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

[bobbiwoz]

^ So happy to hear of your vaccine successes!

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Corrine, no, I hadn’t heard about travel restrictions to FL. Please tell more? We are to leave home late next week.

Well, ok, now I found some articles on the Internet. I don’t think it will happen.

Oh geez. I'll have to look this up.

 

[Corinne]

Hi Groupies,

Have they changed the booking process on the DVC site? I have two contracts, the only option is to choose which contract to use 1st and 2nd. The problem is, I have 2020 UE points with each contract, I do not want to use 2021 UE points. I thought during the booking process we could select the actual point distribution?

 

[Granny]

Hi Groupies,

Have they changed the booking process on the DVC site? I have two contracts, the only option is to choose which contract to use 1st and 2nd. The problem is, I have 2020 UE points with each contract, I do not want to use 2021 UE points. I thought during the booking process we could select the actual point distribution?

Hey Corinne...are your contracts all under one master contract? Or are they two separate contracts? I don't know how DVC reservations work if they are both under one contract. We have two contracts and they are not under the same master number since they have separate UYs. In our case, we have to book part of the stay with one contract, and then the rest of the stay with the other. We then call MS to link the reservations so we don't have to move mid-stay.

Sorry I can't advise how it works with two contracts under a single master contract. Good luck!

 

[Corinne]

Hi Granny!
Thank you for your reply. I actually have no idea but since this is the first time I have heard the term master contract, I am fairly certain this is not our situation. We have a smaller contract we bought as an add on years after our initial purchase, all VWL Dec UY.

i feel so dumb we’ve only been DVC members for 20 years!!!

 

[Corinne]

PS.....trying to speak with member services is challenging!

 

[Granny]

Hi Granny!
Thank you for your reply. I actually have no idea but since this is the first time I have heard the term master contract, I am fairly certain this is not our situation. We have a smaller contract we bought as an add on years after our initial purchase, all VWL Dec UY.

i feel so dumb we’ve only been DVC members for 20 years!!!

If you did an add-on through Disney, then all (both) of your contracts will be under the same master contract number with different suffixes...at least that's how I understand it to work. As I said, we have two completely different contracts so we can't book anything with both of them at the same time.

It sounds like you used to be able to book and the program would automatically use the oldest points first, and choose from both contracts? That's pretty cool. I'm sure they didn't mean to remove that functionality in the programming, so it's most likely a temporary glitch. Calling MS would seem to be the right thing to do.

PS.....trying to speak with member services is challenging!

I have had about 20-30 minute waits on hold for MS the last few times I called. Painful, but for some things it is still necessary. Here's hoping you got through and set up your reservation from the points you wanted to use.

 

[Corinne]

The wait time is 50 minutes....same as earlier today

 

[twinklebug]

Chapek was quoted as saying we can expect face masks and social distancing to continue through 2021, but will be gone by 2022.
Is anyone else reading this to mean "no shows, no fireworks, no anything that causes people to crowd up"?

And if that's the case, will the 50th celebration (10/1/21) be pushed off into 2022? I can't imagine them doing it without a giant set of fireworks and shows with celebrities.

 

[Corinne]

Chapek was quoted as saying we can expect face masks and social distancing to continue through 2021, but will be gone by 2022.
Is anyone else reading this to mean "no shows, no fireworks, no anything that causes people to crowd up"?

And if that's the case, will the 50th celebration (10/1/21) be pushed off into 2022? I can't imagine them doing it without a giant set of fireworks and shows with celebrities.

I do not have an issue with the mask protocol, and would probably continue to wear them even after they are no longer required if I felt safer. but that is an interesting question you pose!

 

[Corinne]

 

[Corinne]

OK, Groupies, I now have a better understanding of my points! (I am sure you are all so relieved!)

I misinterpreted our total points for our 2020 UY, and only need to use the 2019 points I had banked - a much more manageable amount. So I booked our (what used to be annual) September stay! I can bank our 2020 allotment.

PS Granny, we do, in fact have a master contract, but you probably already knew that haha!

 

[jimmytammy]

Hi Granny!
Thank you for your reply. I actually have no idea but since this is the first time I have heard the term master contract, I am fairly certain this is not our situation. We have a smaller contract we bought as an add on years after our initial purchase, all VWL Dec UY.

i feel so dumb we’ve only been DVC members for 20 years!!!

Corinne,
I think you are just in a circumstance that is unusual at this moment. I too find myself thinking why cant I figure this out, after all these years. Thats the great thing about having a group like this who doesn't judge, but rather helps. I tend to turn here 1st before I branch out to ask in other places where DVC is concerned. Not dumb at all, just asking questions about an unusual circumstance

 

[jimmytammy]

Happy Valentines Day!!!

 

[TT4Dis]

I am spending this rainy Sunday obsessively studying room views for CC and BRV. I moved our March Kidani reservation to June at CC/BRV. We have previously done 1 night in a BRV studio so I'm very excited about really getting to enjoy Wilderness Lodge for an extended period of time!

 

[jimmytammy]

I am spending this rainy Sunday obsessively studying room views for CC and BRV. I moved our March Kidani reservation to June at CC/BRV. We have previously done 1 night in a BRV studio so I'm very excited about really getting to enjoy Wilderness Lodge for an extended period of time!

Welcome to the Groupies TT4Dis!!!
I cant say you could go wrong with either view, or either resort. I am partial to VWL(BRV)myself for obvious reasons, as a owner and as a groupie. But CCV has its great points too. Our family spent one night in a GV in CCV and it was awesome. With that said, I still love the decor at VWL better, but it is tiring a bit from use. If this matters, CCV may be a better fit.
For general woods views, VWL cant be beat. And lake views are possible, but iffy. KAT4DISNEY can share her experience on the ever so elusive lake views Right, Kathy?

Since you have only been one night in WL, you have a lot to look forward to on an extended stay! Even after all these years, our family still enjoys taking in the little ambiances, suttle as they may be, that makes up a small part of the Love of the Lodge.

Obviously, and I'm sure you have already experienced this, but still to this day puts me in awe, is the entrance to the main Lodge. Those sliding doors lead us to a bygone era in the Westward Ho feel. Looking up high into the rafters, at the massive totem poles, the massive fireplace and all the little intricate details, make up a wow factor for me, every time I hit those doors!

And listen for the crickets chirping as the lanterns flicker along the walkways. One of the most distinctive yet often overlooked(or underheard if there is such a word)things that make up the dynamic majesty of the place as a whole, at least for me, is the faint Western like music playing in the background. It really takes me aback to the era intended, makes me feel like I just stepped foot into The Magnificent Seven movie(Yul Brynner version)or looking for Clint Eastwood to step from behind a log support

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Welcome to the Groupies TT4Dis!!!
I cant say you could go wrong with either view, or either resort. I am partial to VWL(BRV)myself for obvious reasons, as a owner and as a groupie. But CCV has its great points too. Our family spent one night in a GV in CCV and it was awesome. With that said, I still love the decor at VWL better, but it is tiring a bit from use. If this matters, CCV may be a better fit.
For general woods views, VWL cant be beat. And lake views are possible, but iffy. KAT4DISNEY can share her experience on the ever so elusive lake views Right, Kathy?

Since you have only been one night in WL, you have a lot to look forward to on an extended stay! Even after all these years, our family still enjoys taking in the little ambiances, suttle as they may be, that makes up a small part of the Love of the Lodge.

Obviously, and I'm sure you have already experienced this, but still to this day puts me in awe, is the entrance to the main Lodge. Those sliding doors lead us to a bygone era in the Westward Ho feel. Looking up high into the rafters, at the massive totem poles, the massive fireplace and all the little intricate details, make up a wow factor for me, every time I hit those doors!

And listen for the crickets chirping as the lanterns flicker along the walkways. One of the most distinctive yet often overlooked(or underheard if there is such a word)things that make up the dynamic majesty of the place as a whole, at least for me, is the faint Western like music playing in the background. It really takes me aback to the era intended, makes me feel like I just stepped foot into The Magnificent Seven movie(Yul Brynner version)or looking for Clint Eastwood to step from behind a log support

JT you do a great job at describing the Lodge and making me more excited for my trip.

 

[TT4Dis]

Welcome to the Groupies TT4Dis!!!
I cant say you could go wrong with either view, or either resort. I am partial to VWL(BRV)myself for obvious reasons, as a owner and as a groupie. But CCV has its great points too. Our family spent one night in a GV in CCV and it was awesome. With that said, I still love the decor at VWL better, but it is tiring a bit from use. If this matters, CCV may be a better fit.
For general woods views, VWL cant be beat. And lake views are possible, but iffy. KAT4DISNEY can share her experience on the ever so elusive lake views Right, Kathy?

Since you have only been one night in WL, you have a lot to look forward to on an extended stay! Even after all these years, our family still enjoys taking in the little ambiances, suttle as they may be, that makes up a small part of the Love of the Lodge.

Obviously, and I'm sure you have already experienced this, but still to this day puts me in awe, is the entrance to the main Lodge. Those sliding doors lead us to a bygone era in the Westward Ho feel. Looking up high into the rafters, at the massive totem poles, the massive fireplace and all the little intricate details, make up a wow factor for me, every time I hit those doors!

And listen for the crickets chirping as the lanterns flicker along the walkways. One of the most distinctive yet often overlooked(or underheard if there is such a word)things that make up the dynamic majesty of the place as a whole, at least for me, is the faint Western like music playing in the background. It really takes me aback to the era intended, makes me feel like I just stepped foot into The Magnificent Seven movie(Yul Brynner version)or looking for Clint Eastwood to step from behind a log support

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I just checked availability and have switched us to a 1 bedroom at Copper Creek so we can stay in the main building. I’m just so excited to get to experience all the resort has to offer and I know my son is going to love the pool and splash pad!

 

[jimmytammy]

TT4Dis
Either way, I think you have made a great choice! We here are sort of partial to all things Lodgy

 

[Kay7979]

Hi! I checked in over on the Copper Creek thread, but after spending a couple pleasant hours reading this thread, I thought I'd bookmark this one, too.

My husband and I are definitely Lodge lovers. Any time we visit Disney, we take the boat over and have a meal or just walk the grounds, sit in a nook, and enjoy views of the lobby and the grounds. We live in a house in the woods that has rustic elements including a big stone fireplace (no where near as big as the Lodge, though, lol), and we have chairs like the ones in the lobby. Actually, I think Disney replaced their Stickley chairs with a similar off-brand version, but I digress. We love the ambiance at the Lodge and all the marvelous details, large and small. When they were building VWL we thought about buying, but we already had three timeshares, including one in Orlando, so it wasn't practical. We do love DVC resorts, though, and have exchanged into one bedrooms at BWV, HHI, OKW, SSR, and also exchanged into a studio at BCV, and spent one night at BLT in a theme park view one bedroom. Every stay was memorable.

We have an upcoming timeshare trade in May at Ormond Beach, and I tacked on a Wed-Friday stay at CCV. It will be a resort only stay, no parks. When I booked it, I didn't realize the rest of the Lodge was still shut down! We're looking forward to less guests while we explore the resort. Last time we visited, GP had just opened. I think the cabins were under construction, so we haven't seen the completed buildings.

I'm actually more excited over our brief stay at CCV than I am about our ocean front condo at Ormond Beach. Both will be great, but there's just something so awe-inspiring about the Lodge!