wilderness lodge villas?

[disneymon]

we are planning on driving to hilton head in august 2004 and staying for 5 nights and then driving the short trip to disney world. we are trying to decide where to stay at disney. we own at the bw and bcv. we will be staying at the bw 11/03 and 2/04. our choices are okw, which we have done once, wlv, which i am leaning toward, ssr, which will still be under construction, or bcv,same area as our next two trips. i guess i'm looking for feedback about wlv. we will have our bikes with us and of course our car. what kind of bike paths are there? is the feature pool real nice, what other activities are there to do. it will be dw, ds8, dd3 and myself.

 

[Dano1182]

We have stayed at BCV<BWV,And VWL.

The pools at BWV and Beach club are Great.Stormalong bay can be a destination in it self.
The pool at Wilderness is less spectacular but extreemely nice..

WLV is best for access to MC.

BCV & BWV easy entry to epcot and MGM they are also closest to DTD

Boardwalk and Beach club offer sights and sounds that do not reqiure addmision tickets. Thayalso provide the most variety of resturants in walking distance .(Avoid Yachtsman).It was extremely disapointing last time.


I think Wilderness is best for Bike riding.You canrent those multi passenger bikes on the Boardwalk but i don't remmember any bike paths .(I was not looking for them)

 

[disneymon]

we will stay at the bcv some time in the near future, we are looking for something different for summer of 2004. our next two trips we are at the bw, our favorite area so far!! we will still be using our annual passes but will also spend alot of time at the resort.

 

[timC]

I think VWL is the best place to be, if you want to do a bit of biking. Here is a map of the area to give you an idea: Nature trails, quiet camping grounds, etc.

Fort Wilderness Recreational Map

 

[disneymon]

timC, thanks for the map. the biking looks great! are there boats that go between mk and wlv like between the bw and epcot. i think that wlv and hh would make a great trip!! are there all kinds of kid activities?is the feature pool only for the resort and not the camp grounds?

 

[nhmomx2]

Hi disneymon! We stayed at VWL in June and we were split on whether or not we liked it. We typically stay at BWV, but I've stayed at a few other places over the years First let me say, there wasn't anything wrong with the resort. It was fine, but I just felt "lost". I can't really explain it. I just really felt out of sync with the resort. Mind you...I'm not a crowd loving person so that's not what appeals to me about the BWV's. VWL was quiet and peaceful, dark in the corridors and low lighting in the rooms, we had a closed in balcony too!

As for your questions...Yes, there is a boat from MK to VWL. However, the launch is a bit of a walk from the villas. As is the main pool (which is for WL and VWL guests only, not FW guests). I wasn't thrilled with the pool. We thought it was crowded. The pool aslo has a current, on one end, from the stream that flows from the main building and the little ones had a hard time with it.

I guess it boils down to personal tastes!!!

 

[disneymon]

nhmomx2, thanks for the honesty. i would like to try all the resorts but keep going back to the bw due to the great location and the standard view points. my wife would like to try out bcv since we did an add on , and have not stayed there. our choices look like ss. bcv, or wl. Isn't it great to have this tough decision.

 

[nhmomx2]

You're welcome

I know what you mean...it's rough being a DVC owner isn't it

 

[timC]

are there boats that go between mk and wlv like between the bw and epcot. i think that wlv and hh would make a great trip!! are there all kinds of kid activities?is the feature pool only for the resort and not the camp grounds?

- Yes, there is a boat service to MK. IMO the distance from the villas to the launch is a pleasant little walk past a geyser and through some trees. It's a great service, providing a special trip to MK, and FW campgrounds.

- Kids stuff? Yep! In addition to the activities at VWL, with your bikes, you can get to fun stuff at FW too.

- Feature pool is only for guests of WL or VWL. The kids will enjoy the cool slide, "creek"-fed current, and the occasional family of duck.

 

[anniet]

Give VWL a try!

The walk isn't that long to the launch, and as timC says it's quite pleasant. You can also request a room near the Villas Pool which will cut down on your walk if you are concerned.

There are great dining choices at VWL- You have Roaring Forks for a quick bite in a pinch (soups, salads, sandwiches, grilled items etc) Whispering Canyon Cafe, which I hear is a hoot (sit down meal) for families and Artist's Bluff for fine dining.

If you ask at the front desk, they will give your family a list of clues to look for hidden mickeys which is a great way to explore the resort. You also have access to Fort Wilderness where you can go to the campfire sing along and then the outdoor Disney movie, along with the petting zoo, and pony rides. The trails from VWL to FW are great for riding a bike. Much better than going around the lagoon at BCV and BWV, because you actually get somewhere, so you'll get some good use out of those bikes!

Every evening you can go out to the beach and watch the Electric Water Pageant which is a lot of fun too.

If you are leaning that way I say go for it.

Good luck!

 

[disneymon]

anniet, thanks for the great comments. we go on 2 trips per year. so far our favorite resort is hh. It is nice because we can drive instead of flying, don't have to buy tickets to enter parks, and we seem to relax more at hh. I guess that is why i think we will try wl, it seems to be alot like hh. don't get me wrong, we love the parks but with young children somedays are better just hanging at the pool. also i would love to rent the boats and just cruise around. so my decision is made!!! well until i talk to my WIFE !!!

 

[anniet]

Originally posted by disneymon
anniet, thanks for the great comments. we go on 2 trips per year. so far our favorite resort is hh. It is nice because we can drive instead of flying, don't have to buy tickets to enter parks, and we seem to relax more at hh. I guess that is why i think we will try wl, it seems to be alot like hh. don't get me wrong, we love the parks but with young children somedays are better just hanging at the pool. also i would love to rent the boats and just cruise around. so my decision is made!!! well until i talk to my WIFE !!!

I haven't yet been to Hilton Head, but my parents went with my sister and her family and the way they described it to me, it seemed like there are some similarities to VWL. And I totally agree with or without kids (as we are) some days you just need a break from the parks, and VWL is a great place to be in my opinion.

By the way you may even get a glimpse of the Magic Kingdom Fireworks some nights!

Watch out disneymon---you might come back with a NEW favorite resort!

 

[TwingleMum]

Disneymon - you drive from NY to HH ?? Where in NY?? How long a drive is it?? Do you do it in one shot?? Thanks for the insight.

 

[WildernessMickey]

I think you will like VWL. The main pool is nice with a kids slide. It is in a U shape and does have a current on one side, but the current doesn't affect the other side. There is also a quiet pool by the villas and it has little bubbles of water in areas, I guess to simulate a geyser. They are both great, and they both have whirlpools (2 at the main pool and one at the quiet pool). There are terrific bike paths that link to Fort Wilderness.

I love HH too. Have fun!

 

[disneymon]

twinglemum, we live between buffalo and rochester. we have driven to hh three times and actually love the ride. the trip is 995 miles and takes about 15 1/2 hours.We leave at about 4:30 am and drive to columbia s.c.,which is about 2 1/2 hours from the resort.We leave columbia early and arrive around noon. The last two trips we drove straight through on the way home!! my wife calls me the travel nazi. Three stops for bathroom breaks, food and gasoline on the way home.

 

[disneychick05]

We stayed at WL in April and it was great. I think that BCV & BWV are great too but if you want a change of scenery and something new you should try WLV. I loved getting on the boat and going to MK...what a nice ride. I would also like to know more about your drive to HH from NY. How is that? Have you done it before? That actually sounds like a great idea.

 

[disneymon]

the ride from buffalo to hh is great. total miles is about 995 , about 15 1/2 hours. dw, dd3 ds8 watch movies. the kids ride great. we leave at 4:30 am and drive to columbia, sc. which takes about 12 hours. we then wake up and head to hh which is 2 1/2 hours away. we really love the drive!! next summer we are going to continue on to disney and stay for 5 more nights. it will be fun to have our own bikes with us and our car . maybe we will go to celebration for a day!!