VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.0) updated 14 June 2024

[twinklebug]

DS17 got his license on April 10. Sat. night he had his first accident. Thankfully he's ok. He did get a mild concussion. No other cars involved. He gave it his best effort though. Car is totaled. Ahhh the joys of young drivers. Major bummer for DS18 as they were sharing the car. Now neither one has a car & I'm back to chauffeur duty. We need another car ASAP. Still waiting on the insurance company to find out how much money we're going to get but we need to start looking now.

Oh how scary, for him and you. Glad he's okay, cars are replaceable. My daughter had her first bumper car action the day after she started driving alone. Just nicked the car next to her as she was slowing to a stop and left her lane. I won't bore you with the drama that ensued with the other driver weeks later.... Just keep to the facts.

Try to get him right back behind the wheel as soon as he's ready. New drivers loose confidence after an accident.

On a positive note DS18 has finally chosen what college he'll attend in the fall. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Deposits are due May 1. Champlain College it is. Glad to have the stress of that gone. Now I can concentrate on DS17's college visits.

I need a vacation!

Congrats on having a college kid! Time to start collecting all the dorm necessities. So many great ideas out on the web regarding maximizing space.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thank for posting. I don't know those bushes look awfully small if any groupies are planning to sleep under them.



I've tried a couple times today (in the afternoon including just now) & I can't even get the member site to load. I wasn't looking to book, but I did need it for something else. Disney IT at it's finest.

It's been an interesting few days around here. Don't think I mentioned that DS17 got his license on April 10. Sat. night he had his first accident. Thankfully he's ok. He did get a mild concussion. No other cars involved. He gave it his best effort though. Car is totaled. Ahhh the joys of young drivers. Major bummer for DS18 as they were sharing the car. Now neither one has a car & I'm back to chauffeur duty. We need another car ASAP. Still waiting on the insurance company to find out how much money we're going to get but we need to start looking now.

On a positive note DS18 has finally chosen what college he'll attend in the fall. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Deposits are due May 1. Champlain College it is. Glad to have the stress of that gone. Now I can concentrate on DS17's college visits.

I need a vacation!

Oh - that's rough Julie! Glad your DS17 is ok!!!

And congrats to DS18 - sounds like me - decide when you finally have to! It always just seemed like there was plenty of time to make that decision.

 

[momtwoboys]

We got back Monday and on the trip we had visited WL 2x and ate at Geyser point. We will be booking a studio at Boulder Ridge for next April! 11 month mark is May 13th....

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thank for posting. I don't know those bushes look awfully small if any groupies are planning to sleep under them.



I've tried a couple times today (in the afternoon including just now) & I can't even get the member site to load. I wasn't looking to book, but I did need it for something else. Disney IT at it's finest.

It's been an interesting few days around here. Don't think I mentioned that DS17 got his license on April 10. Sat. night he had his first accident. Thankfully he's ok. He did get a mild concussion. No other cars involved. He gave it his best effort though. Car is totaled. Ahhh the joys of young drivers. Major bummer for DS18 as they were sharing the car. Now neither one has a car & I'm back to chauffeur duty. We need another car ASAP. Still waiting on the insurance company to find out how much money we're going to get but we need to start looking now.

On a positive note DS18 has finally chosen what college he'll attend in the fall. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Deposits are due May 1. Champlain College it is. Glad to have the stress of that gone. Now I can concentrate on DS17's college visits.

I need a vacation!

Oh my...sorry to read about your son's accident, but very happy he is O.K.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I got my 3 nights in a CCV 1BR, and then 4 nights in a CCV 2BR. (we are moving up to bigger room when my son and his fiancee arrive). Called in at 9 am, or there abouts. Not sure exactly, as I was trying to login at same time on my computer, lol.

We are beyond excited. Although I will somewhat miss the wonderful lobby area of BR. I love those rooms on the 1st floor, with the fireplace and game boards.

 

[DiznyDi]

Wishing Barb and Chuck the happiest of anniversaries!

 

[Dizny Dad]

First . . . . . HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MUUSH & MR. MUUSH!

Next . . . . Horselover: so sorry to hear of the Accident, especially adding it to the college stresses. It is, though, the expected bumps in the road on the way to empty nesting. DiznyDi will attest to the memories of DS wrapping cars around poles & fire hydrants, Dad driving the least of the fleet (4 cars in the driveway), and the collateral damages of college.

"Collateral damages" you say? Yeah, like, "Daddy, I have been nominated for such and such honorary sorority, dues are only $750"; "Oh, Dad, so sorry, someone put a golf ball thru your windshield when I had the car on campus"; "oh, that charge, well someone stole a couch out of the dorm lobby, so they just split up the replacement charges with everyone in the dorm, along with the fire extinguisher discharge clean-up, Lab match charge ($2/pack!!), and the water damages from homecoming". Oh, and no diploma or graduation exercises without paying up. They are laughable now, but at the time a parents' stress squeezer! But I'd do it all again, but that is not what the Circle of Life is about . . . . .

 

[Granny]

Thank for posting. I don't know those bushes look awfully small if any groupies are planning to sleep under them.

Horselover...you make a great point! We'll have to wear our rocks & pebble camouflage outfits for a while!

Don't think I mentioned that DS17 got his license on April 10. Sat. night he had his first accident. Thankfully he's ok.

I think most of us who have gone through raising teenagers can feel your stress and concern. For us, teenage years involved a lot of praying and finger crossing whenever our daughters went out the door for the evening. Very glad that his injury doesn't appear to be too serious.

We got back Monday and on the trip we had visited WL 2x and ate at Geyser point. We will be booking a studio at Boulder Ridge for next April! 11 month mark is May 13th....

Mom...Sounds like you had a great trip...so tell us what you thought of the WL grounds and Geyser point. Inquiring minds want to know!

I got my 3 nights in a CCV 1BR, and then 4 nights in a CCV 2BR. (we are moving up to bigger room when my son and his fiancee arrive). Called in at 9 am, or there abouts. Not sure exactly, as I was trying to login at same time on my computer, lol.

We are beyond excited. Although I will somewhat miss the wonderful lobby area of BR. I love those rooms on the 1st floor, with the fireplace and game boards.

Pat...congratulations on snagging the reservation you wanted! And in the welcoming manner of the Groupies, let me just say that you are always welcome to come on over to VWL and enjoy the lobby and Iron Spike room. Wow, I managed to get two outdated location names in the same sentence!

 

[momtwoboys]

the geyser point was a delicious lunch and we sat by the water! Hubby enjoyed his IPA beer and we loved our burgers. Pool construction still all walled up by the villas but all other areas seemed fine! Cabins by the water looked far along too! We are booking a studio at Boulder ridge and hope for one poolside for 2018!

 

[horselover]

First . . . . . HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MUUSH & MR. MUUSH!

Next . . . . Horselover: so sorry to hear of the Accident, especially adding it to the college stresses. It is, though, the expected bumps in the road on the way to empty nesting. DiznyDi will attest to the memories of DS wrapping cars around poles & fire hydrants, Dad driving the least of the fleet (4 cars in the driveway), and the collateral damages of college.

"Collateral damages" you say? Yeah, like, "Daddy, I have been nominated for such and such honorary sorority, dues are only $750"; "Oh, Dad, so sorry, someone put a golf ball thru your windshield when I had the car on campus"; "oh, that charge, well someone stole a couch out of the dorm lobby, so they just split up the replacement charges with everyone in the dorm, along with the fire extinguisher discharge clean-up, Lab match charge ($2/pack!!), and the water damages from homecoming". Oh, and no diploma or graduation exercises without paying up. They are laughable now, but at the time a parents' stress squeezer! But I'd do it all again, but that is not what the Circle of Life is about . . . . .

Wow thanks Dad. I feel so much better!

Happy anniversary Muushka!

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Hi Groupies...back from my Dark Side Half Marathon Race trip and trying to catch up; so much going on I see. My knees came through once again and got me over the finish line despite the high humidity. We did get a chance to sneak over to Geyser Point for lunch. DW and I talked a lot about it and came to the conclusion that it was just "so-so"......It just did not feel right to us. Some of our thoughts.....It was not a busy day at the lodge or the main pool, but with the limited seating at GP, we had no seats available to us and decided to take our food back to the villas to eat in the Carolwood room (so peaceful and cool) and gosh how we LOVE that smell!!! We even took 15 minutes to sit in the rockers outside the villas (one of my favorite things to do in all of WDW). Even if there were seats open at GP, we would not have stayed as it was just about 90 degrees and felt way too warm to eat outside. I'm not a "sit outside and sweat while you eat in the shade" type of guy. If I was at the pool for the day, then it may not have been so bad. Being detail oriented, we did notice that much of the furniture was showing wear especially the legs of the chairs and tables. The aluminum tables outside by the water had no umbrellas and the paint was scuffed in many areas most likely from being scraped against the stone topped tables. The quality just did not seem to be there, especially for a place that will see a lot of activity each day. Our outdoor furniture at home was of a much higher commercial grade than what GP had. I've heard this from others too and was just hoping it was a bad day, but our food did take a long time to be prepared. The couple that was just ahead of us did actually complain. We typically will never complain because we know that the hard-working folks that staff the restaurants are doing the best they can and they aren't making much money. However, once we actually got our food, DW loved her salmon salad although the portion was much smaller than the cobb salad at Roaring Forks. I had the bison burger, but did not care for it. Next time I will probably just opt for the regular burger or go with the salad. For as much that went into this building, the ordering area just seemed somewhat small and uncovered, and quite frankly just "blah" in our opinion. Had Roaring Forks been open as well, we would have definitely gone there instead. I wish I could give a better report, but this was our honest opinion. Maybe it will have a different feel when we return for our Thanksgiving trip. I did add a night at CCV, so we will get a chance to try out the new rooms before we switch back home to VWL.

The pool work was moving along. They had the posts set for another cabana (just off the VWL bend) and I did not notice this before, but the tops of the cabanas have brown corrugated steel with the "Boulder Ridge" name and mountain logo on them. From the open sliders in the main lodge building we could see that there is a whole lot of work to be done on those rooms. Most that we saw still had bare drywall exposed. I'm sure the rooms on the declared floors were in much better shape. The landscaping was added to the cabins and it will definitely get "thick". Their goal must be to prevent anyone from walking in between the cabins for privacy and to cover much of them up. Those trees will get big over the years and there will be ample hiding places for critters in between. The lead walks up to the cabins also are undersized for the building envelope and should have been made at least two lanes wide for easier luggage movement.

In summary, I'm sure it will all be nice when it's done and many will love it, but IN OUR OPINION, when we took a step back to take it all in, especially looking at all the boulders around the pool, the rusty mining props, and the fake turf by the boat dock, we couldn't help but have a hollow feeling inside that maybe something just isn't right here.......I do hope that in time it subsides and the awesome feeling that VWL always gave us returns with a vengeance!

 

[horselover]

Hi Groupies...back from my Dark Side Half Marathon Race trip and trying to catch up; so much going on I see. My knees came through once again and got me over the finish line despite the high humidity. We did get a chance to sneak over to Geyser Point for lunch. DW and I talked a lot about it and came to the conclusion that it was just "so-so"......It just did not feel right to us. Some of our thoughts.....It was not a busy day at the lodge or the main pool, but with the limited seating at GP, we had no seats available to us and decided to take our food back to the villas to eat in the Carolwood room (so peaceful and cool) and gosh how we LOVE that smell!!! We even took 15 minutes to sit in the rockers outside the villas (one of my favorite things to do in all of WDW). Even if there were seats open at GP, we would not have stayed as it was just about 90 degrees and felt way too warm to eat outside. I'm not a "sit outside and sweat while you eat in the shade" type of guy. If I was at the pool for the day, then it may not have been so bad. Being detail oriented, we did notice that much of the furniture was showing wear especially the legs of the chairs and tables. The aluminum tables outside by the water had no umbrellas and the paint was scuffed in many areas most likely from being scraped against the stone topped tables. The quality just did not seem to be there, especially for a place that will see a lot of activity each day. Our outdoor furniture at home was of a much higher commercial grade than what GP had. I've heard this from others too and was just hoping it was a bad day, but our food did take a long time to be prepared. The couple that was just ahead of us did actually complain. We typically will never complain because we know that the hard-working folks that staff the restaurants are doing the best they can and they aren't making much money. However, once we actually got our food, DW loved her salmon salad although the portion was much smaller than the cobb salad at Roaring Forks. I had the bison burger, but did not care for it. Next time I will probably just opt for the regular burger or go with the salad. For as much that went into this building, the ordering area just seemed somewhat small and uncovered, and quite frankly just "blah" in our opinion. Had Roaring Forks been open as well, we would have definitely gone there instead. I wish I could give a better report, but this was our honest opinion. Maybe it will have a different feel when we return for our Thanksgiving trip. I did add a night at CCV, so we will get a chance to try out the new rooms before we switch back home to VWL.

The pool work was moving along. They had the posts set for another cabana (just off the VWL bend) and I did not notice this before, but the tops of the cabanas have brown corrugated steel with the "Boulder Ridge" name and mountain logo on them. From the open sliders in the main lodge building we could see that there is a whole lot of work to be done on those rooms. Most that we saw still had bare drywall exposed. I'm sure the rooms on the declared floors were in much better shape. The landscaping was added to the cabins and it will definitely get "thick". Their goal must be to prevent anyone from walking in between the cabins for privacy and to cover much of them up. Those trees will get big over the years and there will be ample hiding places for critters in between. The lead walks up to the cabins also are undersized for the building envelope and should have been made at least two lanes wide for easier luggage movement.

In summary, I'm sure it will all be nice when it's done and many will love it, but IN OUR OPINION, when we took a step back to take it all in, especially looking at all the boulders around the pool, the rusty mining props, and the fake turf by the boat dock, we couldn't help but have a hollow feeling inside that maybe something just isn't right here.......I do hope that in time it subsides and the awesome feeling that VWL always gave us returns with a vengeance!

Not sure if I should like your post or not but thank you for your thoughts. I think I must have hit GP just at the right time both weather wise & staff wise. It was not long after they opened & they had more staff than guests. I didn't wait long at all for my food or drinks. I sat at the bar & it was a beautiful day. I've sadly been hearing other reports of very slow service lately. I'm just having the hardest time getting past the fake boulders no matter how they want to spin the new story. We'll see how it looks when it's complete but still not excited about the new pool.

 

[momtwoboys]

we just ate at Geyser point Sunday for lunch and the wait was not long at all. We are also wicked excited for the new pool to open! We had reservations for WVL for April 2016 and were moved to Beach club due to the construction, this trip April 2017 we went with AKL jambo house because we wanted to avoid the construction and lack of Villa pool. So finally for April 2018 we will get our wish to stay at WL! We had it booked for our honeymoon back in May 1997 and had to downgrade to POR (Dixie Landings) due to our budget. This has been a long time and many years of trips annually!

 

[rkstocke5609]

Thank for posting. I don't know those bushes look awfully small if any groupies are planning to sleep under them.



I've tried a couple times today (in the afternoon including just now) & I can't even get the member site to load. I wasn't looking to book, but I did need it for something else. Disney IT at it's finest.

It's been an interesting few days around here. Don't think I mentioned that DS17 got his license on April 10. Sat. night he had his first accident. Thankfully he's ok. He did get a mild concussion. No other cars involved. He gave it his best effort though. Car is totaled. Ahhh the joys of young drivers. Major bummer for DS18 as they were sharing the car. Now neither one has a car & I'm back to chauffeur duty. We need another car ASAP. Still waiting on the insurance company to find out how much money we're going to get but we need to start looking now.

On a positive note DS18 has finally chosen what college he'll attend in the fall. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Deposits are due May 1. Champlain College it is. Glad to have the stress of that gone. Now I can concentrate on DS17's college visits.

I need a vacation!

Wow! You seem calm regarding your son's car accident! So glad he is OK! (My daughter is only 11 and I am now having early onset anxiety!). I may need a Gentleman Jack on the rocks to calm my nerves. I got sad news that my dad's best friend just committed suicide, so I may need to make it a double. I am hopeful that the insurance company will be agreeable, in my experience if you can hold out from the first offer for about six weeks or so you can get another $500 or so out of them depending on what the value of the car was. Best of luck!

 

[Corinne]

Happy Anniversary Muush and Mr. Muussh!!

Julie-sorry to hear about the accident, hope your son is feeling better, poor guy.

 

[Dizny Dad]

. . . . . . . in my experience if you can hold out from the first offer for about six weeks or so you can get another $500 or so out of them depending on what the value of the car was. Best of luck!

Sometime yes, sometimes no. The real kicker is the increase in the insurance premium until the next fender bender, when they drop your kid from the family policy and refuse to entertain a separate one for them. Then it is the adventure in high risk insurance you get to experience. Our DD was rear-ended and the other guy was cited, but the insurance company still increased the premium. Because they can. I wish my business had the same casual abilities to raise prices anytime to maintain profit margin. Ever notice your insurance person never drives a car of lesser value than yours? (Wow, this must be the p*ss and vinegar running out of me this morning. Good Thing. I want to be all calmed down when I get home from work for DiznyDi.) Sorry if I have offended any of our wonderful insurance representatives out there. I owe you a beverage at GP. See you there.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Just checking the Resort Availability Tool and I see that all of the 12 declared cabins have been booked for Thanksgiving (Nov 23rd) and the day after for 121 and 140 points respectively per night. There are also a three other sporadic days from Sept-Nov where they are fully booked as well. Obviously the limited other units went quickly as well. Many folks wanting to try out the new rooms. I'm sure they'll love the holiday decorations as much as we do!

 

[jade1]

Not sure if I should like your post or not but thank you for your thoughts. I think I must have hit GP just at the right time both weather wise & staff wise. It was not long after they opened & they had more staff than guests. I didn't wait long at all for my food or drinks. I sat at the bar & it was a beautiful day. I've sadly been hearing other reports of very slow service lately. I'm just having the hardest time getting past the fake boulders no matter how they want to spin the new story. We'll see how it looks when it's complete but still not excited about the new pool.

Yes we loved it numerous times this winter, but agree very hot days might be tough there, but evenings are amazing with the fires and lake side.

The "group" padded/couch seating is soo much nicer than a plain table and chairs esp indoors, and the view just ties it all together.

Salmon BLT for $12? Way better than most choices down there.

Our new favorite retreat from MK, really our new favorite retreat overall.

 

[DenLo]

. . . It's been an interesting few days around here. Don't think I mentioned that DS17 got his license on April 10. Sat. night he had his first accident. Thankfully he's ok. He did get a mild concussion. No other cars involved. He gave it his best effort though. Car is totaled. Ahhh the joys of young drivers. Major bummer for DS18 as they were sharing the car. Now neither one has a car & I'm back to chauffeur duty. We need another car ASAP. Still waiting on the insurance company to find out how much money we're going to get but we need to start looking now. . . .

Wow, I am amazed you are so calm about it. I am happy to hear that only the car was damaged and your DS is okay. I cannot imagine what is like being a parent after a bad accident like that.

DH and I worry about our 16 year niece, who we treat as our granddaughter, driving to basketball tournaments within state, the one this weekend is five hours away. BTW, we convinced my DSIL and DBIL it was a bad idea on the five hour trip. We just had visions of her being exhausted after the tournament ends on Sunday and having to drive back in the dark through Dallas and Houston traffic. She is a good driver, but not that experienced. Now the other parent is driving a van with the girls and their family in one vehicle. Whew. Thank goodness usually DSIL or DBIL can be with her for those long trips. This one just didn't work out. If we had known before the hotel was solidly booked we would have gone with her.

 

[horselover]

Wow! You seem calm regarding your son's car accident! So glad he is OK! (My daughter is only 11 and I am now having early onset anxiety!). I may need a Gentleman Jack on the rocks to calm my nerves. I got sad news that my dad's best friend just committed suicide, so I may need to make it a double. I am hopeful that the insurance company will be agreeable, in my experience if you can hold out from the first offer for about six weeks or so you can get another $500 or so out of them depending on what the value of the car was. Best of luck!

Wow, I am amazed you are so calm about it. I am happy to hear that only the car was damaged and your DS is okay. I cannot imagine what is like being a parent after a bad accident like that.

DH and I worry about our 16 year niece, who we treat as our granddaughter, driving to basketball tournaments within state, the one this weekend is five hours away. BTW, we convinced my DSIL and DBIL it was a bad idea on the five hour trip. We just had visions of her being exhausted after the tournament ends on Sunday and having to drive back in the dark through Dallas and Houston traffic. She is a good driver, but not that experienced. Now the other parent is driving a van with the girls and their family in one vehicle. Whew. Thank goodness usually DSIL or DBIL can be with her for those long trips. This one just didn't work out. If we had known before the hotel was solidly booked we would have gone with her.

I'm generally a pretty calm person. He's ok & that's the most important thing. Cars can be replaced. I'm not happy about it but it's not like he was being reckless or showing off. It was just inexperience behind the wheel. He's such a good kid & has never given us a lick of trouble. I call him my stepford child. Can't really stay mad at a kid like that.