VGF Villas & Views - REVISED 07/22/2017

[chateau]

I'm curious if anyone put in for room requests (or, in some cases requests to not have)? How far in advance? These pics are great to see what each room offers. Thanks pic contributors and wdrl.

 

[js]

I would L O V E a monorail view! I would be SOOOO happy!

I have a dedicated 2 bedroom standard view booked for September for 8 nights.

Is there any possibility that I, too, could request a room that had a monorail view? What would I need to do? I would be in heaven LOL

 

[lilpooh108]

Here are a few pics from our recent visit. We had a studio standard view room 1328. I LOVED the view. I would request it again in a heart beat. My kids loved to wave to the Monorail every time they went by. You could hear it go by but it was never an issue keeping anyone up. My only critique of the room was there wasn't enough storage but beyond that we fell in love. The robes were a nice touch.

Thanks for posting your photos, rjvose17! If I'm not mistaken, villa 1328 is about as close to the monorail track as you can be without actually riding in the monorail itself. I'm glad to hear that the monorail was a bit of a bonus feature about your location. Before VGF opened, some people were speculating that the noise and vibration would be so bad that people wouldn't be able to sleep and dishes would be falling out of the cabinets. Well, maybe not that bad, but close.

Did your kids try out the Murphy bed? Did they like it better than sleeping on the sofa?

Hey! Randomly checked into this thread and saw the 1328 photos -- we stayed in 1228 last year and I was surprised at how much we liked the "view". I love the architecture of the GF anyway and it was nice to see it just outside the window.

I feel like 1228 looks right into the monorail so it was a bit noisier, but as a terrible sleeper I was NOT bothered at all by the noise. In fact, it was surprising. You're right about it being crazy close to the monorail. You literally feel like you are on the monorail platform it's that close.

Our 4YO loved the murphy bed -- wider than expected. The studio felt tiny so I don't think we could have done a long stay. Bathroom was fabulous!

 

[rjvose17]

Thanks for posting your photos, rjvose17! If I'm not mistaken, villa 1328 is about as close to the monorail track as you can be without actually riding in the monorail itself. I'm glad to hear that the monorail was a bit of a bonus feature about your location. Before VGF opened, some people were speculating that the noise and vibration would be so bad that people wouldn't be able to sleep and dishes would be falling out of the cabinets. Well, maybe not that bad, but close.

Did your kids try out the Murphy bed? Did they like it better than sleeping on the sofa?

Thanks! I'm glad to be of help. The noise was not an issue at all. You could hear it but it really wasn't any louder than other hotels that I have stayed at. Yes our kids did sleep on the Murphy bed and they LOVED it. My 7 year old wouldn't give it up. They were going to switch every other night but they both ended up liking where they were so they stayed. My ten year old loved having the big pull out to herself, and the 7 year old slept wonderfully and told us several times how comfortable she was. We moved over to Beach Club for a few nights and they missed the bed big time! I would request the room again in a heart beat....It was great to lay in bed and watch the Monorail go right by. It almost caused me to add more points to our DVC just so I can get more time a VGF

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Thank you so much for this thread! I am checking in June 1, so need to go through and read it all. Thanks again.

 

[barrysprot36]

View from our Lake View Studio; 1304

 

[wdrl]

View from our Lake View Studio; 1304

Thanks so much for posting! Your view looks familiar: We are just down the hall from you in 1310. I should get around to posting my photos by tomorrow.

 

[wdrl]

We are in VGF 1310, a Lake View Studio on the third floor. This is our first stay at VGF and we are very impressed with the villa and the entire resort. Here are some photos of our view and of the villa.

We have a good view of the bungalows being built for the DVC Poly:

Looking toward the Magic Kingdom and BLT/Contemporary Resort:

There aren't hidden Mickeys in our villa (at least not that I've discovered) but there are some Disney touches. These posters pay homage to the Sherman Brothers.

Storage space is limited in a VGF studio, but this under-the-bed drawer holds a lot. The second drawer doesn't open much, but we moved the phonebook and Bible from the nightstand, which let us use both drawers in the nightstand to hold more things.

The TV armoire holds the Murphy bed which, in my opinion, can easily accommodate a person who is 5'6" or less. The armoire offers little storage space. However, there are two compartments with lids right under the TV. One holds the DVD player and the other is empty. We use both compartments to store stuff. Plus, there is ample counter top space on the armoire to hold more stuff. It looks cluttered, but its a good place to set our purse, backpack, cameras, trading pins, ponchos, hats, etc.

I like the overall look of the villa. The colors are warm and inviting and the view is amazing. We can see the monorails going around Seven Seas lagoon, watch the water ferries, and keep an eye on the Poly construction. Last night we watched the moon rise over Seven Seas and could see the Epcot fireworks in the far distance.

P.S - Thanks, Bill!

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Just a bump to get this thread back to page 1 - and to see if there are any more pics?

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Have been looking thru the posts on first page and have a few questions. We're staying in a Std View/1 Bdrm.
It looks like room 1327 & 1609 both have a view of the fireworks. If we wanted to make a request for something like that, would we say: "Request top or highest floor possible; room ending in 27 or 09"?
I looked at the map on the first page, but am majorly directionally challenged, so I can't figure out which rooms would be the best fit.
It will just be my sister & I on a 3 day trip to celebrate her 60th birthday and we're not going to be in any parks at night, so I'd like to try & secure a room with at least a partial view of FW, if possible - knowing that requests are not always granted.
Would you word it differently or include other rooms?
Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

Have been looking thru the posts on first page and have a few questions. We're staying in a Std View/1 Bdrm.
It looks like room 1327 & 1609 both have a view of the fireworks. If we wanted to make a request for something like that, would we say: "Request top or highest floor possible; room ending in 27 or 09"?
I looked at the map on the first page, but am majorly directionally challenged, so I can't figure out which rooms would be the best fit.
It will just be my sister & I on a 3 day trip to celebrate her 60th birthday and we're not going to be in any parks at night, so I'd like to try & secure a room with at least a partial view of FW, if possible - knowing that requests are not always granted.
Would you word it differently or include other rooms?
Thanks!

The odds of a specific room being vacated the day you check in are lotto odds. I would plan a stroll over to the Narcoossee pavilion, get yourself a drink and watch the fireworks with music. It's a nice walk and a good fireworks view.

Bill

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Sounds pretty good, Bill - thanks!
(Wonder if they'll mind two old broads in their pj's tho?!? LOL!

 

[hcortesis]

The odds of a specific room being vacated the day you check in are lotto odds. I would plan a stroll over to the Narcoossee pavilion, get yourself a drink and watch the fireworks with music. It's a nice walk and a good fireworks view.

Bill

I don't believe it is that difficult. The room assignor simply needs to place someone in your requested room, with a check out date the same as your check in date.

If your requested room gets vacated five days before your check in date, they put someone in that room with a five day reservation. If your requested room gets vacated 10 days before your requested date, they find someone for that room with a 10 day reservation.

In my mind, not lotto at all. Just takes a little thinking and work.

 

[Disbug]

I don't believe it is that difficult.

In my mind, not lotto at all. Just takes a little thinking and work.

The problem is... it takes thinking and work on the part of the Room Assigner!

 

[disneynutz]

I don't believe it is that difficult. The room assignor simply needs to place someone in your requested room, with a check out date the same as your check in date.

If your requested room gets vacated five days before your check in date, they put someone in that room with a five day reservation. If your requested room gets vacated 10 days before your requested date, they find someone for that room with a 10 day reservation.

In my mind, not lotto at all. Just takes a little thinking and work.

That isn't the way it happens and rooms are sometimes assigned when ready, in advance, or re-assigned throughout the day.

The CM's are paid to process the room assignments, not to make matches.

Bill

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

So, if I didn't request certain room #'s (eg: 1609 &/or 1327), what "view" would I ask for? I can't tell from the pics/maps...
Something like view of main bldg., or pool bar, or what?
I've never stayed at the GF, so I'm not familiar with the bldg.'s.
Thanks!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So, if I didn't request certain room #'s (eg: 1609 &/or 1327), what "view" would I ask for? I can't tell from the pics/maps...
Something like view of main bldg., or pool bar, or what?
I've never stayed at the GF, so I'm not familiar with the bldg.'s.
Thanks!

Those rooms look towards the main GF building and the beach pool so I'd request that and high floor. I wouldn't stress too much about getting a particular room though and if you don't get that side you can just step out the building to the shore of the 7 seas and see the fireworks just as well or probably much better.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Thank you, KAT4DISNEY!
Wish me luck - tho I'll really b happy almost anywhere @ VGF!

 

[hcortesis]

That isn't the way it happens and rooms are sometimes assigned when ready, in advance, or re-assigned throughout the day.

The CM's are paid to process the room assignments, not to make matches.

Bill

I guess we have been lucky as that's how it happens with us! And if things are as you say, why the heck do they allow room requests if "they aren't paid to make matches"? Do room request matches just happen by luck?

 

[disneynutz]

I guess we have been lucky as that's how it happens with us! And if things are as you say, why the heck do they allow room requests if "they aren't paid to make matches"? Do room request matches just happen by luck?

Let me paint a picture, you have some under paid minimum wage resort CM who starts assigning rooms up to 10 days before check in. They are there for 8 hours unless they are part time. They make several passes plugging in people to rooms. They are evaluated on the did they get their work completed, not on how many matches they made.

As check in date approaches people change their minds or add requests and management may take rooms out of service, now the CM has to move things around.

On check in days guests show up wanting to change rooms because they forgot to make a request or they don't like what was assigned. A list of available rooms are sometimes in their reservation system but more often than not the CM has to go to the back room to get the assigner to maybe re-assign the guest. Often to do so they have to swap rooms with a guest that hasn't checked in yet hoping that they just accept the new room assigned to them.

They allow room requests as a courtesy and they make it very clear that requests are not guaranteed. A few years ago when we checked in at BLT we asked for a different room and we were told that changes were not allowed at check in. Checking with a manager we were told that it was a new policy that just went into effect. Apparently the policy didn't stick.

For us this is a yearly vacation that we want to be perfect, to Disney CM's it's just another day at work. Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful CM's who want to do what they can to make our stays magical but they are only allowed to do so much.

Bill