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

[jade1]

Well they kept (or added I can't remember) the fire pit.

 

[Granny]

Granny, you did a great job of assembling our previous threads. Thanks!
I thinks there's another:

We're Baaaaack!! **The WLV's groupies & Trivia Thread chapter 3
Discussion in 'DVC-Mousecellaneous' started by eliza61, Jan 2, 2009

How do I get a link? Either I've not had enough coffee yet this AM, or I just simply can't find it.

Hi Di!

I thought I had missed one. Here's that link.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/were-baaaaack-the-wlvs-groupies-trivia-thread-chapter-3.2045682/

Sleepy...this one is dated January 2, 2009 so you know where it fits in. Thanks!

 

[Granny]

Jade...thanks for the detective work and great photos! And I don't remember a fire pit...but that could just be my faulty memory. I hope there are more trees put in than the last picture shows (along the mural wall). I assume the ones down by the lake will be taken out when they build the cabins. Unless they want to build the cabins behind them to preserve some feel for the theming of the resort? That would be nice! Or at least nicer than taking them all out.

 

[twinklebug]

Well they kept (or added I can't remember) the fire pit.

Thank you for the images Jade!
Looks like they did keep the fire pit and are adding a second. I didn't realize marshmallow roasting was that popular. They had added a second pit to Fort Wilderness eons ago to reduce crowding around the fires.
What's nice about this image in particular, is it is the very first sign of them adding anything back after razing the land and pool. Hope to see more small steps soon.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thank you for the images Jade!
Looks like did keep the fire pit and they're adding a second. I didn't realize marshmallow roasting was that popular. They had added a second pit to Fort Wilderness eons ago to reduce crowding around the fires.
What's nice about this image in particular, is it is the very first sign of them adding anything back after razing the land and pool. Hope to see more small steps soon.

I've had a marshmallow or 2 around that firepit. But never did I see a need for two. That's very surprising!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Just to bring our thread above the fold . . .

Adult admission to Disney World when it opened in 1971 was $3.50 . . . geeze . . . .

 

[Flossbolna]

Not a dumb question at all. I think this is about the 7th reincarnation of this thread, which is now in its 10th year of consecutive running! Later this year we will have to have a 10 year anniversary party here on the DISBoards.

Most of the other DVC Resort Lovers threads are still on their original thread but this one by far has had the most posts over the years. What can we say, we're a passionate bunch!

That, plus we ended up creating a community whereas the other resort threads tend to be more factual information about the resort in question.

But I decided to try to find links to all the other threads. Here's the ones I found. Maybe there are more?

November 22, 2006 http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-vwl-groupies-trivia-thread.1283264/

April 17, 2008 http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-vwl-groupies-trivia-thread-chapter-2.1795696/

June 18, 2010 http://ww.disboards.com/threads/vwl-lovers-groupies-thread-it-all-started-with-a-moose.2490642/

May 5, 2011 http://xn--www-6o0a.disboards.com/t...hread-meese-ka-mice-ka-moose-kateers.2714808/

April 10, 2012 http://www.disboards.com/threads/vwl-groupies-yes-we-love-the-lodge.2907923/

October 22, 2012 http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-vwl-groupies-and-lovers-thread-it-started-with-a-moose.3011752/ [This one really doesn't count...it was a mistake as the moderators didn't notice that we had shut down an older thread]

March 5, 2013 http://www.disboards.com/threads/vwl-groupies-yes-we-love-the-lodge-a-lot.3075564/

Thanks für the history!! I think I will have fun checking out these old threads!! And since you mentioned the 10 year anniversary of the thread, I had a look at how long I have been around on the DIS and I found out that my membership with the DIS is also nearing its 10 year anniversary!

To further elaborate on Flossy's question, for some reason still as yet unfathomable, I was invited to start the current iteration of the Groupies page as we neared the shelf life of the one prior (which as explained was capped at 250 pages). I had huge shoes to fill and opted to come up with the Special Edition title just as something unique to set us apart from other threads. As noted, some form of this page has been going for nearly a decade, about the length of time I've been using the DIS Boards, and never had or have I encountered such a genuinely caring, friendly, helpful, and non-judgmental on any forum anywhere. I can honestly say that this group has become like family to me even though I've met only a handful of them in person. Much like the Lodge itself, I find our thread to be a respite from the harsh realities of life, a welcoming embrace such as you get at grandma's house.

Granny, if it's alright with you, I'll copy the wonderful work you've done and find a spot on Page 1 where all who stumble upon us (as well as those who've been around awhile) can explore a bit of our history.

Ha! I like my new nickname! Fun story about my username - I am actually a bit embarassed by it. I am from Germany and English is a second language for me. So, when I picked my username I chose a combination of the town I grew up in, Floss, and the name of our first family dog, Bolna. Some time later I realised that Floss actually has a meaning in English. So, in case anyone thinks my username indicates that I am very much into dental hygiene and flossing my teeth - that is not the reason behind the name!!!

And I can tell from visiting here just for such a short time, that this seems to be definitely a really welcoming thread!

I saw that Granny mentioned something about making the links pretty and I am good at this, so here they are as "pretty links":

November 22, 2006 The VWL Groupies & Trivia Thread

April 17, 2008 ***The VWL Groupies & Trivia Thread*** Chapter 2!

June 18, 2010 VWL Lovers & Groupies thread: It all started with a Moose

May 5, 2011 VWL Lovers & Groupies Thread: Meese-ka, Mice-ka MOOSE-kateers

April 10, 2012 VWL Groupies...yes, we love the Lodge!!

October 22, 2012 The VWL Groupies and Lovers Thread-It started with a MOOSE [This one really doesn't count...it was a mistake as the moderators didn't notice that we had shut down an older thread]

March 5, 2013 VWL Groupies...yes, we love the Lodge, a lot!!

I think it should work to just copy and paste these and the links should stay pretty!

 

[Dizny Dad]

. . . . . . . . . . Fun story about my username - . . . . . . . . .

Wow, Floss, But I detect another cute idea for general mumbling between our concerns for The Lodge construction, points charts, and the like.

DiznyDi's and my usernames are our car license plate numbers. Just in our little town in Ohio, it isn't hard to find a number of others running around in vehicles using Disney type plates, so we joined in the vanity plate thing right after we joined DVC in 2006. It has been fun, but does sometimes make me feel the guy behind me is thinking "that guy again" (or worse), especially when in their mind I have made some type of perceived driving error (probably most of the time). I have also been know to yell across a parking lot "Hey Disney" when I see someone with a Disney type vanity plate getting out of their car. The Darth Vader Antenna Topper on my all black Ford Edge is cool, too. Just reinforces the idea that I'm obviously "touched", so be careful.

 

[Granny]

Just to bring our thread above the fold . . .

Adult admission to Disney World when it opened in 1971 was $3.50 . . . geeze . . . .

DDad...Oh man! Even adjusted for inflation I think that would be quite a deal! Of course, how many of us would be happy today with the number and quality of attractions they had in 1971?

Ha! I like my new nickname! Fun story about my username - I am actually a bit embarassed by it. I am from Germany and English is a second language for me. So, when I picked my username I chose a combination of the town I grew up in, Floss, and the name of our first family dog, Bolna. Some time later I realised that Floss actually has a meaning in English. So, in case anyone thinks my username indicates that I am very much into dental hygiene and flossing my teeth - that is not the reason behind the name!!!

And I can tell from visiting here just for such a short time, that this seems to be definitely a really welcoming thread!

Flossy...thanks for cleaning up the links. I used to be able to do that but somehow I couldn't figure it out again. And I'm always amazed at how proficient people can become in a second language. You are very welcome here, as long as you enjoy the ambiance of WL and VWL as much as we do.

Wow, Floss, But I detect another cute idea for general mumbling between our concerns for The Lodge construction, points charts, and the like.

DiznyDi's and my usernames are our car license plate numbers. Just in our little town in Ohio, it isn't hard to find a number of others running around in vehicles using Disney type plates, so we joined in the vanity plate thing right after we joined DVC in 2006. It has been fun, but does sometimes make me feel the guy behind me is thinking "that guy again" (or worse), especially when in their mind I have made some type of perceived driving error (probably most of the time). I have also been know to yell across a parking lot "Hey Disney" when I see someone with a Disney type vanity plate getting out of their car. The Darth Vader Antenna Topper on my all black Ford Edge is cool, too. Just reinforces the idea that I'm obviously "touched", so be careful.

DDad...I used to have a vanity plate VWL-BWV for our two homes. But it only really meant something to me and my wife. And when I explained it to others I got the old eye roll far too often. So we didn't renew them. I'm liking the Darth Vader antenna topper but I agree it works better on the black vehicle than my white one. And we are all "touched"...or else we wouldn't be here!

 

[sleepydog25]

I love the idea of talking about how we got our screen names. Luv's is easy, as it's a shortened form of her real screen name, luvvwl. Mine requires a little more explanation. I lived in Alaska for four years, and much like Washington, coffee/espresso kiosks abound there. One very rustic shop sat just a couple of miles from my house in the town of Eagle River (just outside Anchorage). I could run, bike, or of course, drive there. On the front porch, you could usually find a large, white, friendly lab lolling about. He might even follow you into the shop. The roasted their own beans, make their own pastries. It was and still is a cool place to hang out. Oh, and it's called Sleepydog Coffee Company. The 25 is there because some other person(s) had just "sleepydog." As long as we're talking license plates, however, we are Disneyfied as well: I have DVC VWL while Luv has VWL DVC. Few know what that means, especially around here, but once we get close to Disney, we figure a lot more people can figure it out.

Finally, I have edited PAGE 1 to include the past Groupie Threads. Please drop by and read at your leisure!

 

[Granny]

I think I have mentioned this, but Granny is a nickname I've had all my life. It is a derivative of my last name so I used it on these boards because I wanted to ask a question and they required a user name. I didn't really think about it so I just went with my nickname. Because I started on the DISBoards in 2001, the simple name "Granny" was available and I grabbed it.

 

[twokats]

For those that know us, my screen name is self explanatory. My name is Kathy, my sweet daughter is Kati, hence the twokats!!
I hope all the groupies have had a very good week. We have had rain all week, hope for a break tomorrow. Have a great weekend.

 

[wildernessDad]

Let's see. wildernessDad. Hmm, how did I choose that name. Well, because I love Wilderness Lodge and I wanted a family sort of name.

 

[Granny]

Finally, I have edited PAGE 1 to include the past Groupie Threads. Please drop by and read at your leisure!

I just took a look and you did a great job! But you did make me miss the bison & geese topiaries, as well as Mickey of course.

I wasn't aware that this version of the thread is just over two years old. Way to go Groupies!!!

 

[ottawagreg]

Hello everyone. I have been away for a long time again. We have been getting crushed at work and I don't seem to ever take time to contribute. I do look at the thread a couple times a week to see if there is any news, however I don't know what the conversation has been lately. When I saw the various threads I was quite surprised at the history here. It has been a blessing to have found my way here and made some acquaintances, and perhaps even a friend or two. It appears you are explaining your screen names. My first name is Greg and I live in my home town, Ottawa, so I called myself ottawgreg. I would never get a job with the mouse as an imagineer.

It is Saturday evening. My wife daughter are shopping for prom dresses, and some badly needed new spring/summer clothes. My task for tonight is to finish our taxes. How depressing, but we are to rejoice in all things, so I will focus on the happy thought of being in OKW next Saturday night. So there are seven sleeps until we fly. Three nights at OKW and one night at the Lodge. My daughter is touring with the high school band to WDW. Tthey are going to spend on morning in a studio recording session doing disney songs to animation with one the CM musical conductor types. I have no clue. They perform at the waterside stage at the disney springs the next day. So it should be fun. I'm going to try to squeeze a couple of rounds of golf in, but that may be too much.

Olivia's Cafe, Yak n Yeti in AK park, 50's Prime Time are on the list. We have one open night yet. The night we stay at the villas. Sleepy, I did catch your review of AP several days ago. Perhaps I should see if there are any tables available. But they made me very angry the last time and I still harbor some resentment. Well I have a few more days to think on it. I will try to stop by once before we go. Hope all are well.

Corinne, I still think of your father from time to time. I hope he is doing better.

 

[horselover]

Good morning groupies! Took me awhile to read back. You've been chatty! That's what I get for leaving & going to WDW!

Had a really fun time on my trip. Met up with a group of clients returning from a cruise. Sadly I wasn't able to go on the cruise but it was great seeing almost all of the group at Disney post cruise. I also brought a friend along this trip. She's been to Disney before back a long time ago. It was both fun & exhausting being a tour guide. I realize now how much I am not used to doing Disney at that pace anymore. We were also staying at 3 different resorts on our stay so that didn't really help. It was good for her though to get to see what different resorts have to offer. The weather was phenomenal. Probably the best weather I've ever had during a March trip. Unfortunately I am now sick. I think the pace of the trip caught up to me that & my friend thought she might be coming down with something towards the end of the trip. She was kind enough to share it with me. We didn't make it over to the Lodge. Just too much to do in too short an amount of time. Hoping things are looking a lot better there in Oct then they were in Dec.

All the previous talk of when we might see rooms open has been interesting to read. I'm of the opinion we won't see anything being open to book for this year but who knows. Kathy is right that empty rooms make no money. Time will tell. I'm still fully expecting lots of construction to be going on in Dec. Just the way it is right now.

Thanks for the new pictures Jade!

Welcome back to dry land JT! Hope you all had a wonderful cruise. Sorry we didn't get a chance to connect this time.

I'll do better keeping up now that I'm home. No trips on the horizon until Aug. so I'll have time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Welcome back Julie! Sounds like a crazy, fun trip!!!

 

[rkstocke5609]

Screen name......really boring. First & middle initial, last name & street #. This way, it is normally available wherever I go, and I only need to maintain a spreadsheet for the various passwords...

I am headed to VGC for the first time two weeks from today. Anything I shouldn't miss? We will be there for 5 nights. I haven't been to Disneyland in 43 years so, basically we have no reflexes like we would after so many trips to Orlando. We are mentally preparing for the return of rope drop / commando as we gave that up in Florida a while back.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Wow - a return after 43 years rkstocke! What changes you'll see!!!! There are early entry mornings for both DL and DCA. If you don't get to Radiator Springs right away make a stop for a FP - although AFAIK the FP's won't open during the early entry. So if you get there right away for that you can do the ride and then get off and get FP's for later. Let's see - Toy Story has no FP's but doesn't get the crazy lines like WDW either. CA Screamin is a pretty good coaster. Lots of little differences in DL rides compared to WDW so it's fun to check them out and compare - Pirates, IASW, SM, HM, Indy (instead of Dinosaur), Tarzan's Treehouse (instead of Swiss Family which I prefer). And then you have quite a few attractions that aren't at WDW - Mr Toad, Storybook Canal, Casey Jr Circus Train, Alice in Wonderland (a nice little dark ride), Nemo Subs (if you ever did 20,000 leagues you'll know it's not worth a long wait IMO), Matterhorn, Roger Rabbit, Snow White and the monorail is actually an attraction, not just transportation.

FP's don't have the same demand as WDW either. RSR is popular but most others you can get fairly easily into the day. And even if you go commando it's easy to take a break with a short walk back to VGC or to go between the 2 parks. Dining is pretty much a breeze.

Have fun!

 

[rkstocke5609]

Wow - a return after 43 years rkstocke! What changes you'll see!!!! There are early entry mornings for both DL and DCA. If you don't get to Radiator Springs right away make a stop for a FP - although AFAIK the FP's won't open during the early entry. So if you get there right away for that you can do the ride and then get off and get FP's for later. Let's see - Toy Story has no FP's but doesn't get the crazy lines like WDW either. CA Screamin is a pretty good coaster. Lots of little differences in DL rides compared to WDW so it's fun to check them out and compare - Pirates, IASW, SM, HM, Indy (instead of Dinosaur), Tarzan's Treehouse (instead of Swiss Family which I prefer). And then you have quite a few attractions that aren't at WDW - Mr Toad, Storybook Canal, Casey Jr Circus Train, Alice in Wonderland (a nice little dark ride), Nemo Subs (if you ever did 20,000 leagues you'll know it's not worth a long wait IMO), Matterhorn, Roger Rabbit, Snow White and the monorail is actually an attraction, not just transportation.

FP's don't have the same demand as WDW either. RSR is popular but most others you can get fairly easily into the day. And even if you go commando it's easy to take a break with a short walk back to VGC or to go between the 2 parks. Dining is pretty much a breeze.

Have fun!

Thanks so much for the tips. When I was 8, my folks took me but about all I remember was the 20,000 Leagues and a trip to Knotts Berry Farm and getting sick on something called "Montezuma's Revenge" I think it was called. Haven't returned to California in all that time but DVC gave me an excuse. My wife wait listed this trip at the 7 month mark and it came through about 2 months ago. When I researched the VGC I didn't really think we would ever get to go based on its small size. Anyways, my wife needs to have her gall bladder out but refused to cancel this trip and scheduled the surgery for the week we get back. So, we are watching the diet and she has been doing great so hopefully all goes well. She just wouldn't cancel this because she was so shocked the Waitlist came through. And, we are excited to see it as we have been to Crater Lake, El Tovar, & Oregon Caves Natl. Mon. All of which have lodges...know wonder we love VWL.

Trivia- so, US 41 goes from Key West to Copper Harbor, MI . But few people know that the depression jobs program that built many of the great national park lodges includes a project in Copper Harbor with a 9 hole golf course carved out of the woods. BTW, the best fall colors anywhere are between Houghton and Copper Harbor. Caused by the wet climate and short summers of Michigan's UP where snowfall is routinely over 200 inches.