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

[momtwoboys]

momtwoboys

momtwoboys
We went a couple yrs back in Feb late. We went to Daytona qualifying race which seems like around the 22nd. Stayed at WDW. Crowds were not bad, weather was nice. We have also been many times in early March and I don't recall a time of weather being even remotely cool. Seems like Dec and Jan are when temps can be iffy. So, I think you are relatively safe

thanks! Just guess depends on if we want to try a new month or stick with Spring in April.

 

[sleepydog25]

I have a question for all the Groupies since this applies to my next trip. We always have been doing our annual WDW family trip in Spring..since our May 1997 honeymoon. We used to do first week of May for many many years. Then moved it to 3rd week of April when the boys got older. We just got back from our April trip with youngest son, as our oldest is now a Freshman in College. We were toying with the idea of trying Feb vacation but wonder if that is a mistake? Weather too iffy? We plan on next april using a 5 day hopper, and resort time. Dates tentative are April 13-20th and can book that May 13th. Would Feb 17-25th be a bad choice to try for a winter getaway? Sorry for the longwinded post. Nice folks on this thread, and I figured I could get your opinions! Thanks,

Jenny

Well, Jenny, your instincts about the weather are correct--it can be iffy, though it's usually pretty good. Cooler mornings and evenings for sure, and pleasant days as long as a front hasn't come in with cooler temps and rain. One thing to keep in mind, however, is I believe those dates in February encompass the Princess Half Marathon weekend, so it will be busier than you might expect. We did the half in 2016, and we experienced full parks most days, though if you arrive when they first open, each park was very uncrowded. Race day dawned very chilly which was fine for running. A couple of days we had to wear pullover tops/jackets during the day. Overall, the weather is simply more inconsistent than, say, May-September.

VACATION NEWS: We drove to Brunswick, GA, Friday evening, and except for getting through Charlotte, the drive was uneventful--had to tack on an extra 35-40 minutes due to traffic. Still, that room was clean (La Quinta) and right next to a Starbucks (375 steps to be exact) which is why we always stop there. We slept in a little, and hit the road at 8:15 yesterday. At 8:30, we received a text that our room "wasn't quite ready," and we laughed that was an unnecessary post since the room wouldn't be ready until 4 or so anyway. Around 10, we get a text that said "your room is ready." Holy Mackinoly! Humorously, we were annoyed that we had slept in since our room was ready early. For those interested in such things, we had done an online check-in (just as we had in 2016 for the race), and both times we got superb rooms. In '16, we got one of the lake side, fifth floor rooms and it was lovely. This time? We're on the bus stop side. . .and are in one of the corner rooms! We have a huge living area with a larger dining table and four chairs, along with a separate balcony (uncovered). The bedroom has the vaulted ceiling we love so much and another balcony (covered). It's steps away from the elevators which, though not a huge deal for us, is very convenient. It's an awesome 1BR--they're still giving out the "Under Construction" pins, too. In both instances, for online check-in, we've requested "high floor and close to elevator." We're two for two!

We hit three parks yesterday: MK to start (of course), followed by DHS, and ending up in Epcot. Apparently, yesterday was Dapper Dan day, so MK was a bit of a madhouse. Tons and tons of people dressed in turn of the century/early 20th century garb. It was hot, so they must have been burning up. We didn't have FPs, and in fact hadn't originally planned to start there but our room being ready changed things; therefore, we only did Carousel of Progress. No wait there. Everything else was packed--even People Mover had a huge line! We shopped a bit, grabbed lunch at Pecos Bill, and headed to DHS to do RnR, HM, and ST. The park was much less crowded, and with our FPs, we were on and off each ride within 15 minutes. A bit more shopping, then off to Epcot we went. Our original plan had been to do Tutto Gusto for lunch but we changed that to dinner. We had a good 15-minute wait to get seated there as it was dinner time with the Flower & Garden show in full swing. Meal was good, if a bit noisy, and we opted to call it a day without doing any rides.

Slept in this morning. Hit Territory Lounge for coffee and a scone before walking around to explore. I've not a lot to add to what others have said, but here is my take so far:
1) GP is lovely and will make a nice venue to catch EWP and partial Wishes. . .well, whatever the heck they call the fireworks now.
2) New theming in nicely done, admittedly. . .though as I constantly remind Luv, it comes at a cost of serenity and intimacy.
3) GP chair cushions are already showing dinginess and stains. At some point, I suspect they'll switch to medium to dark cushions.
4) The cabins go on forever. We walked a little way down the paved path until we got to the little dirt path that leads to the currently non-existent nature trail. We walked down to the gate and peeked through. Still cabins. In fact, the last cabin was well past where one used to turn up the nature trail to hook up to the paved path. Looking back to the Lodge, that's going to be a long haul for anyone wishing to get coffee or drinks. Yowser. And it looks naked. I believe a parking lot is going up right near where we stood at the gate, so until the shrubbery and trees grow in, that entire area is going to look a bit antiseptic "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot"
5) The music IS playing louder than I remember. That's not an issue for me, and I wonder if it isn't to help mask the ongoing construction noise just a little.
6) Speaking of construction, they still have a lo-o-o-ng way to go it appears to me. They're just two and a half months away from opening rooms and cabins, and while I won't say they won't be done, there is still a lot of dirt, dead space, torn up areas, and construction going on. We noticed workers today (Sunday) which is a break from our last trip when no one could be seen on the weekends. I know they won't open up all the rooms/cabins to inventory right away, so I'm guessing they'll still be working on the remaining rooms and cabins. . .which would give me pause to stay in a CC suite if I had the desire to do so.
7) So far, we're loving being here, and the smells, the boat ride, the music, and the lobby all remain largely unchanged; thus, we feel relaxed and fortunate to call VWL home.

Off to do brunch at CA Grill. Later, Groupies!

 

[wdrl]

Did anyone see Humphrey's photos of the windoors? I'm thinking they must be in the grand villas because they appear wider that the regular sliding door. These fold open to make a wall open up to the outside. It looks pretty neat.

Those Windoors in Humphrey's photo do not belong to a Grand Villa. The four Grand Villas at Copper Creek are all on the endcap of the South Wing and that Indian geometric design that can be seen below the villa only appears on the sides of the Lodge Wing.

My guess is that the Windoors are being installed on the Handicap Accessible villas. At the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, the HA studios have hinged swinging balcony doors while the non-HA studios have sliding doors. I suspect the same might be happening at CCV, where Disney is installing the hinged balcony doors on the HA villas so that guests have easier access to the balcony.

 

[horselover]

Well, Jenny, your instincts about the weather are correct--it can be iffy, though it's usually pretty good. Cooler mornings and evenings for sure, and pleasant days as long as a front hasn't come in with cooler temps and rain. One thing to keep in mind, however, is I believe those dates in February encompass the Princess Half Marathon weekend, so it will be busier than you might expect. We did the half in 2016, and we experienced full parks most days, though if you arrive when they first open, each park was very uncrowded. Race day dawned very chilly which was fine for running. A couple of days we had to wear pullover tops/jackets during the day. Overall, the weather is simply more inconsistent than, say, May-September.

VACATION NEWS: We drove to Brunswick, GA, Friday evening, and except for getting through Charlotte, the drive was uneventful--had to tack on an extra 35-40 minutes due to traffic. Still, that room was clean (La Quinta) and right next to a Starbucks (375 steps to be exact) which is why we always stop there. We slept in a little, and hit the road at 8:15 yesterday. At 8:30, we received a text that our room "wasn't quite ready," and we laughed that was an unnecessary post since the room wouldn't be ready until 4 or so anyway. Around 10, we get a text that said "your room is ready." Holy Mackinoly! Humorously, we were annoyed that we had slept in since our room was ready early. For those interested in such things, we had done an online check-in (just as we had in 2016 for the race), and both times we got superb rooms. In '16, we got one of the lake side, fifth floor rooms and it was lovely. This time? We're on the bus stop side. . .and are in one of the corner rooms! We have a huge living area with a larger dining table and four chairs, along with a separate balcony (uncovered). The bedroom has the vaulted ceiling we love so much and another balcony (covered). It's steps away from the elevators which, though not a huge deal for us, is very convenient. It's an awesome 1BR--they're still giving out the "Under Construction" pins, too. In both instances, for online check-in, we've requested "high floor and close to elevator." We're two for two!

We hit three parks yesterday: MK to start (of course), followed by DHS, and ending up in Epcot. Apparently, yesterday was Dapper Dan day, so MK was a bit of a madhouse. Tons and tons of people dressed in turn of the century/early 20th century garb. It was hot, so they must have been burning up. We didn't have FPs, and in fact hadn't originally planned to start there but our room being ready changed things; therefore, we only did Carousel of Progress. No wait there. Everything else was packed--even People Mover had a huge line! We shopped a bit, grabbed lunch at Pecos Bill, and headed to DHS to do RnR, HM, and ST. The park was much less crowded, and with our FPs, we were on and off each ride within 15 minutes. A bit more shopping, then off to Epcot we went. Our original plan had been to do Tutto Gusto for lunch but we changed that to dinner. We had a good 15-minute wait to get seated there as it was dinner time with the Flower & Garden show in full swing. Meal was good, if a bit noisy, and we opted to call it a day without doing any rides.

Slept in this morning. Hit Territory Lounge for coffee and a scone before walking around to explore. I've not a lot to add to what others have said, but here is my take so far:
1) GP is lovely and will make a nice venue to catch EWP and partial Wishes. . .well, whatever the heck they call the fireworks now.
2) New theming in nicely done, admittedly. . .though as I constantly remind Luv, it comes at a cost of serenity and intimacy.
3) GP chair cushions are already showing dinginess and stains. At some point, I suspect they'll switch to medium to dark cushions.
4) The cabins go on forever. We walked a little way down the paved path until we got to the little dirt path that leads to the currently non-existent nature trail. We walked down to the gate and peeked through. Still cabins. In fact, the last cabin was well past where one used to turn up the nature trail to hook up to the paved path. Looking back to the Lodge, that's going to be a long haul for anyone wishing to get coffee or drinks. Yowser. And it looks naked. I believe a parking lot is going up right near where we stood at the gate, so until the shrubbery and trees grow in, that entire area is going to look a bit antiseptic "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot"
5) The music IS playing louder than I remember. That's not an issue for me, and I wonder if it isn't to help mask the ongoing construction noise just a little.
6) Speaking of construction, they still have a lo-o-o-ng way to go it appears to me. They're just two and a half months away from opening rooms and cabins, and while I won't say they won't be done, there is still a lot of dirt, dead space, torn up areas, and construction going on. We noticed workers today (Sunday) which is a break from our last trip when no one could be seen on the weekends. I know they won't open up all the rooms/cabins to inventory right away, so I'm guessing they'll still be working on the remaining rooms and cabins. . .which would give me pause to stay in a CC suite if I had the desire to do so.
7) So far, we're loving being here, and the smells, the boat ride, the music, and the lobby all remain largely unchanged; thus, we feel relaxed and fortunate to call VWL home.

Off to do brunch at CA Grill. Later, Groupies!

Let us know what you think! I loved the brunch there during the March trip. Had several mimosas but I rolled out of there. OMG so much food! Delicious though.

 

[DenLo]

I agree with sleepydog25 it will be a long walk to get to the lobby or even Geyser Point from the end cabins. We stayed in the 2nd to the last studio on the 4th floor at VWL and when looking straight out we saw cabin #7, and that means there are an additional 7 cabins beyond the DVC building. However, their parking lot will be closest to their cabins so bring in food might work out. Also we were told by Bell Services CMs that they are getting PARGO carts to take guests and their luggage to the cabins for those that need Bell Services whether they drive or not.

I think I would plan to eat out more using the car. The BBQ pavilion will be next to the parking lot for those southern cabins, so that would be that far away from them. Or you can think that you are just getting your exercise to offset all of those calories you ate at dinner. Maybe BS will give you a ride back in a PARGO for a tip.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

Those Windoors in Humphrey's photo do not belong to a Grand Villa. The four Grand Villas at Copper Creek are all on the endcap of the South Wing and that Indian geometric design that can be seen below the villa only appears on the sides of the Lodge Wing.

My guess is that the Windoors are being installed on the Handicap Accessible villas. At the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, the HA studios have hinged swinging balcony doors while the non-HA studios have sliding doors. I suspect the same might be happening at CCV, where Disney is installing the hinged balcony doors on the HA villas so that guests have easier access to the balcony.

Great! I haven't seen them at poly but that makes sense. They look great though.

 

[rkstocke5609]

I have a question for all the Groupies since this applies to my next trip. We always have been doing our annual WDW family trip in Spring..since our May 1997 honeymoon. We used to do first week of May for many many years. Then moved it to 3rd week of April when the boys got older. We just got back from our April trip with youngest son, as our oldest is now a Freshman in College. We were toying with the idea of trying Feb vacation but wonder if that is a mistake? Weather too iffy? We plan on next april using a 5 day hopper, and resort time. Dates tentative are April 13-20th and can book that May 13th. Would Feb 17-25th be a bad choice to try for a winter getaway? Sorry for the longwinded post. Nice folks on this thread, and I figured I could get your opinions! Thanks,

Jenny

We have stayed in February (mid to late) and loved it. You can get a day that might be too cool for the pool, but then to you don't get sweltering days at the park. We liked it!

 

[ArielSRL]

Ariel, Gwinnett Co. huh, you by chance aren't a Braves fan are you? We drive through there on 20 OTW to see the Braves a few times each season. We stay in Alpharetta to keep out of the Atlanta mess as best as possible

Yes, I grew up on the Braves - Dad had it on TV every single night! And now my DH works for the local sports radio station, which in turn happens to be the Braves Radio Network! We get free tickets and access to the radio station's box quite often. Though, of course, now we have the new stadium so this year, our access may be less than it has been previously. We have tickets for July 4th, as his birthday is July 1st. Should be a fun time!

so what did I suggest for the free time before that? Monorail from GF to MK and boat to VWL of course!

Here's a few pictures from the walk around.

Thank you so much for posting those! I cannot wait to get there. 34 days!

My last picture at VWL. The crumpled looking poster in the elevator proclaiming you are at Boulder Ridge. I think they wrapped it around a boulder and rolled it down the hill before putting it up .........

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Why does the pool have that design? I would have thought curving edges and less of a boxy look would have matched the area much better. I love the look of the main pool, why wouldn't they make it match?

Kathy thanks for sharing the pics. I'm with you on the magic cookie bars. Love those things. I found the recipe and I make them occasionally. Glad to know they are still around even though roaring forks is not open.

The "story" about the new pool is that it is an abandoned quarry. Apparently those are geometric in shape. And I grew up with a quarry "swimming pool" in the next town. It looked nothing like that.

I have a question for all the Groupies since this applies to my next trip. We always have been doing our annual WDW family trip in Spring..since our May 1997 honeymoon. We used to do first week of May for many many years. Then moved it to 3rd week of April when the boys got older. We just got back from our April trip with youngest son, as our oldest is now a Freshman in College. We were toying with the idea of trying Feb vacation but wonder if that is a mistake? Weather too iffy? We plan on next april using a 5 day hopper, and resort time. Dates tentative are April 13-20th and can book that May 13th. Would Feb 17-25th be a bad choice to try for a winter getaway? Sorry for the longwinded post. Nice folks on this thread, and I figured I could get your opinions! Thanks,

Jenny

I've been several times in mid to late February. The weather can be hit or miss - rain, cool, nice sunny. Hard to predict but we always still had a good time. Your April or May times would be more predictable for warm to hot weather but as I'm sure you've seen rain, humidity etc can also be a factor. As Sleepy mentioned the Princess race is late Feb and can add some people to the parks. There really is getting to be less and less slow park times so I wouldn't count much on that. Might be nice to give it a try though and see if you like it better - the point charts are a bit lower I believe so that's a plus!

Off to do brunch at CA Grill. Later, Groupies!

Glad you made it safely and look forward to hearing about the brunch. I had booked a reservation for a week ago but then my cousin booked an early flight out and I decided to skip the breakfast and do lunch at Liberty Tree instead. I have it booked again for October though!

Those Windoors in Humphrey's photo do not belong to a Grand Villa. The four Grand Villas at Copper Creek are all on the endcap of the South Wing and that Indian geometric design that can be seen below the villa only appears on the sides of the Lodge Wing.

My guess is that the Windoors are being installed on the Handicap Accessible villas. At the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, the HA studios have hinged swinging balcony doors while the non-HA studios have sliding doors. I suspect the same might be happening at CCV, where Disney is installing the hinged balcony doors on the HA villas so that guests have easier access to the balcony.

That was my assumption on those pictures too - for the HA rooms. VGF also has the swing out doors on the HA rooms as does at least one of the pool/garden BWV HA rooms that we stayed in. I'm not recalling if the Boardwalk view did or not.

 

[ArielSRL]

At 8:30, we received a text that our room "wasn't quite ready,"

Yeh, I haven't quite figured out what this is for. Is there a significance to the timing of the text? Like maybe it means the room will be ready in 1.5 hours? Eh, who knows.

Around 10, we get a text that said "your room is ready." Holy Mackinoly!

Whoo hoo!

and are in one of the corner rooms! We have a huge living area with a larger dining table and four chairs, along with a separate balcony (uncovered). The bedroom has the vaulted ceiling we love so much and another balcony (covered). It's steps away from the elevators which, though not a huge deal for us, is very convenient. It's an awesome 1BR

Sounds lovely!

"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot"

7) So far, we're loving being here, and the smells, the boat ride, the music, and the lobby all remain largely unchanged; thus, we feel relaxed and fortunate to call VWL home.

Off to do brunch at CA Grill. Later, Groupies!

Enjoy!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

At 8:30, we received a text that our room "wasn't quite ready," and we laughed that was an unnecessary post since the room wouldn't be ready until 4 or so anyway.

Yeh, I haven't quite figured out what this is for. Is there a significance to the timing of the text? Like maybe it means the room will be ready in 1.5 hours? Eh, who knows.

I've gotten those a couple of times and kind of feel like they come if the room isn't ready by the time you say you'll arrive? Haven't really paid too close of attention though.

 

[ArielSRL]

I've gotten those a couple of times and kind of feel like they come if the room isn't ready by the time you say you'll arrive? Haven't really paid too close of attention though.

That could very well be it.

 

[momtwoboys]

The "story" about the new pool is that it is an abandoned quarry. Apparently those are geometric in shape. And I grew up with a quarry "swimming pool" in the next town. It looked nothing like that.



I've been several times in mid to late February. The weather can be hit or miss - rain, cool, nice sunny. Hard to predict but we always still had a good time. Your April or May times would be more predictable for warm to hot weather but as I'm sure you've seen rain, humidity etc can also be a factor. As Sleepy mentioned the Princess race is late Feb and can add some people to the parks. There really is getting to be less and less slow park times so I wouldn't count much on that. Might be nice to give it a try though and see if you like it better - the point charts are a bit lower I believe so that's a plus!



Glad you made it safely and look forward to hearing about the brunch. I had booked a reservation for a week ago but then my cousin booked an early flight out and I decided to skip the breakfast and do lunch at Liberty Tree instead. I have it booked again for October though!



That was my assumption on those pictures too - for the HA rooms. VGF also has the swing out doors on the HA rooms as does at least one of the pool/garden BWV HA rooms that we stayed in. I'm not recalling if the Boardwalk view did or not.

Same exact points for 7 nights...127! April or Feb 7 nights. We are used to seeing Epcot and the WORLD all in bloom, wondering if the appearance will seem less colorful. Guess I need to decide soon, either book now for Feb or wait till Mat 13th to book for April. Thanks for any an all input!

 

[twinklebug]

Same exact points for 7 nights...127! April or Feb 7 nights. We are used to seeing Epcot and the WORLD all in bloom, wondering if the appearance will seem less colorful. Guess I need to decide soon, either book now for Feb or wait till Mat 13th to book for April. Thanks for any an all input!

The way I see it:

February:

Pros: Cooler weather, potentially lower crowds
Cons: Flu season (we always catch something when traveling at this time.) Some trees are still naked in Feb.​

April:

Pros: Warmer weather, flowers are in full bloom, trees have their leaves back
Cons: almost guaranteed crowds, and sometimes VERY warm weather which makes crowds cranky. (just be prepared, and drink lots of H2O)
​

Both times are great, just weigh out what works best for you.

 

[momtwoboys]

The way I see it:

February:

Pros: Cooler weather, potentially lower crowds
Cons: Flu season (we always catch something when traveling at this time.) Some trees are still naked in Feb.​

April:

Pros: Warmer weather, flowers are in full bloom, trees have their leaves back
Cons: almost guaranteed crowds, and sometimes VERY warm weather which makes crowds cranky. (just be prepared, and drink lots of H2O)
​

Both times are great, just weigh out what works best for you.

thanks! the feb vacation crowds around presidents day with the race may make the crowds iffy. We will stick with April because we love the warm weather and its usually not extreme heat and humidity. Thanks!

 

[ErinC]

I have a question for all the Groupies since this applies to my next trip. We always have been doing our annual WDW family trip in Spring..since our May 1997 honeymoon. We used to do first week of May for many many years. Then moved it to 3rd week of April when the boys got older. We just got back from our April trip with youngest son, as our oldest is now a Freshman in College. We were toying with the idea of trying Feb vacation but wonder if that is a mistake? Weather too iffy? We plan on next april using a 5 day hopper, and resort time. Dates tentative are April 13-20th and can book that May 13th. Would Feb 17-25th be a bad choice to try for a winter getaway? Sorry for the longwinded post. Nice folks on this thread, and I figured I could get your opinions! Thanks,

Jenny

Looking at the calendar, I would say that you will have some kids out for President's Day in February which will add to the crowds. Mardi Gras is the week before (at least not the same as President's Day next year). When they are the same week it is really crowded. Your April week would be after Easter and most spring breaks, so I'd say it will be less busy than the February week. Our couple of days in April this year were absolutely perfect weather, but I do remember one spring break in April that we about froze to death. You will for sure get some cool days in February. Any week at Disney World is better than a week at home, so you can't go wrong either way!

 

[momtwoboys]

Looking at the calendar, I would say that you will have some kids out for President's Day in February which will add to the crowds. Mardi Gras is the week before (at least not the same as President's Day next year). When they are the same week it is really crowded. Your April week would be after Easter and most spring breaks, so I'd say it will be less busy than the February week. Our couple of days in April this year were absolutely perfect weather, but I do remember one spring break in April that we about froze to death. You will for sure get some cool days in February. Any week at Disney World is better than a week at home, so you can't go wrong either way!

last year april 2016's trip was pretty damn chilly!

 

[sleepydog25]

I've gotten those a couple of times and kind of feel like they come if the room isn't ready by the time you say you'll arrive? Haven't really paid too close of attention though.

Perhaps. Luv now says she may have put an early-ish arrival time down on the online checkin. Does make sense.

As for the brunch, we enjoyed it a lot. Worth $80? Hmmm, that's a close call. We have TIW, so that ameliorated the cost quite a bit. And, if you can eat a lot, then certainly it's worth the price as you can essentially eat as much as you want of some darn good food. We had a few mimosas (part of the price) and split one huge Bloody Mary that was $15; however, it came with a huge slice of maple candied bacon, chorizo, peperoncino, pickled jicama, celery, and olives (you have a fixings bar). Very good. The self-serve bar has sushi (which I found a bit bland but Luv enjoyed--and she loves her sushi), charcuterie, cheeses (the bleu was exceptional), pickled items (the ramps were wonderful), fregola salad, and other items including the pastry bar (notably gluten-free cranberry scones, cheddar biscuits, and sticky pecan rolls--the latter was the best). The other two were just average. For entrees, Chris split hers between the eggs bennie and the shrimp and grits. I had the hanger steak with two over easy eggs and potatoes. The lobster eggs bennie was good but the egg under done, sadly. Plus, it came on a small plate and ran over the sides when cut into. Lobster was perfectly poached. Shrimp and grits were tasty, but the tomato broth was very soupy, so it was more as though you were eating a cioppino with grits in it. Still, very tasty. My steak had a chimichurri sauce that was excellent, and the sear on the meat was also nicely done. However, the meat ranged from medium-well to rare--I ordered medium rare. Potatoes were expertly done (little half reds and Yukons), and eggs were cooked perfectly, though lacking salt or pepper. Service was mostly very good. Early on it was exceptional; midway through our server disappeared for long stretches of time (but we did have food and drinks, so no big deal). She ended on a high note. I think we'll likely do it again, but perhaps not when we go again in July.

Our plan for the afternoon was to go back to MK for FPs; however, tucked under the door to our room we found a large envelope with a lithograph of the Poly and a note saying that if we took a tour of the Poly show rooms at SSR, we'd get a $100 gift card. We called and said we'd love to tour! After a few minutes discussion, we learned the fine print on the letter mentioned you couldn't already be DVC members; HOWEVER, the agent said he'd ask the manager if we couldn't get the card since we DID get a letter, even if by accident. Five minutes later, he informed us that they would honor the deal since we did have the letter in our possession. Twenty minutes later they picked us up outside the main lobby. We met a very nice agent, Tony, who was willing to let us do the tour quickly, but we were genuinely interested in hearing what they had to say. We listened a few minutes, then toured the CC rooms. We also toured the Poly model, though we saw those at the Poly back in '16. And, as long as we were there, we opted to look at the Aulani rooms.

The CC rooms were as they appear in the numerous pictures and videos we've seen. They are a bit nicer in person, and the storage is excellent. The counter tops in the bathrooms were very pretty, and why they didn't put them in the kitchen is a mystery. The dressers didn't appear well-made, as the drawers already wobble as if they put cheap metal sliders on them. The cabinets are still a mismatch and a puzzling stylistic choice. The multi-color/wood dresser in the studio actually looked better than the regular ones in the 1BR. The lighted makeup mirror is a nice touch, too. In the 1BR, there is a steel beam running along ceiling line in the kitchen/living area that gives the room a more rustic look. Liked it. And I will also report that the pocket door where the washer/dryer is located does close unlike pictures that showed otherwise. Further, the tub isn't jetted, but it does have bubbles! There are tiny holes throughout the bottom of the tub and an aerator on the side of the tub. There is great potential here, but again, some of the choices they made simply seem to have been made to go cheap. On the other hand, the Aulani rooms were stunning. Gorgeous. Lovely detailing and theming. Rich woods. Cabinets that match not only the theme but also each other. Wow. I might actually buy at CC if they looked like Aulani rooms, seriously. Somewhere after Aulani and before Poly, the decision was apparently made to go with cheaper materials for new builds and refurbs. What a shame. We honestly discussed our options but wound up not buying anything since we don't believe the quality of the CC workmanship is as good as it should be, plus given a couple of years, we don't think the availability will be an issue except during the holidays. We left after about an hour and 15 minutes of no pressure from Tony and were not only given our $100 gift card but three FPs each, as well.

We had them drive us to Disney Springs where we ate at Paradiso 37, then headed back to the room (Disney Springs looks way different than the last time I was there in Feb of '16!). Not a single park today, and we had such a fun time! Tomorrow will hopefully bring another day of great adventure!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have a question for all the Groupies since this applies to my next trip. We always have been doing our annual WDW family trip in Spring..since our May 1997 honeymoon. We used to do first week of May for many many years. Then moved it to 3rd week of April when the boys got older. We just got back from our April trip with youngest son, as our oldest is now a Freshman in College. We were toying with the idea of trying Feb vacation but wonder if that is a mistake? Weather too iffy? We plan on next april using a 5 day hopper, and resort time. Dates tentative are April 13-20th and can book that May 13th. Would Feb 17-25th be a bad choice to try for a winter getaway? Sorry for the longwinded post. Nice folks on this thread, and I figured I could get your opinions! Thanks,

Jenny

I would pick a trip when the Flower And Garden Festival is on, so I would pick April!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Happy Birthday @franandaj !!!!!
Hope you have a wonderful day!​