New Room View Categories at VWL/Wilderness Lodge?

[BWV Dreamin]

I just read a post from someone over on the resorts forum that there are now "fireworks" view room categories. They did not say if it was from the hotel side or DVC rooms. Can anyone confirm that there are now new "fireworks" view rooms?

Even if it is from the Wilderness Lodge hotel rooms, this is big news to me. If the hotel can now have these new room categories, whose to say there won't be new views at the DVC building? Which would mean the dreaded word "REALLOCATION"!! Say it ain't so!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

View has never been bookable at VWL, so I can only assume that it's just WL. They'd have to reallocate to have "views" vs. "requests."

 

[hakepb]

Boardwalk view is the same points as Pool view
At OKW Near HH is the same points as others

Categories don't have to mean points changes.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

View has never been bookable at VWL, so I can only assume that it's just WL. They'd have to reallocate to have "views" vs. "requests."

This is my fear. If these new "fireworks view" rooms are now an option, even at the hotel side, I fear they may an option at the DVC side via that dreaded word.....

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This is my fear. If these new "fireworks view" rooms are now an option, even at the hotel side, I fear they may an option at the DVC side via that dreaded word.....

Total points have to stay stable, so if they make view bookable, some of those rooms will have to be cheaper than they are currently in order to have the new bookable "upgrade" view be more expensive.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Total points have to stay stable, so if they make view bookable, some of those rooms will have to be cheaper than they are currently in order to have the new bookable "upgrade" view be more expensive.

Understand that. But any change to the current categories will inherently cost more in the long run. For me, not a good thing.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We always requested the south wing at WL but there were rooms on the north side you could see the fireworks from before too. Probably wasn't enough to have a category but now it's much clearer and might be more rooms that can see them - or at least the ones that could before can see them better. This is sooo thinned out compared to what it was. I think Disney is being a little optimistic (greedy) with making a category out of it though.

AFAIK there are rooms you can see the fireworks from at VWL too, but I don't think the trees would have had much to do with how good the view was - rather the WL building. I'm not worried there will be a view coming for fireworks. The only thing I might be concerned about would be a new lakeview category but I'll remain hopeful they realize how small VWL is and just leave it alone.

 

[DebbieB]

I am surprised they would call it a "fireworks view". If for some reason the fireworks are not shown, people would be looking for a refund.

 

[LisaS]

AFAIK there are rooms you can see the fireworks from at VWL too, but I don't think the trees would have had much to do with how good the view was - rather the WL building. I'm not worried there will be a view coming for fireworks.

We stayed in a 5th floor VWL 1BR that faced the WL. We could see a bit of the fireworks from our balcony but as you say, only the ones high enough to be seen over the roof of the WL. There is no way that even Disney could call that a "fireworks view".

The only thing I might be concerned about would be a new lakeview category but I'll remain hopeful they realize how small VWL is and just leave it alone.

I agree, they could conceivably create a "Lake View" category now that they've removed the trees. I imagine they would do that only if lots of guests start requesting "lake view" and make a fuss at check in if they don't get it.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I posted this question on another forum, and a poster there stated there is a standard room for WL showing a Firework View Standard BunkBed option with a small description of view of villas.
EDIT: I was able to confirm this, this is indeed a booking option through CRO.

I now have a bad feeling there may be some reallocation going on at the current DVC building

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I posted the picture over in Resorts. It is there. The room pictures are current "Woods View" pix.

 

[pmaurer74]

We would always request a higher floor, north facing room to watch the fireworks over at the Lodge. I imagine this is what they are referring to or perhaps have lake news or standard views at the villas.

 

[DenLo]

The construction plans call for wetland areas to be located between the DVC VWL building and the lake, which was approved by Southwest Water Management District, so I would expect they will replant trees so not every room will have a lake view.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't know that a room view addition at WL is a good indicator of something changing at VWL. Typically DVC only seems to do that if there are lopsided requests or perhaps if the front desk indicates there are issues with people not being happy with requests not being met. Now I actually think the requests are probably lopsided but if there is not a lot of hassles at the front desk about it then it may not matter. Having view categories at VWL would also increase room assignment issues.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

They changed SSR recently to have a new option 'preferred rooms' that are higher points and shuffled the point system around. Basically meaning the buildings near the Carriage House and those looking over Disney Springs. This is our home resort and we were shocked! So I wouldn't count it out at VWL a view of the fireworks is more valuable than looking at Rainforest Cafe!

 

[LisaS]

So I wouldn't count it out at VWL a view of the fireworks is more valuable than looking at Rainforest Cafe!

Except that you cannot see the fireworks very well from the VWL rooms because the Wilderness Lodge hotel blocks most of the view. You see a few sputters of fireworks that are so high up that you can see them over the WL but that is all you see, at least in my experience. The only good view of fireworks from VWL is from the beach, not from the room balconies.

I think the discussion people have seen about a fireworks view is about Wilderness Lodge (the hotel) and not VWL.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They changed SSR recently to have a new option 'preferred rooms' that are higher points and shuffled the point system around. Basically meaning the buildings near the Carriage House and those looking over Disney Springs.

That SSR realignment aligns pretty strongly to what Kat4Disney points out:

Typically DVC only seems to do that if there are lopsided requests or perhaps if the front desk indicates there are issues with people not being happy with requests not being met.

Everyone requested to be in the areas now getting Preferred status at SSR, and the desk was deluged with complaints when requests for those areas weren't met.

I don't know that VWL has ever had that level of angst. It's a small resort in the first place (unlike SSR), and none of the DVC units have a particularly compelling view (it's not like even the difference between BWV Boardwalk View and Standard, let alone BLT TPV vs. Standard). Once the trees are back up, not sure the old DVC units have much of a view upgrade that would seriously prompt heavy requests (or heavy grousing at CMs when they cannot be met).

Heck, based on looking at people online, I give it 3-5 years before the beach end of Tokelau at Poly get point-realigned to something that isn't Lake but isn't Standard, based on the complaining when someone doesn't get those 6-8 rooms...

 

[2boys2cute]

Also, don't forget they are building those cabins on both sides of the wilderness lodge, which means the cabins on the opposite from Fort Wilderness will be closer to the MK. We once were able to see the Fireworks from the fifth floor over the top of the building in a regular WL hotel room. Since I am sure they removed a ton of trees for the construction, it would make sense that the outside rooms on the side closer to MK should have a decent fireworks view at this point. SO perhaps it makes sense that they would be sold that way.

 

[Granny]

I don't know that VWL has ever had that level of angst. It's a small resort in the first place (unlike SSR), and none of the DVC units have a particularly compelling view (it's not like even the difference between BWV Boardwalk View and Standard, let alone BLT TPV vs. Standard). Once the trees are back up, not sure the old DVC units have much of a view upgrade that would seriously prompt heavy requests (or heavy grousing at CMs when they cannot be met).

I agree that VWL in the past hasn't had the angst level since almost all rooms had views of trees. I think the key question will be whether they put enough trees back to get back to the former view. I don't think that is possible, and I agree with Lisa that a Lake View category is possible if the trees are thinned out enough to provide a scenic view of Bay Lake.

I posted this question on another forum, and a poster there stated there is a standard room for WL showing a Firework View Standard BunkBed option with a small description of view of villas.
EDIT: I was able to confirm this, this is indeed a booking option through CRO.

I now have a bad feeling there may be some reallocation going on at the current DVC building

Hope...I guess I would be fine with a reallocation since it would reduce point requirements for about half of the VWL villas. We also own at BWV and enjoy the value of Standard View rooms. Being able to stay at VWL for less points than today would be a good thing for us.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Hope...I guess I would be fine with a reallocation since it would reduce point requirements for about half of the VWL villas. We also own at BWV and enjoy the value of Standard View rooms. Being able to stay at VWL for less points than today would be a good thing for us.

Considering we've never gotten the lake side request then it would benefit me and I'd finally have back an entire week in a 1BR that the reallocations a few years ago took away by a few points.