VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.0) updated 21 June 2023

[bobbiwoz]

KAT4DISNEY have a fun trip. It sounds great!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

KAT4DISNEY have a fun trip’. It sounds great!

Thanks Bobbi! Last time at Sea World we spent over an hour just watching the rehabbing manatees eat! Probably won't break that record though. Lol.

 

[jimmytammy]

KAT
This sounds like a great idea! I too am a bit disenchanted with the way Disney/WDW are handling things these days, so taking advantage of a place to stay, including the amenities of the resorts, DS in your backyard if you so choose to go, but going to other parks, sounds reasonable to me. We have done that once, stayed at VWL, but went to Universal for 4 days instead. I can tell you a way we drive over to Universal that keeps you off I-4, and is only one minute longer, if you wish.

 

[Granny]

It's kind of nice to feel like some place(s) still actually want us to visit.

Still love the lodge of course.

Kathy…you’ve hit the nail on the head with our current feelings of indifference to WDW. I’m not mad about what Disney has “taken away” or started charging for. It’s just that nothing they have done makes for a better vacation experience, and so we feel kind of indifferent about going. We have a trip next week, our first one in over two years, and it is hard to generate enthusiasm for the trip.

I’m glad to hear that Universal and Sea World are still in the business of customer satisfaction. That’s a great Black Friday deal you got for SW and it sounds like you will have a great trip. Your mention of ME going away is exactly why that decision puzzles me. For years, Disney focused on keeping guests on site and eliminating the need for a rental vehicle. Now, it’s almost like they are encouraging offsite touring and of course losing that spending that happens elsewhere.

Like I said, we’re not angry, just disappointed in Disney. If we didn’t own DVC, I’m not sure we’d be going back at this point.

 

[sleepydog25]

Kathy…you’ve hit the nail on the head with our current feelings of indifference to WDW. I’m not mad about what Disney has “taken away” or started charging for. It’s just that nothing they have done makes for a better vacation experience, and so we feel kind of indifferent about going. We have a trip next week, our first one in over two years, and it is hard to generate enthusiasm for the trip.

I’m glad to hear that Universal and Sea World are still in the business of customer satisfaction. That’s a great Black Friday deal you got for SW and it sounds like you will have a great trip. Your mention of ME going away is exactly why that decision puzzles me. For years, Disney focused on keeping guests on site and eliminating the need for a rental vehicle. Now, it’s almost like they are encouraging offsite touring and of course losing that spending that happens elsewhere.

Like I said, we’re not angry, just disappointed in Disney. If we didn’t own DVC, I’m not sure we’d be going back at this point.

Well said, Granny. I'm in the same boat. In the current lingo, "I'm over Disney." What built the empire was customer service and nostalgia. What fuels the Mouse now is over-the-top experiences, uncharges for what used to be freebies, and exclusively ticketed events. No thanks. I don't want to spend 1/3 of my time on a phone trying to manage rides, dining, and meet-and-greets. At some point, I'd like to enjoy a leisurely stroll down the nature trail at...wait...that's gone. Well, then, I'd really like to head over to Epcot after stopping in at MK first...what? I have to wait until 2 p.m.? Oh. That's fine, I'll just use my FP function to grab some rides at....huh? Oh, no more FPs? I have to now pay for the replacement to FPs? And, I have to pay even more to buy upgrades to that per person per ride? Just no. I'll sit right here and wait for the SpectroMagic parade. Don't tell me that's gone, too.

 

[Granny]

... Oh. That's fine, I'll just use my FP function to grab some rides at....huh? Oh, no more FPs? I have to now pay for the replacement to FPs? And, I have to pay even more to buy upgrades to that per person per ride? Just no. I'll sit right here and wait for the SpectroMagic parade. Don't tell me that's gone, too.

Sleepy...I haven't been following Disney news all that much. I understand (I think) the Genie+ as a paid alternative to the former FP system ($15 per person per day). Is there another level of payment for something else regarding attractions? I added bolding to your quote to highlight the comment I didn't understand.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

KAT
I can tell you a way we drive over to Universal that keeps you off I-4, and is only one minute longer, if you wish.

That would be great Jimmy! At the time we'll be heading over and potentially heading back I am thinking we'll catch a bit of the rush hour traffic on I-4.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Sleepy...I haven't been following Disney news all that much. I understand (I think) the Genie+ as a paid alternative to the former FP system ($15 per person per day). Is there another level of payment for something else regarding attractions? I added bolding to your quote to highlight the comment I didn't understand.

In the past 2 weeks I've finally delved into what's going on and yes, there is also a separate paid component for 2 rides at each park that they didn't include in the Genie+ offerings. AK it's Flights of Passage and Everest. Epcot it's Ratatouille and Frozen I believe. DHS it's RotR and Mickey's Runaway Train. And at MK it's Space Mt and 7 Dwarves. Those are the paid lightning lanes and the additional cost varies depending on the ride. Remy's also still has the free option to reserve a time like RotR has used since it opened. RotR does not any longer - now it's paid or standby as long as they let standby enter.

 

[Granny]

In the past 2 weeks I've finally delved into what's going on and yes, there is also a separate paid component for 2 rides at each park that they didn't include in the Genie+ offerings. AK it's Flights of Passage and Everest. Epcot it's Ratatouille and Frozen I believe. DHS it's RotR and Mickey's Runaway Train. And at MK it's Space Mt and 7 Dwarves. Those are the paid lightning lanes and the additional cost varies depending on the ride. Remy's also still has the free option to reserve a time like RotR has used since it opened. RotR does not any longer - now it's paid or standby as long as they let standby enter.

Thank you so much Kathy! I am so lazy, or perhaps the correct word is uninspired. So I just haven't delved into anything, and you've done that work for me...again! So we can pay our $15 per day per person to get FP capability on many attractions. And then pay more if we want to go on the 8 attractions you mentioned without standing in the standby lines.

We only have 5 nights in our upcoming trip. So I'm thinking we will spend a lot of time doing non-attraction things. And I can scout to see how the standby lines look, etc. We have zero interest in planning our day in advance, so the Genie thingy has zero value to us. Why couldn't they have just kept the FP system and start charging for it? No additional training of customers needed and no glitches due to new programming.

If I bring old Magic Bands, will they let us use them as we have in the past?

6 days on our countdown. Hurrah.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thank you so much Kathy! I am so lazy, or perhaps the correct word is uninspired. So I just haven't delved into anything, and you've done that work for me...again! So we can pay our $15 per day per person to get FP capability on many attractions. And then pay more if we want to go on the 8 attractions you mentioned without standing in the standby lines.

We only have 5 nights in our upcoming trip. So I'm thinking we will spend a lot of time doing non-attraction things. And I can scout to see how the standby lines look, etc. We have zero interest in planning our day in advance, so the Genie thingy has zero value to us. Why couldn't they have just kept the FP system and start charging for it? No additional training of customers needed and no glitches due to new programming.

If I bring old Magic Bands, will they let us use them as we have in the past?

6 days on our countdown. Hurrah.

The good news seems to be that they haven't allocated as many spots to Genie+ as they used to with FP+ so standby lines seem to be back to a fairly reasonable length. We'll try for a free Remy spot in line at Epcot. The paid lightening lanes though - unknown. I'm going to guess we'll end up doing it for RotR since these family members have never done it but that's a book it at 7am or it's gone. This trip is a test for how much we'll visit Disney parks in the future or how we'll do the parks. I'm not looking forward to all the phone planning. If we didn't have a young one then the added night hours would be used to our full advantage as west coast it's more reasonable than 7 am east coast!

And yes, so far Magic Bands still work. Disney still sells them!

 

[bluecastle]

If I bring old Magic Bands, will they let us use them as we have in the past?

6 days on our countdown. Hurrah.

As long as they are still activated in your MDE account they should work.

 

[Corinne]

Thank you so much Kathy! I am so lazy, or perhaps the correct word is uninspired. So I just haven't delved into anything, and you've done that work for me...again! So we can pay our $15 per day per person to get FP capability on many attractions. And then pay more if we want to go on the 8 attractions you mentioned without standing in the standby lines.

We only have 5 nights in our upcoming trip. So I'm thinking we will spend a lot of time doing non-attraction things. And I can scout to see how the standby lines look, etc. We have zero interest in planning our day in advance, so the Genie thingy has zero value to us. Why couldn't they have just kept the FP system and start charging for it? No additional training of customers needed and no glitches due to new programming.

If I bring old Magic Bands, will they let us use them as we have in the past?

6 days on our countdown. Hurrah.

Uninspired is a perfect word to describe the way we feel about it as well. We waited in line for a very few number of attractions during our stay in September. If the queues were too long, we simply skipped the attraction. It’s unfortunate that Disney has to continue to monetize every darn thing they possibly can to squeeze every dime out of their guests. While the Genie nonsense feels like, well, nonsense to many of their loyal and longtime guests, I sadly do believe there are many people willing and able to pay. We had a great time in September, and no doubt will continue to visit (albeit less visits and likely shorter stays). With all of the recent changes, not to mention COVID, (not Disney’s fault of course) Disney has lost a little bit of the magic for me, I’m hopeful it will return.

Granny, I’m sure just being back at the VWL especially during the holiday season will be wonderful. Like many of us, we have had the luxury of many visits so skipping a ride or 2 (or10 lol) probably won’t make a difference, enjoy, I am confident you will!

 

[Granny]

As long as they are still activated in your MDE account they should work.

Blue...thanks for the great tip. I grabbed a couple of magic bands to take with us, and I checked MDE and one of them needed to be activated. Thank you for making my trip start off a little easier! I have mine on a key fob and I keep hearing nightmare stories about glitches with using the phone only, so having the bands with us should be a good back up plan.

 

[Granny]

Granny, I’m sure just being back at the VWL especially during the holiday season will be wonderful. Like many of us, we have had the luxury of many visits so skipping a ride or 2 (or10 lol) probably won’t make a difference, enjoy, I am confident you will!

Corinne...that's exactly our thoughts. Just hanging around WL/VWL will occupy much of our time. I'm sure we'll visit the Grand Floridian and a few other resorts to see the decorations. And we plan on going over to Fort Wilderness at some point to see the amazing decorations that the campers always display. So we'll be fine, I'm sure.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Due to intestinal problems, not serious, we had to skip the cruise we were to be on today. However, I was able to book two nights at Vero, and today we finished writing our Christmas cards. Not the same setting at all, but lovely, and above the hedge, we could see the ocean!



I am going home tomorrow, not heading back to WDW with my friends, so I wouldn’t be at a meet, nor at the DVC meet on Thursday.

We were very happy with our 6 night VGF/ VWL stay. The Candlelight Processional was as beautiful as ever. This was our first time to hear Jodi Benson, and what a treat that was!

We did Ratatouille and just about all the rides/attractions we wanted. We did the extra hours party, loved the parade and fireworks, and the Laugh Floor being redesigned for the event with a Christmas theme was special.

I wish things were different, but I try not to focus on the past except as happy memories. It’s just how I cope, I understand what so many here are saying.

For the sake of all drivers to the park, I am so happy the trams are coming back!

 

[jimmytammy]

Casey and I built Tammy a walnut table and this is the 1st Christmas we will be able to use it in our home
She broke out the Lodgey items to decorate
I like that we can have a bit of the VWL magic in our home this time of year

 

[bobbiwoz]

View attachment 628197
Casey and I built Tammy a walnut table and this is the 1st Christmas we will be able to use it in our home
She broke out the Lodgey items to decorate
I like that we can have a bit of the VWL magic in our home this time of year

What a gorgeous present! That table is beautiful and the decorations are so perfect for this season!

 

[bluecastle]

Due to intestinal problems, not serious, we had to skip the cruise we were to be on today. However, I was able to book two nights at Vero, and today we finished writing our Christmas cards. Not the same setting at all, but lovely, and above the hedge, we could see the ocean!

View attachment 628163

I am going home tomorrow, not heading back to WDW with my friends, so I wouldn’t be at a meet, nor at the DVC meet on Thursday.

We were very happy with our 6 night VGF/ VWL stay. The Candlelight Processional was as beautiful as ever. This was our first time to hear Jodi Benson, and what a treat that was!

We did Ratatouille and just about all the rides/attractions we wanted. We did the extra hours party, loved the parade and fireworks, and the Laugh Floor being redesigned for the event with a Christmas theme was special.

I wish things were different, but I try not to focus on the past except as happy memories. It’s just how I cope, I understand what so many here are saying.

For the sake of all drivers to the park, I am so happy the trams are coming back!

Sounds like you had a wonderful time, stomach issues aside. I admire your positive attitude about not dwelling in the past. Many of the recent changes have upset me, but I have decided that I have to figure out how to make it magical for my family. This is what I have so far:
1. Our next trip will be at AKL so we can have the excitement of staying somewhere new. I think the presence of the animals will make it easy to have a more resort-centric stay with less time in the parks. I think that with all the changes that would be less stressful. Also, it will be better for our 2.5 year-old granddaughter to experience the parks in small doses.
2. Because of all the price increases, we will plan our trips further apart. We like to stay in 2BR villas and I’d rather save for a longer time to be able to do that.
We will focus on the experiences that bring us joy, being together in our happy place.
I am hoping that by next November, I will feel more comfortable with the changes and hopefully, the COVID situation will be more manageable.
Here’s hoping!

 

[jimmytammy]

KAT
Sorry it took so long to get back to you
This sounds like a lot of turns, it is, but its not a bad drive, a few stoplights along the way, but better than bottlenecking on I-4
I have found this way to be the least amount of traffic as it keeps you away from DS area

From BLT, turn left onto World Dr, turn right onto Vista Dr.(this will be going towards Ft. Wilderness), turn right onto Winter Garden Vineland Rd., turn left onto S. Apopka Vineland Rd(this will be the longest stretch of road you will be on), turn right onto Wallace Rd., turn left onto Turkey Lake Rd., turn right onto Hollywood Way, then turn left onto Universal Blvd. Parking should still be on right
Normal time is around 25-28 mins

 

[Lakegirl]

Happy to report in from VWL. Love the lodge so very much. Guess what? Yep we got the dumpster view! Our view at BLT was amazing so I can’t complain About view but the noise is disturbin. We are in a 2 bedroom.
The crowds this weekend we’re crazy. Hoping now that is during the week it will get better. My daughters friend that is traveling with us said how much she loves the lodge and how BLT felt fancy but that WL is just really cool. We have reservations at Trails end tonight. We stopped by Territory Lounge last night and the apps they have on there looked really good. My husband and I are not huge eaters so I definitely think we will go one night for some. We ate at Steakhouse 71 last night and it was really good. Geyser Point had a 75 minute wait last night so we will definitely plan ahead when we want to eat there. I will post picture later in the trip.
When is the groupie meet to be?