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

[rkstocke5609]

Honey I'm home! So my room requests were high floor, lake side. Here's my view.

View attachment 304857

Hmmm, that doesn't look like upper floor or lake side! I'm on the 2nd floor. At least it's not 1st floor. I would have asked for a different room if it was. It could be a good news or bad news situation. The good news is I'm the first room in this section so no other rooms attach to my bedroom. I'm hoping that means it's nice & quiet because I've just come from 2 not very quiet rooms. The bad news might be all I'll hear is people going up & down the walkway & luggage carts rolling by. I'll report back on how it is.

Spent Fri. night at AKL club level. Made no room requests & got a savannah view studio. Yay! Not a single animal on that savannah. Boo! Room was so noisy from the open lobby. Didn't sleep well at all. The lounge was nice though.

Last night I was at the Dolphin. Another noisy room. There was a weird noise coming from outside I think. It almost sounded like the Friendship boat engines or an elevator motor. I was looking out at the boat dock but no boats were in service overnight & I was nowhere near an elevator. Sigh. It went on all night. I'm praying I have some peaceful sleep here. It stinks being a light sleeper.

Got my first look inside the gates of the new pool. What is up with that crane thingy? It's an eye sore. Pool seems nice enough but not very many chairs with shade. Hot tub looks nice. I may have to take advantage of that. Not something I normally do but this is a chill trip so I might pop down. I haven't been to a park yet. It's been very crowded with Feb. school break crowds & the marathon. I'm hoping those folks will all be gone tomorrow. I think I have AK FPs. I suppose I should check.

All in all it's very good to be home. I've missed staying here.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Sorry about the room you got, but everything else sounds good! I can’t wait to get there in March. I hope you’ll be able to give me all the inside scoop. I am crossing my fingers that the crowds die down for you! Enjoy your trip, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for a full report on the hot tub.....

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Honey I'm home! So my room requests were high floor, lake side. Here's my view.

View attachment 304857

Hmmm, that doesn't look like upper floor or lake side! I'm on the 2nd floor. At least it's not 1st floor. I would have asked for a different room if it was. It could be a good news or bad news situation. The good news is I'm the first room in this section so no other rooms attach to my bedroom. I'm hoping that means it's nice & quiet because I've just come from 2 not very quiet rooms. The bad news might be all I'll hear is people going up & down the walkway & luggage carts rolling by. I'll report back on how it is.

Spent Fri. night at AKL club level. Made no room requests & got a savannah view studio. Yay! Not a single animal on that savannah. Boo! Room was so noisy from the open lobby. Didn't sleep well at all. The lounge was nice though.

Last night I was at the Dolphin. Another noisy room. There was a weird noise coming from outside I think. It almost sounded like the Friendship boat engines or an elevator motor. I was looking out at the boat dock but no boats were in service overnight & I was nowhere near an elevator. Sigh. It went on all night. I'm praying I have some peaceful sleep here. It stinks being a light sleeper.

Got my first look inside the gates of the new pool. What is up with that crane thingy? It's an eye sore. Pool seems nice enough but not very many chairs with shade. Hot tub looks nice. I may have to take advantage of that. Not something I normally do but this is a chill trip so I might pop down. I haven't been to a park yet. It's been very crowded with Feb. school break crowds & the marathon. I'm hoping those folks will all be gone tomorrow. I think I have AK FPs. I suppose I should check.

All in all it's very good to be home. I've missed staying here.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

I'm not certain Julie but I think that's a lakeview. At least it looks like the high floor lake view rooms I've always gotten at VWL!

Did they do new railings on the walkway over to VWL? They look bright or unfinished.

Hope it's quiet and that you enjoy your stay! We've been close to that room, 1 floor up if I recall correctly and I do recall some rolling cart noise etc during the day as well as guest noise as people were talking while walking but at least there's not much luggage being moved at night. I slept well and while I'm not a super light sleeper I have been bothered by Boardwalk view noise in the past. It was more quiet than that.

 

[jimmytammy]

Julie
Enjoy your stay! Just being there makes me relax

 

[sleepydog25]

We've had a room on the ground floor in just about that same location. . .perhaps one or two rooms to the left of the picture. We didn't find the noise too obtrusive. As for the new pool, the "crane thingy," according to the backstory it's part of the whole quarry thing associated with Boulder Ridge. In actuality, the Imagineers decided to reuse part of the Backlot Tour, so it wound up in the new pool. I'm not a huge fan of the new pool--it's too stark and sterile. I much preferred the "lost" Hidden Springs pool with the bubbles, the trees--its quiet nature. Hope the crowds die down and you have a great trip!

 

[Lakegirl]

Corinne so happy for you!!!! What is the time frame of when you have to move?
Jen that Car is beautiful!!!! So happy for you, Nothing like that new car smell.
Horse lover hope you have a great stay.

 

[twinklebug]

Honey I'm home! So my room requests were high floor, lake side. Here's my view.

View attachment 304857

Hmmm, that doesn't look like upper floor or lake side! I'm on the 2nd floor. At least it's not 1st floor. I would have asked for a different room if it was. It could be a good news or bad news situation. The good news is I'm the first room in this section so no other rooms attach to my bedroom. I'm hoping that means it's nice & quiet because I've just come from 2 not very quiet rooms. The bad news might be all I'll hear is people going up & down the walkway & luggage carts rolling by. I'll report back on how it is.

Spent Fri. night at AKL club level. Made no room requests & got a savannah view studio. Yay! Not a single animal on that savannah. Boo! Room was so noisy from the open lobby. Didn't sleep well at all. The lounge was nice though.

Last night I was at the Dolphin. Another noisy room. There was a weird noise coming from outside I think. It almost sounded like the Friendship boat engines or an elevator motor. I was looking out at the boat dock but no boats were in service overnight & I was nowhere near an elevator. Sigh. It went on all night. I'm praying I have some peaceful sleep here. It stinks being a light sleeper.

Got my first look inside the gates of the new pool. What is up with that crane thingy? It's an eye sore. Pool seems nice enough but not very many chairs with shade. Hot tub looks nice. I may have to take advantage of that. Not something I normally do but this is a chill trip so I might pop down. I haven't been to a park yet. It's been very crowded with Feb. school break crowds & the marathon. I'm hoping those folks will all be gone tomorrow. I think I have AK FPs. I suppose I should check.

All in all it's very good to be home. I've missed staying here.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Sorry about the location Julie, it makes for a very pretty picture though. You even have topiary Mickey in the shot!

Re: Jambo, I agree, anything near the lobby will be excessively noisy and those concierge rooms have the double whammy of being directly on the lobby and then having sound reflected off the ceiling back down to them. This is exactly why I can only stay 2 nights before moving down to another room there. It's a love/hate relationship. Noise pollution is not even on Disney's agenda to address or they'd have better doors on those units.

Here's hoping for some peaceful sleeps ahead for you!

 

[Corinne]

Corinne so happy for you!!!! What is the time frame of when you have to move?
Jen that Car is beautiful!!!! So happy for you, Nothing like that new car smell.
Horse lover hope you have a great stay.

Thanks Lakegirl! I start on 3-26.

 

[Corinne]

I got it. Late yesterday afternoon. I LOVE IT! Well worth the long wait the year and 2 days being stuck in the house unless Ian was home from work - all of it. 2018 Chevy Traverse Premium and she is loaded. Of course I had to think of an appropriate name as well. Her name is Pearl - the Black Pearl. LOL

Jen glad you got what you wanted, and I love her name!!Enjoy the ride!

 

[Corinne]

Julie, enjoy your stay!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Wow. Lots of GOOD NEWS! Jen - NICE ride. Corrine - Good Luck in these new beginnings! Jimmy - You said 19 sleeps, but might it be only 17, or 16, in the JimmyTammy household? Julie - Remember the Chill part. Sometimes that is the hardest part of the trip.

 

[jimmytammy]

Dad you are probably right
If things go smoothly, we hope to be leaving the day before and head to Kingsland GA after work. Its doable and we usually arrive by midnight, so it can put us on WDW property the next day as early as noon.
You know us well, kind sir

 

[horselover]

Julie - Remember the Chill part. Sometimes that is the hardest part of the trip.

Not this time! See my remarks below.

Corrine good luck with your new position! You start on my birthday. I think that means you'll receive extra pixie dust for a positive beginning.

So I'm happy to report I slept! Until almost 4 am anyway. That's good for me. The noise level was not bad at all. Pretty quiet really. I did hear a cart or two roll by in the morning & the ding of the elevator bell a few times, but overall it was good. So far no noisy neighbors above or below so all is well. I still wish I had a lake view but one nice thing about this location is when I sit on the balcony I can hear the Lodge music. That's a bonus!

I was awake at 4 but dosed off & on until around 8:30. Had coffee in the room then went for a walk down the bike path to FW. Still missing the nature trail. Went to the pool around 11. A few people there but not crowded. Now that I've truly experienced it I have to say it's a really ugly pool. It's just not nice to look at. I miss Hidden Springs. But the spa was nice. Hot but not burning hot. Took me awhile to figure out how to turn on the jets. I mistook the dial for a decoration. It's quite large & wasn't full of kids! Pet peeve of mine. Although I did overhear someone say yesterday afternoon it was packed with kids so maybe the key is to go early. Spent about 90 min or so pool side then a quick shower & off to DS for lunch. I've been on a mission to try D-Luxe Burger instead of my usual spots (Homecomin', Boathouse & Morimoto is on my list of musts now too). Their burgers are really big. Regular fries. Big. Way to much food for one person. I barely ate a 1/4 of what I had although that might have had something to do with the drink I chose. The Salted Carmel Gelato shake. OMG where have you been all my life! It was so good. The food was good too, but I thought the burger could have used a little seasoning. Fries were good. I liked the chipolte ketchup dipping sauce. Tried the garlic ranch too but it was too garlicy. Good thing I'm solo! Headed to the outdoor bar at the Boathouse after that for their yummy Blueberry Lemonade & now I'm back in the room. Dinner tonight at AP. First time trying it. I figure I'm here so why not. Great dinner at Flying Fish last night. And people wonder why I like to travel solo. This is how I roll! Food, food, food, plus drinks & wine.

Day 3 almost over, I have yet to step foot in a park & I like it. I'm so relieved to see the magic of this resort has not been diminished by the construction. Still not super excited about the changes, but there is just something so special about this place. It's unlike any of the other resorts IMO. I love BCV & stay there all the time, but when I'm there I find myself at the parks every day. Being home at VWL just makes me go ahhhhhhh & not want to leave. I kind of wish now I was staying here for the full length of my stay instead of switching to BWV end of the week. But that is still a few days away so I plan to enjoy every minute of my time here while I can.

I snapped this on the way back from my walk this morning. I made me smile.

 

[twinklebug]

Not this time! See my remarks below.

Corrine good luck with your new position! You start on my birthday. I think that means you'll receive extra pixie dust for a positive beginning.

So I'm happy to report I slept! Until almost 4 am anyway. That's good for me. The noise level was not bad at all. Pretty quiet really. I did hear a cart or two roll by in the morning & the ding of the elevator bell a few times, but overall it was good. So far no noisy neighbors above or below so all is well. I still wish I had a lake view but one nice thing about this location is when I sit on the balcony I can hear the Lodge music. That's a bonus!

I was awake at 4 but dosed off & on until around 8:30. Had coffee in the room then went for a walk down the bike path to FW. Still missing the nature trail. Went to the pool around 11. A few people there but not crowded. Now that I've truly experienced it I have to say it's a really ugly pool. It's just not nice to look at. I miss Hidden Springs. But the spa was nice. Hot but not burning hot. Took me awhile to figure out how to turn on the jets. I mistook the dial for a decoration. It's quite large & wasn't full of kids! Pet peeve of mine. Although I did overhear someone say yesterday afternoon it was packed with kids so maybe the key is to go early. Spent about 90 min or so pool side then a quick shower & off to DS for lunch. I've been on a mission to try D-Luxe Burger instead of my usual spots (Homecomin', Boathouse & Morimoto is on my list of musts now too). Their burgers are really big. Regular fries. Big. Way to much food for one person. I barely ate a 1/4 of what I had although that might have had something to do with the drink I chose. The Salted Carmel Gelato shake. OMG where have you been all my life! It was so good. The food was good too, but I thought the burger could have used a little seasoning. Fries were good. I liked the chipolte ketchup dipping sauce. Tried the garlic ranch too but it was too garlicy. Good thing I'm solo! Headed to the outdoor bar at the Boathouse after that for their yummy Blueberry Lemonade & now I'm back in the room. Dinner tonight at AP. First time trying it. I figure I'm here so why not. Great dinner at Flying Fish last night. And people wonder why I like to travel solo. This is how I roll! Food, food, food, plus drinks & wine.

Day 3 almost over, I have yet to step foot in a park & I like it. I'm so relieved to see the magic of this resort has not been diminished by the construction. Still not super excited about the changes, but there is just something so special about this place. It's unlike any of the other resorts IMO. I love BCV & stay there all the time, but when I'm there I find myself at the parks every day. Being home at VWL just makes me go ahhhhhhh & not want to leave. I kind of wish now I was staying here for the full length of my stay instead of switching to BWV end of the week. But that is still a few days away so I plan to enjoy every minute of my time here while I can.

I snapped this on the way back from my walk this morning. I made me smile.

View attachment 305076

Yeah for sleep!

I'm sorry, but I was smiling/laughing a little as you described the pool. I feel the same. My opinion however does not come from someone who's relaxed in it yet though, and may be a tad tainted by the couple of older women who were yelling at me and my adult son for even looking over the gate into it. ("That gate is locked! You cannot go in!") I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing by alerting me of something I already knew ... but their execution left much to be desired and made the pain of the calm pool environment that was lost all that more tangible.

The music right off your balcony is a plus! I loved being one the first few rooms near the entrance for just that reason. Wish Disney had a channel that would play nothing but the resort's music on a loop. Their other channels are more generic Disney and Nutcracker type music from what I recall.

 

[Corinne]

Julie, the salted caramel gelato shake sounds fab! I the blueberry lemonade @ The Boathouse! Glad to hear I’ll have extra pixie dust on my first day, your bday! Looking forward to hearing more about your stay!

 

[rkstocke5609]

Not this time! See my remarks below.

Corrine good luck with your new position! You start on my birthday. I think that means you'll receive extra pixie dust for a positive beginning.

So I'm happy to report I slept! Until almost 4 am anyway. That's good for me. The noise level was not bad at all. Pretty quiet really. I did hear a cart or two roll by in the morning & the ding of the elevator bell a few times, but overall it was good. So far no noisy neighbors above or below so all is well. I still wish I had a lake view but one nice thing about this location is when I sit on the balcony I can hear the Lodge music. That's a bonus!

I was awake at 4 but dosed off & on until around 8:30. Had coffee in the room then went for a walk down the bike path to FW. Still missing the nature trail. Went to the pool around 11. A few people there but not crowded. Now that I've truly experienced it I have to say it's a really ugly pool. It's just not nice to look at. I miss Hidden Springs. But the spa was nice. Hot but not burning hot. Took me awhile to figure out how to turn on the jets. I mistook the dial for a decoration. It's quite large & wasn't full of kids! Pet peeve of mine. Although I did overhear someone say yesterday afternoon it was packed with kids so maybe the key is to go early. Spent about 90 min or so pool side then a quick shower & off to DS for lunch. I've been on a mission to try D-Luxe Burger instead of my usual spots (Homecomin', Boathouse & Morimoto is on my list of musts now too). Their burgers are really big. Regular fries. Big. Way to much food for one person. I barely ate a 1/4 of what I had although that might have had something to do with the drink I chose. The Salted Carmel Gelato shake. OMG where have you been all my life! It was so good. The food was good too, but I thought the burger could have used a little seasoning. Fries were good. I liked the chipolte ketchup dipping sauce. Tried the garlic ranch too but it was too garlicy. Good thing I'm solo! Headed to the outdoor bar at the Boathouse after that for their yummy Blueberry Lemonade & now I'm back in the room. Dinner tonight at AP. First time trying it. I figure I'm here so why not. Great dinner at Flying Fish last night. And people wonder why I like to travel solo. This is how I roll! Food, food, food, plus drinks & wine.

Day 3 almost over, I have yet to step foot in a park & I like it. I'm so relieved to see the magic of this resort has not been diminished by the construction. Still not super excited about the changes, but there is just something so special about this place. It's unlike any of the other resorts IMO. I love BCV & stay there all the time, but when I'm there I find myself at the parks every day. Being home at VWL just makes me go ahhhhhhh & not want to leave. I kind of wish now I was staying here for the full length of my stay instead of switching to BWV end of the week. But that is still a few days away so I plan to enjoy every minute of my time here while I can.

I snapped this on the way back from my walk this morning. I made me smile.

View attachment 305076

Now I am really getting excited to get “home” ! I am going to consciously make extra resort time on my upcoming trip (well, let’s face it, I will need to hide from the Easter crowds).

 

[ottawagreg]

Honey I'm home! So my room requests were high floor, lake side. Here's my view.

View attachment 304857

Hmmm, that doesn't look like upper floor or lake side! I'm on the 2nd floor. At least it's not 1st floor. I would have asked for a different room if it was. It could be a good news or bad news situation. The good news is I'm the first room in this section so no other rooms attach to my bedroom. I'm hoping that means it's nice & quiet because I've just come from 2 not very quiet rooms. The bad news might be all I'll hear is people going up & down the walkway & luggage carts rolling by. I'll report back on how it is.

Spent Fri. night at AKL club level. Made no room requests & got a savannah view studio. Yay! Not a single animal on that savannah. Boo! Room was so noisy from the open lobby. Didn't sleep well at all. The lounge was nice though.

Last night I was at the Dolphin. Another noisy room. There was a weird noise coming from outside I think. It almost sounded like the Friendship boat engines or an elevator motor. I was looking out at the boat dock but no boats were in service overnight & I was nowhere near an elevator. Sigh. It went on all night. I'm praying I have some peaceful sleep here. It stinks being a light sleeper.

Got my first look inside the gates of the new pool. What is up with that crane thingy? It's an eye sore. Pool seems nice enough but not very many chairs with shade. Hot tub looks nice. I may have to take advantage of that. Not something I normally do but this is a chill trip so I might pop down. I haven't been to a park yet. It's been very crowded with Feb. school break crowds & the marathon. I'm hoping those folks will all be gone tomorrow. I think I have AK FPs. I suppose I should check.

All in all it's very good to be home. I've missed staying here.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

Julie,

We have been down that end of the hallway, twice. we were on the very end between the two corners. The only noise I heard was next door neighbors. What I did like was using the stairway to exit. one flight down and bam you're outside. It is convenient for most any direction you want to go. Feel free to walk on the grass.

greg

 

[sleepydog25]

With the recent good news re: Corinne's new job, DVC Jen's new ride, and the pics from Horselover, I've taken to thinking about how special a place this Groupie thread has become for so many of us. In turn, that got me reflecting on all the wonderful memories from my years not only on this forum, but at Disney in general and the Lodge in particular. Naturally, that brings me to a topic of discussion which could be fun. I know many have mentioned over the years what their initial experiences at the Lodge were (and we might have done something similar before, though I'm too addle-brained to recall at this moment), so I thought perhaps it would be a proper theme to explore further: what is your first memory of the Lodge?

I'll start to kick things off. It was 14 years ago (another lifetime, really, since I had yet to meet the love of my life, Chris--but I digress), early summer in FL. My youngest was not quite four at the time (she graduates HS in early June), so dealing with a toddler in hot, humid conditions was fun. We had stayed for three days in Melbourne, FL, and though the room overlooked the beach, this particular Holiday Inn was showing its age: worn carpet, barely perceptible a/c, aging furniture/beds, and a cleaning smell so strong it assaulted you unless you opened the balcony door--which did little to help the a/c situation. In short, it was just short of miserable anytime we were in the room. After those three days, we headed over to Disney--my daughter's first ever and only my second with the first time being an Epcot only visit.

We were weary, bedraggled, and interminably hot. I had booked a room at the Wilderness Lodge and did so online. I had no clue that it was a DVC room; in fact, I had no idea there was such a thing. I had simply looked online for a cool-sounding room, but the only available suites were there or that Saratoga Resort. Something called the Wilderness Lodge was more appealing, so that's where I'd booked. As I drove up to the Lodge, of course, I was gobsmacked by the enormity of the building, surprised by its beauty, and awed by its architecture. Stepping into the lobby for the first time, I remember thinking, "wow, we struck gold!" I was almost speechless, and frankly, got all misty-eyed--this was beyond my expectations and such a stark contrast to the Holiday Inn.

After check-in, we made our way to the VWL building, and when we hit that lobby, the first thing I remember saying is, "oh my god, it's air-conditioning that works!" The room was gorgeous and, in my mind, immaculate. Did I mention the a/c worked?! I was shocked at just how beautiful everything was. It was a night and day difference between the Lodge and where we'd been before. To this day, I've never forgotten my initial foray to my beloved Lodge.

Postscript: There was a DVC booth in the VWL lobby at that time, and I would stop by just to look at the literature and speak to the salesperson. She was informative, though as they tend to be, a bit cagey about providing too much information. Wound up taking the tour and buying in a bit later--all because of how it wowed me when first I stepped foot in the door.

Just for grins, I've included a few random pictures.

I think everyone knows where this is. . .

I still miss this area. . .Luv and I first met right there. . .sigh

I am an extremely fortunate man--the love of my life (from our wedding photo shoot). . .

 

[Dizny Dad]

Sleepy - nice memories. And we are so glad the DVC Lobby has remained untouched during the last two years of construction. It would have been a serious blow to DiznyDi and my love for The Lodge. What better hideaway than the Carol Pacific Room; practically unknown to the rest of the Lodge.

 

[Corinne]

Great memories....and pics sleepy! My first memory of the Lodge, is that I could not get a reservation there for our first onsite trip in the summer of 1995!

Anyway, when we finally were able to stay there I remembered how much I loved the overall feel of the place.....especially the lobby, large and awe inspiring, yet somehow intimate.

 

[rkstocke5609]

Awesome memories! I’ll cheat a bit, and offer my 1st, 2nd & 3rd...

1st will always be the lobby in all it’s glory.

2nd was my daughter’s reaction to a room with a bunk bed!

3rd was watching my daughter do the slide at the pool with the life jacket on for two hours straight.

Bonus memory — returning to the lodge for our third trip. My wife had suffered a traumatic brain injury on New Year’s Eve and I was so emotional on this trip (only 2 1/2 months later). I honestly didn’t know if we would ever get to return after that episode.