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

[Minnie_Moo]

Long time reader here... My daughter is 33 and lives a 12-hour drive away from me in North Carolina. I have found that as long as her dad and I are willing to continue to foot the costs, she is happy to join us on Disney vacations and, more recently, on a mother/daughter Disney cruise and Epcot Flower & Garden Festival visit! My daughter's husband is not (yet) a Disney World convert, but he really enjoyed spending time at the Hilton Head DVC.

So, I just wanted to assure horselover that there is hope for future Disney vacation adventures with adult children!!!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Oh, Gosh, doesn't this start a collection of posts on the thread where we all get together and cry. Yes, families grow up; although we can all admit there are times we thought they never would.

My parents dropped me off 700+ miles from home at college. As they left the parking lot, tears in my eyes (homesickness strikes fast!), I turned, looked at the double glass doors on the dorm, and forced myself to go thru them, telling myself my future was on the other side of the doors. So when DiznyDi and I took our DD to college, I knew what I had to do. She stood looking at us, with time running out for her to attend a meeting across the campus. With past knowledge in hand, and tears in my eyes, I told her to turn, start walking the other direction toward her meeting, and not to look back, that her future was around the corner of the next building. She did as I said, and DiznyDi and I watched our little family of four change forever.

OK, next guys, who's next, let's hear it . . .

 

[Dizny Dad]

BTW, Julie, love the picture and the story behind it . . .

 

[Granny]

Long time reader here... My daughter is 33 and lives a 12-hour drive away from me in North Carolina. I have found that as long as her dad and I are willing to continue to foot the costs, she is happy to join us on Disney vacations and, more recently, on a mother/daughter Disney cruise and Epcot Flower & Garden Festival visit! My daughter's husband is not (yet) a Disney World convert, but he really enjoyed spending time at the Hilton Head DVC.

So, I just wanted to assure horselover that there is hope for future Disney vacation adventures with adult children!!!

Hi Minnie Moo!! Thanks for joining in, and WELCOME!!

My daughters are mid-20's and are happy to continue to join us on Disney vacations. But the shoe is on the other foot now, as their jobs keep them from joining us very often. Sounds like I used to be while they were growing up. I'm waiting for them to have children so I can take the grandkids to WDW...parents optional!

 

[Kathymford]

Yeah, it will sneak up on you!



Gee, sounds like a baited question that I should take the fifth on . . . . and let each decide the answer for themselves.

Kathy . . . I am indeed blest that the company I have been with for 30 yrs has a culture to change quickly, accept new ideas, and appreciate new opportunities. I was once the new young kid running around and grabbing onto the new technologies, now I'm the old guy in management that most of the staff knows nothing about and has no idea who I am: just sitting in the corporate Hot Tub, so to speak!

I work in one of those industries that is only changing culture now because it has to (need to hire a ton to support new programs). So I scoff when they talk about change. I know it will happen, but it won't be fast. And what's hilarious to me is, it's the leaders right under our president who are resisting change the most! *sigh*

I don't have kids, so listening to all of you reminisce about your kids is awesome for me. I DO have about 10 nieces and nephews who are now starting to have kids. One in particular I am very close to and can imagine being just like this. Everyone loves a crazy great aunt, right? LOL

 

[circhead]

Everyone loves a crazy great aunt, right? LOL

My sister is a crazy great aunt to my grandchildren. I love her and so do they.
Aunt Fran spoils them even worse than grandma.

Hi Minnie Moo!! Thanks for joining in, and WELCOME!!

My daughters are mid-20's and are happy to continue to join us on Disney vacations. But the shoe is on the other foot now, as their jobs keep them from joining us very often. Sounds like I used to be while they were growing up. I'm waiting for them to have children so I can take the grandkids to WDW...parents optional!

I take my daughter with me and her kids(she's the only one with children so far - grandchild #3 arrives in July so both of my girls will have girls). Her older daughter(7) has Downs syndrome and can be a little unpredictable, If she sees something she wants she takes off like a bat out of he--, so I find it difficult to have them in the parks alone. In the resort pools they're great.
One night every trip I put the girls in babysitting at the Poly (they love it) and she and I head to Epcot for late evenings - we eat our way around WS.
Our own private food & wine and a chance to reconnect with her.

 

[rkstocke5609]

You know it feels like yesterday that I did this with my kids - 1 boy 2 girls.
My son will be 30 next month. Don't know how it happened or where the time went.

The last time he was home, before he got married, as he was leaving I had that inevitable (for me) tear in my eye.
He told me, "Never again will there be enough time to spend together and do nothing".

Enjoy it while it lasts - once they're done with high school it's the blink of an eye before they're gone.

OMG, I am tearing up reading this and my daughter is just getting ready to turn 10!
I sure am glad I have all these photo pass books that my wife makes after each trip.

And, it make me think how special it was last Friday at VGC to dip into CA EMH and do TSM twice and CS four times with her. Very special time with my daughter while we let mom sleep in.

 

[jimmytammy]

Enjoying reading and relating to stories about our families.

Our DS21 still goes with us to WDW and cant wait for the next trip every time. Our DD23 is now married, that was a tough day for Daddy. I love our DSIL like he is my own, he is a great guy, but she will always be my little girl. DD started skipping trips to WDW a few years ago, but she still enjoys going from time to time. She and her DH will be going with us in Dec, his 1st trip to WDW and cant wait to share the magic with him. DS is working full time with our company, DD helps PT with the admin. stuff so it has made for a good fit. We have always been a close family, and hope to always be that way. I have basically good health(any problems I have have been self induced)and have a great family, God has blessed me richly because of these things.

I have to share this as it ties to WL/VWL. Our 2nd time being Flag Family, my mom and dad were with us. The kids were maybe 12 and 10 and just shy of their teen years, so still very influential. I had met Ranger Stan once before doing FF so had a small relationship going with him, and he remembered us from the 1st FF venture. After the 2nd FF day was over and he was signing a certificate for us to commemorate the event, he looked at our kids with an intentness I had never seen before, and he proceeded to share with them this..."you see these folks here(pointing at Tammy myself, my mom and dad), these will be the best friends you will ever have in your life"
I tear up as I write this, as I think thats the 1st time it hit me, this Ranger Stan is one special guy. And too this day, my kids still remember that. I think too that was the day that I formed a bond with a friend for life in Stan.

 

[sleepydog25]

Long time reader here... My daughter is 33 and lives a 12-hour drive away from me in North Carolina. I have found that as long as her dad and I are willing to continue to foot the costs, she is happy to join us on Disney vacations and, more recently, on a mother/daughter Disney cruise and Epcot Flower & Garden Festival visit! My daughter's husband is not (yet) a Disney World convert, but he really enjoyed spending time at the Hilton Head DVC.

So, I just wanted to assure horselover that there is hope for future Disney vacation adventures with adult children!!!

A hearty welcome to Minnie Moo! We hope you continue to join in our conversations. Though it's not a teary moment, I will relate that two summers ago when we took my youngest to Disney, we surprised her by staying at BLT so she could have her own bathroom (being a teen and all). We had a great trip, and she loved the convenience of the bathroom and the pool (she met a boy). What I recall most, howeve, is that once we were home, I asked what she thought of BLT overall. Her answer, "It was very nice, and I loved the bathroom. But, I like the Lodge more--it's home." Spoken like a true Groupie!

 

[Dizny Dad]

. . . . . . . that was the day that I formed a bond with a friend for life in Stan.

Thanks Jimmy. We miss him, too.

 

[Dizny Dad]

OK . . a continuing old question . . . With the addition of the new RFID stickers to make the soda machines work, will the Wilderness Lodge "Life Time Refill" mugs sold a number of years ago still be allowed, or was the "Life Time" the life of the guy that no longer works there? Just a thought . . .

 

[twinklebug]

Stopping in to give two thumbs up to Disney support for replacing a faulty bone china mug I had received as a gift from my son for my birthday back in December. It had come from the Tea Caddy in the UK pavilion. This morning, a small UPS express delivery truck arrived and tucked the plain brown box into a corner of my front porch. The only indication of whom had sent it was a return label of "Merchandise Guest Services". I unwrapped it, forgetting all about Disney's offer to replace the mug, and was greeted by beautiful Disney World logo tissue paper containing an extremely well and familiarly-wrapped mug (it had come direct from the Tea Caddy store in EPCOT!) For a brief moment I felt like I was sitting back in Rose and Crown with my kids again. Mickey is still one of the best when it comes to product support, never fear reaching out to them.

 

[rkstocke5609]

Just saw a picture of what looks like the framing of the new beach structure (thought to be restaurant) over on dvcnews -- thread titled "villas at wilderness lodge unit 1558" or something like that -- like the 4th or 5th post on thread. Looks to have a very high roof line!! There are three pictures attached to this post.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Just saw a picture of what looks like the framing of the new beach structure (thought to be restaurant) over on dvcnews -- thread titled "villas at wilderness lodge unit 1558" or something like that -- like the 4th or 5th post on thread. Looks to have a very high roof line!! There are three pictures attached to this post.

Do you have a link?

Found it: http://dvcnews.com/forum/showthread.php?15246-Villas-at-Wilderness-Lodge-studio-1558

 

[rkstocke5609]

Do you have a link?

Found it: http://dvcnews.com/forum/showthread.php?15246-Villas-at-Wilderness-Lodge-studio-1558

Yep, of course you have to register with DVC News to open the pictures.....kinda why I registered here, to see the pictures! But then to, this thread is a very special place that I enjoy following!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Yep, of course you have to register with DVC News to open the pictures.....kinda why I registered here, to see the pictures! But then to, this thread is a very special place that I enjoy following!

Nice find! I'm still puzzling over the building. I know many were hoping they might plan a nice restaurant with a big deck but best I can tell it seems like a small, almost snack place like location. Kind of like what they put up over at the Poly quiet pool or VGF quiet pool.

 

[Granny]

OK . . a continuing old question . . . With the addition of the new RFID stickers to make the soda machines work, will the Wilderness Lodge "Life Time Refill" mugs sold a number of years ago still be allowed, or was the "Life Time" the life of the guy that no longer works there? Just a thought . . .

DDad...I hear you. We have our "lifetime" mugs too. But they haven't made it on a trip with us for a while now. I'm sure we did get our money's worth, but I really do wish we had a picture of the sign from Roaring Fork talking about how the mugs would be good "for life". As you point out, the lawyers at Disney found the loophole and claim "we didn't say WHO's life!". Oh, they get a big kick out of that one at the water cooler in the legal department!

 

[rkstocke5609]

Nice find! I'm still puzzling over the building. I know many were hoping they might plan a nice restaurant with a big deck but best I can tell it seems like a small, almost snack place like location. Kind of like what they put up over at the Poly quiet pool or VGF quiet pool.

Yeah, it doesn't look like I think we were speculating, which then puts in question the scale of the buildings in the diagram we were seeing early on -- looks like more mysteries to uncover!

 

[horselover]

Who knew my little post about DS getting his permit would start all this reminiscing!

Long time reader here... My daughter is 33 and lives a 12-hour drive away from me in North Carolina. I have found that as long as her dad and I are willing to continue to foot the costs, she is happy to join us on Disney vacations and, more recently, on a mother/daughter Disney cruise and Epcot Flower & Garden Festival visit! My daughter's husband is not (yet) a Disney World convert, but he really enjoyed spending time at the Hilton Head DVC.

So, I just wanted to assure horselover that there is hope for future Disney vacation adventures with adult children!!!

Thanks Minnie_Moo & officially to the groupies!

Oh, Gosh, doesn't this start a collection of posts on the thread where we all get together and cry. Yes, families grow up; although we can all admit there are times we thought they never would.

My parents dropped me off 700+ miles from home at college. As they left the parking lot, tears in my eyes (homesickness strikes fast!), I turned, looked at the double glass doors on the dorm, and forced myself to go thru them, telling myself my future was on the other side of the doors. So when DiznyDi and I took our DD to college, I knew what I had to do. She stood looking at us, with time running out for her to attend a meeting across the campus. With past knowledge in hand, and tears in my eyes, I told her to turn, start walking the other direction toward her meeting, and not to look back, that her future was around the corner of the next building. She did as I said, and DiznyDi and I watched our little family of four change forever.

OK, next guys, who's next, let's hear it . . .

I'm having a hard time with the thought of 2 drivers. Lets not get me crying about college yet! That will be coming next year.

BTW, Julie, love the picture and the story behind it . . .

Thanks Dad!

I work in one of those industries that is only changing culture now because it has to (need to hire a ton to support new programs). So I scoff when they talk about change. I know it will happen, but it won't be fast. And what's hilarious to me is, it's the leaders right under our president who are resisting change the most! *sigh*

I don't have kids, so listening to all of you reminisce about your kids is awesome for me. I DO have about 10 nieces and nephews who are now starting to have kids. One in particular I am very close to and can imagine being just like this. Everyone loves a crazy great aunt, right? LOL

I'm a crazy aunt too! My nieces are like the daughters I didn't have. Love them to pieces. We're very close. Being an aunt is the best. All the reward & non of the grief!

Today's the day. First driving lesson for DS16. Wish us luck! I'll post a pic later. And that reminds me I never did post my F&G trip pics. I'll post some of those too.

 

[sleepydog25]

Yeah, it doesn't look like I think we were speculating, which then puts in question the scale of the buildings in the diagram we were seeing early on -- looks like more mysteries to uncover!

More mysteries, indeed. I don't believe that will be the final, lone building on the beach. Then again, we really don't know, do we?