We realized something important this trip

[Chuck S]

I'm not sure uppity is exactly the right word, but I know what you mean. I love going to the GF main lobby and listening to the live music, dining at the GF Cafe, browsing in the shops....but I still would not be comfortable staying there, I don't think...at least in a regular cash room...DVC is probably a very different experience. But in the main hotel lobby, it reminds me of being a kid, and hearing my Mom say, "It's OK to look, but don't touch anything!"...LOL

BTW, I tried some gingerbread this time. I was expecting my Grandma's gingerbread...I was disappointed. It was OK with coffee the next morning, but I didn't like it as a snack. I need to make some from Grandma's recipe.

 

[rer1972]

That is an awesome feeling. I purchased resale VWL 10+ years ago as a single guy, and had that feeling the first time I walked into WL and the Villas. I took my cousin, and then my parents the two years after I purchased, and they loved it (still talk about it today). I was married a few years after that, and my wife fell for VWL the moment she walked in as well. We now have two DD (DD5 & DD3), and their first visits to WDW included a stay at AKV. They loved the place.

Now, I stayed at AKV a few times, and really loved the feel and look of it. So this year we added 50 resale points at AKV, and are doing split stay for Thanksgiving 2018 at BRV & AKV. My wife isn't much of a planner or WDW buff, but she did say, "I like AKV, but I love Wilderness Lodge". So, we have something for all of us, and have a chance to change things up a bit too.

Very happy with our purchases.

 

[NickBCV]

For what it's worth. We Love the VGF. We are DVC owners at Beach Club and we did a split stay at VGF and BCV on our last trip and fell in love with VGF. We ended up buying direct there and adding on in resale market. I suppose I can see why some people do not like it, but the service was amazing. I have never felt so welcome and all the CM bent over backward to ensure we were having a great stay. BCV was our second half of the split stay and we do love that resort as well but if we had to pick it would be VGF for us as our "home".

Our boys 5 and 9 also loved the one bedroom with the TV in the bathroom mirror! My guys are by no means quiet either and they felt perfectly at home at VGF.....even in the main house.

 

[glamdring269]

Yeah that does look like a very nice hangout. Did you tour the cabins when you were out there?

We didn’t do a cabin tour. It would be cool to look at but seeing a 1br is probably about as ‘upscale’ as we need to see since it will primarily be the 2 of us traveling. We did get to see a CC 1br unit and it was really nice.

 

[bakerworld]

We bought BLT in 2009 but it wasn't until 2013 when we stayed there for the 2BSV for a family vacation that I actually enjoyed the venue. We haven't returned. The next 2B was at SSR because our young adult kids wanted to enjoy DS. We basically used our memberships to transfer into BCV which is our preferred location as a couple. Can't say we ever felt completely comfortable at GF. Loved the Poly mid-week - not so much during the weekend with the extended hours at MK causing extended horns thru the night.

 

[bwvBound]

We didn’t do a cabin tour. It would be cool to look at but seeing a 1br is probably about as ‘upscale’ as we need to see since it will primarily be the 2 of us traveling. We did get to see a CC 1br unit and it was really nice.

There is nothing wrong with 2 people enjoying a cabin to themselves! Nothing wrong. Nothing at all.

(We have a cabin reservation coming up soon ... just received our Magical Express envelope. Yippie!)

 

[bumbershoot]

I know exactly what you mean. We visited it once during the summer and GF felt so uptight and stuffy. It felt like my kids were going to get yelled at by the librarian for having too loud of a conversation and a personality. My kids looked at me and said, “dad, did we leave Disney? I want to go back to Disney. “ Knew right then and there, never staying there.

The villa lobby is very different. The studios are awesome.

As for the librarian feel...meh! I’ve seen kids having tantrums and screaming and families arguing, and no one has ever been told to stop. We’ve visited the lobby enough times (and we’ve done tea three times before it got so expensive and restrictive) that it feels chill to us.

We bought BLT in 2009 but it wasn't until 2013 when we stayed there for the 2BSV for a family vacation that I actually enjoyed the venue.

We bought there the same year. I started visiting in 2016 but the DH and DS still haven’t been there.

We fell for OKW and now are just mad for VGF. Sigh.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

We stayed at VGF when it first opened and I was worried I would hate it because of all the ‘snobby clientele’. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Everyone including staff and guests were typical Disney. I didn’t feel out of place at all. It was elegant and I enjoyed pretending to be fancy for a weekend.

I’m not sure I have a home home resort. I like too many of them. BLT is the only place I have heavily disliked.

 

[MissCecelia]

The GF reminds me of my angry grandmother's house in Ojai, ca. It's beautiful but I feel like a little kid again in her fancy house with too many cats.
We stayed at AK first-it was my DREAM. When we stayed it just wasn't what I thought it was. Next trip was the poly on our no kids trip. Its great for just us but it's too small for our kids and us. On our DVC tour we fell in love with the 1 bedrooms and the boardwalk. Mostly we REALLY loved the Aulani models. We're in California and love to cruise so we bought a super small resale contract for us to use when we stop off in a hotel to rest before going on a cruise to see if we liked it and the whole points idea. Also I don't need to worry about where we're staying or what pricing are going to be or how much it's costing. I just pay my dues and book at 11 months.

Well we ended going on rented points AGAIN (we haven't even closed yet) we're still in escrow) so now we're trying to figure out where we want to buy. We don't want a large contract as we realistically only see us doing Disney every other year or every 3-depending on where plans take us. My husband doesn't buy that for a second. "That's what you said 2 years ago and we've been 3 times now." It;s not my fault! Stupid Spirit airlines with their cheap tickets to Orlando from L.A.

HOW CAN YOU NOT BUY $120 PLANE TICKETS??

 

[jennifer in canada]

We felt at home in AKL and bought there but WL is a close second.

Poly was my dream resort to stay at. Did this last trip and was underwhelmed! It was lovely and all just couldn’t wait for the second part of our stay at AKL.

Hubby loves WL too - thinking about adding on soon and it’s Gonna be a hard choice!!