your decision

 

[littlestar]

We own 200 points at VWL and 85 at the Beach Club Villas. We absolutely LOVE the VWL. We bought VWL in early 2002. We are very happy with our choice of that being our main home.

It is the smallest WDW DVC resort and if that's where you like it best, I'd buy points there. Especially for the times you are talking about going. You'll need the 11 month window. The lodge and VWL are awesome during the holidays!

Any time we stay anywhere else on property, we always end up back at the lodge lobby for a visit. We can't resist. It calls to us! (kind of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there's no place like home).

If view is important to you and you'll be hanging around the resort a lot, I would request close to the elevator and lake/pool view.

The other day when I looked at some of the resale sites I have bookmarked I noticed that Jackie at atimeshare.com had quite a few VWL resales.

Good luck.

 

[DeeP]

I think that member satisfaction is high at all the DVC resorts

I agree. You will see a few posters stating they wish they had bought a different home resort, but these posts are usually far and few between.
As others have said VWL is the smallest DVC resort and also a fairly new resort so therefore there are less resales. All the DVC resorts seem to have a pretty brisk resale turn around.

 

[jimmytammy]

We own original contract and a add-on at WLV. When we purchased I was really hoping for BWV simply for close proximity to Epcot and MGM. Not knocking BWV but boy are we happy to own at WLV! We love going in early Dec. and WLV is great that time of year. If WLV is really what you want hold out for a resale, there are some out there.