VWL/WL....Yes, it's a DELUXE

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
Let's look at size and price. WL has deluxe rooms, that are similar to a 1br villa, and also cost more. Does that make part of WL "more deluxe" than BC or BW??? (I don't think BC or BW have deluxe rooms, but I could be wrong). The room sizes at VWL are roughly the same size as BCV or BWV, perhaps bigger.

Actually, the "deluxe" rooms at WL are also referred to as Junior Suites, and according to WDWIG are around 500 sq ft, so they are really somewhere between a studio (356 square feet) and a 1 bedroom (727 square feet). If you want to be precise, they are actually closer in square footage to a studio than they are to a 1br.

While BWI and YC/BC do not have any junior suites, they do have full suites (which WL does not, except for their equivalent of the Vice Presidential and Presidential suites addressed later). BWI has the garden suites with their own entry garden courtyard in addition to the more standard 2 bedroom suites. They also have a "deluxe" category of concierge, though I'm not sure what that entails over regular deluxe. The Beach Club does have a "deluxe" room category as well, in addition to 1 bedroom suites and 2 bedroom suites. The Yacht Club also has approximately 20 suites ranging from a 1 bedroom on up.

The WL, BWI, BC and YC all have the equivalent of vice-presidential and presidential suites, however I do believe that the VP and Pres suites at BWI, BC and YC are all much larger than at WL (and as such are approximately twice the price).

So, we have WL conceived and built with regular rooms that are closer in size to moderates than to deluxes, with junior suites (aka "deluxe rooms") instead of full suites and a VP and Pres suite that are half the size of the other deluxes. We also have the only Magic Kingdom resort that is NOT on the monorail.

Regarding OKW, yes, if you just look at amenities, restaurants, location etc, OKW is way more like a moderate than it is like a deluxe. Although I am certainly NOT OKW's greatest fan, I think you'd be crazy to call it a moderate though. That's why Disney has the Home Away From Home category. When I stayed at the WL as a hotel, I definately felt there was something lacking in both the room size and in the fact that it's the only MK resort NOT on the monorail. I was actually quite disappointed by my WL stay although I did fall in love with the decor of the public spaces. The only reason I will stay at WL now (and actually CHOOSE to stay there) is that the annoying small rooms in the lodge are no longer an issue with the gorgeous huge rooms in DVC, and I can live with having to wait for the pokey boat to get to the MK in exchange for the beautiful surroundings.

I think if Disney ever tried to charge the same rates as the Poly for the WL, most people would not choose to stay there. After all, why should someone pay the same for a smaller room and more difficult access to the parks? I guess that's all I'm trying to say.

Lisa

 

[vwl_ryan]

I remember reading in newsgroups years ago that Wilderness Junction was going to be a Moderate resort built near Wilderness Lodge. Also, Ranger Stan mentioned this during an architecture tour we went on at WL in August of 1998. During that tour, he also mentioned the Villas. I remember because he was excited that the Wilderness Lodge area was going to have a Moderate, a Deluxe, and "high dollar" Home Away from Home Resort. I kind of think he said that WJ was going to be built on the other side of Bay Lake, but I am not sure about that. Guess this is just one of those projects that never seemed to make it!

Ryan

 

[Geyser Gazer]

Watching the sun rise behind the woods, behind the lake, hot air baloons float on the breeze. Gazing about, almost nothing but trees. Only the music of birds singing and the splash of ducks landing rise above the quietness of the dawn. I've no need for conventions, nor stores, nor more hotel rooms to see, for the amenity's here suit us to a "T". As for my family and I why you'll find us here, amongst the beauty created by the ultimate imagineer.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Johnnie Fedora, and Geyser Gazer highlighted my thoughts exactly.

Dean, I appreciate your even handed approach, but I am still curious what amenities are not offered at WL/VWL, that are offered at BWV/BWI, and BCV/BC.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
Johnnie Fedora, and Geyser Gazer highlighted my thoughts exactly.

Dean, I appreciate your even handed approach, but I am still curious what amenities are not offered at WL/VWL, that are offered at BWV/BWI, and BCV/BC.

Thanks for confirming that I am successfully communicating my ideas without coming across in the wrong way. It's actually easier for me to restate the entire premise so I'll do so. Those that want can just skip over.

I feel that from a luxury standpoint, WL is just a tic below some of the others and I'd include essentially all of the "Deluxe resorts". This is different than whether someone likes it better or not, it's a general approach to the overall level of services, view, all rooms, pool, location, price, discounts available and feel. It is not comparing simply one room type or one restaurant, I don't feel you can do that in this comparison and be honest. It also includes everything I'd think about even if one person is glad it's not there. It also includes things like the value Disney itself has put on the resorts, the rack rates, the discounts available and the Unofficial guide ratings. One other and important issue to my thinking is my feeling of where most guests at WDW want to stay given the same prices. Remember that DVC members are only a small part of the puzzle as are the members of this board, including myself.

WLV is a great resort and is truly Deluxe, just very slightly below many of the others from an overall standpoint in my judgement from a Deluxe standpoint, not a quality standpoint and I think this is the rub with many of you. When I compare amenities, I'm looking at the overall mix of both quantity and quality. For BW, that includes the options on the BW. I would include the amenties that are shared between the YC and BC as one.

WL has one nice and one family restaurant along with one lounge. It has the Marina, great lobby and theming. The pool is nicely themed but smaller than many of the others. The Marina is a plus. The location is good but not great for MK and is average for the other resorts and not much if any better than OKW from a bus standpoint. It does have smaller rooms and a large percentage don't have very good views, comparitively.

YC/BC has a convention center, 1 nice, 2 family and one grill restaurant. The best pool, better location for a larger group of people including a large percentage of families and a Marina. It also has several lounges, larger rooms, great concierge.

BW has 1 nice, 1 family and 2 grills (ESPN, etc) plus several bars and lounges. It has the BW itself, a pool that's about equal or better than WLV in some ways but theming might put it about even overall. Larger rooms, epcot location and the high percent of units that are villas. Conference center.

GF has the nicest and most luxiourious appointments. 3 very nice restaurants, several louunges and great views. The pools are now much better after the changes. Monorail location. Conference Center.

Poly has larger rooms, great views, great theming, character meals (best or second best) and dinner show (is it still open?). It is also on the Monorail.

Contemporary has the monorail and probably the best nice restaurant on property (V & A is different) plus the best character meal outside a park. It is a little dated and the wing rooms do drag it down somewhat. Monorail location and conference center.

AKL is in many ways a carbon copy of WL. One nice and one family restaurant with great theming but different. I'd put it about on par with WLV but the savannah and animals might give it a slight edge.

Disney has obviously rated WLV slightly lower in demand and price which I feel represents the overall demand. The last Unofficial guide also ranks WL as lower, at least in the last version I have, it's a few years old. The villas and amenties they bring pulls WL up signficantly by adding nicer, larger rooms and a fitness center.

I'm sure I left out some things and may even be off slightly on some of the specifics so look at the overall situation. From a personal use standpoint, I prefer WLV and Artist Point is my favorite restarant but my judgement of Deluxe puts it slightly below many of the others.

Maistre Gracey, does that answer your question?

 

[timC]

Wow... There's a lot of great information about WL and VWL coming out on this thread. Thanks all.

There is absolutely no way I can post an objective reply to this thread. As a VWL (and BWV) owner, the whole WL experience has a very special place in my heart... that goes way beyond assigning a "deluxe" rating.

To me, deluxe is measured from the total customer experience, from the moment you drive through the gate, to the final farewell: location, ammenities, quality of service, quality of furnishing, services, staff, attention to details, food quality, landscaping, recreation... and dozens more.

I've stayed at a variety of Disney deluxe and moderate resorts, and I can say that the entire WL experience easily qualifies as deluxe.

 

[littlestar]

I don't think I can be objective about VWL either (I'm in love with this place). How can you be 100% objective when you love something? hee hee

Everytime we approach the lodge, I always go, "oh man, there it is." Ahh, we're here. Then we pull up under the covered driveway. They say, "welcome to the lodge." We walk through the doors, a swish of air blows my hair back. Then the music starts when you walk in the lobby and you automatically look up, up, up at the magnificent, beautifuly lobby. Families are everywhere. Sitting in the mission style furniture. Leaning back with this look of joy on their faces. We're home.

Then we walk to the VWL. My favorite rocking chairs in the whole wide world are in this lobby. I sit in one of these and close my eyes. Ahh, home. A quiet calm comes over me.

Nope, I can't be objective. I'm in love.

I'm glad Disney charges less for a regular room in the main lodge than most of their other deluxe hotels. That means more hardworking families can enjoy it.

 

[d-r]

Gosh, Dean, you are comparing apples to oranges there in the restaurants.

Grand Floridian has more restaurants than any other hotel at wdw - it just has more because it is the flagship or whatever - v & A's; narcooses, citricos, grand floridian cafe...plus the gasparilla fast food place. No other resort really has that many.

With yc/bc you are really comparing the WL with two resorts. It is OK if you want to think of it that way, and it is really convenient to use the restaurants in the other, but to be fair it is comparing wl to two resorts.

The BW is adjacent to an "entertainment area" (I know because my beach club villas information tells me that there is an "entertainment area" a short walk away). That is why it has spoodles, flying fish, espn, and big river - those are there for the "entertainment area" as well as the resort - they open up to the boardwalk outside rather than to the resort inside.

They are all different. By those sort of standards, someone could count in the stuff at fort wilderness and even the contemporary with the WL - they are just a boat ride away. And who knows, maybe some day they will open up river country again (doubt it).

With the exception of GF and BW (which has an "entertainment area") the deluxes follow a trend of having one "nice" more adult place, one family place, and one fast food place. There are variations in that, but it is the basic mix. Contemporary has three plus the fast food, but chef mickey's and concourse steak house sort of seam to run together....the polly has a show, but so does ft. wilderness, and I really think if you are going to tally yc/bc together you should count the Ft. wilderness things with wl.

I will say that you have to "get" the wilderness area. The epcot area is a little more obvious, and I really like it there. But there is a laid back old school appeal to the wilderness area. I'm not sure that a convention center is the sort of thing I'd count as an amenity

The way that disney breaks down the amenities isn't the way that you do; they break down the distinctions between value, moderate, deluxe, and home away from home. Some have things that others may not have (tennis courts at contemporary, spa at grand floridian, etc.) but all the deluxes basically have the same set of amenities. Personal taste may prefer the style or implementation of one over the other (the marina on bay lake is preferable to me over the marina on crescent lake, although breathless is a big plus). But really, that's what it boils down, personal taste.

And I'm not sure what the cost and room size of the WL rooms have to do with the WLV rooms?

Anyway, the smaller size of the WLV vs. BWV is a big plus to me for it, but I really love BWV. For me, if we are staying a week, the best thing is to stay the weekdays at BWV or BCV when epcot and the studios stay open longer, and you feel like you are right in the mix of things, and then retreat to the more quiet WLV for the weekend to get away from all that hustle and bustle and be near the magic kingdom when it stays open later and has fireworks. There are big plusses to both areas. It terms of emotional attachment, there are a lot of them for me in the epcot area - heck we got married at YC. But my heart is truly with wl.
DR
DR

 

[RoutemanDan]

I totally understand Deans reasoning.After thinking about it and using his reasoning,Coronado Springs rises out of moderate status.It has an adult,upscale restaraunt-Maya Grill,a food court that is very similar to a family restaraunt.A theme pool to rival the deluxes,suites,and a convention center.Not to mention an impressive lobby.
Now I like Coronado springs,but would never equate it to a deluxe,the same way I wouldn't equate WL to a moderate.

 

[littlestar]

Oh, forgot to mention in my last post. Travel and Leisure had Wilderness Lodge listed 4th on the poll for top 20 resorts in the US and Canada. Yacht Club was No. 1, Boardwalk No. 3, and then the lodge was No. 4. I think it's definitely a Deluxe! (but a more affordable deluxe than the other two.) Here's the thread:

http://www.travelandleisure.com/family/readerspoll/

 

[Dean]

Dan, I agree, Coronado springs is above the rest of the moderates in many ways but still I don't care for it that much.

d-r, talking about a stretch combining WL and Ft. W. The Boardwalk is part of the hotel and I do look at YC/BC as basically one hotel, at least from an amenities standpoint. I've stated my thoughts, for what they're worth but having independent backup in the form of the Unofficial guide and Disney's valuation of the resorts doesn't hurt. I get WL but still objectively see it as slightly less Deluxe just not less desireable for me. But your thoughts reinforce my idea that WL is a specialty resort to a certain extent. It does have character. To be honest, one would need to exclude owners at any of the resorts in question to get a somewhat objective view.

 

[DVCPAT]

We did a small add on at the VWL. I think its a deluxe resort. I dont know how it rates when you add up all the mickey checks on the amenity comparison list. If you dont care for the resort, there are personal preference reasons that no one will change and thats fine.

I think the most important factor is not on any amenity list. It's the resort design and atmosphere. The things that appeal to your sensuous. I do think you have to spend a few nights in any resort to accurately assess it.

 

[DSNY FN]

I agree DVCPAT I love All Stars where alot of people hate them and I still like them even after being at BWV and VWL for a week and going to ASmovies they still appeal to me for whatever reason.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Does WL or WLV have a kids club in the evenings?

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by CaptainMidnight
Does WL or WLV have a kids club in the evenings?

They did before and I think they still do. It wasn't as good as the others we've used, the one time we used it.

 

[Regina]

They have the Cub's Den for childcare.

 

[rbuzzotta]

IMO, I think all of the DVC properties are deluxe!! That is why we joined!! Transportation doesn't really matter to us since we use our own (rental car).........restaurants really don't matter to us yet (my DD's just eat Mickey pasta!!).......pools, well I like it quiet......health club........I wish I had the motivation to use it!! But DH does and loves Sturdy Branches...Scenery..........they all have their special theme and are all beautiful in their own way!!

OKW is my "home" and we usually try to stay at VWL for 1 week during our 2 week summer stay. DH and I stayed at WL the first week it opened and have been in love with it ever since!!! I love OKW as my "home away from home"............

We must all love DVC, that is why we are here!!!