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

Twinklebug...sorry to hear of your loss. It's hard to get used to things like opening the door and not hearing the scurrying of paws on the floor. Best wishes that you are soon only left with fond memories and that the sadness can pass.
 
Perhaps waitlist both a second studio and a 1BR at VWL? And check the website - you might also be able to get individual days and then have MS link them together.Good luck!

Thanks Kathy! I actually called MS yesterday and have two waitlist requests, a 1br at VWL and standard 1br at BWV.

Corinne....hoping your waitlist comes through!!!! F&W and most of December are really tough times to secure DVC. We have SSR for Nov 2-6. Cannot find a DVC room anywhere....any size.....for Sat Nov 1. Fingers crossed for both our waitlists!!!!

OK Maria, pixiedust: for both of us!!:)
 
This one is near and dear to my heart(our DS)
Happy Birthday CaptainD!!!!
 

Did you guys read all about the new villas they are planning at our Lodge????!!!

DVC News has the latest. They will be converting some hotel rooms to the sleep 5 villa studios and ...."Borrowing another page from the Polynesian playbook, the expanded Wilderness Lodge DVC will also feature prestigious bungalow-style accommodations. Keeping with the wilderness theme, Disney plans to build stand-alone cabins along the beach bordering Bay Lake. The cabins will sleep 8-9 guests and feature high end amenities like a private fire pit and hot tub."

COOL!!:cool1:
 
Wishing CaptainD a very Happy Birthday!

Enjoy your special day!
 
Did you guys read all about the new villas they are planning at our Lodge????!!!

DVC News has the latest. They will be converting some hotel rooms to the sleep 5 villa studios and ...."Borrowing another page from the Polynesian playbook, the expanded Wilderness Lodge DVC will also feature prestigious bungalow-style accommodations. Keeping with the wilderness theme, Disney plans to build stand-alone cabins along the beach bordering Bay Lake. The cabins will sleep 8-9 guests and feature high end amenities like a private fire pit and hot tub."

COOL!!:cool1:

Hey Blossom! :wave:


It does make for an interesting rumor...I don't think Disney has officially announced anything, have they?

The subject was brought up about a month or so on these boards as well as this thread. Overall, most people seemed to think it is not a feasible rumor but who knows. :confused3

One challenge would be the additional points created to sell additional villas. What price would they be? Right now VWL points are selling direct from Disney at a price certainly lower than they would charge for new VWL points, I think.

Also, what would the expiration date be? Hard to believe they'd sell 50 year points with the rest of VWL expiring at 2042? Of course, they already have one resort (OKW) with multiple expiration dates so maybe that doesn't dissuade Disney.

I think we all agreed that if they put some Concierge Level DVC we'd like to give it a try.

And personally (though I don't know that I'd ever book one) I think if they did this they should add some 3BR Grand Villas in the conversion.

Interesting grist for the mill! :)
 
blossomz
Thats interesting news, I have been following along with rumors that have been circulating over the last few weeks. I have always thought it would be nice for VWL to add to the wings that are there now, but I believe we have discussed this as not feasible, not enough land to do so.

After staying at Poly back in May in Concierge, I agree with Granny, would love to see WL convert some unused rooms to Villas and create some at concierge level:thumbsup2
 
Really interesting blossomz! Having run over to DVC News it certainly sounds like more than a rumor! Exciting news! 2017 projection.......stay tuned!
 
Thank you all for the thoughts regarding the passing of our little fur baby Gizmo. They are truly appreciated, I know you all understand - she was my first and she lived a good long 18 years, but that doesn't make it easier to let them go.
 
I'm enjoying all the rumors revolving around expansion to the lodge and know Disney won't ruin what we already love.

The concept of having cabins on the lake is far more appealing, and feasible, than the first reported teepees built over water -- who's the hair-brained person who thought that was a credible rumor to start up? :rotfl2: Cabins could work nicely and be out of the way (over by the rental boats dock?)

I doubt the part about the personal fire pit is true. Disney truly frowns upon fire pits that are not run by cast members. Over in the campground they did away with all fireplaces decades ago (I have vague memories of a fireplace there from when I was 6) and now only the per-installed or personal grills are permitted. Someone is still tossing their own spin on these "designs".

It will be fun to watch this evolve. I'm all for more availability at the lodge around the holidays, and grand villas or cabins would be welcome additions for those who have the points to work with. It will be interesting to see how much more capacity would be added to the lodge overall. Not sensing much of a change, which would be good. Don't need longer lines at the boat docks or an even harder time finding a lounge chair at the pool.
 
Do not take away my nature trail! At this point, since there are no cold, hard facts about this possibility, I will set my eyebrows askew until further notice. However, to repeat my first sentence: do not take away my nature trail. :headache:
 
Do not take away my nature trail! At this point, since there are no cold, hard facts about this possibility, I will set my eyebrows askew until further notice. However, to repeat my first sentence: do not take away my nature trail. :headache:

I hate to admit it, but in all these years I've never been on that part of the trail!
Would it be possible to add cabins between it and the water, or is the trail right along the edge of the lake?
 
I hate to admit it, but in all these years I've never been on that part of the trail!
Would it be possible to add cabins between it and the water, or is the trail right along the edge of the lake?
I don't think there would be any room left for the trail if cabins were added. Now, they could always push that portion of the trail back closer to the current Villas, I suppose, but my guess is the current path would go away to make room for any sort of construction and a cement (or possibly wooden plank) walkway would lead to these new units. The trail always has been more of an afterthought as it primarily exists as a road by which CMs travel by golf carts to and from FW. Still, it's relatively untouched and unspoiled, and I would hate to lose that aspect of my home away from home. . .should all these rumors become founded.
 
This is the article from DVCNews that blossomz mentioned. Sounds very appealing. Like AKL, hope some of these become concierge:goodvibes

With construction well under way at Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, let's take a look at the next several Disney Vacation Club projects currently earmarked for Walt Disney World Resort.



Disney's Wilderness Lodge & Villas

Several weeks back, reports emerged that the next Disney Vacation Club project may be conversion of hotel rooms to villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Additional sources have since confirmed this project, along with some new details on the plans.

In recent years, occupancy has dropped off significantly at Disney's Deluxe resorts. The causes are numerous: the economy, Disney's ever-increasing prices, frequent Deluxe resort guests buying into Disney Vacation Club. Whatever the reason, Disney's Wilderness Lodge has been hit particularly hard with occupancy occasionally sinking to just 40-50% of its 728 rooms.

Disney has repeatedly used Disney Vacation Club to address occupancy problems at its resorts. Two floors at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House were converted from hotel rooms to DVC villas. Approximately 250 rooms in the North Garden Wing at Disney's Contemporary Resort were demolished to make way for Bay Lake Tower. Perhaps most famously, every single guest room at the resort formerly known as The Disney Institute was bulldozed to make way for Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

Disney will continue this trend by converting hotel rooms at the Wilderness Lodge to DVC villas. The exact number of rooms to be converted is not known, but expect it to be significant. Several hundred rooms will remain available to cash guests but expect more to become villas.

The exact layout of the converted villas is not known at this time. Disney executives may wait to decide until after they get feedback on the Polynesian villas. As previously reported by Steve "Tikiman" Seifert, converted Polynesian villas will not feature any of the familiar One or Two Bedroom setups. The three converted longhouses appear to be entirely Deluxe Studio villas, likely with expanded bathing facilities similar to the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and a sleeping capacity of 5 guests.

Demand for Deluxe Studio villas often exceeds availability at current DVC properties. Previous design philosophy has lead Disney to build roughly equal numbers of Studios, One Bedroom villas and Two Bedroom villas over the last decade. However, the lower nightly cost of a Studio combined with modest needs of owners--many of whom are buying DVC after frequenting traditional hotel rooms--have lead to shortages in that room category.

With the Wilderness Lodge already home to more than 100 One and Two Bedroom villas, it would come as no surprise if the hotel rooms were all converted to Studios rather than the more elaborate approach taken with Jambo House.

Borrowing another page from the Polynesian playbook, the expanded Wilderness Lodge DVC will also feature prestigious bungalow-style accommodations. Keeping with the wilderness theme, Disney plans to build stand-alone cabins along the beach bordering Bay Lake. The cabins will sleep 8-9 guests and feature high end amenities like a private fire pit and hot tub.

A new or expanded pool facility is being planned for the resort, possibly including a lazy river.

Disney Vacation Club's target date for opening of the new Wilderness Lodge villas is 2017, but the relative simplicity of converting existing rooms (compared to new construction) leaves this date somewhat fluid. The exact timeline could be shortened or lengthened by several months depending upon response to the Polynesian.

Assuming this endeavour succeeds at the Wilderness Lodge, expect Disney's Beach Club and/or Disney's Yacht Club to follow with a similar project. There is some internal debate at Disney as to exactly what would occur at the Yacht and Beach Club resorts. By mid-2015, Disney's Yacht Club will be the only Walt Disney World Deluxe property with no Disney Vacation Club presence. Some are pushing to keep Yacht Club DVC-free due to resort convention business and other factors.

Regardless of its final makeup, Disney will find a way to bring more villas to the popular Epcot resorts area.

Still in the mix is the proposd new construction at Disney's Fort WIlderness Resort. This facility was literally weeks away from a scheduled groundbreaking when Disney decision-makers shifted focus to the Polynesian villas. The project is still on Disney's radar with a tentative construction start in 2018 and 2-3 year completion timeframe.

Finally, rumors of Disney Vacation Club eyeing Disney's Moderate-class resorts are true...but it would most likely not be a "Moderate DVC."

In the past, DVC has looked into the possibility of placing villas at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. With an elaborate feature pool, multiple dining options and convention facilities, Coronado Springs is arguably the most upscale of the Disney Moderates.

But the resort currently receving the most attention is Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Caribbean Beach would not be a "Moderate DVC" in that no current guest rooms would be sold as timeshare villas. While some argue that a lower-priced "Moderate DVC" would make the program more accessible to budget-conscious owners, expect DVC to continue pursuing the Deluxe pricing model as long as they have buyers.

The plan designers are currently pursuing involves completely demolishing three or four of the resort's six "islands"--at least half of the resort--and building a DVC villa tower. The proposed design could see a DVC villa building up to 7 stories tall at Caribbean Beach.

As part of the Caribbean Beach Resort redesign, one source indicates that Disney is considering extension of neighboring waterways to provide boat service between Caribbean Beach and the Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios theme parks.

Some rebranding of the resort may even occur if Disney feels the need to distance itself from that "Moderate" label associated with the Caribbean Beach Resort name.

Keep in mind the above projects are all on the proverbial drawing board and are subject to change--particularly projects which are at least 5+ years down the road. Changes in executive leadership, changes in the economy and a variety of other factors can have an immediate impact on capital improvements of this scale.

With the Polynesian Villas less than a year away from completion, expect to see some activity on the Wilderness Lodge hotel conversion soon. We will continue to update other rumors as new details emerge.
 















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