VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.5) updated 2 February 2025

[KAT4DISNEY]

Happy Birthday I Book He Pays

Happy Birthday Akima!!!!​

 

[sleepydog25]

I had completely forgotten, but we recorded and watched the PBS' program regarding Walt Disney. We found it fascinating and not at all a hack job that tried to find just his faults. Instead, we found the 2-day, 4-hour special to be illuminating. He was far from a saint (as he is often viewed by the Disney faithful), but he was such an imaginative and sometimes uncompromising man who had a burning desire to prove himself. He survived early years of adversity when his ideas and zeal weren't met by others, including a few times when his fledgling company nearly went under. What struck me the most was how dedicated he was to proving he was right, that his ideas about animation, the movie audience, and the general public were spot on. This wasn't a true feel-good piece, but we were left shaking our heads at just how good he was at what he did and at his dedication to the ideal of animation and its emotional impact. Very impressive we found the documentary to be.

 

[Granny]

I had completely forgotten, but we taped and watched the PBS' program regarding Walt Disney. We found it fascinating and not at all a hack job that tried to find just his faults. Instead, we found the 2-day, 4-hour special to be illuminating. He was far from a saint (as he is often viewed by the Disney faithful), but he was such an imaginative and sometimes uncompromising man who had a burning desire to prove himself. He survived early years of adversity when his ideas and zeal weren't met by others, including a few times when his fledgling company nearly went under. What struck me the most was how dedicated he was to proving he was right, that his ideas about animation, the movie audience, and the general public were spot on. This wasn't a true feel-good piece, but we were left shaking our heads at just how good he was at what he did and at his dedication to the ideal of animation and its emotional impact. Very impressive we found the documentary to be.

I've got this two part special on my DVR at home and I'm looking forward to watching it. Like any successful leader, I'm sure Walt had some traits that some might find overbearing. Same thing with any great leader, and I think it's possible to admire someone without putting them on a pedestal. I like your assessment, Patrick.

 

[sleepydog25]

I've got this two part special on my DVR at home and I'm looking forward to watching it. Like any successful leader, I'm sure Walt had some traits that some might find overbearing. Same thing with any great leader, and I think it's possible to admire someone without putting them on a pedestal. I like your assessment, Patrick.

I'll be interested to hear what you think, Granny. I do believe you'll find it entertaining, and as you say, any revered leader or vanguard will have faults since he/she is human. I appreciated how the film didn't shy away from such portrayals, yet managed to also explore the genius behind the man and show him to be a devoted family man.

 

[jimmytammy]

Sleepy, I got to finally watch part one of the documentary and feel the same as you about it. I have read several books about Walt and felt him to be a very driven man. I think folks who viewed the show with rose colored glasses on were some of the ones who blasted it. I think for me, I had read enough to know what to expect, so wasnt shocked at hearing the negative. What I really enjoyed so far was seeing some live footage and a few pictures I had never seen.

I am glad Walt had the vision he did too delve deep into animation, deep into the amusement park business, and create something that millions have enjoyed.

 

[Dizny Dad]

Gee Wiz . . . We missed the documentary, have no recording of it, don't have cable or satellite; . . . . sounds like we live in the dark. . . . . but we love rural Ohio; the corn is golden and being taken, the beans are brown and also ready to go, and we haven't had mooference for almost two years! Golly Gee.

(And the small voice whispered this morning "eleven more sleeps")

 

[Granny]

Packing up this morning, getting ready to take our bags down to the airline check-in desk. Then over to Magic Kingdom for a quick lunch at BOG that my DW was able to snag unexpectedly. I'm looking around VWL constantly, trying to imprint in my brain how it looks and feels right now. Though it will certainly be different, I imagine it will still be a unique resort with so much balm for the soul.

Yesterday they made a big hoopla about the official renaming of Downtown Disney to Disney Springs. Evidently it will have four sections...still the Marketplace and West Side but two new names for the middle section that I've already forgotten. They said they will be 100% open by next summer. That also includes the revamping of Buena Vista Blvd that runs in front of DTD...it has new off ramps that go over the road so traffic should be really helped. And the massive garages continue to go up and they said they'll be ready too. It really is a dramatic enhancement to the old DTD/Pleasure Island and it looks like Disney is definitely doing this one right.

Passing the baton now to our October travelers. I hope your trips are as magical as ours has been.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Gee Wiz . . . We missed the documentary, have no recording of it, don't have cable or satellite; . . . . sounds like we live in the dark. . . . . but we love rural Ohio; the corn is golden and being taken, the beans are brown and also ready to go, and we haven't had mooference for almost two years! Golly Gee.

(And the small voice whispered this morning "eleven more sleeps")

PBS did have it up for streaming. Our DVR's are on the fritz and all I caught was about 20 minutes of the first show so I was planning on viewing it sometime soon - hope it's still up for watching! Otherwise, they also were selling a DVD of it.

 

[Dizny Dad]

PBS did have it up for streaming. . . . . . . . . . . they also were selling a DVD of it.

Great information! thanks!

 

[dwight16]

so need some advice....going in the next few weeks for the first time at wilderness and my inlaws want to renew there vowel obv on the DL i keep pushing for the room on the balcony mainly bc i am not sure how cool it would be to try and pull this off outside.....so my question is there any private or semi private areas around the hotel or walking paths we could pull out a 15 minute thing????

 

[sleepydog25]

Sleepy, I got to finally watch part one of the documentary and feel the same as you about it. I have read several books about Walt and felt him to be a very driven man. I think folks who viewed the show with rose colored glasses on were some of the ones who blasted it. I think for me, I had read enough to know what to expect, so wasnt shocked at hearing the negative. What I really enjoyed so far was seeing some live footage and a few pictures I had never seen.

I am glad Walt had the vision he did too delve deep into animation, deep into the amusement park business, and create something that millions have enjoyed.

I agree, JT. He was a man of uncommon vision. The old film and pics were very cool.

Granny: I detect a certain wistfulness in your "voice." I sincerely hope that our beloved Lodge and the surrounding environs will, indeed, remain a "balm to the soul." Love how you phrased that. Perfect.

As for the parking garages, when we were there in July, we parked in one and noticed the digital signs that told you the number of open slots on each level. I wondered how they did do with such specificity until I realized that each parking stall had a small infra"green" sensor that apparently relays the information to the signs. The sensors sit right above each stall. Kinda cool.

 

[sleepydog25]

so need some advice....going in the next few weeks for the first time at wilderness and my inlaws want to renew there vowel obv on the DL i keep pushing for the room on the balcony mainly bc i am not sure how cool it would be to try and pull this off outside.....so my question is there any private or semi private areas around the hotel or walking paths we could pull out a 15 minute thing????

I just saw your inquiry, and I would tread quietly and lightly when doing an unofficial vow renewal anywhere on Disney property including WL. Disney is fairly stringent when it comes to any sort of ceremony being performed on their property--they want a) to protect their brand and b) their share of any potential monetary profit. While they obviously can't watch every corner of every resort or every park, they are quick to respond if they suspect something is afoot. That being said, part of the equation depends on how involved such a ceremony would be. If it's the in-laws and just a couple of other people with personal cameras somewhere on the WL property, and it's very quick, chances are you would be safe. However, if anyone resembling a photographer, an officiant (pastor, JoP, etc.), or decorations pop up somewhere within eyesight of a CM, you could be courting trouble. Even though doing such a ceremony on a private balcony of your private room would likely be safe, there's no guarantee someone might not notice and mention it to others. You might even be seen by someone who paid $30K+ to stage a lovely Disney wedding and who would be livid that someone appears to be gaming the system. In essence, Disney owns the properties you visit, and any sort of ceremony that takes place there falls under their purview. I'm not advocating one direction or the other; I'm simply repeating what I know (we got married at the Lodge two years ago), and what many others have vehemently argued (both pro and con) on other threads. Regardless, welcome to our WL Groupies thread, and I hope we can be a fount of knowledge for any Lodge questions you might have.

 

[dwight16]

I just saw your inquiry, and I would tread quietly and lightly when doing an unofficial vow renewal anywhere on Disney property including WL. Disney is fairly stringent when it comes to any sort of ceremony being performed on their property--they want a) to protect their brand and b) their share of any potential monetary profit. While they obviously can't watch every corner of every resort or every park, they are quick to respond if they suspect something is afoot. That being said, part of the equation depends on how involved such a ceremony would be. If it's the in-laws and just a couple of other people with personal cameras somewhere on the WL property, and it's very quick, chances are you would be safe. However, if anyone resembling a photographer, an officiant (pastor, JoP, etc.), or decorations pop up somewhere within eyesight of a CM, you could be courting trouble. Even though doing such a ceremony on a private balcony of your private room would likely be safe, there's no guarantee someone might not notice and mention it to others. You might even be seen by someone who paid $30K+ to stage a lovely Disney wedding and who would be livid that someone appears to be gaming the system. In essence, Disney owns the properties you visit, and any sort of ceremony that takes place there falls under their purview. I'm not advocating one direction or the other; I'm simply repeating what I know (we got married at the Lodge two years ago), and what many others have vehemently argued (both pro and con) on other threads. Regardless, welcome to our WL Groupies thread, and I hope we can be a fount of knowledge for any Lodge questions you might have.

We will have nothing formal at all just basicly the in laws saying a few words together that one of their daughters will prompt them. Basicly two people talking and looking at each other and maybe a few iPhone pictures.

 

[DiznyDi]

dwight16 WELCOME to our merry little band of Lodge lovers.

Sleepy has given you excellent insight. We'll be there in October, too. Maybe we'll have the opportunity to get acquainted.

Granny, you should be home now. Ahh to be home after 2 glorious week of sun, fun, family and some relaxation mixed in too. We're now at 10 days until we'll experience the Lodge's mighty 'balm to our souls'. Hi to Mrs Granny!

 

[eliza61]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISNEY WORLD. YOU LOOK MAAARHVELOUS. LOL

OUR HAPPY PLACE OPENED IT'S DOORS TODAY 1971​

 

[twinklebug]

Echoing Eliza's sentiment:

Happy 44th Birthday Disney World!
​

My first memory of Disney World was not of being at the place, but of my parents leaving my brother, little sister and I at my Aunt and Uncle's house for the week while they went to check it out. Back then there wasn't enough to keep them occupied for more than a day in the park, so they headed to the beach and my mom brought home an envelope of the softest sand that almost glowed it was so pure. The following year, and every other year afterward, they took us camping with them to Fort Wilderness.

​

My most favorite memories came from the campground, the boats (and trams), and particularly from River Country which opened a few years later as I had my first Kodak point and shoot camera and have many pics to look back on from there. I'm still holding out hope Disney builds out a DVC in that location and pays tribute to River Country.

What is your first memory of WDW?

 

[eliza61]

Echoing Eliza's sentiment:

Happy 44th Birthday Disney World!
​

What is your first memory of WDW?

LOL, Great memory twinklebug. We didn't get to the world until maybe 5 years after it opened. my parents weren't big on being the first to try out anything. I actually remember the trip more than the park.

Back in the dark ages, folks didn't fly like we do now, it was really cost prohibitive, so flying was a big deal. Most families that we knew took family vacations via the car.
You had to be clean and dressed when you flew so two memories stand out. first, I got to go to a department store called B. Altmans on fifth ave for a new outfit once again this was pre-mall times, so going "downtown" for shopping was major and two, my dad sprung for a cab . Once again remember the times, living in Manhattan we took the train every where. I can remember a bunch of neighbors standing outside with us because "Ed" had gotten 3 cabs to take us to the airport in Queens. lol

Sid and Rizzo think this bordered on child endangerment.

We stayed off site and the thing I remember about the park was every thing was so darn clean!!

 

[Granny]

Granny: I detect a certain wistfulness in your "voice." I sincerely hope that our beloved Lodge and the surrounding environs will, indeed, remain a "balm to the soul." Love how you phrased that. Perfect.

Thanks, Patrick. I think wistfulness is a good description of my feelings at that point. We can handle change, we just hope that the next buck for Disney doesn't come at the cost of something we love (ie. the ambiance of VWL). And we know that in the scheme of things, this is definitely not that big of a thing. Just something we savor and hope to continue to do so for another 25 years or so. Thanks for the kind words.

Granny, you should be home now. Ahh to be home after 2 glorious week of sun, fun, family and some relaxation mixed in too. We're now at 10 days until we'll experience the Lodge's mighty 'balm to our souls'. Hi to Mrs Granny!

Yes, Di, we made it home safe and sound with a wonderful, uneventful flying day. When we got to our house about 7:00 pm, I said to Mrs Granny that it is strange to have lunch at Be Our Guest restaurant and then have dinner back home. After having driven the 16 hour trip to WDW for so many years, it is nice to be flying more often these days. Enjoy your trip to our favorite place!

 

[Granny]

So...we started up with Owners Locker this trip, and look forward to not having to pack so much going forward. Originally we thought that we would never have enough items to make it worthwhile. I just counted the number of items on our locker inventory list and it was more than 60 items! While I think the convenience of not toting stuff back and forth every trip is great, the very best part of Owners Locker is that there are so many items there that we have forgotten to pack for one trip or another over the years. I have an extra phone charger, for instance, which seems to be high on our list of things to forget! Overall, it seems to be well worth the cost. Similar to DVC itself, we will probably wonder what took us so long to buy!

 

[Granny]

​

My first memory of Disney World was not of being at the place, but of my parents leaving my brother, little sister and I at my Aunt and Uncle's house for the week while they went to check it out. Back then there wasn't enough to keep them occupied for more than a day in the park, so they headed to the beach and my mom brought home an envelope of the softest sand that almost glowed it was so pure. The following year, and every other year afterward, they took us camping with them to Fort Wilderness.

​

My most favorite memories came from the campground, the boats (and trams), and particularly from River Country which opened a few years later as I had my first Kodak point and shoot camera and have many pics to look back on from there. I'm still holding out hope Disney builds out a DVC in that location and pays tribute to River Country.

What is your first memory of WDW?

Twinklebug...great recounting of your first WDW memories!

My first memory was our first family trip in 1998 with my daughters 9 & 7 years old at the time. It was the first time there for all of us. We had booked Wilderness Lodge because that we the only resort we could get on a trip thrown together in a couple of weeks...we knew nothing at all about the resort. We had a lengthy flight delay and then another long delay at MCO airport waiting for the Mears transportation we had booked. So we ended up getting to Wilderness Lodge about 12:30 in the morning and we were not in a great mood (we were about 4 hours late in total).

We drove up to WL in the dark so we really couldn't make out many features of the Lodge. We got out of our vehicle and arranged the bags on a cart with the valet. We then headed into the Lodge. When the second set of doors whooshed open, we walked into an empty lobby with the music softly playing. The lobby soared above our heads. We had no idea what to expect and the WL lobby literally amazed us all. And even though we were tired and cranky, we suddenly felt refreshed and at peace.

We took a few steps inside the doors and all of a sudden from a distance we heard someone calling our last name. We looked over and there was a woman at the front desk calling over to ask if she had the right name. We went over and she said we were the only ones who hadn't checked in and they had been looking for us. She checked us in with the usual Disney wonderful attitude. She said she knew that we were probably tired so she skipped a lot of the first trip intro stuff and just told me to come down in the morning and a front desk CM would give us the introductory spiel and make sure we knew what was available at the Lodge.

Our room in the resort was a Woods View on an upper floor with bunk beds (which I had requested). They had filled my location and room type requests perfectly.

It was really my first taste of the magic that good CMs can share, and the balm that Wilderness Lodge could impart to our souls. The rest of that first trip was also magical with many happy moments. But that first impression of Wilderness Lodge is what has stayed with us to this day.