The VWL Groupies & Trivia Thread

[MaryJ]

We stayed in one of the trailers at FW in 1989. I'd have to say that was part of the attraction of VWL. The trip at FW was our longest Disney trip to date (10 days!) and we loved it! I told DH is was the best of both worlds....you could cook your own breakfast, and then the maid came and cleaned up! Still enjoy cooking breakfast at VWL....don't even miss the maid.

We once saw an armadillo while walking to Roaring Forks early one morning from the villas. And if you look, you can still see them while riding the buses from place to place at WDW. Once while we were staying at SSR, we were the only ones on the bus, and the bus driver actually slowed down to point them out to our DD's.

We went to RC on that 1989 trip. We never got a chance to go again, but I must say it was my favorite of the WDW water parks. It just seemed so much more laid back and relaxing.

We love the HDDR and have been to Trail's End many times to eat. One especially fond memory is being there when we received a phone call on my cell from DD to tell us she was home from her honeymoon. We were all passing the phone around the table and our waiter came to the table. We told him who was on the phone, and he took the phone as the next person was passing it, and said "This is your Uncle Gary. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail. Just wanted to say congratulations!"

Fun times at Fort Wilderness!!

 

[Muushka]

I have to ask. What is a King snake?

 

[MiaSRN62]

We told him who was on the phone, and he took the phone as the next person was passing it, and said "This is your Uncle Gary. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail. Just wanted to say congratulations!"

That's too funny Mary.....

 

[Granny]

Here's a little photo to keep us in the WL frame of mind this Monday morning:

And to Brayn28: HOME!

 

[ammo]

Granny -- thanks for the never-ending (I hope) supply of great pictures.

 

[ammo]

I have to ask. What is a King snake?

A king snake is a nonvenomous snake that looks like the deadly coral snake. They are both very colorful, with red, yellow, and black bands. One of my students told me how to tell the difference: red touches yellow will kill a fellow. King snakes have black bands between all yellow and red bands -- they are the safe-ish snakes.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Yes regarding king snakes!
"Red on Black is a Friend of Jack!" "Red on Yellow is a Deadly Fellow!"

I also think that coral snakes are small, teeny mouth, (never seen one in the wild) and (scarlet) king snakes are larger.

Bobbi

 

[ammo]

Yes regarding king snakes!
"Red on Black is a Friend of Jack!" "Red on Yellow is a Deadly Fellow!"

I also think that coral snakes are small, teeny mouth, (never seen one in the wild) and (scarlet) king snakes are larger.

Bobbi

I forgot about the scarlet. That is another difference -- the two safe-ish snakes both have red noses. The coral's nose is black. But I don't want to have to track down the business end of a snake to see if it is dangerous!

 

[bpmorley]

HOME Brayn28 !

Thanks for all the memoirs about FW and RC. We never stayed at FW but visited many times (it's quite dark around there in the evening !). We did have the privledge of visiting RC once in '86 (we had no children at that time). I don't recall too many details about RC, but I do recall we had a wonderful day.

We're in the same boat. I vaguely remember RC, but I know I loved it. I was maybe 8 or 9 at the time. I always thought I would get back there, but I guess that won't happen. I still can't get a grasp on where it used to be, any help? Also, any idea what WDW ever did with the land?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We're in the same boat. I vaguely remember RC, but I know I loved it. I was maybe 8 or 9 at the time. I always thought I would get back there, but I guess that won't happen. I still can't get a grasp on where it used to be, any help? Also, any idea what WDW ever did with the land?

The skeleton of RC can be seen from the water. When we went to Mickey's Backyard Barbecue, we were directed to use the bathrooms at RC. I do not know if they still do that. Every so often, you can see people going onto RC property by boat, but every time we've asked a CM, we are told that no one knows what will become of it. Same thing regarding Discovery Island..."honeymoon" cottages had been mentioned at one time but too isolated was the most recent answer we've gotten.

I'm sure there are people here who know more, but I always look for it when I'm on a boat from FW. You can see the wooden planks of the nature trail that I loved to walk so much.

Bobbi

 

[bpmorley]

There is an old dock in between WL & FW. Is that it? I see that on the boat, but it doesn't look like much around it.

 

[bobbiwoz]

You didn't take a boat to River Country, you took a boat to FW and then walked the bit. It's located to the right of the dock area of FW (say a 2 o'clock position with your back to the water). When we've seen small boats taking executive like people (this is not a common occurance, we've only seen people walking around that area twice), they seem to stop toward the boardwalk that was the nature trail that I mentioned.

Bobbi

 

[melk]

Do many of you have a connection to FW? My first and only childhood trip to WDW was for the bicentennial, and we spent a week in FW -- watched 4th of July fireworks from the Treehouse in MK and enjoyed River Country while it was only a month old (how I miss RC!). That is undoubtedly part of the attraction of VWL for me, not to mention the national parks theming, the great lobby music, ...

Count me in as one who bought at VWL because of FW!! We had stayed in the cabins (and even the older wilderness homes) several times and loved the atmosphere of FW. Just love the rustic atmosphere, the woodsy feeling, the proximity to the Magic Kingdom (even though while at FW you feel a world away). But those cabins aren't cheap! We considered buying an RV but realized it was not for us. When we figured out how often we like to visit WDW and where we would like to stay (having 3 kids leaves out a lot of hotel rooms), we figured DVC would be a good fit for us, and it is!!

But VWL was for us, the only choice to buy. We love (again) the rustic, woodsy atmosphere, plus get to go over to FW easily for the campfire, Trail's End, etc. And although we've stayed at OKW and loved it, our hearts are at VWL!

It's too bad they wouldn't reopen River Country maybe just for FW/WL. I mean BC/YC has Stormalong Bay, it might be a nice perk for us "woodsy" folks!!

 

[Muushka]

It's too bad they wouldn't reopen River Country maybe just for FW/WL. I mean BC/YC has Stormalong Bay, it might be a nice perk for us "woodsy" folks!!

Yes Yes Yes!! I loved River Country. Wouldn't that be great??? We can dream......

Thanks for the King snake explanation Ammo. I was afraid to google it! I hate snakes....

 

[ammo]

Thanks for the King snake explanation Ammo. I was afraid to google it! I hate snakes....

My favorite snake is carved into a log in the VWL atrium. That's usually as close as I care to get.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I try very hard to be objective about snakes, they provide a service. There are lots of them around, but they do scare me a bit.

I don't think that River Country can be opened because of the state of fresh water in Florida. I think there are micro organisms that can hurt people and it would be risky to swim there. You used to be able to swim in all of the beaches around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, there even was a wave machine to bring waves into the Poly's beach, but swimming is not allowed any more.

Now, I was told about the wave machine by our skipper on a Wishes Cruise, and she pointed out an area on an island that seemed to be something like a machine. If someone comes on to say that that's an "urban myth" so be it! She told us that the sand kept washing away, and it may have seemed like a good idea, but it didn't work. Our first trip to the Poly was in 1977, I don't remember anything like that, but she said it was earlier in WDW's existence.

Bobbi

 

[MaryJ]

I try very hard to be objective about snakes, they provide a service. There are lots of them around, but they do scare me a bit.

I don't think that River Country can be opened because of the state of fresh water in Florida. I think there are micro organisms that can hurt people and it would be risky to swim there. You used to be able to swim in all of the beaches around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, there even was a wave machine to bring waves into the Poly's beach, but swimming is not allowed any more.

Now, I was told about the wave machine by our skipper on a Wishes Cruise, and she pointed out an area on an island that seemed to be something like a machine. If someone comes on to say that that's an "urban myth" so be it! She told us that the sand kept washing away, and it may have seemed like a good idea, but it didn't work. Our first trip to the Poly was in 1977, I don't remember anything like that, but she said it was earlier in WDW's existence.

Bobbi

I thought I remembered swimming at the FW beach! I was beginning to think it was all in my imagination since I've never seen any mention of it!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I thought I remembered swimming at the FW beach! I was beginning to think it was all in my imagination since I've never seen any mention of it!

I have pictures of our sons swimming there. Also, they went water skiing, and were scared silly...but didn't mention it until the experience was over. They were afraid of alligators. Now, had we known, we never would have taken them.
Bobbi

 

[bpmorley]

You didn't take a boat to River Country, you took a boat to FW and then walked the bit. It's located to the right of the dock area of FW (say a 2 o'clock position with your back to the water). When we've seen small boats taking executive like people (this is not a common occurance, we've only seen people walking around that area twice), they seem to stop toward the boardwalk that was the nature trail that I mentioned.

Bobbi

Did I mistype something. I didn't mean to imply that I took a boat to RC. You're right, that's the dock I was talking about. It looks completely abandoned. So, is there anyway to walk from FW to RC? I'm not that familiar with FW.

 

[bpmorley]

I thought I remembered swimming at the FW beach! I was beginning to think it was all in my imagination since I've never seen any mention of it!

There might have been swimming at FW's beach. I remember swimming in the seven seas lagoon off the Poly beach as a kid