VWL....positives and negatives???

[shelleym]

Hi All!
Can someone please give me the positives and negatives of this resort?
Also, any recommendations on any other DVC resorts??
Thank you all so much and thanks for the advice on my post yesterday.
I'm still confused!!

Shelley

 

[kitkatsnindylou]

Positive boat to MK, bus access out the front door of the villa's. Tranquil setting. Nice quiet pool. Some pepole say it is done in dark colors so to some this could be a negative. Some rooms are a hike from the elevator. But to me not as far as some at boardwalk. This is a great resort esp if you will be spending time at the MK. If you will be spending more time over at Epcot or MGM you may want to consider boardwalk or BCV.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I prefer a tropical feel and think that the rooms are dark, especially around the vanity area in the studio.

We loved the boat ride to Fort Wilderness to have breakfast at the Trail's End Buffeteria.

The lobby takes your breath away when you enter.

You san request to be the Flag Family and go on top of the building and see ALL of Disney World.

One of the most fun places to eat, Whispering Canyon Cafe, is right in the lobby.

 

[tamu91]

Here are some of my positives -
* wooded surroundings - it's one of the smaller resorts and tucked away in a piney forecast so it's a nice change of pace after a long day at the parks
* restaurants- Artist Point and Whispering Canyon Cafe are both great places to eat.
* MK is short 5 min. bus ride away or ride the boat. Fun for the kids.
* lobby - WOW factor

Here are few negatives -
* Disney transporation to any other attractions other than MK
* The main pool seems to be packed all the time but we enjoy the quiet pool so this is more like an observation
* if you don't valet, a hike to the parking lot especially during peak season when you have to park wayyyyyyyyy in the back.

If you normally rent a car, transporation will not be an issue for you. If you want to enjoy the Epcot resorts, consider BWV or BCV.

 

[WDWLVR]

The positives for me:

Boat ride to Magic Kingdom
Able to see Electrical Light Pagent from the beach
Fun resturant onsite

The negatives for me:

The decor is too dark for my taste
The villas seem too far from the lodge itself
Couldn't sit out on our patio due to snakes
CM's didn't seem as friendly as at other DVC resorts we've stayed at



My personal favorite is Boardwalk which is our home. All DVC resorts have positives and negatives. Glad you are asking for both to help make your decision. Especially since one persons negative may be a positive for you.

 

[mom2alix]

The positives for me:

Boat ride to Magic Kingdom
Able to see Electrical Light Pagent from the beach
Fun resturant onsite

The negatives for me:

The decor is too dark for my taste
The villas seem too far from the lodge itself
Couldn't sit out on our patio due to snakes
CM's didn't seem as friendly as at other DVC resorts we've stayed at



My personal favorite is Boardwalk which is our home. All DVC resorts have positives and negatives. Glad you are asking for both to help make your decision. Especially since one persons negative may be a positive for you.

SNAKES? Are you serious? I think I'll have to add a request to my ressie to be on an upper floor. EEEK!!

 

[JohnNJ]

Have you thought about the time of year you will most likey travel? That coupled with your resort likes and dislikes will kind of point you in the right direction.

 

[sleepydog25]

POSITIVES
1) Quiet oasis. There is nothing I like more than kicking back and relaxing after rubbing elbows with thousands of my closest friends in a theme park. VWL is perfect for that feeling.
2) Hidden Springs Pool. You can have the large, loud, overly crowded pools. I like mine to be tucked away and for me and my DD4 to enjoy each other without bumping into scores of other folks.
3) Hidden Springs Hot Springs Spa. Or whatever the large jacuzzi-like pool is called. Never crowded, either.
4) Theming. Others have said they don't care for the more primary colors (dark red and dark green abound), but I find them soothing. Then again, I lived in Alaska for four years. To each his own.
5) Artist Point. Great upscale restaurant with a very good wine list.
6) The lobby. Even the most jaded traveler would have to admit the lobby is nearly worth the price of admission alone. It's unforgettable.
7) Boat ride to MK. A pleasant way to go see Mickey and friends.
8) Transportation. Personally, we've never had any issues with the buses from VWL to any of the parks. Yes, you might have to wait 15-20 minutes if you just missed a bus, but in the overall waiting scheme at WDW, that's not bad. Our typical wait has been more like 10-15 minutes.
9) Roaring Forks Grill. Hey, it's just a counter service, fast food/cafeteria type place but it's close to the main pool, to the lobby, and actually has fresher tasting food than does Whispering Canyon (more on that in a moment).
10) The music. Piped in classical music by Aaron Copland and from numerous western movies. It's inspiring and really sets the mood.
11) The geyser. Pretty cool.
12) The trail to Ft Wilderness. It's actually more of a sidewalk, but is useful for running, biking, or walking. I have to run on vacations, too, so it made finding a route easy.
13) Sturdy Branches Fitness Center. For those who prefer to do their workouts indoors.
14) The second lobby. Located in the Villas proper, it doesn't have any true reception/check-in area, but it great for sitting back and rocking, talking, reading a book, playing chess/checkers, or just talking. P.S. Not sure why anyone would think the Villas are so far from the main lobby--it's really just a short walk along a covered boardwalk. . .maybe 45 seconds from the main lobby's side door to Villas' lobby door.
15) Did I mention the quiet atmosphere and ambience? You'll know you're still at WDW, but the din and noise are a notch below other places. Some folks call that boring which I respect, but we call it home.

NEGATIVES: I can only think of one, and it's truly not a negative. We don't care for WCC, and we've tried it twice. The food is only okay, and our experience both times was severely uninspired and lacking. It's supposed to be a really fun place, and we did observe some of that, but despite our best efforts, we could never engage our servers in the banter for which WCC is noted. Add to that very slow and forgetful service both times, and we came to the conclusion it wasn't worth the effort to eat there. Now, many posters will disagree with this assessment, and to be honest, I usually tell folks to try it out for themselves. Whereas, I might not list WCC as a negative (we chose to go there), I certainly can't offer it as a positive. Have fun deciding!

 

[JimC]

Positves for us:

Small resort, wonderful theming, peaceful, great restaurants at Lodge. On lake so boating is available. Close to Ft Wilderness (great walking trails between the two). Close to MK (boat ride).

Negatives for us:

Decor is a bit dark (very minor).
We don't own there (yet!).

 

[gjw007]

POSITIVES
1) Quiet oasis. There is nothing I like more than kicking back and relaxing after rubbing elbows with thousands of my closest friends in a theme park. VWL is perfect for that feeling.
2) Hidden Springs Pool. You can have the large, loud, overly crowded pools. I like mine to be tucked away and for me and my DD4 to enjoy each other without bumping into scores of other folks.
3) Hidden Springs Hot Springs Spa. Or whatever the large jacuzzi-like pool is called. Never crowded, either.
4) Theming. Others have said they don't care for the more primary colors (dark red and dark green abound), but I find them soothing. Then again, I lived in Alaska for four years. To each his own.
5) Artist Point. Great upscale restaurant with a very good wine list.
6) The lobby. Even the most jaded traveler would have to admit the lobby is nearly worth the price of admission alone. It's unforgettable.
7) Boat ride to MK. A pleasant way to go see Mickey and friends.
8) Transportation. Personally, we've never had any issues with the buses from VWL to any of the parks. Yes, you might have to wait 15-20 minutes if you just missed a bus, but in the overall waiting scheme at WDW, that's not bad. Our typical wait has been more like 10-15 minutes.
9) Roaring Forks Grill. Hey, it's just a counter service, fast food/cafeteria type place but it's close to the main pool, to the lobby, and actually has fresher tasting food than does Whispering Canyon (more on that in a moment).
10) The music. Piped in classical music by Aaron Copland and from numerous western movies. It's inspiring and really sets the mood.
11) The geyser. Pretty cool.
12) The trail to Ft Wilderness. It's actually more of a sidewalk, but is useful for running, biking, or walking. I have to run on vacations, too, so it made finding a route easy.
13) Sturdy Branches Fitness Center. For those who prefer to do their workouts indoors.
14) The second lobby. Located in the Villas proper, it doesn't have any true reception/check-in area, but it great for sitting back and rocking, talking, reading a book, playing chess/checkers, or just talking. P.S. Not sure why anyone would think the Villas are so far from the main lobby--it's really just a short walk along a covered boardwalk. . .maybe 45 seconds from the main lobby's side door to Villas' lobby door.
15) Did I mention the quiet atmosphere and ambience? You'll know you're still at WDW, but the din and noise are a notch below other places. Some folks call that boring which I respect, but we call it home.

NEGATIVES: I can only think of one, and it's truly not a negative. We don't care for WCC, and we've tried it twice. The food is only okay, and our experience both times was severely uninspired and lacking. It's supposed to be a really fun place, and we did observe some of that, but despite our best efforts, we could never engage our servers in the banter for which WCC is noted. Add to that very slow and forgetful service both times, and we came to the conclusion it wasn't worth the effort to eat there. Now, many posters will disagree with this assessment, and to be honest, I usually tell folks to try it out for themselves. Whereas, I might not list WCC as a negative (we chose to go there), I certainly can't offer it as a positive. Have fun deciding!

Thanks for the list, I will staying at VWL in December and I'm looking forward to it. I've noticed a number of people stating that the colors are too dark, but like you, I grew up in more outdoors environment (Northern Minnesota, North Dakota) and have enjoyed an outdoors theme. I've also spent four years in Northern Greenland, a much more harsh environment.

I look forward to hearing additional comments. I've gotten use to staying condos for vacation so the long trek down hallways doesn't sound appealing to me. I don't feel the need normally for valet parking but it sounds like I may end up using it here. I will have a car so driving back-and-forth to the parks is not an issue as it seems from the comments that transportation other than MK may be problematic.

 

[twotoohappy]

positives: quiet, smaller resort, close to MK, WCC, Lobby, wildlife

negatives: main pool packed, dumpster view

 

[Muushka]

POSITIVES
1) Quiet oasis. There is nothing I like more than kicking back and relaxing after rubbing elbows with thousands of my closest friends in a theme park. VWL is perfect for that feeling.
2) Hidden Springs Pool. You can have the large, loud, overly crowded pools. I like mine to be tucked away and for me and my DD4 to enjoy each other without bumping into scores of other folks.
3) Hidden Springs Hot Springs Spa. Or whatever the large jacuzzi-like pool is called. Never crowded, either.
4) Theming. Others have said they don't care for the more primary colors (dark red and dark green abound), but I find them soothing. Then again, I lived in Alaska for four years. To each his own.
5) Artist Point. Great upscale restaurant with a very good wine list.
6) The lobby. Even the most jaded traveler would have to admit the lobby is nearly worth the price of admission alone. It's unforgettable.
7) Boat ride to MK. A pleasant way to go see Mickey and friends.
8) Transportation. Personally, we've never had any issues with the buses from VWL to any of the parks. Yes, you might have to wait 15-20 minutes if you just missed a bus, but in the overall waiting scheme at WDW, that's not bad. Our typical wait has been more like 10-15 minutes.
9) Roaring Forks Grill. Hey, it's just a counter service, fast food/cafeteria type place but it's close to the main pool, to the lobby, and actually has fresher tasting food than does Whispering Canyon (more on that in a moment).
10) The music. Piped in classical music by Aaron Copland and from numerous western movies. It's inspiring and really sets the mood.
11) The geyser. Pretty cool.
12) The trail to Ft Wilderness. It's actually more of a sidewalk, but is useful for running, biking, or walking. I have to run on vacations, too, so it made finding a route easy.
13) Sturdy Branches Fitness Center. For those who prefer to do their workouts indoors.
14) The second lobby. Located in the Villas proper, it doesn't have any true reception/check-in area, but it great for sitting back and rocking, talking, reading a book, playing chess/checkers, or just talking. P.S. Not sure why anyone would think the Villas are so far from the main lobby--it's really just a short walk along a covered boardwalk. . .maybe 45 seconds from the main lobby's side door to Villas' lobby door.
15) Did I mention the quiet atmosphere and ambience? You'll know you're still at WDW, but the din and noise are a notch below other places. Some folks call that boring which I respect, but we call it home.

NEGATIVES: I can only think of one, and it's truly not a negative. We don't care for WCC, and we've tried it twice. The food is only okay, and our experience both times was severely uninspired and lacking. It's supposed to be a really fun place, and we did observe some of that, but despite our best efforts, we could never engage our servers in the banter for which WCC is noted. Add to that very slow and forgetful service both times, and we came to the conclusion it wasn't worth the effort to eat there. Now, many posters will disagree with this assessment, and to be honest, I usually tell folks to try it out for themselves. Whereas, I might not list WCC as a negative (we chose to go there), I certainly can't offer it as a positive. Have fun deciding!

Sleepy-that was a fabulous list! We need to save it for when others ask 'Why VWL?' Can I copy and paste it into Word? (and add just two things):

1. the smell and sounds. I love the smell of WL and the cricket sounds
2. The drive to WL- when you take the Magic Kingdom Resort exit.
I just love that.

 

[Kadorto]

negatives: only one..and its not really a negative....the smell of bacon and eggs in the morning...always end up ordering more food than I can eat for breakfast....kinda like going to the grocery when you're hungry...not too good for the wallet

Positives: everything else

 

[Sammie]

The only negative in my opinion is the main pool is way too small for the resort, the DVC villas and pool hoppers. They need to enforce the no Pool Hopping here for everyone including other DVC members. It's just too small.

It was too small when it was only the lodge there.

 

[benjyt]

No kidding on the smell - it's one of the things I remember the most from our previous visits there. I wish I could find out how they do that...

 

[Disney Doll]

I personally don't have any negatives about the VWL, but I will list a few that I have seen brought up here.

Some folks don't like the dark decor. I don't find it oppressively dark...to me it seems cozy.

Some folks say the pool is crowded. I have never found that to be true, but I also don't travel to WDW at "peak" times most of the time.

Some folks say they have the most amount of bad views. Views are never an issue with me, so it wouldn't phase me. We stayed in the WL hotel once and had a view of the smokehouse out back. We got the room really cheap...manager's special or something like that. Anyhow, obviously not a gorgeous view, but very interesting to watch the comings and goings. DH, who is a very good cook, found it quite fascinating when we were in the room.

The positives for me are the serene feel of the area, the nice walking paths, the boat to the MK, the ability to see the Electric Water Pageant from the resort, the close proximity to Fort Wilderness to take part in some of the activities over there, the cute little ducks in the pool.

 

[WDWLVR]

SNAKES? Are you serious? I think I'll have to add a request to my ressie to be on an upper floor. EEEK!!

Yeah our first day was not a good one. First room we were given had someone in it when we opened the door. Called the front desk from the lobby of the villas and was told we had to come back to the main lobby. Then we got another room also on the first floor. After we unpacked I wanted to sit out and read but when I went to open the door a snake crossed over the patio. Needless to say I didn't sit out there at all.

 

[iankh]

Positives

• Beautiful wooded surrounding
• Fabulous rustic dark decor
• Lobby
• Feeling of being remote and out of the hustle and bustle
• Great restaurants
• Electrical parade viewable from the beach
• Boats to MK
• Bike path to FW
• Marina

Negatives

• Buses to other parks make multiple stops