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

[Dizny Dad]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA!!

Had lunch at BOG. It was ok. One of those things like eating in Cinderella's Castle, great experience and you do it for the atmosphere but you only really need to do it once as the food is just so-so. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Can't agree with you more. . . . . and I was disappointed in the gray stuff (at dinner). Somehow I expected it to be some kind of gray stuff, , , , , imagine that.

 

[Granny]

Had lunch at BOG. It was ok. One of those things like eating in Cinderella's Castle, great experience and you do it for the atmosphere but you only really need to do it once as the food is just so-so. Now to be fair we had lunch so we all had some type of sandwich. Also living in Philly has probably jaded me as it's really the city of awesome hoagies and cheesesteaks.

But it is a great example of what Disney does par excellence!! Theming.

I guess I'll take the dissenting view. DW & I had lunch there and thought it was a wonderful experience. The food was good (maybe my standards are lowered by general WDW fare?) and the theming/atmosphere were hands down the best of any WDW restaurant (we've never eaten in the Castle).

We are disappointed not to be able to book a lunch there for our October trip...I don't know how that site "decides" to let you book or not?

But we will definitely try for lunch in the future. I guess once the lunch gets put into the regular WDW Dining reservation site, we'll have no chance since we never go on the site exactly on the morning that we can first make reservations. No biggie!

 

[Granny]

Greg,
From my sources, (my neighbors daughter is a cm at the Contemporary) they generally do not take specific room request. Generally the problem becomes what happens if that room is not empty or what happens if a guest leaves on Tuesday but you don't arrive to Friday, they won't keep a room sitting empty for 2 days like that.
Now of course you can request it but it's better to keep the request very general, say like "close to the elevators".

Now of course all the groupies are pretty rational human beings but if you can hear the "guest gone wild" stories she tells, you can imagine their reluctance to open that can of worms.

I'll second this and not recommend the specific room number request. Even if they take the request, if it is not available then the reservation is wide open and they won't necessarily try to find "the next best one" type of room assignment.

And having witnessed a few of those "guest gone wild" scenes at various resorts, I cringe every time someone starts a thread asking about the "best room" at a place. I've seen people with lists of "approved room numbers" that they bring to check in, and even a printed-out map like Greg has in his post. Nothing wrong with that in theory except some of those folks have been quite adamant that they get assigned to one of those rooms. I've often said that the worst job at WDW is check-in as it is amazing what those CM's have to put up with.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with requests, general or specific. We make requests on many of our reservations. But if someone ends up with something completely different, hopefully they'll just roll with it.

 

[twinklebug]

I'll second this and not recommend the specific room number request. Even if they take the request, if it is not available then the reservation is wide open and they won't necessarily try to find "the next best one" type of room assignment.

And having witnessed a few of those "guest gone wild" scenes at various resorts, I cringe every time someone starts a thread asking about the "best room" at a place. I've seen people with lists of "approved room numbers" that they bring to check in, and even a printed-out map like Greg has in his post. Nothing wrong with that in theory except some of those folks have been quite adamant that they get assigned to one of those rooms. I've often said that the worst job at WDW is check-in as it is amazing what those CM's have to put up with.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with requests, general or specific. We make requests on many of our reservations. But if someone ends up with something completely different, hopefully they'll just roll with it.

Over on the AKV thread we had someone post that she basically became a thorn in the side of the front desk all day long until they gave her exactly what she wanted. She went as far as to call them liers and stated that they were holding back the good rooms for others (This all started off with what sounds like a new front desk CM asking her if she liked her room assignment. Big mistake.) Posters looking for "the best room request" started thanking her for her "tip". I cringed feeling so sorry for the front desk CMs and them encountering folk who just "know" that the good rooms are being held back from them.

While it's nice to be able to put in a request I always advise folk to never, ever count on getting it. There are days I wish Disney never started taking requests given situations such as the above. My attitude is usually that we've made it to vacation, and I'm simply happy to be able to leave the work computer at home. There will be trips we get such a great room we can't believe our luck, and there will be trips we grin and bare it.

 

[Muushka]

You guys, I've been anti-room request info here on the boards since day 1.

Yes, I have my favorite spots at the Lodge, but I won't share them in an open forum for 2 reasons.
1. My preferences may not be someone else's preference and
2. If we tell everyone where the best rooms are, they will all be gone!

We did have somewhat an irritating experience in our room location last visit. We asked for a certain side of the Lodge (not saying which!) that would include 50% of the rooms (no specific room number, no specific view and no specific area, just a certain side). They assured us that we were on that side of the Lodge. No, we were not on the correct side. I tried to get them to change it but they wouldn't budge. And we checked in at crack-thirty and told them we would happily wait for our villa. Wait we did, but not what we asked for.

 

[Corinne]

Happy Birthday Maria!!!!!! hope you are feeling well and are having a wonderful day!!

 

[DiznyDi]

Granny: BOG lunch Fastpass+ is only available 30 days out. Might be 26 days or 32 days. I start checking at 30 days out and check morning and evening until I'm able to book. There is no dinner time available for our Oct trip . Personally, I like BOG! Both dinner and lunch.

Room requests: we seldom have our requests met when staying VWL. I have been disappointed so many times..... All I want is to hear the boat horns.....
I try to keep perspective and remember that I am in WDW after all.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So we made it back home with only a slight hiccup and a few extra hours spent in Salt Lake. Re-adjusting to the real world took a couple of days though. It was a great trip! Wonderful weather, enjoyable times in the parks and at the resorts, nice dining and as has been previously mentioned a couple of great meets with other Groupies! As JT posted we managed to meet up with them for our second meet and enjoyed Alan Parsons Project in the great seats they were kind enough to save for us. So good to see you and Tammy again!

Awesome pictures Kathy! Thanks for keeping us updated. I just love AKV.

We have never stayed concierge level before. Is it worth it?

We enjoy the club level but I'd say if you really evaluate the value then most of it lays in the convenience. As is frequently mentioned the room views are probably the poorest of the DVC rooms at AKV although we do like being up under the roof overhangs where it's almost always sheltered from the weather and sun. The snacks are nice but you could do better just buying some. But for me - having an espresso machine that DH could go out to whenever he wanted was well worth the price!

Now with the Sunrise safari being offered to all DVC rooms at AKV it's lost more real "value" but we'll still stay concierge when we get the chance. Eventually we'll have to get a savannah view!

Happy Anniversary Jimmy & Tammy enjoy your solo trip!

Granny nice groupie photo!

Kat love your AKL photos! We will be there again in a few weeks. We had club level access last year, but our lollipops were not giraffes (my sister is obsessed with them) so I am going to show your photo to her. Is this your first time staying at the AKL/ Concierge? It is going to be hard to not have access to the lounge this trip. Happy Anniversary!

This was our 3rd time on the concierge level but first in a studio. As usual we were well taken care of but if I can convince DH I think our next stay there will be savannah view.

Just got back from VWL and only grill we could find was behind the bike rental. Asked at front desk several times and was told there is no grill . When I went back up to front desk to fix my magic bands, she asked if there was anything else she could do for me. I said no we found the grill, she said I have been hear since they opened and I didn't know there was one. We did get strange looks from everyone passing by. I guess they never saw people grilling at Disney. We all Loved the resort, can't wait to go back and relax.

Someone was grilling on the day we left. I could smell the lighter fluid when we were at the pool and when we walked over to FW confirmed it was going so you weren't the only person to use it in a weeks time.

Chubby Checker:

Perhaps last time I can get a picture with the MK ticket price below $100!

MK:

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Happy Birthday Maria!!!​

 

[sleepydog25]

Great pics, Kathy! Awesome camera, too, I'm guessing. I agree--last pic you'll see of prices under $100.

 

[blossomz]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA!!

 

[Corinne]

Amazing pictures Kathy! sounds (and looks) like you had a great time! I love club level, but think the savanna views are the best

Eliza I really enjoyed your photos, I have never thought the Contemporary would be for me either, but walking to the MK is pretty darn cool! Thanks to Di's tip about BoG I have a FP for lunch next week, I am eager to try it!

One week from today I will be on my way to The World. I haven't been obsessing as much as I normally do, my job has been extremely stressful lately

I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend.

 

[ottawagreg]

From my sources, (my neighbors daughter is a cm at the Contemporary) they generally do not take specific room request. Generally the problem becomes what happens if that room is not empty or what happens if a guest leaves on Tuesday but you don't arrive to Friday, they won't keep a room sitting empty for 2 days like that.[/B]

Eliza,

I agree completely with what you say. When one does the online check-in all that is allowed is general comments (i.e. handicap accessible near elevator, view of lake, etc.). I suspect it would be nearly impossible to assign a specific room number sixty days out. My question is asking at the time of check-in at the counter when talking to the CM. For example I would compliment them on how helpful they are, and say how happy I am to be there, and BTW is room 1234 available today? If so may I have that? Just knowing which room number is located where and asking for it might be beneficial.

I am stunned to hear that story about AKV and treating someone so badly. We have had some very good luck on room assignments (getting pool view when I paid for the standard room) and some not so good (farthest room from the elevators). It is crazy to become that angry. We work/wait too long and pay too much $$ to be on vacation to carry that bitterness around. The CM(s) are the ones who can save your trip when something unexpected occurs, or do something that might be helpful and make your trip more enjoyable. I am in a service business, it helps a lot when people have respect for your effort and willingness to serve.

Besides all of that. I have come to find that what goes around, comes around.

 

[ottawagreg]

Kathy,

The pic of the castle and the fireworks is most excellent. Were you on the to bridge walkway to tomorrow land when you took that. Very nice.

 

[digiMom]

Sorry for the long post. I tend to be wordy...

Hi DigiMom!

Just to answer a few of those pesky concerns: Busses run to MK and all parks, including DTD, all day (early enough to get to rope drop, character breakfasts, etc); Boats are interrupted for the pageant, but if you are lucky, the boat you are on stops on the water for an upclose view and spectacular show! Really neat!; busses at park opening and closing are always packed. Busses from the Lodge also service other resorts and Fort Wilderness, so be aware of possible extended travel times if you have ADR's.

Just wait - the Groupies will fill you in on the rest! Enjoy your adventure at the Lodge.

Hey Digimom,
I'll weigh in on the first part. so generally you won't see many critters coming close. I've seen a rabbit once or twice in the main lodge by the pool and of course the ducks but you won't have to worry about raccoons or squirrels wandering in.

WLV's imo is one of the most peaceful and quiet resorts on site. The woods are natural mufflers and the wood inside the lodge tends to damper loud noises also. In the main lodge, the sheer height of the lodge does an excellent job of dissipating noise. Generally even whispering canyons restaurant is a lower volume than what you might find else where.

Not sure if the villas actually face the pool, I thought those were the rooms to the main lodge but one of the other groupies might know for sure.

Outside of requesting first floor due to the fear of heights, I think you'll be fine.
I've had a number of rooms near the elevator with no noise issues at all. In the villas "near" the elevators can be misleading as the elevators open up into a "rotunda" type area so even the rooms near the elevators are not really next to them.

I'll see if I have some pics to give you a better idea.
E

I have stayed on the first floor and have never had any issues with critters, so I don't think that would be a concern. As far as a quiet room goes, I would request a lake view room. While you won't actually be able to see the lake (especially if you're on the first floor) it will keep you from hearing people/bell services rolling their suitcases/luggage carts over the boarded walkway on the other side of the resort. It can be quite loud at times.

digiMom,

I cannot think of a time one would want to take bus versus using the boats. We have never used the buses for MK. If you close the park down or leave after Wishes fireworks, the boat is really your only play. Even if you have to wait for a send boat it is still much better than a bus.

The smaller one has more open space than the larger boat. Either way the cool air in the evening is a nice relaxing way to come down from the castle while returning "home".

I'm at work now. I have a detailed floor plan that would show room numbers that you can use to request rooms.

You will really love the lodge.

greg

My son will only take the bus to/from the MK, stating that it's much faster and less crowded than the boats. While he's probably right, I prefer the ambiance of the boats as long as the weather's nice. Rain and cold will force me over to the buses (and it's a shorter/covered walk from the bus stop back to the villas verses the winding walkway from the boat dock to the main lodge.)

Regarding critters on the first floor: Yes, if you're one to leave your patio door open you very well can get a gecko or snake slithering in. Just don't leave it open, as they climb the buildings well and they'll enter no matter what floor you're on.

My favorite thing about the lodge, ok one of the the favorites, is taking the boat whenever we can. It just feels like vacation!

That is an excellent point regarding the covered walk. It maybe fifty feet at most until you get under the roof. I don't recall walking in the rain on the boardwalk from the dock. On the flip side though leaving the MK it is much closer to use the boat. They did a redesign on the bus terminals at MK also. I should give that a try. How many stops between the VWL and the castle?

The other day digiMom was asking about room locations and preferences. I don't know if this is of any interest to anyone, or if it is helpful. It seems to be the most detailed map of the villas I can find. I do CAD drafting and design work, so this kind of stuff draws my attention. I like to see and know details and scale...

greg

My week turned crazy and this was the first chance to check back in here. (DS had a band concert, DD had end of year best buddies party, my dog had a setback in her recovery-she started losing control of her hind quarters due to a bulging disk and we're trying to keep her on crate rest--and a website I support had a big issue that I had to address and correct...)

Wow! I was so impressed with the responses and helpfulness here. I agree that requests should be very general. The only requests I've made the last two trips at POP was 1st floor, but I actually entered that as a special needs request (due to DD's fear and my mom's needs, so we requested a roll in for those trips.) I've had some experiences though (on other trips, not DW) where I made some requests hoping to get a convenient but quiet area and wound up not getting that. (The time we were at a waterpark resort in Wisconsin Dells and had a youth group have a meeting outside our door until 2 am comes to mind. ) So, based on your suggestions I think I'll request first floor lake side.

I'll add some details about my trip here and just say that since you've been so helpful already I'm open to any suggestions you may have. Our family's doing a crazy split stay. We've only stayed at values before, so I am so, so excited I can barely contain myself. We're coming in on August 16th and staying 3 nights at BWV. We'll be hanging around that area, Epcot, and HS during this part of our trip. We will have PH tickets, so plan on completely immersing ourselves here.

Then we're staying 2 nights at VWL. I've been worried that this won't be enough time, but I figured it's really 3 days. I really want to enjoy staying here as much as possible. We tend to overload at MK and hope to be able to come and go as needed. I've also always wanted to visit FW and have never made it. So the general plan is leave on Tues morning and head over to MK. I still haven't decided if we'll take the direct route and take the bus, or take our leisurely time through Epcot and monorails. I probably will decide the morning of depending on timing and energy level . Sometime after 3 or 4 we'll check in at VWL, relax and enjoy the resort. Some things I'd like to do is tour the lodge, have dinner, swim, enjoy the beach, maybe see a movie, and watch the electrical water pageant. Wed will be a full MK day. We'll break and swim in the middle of the day.

Thurs after checkout we'll visit FW and maybe MK depending on if we've got some attractions we missed. We'll move on to DTD and DQ before checking into AKV Jambo for 3 nights. (I realize we'll be on the 5th floor here. We got a standard view and I think we'll spend a lot of time with the curtains drawn ) This part of our trip is loosely scheduled and will be more laid back than the previous 6 days. Obviously we'll visit AK. We'll also go to TL and maybe PH to other parks in the evenings depending on how we feel at the time.

I know this seems like a lot of moving around. But I've had this crazy idea for over 2 years and am really looking forward to compartmentalizing our trip like this and experience these resorts. My kids are older, so this trip will really be the last one where my kids are kids, if you know what I mean. (We survived a trip last summer, though, to NY state to visit family. We moved 3 times in the same 8 nights with 3-5 hours of car travel in between, so I think we'll be fine..)

Thanks for taking the time to read and any thoughts you may have that will help in my planning.. So excited...

 

[sleepydog25]

Sorry for the long post. I tend to be wordy...

Wow! I was so impressed with the responses and helpfulness here.

I'll add some details about my trip here and just say that since you've been so helpful already I'm open to any suggestions you may have. Our family's doing a crazy split stay. We've only stayed at values before, so I am so, so excited I can barely contain myself. We're coming in on August 16th and staying 3 nights at BWV. We'll be hanging around that area, Epcot, and HS during this part of our trip. We will have PH tickets, so plan on completely immersing ourselves here.

Then we're staying 2 nights at VWL. I've been worried that this won't be enough time, but I figured it's really 3 days. I really want to enjoy staying here as much as possible. We tend to overload at MK and hope to be able to come and go as needed. I've also always wanted to visit FW and have never made it. So the general plan is leave on Tues morning and head over to MK. I still haven't decided if we'll take the direct route and take the bus, or take our leisurely time through Epcot and monorails. I probably will decide the morning of depending on timing and energy level . Sometime after 3 or 4 we'll check in at VWL, relax and enjoy the resort. Some things I'd like to do is tour the lodge, have dinner, swim, enjoy the beach, maybe see a movie, and watch the electrical water pageant. Wed will be a full MK day. We'll break and swim in the middle of the day.

Thurs after checkout we'll visit FW and maybe MK depending on if we've got some attractions we missed. We'll move on to DTD and DQ before checking into AKV Jambo for 3 nights. (I realize we'll be on the 5th floor here. We got a standard view and I think we'll spend a lot of time with the curtains drawn ) This part of our trip is loosely scheduled and will be more laid back than the previous 6 days. Obviously we'll visit AK. We'll also go to TL and maybe PH to other parks in the evenings depending on how we feel at the time.

I know this seems like a lot of moving around. But I've had this crazy idea for over 2 years and am really looking forward to compartmentalizing our trip like this and experience these resorts. My kids are older, so this trip will really be the last one where my kids are kids, if you know what I mean. (We survived a trip last summer, though, to NY state to visit family. We moved 3 times in the same 8 nights with 3-5 hours of car travel in between, so I think we'll be fine..)

Thanks for taking the time to read and any thoughts you may have that will help in my planning.. So excited...

Yep, that's a crazy plan, indeed! However, it sounds like a boatload of fun, too. My only other suggestion would be to make your checkout day from VWL the day you hit FW and take in the Trail's End buffet breakfast. You can walk over (right at a mile one-way, but it doesn't seem that far) and back to work off the breakfast, and I think you'll find the buffet to be perhaps the best value in terms of food for $$ that you'll find at WDW. You can explore FW while there. Enjoy!

P.S. We do like to proclaim ourselves the friendliest, most helpful bunch on the DIS. Glad we could help you!

 

[Granny]

My only other suggestion would be to make your checkout day from VWL the day you hit FW and take in the Trail's End buffet breakfast. You can walk over (right at a mile one-way, but it doesn't seem that far) and back to work off the breakfast, and I think you'll find the buffet to be perhaps the best value in terms of food for $$ that you'll find at WDW. You can explore FW while there. Enjoy!

As Sleepy indicates, it is a lovely walk between VWL and FW and we have seen deer and other wildlife along the way over the years. If your group's energy level isn't up for that walk, you can take the boat over...there's a boat that bounces between FW, WL and CR all day long. Enjoy the trip!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Great pics, Kathy! Awesome camera, too, I'm guessing. I agree--last pic you'll see of prices under $100.

Thanks Sleepy! I had my Sony NEX 5n and my Sony RX100 (which is a point and shoot) along this trip. Oh - and my phone/camera. The pictures I posted yesterday were with the NEX which really is a small but awesome camera.

Amazing pictures Kathy! sounds (and looks) like you had a great time!

Thanks Corinne! Lucky you to be heading there in a week!!

Kathy,

The pic of the castle and the fireworks is most excellent. Were you on the to bridge walkway to tomorrow land when you took that. Very nice.

Thanks! That was taken from the lawn in the rose garden which is the FP viewing area for Wishes so a very similar angle to what you get from the walkway bridge to tomorrowland but a little closer to the castle.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Kathy's back too! Love your photos. Thanks so much for posting. Now that you're home, have any other thoughts about the re-furb?
My number 1 complaint would have to be the poor quality of the materials used in the covering of the pull-out and the chair. The 'tweed' type material had pulls/holes in both pieces in our room. And this is new. I just don't see it holding up. Rather disappointing.

Hi Di! Sorry I took so long but I've been thinking about the refurb and how I really feel about it. In the end I guess it's a more disappointing than exciting but there are some nice things about it. The overall design basics are ok if rather generic. But attention to details rather lacking (in the DVC resort that I otherwise think had the most attention to details ) and quality of some materials and the workmanship was rather poor - I absolutely agree on the couch material. Oh - and it's hard as a rock! Definitely don't want to just plop down on it. Our couch didn't have the snags and holes but the material was twisting and showing stretching on one of the cushions. One of the first things that stood out and definitely a worry knowing that they don't replace those very often.

I know that a lot of people won't scrutinize too close and won't notice some of the things that really stand out to me after having done a few renovations on homes over the years and trying to incorporate new into older places. I guess I just expect better from Disney and their history of attention to the smallest details. I still think they shopped at Lowes for the refurb although DH thought I was giving too much credit.

I'll post some pictures from our room and more details once I get the pics better organized.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thank you SO MUCH from my lovely Groupie friends for the warm birthday wishes and pics! Thanks Jimmytammy, Muushka, Granny, Twokats, DiznyDi, DiznyDad, Sleepydog, Horselover, Corinne, Kat4Disney & blossomz

It means so much you all thought of me on my birthday. The antibiotics kicked in about 3-4 days ago and I have been feeling a lot better (though still not 100%). Your kindness touched me on DIS and Facebook