WL studio villa - only room available - Undecided

[Southern Disney Bell]

I had no other selections for the WL so they found me a studio villa....no I am not a member of the DVC however after reading I am not sure that I am making a good decision and would like to hear from others before I make a final decision.

I like everyone want to have everything perfect, most importantly the room/resort. I understand that the villas are a seperate from the lodge but are they worth the extra money. I was able to get it for $195 a night with a code but the only difference in a studio and a standard room is a microwave and an extra sink....

For those that have stayed in the villas, am I making a good decision? Also, is there a seperate lodge area for the villa people or other advantages that I am not aware of?

We love the look of this resort at Christmas time, which is when we are going and is why we are hooked on staying here for the first time!

 

[mom2alix]

What size is your party? One thing about a studio villa is that it will be a queen size bed and a pull out sofa, so that might be a problem if you need two beds. OTOH - for a couple it's really nice since it feels more like a suite with the sofa area and the bed. The Villas do have a beautiful lounge area in the building and an extremely gorgeous tree in the Villas lobby decorated for Christmas.

 

[deej696]

We stayed at VWL for the first time during christmas. While the building is separate from the main lodge, it is not a very long walk at all. $195 a night seems to be a good price for any room at WL, so it seems like a good deal to me. FWIW, If you will use the fitness center, a villa is more convenient in that regard as its in the same building.

 

[RunningthruDisney]

We love the WL and have stayed in a two bedroom. we are not DVC either, so we paid out of pocket and did have mousekeeping-something i did not know we would have. Yes it is a little further walk to the Lodge but that really was not a big deal to us. Close to the buses pne you get to the main door. The villas were quiet. We were are the far end, so we really did not hear anything. Staying at POR our next vist so I am a bit nervous since everything is a further walk.

It is a beautiful place to stay during the holidays

 

[biolabetty]

The rate you have the villa for is about $35 less than what we paid for a woods view room in the lodge. I would have loved to have stayed in a villa for that price.

 

[twinklebug]

I'm not a DVC owner (yet) and have stayed in many DVC studio villas as well as regular hotel rooms at the resorts.

In my opinion DVC studios are superior to standard rooms as you have more space, the larger fridge (it's still a mini fridge, but a step up), the kitchenette counter space is incredibly handy and well lit as opposed to the tiny space over the regular room's fridge and my favorite... a full sized coffee pot (bring your own from home to brew... this is not a hint, but a necessity if you like good coffee)

VWL is my hands down favorite of the DVCs. Good choice there. You may have an issue with the location of the villas *if* you're counting on a view of the main courtyard, fireworks or the magnificent lobby being right outside your door.

If you like peacefulness - you'll love the villas over the base hotel. The villas even have their own gathering room & fireplace & if I'm correct it even has a replica of one of walt's trains. ... Oh, and the villa pool is amazing. Best "quiet" pool on site. You can of course always head over to the big pool and double hot tubs... but my kids love the villa pool just as much.

Word of warning though - it happened to me - once you've stayed in a villa your expectations for hotel rooms is upped dramatically. Do not expect to be happy with anything less than a villa unless you're staying concierge. I made the "mistake" of renting a 1br this last time around. time to buy in.

 

[brergnat]

Stick with it! The villas, while in a separate building, are SO close to the main lodge, it's not really an issue. The villas, as mentioned, are closer to the bus stop. If you stay in the lodge, you could get a room at the very far end of the wings, and your walk to the buses would be FOREVER long.

The Villas has an awesome room called the Iron Spike Room. It's SO peaceful and relaxing in there, with huge leather easy chairs and a fireplace. It is Train themed, and there are several really great old pictures of Walt and his history with trains. There are also several models that belonged to Walt himself. No one is ever in this room...it's a great place to read, or even take a nap!

The workout room is in the "lobby" of the villas as well, so that's handy. There are also massages by appointment there. As mentioned, the quiet pool at the villas is really nice too! I actually think it's nicer than the WL's main pool.

Plus, the rate you got is really good! You got very lucky.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...We love the look of this resort at Christmas time, which is when we are going and is why we are hooked on staying here for the first time!

The decorations at the VWL are almost as nice at the main lodge. They set up a really tall tree in the center of the villas that extends up a few floors. Plus they have swags and lights over all the railings. Most views are woods views, but some have a bit of a view of the lake through the trees.

The sleeper sofa is double sized, but the bed is queen sized. Sturdy Branches is located in the villas building on the first floor. And there is a quiet pool located at the villas with a hot tub.

You'll be closer to the bus stop, but the buses will not impact your stay negatively at all. To get to the boat dock, just head out towards the pool, walk around the end of the lodge and you are at the pool/geyser area, not too far from the boat dock.

 

[cmd0819]

The Villas are great! We have stayed in a studio for three summers in a row now and are hooked. I actually like the walk to the main lodge because it's so pretty (both via the walkway and around the grounds). The rooms are really good sized. We love the Lodge!

 

[jimmytammy]

We own pts. at VWL so I tend to be very partial to staying there. With that said, we have stayed in both a studio and a room in the main Lodge and I much prefer the studio. And it seems to be a good price. I would say go for it and enjoy!

 

[fla4fun]

VWL is my favorite of the DVC resorts. I love the themeing and the common rooms, and the fact that it's close to the bus stop. It's faster to get to the boat if you walk around the back of WL instead of walking through. I've stayed in studios and 1BR there.

There are a couple things to note if you're booking a studio. Ask to be close to the elevator or on the first floor. There are studios on the far end of the upper floors that overlook the service area. If you aren't going to spend a lot of time on your balcony, this may not be an issue for you, but it's something you should know. Also, there is one studio, I believe on the 4th floor, that has no balcony at all (just a window). I can't remember the room number off the top of my head, but I'm sure someone here can.

 

[Southern Disney Bell]

I really appreciate you all giving me your opinions and b/c of your responses I will keep my reservations at the WL with the studio villa...hey, maybe they will upgrade me to a one bedroom (I doubt it).

Look forward to talking with ya'll again!